Generalized Information Criteria for Structured Sparse Models

Regularized m-estimators are widely used due to their ability of recovering a low-dimensional model in high-dimensional scenarios. Some recent efforts on this subject focused on creating a unified framework for establishing oracle bounds, and deriving conditions for support recovery. Under this same framework, we propose a new Generalized Information Criteria (GIC) that takes into consideration the sparsity pattern one wishes to recover. We obtain non-asymptotic model selection bounds and sufficient conditions for model selection consistency of the GIC. Furthermore, we show that the GIC can also be used for selecting the regularization parameter within a regularized $m$-estimation framework, which allows practical use of the GIC for model selection in high-dimensional scenarios. We provide examples of group LASSO in the context of generalized linear regression and low rank matrix regression

Stepwise Filtering of the Internal Layers of Dendrimers by Transverse-Relaxation-Edited NMR

The characteristic distribution of transverse relaxation times (T2) within dendrimers (shorter values at the core than the periphery) can be exploited in T2-edited 1D and 2D NMR experiments for the stepwise filtering of internal nuclei according to their topology within the dendritic structure. The resulting filtered spectra, which can be conceived as corresponding to virtual hollow dendrimers, benefit from reduced signal overlap, thus facilitating signal assignment and characterization. The generality of the method as a powerful tool in structural and end-group analysis has been confirmed with various dendritic families and nuclei (1H, 13C, 31P)This work was financially supported by the Spanish Government (CTQ2009-10963, CTQ2012-34790, CTQ2009-14146-C02-02, CTQ2012-33436) and the Xunta de Galicia (10CSA209021PR and CN2011/037). L.F.P. thanks the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT MCTES) for a Ph.D. grant (SFRH/BD/37341/2007)S

Aplicação de efluentes de suiniculturas como fertilizantes na agricultura : impacto da qualidade dos meios hídricos : um caso de estudo em Santiago do Cacém, Alentejo

A descarga nos cursos de água, de efluentes (brutos ou pré-tratados) de suiniculturas, tem provocado a deterioração da qualidade dos meios hídricos já que estes são potenciais focos de poluição, em especial no que se refere ao azoto, ao fósforo e a determinados metais pesados como é o caso do cobre e do zinco. A valorização agrícola dos efluentes pode ser de grande utilidade, em certas regiões de Portugal, como é o caso do Alentejo, devido à reduzida fertilidade da maioria dos seus solos, que resulta em parte do seu empobrecimento em matéria orgânica. No quadro de um projecto de Demonstração e Desenvolvimento Experimental no Concelho de Santiago do Cacém, apoiado pelo programa AGRO, desenvolveu-se um Sistema de Apoio à Decisão (SAD), com o qual foi possível classificar as formações aquíferas da região quanto ao seu grau de susceptibilidade à poluição, possibilitando desta forma seleccionar com mais rigor as potenciais áreas de aplicação dos efluentes. Foram escolhidas duas áreas para espalhamento de efluentes ("área experimental do Montado" - Vale de Ermida, e "área experimental dos Suínos" - Vale Madeiros) e analisada a evolução dos parâmetros físico-químicos observados

Predicting PSR Filters by Transverse Relaxation Enhancements

The paramagnetic spin relaxation (PSR) filter allows the suppression of the NMR resonances of individual components in mixtures according to their Gd3+-complexing ability. The difficulty in predicting this property hampers, however, the widespread application of this filter. Herein we describe that the PSR filter is dominated by the transverse relaxation enhancement (R2p) experienced by nuclei in the presence of Gd3+, so that R2p represents a reliable predictive tool of suppression in the 1D and 2D PSR filter of complex mixtures. The robustness of R2p as a predictive tool in PSR filters has been demonstrated at different magnetic fields and for the 1H, 13C, COSY, and HMQC filtering of commercial multicomponent compositions, including beverages and drugsThis work was financially supported by the Spanish Government (CTQ2012-34790, CTQ2012-33436) and the Xunta de Galicia (CN2011/037). L.F.P. thanks the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT MCTES) for a Ph.D. grant (SFRH/BD/37341/2007)S

Incorporation of industrial wastes in wood pellets

ABSTRACT: The present work evaluates the incorporation of industrial wastes (Refuse Derived Fuel-RDF) into biomass for pellet production. Its influence on parameters such as pellet production, combustion and gas emissions was studied for up to 10% of residues incorporation. This approach also deals with the diverting of industrial waste from landfills. The main objectives were: increasing the heat value of the final product, diverting industrial residues with energy potential from landfill and assess the quality of different types of pellets with incorporation of industrial residues. Its implementation was carried out in three phases: selection and characterization of the different industrial residues, production of pellets from different mixtures of wastes and combustion tests. For this purpose a comprehensive characterization of the pellets, the gaseous emissions during combustion and the chemical characterization of the resulting ashes was carried out. The study has shown that the application of industrial residues is a promising route for their incorporation in pellets which should be balanced by the reduction of wastes for landfill. However a few problems were identified: higher difficulty in pelletizing and likely excessive wear of the pellet mill for some of the residues; combustion equipment requiring air supply adjustment and higher ash contents

Configured distribution of the celiac artery in blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva)

Foram descritas a origem e a distribuição da artéria celíaca em 20 papagaios-verdadeiros (Amazona aestiva), por meio do preenchimento do sistema arterial com solução de látex corado, fixado em solução de formol, para posterior dissecação de seus ramos colaterais. Como primeiro ramo, a artéria célica emitiu a artéria proventricular dorsal, que seguiu para o ventrículo como artéria gástrica dorsal e, em seguida, enviou a artéria proventricular ventral, que em 85% dos exemplares se originou diretamente da artéria celíaca, ou do seu ramo esquerdo em 15%. Em 25% dos casos, a artéria esplênica foi emitida antes da bifurcação em ramo esquerdo e direito. O ramo esquerdo foi responsável pela origem de ramos proventriculares, ramos pilóricos, artéria esplênica e artéria proventricular ventral, a qual emitiu ramos ao proventrículo e ao esôfago. A artéria celíaca também originou as artérias gástrica ventral e gástrica esquerda, que foram responsáveis pela emissão da artéria hepática esquerda. O ramo direito emitiu artérias esplênicas − que variaram de uma a sete −, duodenal − destinada ao segmento mais caudal da alça ascendente do duodeno, hepática direita − para o lobo direito do fígado. Em seu segmento terminal, o ramo direito dividiu-se em artérias gástrica direita − para o ventrículo −, pancreaticoduodenal − para o pâncreas, alças ascendente e descendente do duodeno e segmentos cranial do íleo e caudal do jejuno. A irrigação determinada pela artéria celíaca nos papagaios segue o que é proposto para aves de outros gêneros, apresentando divergências como ausência das artérias vesicular e ileocecal, bem como da vesícula biliar e ceco. _________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThis research was performed aiming to describe the origin and the distribution of the celiac artery in 20 blue fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva), through the completion of their circulatory system with an aqueous solution of colored latex, followed by fixation in formol for later dissection of the collateral branches. The first branch emitted the proventricular dorsal artery that headed to the ventricle as gastric dorsal artery and next emitted the proventricular ventral artery which originated on the celiac artery in 85% of the cases and in 15% had its origin on the left branch of the celiac artery. In 25% of the cases the splenic artery was emitted before the bifurcation on left and right branches. The left branch was responsible for the origin of the proventricular branches, piloric branches, splenic artery and proventricular artery, which emitted branches to the proventricle and esophagus. The celiac artery also emitted the gastric ventral artery and left gastric. The right branch emitted splenic arteries (that varied from a number of seven); duodenal bound for the more caudal segment of the ascendant segment of the duodenum and the right hepatica to the right liver lobe. On its terminal segment the right branch was divided into right gastric arteries to the ventricle and pancreaticduodenal to the pancreas, ascendant and descendant braces of the duodenum and to the cranial segments of the ileum and caudal of the jejune. The irrigation provided by the celiac artery in parrots remains the same as described for other bird genders showing as divergences: the lack of vesicular arteries and ileocecal as well the gall bladder and the cecos

Influence of stoichiometry and structure on the optical properties of AlNxOy films

The AlNxOy system offers the possibility to obtain a wide range of responses, by tailoring the properties between Al, AlN and Al2O3, opening a significant number of possible applications. The aim of this work is to correlate the optical properties of AlNxOy thin films with their composition and structural features, taking as reference the binary systems AlNx and AlOy. In the AlNx system, the increase of the nitrogen content induced a wide variation in the optical properties, ranging from the typical profile of a polycrystalline Al-type film towards nearly constant reflectance values as low as 5%, as well as a smooth increase in samples transparency as the ratio N/Al approached unit. In the case of the AlOy system, the reflectance also decreased as the oxygen content increased, however the transition to transparent films (Al2O3-like) was more abrupt. The ternary system AlNxOy, revealed optical responses that ranged from a typical profile of a polycrystalline Al-type film, towards low and constant reflectance values in a wide range of x and y coefficients, ending up as semi-transparent when Al2O3-like films were formed. The unusual low optical reflectance of some films reveals some potential applications in solar power systems and sensors.This research is sponsored by FEDER funds through the program COMPETE-Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade, by national funds through FCT,, under the projects PTDC/CTMNAN/ 112574/2009 and PEST-C-FIS/UI607/2011–2012, and Programa Pessoa 2010/2011—Cooperação Portugal/França, Proc. no 441.00, Project ‘COLOURCLUSTER’. J Borges also acknowledges FCT financial support under PhD grant no SFRH/BD/47118/200

Nonperturbative Yukawa theory at finite density and temperature

In-medium Yukawa theory is part of the thermodynamics of the Standard Model of particle physics and is one of the main building blocks of most effective field theories of fermionic systems. By computing its pressure we investigate the nonperturbative thermodynamics at finite temperature and density using the optimized perturbation theory (OPT) framework. Our calculations are valid for arbitrary fermion and scalar masses, temperature, chemical potential, and not restricted to weak coupling. The model is considered in the presence as well as in the absence of condensates. Comparison with nonperturbative results shows that second order perturbation theory (PT) fails in the first case but performs rather well when condensates are absent, even at high-temperature regimes.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures; v2: references added, improved discussion in the Conclusions, matches published versio

Cultivation of algae in photobioreator and obtention of biodiesel

In this work we described the cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris in a photobioreactor to algal biomass production. The dried biomass was used as feedstock for biodiesel production, it presented 26% lipids and via sonocatalysis stage of the methodology resulted in 60% of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The FAME content was confirmed by Gas Chromatography (GC).CNPqFAPERGSCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES

Ecoengineering Solutions for the Impairment of Spreading and Growth of Invasive Spartina patens in Mediterranean Salt Marshes

The invasion of natural communities by non-indigenous species represents one of the most serious threats to biodiversity. Understanding the ecophysiology of invasive species can provide insights into potential physiological handicaps relative to native species. By doing so, we can leverage the development of ecoengineering solutions for the removal of non-indigenous species, preferably using non-chemical methods. Spartina patens is a known invasive species of cordgrass aggressively proliferating in Mediterranean salt marshes, producing impenetrable monospecific stands. As its occurrence is delimited by the upper high tide water level, we hypothesized that S. patens is intolerant to waterlogging. Therefore, we developed a field experiment where strands of S. patens were kept waterlogged over the entire tidal cycle for 30 days. At the end of the experimental period, plants in the trial plots exhibited severe stress symptoms at different physiological levels compared with control plots (no intervention). At the photobiological level, intervened plants exhibited lower efficiency in producing chemical energy from light, whilst at the biochemical level waterlogging impaired the antioxidant system and increased lipid peroxidation products. Furthermore, the application of chlorophyll a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry, a non-invasive technique, allowed us to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented measures, being the tool that provided the best separation between the control and intervened population. Considering the physiological traits observed here, ecoengineering solutions based on increased waterlogging of S. patens stands, can be a low-cost and efficient measure to reduce the spreading and growth of this invasive species in the Mediterranean and other salt marshes worldwide with little disturbance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio