Codimension Two Determinantal Varieties with Isolated Singularities

We study codimension two determinantal varieties with isolated singularities. These singularities admit a unique smoothing, thus we can define their Milnor number as the middle Betti number of their generic fiber. For surfaces in C^4, we obtain a L\^e-Greuel formula expressing the Milnor number of the surface in terms of the second polar multiplicity and the Milnor number of a generic section. We also relate the Milnor number with Ebeling and Gusein-Zade index of the 1- form given by the differential of a generic linear projection defined on the surface. To illustrate the results, in the last section we compute the Milnor number of some normal forms from A. Fr\"uhbis-Kr\"uger and A. Neumer [2] list of simple determinantal surface singularities

Consequences of the 2003 CAP Reform on a Mediterranean Agricultural System of Portugal

Agriculture in dry land Mediterranean areas faces considerable level of production risk as result of the unpredictable weather. Governmental income stabilisation instruments have had a major impact on Mediterranean farms in changing land allocation, and changing income levels and variability. Using a mathematical programming model, the impact of the 2003 CAP reform on land allocation and on income variability is evaluated for a Portuguese Mediterranean farm. The results show an increase of extensification of production activities. They also show an increase in total farm income, a reduction in relative total income variability and an increase in relative production income variability.agricultural policy modelling, decoupling, Mediterranean, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q18, C61,

Azores tourism product perceptions : the Influence of the country of origin

This study focused on the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ARA), which has some features that are considered favorable to the development of tourism and to the interest in the tourism product. However, the region’s geographical dispersion, its high dependence on transportation and the seasonality of the industry constrain its development. The present research aimed to assess tourists’ perception of certain costs (living, accommodation, plane ticket, and transportation to/from the airport), and whether these differ between tourists of different nationalities. The findings show that tourists, both residents and non-residents, have the perception that the cost of living and of the plane ticket are high, while the cost of accommodation and of transportation to the airport is considered normal by most respondents. We concluded that the models differ when applied to residents and non-residents. For non-residents, living in certain countries induces them to express differences in the perception of the costs studied, when compared to individuals that live in other countries.N/

Espaços multifacetados em arte: novas formas, novas linguagens

A criação de espectáculos multimédia, espaços de arte multifacetados, através da coexistência de materiais e saberes divergentes e simultaneamente convergentes como a dança, a música, o teatro, a pintura, o design, as novas tecnologias da informação e da comunicação... permitem, em espaços multiculturais, a convergência de diversos meios de produção artística e a interacção de diferentes domínios do saber na criação de espectáculos unos e plurais. A sua realização, implicando o conhecimento e a aquisição de uma multiplicidade de saberes que se torna bastante útil na estruturação e definição do processo de ensino/aprendizagem, faz destes eventos formas novas e originais, inovadoras e fundamentais no processo educativo. Os média integrando o acto criativo são o seu difusor por excelência. Introduzidos e metamorfoseados ao longo do processo de criação, revelam-se um seu constituinte, material base da obra, um meio e um instrumento, adquirindo uma nova imagem e função, um novo estatuto perante o público e o criador. Veículo de comunicação de uma realidade, de uma vontade, de um pensamento, os espectáculos multimédia servem-se de meios próprios e interdisciplinares potenciando a pluralidade e a multiculturalidade. As possibilidades que oferecem, múltiplas, constituem um desafio. Como meio de expressão artística, permitem a convergência de diferentes áreas do saber conduzindo à obra de arte total que, sendo fruto do génio criador, una e plural, contém os genes de uma revolução criativa que prolifera independente. Uno, total e sublime traduz a grandiosidade de um pensamento formatado unicamente pelos limites da imaginação. A criatividade, motor de criação e de desenvolvimento multicultural e interdisciplinar, conduz à obra, expressão do seu criador. 2 Helena Santana e Maria do Rosário Santana Esta comunicação pretende mostrar como esta forma de criação potencia o processo de ensino/aprendizagem, e de como, através de uma multiculturalidade marcada, facilita o processo de inclusão e aceitação do novo: Bach2Cage, um exemplo

Energy efficiency of social housing existing buildings – a portuguese case study

The European energy performance building regulations, Directive 2002/91/EC - Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) of the European Parliament and Council, require that new buildings present minimum standards of energy efficiency. Accordingly the Portuguese regulations require that new buildings comply with minimum requirements on the energy performance and must have an energy performance certification through witch an energy efficiency label is attributed to the housing. It also require that existing buildings must have an efficiency energy label when submitted to a commercial transaction or to a deep rehabilitation. To achieve this goal the study of energy performance of existing buildings must be done. As many essentials elements to determine the U-factor and other thermal parameters are unknown, Portugal developed a simplified methodology to achieve the thermal performance of existing buildings. The aim of this paper is to present the study of the energy performance of a set of social dwellings that were constructed during the decade of 80, constructed before the former building thermal comfort specifications came into force. During the study the referred methodology was applied and conclusions of the energy efficiency label obtained were put out as the encountered difficulties. The study also compares the results obtained by the simplified methodology and by the detailed methodology that is required by Portuguese building thermal comfort specifications

Quantum Confinement in Hydrogen Bond of DNA and RNA

The hydrogen bond is a fundamental ingredient to stabilize the DNA and RNA macromolecules. The main contribution of this work is to describe quantitatively this interaction as a consequence of the quantum confinement of the hydrogen. The results for the free and confined system are compared with experimental data. The formalism to compute the energy gap of the vibration motion used to identify the spectrum lines is the Variational Method allied to Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. To appear in The Proceedings of the 30th International Colloquium on Group Theoretical Methods in Physics (Group30), Ghent, Belgiu