Liberalization in Directed Credit Programs for SMEs

To evaluate the effectiveness of approaches to improve policies toward the development of small and medium enterprises, this article assesses the efficiency of directed credit programs and the impact of a liberalized design of a specific project.credit program, borrowing behavior, borrower

Liberalization in Directed Credit Programs for SMEs

To evaluate the effectiveness of approaches to improve policies toward the development of small and medium enterprises, this article assesses the efficiency of directed credit programs and the impact of a liberalized design of a specific project.credit program, borrowing behavior, borrower

Retinal Vessel Segmentation Using the 2-D Morlet Wavelet and Supervised Classification

We present a method for automated segmentation of the vasculature in retinal images. The method produces segmentations by classifying each image pixel as vessel or non-vessel, based on the pixel's feature vector. Feature vectors are composed of the pixel's intensity and continuous two-dimensional Morlet wavelet transform responses taken at multiple scales. The Morlet wavelet is capable of tuning to specific frequencies, thus allowing noise filtering and vessel enhancement in a single step. We use a Bayesian classifier with class-conditional probability density functions (likelihoods) described as Gaussian mixtures, yielding a fast classification, while being able to model complex decision surfaces and compare its performance with the linear minimum squared error classifier. The probability distributions are estimated based on a training set of labeled pixels obtained from manual segmentations. The method's performance is evaluated on publicly available DRIVE and STARE databases of manually labeled non-mydriatic images. On the DRIVE database, it achieves an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.9598, being slightly superior than that presented by the method of Staal et al.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures and 1 table. Accepted for publication in IEEE Trans Med Imag; added copyright notic

Anthocyanins protect the gastrointestinal tract from high fat diet-induced alterations in redox signaling, barrier integrity and dysbiosis.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract can play a critical role in the development of pathologies associated with overeating, overweight and obesity. We previously observed that supplementation with anthocyanins (AC) (particularly glycosides of cyanidin and delphinidin) mitigated high fat diet (HFD)-induced development of obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and steatosis in C57BL/6J mice. This paper investigated whether these beneficial effects could be related to AC capacity to sustain intestinal monolayer integrity, prevent endotoxemia, and HFD-associated dysbiosis. The involvement of redox-related mechanisms were further investigated in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Consumption of a HFD for 14 weeks caused intestinal permeabilization and endotoxemia, which were associated with a decreased ileum expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins (occludin, ZO-1 and claudin-1), increased expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX1 and NOX4) and NOS2 and oxidative stress, and activation of redox sensitive signals (NF-κB and ERK1/2) that regulate TJ dynamics. AC supplementation mitigated all these events and increased GLP-2 levels, the intestinal hormone that upregulates TJ protein expression. AC also prevented, in vitro, tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced Caco-2 monolayer permeabilization, NOX1/4 upregulation, oxidative stress, and NF-κB and ERK activation. HFD-induced obesity in mice caused dysbiosis and affected the levels and secretion of MUC2, a mucin that participates in intestinal cell barrier protection and immune response. AC supplementation restored microbiota composition and MUC2 levels and distribution in HFD-fed mice. Thus, AC, particularly delphinidin and cyanidin, can preserve GI physiology in HFD-induced obesity in part through redox-regulated mechanisms. This can in part explain AC capacity to mitigate pathologies, i.e. insulin resistance and steatosis, associated with HFD-associated obesity

Antocianinas em uvas de variedades viníferas.

Estudou-se, neste trabalho, na vindima de 1979, a ocorrência das antocianinas em variedades de uvas tintas, Bonarda, Merlot, Barbera O'ASTI, Gamay-Beaujolais, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir e Canaiolo, cultivadas na região vitivin ícola de Bento Gonçalves, RS. A separação das antocianinas foi estudada por cromatografia em camada delgada unidimensional, e as concentrações, expressas em malvidina-3 monoglicosídeo (rng/l). As variedades estudadas somente apresentaram antocianinas-3-monoglicosídeos, comprovando, portanto, pertencerem à espécie Vitis vinifera. Essa identificação é de grande valia para a detecção de fraudes em vinhos finos tintos. A variedade "Pinot Noir" apresentou maior concentração, 764,12 mg/l; e a Canaiolo, 501,49 mg/l, a de menor concentração. Houve, contudo, uma variação entre as variedades estudadas, o que indica a possibilidade de seleção de variedades pela intensidade de cor, para a elaboração de vinhos tintos

On the abundance discrepancy problem in HII regions

The origin of the abundance discrepancy is one of the key problems in the physics of photoionized nebula. In this work, we analize and discuss data for a sample of Galactic and extragalactic HII regions where this abundance discrepancy has been determined. We find that the abundance discrepancy factor (ADF) is fairly constant and of the order of 2 in all the available sample of HII regions. This is a rather different behaviour than that observed in planetary nebulae, where the ADF shows a much wider range of values. We do not find correlations between the ADF and the O/H, O++/H+ ratios, the ionization degree, Te(High), Te(Low)/ Te(High), FWHM, and the effective temperature of the main ionizing stars within the observational uncertainties. These results indicate that whatever mechanism is producing the abundance discrepancy in HII regions it does not substantially depend on those nebular parameters. On the contrary, the ADF seems to be slightly dependent on the excitation energy, a fact that is consistent with the predictions of the classical temperature fluctuations paradigm. Finally, we obtain that Te values obtained from OII recombination lines in HII regions are in agreement with those obtained from collisionally excited line ratios, a behaviour that is again different from that observed in planetary nebulae. These similar temperature determinations are in contradiction with the predictions of the model based on the presence of chemically inhomogeneous clumps but are consistent with the temperature fluctuations paradigm. We conclude that all the indications suggest that the physical mechanism responsible of the abundance discrepancy in HII regions and planetary nebulae are different.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 9 tables. Accepted for publication in the Ap

1S-2S Spectrum of a Hydrogen Bose-Einstein Condensate

We calculate the two-photon 1S-2S spectrum of an atomic hydrogen Bose-Einstein condensate in the regime where the cold collision frequency shift dominates the lineshape. WKB and static phase approximations are made to find the intensities for transitions from the condensate to motional eigenstates for 2S atoms. The excited state wave functions are found using a mean field potential which includes the effects of collisions with condensate atoms. Results agree well with experimental data. This formalism can be used to find condensate spectra for a wide range of excitation schemes.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Co-simulation Management Algorithm for Distribution System Operation with Real-Time Simulator

This article presents a co-simulation framework consistent with the real-time simulation for operational analysis of electrical distribution networks. Realtime simulators have become a fundamental tool for testing and optimising control strategies in a safe and controlled environment. The proposed methodology outlines the steps required for setting up, controlling, and monitoring an electrical grid using a real-time simulator. The framework proposes the use of the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport communication between the electrical grid module and an external coordinator. An algorithm based on the Python programming language is proposed to manage the real-time simulation, create the grid topology, and communicate with the external coordinator. The implementation of the electrical network and the validation of the real-time simulator network are also presented. The article concludes that the proposed framework can improve the performance and flexibility of co-simulation for studies on the penetration of power electronics-based renewable sources

The complex 3-D transition from continental crust to backarc magmatism and exhumed mantle in the Central Tyrrhenian basin

Geophysical data from the MEDOC experiment across the Northern Tyrrhenian backarc basin has mapped a failed rift during backarc extension of cratonic Variscan lithosphere. In contrast, data across the Central Tyrrhenian have revealed the presence of magmatic accretion followed by mantle exhumation after continental breakup. Here we analyse the MEDOC transect E–F, which extends from Sardinia to the Campania margin at 40.5°N, to define the distribution of geological domains in the transition from the complex Central Tyrrhenian to the extended continental crust of the Northern Tyrrhenian. The crust and uppermost mantle structure along this ∼400-km-long transect have been investigated based on wide-angle seismic data, gravity modelling and multichannel seismic reflection imaging. The P-wave tomographic model together with a P-wave-velocity-derived density model and the multichannel seismic images reveal seven different domains along this transect, in contrast to the simpler structure to the south and north. The stretched continental crust under Sardinia margin abuts the magmatic crust of Cornaglia Terrace, where accretion likely occurred during backarc extension. Eastwards, around Secchi seamount, a second segment of thinned continental crust (7–8 km) is observed. Two short segments of magmatically modified continental crust are separated by the ∼5-km-wide segment of the Vavilov basin possibly made of exhumed mantle rocks. The eastern segment of the 40.5°N transect E–F is characterized by continental crust extending from mainland Italy towards the Campania margin. Ground truthing and prior geophysical information obtained north and south of transect E–F was integrated in this study to map the spatial distribution of basement domains in the Central Tyrrhenian basin. The northward transition of crustal domains depicts a complex 3-D structure represented by abrupt spatial changes of magmatic and non-magmatic crustal domains. These observations imply rapid variations of magmatic activity difficult to reconcile with current models of extension of continental lithosphere essentially 2-D over long distances

Classical Dimensional Transmutation and Confinement

We observe that probing certain classical field theories by external sources uncovers the underlying renormalization group structure, including the phenomenon of dimensional transmutation, at purely-classical level. We perform this study on an example of $\lambda\phi^{4}$ theory and unravel asymptotic freedom and triviality for negative and positives signs of $\lambda$ respectively. We derive exact classical $\beta$ function equation. Solving this equation we find that an isolated source has an infinite energy and therefore cannot exist as an asymptotic state. On the other hand a dipole, built out of two opposite charges, has finite positive energy. At large separation the interaction potential between these two charges grows indefinitely as a distance in power one third