The value function of an asymptotic exit-time optimal control problem

We consider a class of exit--time control problems for nonlinear systems with a nonnegative vanishing Lagrangian. In general, the associated PDE may have multiple solutions, and known regularity and stability properties do not hold. In this paper we obtain such properties and a uniqueness result under some explicit sufficient conditions. We briefly investigate also the infinite horizon problem

Tectonics and fluvial dynamism affecting the Tiber River in prehistoric Rome

Open access funding provided by Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia within the CRUI-CARE Agreement. Research funding was provided by Loeb Classical Library Foundation, Gerda Henkel Foundation, American Philosophical Society, Etruscan Foundation, Fondazione Lemmermann, University of Michigan, University of St Andrews, and the Leverhulme Trust.Geomorphological investigations in Rome’s river valley are revealing the dynamism of the prehistoric landscape. It is becoming increasingly apparent that paleogeographic conditions that defined Rome in the historical era are the product of changes since the Bronze Age, which may be the result of local fault activity in addition to fluvial dynamism. Through a dedicated borehole chronostratigraphic study, integrated by 14C and archaeological dates, and paleomagnetic investigations, we offer here new evidence for fault displacement since ca. 4500 years/BP. We present the failure of the sedimentary fabric of a clay horizon caused by liquefaction processes commonly linked with seismic shaking, interpreting an (ca. 4 m) offset to signify the existence of a fault line located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. In addition, we show evidence for another (ca. 1 m) offset affecting a stratigraphic horizon in the river channel, occurring along another hypothesized fault line crossing through the Tiber Valley. Movement along this fault may have contributed to a documented phase of fast overflooding dated to the sixth century BCE which eventually led to the birth of the Tiber Island. The most plausible scenario implies progressive deformation, with an average tectonic rate of 2 mm/year, along these inferred fault lines. This process was likely punctuated with moderate earthquakes, but no large event necessarily occurred. Together, the available evidence suggests that during the early centuries of sedentary habitation at the site of Rome, active fault lines contributed to significant changes to the Tiber River valley, capable of challenging lowland activities.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Molecular, behavioral and anatomical sophistication in spider webs: insights from spinning gland RNA-seq experiments in primitive and modern spiders.

RNA-seq experiments conducted in 454 sequencers were carried out to produce 87.000 short-reads representing the transcriptome of two spiders'spinning glands. We produced sequences from (i) Actinopus sp., a spider from the Mygalomorphae clade, and (ii) Gasteracantha cancriformis, an Orbicularia spider. Mygalomorphae spiders are known to retain a number of primitive morphological and behavioral characters. They use mixtures of a primitive web, soil, and plants only to cover a burrow they make on the ground for shelter and predation.On the other hand, Orbicularia spiders show a number of derivative spider's characters and they are capable to build different and complex silks used in a variety of situations. It is interesting to note that the complexity of web production, usage and behavior in these spiders is reflected both by (i) the variety of the repertoire of protein molecules (spidroins) they use to make their webs and (ii) the complexity of their anatomical spinning gland apparatu used to produce silk. Here we have first conducted a broad analysis of the spinning gland transcriptome in both spiders producing unigenes and categorizing annotated genes in biological functions.Then we started to analyze the number and variety of spider silk proteins and families found in different spider clades.We have shown that spiders using web only for a limited number of situations present a less sophisticated morphological spinning apparatus and produce a small repertoire of spidroin molecules. Phylogenetic analyses were conductedin the 3'region of spidroins and we try to relate (i) the evolution of silk protein families,(ii) the evolutionary complexification of silk production behavior and web usage, and (iii) the appearance of new specialized spinning glands along the evolution of specimens and clades in the Araneae order

Cultivo agroecológico do cafeeiro: produtividade de cultivares em sistema solteiro e consorciado com bananeira.

bitstream/item/68473/1/039-Cultivo-agroecologico-do-cafeeiro.pdfPublicado também no Cadernos de Agroecologia, v. 7, n. 2, 2012

Avaliação de substratos de húmus de minhoca na produção de mudas de alface (Lactuca sativa) cultivar Lucy Brown.

bitstream/item/68817/1/020-nascimento-avaliacao.pdfPublicado também no Cadernos de Agroecologia, v. 7, n.2, 2012

Incidência de bicho-mineiro em diferentes cultivares de cafeeiro em sistema agroecológico.

bitstream/item/68482/1/061-Incidencia-de-bicho-mineiro-em-diferentes-cultivares-de-cafeeiro.pdfPublicado também no Cadernos de Agroecologia, v. 7, n. 2, 2012

Estimativa de biomassa e estoque de carbono de uma floresta secundária em Minas Gerais.

Em virtude das preocupações mundiais com as quantidades acumuladas de gases de efeito estufa na atmosfera, 175 países assinaram, durante a ECO 92, no Rio de Janeiro, relatório sobre o Painel de Mudanças Climáticas, indicando a necessidade de reduzir as emissões desses gases. Um dos mecanismos, com essa finalidade que tem despertado grande interesse é o financiamento de grandes plantios de árvores visando o sequestro de quantidades significativas de carbono através da fotossíntese. Tendo em vista que a legislação brasileira de meio ambiente determina a manutenção de uma reserva legal de pelo menos 20% de vegetação natural nas propriedades rurais do sudeste e, considerando-se a forte atividade agropecuária dessa região onde, na paisagem rural, predominam pastos, cultivos e reflorestamentos com Eucaliptus a recuperação das áreas de reserva legal pode atingir escala de interesse, além de contemplar demandas por uma maior proteção da biodiversidade. O presente estudo apresenta estimativas de biomassa e estoque de carbono de uma floresta secundária de cerca de 37 anos por meio de medições diretas, utilizando o método da árvore média. O estudo fitossociológico apontou sete espécies cujas árvores representam cerca de 80,5% de dominância e 77,9% de densidade do sítio, sendo Canudo de Pito, (Mabea fistulifera ? Euphorbiaceae