Capturing Natural Resource Dynamics in Top-Down Energy‑Economic Equilibrium Models

Top-down energy-economic modeling approaches often use deliberately simple techniques to represent heterogeneous resource inputs to production. We show that for some policies, such as feed-in tariffs (FIT) for renewable electricity, detailed representation of renewable resource grades is required to describe the technology more precisely and identify cost-effective policy designs. We extend a hybrid approach for modeling heterogeneity in the quality of natural resource inputs required for renewable energy production in a stylized computable general equilibrium (CGE) framework. Importantly, this approach resolves nearflat or near-vertical sections of the resource supply curve that translate into key features of the marginal cost of wind resource supply, allowing for more realistic policy simulation. In a second step, we represent the shape of a resource supply curve based on more detailed data. We show that for the case of onshore wind development in China, a differentiated FIT design that can only be modeled with the hybrid approach requires less than half of the subsidy budget needed for a uniform FIT design and proves to be more cost-effective.This work was supported by Eni S.p.A., ICF International, the French Development Agency (AFD), and Shell, founding sponsors of the MIT-Tsinghua China Energy and Climate Project. We are further thankful for support provided by the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change through a consortium of industrial sponsors and U.S. federal grants. In particular, this work was supported by the DOE Integrated Assessment Grant (DE-FG02-94ER61937)

Quantifying Regional Economic Impacts of CO2 Intensity Targets in China

To address rising energy use and CO2 emissions, China’s leadership has enacted energy and CO2 intensity targets under the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011–2015), which are defined at both the national and provincial levels. We develop a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with global coverage that disaggregates China’s 30 provinces and includes energy system detail, and apply it to assess the impact of provincial CO2 emissions intensity targets. We compare the impact of the provincial targets approach to a single national target for China that achieves the same reduction in CO2 emissions intensity at the national level. We find that at the national level, the national target results in 25% lower welfare loss relative to the provincial targets approach. Given that the regional distribution of impacts has been an important consideration in the target-setting process, we focus on the changes in provincial level CO2 emissions intensity, CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and economic welfare. We observe significant heterogeneity across provinces in terms of the energy system response as well as the magnitude and sometimes sign of welfare impacts. We further model the current policy of fixed end-use electricity prices in China and find that national welfare losses increase. Assumptions about capital mobility have a substantial impact on national welfare loss, while assumptions about natural gas resource potential does not have a large effect.We acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China through the Institute for Energy, Environment, and Economy at Tsinghua University, and the support from Graduate School of Tsinghua University, which is supporting Zhang Da’s doctoral research as a 22 visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We are also grateful for the support provided by Rio Tinto China and Social Science Key Research Program from National Social Science Foundation, China of Grant no. 09&ZD029. We further acknowledge the support of Eni S.p.A., ICF International, and Shell, founding sponsors of the China Energy and Climate Project, for supporting this model development work. We would further like to thank Dr. John Reilly, Dr. Sergey Paltsev, Dr. Kyung-min Nam, Dr. Henry Chen, Paul Kishimoto and Tianyu Qi at Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, and participants in the annual meeting of China Energy and Climate Project and EcoMod 2012 Conference for helpful comments and discussion. 2

Osteoradionecrosis of the jaws: case series treated with adjuvant low-level laser therapy and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy

Background: Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw (ORNJ) is the most severe and complex sequel of head and neck radiotherapy (RT) because of the bone involved, it may cause pain, paresthesia, foul odor, fistulae with suppuration, need for extra oral communication and pathological fracture. We treated twenty lesions of ORNJ using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). The objective of this study was to stimulate the affected area to homeostasis and to promote the healing of the oral mucosa. Methods: We performed aPDT on the exposed bone, while LLLT was performed around the bone exposure (red spectrum) and on the affected jaw (infrared spectrum). Monitoring and clinical intervention occurred weekly or biweekly for 2 years. Results: 100% of the sample presented clinical improvement, and 80% presented complete covering of the bone exposure by intact oral mucosa. Conclusion:LLLT and aPDT showed positive results as an adjuvant therapy to treat ORNJ

Formação do professor de dança: em análise o currículo do primeiro curso de licenciatura de Santa Catarina

This article aims to discuss the importance of teacher formation in dance in Brazil and analyze the curricular design of the first graduation course in Dance of the state of Santa Catarina, implanted in Universidade Regional de Blumenau. We made an analysis of resolution 02/2015 and the Law nº 13.278 of May 2nd, 2016, which established the compulsory nature of the specific superior formation in Music, Dance, Theater and Visual Arts in Basic Education, through the data present in the Pedagogical Project of the Graduation Dance Course of the FURB. This course focuses on the formation of the teacher, and also being an artist and a researcher in dance in an integrated way and seeks to contribute to the formation of a critical, creative and sensitive professional.Este artículo tiene como objetivo discutir la importancia de la formación del profesor en danza en Brasil y analizar el diseño curricular del primer curso de licenciatura en Danza de Santa Catarina, implantado en la Universidad Regional de Blumenau. Se hace un análisis de la resolución 02/2015 y de la Ley nº 13.278, de 2 de mayo de 2016, que instituyó la obligatoriedad de la formación específica en Música, Danza, Teatro y Artes Visuales en la Educación Básica, a través de los datos presentes en el Proyecto Pedagógico del curso. Este curso prima por la formación del profesor, artista e investigador en danza de forma integrada y busca contribuir con la formación de un profesional crítico, creativo y sensible.Este artigo tem como objetivo discutir a importância da formação do professor em dança no Brasil e analisar o desenho curricular do primeiro curso de licenciatura em Dança de Santa Catarina, implantado na Universidade Regional de Blumenau. Faz-se uma análise da resolução 02/2015 e da Lei nº 13.278, de 2 de maio de 2016, que instituiu a obrigatoriedade da formação específica em Música, Dança, Teatro e Artes Visuais na Educação Básica, por meio dos dados presentes no Projeto Pedagógico do Curso de Licenciatura em Dança da FURB. Esse curso prima pela formação do professor, artista e pesquisador em dança de forma integrada e busca contribuir com a formação de um profissional crítico, criativo e sensível

Walking through volcanic mud : the 2,100 year-old Acahualina footprints (Nicaragua) II: the Acahualina people, environmental conditions and motivation

We analyzed bare human footprints in Holocene tuff preserved in two pits in the Acahualinca barrio in the northern outskirts of Managua (Nicaragua). Lithology, volcanology, and age of the deposits are discussed in a companion paper (Schmincke et al. Bull Volcanol doi: 10.1007/s00445-008-0235-9, 2008). The footprint layer occurs within a series of rapidly accumulated basaltic–andesitic tephra that is regionally correlated to the Masaya Triple Layer Tephra. The people were probably trying to escape from a powerful volcanic eruption at Masaya Caldera 20 km farther south that occurred at 2.1 ka BP. We subdivided the swath of footprints, up to 5.6 m wide, in the northern pit (Pit I) into (1) a central group of footprints made by about six individuals, the total number being difficult to determine because people walked in each other’s footsteps one behind the other and (2) two marginal groups on either side of the central group with more widely spaced tracks. The western band comprises tracks of three adjacent individuals and an isolated single footprint farther out. The eastern marginal area comprises an inner band of deep footprints made by three individuals and, farther out, three clearly separated individuals. We estimate the total number of people as 15–16. In the southern narrow and smaller pit (Pit II), we recognize tracks of ca. 12 individuals, no doubt made by the same group. The group represented in both pits probably comprised male and female adults, teenagers and children based on differences in length of footprints and of strides and depth of footprints made in the soft wet ash. The smallest footprints (probably made by children) occur in the central group, where protection was most effective. The footprint layer is composed of a lower 5–15-cm thick, coarse-grained vesicle tuff capped by a medium to fine-grained tuff up to 3 cm thick. The surface on which the people walked was muddy, and the soft ash was squeezed up on the sides of the foot imprints and between toes. Especially, deep footprints are mainly due to local thickening of the water-rich ash, multiple track use, and differences in weight of individuals. The excellent preservation of the footprints, ubiquitous mudcracks, sharp and well-preserved squeeze-ups along the margins of the tracks and toe imprints, and the absence of raindrop impressions all suggest that the eruption occurred during the dry season. The people walked at a brisk pace, as judged from the tight orientation of the swath and the length of the strides. The directions of a major erosional channel in the overlying deposits that probably debouched into Lake Managua and the band of footprints are strictly parallel, indicating that people walked together in stride along the eastern margin of a channel straight toward the lake shore, possibly a site with huts and/or boats for protection and/or escape

Avaliação de Empresas: Um Estudo Bibliométrico sobre as Publicações Qualis A de 1998 A 2008 no Brasil

No cenário de crescente competitividade, em que frequentemente ocorrem cisão, incorporação de empresas, compra e venda de negócios, a avaliação de empresas é uma área da contabilidade financeira que está em expansão. O objetivo deste trabalho é verificar o que foi publicado sobre Avaliação de Empresas no Brasil, no período de 1998 a 2008, em eventos nacionais de classificação A de acordo com a Qualis/Capes. Com intuito de verificar as publicações sobre avaliação de empresas, realizou-se um estudo descritivo por meio de pesquisa bibliométrica, com abordagem quantitativa. Os resultados apontaram que 2003 foi o ano em que mais houve publicações que versaram sobre avaliação de empresas. Das publicações feitas 40% foram realizadas por dois autores e 26% por três ou mais autores, prevalecendo a autoria de mais de um autor nos artigos analisados. Também se verificou que 63% das publicações realizadas no período analisado foram produzidas por autores ligados à USP. Quanto ao tipo de estudo e coleta de dados, observou-se que 60% dos trabalhos foram empíricos e 40% teóricos. O método de avaliação de empresas mais abordado nos artigos foi o Fluxo de Caixa Descontado

Towards Understanding Sycophancy in Language Models

Human feedback is commonly utilized to finetune AI assistants. But human feedback may also encourage model responses that match user beliefs over truthful ones, a behaviour known as sycophancy. We investigate the prevalence of sycophancy in models whose finetuning procedure made use of human feedback, and the potential role of human preference judgments in such behavior. We first demonstrate that five state-of-the-art AI assistants consistently exhibit sycophancy across four varied free-form text-generation tasks. To understand if human preferences drive this broadly observed behavior, we analyze existing human preference data. We find that when a response matches a user's views, it is more likely to be preferred. Moreover, both humans and preference models (PMs) prefer convincingly-written sycophantic responses over correct ones a non-negligible fraction of the time. Optimizing model outputs against PMs also sometimes sacrifices truthfulness in favor of sycophancy. Overall, our results indicate that sycophancy is a general behavior of state-of-the-art AI assistants, likely driven in part by human preference judgments favoring sycophantic responses.Comment: 32 pages, 20 figure

Nefrectomia videolaparoscópica para tratamento da dioctofimose em um cão

A dioctofimose é uma afecção pouco comum em cães, causada pelo  Dioctophyma renale, que ocorre com maior frequência em animais errantes. Quando um único rim é parasitado, os pacientes podem não apresentar sinais clínicos devido à compensação pelo rim contralateral. Não havendo terapia clínica efetiva para a dioctofimose, o tratamento indicado é a nefrotomia ou nefrectomia, na dependência da gravidade da lesão. Foi atendido no Hospital Veterinário da Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF) um canino, fêmea, castrado, sem raça definida, com aproximadamente um ano e pesando 12 kg, proveniente de um abrigo de animais de rua da cidade de Passo Fundo (RS), apresentando hematúria e emagrecimento progressivo há 30 dias. Através dos exames complementares realizados, foi constatado parasitismo do rim direito por D. renale. O presente relato descreve o emprego alternativo da nefrectomia videolaparoscópica como um método seguro e efetivo para o tratamento de dioctofimose em um cão e os meios utilizados para o diagnóstico