The Impact of Shape on the Perception of Euler Diagrams

Euler diagrams are often used for visualizing data collected into sets. However, there is a significant lack of guidance regarding graphical choices for Euler diagram layout. To address this deficiency, this paper asks the question `does the shape of a closed curve affect a user's comprehension of an Euler diagram?' By empirical study, we establish that curve shape does indeed impact on understandability. Our analysis of performance data indicates that circles perform best, followed by squares, with ellipses and rectangles jointly performing worst. We conclude that, where possible, circles should be used to draw effective Euler diagrams. Further, the ability to discriminate curves from zones and the symmetry of the curve shapes is argued to be important. We utilize perceptual theory to explain these results. As a consequence of this research, improved diagram layout decisions can be made for Euler diagrams whether they are manually or automatically drawn

Caracterização do meio físico da margem direito do rio Carinhanha no municipio de Januaria, MG.

Caracteriza o meio fisico da margem direita do rio Carinhanha, abordando a localizacao, a hidrologia, o clima, a geologia, a identificacao do solo (aluviais, quartzosas, hidromorficos e cambissolo), o relevo e a geomorfologia, como tambem o seu aproveitamento.bitstream/item/179527/1/FL-05051.pd

Zoneamento das areas em processo de degradacao ambiental no tropico Semi-Arido do Brasil.

Neste estudo buscou-se aportar uma parcela de conhecimento sobre as areas que se encontram em processo de degradacao ambiental no Nordeste semi-arido, evidenciando uma escala de degradacao que vai desde as areas com baixo nivel de degradacao as areas com nivel severo, com enfase a porcao mais seca, por esta se trata do ambiente mais fragil. Este estudo visa comtribuir com os setores de planejamento nos niveis regional, estadual e municipal, como uma nova forma de planejamento estrategico para regiao. Este estudo fundamenta-se na aplicabilidade do Zoneamento Agroecologico do Nordeste. Trabalho realizado pela EMBRAPA, atraves do CPATSA - Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuaria do Tropico Semi-Arido e da frente de solos Solos Nordeste CNPS.bitstream/item/197281/1/Zoneamento-das-Areas-em-Processo-de-Degradacao-Ambiental-tropico-Semi-Arido-Brasil.pd

Zoneamento agropecuario municipal.

Levantamento dos recursos naturais; Levantamento Socioeconômico.bitstream/item/196679/1/Zoneamento-Agropecuario-Municipal.pd

Avaliação e ações prioritárias para conservação do Bioma Caatinga.

Este documento sintetiza as informações geradas nas duas últimas décadas por várias Instituições de Pesquisa, Desenvolvimento e Ensino do Brasil, no que se refere a elaboração de um diagnóstico do quadro natural e agrossocioeconômico deste tão importante ecossistema.bitstream/item/136247/1/ID-8676.pdfDocumento para discussão em Grupo de Trabalho-GT fatores abióticos, apresentado no Seminário Biodiversidade da Caatinga, 2000, Petrolina,PE

Environmental and cultivar variability in composition, content and biological activity of phenolic acids and alkylresorcinols of winter wheat grains from a multi-site field trial across Europe

Different factors such as the genotype, environmental conditions, temperature stress, solar radiation and others can influence the phytochemical status of plants. The concentration of phenolic acids and alkylresorciols (ARs) as well as their chemical composition and biological activity have been determined in twelve winter wheat cultivars grown at eight European locations. This was the first winter wheat multi-location field trial of the European Consortium for Open Field Experimentation (ECOFE). Extracts from grain were analyzed using a UPLC-PDA-ESI MS system (phenolic acids), UPLC-PDA-MS/MS (alkylresorcinols) and TLC-DPPH• test with ImageJ program (antiradical activity). The phenolic acid profile consisted of five hydroxybenzoic acid and four hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, among which ferulic and sinapic acids were predominated. The ARs profile consisted of nine AR derivatives, among which 5-n-heneicosylresorcinol (C21:0) and 5-n-nonadecanylresorcinol (C19:0) were pre dominated. Our study showed significant differences in phenolic acids and AR content between wheat cultivars, as well as between locations. We observed a positive correlation between the biological activity of extracts and the total amount of phenolic acids and ARs. Two cultivars, Chambo and Julius (average of all sites) and samples from the Spanish site (average of all cultivars) showed the highest content and composition of nutritional substances

Low protein wheat for bread making

Nitrogen (N) is the major mineral that determines crop yield, but it is also an important determinant of grain quality, particularly in wheat. It is required for the synthesis of grain proteins, with gluten forming the major protein fraction in wheat grain. Because of the high protein content required for bread making, the requirement for N applied to bread-making wheats may be above the optimum required for yield, by up to 50 kg N/ha. For example, Dampney et al. (1995) reported that to produce grain containing 13% protein, about 60 kgN/ha above the yield optimum was required. N fertiliser is a major cost for farmers, with a high-energy requirement for manufacture and potentially harmful environmental footprint. Therefore, it is important to reduce the requirement for producing breadmaking wheat, either by improving the efficiency of N use within the plant or by developing new types of wheat that allow the use of lower protein contents for bread making. This project focused on the latter strategy. It aimed to identify and characterise types of wheat with good bread-making quality at low grain protein content. Forty wheat genotypes were grown on 6 sites for 2 years, with a sub-set of 30 grown on the same sites for a third year. All were grown in 3 randomised replicate plots and at 2 levels of N fertilisation: 150 kgN/ha (low) and 250 kgN/ha (conventional). This generated over 4000 grain samples that were analysed for protein content. Samples from 4 sites were bulked for detailed analysis, excluding sites associated with technical problems or unusually high or low contents of protein or responses to fertilisation. Whereas all 40 genotypes were studied in the first year, the number was reduced to 30 in year 2 and to 20 in year 3, based on the analysis of the samples from years 1 and 2, respectively. Campden BRI milled the samples and carried out Extensograph and Farinograph analyses of all flours. The mixing and bread-making performances were subsequently determined by 6 commercial partners, who used three different bread-making processes. SE-HPLC analyses of gluten polymer size distribution was determined on all samples from year 1 and the low N samples from years 2 and 3. This comparison showed that five cultivars (called Group 1) performed well at both high and low N and over all three years: Crusoe and Gallant (current UK nabim Group 1), Rumor and Nelson (German varieties bred to show high quality at low grain protein) and Genius (Danish bread-making cultivar). In addition, two cultivars (called Group 2) performed better when grown at low N than at high N: Skyfall (current UK nabim Group 1 cultivar) and Mv Lucilla (Hungarian high protein breadmaking cultivar). A comparison between these two groups of cultivars and the whole set of cultivars was carried out focusing on four parameters: grain N, grain protein deviation (GPD), gluten protein profiles by SE-HPLC and dough rheology (R/E) measured by Extensograph. This showed that: 1. The selected (Groups 1 and 2) wheats had higher %N, GPD, dough elasticity and proportions of glutenin polymers ((%F1+%F2)/(%F3+%F4)) than the non-selected cultivars. 2. In addition, the Group 2 wheats (which performed better at low N) had higher proportions of high molecular weight glutenin polymers (%F1, (%F3+%F4)/%F1). Although these cultivars include two German lines bred to perform well at low N, they also include three highly successful recent UK cultivars: Crusoe, Gallant and Skyfall. Hence, modern cultivars, which have been selected for performance in high-input systems, may also perform well under low N inputs. We conclude that good bread-making performance at low N fertiliser resulted from two factors: efficient translocation of N into the grain and increased proportions of glutenin in gluten, which resulted in greater dough elasticity. Breeding should, therefore, focus on increasing the efficiency of N use combined with high gluten protein elasticity

Identification of Traits Underpinning Good Breadmaking Performance of Wheat Grown with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilisation

Background: Nitrogen fertiliser is the major input and cost for wheat production, being required to support the development of the canopy to maximise yield and for the synthesis of the gluten proteins that are necessary for breadmaking. Consequently, current high-yielding cultivars require the use of nitrogen fertilisation levels above the yield optimum to achieve the grain protein content needed for breadmaking. This study aimed to reduce this requirement by identifying traits that allow the use of lower levels of nitrogen fertiliser to produce wheat for breadmaking. Results: A range of commercial wheat genotypes (cultivars) were grown in multiple field trials (six sites over 3 years) in the UK with optimal (200 kg Ha-1) and suboptimal (150 kg Ha-1) application of nitrogen. Bulked grain samples from four sites per year were milled and white flours were baked using three types of breadmaking process. This identified five cultivars that consistently exhibited good breadmaking quality when grown with the lower nitrogen application. Chemical and biochemical analyses showed that the five cultivars were characterised by exhibiting grain protein deviation (GPD) and high dough elasticity. Conclusions: It is possible to develop novel types of wheat that exhibit good breadmaking quality by selecting for GPD and high dough strengt

Interferon β-1a in relapsing multiple sclerosis: four-year extension of the European IFNβ-1a Dose-C omparison Study

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease requiring long-term monitoring of treatment. Objective: To assess the four-year clinical efficacy of intramuscular (IM) IFNb-1a in patients with relapsing MS from the European IFNb-1a Dose-C omparison Study. Methods: Patients who completed 36 months of treatment (Part 1) of the European IFNb-1a Dose-C omparison Study were given the option to continue double-blind treatment with IFNb-1a 30 mcg or 60 mcg IM once weekly (Part 2). Analyses of 48-month data were performed on sustained disability progression, relapses, and neutralizing antibody (NA b) formation. Results: O f 608/802 subjects who completed 36 months of treatment, 493 subjects continued treatment and 446 completed 48 months of treatment and follow-up. IFNb-1a 30 mcg and 60 mcg IM once weekly were equally effective for up to 48 months. There were no significant differences between doses over 48 months on any of the clinical endpoints, including rate of disability progression, cumulative percentage of patients who progressed (48 and 43, respectively), and annual relapse rates; relapses tended to decrease over 48 months. The incidence of patients who were positive for NAbs at any time during the study was low in both treatment groups. Conclusion: C ompared with 60-mcg IM IFNb-1a once weekly, a dose of 30 mcg IM IFNb-1a once weekly maintains the same clinical efficacy over four years