Green Belt Biosphere Reserve in the Brazilian City of São Paulo

This paper presents an analysis of the São Paulo City Green Belt Biosphere Reserve and its ecological services for the city inhabitants. In 1994 UNESCO recognized the Green Belt of São Paulo in Brazil as a Biosphere Reserve. The data presented in this article were collected through literature review. The result indicates the importance to establish Biospheres Reserves, especially for the big cities

Gradient Pattern Analysis of Cosmic Structure Formation: Norm and Phase Statistics

This paper presents the preliminary results of the characterization of pattern evolution in the process of cosmic structure formation. We are applying on N-body cosmological simulations data the technique proposed by Rosa, Sharma & Valdivia (1999) and Ramos et al. (2000) to estimate the time behavior of asymmetries in the gradient field. The gradient pattern analysis is a well tested tool, used to build asymmetrical fragmentation parameters estimated over a gradient field of an image matrix able to quantify a complexity measure of nonlinear extended systems. In this investigation we work with the high resolution cosmological data simulated by the Virgo consortium, in different time steps, in order to obtain a diagnostic of the spatio-temporal disorder in the matter density field. We perform the calculations of the gradient vectors statistics, such as mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis, and correlations on the gradient field. Our main goal is to determine different dynamical regimes through the analysis of complex patterns arising from the evolutionary process of structure formation. The results show that the gradient pattern technique, specially the statistical analysis of second and third gradient moment, may represent a very useful tool to describe the matter clustering in the Universe.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physica

Comparison Of Bone Quantity By Ultrasound Measurements Of Phalanges Between White And Black Children Living In Paraná,brazil, With Europeans

The objective of this study was to determine bone quantity by ultrasound measurements of the proximal fnger phalanges (AD-SoS = amplitude-dependent speed of sound) of healthy Brazilian schoolchildren living in Paraná, Brazil, and to compare these values with European populations. The sample was composed of 1356 Brazilian schoolchildren of both genders (660 males, 696 females), aged 6 to 11 years, divided into white (840) and black (516) groups and compared to age- and gender-matched Europeans. AD-SoS of the schoolchildren increased significantly with age for both genders. Significantly higher AD-SoS values were observed for the white children (1916 ± 58) compared to their black counterparts (1898 ± 72) and for the female gender (1920 ± 61) compared to the male gender (1898 ± 66). Overall, the AD-SoS outcomes for females were similar to those of European studies. However, the AD-SoS of the Brazilian schoolchildren of both genders and skin colors was lower than that reported for children in Poland. AD-SoS outcomes for Brazilian schoolboys were similar to those obtained in Italian studies and were lower than those of the Spanish children. In conclusion, Brazilian schoolchildren of both genders and skin colors showed lower bone quantities than Polish children and Spanish males, and levels similar to Italian children and Spanish females.4310976981Mora, S., Gilsanz, V., Establishment of peak bone mass (2003) En-docrinol Metab Clin North Am, 32, pp. 39-63Silva, C.C., Goldberg, T.B., Teixeira, A.S., Dalmas, J.C., Bone mineralization among male adolescents: Critical years for bone mass gain (2004) J Pediatr, 80, pp. 461-467Habicht, J.P., Martorell, R., Yarbrough, C., Malina, R.M., Klein, R.E., Height and weight standards for preschool children. How relevant are ethnic differences in growth potential? (1974) Lancet, 1, pp. 611-614WHO Working Group (1986) Bull World Health Organ, 64, pp. 929-941. , Use and interpretation of anthropometric indicators of nutri-tional statusCauley, J.A., Lui, L.Y., Stone, K.L., Hillier, T.A., Zmuda, J.M., Hochberg, M., Longitudinal study of changes in hip bone mineral density in Caucasian and African-American women (2005) J Am Geriatr Soc, 53, pp. 183-189Neuner, J.M., Zhang, X., Sparapani, R., Laud, P.W., Nattinger, A.B., Racial and socioeconomic disparities in bone density testing before and after hip fracture (2007) J Gen Intern Med, 22, pp. 1239-1245Leder, B.Z., Araujo, A.B., Travison, T.G., McKinlay, J.B., Racial and ethnic differences in bone turnover markers in men (2007) J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 92, pp. 3453-3457Travison, T.G., Araujo, A.B., Esche, G.R., McKinlay, J.B., The relationship between body composition and bone mineral content: Threshold effects in a racially and ethnically diverse group of men (2008) Osteoporos Int, 19, pp. 29-38Travison, T.G., Beck, T.J., Esche, G.R., Araujo, A.B., McKinlay, J.B., Age trends in proximal femur geometry in men: Variation by race and ethnicity (2008) Osteoporos Int, 19, pp. 277-287Hill, D.D., Cauley, J.A., Sheu, Y., Bunker, C.H., Patrick, A.L., Baker, C.E., Correlates of bone mineral density in men of African ancestry: The Tobago bone health study (2008) Osteoporos Int, 19, pp. 227-234INEP (Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Edu-cacionais Anísio Teixeira) Mostre Sua Raça, , http://inep.gov.br/imprensa/noticias/censo/escolar/news05_05.htm, declare sua cor, Accessed July 26, 2010Ribeiro, R.R., Guerra-Junior, G., de Barros-Filho, A., Bone mass in schoolchildren in Brazil: The effect of racial miscegenation, pubertal stage, and socioeconomic differences (2009) J Bone Miner Metab, 27, pp. 494-501Baroncelli, G.I., Federico, G., Bertelloni, S., de Terlizzi, F., Cadossi, R., Saggese, G., Bone quality assessment by quantitative ultrasound of proximal phalanxes of the hand in healthy subjects aged 3-21 years (2001) Pediatr Res, 49, pp. 713-718Gimeno, B.J., Azcona San Julián, C., Sierrasesúmaga Ariznabarreta, L., Bone mineral density determination by os-teosonography in healthy children and adolescents: Normal values (2001) An Esp Pediatr, 54, pp. 540-546Vignolo, M., Brignone, A., Mascagni, A., Ravera, G., Biasotti, B., Aicardi, G., Infuence of age, sex, and growth variables on phalangeal quantitative ultrasound measures: A study in healthy children and adolescents (2003) Calcif Tissue Int, 72, pp. 681-688Vignolo, M., Parodi, A., Mascagni, A., Torrisi, C., de Terlizzi, F., Aicardi, G., Longitudinal assessment of bone quality by quantitative ultrasonography in children and adolescents (2006) Ultrasound Med Biol, 32, pp. 1003-1010Halaba, Z.P., Quantitative ultrasound measurements at hand phalanges in children and adolescents: A longitudinal study (2008) Ultrasound Med Biol, 34, pp. 1547-1553Pena, S.D.J., Bortolini, M.C., Pode a genética defnir quem deve se benefciar das cotas universitárias e demais ações afr- mativas? (2004) Estud Av, 18, pp. 31-50Pena, S.D.J., Bastos-Rodrigues, L., Pimenta, J.R., Bydlowski, S.P., DNA tests probe the genomic ancestry of Brazilians (2009) Braz J Med Biol Res, 42, pp. 870-876Telles, E., (2003) Racismo À Brasileira: Uma Nova Perspectiva Soci-ológica, , Rio De Janeiro: Relume Dumará, Fundação FordOliveira, F., Ser negro no Brasil: Alcances e limites (2004) Estud Av, 18, pp. 57-60Gilsanz, V., Skaggs, D.L., Kovanlikaya, A., Sayre, J., Loro, M.L., Kaufman, F., Differential effect of race on the axial and appendicular skeletons of children (1998) J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 83, pp. 1420-1427Nelson, D.A., Simpson, P.M., Johnson, C.C., Barondess, D.A., Kleerekoper, M., The accumulation of whole body skeletal mass in third- and fourth-grade children: Effects of age, gender, ethnicity, and body composition (1997) Bone, 20, pp. 73-78Bell, N.H., Shary, J., Stevens, J., Garza, M., Gordon, L., Edwards, J., Demonstration that bone mass is greater in black than in white children (1991) J Bone Miner Res, 6, pp. 719-723Rupich, R.C., Specker, B.L., Lieuw, A.F., Ho, M., Gender and race differences in bone mass during infancy (1996) Calcif Tissue Int, 58, pp. 395-397Abrams, S.A., O'Brien, K.O., Liang, L.K., Stuff, J.E., Differences in calcium absorption and kinetics between black and white girls aged 5-16 years (1995) J Bone Miner Res, 10, pp. 829-833Bryant, R.J., Wastney, M.E., Martin, B.R., Wood, O., McCabe, G.P., Morshidi, M., Racial differences in bone turnover and calcium metabolism in adolescent females (2003) J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 88, pp. 1043-1047Jaime, P.C., Latorre, M.R., Florindo, A.A., Tanaka, T., Zerbini, C.A., Dietary intake of Brazilian black and white men and its relationship to the bone mineral density of the femoral neck (2006) São Paulo Med J, 124, pp. 267-270Bhattoa, H.P., Bettembuk, P., Ganacharya, S., Balogh, A., Prevalence and seasonal variation of hypovitaminosis D and its relationship to bone metabolism in community dwelling postmenopausal Hungarian women (2004) Osteoporos Int, 15, pp. 447-451Wuster, C., Albanese, C., de Aloysio, D., Duboeuf, F., Gambac-Ciani, M., Gonnelli, S., Phalangeal osteosonogrammetry study: Age-related changes, diagnostic sensitivity, and discrimination power (2000) J Bone Miner Res, 15, pp. 1603-1614. , The Phalangeal Osteosonogrammetry Study Grou

Collaborative dynamic decision making: a case study from B2B supplier selection

The problem of supplier selection can be easily modeled as a multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem: businesses express their preferences with respect to suppliers, which can then be ranked and selected. This approach has two major pitfalls: first, it does not consider a dynamic scenario, in which suppliers and their ratings are constantly changing; second, it only addressed the problem from the point of view of a single business, and cannot be easily applied when considering more than one business. To overcome these problems, we introduce a method for supplier selection that builds upon the dynamic MCDM framework of Campanella and Ribeiro [1] and, by means of a linear programming model, can be used in the case of multiple collaborating businesses plan- ning their next batch of orders together.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal, under contract CONT DOUT/49/UNINOVA/0/5902/1/200

VALIDAÇÃO E APLICAÇÃO DE MÉTODO PARA ANÁLISE DE PESTICIDAS EM ÁGUA PARA CONSUMO HUMANO DE DOURADOS (MS) POR CLAE/UV E CG/DTE

O uso inadequado de pesticidas na agricultura tem sido apontado como fonte de risco para a saúde humana e para o ambiente. Considerando que os recursos hídricos são os principais destinos desses compostos após a aplicação, este trabalho apresenta a otimização e validação de dois métodos analíticos simples e eficientes para a determinação de pesticidas em águas superficiais e subterrâneas. Foram selecionados os pesticidas mais aplicados no município de Dourados, (Mato Grosso – Brasil) com intensa atividade agrícola. Efetuou-se a pré-concentração por extração em fase sólida com cartucho C18 (500 mg) e eluição com metanol para as amostras analisadas por cromatografia a líquido de alta eficiência com detector espectrofotométrico na região do ultravioleta (CLAE/UV) (2,4-D e 2,4-DCF) e com acetato de etila:diclorometano (1:1, v/v) para as analisadas por cromatografia a gás com detector termiônico específico (CG/DTE) (atrazina, DIA, DEA, trifluralina e parationa metílica). Os métodos apresentaram exatidão (76-107%) e precisão (<12%) satisfatórias para as substâncias nos níveis de fortificação selecionados, exceto para DIA (<51%), assim como para o estudo de estabilidade dos pesticidas (-20ºC por até 21 dias). Os limites de quantificação dos métodos (0,22 - 0,48 µg L-1) estão de acordo com a legislação brasileira vigente para pesticidas em água. Embora somente o 2,4-D tenha sido detectado em dois pontos de coleta no período estudado, alerta-se para a necessidade de avaliação sistemática da presença de pesticidas em água para consumo humano, particularmente, em regiões com intensa atividade agrícola. Tal monitoramento pode fornecer subsídios para políticas públicas ambientais

Copper- versus palladium-catalyzed aromatization of 2-(methoxycarbonyl) tetralones: synthesis of methyl 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoates

The aromatization of α-tetralones substituted at the β-position by an ester group is reported using either CuI or Pd2(dba)3. In the case of using CuI (10 mol %) as catalyst and Cs2CO3 as base in dioxane, 2-(methoxycarbonyl)-α-tetralones are smoothly converted into the corresponding methyl 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoates at 70 °C under air. Alternatively, Pd2(dba)3 (1.25 mol %) can also be used as catalyst in the presence of K3PO4 as base in toluene also at 70 °C under argon. These are the most straightforward methodologies for the aromatization of these types of α-tetralones. CuI is the catalyst of choice due to higher efficiency, economical and practical reasons.The Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) (projects CTQ2010-20387, and Consolider Ingenio 2010, CSD2007-00006), the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) (projects CTQ2013-43446-P and CTQ2014-51912-REDC), the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 2009/039 and PROMETEOII/2014/017) and the University of Alicante are gratefully acknowledged for financial support. Financial support from Brazilian agencies: CAPES-DGU (Project 200/09), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (BJT-2014), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (PVE-2015), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and UFRJ is also acknowledged

Nonextensivity and Galaxy Clustering in the Universe

We investigate two important questions about the use of the nonextensive thermostatistics (NETS) formalism in the context of nonlinear galaxy clustering in the Universe. Firstly, we define a quantitative criterion for justifying nonextensivity at different physical scales. Then, we discuss the physics behind the ansatz of the entropic parameter $q(r)$. Our results suggest the approximate range where nonextensivity can be justified and, hence, give some support to the applicability of NETS to the study of large scale structures.Comment: 8 pages, written version of a talk presented in the International Workshop on Trends and Perspectives on Extensive and Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics. Accepted for publication in Physica

Bulk viscosity driving the acceleration of the Universe

The possibility that the present acceleration of the universe is driven by a kind of viscous fluid is exploited. At background level this model is similar to the generalized Chaplygin gas model (GCGM). But, at perturbative level, the viscous fluid exhibits interesting properties. In particular the oscillations in the power spectrum that plagues the GCGM are not present. Possible fundamental descriptions for this viscous dark energy are discussed.Comment: Latex file, 8 pages, 3 eps figure

Cryopreservation of caprine ovarian tissue using glycerol and ethylene glycol

Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue may be a potential alternative for the conservation of genetically superior animals, including high milk- and meat-producing goat breeds. However, until now, no information was available concerning the cryopreservation of preantral follicles (PF) enclosed in caprine ovarian tissue. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the structural and ultrastructural characteristics of caprine PF after exposure to and cryopreservation of ovarian tissue in 1.5 and 3 M glycerol (GLY) and ethylene glycol (EG). At the slaughterhouse, each ovarian pair from five adult mixed breed goats was divided into nine fragments and randomly distributed into treatment groups. One fragment was immediately fixed for histological examination and ultrastructural analysis, after slaughter (control). Four of the ovarian fragments were equilibrated at 20 °C for 20 min in 1.8 ml of MEM containing 1.5 or 3 M GLY or EG for a toxicity test and the final four fragments were slowly frozen using these cryoprotectants at the concentrations above. After toxicity testing and freezing/thawing, the ovarian fragments were fixed for histological examination. Histological analysis showed that after toxicity testing and cryopreservation of the ovarian tissue in GLY or EG at both concentrations, the percentage of normal PF was significantly lower than controls. Ultrastructural analysis of PF frozen in 1.5 and 3 M GLY, as well as 3 M EG demonstrated that these follicles remained morphologically normal. In conclusion, we demonstrated cryopreservation of caprine PF in ovarian tissue