Extraction of Superelastic Parameter Values from Instrumented Indentation Data

Interest in superelastic (and shape memory) materials continues to rise, and there is a strong incentive to develop techniques for monitoring of their superelastic characteristics. This is conventionally done via uniaxial testing, but there are many advantages to having a capability for obtaining these characteristics (in the form of parameter values in a constitutive law) via indentation testing. Specimens can then be small, require minimal preparation and be obtainable from components in service. Interrogation of small volumes also allows mapping of properties over a surface. On the other hand, the tested volume must be large enough for its response to be representative of behaviour. Precisely the same arguments apply to more “mainstream” mechanical properties, such as yielding and work hardening characteristics. Indeed, there has been considerable progress in that area recently, using FEM simulation to predict indentation outcomes, evaluating the “goodness of fit” for particular sets of parameter values and converging on a best-fit combination. A similar approach can be used to obtain superelastic parameters, but little work has been done hitherto on sensitivities, uniqueness characteristics or optimal methodologies and the procedures are complicated by limitations to the constitutive laws in current use. The current work presents a comprehensive examination of the issues involved, using experimental (uniaxial and indentation) data for a NiTi Shape Memory Alloy. It was found that it is possible to obtain the superelastic parameter values using a single indenter shape (spherical). Information is also presented on sensitivities and the probable reliability of such parameters obtained in this way for an unknown material.National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) - Brazi

Análise Fatorial Confi rmatória e Invariância Temporal da Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)

This paper analyzes the structure and the temporal invariance of the Portuguese version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Previous studies are not consensual whether PANAS measures two or three affect factors and whether such factors are independent or correlated. In order to fi ll in this gap, we compared the original PANAS, as an independent bi-dimensional structure, with several other alternative structures. Two hundred forty fi ve university students and professional trainees answered the questionnaire in two distinct moments with a two month interval. The model of PANAS with a structure of two independent factors, Positive Affect (PA) and Negative Affect (NA), as proposed by the authors of the scale, was tested. However, the best model consisted of two independent factors, PA and NA, with the cross-loading of the item “excited” between PA and NA, and specifi ed error correlations between the same categories of emotions. Another gap in the literature is the temporal invariance analysis of the PANAS. This paper assesses the temporal invariance of the scale, using the structural equation modeling analysis. Although it was used in its state form version, the PANAS scale showed temporal stability in a two month interval.O artigo analisa a estrutura e a invariância temporal da versão portuguesa da Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. A investigação científi ca anterior não é consensual acerca da estrutura da PANAS, se é constituída por dois ou três fatores e se esses fatores são independentes ou correlacionados. De forma a colmatar esta lacuna, procedemos à comparação da estrutura da PANAS como tendo duas dimensões independentes com várias outras estruturas alternativas. Duzentos e quarenta e cinco estudantes universitários e de cursos de formação profi ssional responderam ao questionário em dois momentos, com dois meses de intervalo. Foi testado o modelo da PANAS que representa uma estrutura de dois fatores independentes, Afeto Positivo (AP) e Afeto Negativo (AN), tal como defi nida pelos autores da escala. Contudo, o melhor modelo foi o que representa uma estrutura de dois fatores independentes, com a ponderação dupla do item “excitado” entre o AP e o AN e especifi cando correlações entre os erros dos itens que pertencem às mesmas categorias de emoções. Outra lacuna na investigação é a análise da invariância temporal da PANAS. Este artigo analisa a invariância temporal da escala, utilizando a análise de modelos de equações estruturais. Embora a escala tenha sido aplicada na sua versão afeto estado, a PANAS revelou invariância temporal num intervalo de dois meses

The Role of Personality Traits, Attachment Style, and Satisfaction With Relationships in the Subjective Well-Being of Americans, Portuguese, and Mozambicans

Personality traits, attachment security, and satisfaction with relationships are each important predictors of subjective well-being (SWB). However, no studies have included these predictors together to analyze the unique contribution of each to SWB. Furthermore, most studies are empirically based in Western/industrialized societies, and few studies include African countries. This article addresses the unique contribution of extroversion, neuroticism, attachment security, and satisfaction with relationships to SWB across three samples of 1,574 university students: 497 from North Carolina (United States of America), 544 from Maputo (Mozambique), and 533 from Lisbon (Portugal). Structural equation modeling analysis showed that in the American sample, emotional stability was a more important predictor of global SWB than satisfaction with relationships. In the Mozambican sample, satisfaction with relationships was far more important as a predictor of SWB than emotional stability. In the Portuguese sample, emotional stability and satisfaction with relationships were equally important predictors of SWB. The main difference between the three samples was the contribution of satisfaction with relationships to SWB. Similarities between the three samples include the low or nonsignificant contributions of extroversion and attachment to SWB, above and beyond the contribution of satisfaction with relationships and neuroticism, suggesting they may be sharing variance in the prediction of SWB

Genomic selection in rubber tree breeding: A comparison of models and methods for managing G×E interactions

Several genomic prediction models combining genotype × environment (G×E) interactions have recently been developed and used for genomic selection (GS) in plant breeding programs. G×E interactions reduce selection accuracy and limit genetic gains in plant breeding. Two data sets were used to compare the prediction abilities of multienvironment G×E genomic models and two kernel methods. Specifically, a linear kernel, or GB (genomic best linear unbiased predictor [GBLUP]), and a nonlinear kernel, or Gaussian kernel (GK), were used to compare the prediction accuracies (PAs) of four genomic prediction models: 1) a single-environment, main genotypic effect model (SM); 2) a multienvironment, main genotypic effect model (MM); 3) a multienvironment, single-variance G×E deviation model (MDs); and 4) a multienvironment, environment-specific variance G×E deviation model (MDe). We evaluated the utility of genomic selection (GS) for 435 individual rubber trees at two sites and genotyped the individuals via genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Prediction models were used to estimate stem circumference (SC) during the first 4 years of tree development in conjunction with a broad-sense heritability (H2) of 0.60. Applying the model (SM, MM, MDs, and MDe) and kernel method (GB and GK) combinations to the rubber tree data revealed that the multienvironment models were superior to the single-environment genomic models, regardless of the kernel (GB or GK) used, suggesting that introducing interactions between markers and environmental conditions increases the proportion of variance explained by the model and, more importantly, the PA. Compared with the classic breeding method (CBM), methods in which GS is incorporated resulted in a 5-fold increase in response to selection for SC with multienvironment GS (MM, MDe, or MDs). Furthermore, GS resulted in a more balanced selection response for SC and contributed to a reduction in selection time when used in conjunction with traditional genetic breeding programs. Given the rapid advances in genotyping methods and their declining costs and given the overall costs of large-scale progeny testing and shortened breeding cycles, we expect GS to be implemented in rubber tree breeding programs

Serum concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor and depth of trophoblastic invasion in ampullary ectopic pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between the depth of trophoblastic infiltration and serum vascular endothelial growth factorconcentration in patients with an ampullary pregnancy. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectionalstudy involved 34 patients with an ampullary ectopic pregnancy who underwent salpingectomy between 2012 and 2013. Maternal serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations were measured using Luminex technology. Trophoblastic invasion was classified histologically as follows: stage I, limited to the tubal mucosa; stage II, reaching the muscle layer; and stage III,involving the full thickness. The qualitative data were compared using Fisher's exact test. The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to evaluate differences in serum vascular endothelial growth factor among the degrees of trophoblastic invasion. ROC curves were constructed to determine vascular endothelial growth factor cut-off values that predict the degree of tubal invasion based on the best sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: Eight patients had stage I trophoblastic invasion, seven had stage II, and 19 had stage III. The median serum vascular endothelial growth factorconcentration was 69.88 pg/mL for stage I, 14.53 pg/mL for stage II and 9.08 pg/mL for stage III, with a significant difference between stages I and III. Based on the ROC curve, a serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentration of 25.9 pg/mL best differentiated stage I from stages II and III with asensitivity of 75.0%, specificity of 76.9%, and area under the curve of 0.798. CONCLUSIONS: The depth of trophoblastic penetration into the tubal wall isassociated with serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentration in ampullary pregnancies

Pregnancy of unknown location

Pregnancy of unknown location is a situation in which a positive pregnancy test occurs, but a transvaginal ultrasound does not show intrauterine or ectopic gestation. One great concern of pregnancy of unknown location is that they are cases of ectopic pregnancy whose diagnosis might be postponed. Transvaginal ultrasound is able to identify an ectopic pregnancy with a sensitivity ranging from 87% to 94% and a specificity ranging from 94% to 99%. A patient with pregnancy of unknown location should be followed up until an outcome is obtained. The only valid biomarkers with clinical application and validation are serum levels of the beta fraction of hCG and progesterone. A single serum dosage of hCG is used only to determine whether the value obtained is above or below the discriminatory zone, that means the value of serum hCG above which an intrauterine gestational sac should be visible on ultrasound. Serum progesterone levels are a satisfactory marker of pregnancy viability, but they are unable to predict the location of a pregnancy of unknown location: levels below 5 ng/mL are associated with nonviable gestations, whereas levels above 20 ng/mL are correlated with viable intrauterine pregnancies. Most cases are low risk and can be monitored by expectant management with transvaginal ultrasound and serial serum hCG levels, in addition to the serum progesterone levels. To minimize diagnostic error and intervene during progressive intrauterine gestation, protocol indicates active treatment only in situations when progressive intrauterine pregnancy is excluded and a high possibility of ectopic pregnancy exists

Below-ground functional resilience along drought-induced forest die-off and species replacement

Resumen de una presentación realizada en: I Simposio sobre Interacciones Planta-Suelo (ICA-CSIC, Madrid, 25-26 Febrero 2016)Understanding how ecosystems functioning may respond to increments of temperature and climatic variability is crucial in the global change context. We studied the plant-and-soil interaction in a mixed Mediterranean forest where several drought events since 1990’s have resulted in Scots pine defoliation and mortality, with a subsequent replacement by Holm oak (HO). The study focused on how this die-off and species replacement affected soil respiration (SR) and its heterotrophic and autotrophic components. It dealt with SR dependency on abiotic and biotic controls (i.e. soil temperature and moisture, photosynthetic activity, forest structure, litter inputs on soil, fine roots biomass) at different temporal and spatial scales. The study also determined rates of litter decomposition (both leaves and fine roots) along the die-off process. Soil temperature and moisture strongly regulated temporal variability of SR (from daily to seasonal), including both autotrophic and heterotrophic components. Plant activity exerted strong control over temporal variability of SR, with higher influence on living pines at daily time scales but stronger effect on HO at seasonal scale. SR and its components remained apparently unaffected by drought-induced Scots pine die-off denoting a high functional resilience of the studied plant-and-soil system. This functional resilience of SR was the result of colonization by HO of the gaps created by the dead of pines. Additionally, litter decomposition rates, specific root respiration, plant activity and soil bacterial communities compared between living pines, dead pines and HO also supported the role of HO rhizosphere colonization on below-ground functioning resilience.Peer reviewe

Short-Form of the Portuguese version of the positive and negative affect schedule - PANAS-Port-VRP: Confirmatory factorial analysis and temporal invariance

Embora a Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS: Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) seja uma escala parcimoniosa, vários autores referem a necessidade de desenvolver versões reduzidas da escala. Este estudo desenvolveu uma versão portuguesa reduzida da PANAS portuguesa (adaptada por Galinha & Ribeiro, 2005), analisou a sua estrutura fatorial e testou a invariância temporal, num intervalo de dois meses. Uma amostra de 245 participantes adultos, no ensino superior e em formação profissional, foi recolhida e replicada com dois meses de intervalo. A nova versão reduzida da PANAS portuguesa (PANAS-VRP) foi posteriormente analisada numa segunda amostra de 535 estudantes universitários. Os resultados mostram que embora a estrutura da PANAS-VRP se tenha revelado variável entre as duas amostras do estudo (o que pode ser explicado pelos pressupostos teóricos da escala), apresentou boas características psicométricas em ambas as amostras. A PANAS-VRP revelou ainda invariância temporal num intervalo de dois meses e uma correlação elevada com a versão integral da escala, nas duas amostras, indicando que ambas as versões estão a medir os mesmos constructos.The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) is a parsimonious scale. However, several authors suggested that a short-version of the scale is useful. In this study, a short version of the Portuguese PANAS (Galinha & Ribeiro, 2005) was developed. The study analyzed the factorial structure and the temporal invariance of the short-version in a two month interval. A sample of 245 graduate students and professional training students was collected and replicated in a two month interval. The new short version of the Portuguese PANAS (PANAS-VRP) was then analyzed in a second sample of 535 university students. Results showed that although the structure of the PANAS-VRP was not the same in both samples of the study (what can be explained by the theoretical framework of the scale), it did show good psychometric properties in both samples. The PANAS-VRP also showed temporal invariance in a two month interval and a strong correlation with the original version of the scale in both samples, suggesting that both versions of the scale are measuring the same constructs

Gestão Socioambiental nas unidades de conservação do Maranhão: Características, conflitos e perspectivas

Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar o processo de gestão socioambiental das Unidades de Conservação do Maranhão, tendo em vista a compreensão dos instrumentos da legislação ambiental e a participação das comunidades nesse processo com perspectiva de superar os desafios atuais e futuros. A pesquisa foi realizada com base nos métodos de abordagem qualitativa descritiva e no método hipotético-dedutivo, apoiados nos seguintes procedimentos metodológicos: levantamento e análise de material bibliográfico e pesquisa em sites especializados. Os resultados evidenciam que a legislação ambiental do estado Maranhão é representada pela Lei n° 5.045/92 que instituiu o Código de Proteção do Meio Ambiente e pelo Sistema Estadual de Unidades de Conservação da Natureza do Maranhão instituído pela Lei n° 9.413/11. Mesmo existindo uma legislação pertinente para às áreas protegidas no território maranhense, ela ainda apresenta pouca eficiência verificado com o avanço de impactos socioambientais causados pela especulação imobiliária, desmatamento, avanço de atividades agropastoris

Alimentos PT.ON.DATA - Contaminantes químicos na cadeia alimentar em Portugal em amostras do controlo oficial

A recolha de dados analíticos de géneros alimentícios e alimentos para animais é uma importante tarefa da Autoridade Europeia para a Segurança dos Alimentos (EFSA) e uma componente essencial na avaliação do risco associado à alimentação. Os Estados Membros (EM) têm o dever de transmitir para a EFSA os resultados do Controlo Oficial sendo os contaminantes químicos (CQ) uma das áreas a reportar. Os CQ podem estar presentes nos alimentos devido à contaminação ambiental, processo de fabrico, manipulação e transporte e, mesmo quando presentes em quantidades abaixo dos limites legais, o seu efeito cumulativo poderá trazer consequências graves para a saúde humana e animal. Para melhorar a comparabilidade técnica dos dados que recebe e analisa, a EFSA desenvolveu um modelo de dados Standard Sample Description (SSD), de utilização obrigatória para a transmissão de dados pelos EM. O INSA, em colaboração com várias entidades nacionais competentes para o Controlo Oficial, desenvolveu o sistema alimentos PT.ON.DATA para recolha, validação, transformação em modelo SSD e criação de ficheiros em formato XML para transmissão para a EFSA dos dados de CQ. O sistema criado permitiu ainda concentrar e harmonizar os dados produzidos pelas diversas entidades competentes, possibilitando uma melhor utilização dos mesmos. O sistema possui dados de contaminantes químicos do controlo oficial desde 2009 existindo atualmente 17149 resultados de géneros alimentícios (47,9 %) e 18644 resultados de alimentos para animais (52,1 %), distribuídos por quatro grupos de CQ, dos quais: 4618 (12,9%) para o grupo de contaminantes do processo, maioritariamente dioxinas e PCBs; 613 (1,7 %) para o grupo de contaminantes ambientais, sobretudo histamina (incluída no grupo das toxinas desde 2012) e hidroximetilfurfural; 18531 (51.8 %) para o grupo das toxinas, maioritariamente aflatoxinas (B1, B2, G1, G2); e 12031 (33,6 %) para o grupo dos metais e substâncias inorgânicas, maioritariamente cádmio, chumbo e mercúrio.EFS