Optimization of Interplanetary Trajectories Using the Colliding Bodies Optimization Algorithm

In this paper, a recent physics-based metaheuristic algorithm, the Colliding Bodies Optimization (CBO), already employed to solve problems in civil and mechanical engineering, is proposed for the optimization of interplanetary trajectories by using both indirect and direct approaches. The CBO has an extremely simple formulation and does not depend on any initial conditions. To test the performances of the algorithm, missions with remarkably different orbital transfer energies are considered: from the simple planar case, as the Earth-Mars orbital transfer, to more energetic ones, like a rendezvous with the asteroid Pallas

Report on the CCT Supplementary Comparison S1 of Infrared Spectral Normal Emittance/Emissivity

open9openHanssen, L; Wilthan, B; Filtz, J -R; Hameury, J; Girard, F; Battuello, M; Ishii, J; Hollandt, J; Monte, CHanssen, L; Wilthan, B; Filtz, J. R; Hameury, J; Girard, Ferruccio; Battuello, Mauro; Ishii, J; Hollandt, J; Monte, C

Os determinantes da inflação na República democrática do Congo: um estudo econométrico (2005-2015)

Em muitos países emergentes e subdesenvolvidos, os choques de oferta provaram ser os maiores causadores da inflação a partir dos anos 2000 (DE GREGORIO, 2012). As mudanças de preços das commodities e da taxa de câmbio nominal mostraram-se relevantes para o entendimento da dinâmica inflacionária destes países. Assim, este trabalho teve por objetivo analisar os determinantes da inflação na República Democrática do Congo, entre janeiro de 2005 e dezembro de 2015, utilizando o modelo dos vetores autorregressivo (VAR), por meio das funções de resposta ao impulso (FRis) e da decomposição da variância do erro de previsão (DV). Os resultados mostraram que o pass-through do câmbio foi a variável com maiores impactos, positivos e significativos, sobre a inflação, e que a taxa de juros revelou-se um instrumento insignificante estatisticamente para combater a inflação no país

The potential of permanent gullies in Europe as geomorphosites

Geotourism is a useful way to educate societies in the field of geomorphology and natural hazards. Geosites, including geomorphosites, represent the basis for the development of this type of tourism. This study describes twelve representative gully regions within nine European countries. The characteristics of 42 permanent gullies, gully systems and badland landscapes are presented and a geotouristic assessment of these gullies was made, based on scientific, educational, functional and touristic indicators. This assessment demonstrates a large difference between the selected gully sites, particularly with regard to functional and tourist values. The geotouristic potential of gullies is the highest in Italy and Spain and the lowest in Romania and Latvia. In some countries, permanent gullies are not regarded as geotouristic attractions at all, while in others they constitute a significant element of their tourism development strategy. Based on the analysis of scientific values of the gully sites, educational lessons to be learned were identified that are mainly related to i) gullies as a geological window, ii) present-day geomorphological processes, and iii) stages of historical gully erosion reflecting past human-environment interactions. These must be part of a broader strategy for the development of geotourism in gully regions. Gullies are potential geosites within existing or planned geoparks. Values of gullies for other forms of tourism (active, cultural, nature), should be also emphasized

D2/D3 dopamine receptor binding with [F-18]fallypride correlates of executive function in medication-naïve patients with schizophrenia

Converging evidence indicates that the prefrontal cortex is critically involved in executive control and that executive dysfunction is implicated in schizophrenia. Reduced dopamine D2/D3 receptor binding potential has been reported in schizophrenia, and the correlations with neuropsychological test scores have been positive and negative for different tasks. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between dopamine D2/D3 receptor levels with frontal and temporal neurocognitive performance in schizophrenia. Resting-state 18F-fallypride positron emission tomography was performed on 20 medication-naïve and 5 previously medicated for brief earlier periods patients with schizophrenia and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Striatal and extra-striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor levels were quantified as binding potential using fallypride imaging. Magnetic resonance images in standard Talairach position and segmented into gray and white matter were co-registered to the fallypride images, and the AFNI stereotaxic atlas was applied. Two neuropsychological tasks known to activate frontal and temporal lobe function were chosen, specifically the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Images of the correlation coefficient between fallypride binding and WCST and CVLT performance showed a negative correlation in contrast to positive correlations in healthy volunteers. The results of this study demonstrate that lower fallypride binding potential in patients with schizophrenia may be associated with better performance. Our findings are consistent with previous studies that failed to find cognitive improvements with typical dopamine-blocking medications

Characterization of blackbody inhomogeneity and its effect on the retrieval results of the GLORIA instrument

Limb sounding instruments play an important role in the monitoring of climate trends, as they provide a good vertical resolution. Traceability to the International System of Units (SI) via onboard reference or transfer standards is needed to compare trend estimates from multiple instruments. This study investigates the required uncertainty of these radiation standards to properly resolve decadal trends of climate-relevant trace species like ozone, water vapor, and temperature distribution for the Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere (GLORIA). Temperature nonuniformities of the onboard reference blackbodies, used for radiometric calibration, have an impact on the calibration uncertainty. The propagation of these nonuniformities through the retrieval is analyzed. A threshold for the maximum tolerable uncertainty of the blackbody temperature is derived, so that climate trends can be significantly identified with GLORIA

CSF glial biomarkers YKL40 and sTREM2 are associated with longitudinal volume and diffusivity changes in cognitively unimpaired individuals

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) YKL40 and sTREM2 are astroglial and microglial activity biomarkers, respectively. We assessed whether CSF YKL40 and sTREM2 baseline levels are associated with longitudinal brain volume and diffusivity changes in cognitively unimpaired adults. Two brain MRI scans of 36 participants (57 to 78-years old, 12 male) were acquired in a 2-year interval. A beta(42), p-tau, YKL40 and sTREM2 concentrations in CSF were determined at baseline. We calculated gray and white matter volume changes per year maps (Delta GM and Delta WM, respectively) by means of longitudinal pairwise registration, and mean diffusivity variation per year (Delta MD) by subtraction. We checked voxel-wise for associations between Delta GM, Delta WM and Delta MD and baseline CSF level of YKL40 and sTREM2 and verified to what extent these associations were modulated by age (YKL40xAGE and sTREM2xAGE interactions). We found a positive association between Delta GM and YKL40 in the left inferior parietal region and no association between sTREM2 and Delta GM. Negative associations were also observed between Delta GM and YKL40xAGE (bilateral frontal areas, left precuneus and left postcentral and supramarginal gyri) and sTREM2xAGE (bilateral temporal and frontal cortex, putamen and left middle cingulate gyrus). We found negative associations between Delta WM and YKL40xAGE (bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus) and sTREM2xAGE (bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, left superior corona radiata, retrolenticular external capsule and forceps minor, among other regions) but none between Delta WM and neither YKL40 nor sTREM2. Delta MD was positively correlated with YKL40 in right orbital region and negatively with sTREM2 in left lingual gyrus and precuneus. In addition, significant associations were found between Delta MD and YKL40xAGE (tail of left hippocampus and surrounding areas and right anterior cingulate gyrus) and sTREM2xAGE (right superior temporal gyrus). Areas showing statistically significant differences were disjoint in analyses involving YKL40 and sTREM2. These results suggest that glial biomarkers exert a relevant and distinct influence in longitudinal brain macro- and microstructural changes in cognitively unimpaired adults, which appears to be modulated by age. In younger subjects increased glial markers (both YKL40 and sTREM2) predict a better outcome, as indicated by a decrease in Delta GM and Delta WM and an increase in Delta MD, whereas in older subjects this association is inverted and higher levels of glial markers are associated with a poorer neuroimaging outcome

La ciudad en la bosque: Análisis socioambiental de la expansión urbana en Melgaço-Pará, en la perspectiva de una ciudad sostenible

A compreensão da Amazônia, a partir de suas cidades originadas na floresta e à margem dos cursos d’água, mais especificamente das pequenas cidades, tornou-se relevante pela gradativa expansão de suas dinâmicas geográficas em direções às florestas, com empreendimentos públicos e privados, que desconsideram os recursos naturais e as interações, percepções dos modos de vidas ligadas às práticas tradicionais de ocupação do território. Dessa relação pulsam modos de vida que desafiam o poder público a pensar e planejar formas de gestão ambiental da cidade. Nesse cenário, a presente proposição de estudo, analisa a dinâmica urbana frente os desafios dos moradores diante dos impactos socioambientais, vivenciados em Melgaço (2000 a 2020), localizado no ocidente do Arquipélago marajoara, buscando possibilidades em interação com o poder público para a configuração de cidade sustentável. Objetivamos, compreender o sentido da expansão da cidade na floresta, a partir das narrativas dos moradores diante da redução da cobertura florestal, pelos empreendimentos, e do olhar do poder público local sobre o território, com perspectivas para um desenvolvimento justo e sustentável da cidade. Utilizaremos como procedimento metodológico a revisão bibliográfica sobre a temática. Adotaremos como instrumento de coleta de dados questionários e entrevistas. A análise dos dados será realizada à luz da fundamentação teórica, baseando-se na ecologia política, em interface com o pensamento decolonial, bem como, a história, as identidades e práticas sociais de tradições culturais, frente a lógica de desenvolvimento da cidade, imposta pelos empreendimentos, efetivados. Compreendendo que é necessário e urgente proporcionar, um desenvolvimento voltado para a sustentabilidade. The understanding of the Amazon, from its cities originated within the forest and on the margins of rivers and bays, more specifically in small cities, has become relevant due to the gradual expansion of its geographical dynamics towards the forests, through public and private, which disregard natural resources and interactions, perceptions of ways of life linked to the practices of traditions in the occupation of the territory. From this relationship pulsate ways of life that challenge the public power to think and plan ways of environmental management of the city. In this scenario, the present study proposal analyzes the urban dynamics facing the challenges of the residents in the face of the cultural and environmental impacts, in the period from 2000 to 2020, experienced in Melgaço, located in the west of the Marajó Archipelago, seeking possibilities in interaction with the public power for the configuration of a sustainable city. We aim to understand the meaning of the expansion of the city in the forest, from the narratives of the residents in the face of the reduction of forest cover, through public and private enterprises, and from the look of the local government on the environmental management of the territory, with perspectives for fair and sustainable development of the city. We will use as a methodological procedure the literature review on the subject in question. We will adopt questionnaires and interviews as a data collection instrument. The data analysis will be carried out in the light of the theoretical foundation will be based on political ecology, in interface with decolonial thinking to understand the meanings produced by residents around the socio-environmental impacts, as well as the history, identities and social practices of traditions cultural activities, in the face of the city's development logic, imposed by public and private undertakings carried out by the public authorities. Understanding that it is necessary and urgent to provide a development focused on sustainability.La comprensión de la Amazonía, desde sus ciudades originadas en la selva y en los márgenes de ríos y bahías, más específicamente en pequeñas ciudades, ha cobrado relevancia debido a la paulatina expansión de su dinámica geográfica hacia los bosques, a través de lo público y lo privado, que desprecian los recursos naturales y las interacciones, percepciones de formas de vida vinculadas a las prácticas de las tradiciones en la ocupación del territorio. De esta relación pulsan modos de vida que desafían al poder público a pensar y planificar modos de gestión ambiental de la ciudad. En ese escenario, la presente propuesta de estudio analiza la dinámica urbana frente a los desafíos de los residentes frente a los impactos culturales y ambientales, en el período de 2000 a 2020, experimentado en Melgaço, ubicada en el oeste del Archipiélago de Marajó, buscando posibilidades en interacción con el poder público para la configuración de una ciudad sostenible. Pretendemos comprender el significado de la expansión de la ciudad en la selva, a partir de las narrativas de los pobladores frente a la reducción de la cobertura forestal, a través de empresas públicas y privadas, y desde la mirada del gobierno local sobre la gestión ambiental. del territorio, con perspectivas de desarrollo justo y sostenible de la ciudad. Utilizaremos como procedimiento metodológico la revisión bibliográfica sobre el tema en cuestión. Adoptaremos cuestionarios y entrevistas como instrumento de recopilación de datos. El análisis de los datos se realizará a la luz de la fundamentación teórica que se basará en la ecología política, en interfaz con el pensamiento decolonial para comprender los sentidos producidos por los pobladores en torno a los impactos socioambientales, así como la historia, las identidades y las prácticas sociales. de las actividades culturales tradicionales, frente a la lógica de desarrollo de la ciudad, impuesta por los emprendimientos públicos y privados llevados a cabo por los poderes públicos. Entendiendo que es necesario y urgente brindar un desarrollo enfocado a la sustentabilidad