Estimating Shared Copy Number Aberrations for Array CGH Data: The Linear-Median Method

Motivation: Existing methods for estimating copy number variations in array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) data are limited to estimations of the gain/loss of chromosome regions for single sample analysis. We propose the linear-median method for estimating shared copy numbers in DNA sequences across multiple samples, demonstrate its operating characteristics through simulations and applications to real cancer data, and compare it to two existing methods. Results: Our proposed linear-median method has the power to estimate common changes that appear at isolated single probe positions or very short regions. Such changes are hard to detect by current methods. This new method shows a higher rate of true positives and a lower rate of false positives. The linear-median method is non-parametric and hence is more robust in estimating copy number. Additionally, the linear-median method is easily computable for practical aCGH data sets compared to other copy number estimation methods. Supplementary Information: Supporting materials are available at Cancer Informatics online

Influência da aplicação de escória sobre atributos químicos do solo e teores de nutrientes em plantas de arroz de sequeiro.

A escória é um resíduo gerado durante o processo de produção do ferro gusa, possuindo elevados teores de sílica e óxidos de Ca, Mg, Si, Fe e Mn. Para avaliar a influência da aplicação de escoria de siderurgia sobre atributos químicos do solo e teores de nutrientes na cultura do arroz, realizou-se um experimento em condições de casa de vegetação, utilizando-se amostras de dois Latossolos Amarelos distróficos, possuindo classificação textural argilosa e média. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 2x2x4, correspondendo à dois solos, dois corretivos (escória e calcário dolomítico) e quatro doses. Utilizou-se uma escória, coletada em alto forno da Companhia Siderúrgica Paraense (Cosipar), localizada no município de Marabá-PA. Aos 60 dias de semeadura do arroz, os resultados indicaram que a aplicação de doses crescente de escória no solo promoveu melhorias nos atributos químicos, reduzindo a acidez e aumentando os teores de cálcio, magnésio e potássio. A escória propiciou maiores teores de potássio no solo, nas doses mais elevadas, em relação ao calcário. Os aumentos dos teores de cálcio e magnésio no solo se correlacionaram com as quantidades absorvidas pela cultura do arroz.Disponível também on-line

Efeito da aplicação de escória de siderúrgica sobre a produção de matéria seca de plantas de arroz em latossolo amarelo distrífico.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de doses de escória de siderúrgica sobre a produção de matéria seca da parte aérea e da raiz de plantas de arroz, em Latossolos com classes textural média e argilosa. O experimento foi conduzido em condições de casa de vegetação, no Instituto de Ciências Agrárias (ICA), da Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia – UFRA, Belém - Pará. Utilizou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizado em esquema fatorial 2 x 2 x 4, correspondendo a dois solos (Latossolo Amarelo Distrófico textura média - LAm e argilosa - LAarg), duas fontes de corretivos de acidez (escória e calcários dolomítico) e quatro doses destes corretivos. As quantidades aplicadas foram estimadas com base em curva de neutralização realizada em estudo prévio e corresponderam à 0; 2,4; 4,1 e 5,8 t ha-1, para o LAarg e 0; 2,2; 3,6 e 5,0 t ha-1, para o LAm. De acordo com os resultados, a aplicação de escória de siderurgia promoveu aumento na produção de matéria seca da parte aérea e da raiz de arroz, além favorecer o aumento dos teores de K no solo. Os resultados indicam que esse resíduo pode ser usado como corretivo de acidez do solo e fornecedor de nutrientes para cultura do arroz

Production, breeding and potential of cowpea crop in Brazil.

About 50 years ago cowpea was reported as a relatively minor tropical legume. However, in the last years, it has been emerging as one of the most important food legume of the 21st century (SINGH, 2010). Brazil is not out of this panorama. Brazilian agriculture is undergoing major technological changes and, in addition, globalization in agribusiness has caused impacts on the production chain of several crops, particularly those heavily dependent on the use of a large volume of agricultural inputs, mainly fertilizers and pesticides. Such crops have had a higher production cost each year. On the other hand, this situation has brought new opportunities. Business farmers have sought new alternatives for their production arrangements. In this context cowpea constitutes one of the best options.bitstream/item/85620/1/Doc-216-Production.pd

Sub-gap optical response across the structural phase transition in van der Waals layered \alpha-RuCl3_3

We report magnetic, thermodynamic, thermal expansion, and on detailed optical experiments on the layered compound $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ focusing on the THz and sub-gap optical response across the structural phase transition from the monoclinic high-temperature to the rhombohedral low-temperature structure, where the stacking sequence of the molecular layers is changed. This type of phase transition is characteristic for a variety of tri-halides crystallizing in a layered honeycomb-type structure and so far is unique, as the low-temperature phase exhibits the higher symmetry. One motivation is to unravel the microscopic nature of spin-orbital excitations via a study of temperature and symmetry-induced changes. We document a number of highly unusual findings: A characteristic two-step hysteresis of the structural phase transition, accompanied by a dramatic change of the reflectivity. An electronic excitation, which appears in a narrow temperature range just across the structural phase transition, and a complex dielectric loss spectrum in the THz regime, which could indicate remnants of Kitaev physics. Despite significant symmetry changes across the monoclinic to rhombohedral phase transition, phonon eigenfrequencies and the majority of spin-orbital excitations are not strongly influenced. Obviously, the symmetry of the single molecular layers determine the eigenfrequencies of most of these excitations. Finally, from this combined terahertz, far- and mid-infrared study we try to shed some light on the so far unsolved low energy (< 1eV) electronic structure of the ruthenium $4d^5$ electrons in $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

A path planning control for a vessel dynamic positioning system based on robust adaptive fuzzy strategy

The thrusters and propulsion propellers systems, as well as the operating situations, are all well-known nonlinearities which are caused less accuracy of the dynamic positioning system (DPS) of vessels in the path planning control process. In this study, to enhance the robust performance of the DPS, we proposed a robust adaptive fuzzy control model to reduce the effect of uncertainty problems and disturbances on the DPS. Firstly, the adaptive fuzzy controller with adaptive law is designed to adjust the membership function of the fuzzy controller to minimize the error in path planning control of the vessel. Secondly, the H∞ performance of robust tracking is proved by the Lyapunov theory. Moreover, compared to the other controller, a simulation experiment comprising two case studies confirmed the efficiency of the approach. Finally, the results showed that the proposed controller reaches control quality, performance and stability

Hilbert Space of Isomorphic Representations of Bosonized Chiral QCD2QCD_2

We analyse the Hilbert space structure of the isomorphic gauge non-invariant and gauge invariant bosonized formulations of chiral $QCD_2$ for the particular case of the Jackiw-Rajaraman parameter $a = 2$. The BRST subsidiary conditions are found not to provide a sufficient criterium for defining physical states in the Hilbert space and additional superselection rules must to be taken into account. We examine the effect of the use of a redundant field algebra in deriving basic properties of the model. We also discuss the constraint structure of the gauge invariant formulation and show that the only primary constraints are of first class.Comment: LaTeX, 19 page

Top quark and Electroweak measurements at the Tevatron

We present recent preliminary measurements at the Tevatron of t-tbar and single top production cross section, top quark mass and width, top pair spin correlations and forward-backward asymmetry. In the electroweak sector, we present the Tevatron average of the W boson width, and preliminary measurements of the W and Z forward-backward asymmetries and WZ, ZZ diboson production cross sections. All measurements are based on larger amount of collision data than previously used and are in agreement with the standard model.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures; In proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on Particles, Strings and Cosmology, Valencia (Spain) 201

Efeito da toxicidade de Cr (VI) e Zn (II) no crescimento do fungo filamentoso Aspergillus niger isolado de efluente industrial.

Processos convencionais de tratamento de efluentes utilizam microrganismos vivos, o que sugere limitações relativas à toxicidade de metais para os microrganismos. O experimento consistiu em adicionar soluções monoelementares de Cr (VI) e Zn(II) em diferentes concentrações (0, 20, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 mg.L-1) ao meio de crescimento e observar a influência dos metais no crescimento micelial e germinativo do fungo Aspergillus Níger por verificação visual da expansão radial do micélio e da germinação de esporos, seguida de registro fotográfico. Os resultados mostraram que o metabolismo do fungo foi completamente inibido em concentrações acima de 500 mg Zn (II).L-1 e 150 mg Cr (VI).L-1. O ED50 (concentração de ingrediente ativo capaz de inibir 50% do crescimento micelial do fungo) para os dois íons metálicos, nas condições estudadas, está na faixa entre 100 e 150 mg.L-1