972 resultados para General combining ability
Resumo:
The use of biomass as a source of fuel is on the sharp increase. In parallel with this expansion, new chemical processes and technologies are required to improve efficiency, sustainability, and profitability. <br/>Biocatalytic and chemocatalytic methods can be combined to affect the conversion of bio-alcohols, and convert them to valuable chemical targets in an atom efficient and environmentally benign manor. Fermentation offers a useful first step in biomass conversion, as whole cell biocatalysts can provide sustained activity when fed with crude biomass. Coupling this with homogeneous and/or heterogeneous catalysis enables the preparation of a diverse product range. The transition between biocatalytic and chemocatalytic steps can be assisted by utilising ionic liquids.<br/>Ionic liquids have potential roles in biorefineries that generate alcohols; as an extractant, reaction medium, and catalytic reagent. Underpinning the potential of ionic liquids in this area is: 1. the ability of ionic liquids to solubilize polyols and alcohols; 2. the facility to functionalise ionic liquids and tune properties; 3. the low volatility of ionic liquids. <br/>The FP7 project GRAIL will be highlighted; this project focusses on the utilisation of glycerol formed as a by-product in biodiesel synthesis.
Resumo:
A exigente inovao na rea das aplicaes biomdicas tem guiado a evoluo das tecnologias de informao nas ltimas dcadas. Os desafios associados a uma gesto, integrao, anlise e interpretao eficientes dos dados provenientes das mais modernas tecnologias de hardware e software requerem um esforo concertado. Desde hardware para sequenciao de genes a registos electrnicos de paciente, passando por pesquisa de frmacos, a possibilidade de explorar com preciso os dados destes ambientes vital para a compreenso da sade humana. Esta tese engloba a discusso e o desenvolvimento de melhores estratgias informticas para ultrapassar estes desafios, principalmente no contexto da composio de servios, incluindo tcnicas flexveis de integrao de dados, como warehousing ou federao, e tcnicas avanadas de interoperabilidade, como servios web ou LinkedData. A composio de servios apresentada como um ideal genrico, direcionado para a integrao de dados e para a interoperabilidade de software. Relativamente a esta ltima, esta investigao debruou-se sobre o campo da farmacovigilncia, no contexto do projeto Europeu EU-ADR. As contribuies para este projeto, um novo standard de interoperabilidade e um motor de execuo de workflows, sustentam a sucesso da EU-ADR Web Platform, uma plataforma para realizar estudos avanados de farmacovigilncia. No contexto do projeto Europeu GEN2PHEN, esta investigao visou ultrapassar os desafios associados integrao de dados distribudos e heterogneos no campo do varoma humano. Foi criada uma nova soluo, WAVe - Web Analyses of the Variome, que fornece uma coleo rica de dados de variao gentica atravs de uma interface Web inovadora e de uma API avanada. O desenvolvimento destas estratgias evidenciou duas oportunidades claras na rea de software biomdico: melhorar o processo de implementao de software atravs do recurso a tcnicas de desenvolvimento rpidas e aperfeioar a qualidade e disponibilidade dos dados atravs da adopo do paradigma de web semntica. A plataforma COEUS atravessa as fronteiras de integrao e interoperabilidade, fornecendo metodologias para a aquisio e traduo flexveis de dados, bem como uma camada de servios interoperveis para explorar semanticamente os dados agregados. Combinando as tcnicas de desenvolvimento rpidas com a riqueza da perspectiva "Semantic Web in a box", a plataforma COEUS uma aproximao pioneira, permitindo o desenvolvimento da prxima gerao de aplicaes biomdicas.
Resumo:
Monitoring of coastal and estuarine water quality has been traditionally performed by sampling with subsequent laboratory analysis. This has the disadvantages of low spatial and temporal resolution and high cost. In the last decades two alternative techniques have emerged to overcome this drawback: profiling and remote sensing. Profiling using multi-parameter sensors is now in a commercial stage. It can be used, tied to a boat, to obtain a quick picture of the system. The spatial resolution thus increases from single points to a line coincident with the boat track. The temporal resolution however remains unchanged since campaigns and resources involved are basically the same. The need for laboratory analysis was reduced but not eliminated because parameters like nutrients, microbiology or metals are still difficult to obtain with sensors and validation measurements are still needed. In the last years the improvement in satellite resolution has enabled its use for coastal and estuarine water monitoring. Although spatial coverage and resolution of satellite images in the present is already suitable to coastal and estuarine monitoring, temporal resolution is naturally limited to satellite passages and cloud cover. With this panorama the best approach to water monitoring is to integrate and combine data from all these sources. The natural tools to perform this integration are numerical models. Models benefit from the different sources of data to obtain a better calibration. After calibration they can be used to extend spatially and temporally the methods resolution. In Algarve (South of Portugal) a monitoring effort using this approach is being undertaken. The monitoring effort comprises five different locations including coastal waters, estuaries and coastal lagoons. The objective is to establish the base line situation to evaluate the impact of Waste Water Treatment Plants design and retrofitting. The field campaigns include monthly synoptic profiling, using an YSI 6600 multi-parameter system, laboratory analysis and fixed stations. The remote sensing uses ENVISAT\MERIS Level 2 Full Resolution data. This data is combined and used with the MOHID modelling system to obtain an integrate description of the systems. The results show the limitations of each method and the ability of the modelling system to integrate the results and to produce a comprehensive picture of the system.
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This study performed a aecondvy dau analysis of information collected during the Youth Leisure Study (YLS). The purpose of this study was to examine the potential moderating influences of gender and general self-efTicacy on the relationships aoKXig sensation-seeking and various forms of substance use in adolescents. Specifically, the predictive ability of sensation seeking on five adolescents substance use outcomes (alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use; binge drinking; and number of times drunk) was examined. Moderated hierarchical multiple regression (MHMR) analyses were used to examine the relationships among study variables. The results for this study indicate that the relationships among sensation-seeking and forms of adolescent substance use are more complex than literature suggests. Main effect relationships were found consistently for sensation-seeking and general self-efficacy with each of the outcome variables. Results for gender were not consistent across the substance use outcomes. Gender was a significant predictor for marijuana use only. The moderating effects of general self-efficacy (GSE) on the sensation-seekingsubstance use relationship were inconsistent. While no significant interactions were found for tobacco or alcohol use outcomes, GSE was found to moderate the relationship between sensation-seeking and marijuana use indicating that feelings of high general selfefficacy act as a buffer or guard against marijuana use. A consistent pattern was found among the alcohol use variables (alcohol use. binge drinking, and number of times drunk). Gender was found to moderate each of these variables indicating that higher levels of sensation seeking are more predictive of higher levels of adolescent alcohol use in males only. Implications of this study on the field of education, are discussed further, and suggestions for future research are presented.
Resumo:
The relevance of attentional measures to cognitive and social adaptive behaviour was examined in an adolescent sample. Unlike previous research, the influence of both inhibitory and facilitory aspects of attention were studied. In addition, contributions made by these attentional processes were compared with traditional psychometric measures of cognitive functioning. Data were gathered from 36 grade 10 and 1 1 high school students (20 male and 16 female students) with a variety of learning and attentional difficulties. Data collection was conducted in the course of two testing sessions. In the first session, students completed questionnaires regarding their medical history, and everyday behaviours (the Brock Adaptive Functioning Questionnaire), along with non-verbal problem solving tasks and motor speed tasks. In the second session, students performed working memory measures and computer-administered tasks assessing inhibitory and facilitory aspects of attention. Grades and teacher-rated measures of cognitive and social impulsivity were also gathered. Results indicate that attentional control has both cognitive and social/emotional implications. Performance on negative priming and facilitation trials from the Flanker task predicted grades in core courses, social functioning measures, and cognitive and social impulsivity ratings. However, beneficial effects for academic and social functioning associated with inhibition were less prevalent in those demonstrating a greater ability to respond to facilitory cues. There was also some evidence that high levels of facilitation were less beneficial to academic performance, and female students were more likely to exceed optimal levels of facilitory processing. Furthermore, lower negative priming was ''S'K 'i\':y-: -'*' - r " jv ; ''*.' iij^y Inhibition, Facilitation and Social Competence 3 associated with classroom-rated distraction and hyperactivity, but the relationship between inhibition and social aspects of impulsivity was stronger for adolescents with learning or reading problems, and the relationship between inhibition and cognitive impulsivity was stronger for male students. In most cases, attentional measures were predictive of performance outcomes independent of traditional psychometric measures of cognitive functioning. >,, These findings provide support for neuropsychological models linking inhibition to control of interference and arousal, and emphasize the fundamental role of attention in everyday adolescent activities. The findings also warrant further investigation into the ways which inhibitory and facilitory attentional processes interact, and the contextdependent nature of attentional control.associated with classroom-rated distraction and hyperactivity, but the relationship between inhibition and social aspects of impulsivity was stronger for adolescents with learning or reading problems, and the relationship between inhibition and cognitive impulsivity was stronger for male students. In most cases, attentional measures were predictive of performance outcomes independent of traditional psychometric measures of cognitive functioning. >,, These findings provide support for neuropsychological models linking inhibition to control of interference and arousal, and emphasize the fundamental role of attention in everyday adolescent activities. The findings also warrant further investigation into the ways which inhibitory and facilitory attentional processes interact, and the contextdependent nature of attentional control.
Resumo:
The main focus of this thesis is to evaluate and compare Hyperbalilearning algorithm (HBL) to other learning algorithms. In this work HBL is compared to feed forward artificial neural networks using back propagation learning, K-nearest neighbor and 103 algorithms. In order to evaluate the similarity of these algorithms, we carried out three experiments using nine benchmark data sets from UCI machine learning repository. The first experiment compares HBL to other algorithms when sample size of dataset is changing. The second experiment compares HBL to other algorithms when dimensionality of data changes. The last experiment compares HBL to other algorithms according to the level of agreement to data target values. Our observations in general showed, considering classification accuracy as a measure, HBL is performing as good as most ANn variants. Additionally, we also deduced that HBL.:s classification accuracy outperforms 103's and K-nearest neighbour's for the selected data sets.
Resumo:
La plthysmographie pnienne est reconnue comme la mthode la plus rigoureuse pour lvaluation des intrts sexuels. Cet instrument pourrait cependant bnficier damlioration au niveau de sa validit cologique et de sa vulnrabilit aux tentatives de falsification. Cet outil est galement confront aux contraintes thiques et lgales lies la prsentation de stimuli produits partir de modle humain pour susciter lexcitation sexuelle. La prsente thse doctorale propose de pallier aux lacunes de la procdure plthysmographique en la combinant des stimuli gnrs par ordinateur prsents en immersion virtuelle et la vido-oculographie. Dans le cadre dune premire tude empirique, il sagit de dterminer si lusage de stimuli gnrs par ordinateur prsents en immersion virtuelle est prfrable la modalit auditive actuellement utilise. Les rponses rectiles dagresseurs sexuels denfants et dhommes sans paraphilie connue sont enregistres et la capacit des deux modalits produire des profils dexcitation sexuels et des indices de dviance propres aux intrts sexuels est compare. Dans le cadre dune seconde tude exprimentale, les mouvements oculaires sont analyss afin de dtecter les tentatives de contrle volontaire de la rponse rectile lors dune procdure dvaluation plthysmographique. Les rponses rectiles et les mouvements oculaires dhommes sans dossier judiciaire sont enregistrs lors du visionnement de stimuli sous trois diffrentes conditions, dont une tche de suppression de la rponse rectile. Dans lensemble, les rsultats dmontrent que les stimuli gnrs par ordinateur prsents en immersion virtuelle gnrent des profils dexcitation sexuelle ainsi que des indices de dviance ayant une prcision de classification et de discrimination significativement suprieure la modalit auditive. Dautre part, les rsultats soulignent la capacit des mouvements oculaires identifier une signature oculaire propre lutilisation dune stratgie cognitive dinhibition de la rponse rectile qui se caractrise notamment par la mise lcart du contenu sexuel et le ralentissement global du processus dexploration visuel. Ce projet de recherche souligne les avantages inhrents la prsentation en immersion virtuelle de stimuli gnrs par ordinateur ainsi qu ltude des mouvements oculaires lors de lvaluation plthysmographique et vient appuyer limplantation progressive de cette modalit dans les milieux dvaluations cliniques.
Resumo:
Determining how El Nio and its impacts may change over the next 10 to 100 years remains a difficult scientific challenge. Oceanatmosphere coupled general circulation models (CGCMs) are routinely used both to analyze El Nio mechanisms and teleconnections and to predict its evolution on a broad range of time scales, from seasonal to centennial. The ability to simulate El Nio as an emergent property of these models has largely improved over the last few years. Nevertheless, the diversity of model simulations of present-day El Nio indicates current limitations in our ability to model this climate phenomenon and to anticipate changes in its characteristics. A review of the several factors that contribute to this diversity, as well as potential means to improve the simulation of El Nio, is presented.
Resumo:
A task combining both digit and Corsi memory tests was administered to a group of 75 children. The task is shown to share variance with standardized reading and maths attainments, even after partialling out performance on component tasks separately assessed. The emergent task property may reflect coordination skills, although several different refinements can be made to this general conclusion.
Resumo:
It has long been suggested that the overall shape of the antigen combining site (ACS) of antibodies is correlated with the nature of the antigen. For example, deep pockets are characteristic of antibodies that bind haptens, grooves indicate peptide binders, while antibodies that bind to proteins have relatively flat combining sites. In. 1996, MacCallum, Martin and Thornton used a fractal shape descriptor and showed a strong correlation of the shape of the binding region with the general nature of the antigen. However, the shape of the ACS is determined primarily by the lengths of the six complementarity-determining regions (CDRs). Here, we make a direct correlation between the lengths of the CDRs and the nature of the antigen. In addition, we show significant differences in the residue composition of the CDRs of antibodies that bind to different antigen classes. As well as helping us to understand the process of antigen recognition, autoimmune disease and cross-reactivity these results are of direct application in the design of antibody phage libraries and modification of affinity. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Resumo:
The novel dioxatetraaza macrocycle [26]phen(2)N(4)O(2), which incorporates two phenanthroline units, has been synthesized, and its acid-base behavior has been evaluated by potentiometric and H-1 NMR methods. Six protonation constants were determined, and the protonation sequence was established by NMR. The location of the fifth proton on the phen nitrogen was confirmed by X-ray determinations of the crystal structures of the receptor as bromide and chloride salts. The two compounds have the general molecular formula {(H-5[26]phen(2)N(4)O(2))X-n(H2O)(5-n)}X(n-1)(.)mH(2)O, where X = Cl, n = 3, and m = 6 or X = Br, n = 4, and m = 5.5. In the solid state, the (H-5[26]phen(2)N(4)O(2))(5+) cation adopts a "horseshoe" topology with sufficient room to encapsulate three or four halogen anions through the several N-(HX)-X-... hydrogen-bonding interactions. Two supermolecules {(H-5[26]phen(2)N(4)O(2))X-n(H2O)(5-n)}((5-n)+) form an interpenetrating dimeric species, which was also found by ESI mass spectrum. Binding studies of the protonated macrocycle with aliphatic (ox(2-), mal(2-), suc(2-), cit(3-), cta(3-)) and aromatic (bzc(-), naphc(-), anthc(-), pyrc(-), ph(2-), iph(2-), tph(2-), btc(3-)) anions were determined in water by potentiometric methods. These studies were complemented by H-1 NMR titrations in D2O of the receptor with selected anions. The H-i[26]phen(2)N(4)O(2)(i+) receptor can selectively uptake highly charged or extended aromatic carboxylate anions, such as btc(3-) and pyrc(-), in the pH ranges of 4.0-8.5 and < 4.0, respectively, from aqueous solution that contain the remaining anions as pollutants or contaminants. To obtain further insight into these structural and experimental findings, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out in water solution.
Resumo:
CloudSat is a satellite experiment designed to measure the vertical structure of clouds from space. The expected launch of CloudSat is planned for 2004, and once launched, CloudSat will orbit in formation as part of a constellation of satellites (the A-Train) that includes NASA's Aqua and Aura satellites, a NASA-CNES lidar satellite (CALIPSO), and a CNES satellite carrying a polarimeter (PARASOL). A unique feature that CloudSat brings to this constellation is the ability to fly a precise orbit enabling the fields of view of the CloudSat radar to be overlapped with the CALIPSO lidar footprint and the other measurements of the constellation. The precision and near simultaneity of this overlap creates a unique multisatellite observing system for studying the atmospheric processes essential to the hydrological cycle.The vertical profiles of cloud properties provided by CloudSat on the global scale fill a critical gap in the investigation of feedback mechanisms linking clouds to climate. Measuring these profiles requires a combination of active and passive instruments, and this will be achieved by combining the radar data of CloudSat with data from other active and passive sensors of the constellation. This paper describes the underpinning science and general overview of the mission, provides some idea of the expected products and anticipated application of these products, and the potential capability of the A-Train for cloud observations. Notably, the CloudSat mission is expected to stimulate new areas of research on clouds. The mission also provides an important opportunity to demonstrate active sensor technology for future scientific and tactical applications. The CloudSat mission is a partnership between NASA's JPL, the Canadian Space Agency, Colorado State University, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Department of Energy.
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As a part of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP), the behaviour of 15 general circulation models has been analysed in order to diagnose and compare the ability of the different models in simulating Northern Hemisphere midlatitude atmospheric blocking. In accordance with the established AMIP procedure, the 10-year model integrations were performed using prescribed, time-evolving monthly mean observed SSTs spanning the period January 1979December 1988. Atmospheric observational data (ECMWF analyses) over the same period have been also used to verify the models results. The models involved in this comparison represent a wide spectrum of model complexity, with different horizontal and vertical resolution, numerical techniques and physical parametrizations, and exhibit large differences in blocking behaviour. Nevertheless, a few common features can be found, such as the general tendency to underestimate both blocking frequency and the average duration of blocks. The problem of the possible relationship between model blocking and model systematic errors has also been assessed, although without resorting to ad-hoc numerical experimentation it is impossible to relate with certainty particular model deficiencies in representing blocking to precise parts of the model formulation.
Resumo:
Some climatological information from 14 atmospheric general circulation models is presented and compared in order to assess the ability of a broad group of models to simulate current climate. The quantities considered are cross sections of temperature, zonal wind, and meridional stream function together with latitudinal distributions of mean sea level pressure and precipitation rate. The nature of the deficiencies in the simulated climates that are common to all models and those which differ among models is investigated; the general improvement in the ability of models to simulate certain aspects of the climate is shown; consideration is given to the effect of increasing resolution on simulated climate; and approaches to understanding and reducing model deficiencies are discussed. The information presented here is a subset of a more voluminous compilation which is available in report form (Boer et al., 1991). This report contains essentially the same text, but results from all 14 models are presented together with additional results in the form of geographical distributions of surface variables and certain difference statistics.
Resumo:
Climatological information from fourteen atmospheric general circulation models is presented and compared in order to assess the ability of a broad group of models to simulate current climate. The quantities considered are cross sections of temperature, zonal wind and meridional stream function together with latitudinal distributions of mean sea-level pressure and precipitation rate. The nature of the deficiencies in the simulated climates that are common to all models and those which differ among models is investigated, general improvement in the ability of models to simulate certain aspects of the climate is shown, consideration is given to the effect of increasing resolution on simulated climate and approaches to the understanding and reduction of model deficiencies are discussed.
