15 research outputs found
An agent-based model to rural-urban migration analysis
In this paper we analyze the rural-urban migration phenomena as it is usually
observed in economies which are in the early stages of industrialization. The
analysis is conducted by means of a statistical mechanics approach which builds
a computational agent-based model. Agents are placed on a lattice and the
connections among them are described via an Ising like model. Simulations on
this computational model show some emergent properties that are common in
developing economies, such as a transitional dynamics characterized by
continuous growth of urban population, followed by the equalization of expected
wages between rural and urban sectors (Harris-Todaro equilibrium condition),
urban concentration and increasing of per capita income.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure
Rural-urban migration in d-dimensional lattices
The rural-urban migration phenomenon is analyzed by using an agent-based
computational model. Agents are placed on lattices which dimensions varying
from d=2 up to d=7. The localization of the agents in the lattice define their
social neighborhood (rural or urban) not being related to their spatial
distribution. The effect of the dimension of lattice is studied by analyzing
the variation of the main parameters that characterizes the migratory process.
The dynamics displays strong effects even for around one million of sites, in
higher dimensions (d=6, 7).Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, to be published in International Journal of
Modern Physics C 1
Electrically charged compact stars and formation of charged black holes
We study the effect of electric charge in compact stars assuming that the
charge distribution is proportional to the mass density. The pressure and the
density of the matter inside the stars are large, and the gravitational field
is intense. This indicates that electric charge and a strong electric field can
also be present. The relativistic hydrostatic equilibrium equation, i.e., the
Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation, is modified in order to include electric
charge. We perform a detailed numerical study of the effect of electric charge
using a polytropic equation of state. We conclude that in order to see any
appreciable effect on the phenomenology of the compact stars, the electric
fields have to be huge (~ 10^{21} V/m), which implies that the total charge is
Q ~ 10^{20} Coulomb. From the local effect of the forces experienced on a
single charged particle, it is expected that each individual charged particle
is quickly ejected from the star. This in turn produces a huge force imbalance,
and the gravitational force overwhelms the repulsive Coulomb and fluid pressure
forces. The star can then collapse to form a charged black hole before all the
charge leaves the system.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, To appear in Phys Rev.
Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil
The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others
An agent-based computational model of the spread of tuberculosis An agent-based computational model of the spread of tuberculosis
Abstract. In this work we propose an alternative model of the spread of tuberculosis (TB) and the emergence of drug resistance due to the treatment with antibiotics. We implement the simulations by an agent-based model computational approach where the spatial structure is taken into account. The spread of tuberculosis occurs according to probabilities defined by the interactions among individuals. The model was validated by reproducing results already known from the literature in which different treatment regimes yield the emergence of drug resistance. The different patterns of TB spread can be visualized at any time of the system evolution. The implementation details as well as some results of this alternative approach are discussed