A Web-based Platform for E-Learning and Blended Learning in Modelling and Simulation

The Mathematics Modelling and Tools (MMT) e-learning system is a platform used for supporting lectures and tutoring at the Vienna University and Technology. Additionally to traditional e-learning properties like up- and download of lecture notes, videos and slides the MMT system provides the surface for a virtual modelling and simulation laboratory. Very powerful calculation software like MATLAB, Java or Octave, running in behind, allows experimenting with targeted modelling and simulation examples prepared and developed by experts. These are first of all used to support the presentation directly at the lecture and can afterwards be accessed by students given a password at home. As especially MATLAB also allows development of suitable examples dealing with mathematics, so far about ten percent of all examples treat this specific topic and are used in math lectures. It showed that especially the live experience fiddling on pre-implemented examples poses a big improvement for lectures

A Web-based Platform for E-Learning and Blended Learning in Modelling and Simulation

The Mathematics Modelling and Tools (MMT) e-learning system is a platform used for supporting lectures and tutoring at the Vienna University and Technology. Additionally to traditional e-learning properties like up- and download of lecture notes, videos and slides the MMT system provides the surface for a virtual modelling and simulation laboratory. Very powerful calculation software like MATLAB, Java or Octave, running in behind, allows experimenting with targeted modelling and simulation examples prepared and developed by experts. These are first of all used to support the presentation directly at the lecture and can afterwards be accessed by students given a password at home. As especially MATLAB also allows development of suitable examples dealing with mathematics, so far about ten percent of all examples treat this specific topic and are used in math lectures. It showed that especially the live experience fiddling on pre-implemented examples poses a big improvement for lectures

West indian cherry parental genotype selection based on multivariate genetic divergence

Este trabalho teve por objetivo identificar e selecionar genótipos parentais de acerola (Malpighia emarginata L.) adequadas a programas de melhoramento genético. Nove caracteres quantitativos de maior importância agronômica foram usados para determinação da distância genética e formação de grupos similares de acessos. O agrupamento pelo método de Tocher, a partir das distâncias generalizadas de Mahalanobis, possibilitou a divisão de 14 genótipos em três grupos. Com base na divergência genética e no caráter agronômico-chave (teor de vitamina C), destacaram-se como mais promissores os cruzamentos dos genótipos: AM Mole pertencente ao grupo III, com os genótipos PR AM, NO 18, PR 17, PR 16, Eclipse, AM 22 e Dominga, todos pertencentes ao grupo I.The objective of this study was to evaluate genotypes toward the identification of superior West Indian Cherry (Malpighia emarginata L.) parents that produce high-performing progenies. Parents clones were evaluated in a completely randomized design with three replications and each plot consisted of three plants. Fourteen genotypes of West Indian Cherry were characterized in Londrina, PR, Brazil. Nine quantitative characters of bigger agronomic interest were used for determination of genetic distance and identification of similar groups among the genotypes. The grouping by the method, based on Mahalanobis generalized distance, made it possible to organize the 14 genotypes in three groups. The genetic divergence based on a key agronomic character (level of vitamin C) allowed to recommend the cross as of the following genotypes: amarela mole (group III) with genotypes PR AM, No 18, PR 17, PR 16, Eclipse, AM 22 and Dominga all of them group I

Increased noise levels have different impacts on the anti-predator behaviour of two sympatric fish species.

types: Journal ArticleCopyright: © 2014 Voellmy et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Animals must avoid predation to survive and reproduce, and there is increasing evidence that man-made (anthropogenic) factors can influence predator-prey relationships. Anthropogenic noise has been shown to have a variety of effects on many species, but work investigating the impact on anti-predator behaviour is rare. In this laboratory study, we examined how additional noise (playback of field recordings of a ship passing through a harbour), compared with control conditions (playback of recordings from the same harbours without ship noise), affected responses to a visual predatory stimulus. We compared the anti-predator behaviour of two sympatric fish species, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and the European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus), which share similar feeding and predator ecologies, but differ in their body armour. Effects of additional-noise playbacks differed between species: sticklebacks responded significantly more quickly to the visual predatory stimulus during additional-noise playbacks than during control conditions, while minnows exhibited no significant change in their response latency. Our results suggest that elevated noise levels have the potential to affect anti-predator behaviour of different species in different ways. Future field-based experiments are needed to confirm whether this effect and the interspecific difference exist in relation to real-world noise sources, and to determine survival and population consequences.University of BristolBasler Stiftung für Biologische ForschungDefr

Digestão microbiana de matéria orgânica, produção de biogás e bio fertilizante

A produção de gás metano, uma das alternativas de utilização de biomassa, é particularmente interessante por ser obtida a partir de resíduos vegetais e animais, normalmente considerados dejetos de pequeno aproveitamento ou eventualmente até contaminantes e poluentes. Além de obtenção de energia de fácil implementação e aproveitamento em áreas rurais, obtém-se pela fermentação anaeróbica dos resíduos orgânicos, um subproduto, o biofertilizante, de excelente aproveitamento na lavoura. O processo de biodigestão, o emprego das matérias orgânicas e características do biogás e biofertilizante são descritos no presente trabalho

Digestão microbiana de matéria orgânica, produção de biogás e bio fertilizante

A produção de gás metano, uma das alternativas de utilização de biomassa, é particularmente interessante por ser obtida a partir de resíduos vegetais e animais, normalmente considerados dejetos de pequeno aproveitamento ou eventualmente até contaminantes e poluentes. Além de obtenção de energia de fácil implementação e aproveitamento em áreas rurais, obtém-se pela fermentação anaeróbica dos resíduos orgânicos, um subproduto, o biofertilizante, de excelente aproveitamento na lavoura. O processo de biodigestão, o emprego das matérias orgânicas e características do biogás e biofertilizante são descritos no presente trabalho

Novas cultivares de acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC): UEL 3 ¾ Dominga, UEL 4 ¾ Lígia e UEL 5 ¾ Natália

O programa de melhoramento genético de acerola, na Universidade Estadual de Londrina, iniciou-se em 1992, com a implatação de um pomar clonal constituído de genótipos selecionados no Norte do Paraná. As cultivares UEL 3-Dominga , UEL 4-Lígia, UEL 5-Natália são resultados de 5 ciclos de avaliações, onde foram considerados: precocidade, produtividade, conteúdo de vitamina C nos frutos, tolerância a pragas e doenças, tamanho e aparência dos frutos. As cultivares UEL 3-Dominga e UEL 5- Natália, destacam-se pela produtividade das plantas, conteúdo de vitamina C e pelo tamanho do fruto. Em Londrina, a frutificação dessas cultivares concentra-se nos meses de novembro a março. A cultivar UEL 4-Lígia destaca-se pela precocidade e produtividade que, em Londrina, se concentra nos meses de outubro a março. A cultivar UEL 3-Dominga apresenta peso médio de frutos igual a 6,31g, Vitamina C igual a 2906 e 1250 mg/100g em frutos verdes e maduros, respectivamente, acidez igual a 694,34 mg/100g e Brix igual a 9,2º. A cultivar UEL 4-Lígia apresenta peso médio dos frutos igual a 7,85g, vitamina C igual a 3579 e 1458 mg/100g em frutos verdes e maduros, respectivamente, acidez igual a 1110 mg/100g e Brix igual a 7,85º. A cultivar UEL 5-Natália apresenta peso médio dos frutos igual a 7,47g, Vitamina C igual a 3134,5 e 1098 mg/100g em frutos verdes e maduros, respectivamente, acidez igual a 725 mg/100g e Brix igual a 7,6º. Estas três cultivares são indicadas para plantio no Norte do Estado do Paraná