An O(h6) cubic spline interpolating procedure for harmonic functions

An O(h6) method for the interpolation of harmonic functions in rectangular do- mains is described and analysed. The method is based on an earlier cubic spline tech- nique [7], and makes use of recent results concerning the a posteriori correction of interpolatory cubic splines

Foreign direct investment: a tool or a target for industrial policy in Eastern Countries?

Is there any linkage between industrial policy and the inflow of Foreign Direct Investment in Eastern European countries? This is the core question which is analysed and discussed in this paper. The transition process of Central and Eastern Europe to a market economy has raised a lot of challenging questions both to Applied Economics and to Management Science. Enterprise adjustment remains one of the most interesting and complex as it is closely related to a wide range of economic, policy and management issues. Foreign Direct Investment, privatisation and industrial policy and their sort of linkage, remain some of the most interesting factors in the transition process. It seems that no sharp distinction can be presented between FDI as a target and FDI as a tool for industrial policy, but national differences remain significant as well as enterprises adjustment capacity

A posteriori corrections for cubic and quintic interpolating splines at equally-spaced knots

The method proposed recently by Lucas [13], for the a posteriori correction of odd degree interpolating periodic splines is extended to non-periodic cubic and quintic splines

A class of cubic and quintic spline modified collocation methods for the solution of two-point boundary value problems

This paper is concerned with the study of a class of methods for solving second and fourth-order two-point boundary-value problems. The methods under consideration are modifications of the standard cubic and quintic spline collocation techniques, and are derived by making use of recent results con- cerning the a posteriori correction of cubic and quintic interpolating spline

Harmful effects of metal(loid) oxide nanoparticles

The incorporation of nanomaterials (NMs), including metal(loid) oxide (MOx) nanoparticles (NPs), in the most diversified consumer products, has grown enormously in recent decades. Consequently, the contact between humans and these materials increased, as well as their presence in the environment. This fact has raised concerns and uncertainties about the possible risks of NMs to human health and the adverse effects on the environment. These concerns underline the need and importance of assessing its nanosecurity. The present review focuses on the main mechanisms underlying the MOx NPs toxicity, illustrated with different biological models: release of toxic ions, cellular uptake of NPs, oxidative stress, shading effect on photosynthetic microorganisms, physical restrain and damage of cell wall. Additionally, the biological models used to evaluate the potential hazardous of nanomaterials are briefly presented, with particular emphasis on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as an alternative model in nanotoxicology. An overview containing recent scientific advances on cellular responses (toxic symptoms exhibited by yeasts) resulting from the interaction with MOx NPs (inhibition of cell proliferation, cell wall damage, alteration of function and morphology of organelles, presence of oxidative stress bio-indicators, gene expression changes, genotoxicity and cell dead) is critically presented. The elucidation of the toxic modes of action of MOx NPs in yeast cells can be very useful in providing additional clues about the impact of NPs on the physiology and metabolism of the eukaryotic cell. Current and future trends of MOx NPs toxicity, regarding their possible impacts on the environment and human health, are discussed.This work was supported by National funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the scope of the projects UIDB/50006/2020, UID/BIO/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte opera tion (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio