Fleet dimensioning and scheduling in the Brazilian ethanol industry: a fuzzy logic approach

This work solves a real-world multi-depot vehicle routing problem (MDVRP) with a homogeneous fleet and capacitated depots. A pipeline company wants to establish a vehicle policy in order to own part of its fleet and serve its customers for a period of one year. The company also wants to know the schedule of the visits for collecting ethanol from 261 producers and taking it to their three terminals located in Brazil. This problem presents uncertain demand, since weather conditions impact the final crop and uncertain depot capacity. Due to the vagueness of managers’ speech, this problem also presents uncertain travel time. In this paper, fuzzy logic is used to model uncertainty and vagueness and to split the initial instance into smaller ones. Besides solving a real-world problem with fuzzy demand, fuzzy depot capacity and fuzzy travel time, this paper contributes with a decision making tool that reports different solutions for different uncertainty levels.Este trabalho resolve um problema de roteamento de veículos multi-depósito do mundo real (MDVRP) com frota homogênea e depósitos capacitados. Uma empresa de pipeline deseja estabelecer uma política de veículos para possuir parte de sua frota e atender seus clientes por um período de um ano. A empresa também quer saber o agendamento das visitas para coleta de etanol de 261 produtores e retirada para seus três terminais localizados no Brasil. Este problema apresenta incertezas de demanda, já que as condições climáticas impactam a safra final e depósito de capacidade incerta. Devido à imprecisão do discurso dos gerentes, este problema também apresenta tempo de viagem incerto. Neste artigo, a lógica fuzzy é usada para modelar a incerteza e vagueza e dividir a instância inicial em outras menores. Além de resolver um problema do mundo real com demanda difusa, capacidade de depósito difusa e tempo de viagens difusas, este artigo contribui com uma ferramenta de tomada de decisão que relata diferentes soluções para diferentes níveis de incerteza

Modelos Híbridos Aplicados à Construção de Índice de Classificação de Níveis de Risco de Fogo no Brasil

Fire has always exerted a great attraction on humans. Fires generally provide social and environmental impacts at the places where they occur. Several Brazilian localities, especially in the driest months of the year, are more susceptible to this phenomenon. In this paper, an index able of classifying levels of fire risk in areas geographically located in Brazil. This paper presents an index capable of classifying fire risk levels elaborated from neuro-fuzzy systems. Data from the municipality of Sorocaba were used to test the proposed models. The results obtained by this index are promising, reaching values of mean absolute error below 3% when applied in the prediction of the risk of fire for the maximum period of up to 3 days. The proposed index can be used as a tool to support and assist various research agencies or institutes that need to identify the possibility of burning, corroborating the measures to reduce atmospheric emitters and meeting Goal 15 of Agenda 30 as defined by the UN in 2015, which aims to stimulate conservation actions and the recovery and sustainable use of ecosystems.O fogo sempre exerceu grande atração sobre os seres humanos. As queimadas, de maneira geral, proporcionam impactos sociais e ambientais nos locais onde ocorrem. Diversas localidades brasileiras, especialmente nos meses mais secos do ano, estão mais suscetíveis a esse fenômeno. O estudo e o monitoramento do risco do fogo são uma poderosa ferramenta adotada no mapeamento e sensoriamento de áreas afetadas ao longo do território brasileiro e em outras partes do mundo. Este trabalho apresenta um índice para classificar os níveis de risco de fogo, elaborado com base nos sistemas neuro-fuzzy. Dados da cidade de Sorocaba foram utilizados para testar os modelos propostos. Os resultados obtidos mostram-se promissores, alcançando valores referentes à média de erros absolutos abaixo de 3%, aplicados na previsão do risco de queima pelo período máximo de até três dias. O índice proposto poderá ser utilizado como ferramenta de apoio e auxílio a diversos órgãos ou institutos de pesquisa que necessitam identificar a possibilidade de ocorrência de queimadas. Pode, assim, colaborar nas medidas para a redução de emissores atmosféricos, de modo a satisfazer o objetivo 15 da Agenda 30 definido pela Organização das Nações Unidas em 2015, o qual visa estimular ações de conservação, recuperação e uso sustentável de ecossistemas, especialmente

ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PRODUCTIVE PRACTICES INFLUENCE ON THE INDUSTRIAL ENERGETIC EFFICIENCY

The industrial energetic efficiency (EE) is recognized as one of the main factors for the reduction of gas emissions that cause the greenhouse effect and for the improvement of the industrial competiveness. Within this context, many papers of the international literature have proposed different indicators of industrial, economic and environmental behavior, so as to promote the EE inside the industries. However, such proposals do not generally check the result of the joint work for more than one indicator in the organizations, making more global analysis more difficult related to EE. This paper aims to check which environmental, economic and industrial practices indicators influence the EE of the industries.  The data have been collected from the framework developed by Trianni et al. (2014), that analysed the main energetic efficiency measures for the technologies: motors, lighting, compressed air and HVAC systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). A logistic regression model has been adjusted for understand the relationship the economic, environmental and productive practices behavior on the energetic efficiency. Results suggest that a healthy workplace enables investments in equipment and machinery, allowing the EE inside the industries.

ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PRODUCTIVE PRACTICES INFLUENCE ON THE INDUSTRIAL ENERGETIC EFFICIENCY

The industrial energetic efficiency (EE) is recognized as one of the main factors for the reduction of gas emissions that cause the greenhouse effect and for the improvement of the industrial competiveness. Within this context, many papers of the international literature have proposed different indicators of industrial, economic and environmental behavior, so as to promote the EE inside the industries. However, such proposals do not generally check the result of the joint work for more than one indicator in the organizations, making more global analysis more difficult related to EE. This paper aims to check which environmental, economic and industrial practices indicators influence the EE of the industries.  The data have been collected from the framework developed by Trianni et al. (2014), that analysed the main energetic efficiency measures for the technologies: motors, lighting, compressed air and HVAC systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). A logistic regression model has been adjusted for understand the relationship the economic, environmental and productive practices behavior on the energetic efficiency. Results suggest that a healthy workplace enables investments in equipment and machinery, allowing the EE inside the industries.

Economic and Production-Related Implications for Industrial Energy Efficiency: A Logistic Regression Analysis on Cross-Cutting Technologies

Increased industrial energy efficiency (EE) has become one of the main environmental actions to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, contributing also to industrial competitiveness, with several implications on the production system and cost management. Unfortunately, literature is currently lacking empirical evidence on the impact of energy efficiency solutions on production. Thus, this work primarily aims at investigating the economic and production-related influence on the reduction in industrial energy consumption, considering the cross-cutting technologies HVAC, motors, lighting systems and air compressor systems. The analysis is performed using data from previous studies that characterized the main EE measures for the cross-cutting technologies. Four logistic models were built to understand how costs and production influence energy efficiency across such cross-cutting technologies. In this way, motivating industries to implement measures to reduce electrical consumption, offering an economic cost–benefit analysis and optimizing industry processes so that the reduction in electricity consumption adds to industrial energy efficiency were the aims of this study. The results of this work show through the adjusted indicators that senior management is mainly responsible for energy savings. The operational measures of each piece of equipment can be oriented in the industry towards a specific maintenance process for each technology, becoming an active procedure in industrial productions to obtain EE. Additionally, maintenance planning and control is essential to the reliability of the reduced energy consumption of cross-cutting technologies. This article concludes with managerial implications and suggestions for future research in this field

The geography of warehouses in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region and contributing factors to this spatial distribution

This paper aims to characterize the relocation of warehouses in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region (SPMR) considering the spatial structure of changes in warehouse locations. We also discuss the potential factors that could attract warehouses to their location, especially in peripheral regions. The study encompasses the period between 1992 and 2017 and analyzes the influence of geographical, economics, road infrastructure, municipality service tax rate, cargo theft, and real estate prices on logistics facility location. The results show no evidence of logistics sprawl in SPMR during the studied period, although a small sprawl appeared between 2010 and 2017, moving the barycenter to the Northwestern direction of the SPMR. The main factors that influence the decision to move the warehouses are the low cost of land, lower tax, and a well-served infrastructure with highway intersections. There is a positive spatial correlation between warehouse per capita and cargo theft

Adenovirus surveillance in wild carnivores from Brazil

Landscape transformation favors the spread of new pathogens that can be shared between domestic and wild animals. Certain adenoviruses (e.g., canine adenovirus 1 and 2, family Adenoviridae) can infect domestic and wild carnivores. In domestic canids, these viruses are associated with hepatic and respiratory diseases (among others). Nevertheless, information regarding adenovirus pathogenicity and molecular features in wild carnivores is still limited. Herein we surveyed adenovirus in free-ranging carnivores from Brazil. Total DNA was extracted from and subsequently tested by a nested panPCR in spleen and/or lung of 52 carnivores, representing species of the following families: Canidae (n = 4), Felidae (n = 3), Mustelidae (n = 2) and Procyonidae (n = 2). The obtained sequences were compared to others available at GenBank. Available tissue samples from the positive cases were evaluated histopathologically. One out of 52 (1.9%, CI 95%, 0.0–5.7%) carnivores was positive; a roadkilled ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). The obtained sequence presented a low deduced amino acid (78.1%) similarity with the closest adenovirus, identified in a pinniped from the United States of America. This fact and its detection in a novel host suggest it may be representative of a novel species and denominated ocelot adenovirus 1. None of the gross and microscopic findings of the positive case were associated with adenovirus. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of adenovirus in wild felids of South America and the second worldwide. Further studies are necessary to assess the epidemiology and potential pathogenicity of this agent in wild carnivores.This study was funded by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). Ana Carolina Ewbank and Carlos Sacristán are recipients of PhD and postdoctoral fellowships by the FAPESP (FAPESP grant #2016/20956–0 and grant #FAPESP 2018/25069–7, respectively). José Luiz Catão-Dias is the recipient of a professorship from CNPq (304999–18).Peer reviewe

Highly divergent herpesviruses in threatened river dolphins from Brazil

River dolphins are a highly threatened polyphyletic group comprised of four odontocete families: Iniidae, Pontoporiidae, Lipotidae, and Platanistidae, the first two endemic to South America. To address the knowledge gap regarding infectious agents in this cetacean group, we surveyed the presence of herpesviruses by PCR in skin and/or blood samples of live-captured Amazon (Inia geoffrensis, n = 25) and Bolivian (Inia boliviensis, n = 22) river dolphins of the Amazon basin and in selected tissue samples of franciscanas (Pontoporia blainvillei, n = 27) stranded or bycaught in southeastern Brazil. Additionally, available franciscana tissue samples were examined by histopathology. Herpesvirus DNA was amplified in 13 Bolivian river dolphins (59.1%, 95% CI 38.5-79.6%) and 14 franciscanas (51.9%, 95% CI 33.0-70.7%). All Amazon river dolphins were herpesvirus-negative. Two different herpesviruses were found in Bolivian river dolphins: a previously known gammaherpesvirus detected in blood and/or skin samples of all positive individuals and a novel alphaherpesvirus in the skin of one animal. A new gammaherpesvirus was found in several franciscana samples-the first herpesvirus recorded in Pontoporiidae. Intranuclear inclusion bodies consistent with herpesvirus were observed in the lymph node of one franciscana. The high divergence among the obtained herpesviruses and those previously described can be explained by viral-host coevolution, and by the fact that these populations are fairly isolated.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (Projeto de Monitoramento de Praias da Bacia de Santos-PMP-BS)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) (2018/25069-7)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) (2016/20956-0)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) (304999-18)4.997 Q2 JCR 20211.005 Q1 SJR 2021No data IDR 2021UE