Energy and volume of vector fields on spherical domains

We present in this paper a \boundary version" for theorems about minimality of volume and energy functionals on a spherical domain of threedimensional Euclidean sphere

X-ray powder diffraction of high-absorption materials at the XRD1 beamline off the best conditions: Application to (Gd,Nd)5Si4 compounds

Representative compounds of the new family of magnetic materials Gd5-xNdxSi4 were analyzed by X-ray diffraction at the XRD1 beamline at LNLS. To reduce X-ray absorption, thin layers of the powder samples were mounted outside the capillaries and measured in Debye-Scherrer geometry as usual. The X-ray diffraction analyses and the magnetometry results indicate that the behavior of the magnetic transition temperature as a function of Nd content may be directly related to the average of the four smallest interatomic distances between different rare earth sites of the majority phase of each compound. The quality and consistency of the results show that the XRD1 beamline is able to perform satisfactory X-ray diffraction experiments on high-absorption materials even off the best conditions.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, 3 table

A Comparative Review of Dimension Reduction Methods in Approximate Bayesian Computation

Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) methods make use of comparisons between simulated and observed summary statistics to overcome the problem of computationally intractable likelihood functions. As the practical implementation of ABC requires computations based on vectors of summary statistics, rather than full data sets, a central question is how to derive low-dimensional summary statistics from the observed data with minimal loss of information. In this article we provide a comprehensive review and comparison of the performance of the principal methods of dimension reduction proposed in the ABC literature. The methods are split into three nonmutually exclusive classes consisting of best subset selection methods, projection techniques and regularization. In addition, we introduce two new methods of dimension reduction. The first is a best subset selection method based on Akaike and Bayesian information criteria, and the second uses ridge regression as a regularization procedure. We illustrate the performance of these dimension reduction techniques through the analysis of three challenging models and data sets.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/12-STS406 the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Proposta de manejo de Memora peregrina - a Ciganinha.

A "ciganinha", cientificamente conhecida como Memora peregrina (Miers) Sandwith (Bignoniaceae), presente em diversas áreas de cerrado do Brasil Central, vem sendo um sério problema como invasora de pastagens cultivadas, em especial, quando estas já se encontram em adiantado estado de degradação. Nunes (1999) descreve-a como um arbusto, com ramos semilenhosos, entouceirado, ereto, que atinge a altura entre 100 e 150 centímetros. Apresenta inflorescências vistosas com flores amarelas semelhantes às do ipê-amarelo, o que contribuía para que, até recentemente, fosse catalogada apenas como planta ornamental (LORENZI; SOUZA, 1995). O principal período de florada ocorre na primavera e no verão, embora a presença de flores pode ser observada, praticamente, em qualquer época do ano. Sua reprodução se dá por sementes aladas, contidas em camadas sobrepostas no interior de uma cápsula com aspecto de uma longa vagem e, também, por processo vegetativo. Esse último ocorre pela ativação de gemas latentes presentes no caule, tanto em sua parte aérea quanto na subterrânea, em resposta ao seu eventual fracionamento ou quando este sofre lesões de qualquer natureza, especialmente por tratos mecânicos. Pouco se conhece sobre M. peregrina, porque mesmo em pastagens com gramíneas nativas e/ou naturalizadas, como Paspalum notatum (grama batatais ou mato-grosso), Melinis minutiflora (capimgordura) ou Hyparrhenia rufa (capim-jaraguá), manejadas há décadas com roçadeiras ou fogo, essa planta não é considerada problema. A ciganinha só assumiu o status de praga anos depois da implantação de pastagens cultivadas com uso de arados, grades de aração e subsoladores, sendo, em muitos casos, indicadora de pastagens degradadas ou em processo de degradação.bitstream/CNPGC-2009-09/12486/1/COT101.pd

Fluctuations and oscillations in a simple epidemic model

We show that the simplest stochastic epidemiological models with spatial correlations exhibit two types of oscillatory behaviour in the endemic phase. In a large parameter range, the oscillations are due to resonant amplification of stochastic fluctuations, a general mechanism first reported for predator-prey dynamics. In a narrow range of parameters that includes many infectious diseases which confer long lasting immunity the oscillations persist for infinite populations. This effect is apparent in simulations of the stochastic process in systems of variable size, and can be understood from the phase diagram of the deterministic pair approximation equations. The two mechanisms combined play a central role in explaining the ubiquity of oscillatory behaviour in real data and in simulation results of epidemic and other related models.Comment: acknowledgments added; a typo in the discussion that follows Eq. (3) is corrected

Potencial forrageiro da Brachiaria humidicola cv. Llanero (ex. B. dictyoneura) para a recria de equinos.

bitstream/item/132420/1/COT-56.pdf.pd

Benchmark on neutron capture extracted from (d,p)(d,p) reactions

Direct neutron capture reactions play an important role in nuclear astrophysics and applied physics. Since for most unstable short-lived nuclei it is not possible to measure the $(n, \gamma)$ cross sections, $(d,p)$ reactions have been used as an alternative indirect tool. We analyze simultaneously $^{48}{\rm Ca}(d,p)^{49}{\rm Ca}$ at deuteron energies $2, 13, 19$ and 56 MeV and the thermal $(n,\gamma)$ reaction at 25 meV. We include results for the ground state and the first excited state of $^{49}$Ca. From the low-energy $(d,p)$ reaction, the neutron asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) is determined. Using this ANC, we extract the spectroscopic factor (SF) from the higher energy $(d,p)$ data and the $(n, \gamma)$ data. The SF obtained through the 56 MeV $(d,p)$ data are less accurate but consistent with those from the thermal capture. We show that to have a similar dependence on the single particle parameters as in the $(n, \gamma)$, the (d,p) reaction should be measured at 30 MeV.Comment: 5 pg, 4 figs, Phys. Rev. C (rapid) in pres

Firm Performance and Modes of Innovation

It has been shown that firms tend to develop different modes of innovation, based on the relationship between the different types of underlying knowledge and learning processes. This paper seeks to identify different modes of business innovation, relating them to firms’ innovative and economic performance, and to analyze the relationship between the different innovation modes and the economic impact of the crisis on firms’ performance. These hypotheses are tested by regression and latent class models for the Portuguese population of firms, using a sample of 397 firms, classified according to technological intensity, firm size and region. Our results show three different modes of innovation in terms of the relationship between economic and innovative performance, with significant differences in terms of resilience in the face of the economic crisis. These findings lead to a reflection on innovation, competitiveness and regional policy.FC

Characterization of Plum Procyanidins by Thiolytic Depolymerization

The phenolic compounds of ?Green Gage? (GG) plums (Prunus domestica L.), ?Rainha Cla?udia Verde?, from a ?protected designation of origin? (PDO), in Portugal, were quantified in both flesh and skin tissues of plums collected in two different orchards (GG-V and GG-C). Analyzes of phenolic compounds were also performed on another GG European plum obtained in France (GG-F) and two other French plums, ?Mirabelle? (M) and ?Golden Japan? (GJ). Thiolysis was used for the first time in the analysis of plum phenolic compounds. This methodology showed that the flesh and skin contain a large proportion of flavan-3-ols, which account, respectively, for 92 and 85% in GJ, 61 and 44% in GG-V, 62 and 48% in GG-C, 54 and 27% in M, and 45 and 37% in GG-F. Terminal units of procyanidins observed in plums are mainly (+)-catechin (54?77% of all terminal units in flesh and 57?81% in skin). The GJ plums showed a phenolic composition different from all of the others, with a lower content of chlorogenic acid isomers and the presence of A-type procyanidins as dimers and terminal residues of polymerized forms. The average degree of polymerization (DPn) of plum procyanidins was higher in the flesh (5?9 units) than in the skin (4?6 units). Procyanidin B7 was observed in the flesh of all GG plums and in the skin of the Portuguese ones. Principal component analysis of the phenolic composition of the flesh and skin of these plums obtained after thiolysis allowed their distinction according to the variety and origin, opening the possibility of the use of phenolic composition for variety/origin identification