Dados geotécnicos e geofísicos : exploração de novas formas de visualização

Este artigo visa a exploração de novas formas de visualização de dados geotécnicos que possam ser mais enriquecedoras e mais interactivas que as oferecidas pelos actuais sistemas informação geográfica (SIG). Desta forma os dados são simplesmente um modelo para a construção de uma potencial ferramenta. Na prática pretende- se a implementação de métodos de visualização e interacção que permitam a visualização simultânea dos vários tipos de dados disponibilizados. Este trabalho ainda se encontra numa fase experimental e tem como objectivo explorar várias formas de visualização, verificar a sua validade/adaptabilidade ao caso concreto dos dados geotécnicos. Neste caso de estudo, foram utilizados dados geotécnicos adquiridos através de diferentes modalidades

On The Distribution Of Siphonops Paulensis Boettger, 1892 (gymnophiona: Siphonopidae): Four New Brazilian State Records

Siphonops paulensis Boettger, 1892 is a Neotropical siphonopid caecilian widely distributed in South America. Herein, we fill knowledge gaps in the distribution of S. paulensis mostly in northeastern Brazil, including four new state records. © 2016 Check List and Authors.12

Oregano essential oil in the diet of broilers: performance, carcass characteristics, and blood parameters

Efficacy of the phytogenic feed additive oregano essential oil (OEO) (Origanum vulgare L.) was assessed as an alternative to an antibiotic as a growth promoter (AGP) in broiler diets. Three hundred male broiler chicks were assigned to five treatments, which consisted of diets with different levels of OEO (300, 600, and 900 mg/kg of diet), a negative control, and a positive control. Broiler performance was evaluated from 1 to 21 and 1 to 39 days old. From 1 to 39 days old, the broilers of the negative control group presented lower feed intake than those fed OEO300. No significant effect was observed on weight gain. The greatest feed conversion ratio occurred in the positive control group. Broilers treated with OEO300 had greater carcass yield than those in the positive control group. The haemogram, leukogram, and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio were positively influenced by OEO300. Red blood cell and leukocyte counts increased in a dose-dependent manner in broilers fed OEO-supplemented diets, while broilers in the positive control group had the lowest levels of haematocrit, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, and plasma protein. Differential leukometry revealed lymphocyte numbers were increased with OEO treatment and reduced in the positive control group. For hepatic and renal metabolism, the broilers in the positive control group exhibited the greatest serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and alkaline phosphatase. Although more studies on its efficacy are needed, OEO at 300 mg/kg may be used as a phytogenic additive in broiler diets, especially those without AGP.Keywords: antibiotic as growth promoter, immune system, phytogenic feed additiv

Prioritizing Complex Issues of Hydrographic Basin Committees by Group Decision Approach

In Brazil, the hydrographic basin committees are the centre of decision for water resource management in their respective basins. The committee members, who represent the public sector, water users and civil society, must decide about complex issues, requesting the consideration of multiple aspects: economic, social and environmental. Given the complexity of the decision-making process, it is advantageous to have a decision support system that guarantees transparency, rapidness and, specially, a structured analysis of the problem, incorporating all aspects of the situation. This paper presents a group decision making model based on multicriteria analyses to support the members of a hydrographic basin committee to prioritize complex issues, in special activities to control the environmental degradation The proposed model works through two steps: firstly is used the PROMETHEE II method to achieve the individual rankings of alternatives, and secondly, the individual rankings of alternatives are aggregated to attain the global ranking, applying the ELECTRE IV method, reflecting the preference of the group

Necessary Optimality Conditions for Higher-Order Infinite Horizon Variational Problems on Time Scales

We obtain Euler-Lagrange and transversality optimality conditions for higher-order infinite horizon variational problems on a time scale. The new necessary optimality conditions improve the classical results both in the continuous and discrete settings: our results seem new and interesting even in the particular cases when the time scale is the set of real numbers or the set of integers.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form will appear in Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications (JOTA). Paper submitted 17-Nov-2011; revised 24-March-2012 and 10-April-2012; accepted for publication 15-April-201

The validity of using surface meshes for evaluation of three-dimensional maxillary and mandibular surgical changes

The three-dimensional (3D) changes in hard tissue position following orthognathic surgery have been reported using 3D cephalometry, changes in volume, principal component analysis, and changes based on the surface model of the hard tissue. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of using surface models as a method of assessing positional changes of the maxilla and mandible. The actual unidirectional movement of the maxilla (advancement or downgraft) and the mandible (advancement), together with bidirectional movement of the maxilla (simultaneous advancement and downgraft) were simulated on a plastic skull. Following cone beam computed tomography scanning of each surgical simulation, the actual surgical movement was compared to the analysis based on surface model movement using the mean absolute distance of all points, the 90th percentile, and the root mean square (RMS) distance. All three methods of assessment of analysis consistently underestimated the actual amount of surgical movement. The movement was approximately one-third to one-half of the actual surgical movement. The use of surface meshes and point-to-point measurements grossly underestimates the 3D changes in the maxilla and mandible in simulated surgical procedures. Currently there are limitations in fully describing the true positional changes of the maxilla or the mandible in three dimensions

Metastable liquid lamellar structures in binary and ternary mixtures of Lennard-Jones fluids

We have carried out extensive equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the Liquid-Vapor coexistence in partially miscible binary and ternary mixtures of Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluids. We have studied in detail the time evolution of the density profiles and the interfacial properties in a temperature region of the phase diagram where the condensed phase is demixed. The composition of the mixtures are fixed, 50% for the binary mixture and 33.33% for the ternary mixture. The results of the simulations clearly indicate that in the range of temperatures $78 < T < 102 ^{\rm o}$K, --in the scale of argon-- the system evolves towards a metastable alternated liquid-liquid lamellar state in coexistence with its vapor phase. These states can be achieved if the initial configuration is fully disordered, that is, when the particles of the fluids are randomly placed on the sites of an FCC crystal or the system is completely mixed. As temperature decreases these states become very well defined and more stables in time. We find that below $90 ^{\rm o}$K, the alternated liquid-liquid lamellar state remains alive for 80 ns, in the scale of argon, the longest simulation we have carried out. Nonetheless, we believe that in this temperature region these states will be alive for even much longer times.Comment: 18 Latex-RevTex pages including 12 encapsulated postscript figures. Figures with better resolution available upon request. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. E Dec. 1st issu

Equine infectious anemia : prevalence in working equids of livestock herds, in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Estimaram-se, no estado de Minas Gerais, a prevalência e a distribuição espacial da anemia infecciosa eqüina (AIE) em propriedades com eqüídeos de serviço. As amostras de sangue, de 6540 eqüídeos de 1940 rebanhos foram coletadas no período de setembro de 2003 a março de 2004, nos 853 municípios do estado. Utilizaram-se dois testes de laboratório em seqüência: ELISA, usando-se antígeno recombinante gp90, e imunodifusão em gel de ágar (IDGA). As prevalências foram de 5,3% [IC=4,3 a 6,3%] para rebanhos e de 3,1% [IC=2,2 a 3,9%] para animais. O estado de Minas Gerais foi considerado área endêmica para AIE. As mais altas prevalências para rebanhos e para animais foram encontradas na região Norte/Noroeste, seguida pela região Vale do Mucuri/Jequitinhonha. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe prevalence and spatial distribution of equine infectious anemia (EIA) were estimated in livestock herds where equids were used as draft power and for transportation in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Serum samples were collected from September/2003 to March/2004 in 853 municipalities of the state. The sample comprised 6,540 equids from 1,940 herds. Two laboratorial tests were performed in sequence: ELISA using a recombinant gp90 protein, following by the AGID. The prevalence in the herds was estimated in 5.3% [CI = 4.3 to 6.3%], and 3.1% [CI = 2.2 to 3.9%] of the animals tested were positive. Minas Gerais was considered an endemic region for EIA. The highest prevalence for herds and animals was found in North/Northwest region (strata) followed by Vale do Mucuri/Jequitinhonha region

Gauge and Scheme Dependence of Mixing Matrix Renormalization

We revisit the issue of mixing matrix renormalization in theories that include Dirac or Majorana fermions. We show how a gauge-variant on-shell renormalized mixing matrix can be related to a manifestly gauge-independent one within a generalized ${\bar {\rm MS}}$ scheme of renormalization. This scheme-dependent relation is a consequence of the fact that in any scheme of renormalization, the gauge-dependent part of the mixing-matrix counterterm is ultra-violet safe and has a pure dispersive form. Employing the unitarity properties of the theory, we can successfully utilize the afore-mentioned scheme-dependent relation to preserve basic global or local symmetries of the bare Lagrangian through the entire process of renormalization. As an immediate application of our study, we derive the gauge-independent renormalization-group equations of mixing matrices in a minimal extension of the Standard Model with isosinglet neutrinos.Comment: 31 pages, LaTeX, uses axodraw.st