Composição da lignina de três espécies forrageiras visando à produção de bioetanol.

Editores técnicos: Marcílio José Thomazini, Elenice Fritzsons, Patrícia Raquel Silva, Guilherme Schnell e Schuhli, Denise Jeton Cardoso, Luziane Franciscon. EVINCI. Resumos

Capital Flows and Destabilizing Policy in Latin America

Motivated by the excessive macroeconomic volatility experienced in Latin America, we examine the possible contribution of monetary and fiscal policies to this outcome. In contrast with previous literature, we consider the possible simultaneity between policy and GDP growth by using GMM VAR econometric techniques. Additionally, we explore the direct impact international capital inflows have on these policies. Our evidence suggests that for the group of countries we consider, most practice destabilizing fiscal and monetary policy, and capital inflow consistently influences policy in a pro-cyclical direction.Fiscal and Monetary Policies, Capital Flows, Latin America

A Fast and Accurate Nonlinear Spectral Method for Image Recognition and Registration

This article addresses the problem of two- and higher dimensional pattern matching, i.e. the identification of instances of a template within a larger signal space, which is a form of registration. Unlike traditional correlation, we aim at obtaining more selective matchings by considering more strict comparisons of gray-level intensity. In order to achieve fast matching, a nonlinear thresholded version of the fast Fourier transform is applied to a gray-level decomposition of the original 2D image. The potential of the method is substantiated with respect to real data involving the selective identification of neuronal cell bodies in gray-level images.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Finance and the Business Cycle: a Kalman Filter Approach with Markov Switching

This paper combines two popular econometric tools, the dynamic factor model and the Markov-Switching model, to consider three segments of the financial system- the stock market, debt, and money- and their contribution to US business cycles over the past four decades. The dynamic factor model identifies a composite factor index for each financial segment, and using Markov-switching models by Hamilton (1989) and Filardo (1994), this paper then estimates the effect of each segment index on business cycle behaviour. This reexamination of the finance-business cycle link provides results that prove strongest for the effect of stock market movements on business cycles.

Hierarchical Spatial Organization of Geographical Networks

In this work we propose the use of a hirarchical extension of the polygonality index as a means to characterize and model geographical networks: each node is associated with the spatial position of the nodes, while the edges of the network are defined by progressive connectivity adjacencies. Through the analysis of such networks, while relating its topological and geometrical properties, it is possible to obtain important indications about the development dynamics of the networks under analysis. The potential of the methodology is illustrated with respect to synthetic geographical networks.Comment: 3 page, 3 figures. A wokring manuscript: suggestions welcome

Fast Community Identification by Hierarchical Growth

A new method for community identification is proposed which is founded on the analysis of successive neighborhoods, reached through hierarchical growth from a starting vertex, and on the definition of communities as a subgraph whose number of inner connections is larger than outer connections. In order to determine the precision and speed of the method, it is compared with one of the most popular community identification approaches, namely Girvan and Newman's algorithm. Although the hierarchical growth method is not as precise as Girvan and Newman's method, it is potentially faster than most community finding algorithms.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Gemini/GMOS photometry of intermediate-age star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present Gemini South GMOS g,i photometry of 14 intermediate-age Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) star clusters, namely: NGC 2155, 2161, 2162, 2173, 2203, 2209, 2213, 2231, 2249, Hodge 6, SL 244, 505, 674, and 769, as part of a continuing project to investigate the extended Main Sequence Turnoff (EMSTO) phenomenon. Extensive artificial star tests were made over the observed field of view. These tests reveal the observed behaviour of photometric errors with magnitude and crowding. The cluster stellar density radial profiles were traced from star counts over the extent of the observed field. We adopt clus- ter radii and build colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) with cluster features clearly identified. We used the cluster (g,g-i) CMDs to estimate ages from the matching of theoretical isochrones. The studied LMC clusters are confirmed to be intermediate-age clusters, which range in age 9.10 < log(t) < 9.60. NGC 2162 and NGC 2249 look like new EMSTO candidates, in addition to NGC 2209, on the basis of having dual red clumps.Comment: MNRAS, accepte