Algoritmo memético com infecção viral: uma aplicação ao problema do caixeiro viajante assimétrico

The Combinatorial Optimization is a basic area to companies who look for competitive advantages in the diverse productive sectors and the Assimetric Travelling Salesman Problem, which one classifies as one of the most important problems of this area, for being a problem of the NP-hard class and for possessing diverse practical applications, has increased interest of researchers in the development of metaheuristics each more efficient to assist in its resolution, as it is the case of Memetic Algorithms, which is a evolutionary algorithms that it is used of the genetic operation in combination with a local search procedure. This work explores the technique of Viral Infection in one Memetic Algorithms where the infection substitutes the mutation operator for obtaining a fast evolution or extinguishing of species (KANOH et al, 1996) providing a form of acceleration and improvement of the solution . For this it developed four variants of Viral Infection applied in the Memetic Algorithms for resolution of the Assimetric Travelling Salesman Problem where the agent and the virus pass for a symbiosis process which favored the attainment of a hybrid evolutionary algorithms and computational viable

Agentes polinizadores e produção de grãos em cultura de café arábica cv. “Catuaí Vermelho”

Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants had the pollination process of their flowers studied in three coffee producing regions in Brazil: the first in Ribeirao Preto, state of São Paulo, in September of 2004, the second in Carmo do Paraiba, in the state of Minas Gerais, in October of 2006, and, the third, in Altinopolis, state of São Paulo, in September of 2007. In all these locations the coffee variety used was the 'Catuai Vermelho'. The pollinator species visiting the flowers, the frequency with which the flowers were visited by the insects, and the type of material collected by them ( nectar and/or pollen) were determined by counts taking place at the first 10 minutes of each hour from 7:00 AM till 6:00 PM during the months mentioned above. To estimate the fructification percentage, 25 branches were identified with color threads and protected with wire frames covered with a nylon fabric to prevent them from being visited by insects. Another group of 25 branches was similarly identified but remained without any covering so that their flowers were thus freely visited by insects. on the average, the most frequent pollinator was the Africanized bee Apis mellifera (73.7%) followed by the bee Trigona spinipes (14.5%), and Tetragonisca angustula (9.5%). The Africanized bee collected nectar and pollen to almost the same extent: 58.5% of the first and 41.5% of the second. To collect nectar, that species increased its visiting frequency up to 1:00 PM. To collect pollen, A. mellifera visited the flowers up to 1:00 PM with frequency peaks between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. T. spinipes collected pollen (58,5%) and nectar (41.5%). T. angustula collected only pollen. The branches freely visited by insects produced 181 grains on the average whereas those covered with the nylon fabric produced only 81 grains, this meaning a reduction of 55.25% in grain production. Coffee grains produced on the freely visited branches had a mean weight (1.13 g) significantly superior to that of those produced on the covered branches (0.94 g).

Eficácia do teste de acidez graxa na avaliação da qualidade do café Arábica (Coffea arabica L.) submetido a diferente períodos e temperaturas de secagem

This work had the aim of evaluating the effect of different temperatures and pre-drying periods on yard on the chemical composition and quality of the beverage of peeled cherry coffee. Temperatures of 40 degrees C, 50 degrees C and 60 degrees C were used in the mass with air flow of 20m(3)m(-1)m(2). After drying, the visible defects of the coffee samples were removed. For evaluation of quality, the following analyses were performed: sensorial analyses, total sugars, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars, electrical conductivity, potassium leaching and fatty acidity. One verified that lower drying temperature and greater pre-drying period had contributed for the attainment of a better quality drink. The increase of temperature and pre-drying periods decreased the non-reducing sugars content while the values of reducing sugars increased. The electrical conductivity, potassium leaching and fatty acidity increased significantly with the rise of temperature and potassium leaching reduced with increasing of the pre-drying period. The fatty acidity test showed to be sensible to the drying temperature.

Avaliação do desempenho de um sistema de secagem projetado para os pequenos produtores rurais

O presente trabalho foi realizado na Fazenda Experimental Lageado, da Universidade Estadual Paulista em Botucatu, SP, e objetivou-se analisar o desempenho de um silo secador alambrado com ar à temperatura ambiente, de projeto simples, com possibilidades de atender às necessidades de pequenos cafeicultores. Para a avaliação do desempenho da secagem, foram realizadas medições do teor de água do café, temperaturas da massa de grãos, do ar de exaustão, do ar de secagem e do ar ambiente, umidade relativa ambiente, velocidade do ar de secagem e o tempo total de secagem. Para avaliar a qualidade do produto seco, foi feito o teste de bebida. Paralelamente, realizou-se a secagem em terreiro para se formar a testemunha. Os resultados observados permitiram concluir que o silo secador alambrado apresentou uma boa eficiência energética, proporcionando um produto seco com o mesmo padrão de qualidade do café seco em terreiro.

Crescimento e produtividade de nogueira-macadâmia em consórcio com cafeeiro arábica irrigado

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento e a produtividade de cultivares de nogueira-macadâmia (Macadamia integrifolia), em sistema de cultivo consorciado com café (Coffea arabica) irrigado. O experimento foi realizado em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com dez repetições. Seis cultivares de macadâmia foram utilizadas, das quais três nacionais (IAC 4-12B, IAC 4-20 e IAC 9-20) e três havaianas (HAES 344, HAES 660 e HAES 816). Nos quatro primeiros anos de produção, foram feitas avaliações de: altura de planta, diâmetro de copa e de tronco, número de nozes por planta, peso médio de noz, peso médio de amêndoa, produção de nozes por planta, taxa de recuperação e produção de amêndoas por planta. As cultivares nacionais apresentaram menor crescimento em altura, com destaque para IAC 4-20, porém, com copas de maior diâmetro. As cultivares nacionais são mais produtivas, com destaque para a IAC 4-12B.

Irrigação e certificação da cafeicultura na Região Centro-Oeste de São Paulo

An unsatisfactory profitability has led to the gradual decline of the coffee plantations in São Paulo. Among the alternatives that arise for solving this problem, two stand out: the irrigation of crops and certification of properties. Even in areas considered suitable for cultivation of arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.), the use of irrigation can promote an increase in grain yield. In addition, the product certification promotes their differentiation in the market and can improve the economic results of the activity. This study aimed to evaluate the development and productivity of coffee crops subjected to irrigation or not, comparing economic data in the marketing of coffee certified or not, under the conditions of the mid-west region of São Paulo state. The field experimental design was in randomized blocks with two treatments (with and without drip irrigation) and ten repetitions. The costs of production and profitability by selling the final product were calculated. The irrigation increased the development and productivity of coffee. The return on investment took place after the third harvest. Irrigation combined with the sale of certified coffee provided financial balance 1,192% higher than the coffee is not irrigated and non-certified.

Selectivity of Workers of the Grass-Cutting Ants Atta bisphaerica and Atta capiguara (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to Vegetable Oils

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Incorporação de cinzas da casca de café na produção de placas cerâmicas para revestimento

Brazil is the world s leading coffee producer. In 2008, 45.99 million of 60 kg bags of benefited coffee were produced. In the process of improvement 50% is grain and 50% is husk, thus, 1.38 million tons of coffee husk are produced annually. The husk is used as combustible in the drying and improvement ovens in the coffee farms, generating ash as residue. These ashes contain a high concentration of alkaline metals and earth metals, mainly K2O and CaO. This work studies the use of this residue in the ceramic tiles industry, as fluxing agents in substitution to the feldspar. Ten mixtures with equal ratios of clay and kaolin, proceeding from Bahia and the residue (varying from 30 to 5%) were defined and produced in uniaxial tool die of 60x20mm with approximately 5 mm of thickness and 45MPa compacting pressure. The samples were fired in four different temperatures: 1100 °C, 1150 °C, 1185 °C and 1200 °C during 60 minutes and characterized by means of X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, gravimetric thermal analysis and differential thermal analysis. The results of water absorption, apparent porosity, linear shrinkage, XRD, dilatometry, flexural strength and SEM were also analysed. The test specimen with addition of 10% of ash fired in 1200 °C resulted in 0.18% water absorption and 40.77 MPa flexural strength, being classified as porcelain stoneware tiles according to ABNT, UNI and ISO norms