Statistical tool for soil biology : 11. Autocorrelogram and Mantel test

L'analyse de l'autocorrélation par les indices I de Moran et c de Geary est décrite et illustrée à travers l'analyse de la distribution spatiale du ver de terre tropical #Chuniodrilus zielae (#Eudrilidae). Les tests simple et partiel de Mantel sont présentés et illustrés à travers l'analyse de jeux de données divers. L'intérêt de ces méthodes en écologie du sol est discuté. (Résumé d'auteur

Getting Access Into the EU Market: A Coordination Challenge for the Brazilian Beef Chain

Brazil is the world beef export leader since 2004, when he Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis in the United States and the severe draught in Australia dropped those countries beef exports and gave Brazilian beef chain a unique opportunity to enter in new markets. Brazil is facing now a major challenge in terms of aggregating value, since its export volume is already stabilizing. The European Union (EU) represents the most demanding market in terms of quality and one in which Brazil can get a better remuneration for its products, as long as the country beef chain can develop new relationship strategies to provide such a specific product. This study aims to present some trends in the European market as well as to discuss them as opportunities for the Brazilian beef chain, especially in terms of coordination forms, following New Institutional Economy principles. It shows that new forms of relationship within the network are emerging (like alliances and associations) and that new strategies should be focused on the consumer desires.Beef chain, Brazil, Relationship strategies, Coordination forms, International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

Методичні засади інтегрального оцінювання надійності недержавних пенсійних фондів в Україні

Визначено суть поняття надійності недержавних пенсійних фондів та розроблено основні методичні засади оцінювання їхньої надійності. Встановлено, що дієвим способом розкриття інформації про надійність фінансових інститутів є використання рейтингів. Визначення класу надійності НПФ має стати основою для надання їм права на здійснення пенсійного забезпечення громадян на другому рівні пенсійної системи України. Для оцінювання надійності НПФ та її зміни пропонується використання системи показників, детермінованих із врахуванням якісних і кількісних параметрів, які характеризують діяльність НПФ. Побудована система комплексного оцінювання надійності НПФ дає змогу присвоєння відповідного класу та рівня надійності.Определена сущность понятия надежности негосударственных пенсионных фондов и разработаны основные методические основы оценки их надежности. Установлено, что действенным способом раскрытия информации о надежности финансовых институтов является использование рейтингов. Определение класса надежности НПФ должно стать основой для предоставления им права на осуществление пенсионного обеспечения граждан на втором уровне пенсионной системы Украины. Для оценки надежности НПФ и ее изменения предлагается использование системы показателей, детерминированных с учетом качественных и количественных параметров, характеризующих деятельность НПФ. Построена система комплексной оценки надежности НПФ, которая позволяет присваивать соответствующий класс и уровень надежности.The essence of the concept of private pension funds reliability is defined and the basic methodological principles of evaluation of their reliability are developed. It is revealed that the use of ratings is an effective way of disclosing information about the reliability of financial institutions. Defining of reliability classes of private pension funds (PPF) shall become the basis for granting them the right to fulfill pension coverage of population on the second level of the pension system in Ukraine. Complex evaluation system of PPF reliability, which allows assignment of the relevant class and level of reliability, is developed

Factors that affect serum levels of ferritin in Australian adults and implications for Follow-up

Background & Aims Serum levels of ferritin are commonly measured to assess iron stores but are affected by factors such as obesity and chronic disease. Published reference ranges have not changed in decades, and the number of patients whose levels exceed the upper limits has been increasing. As a result, more patients are evaluated for iron overload. Methods We compared serum levels of ferritin in 1188 Australian adults who participated in the 2005 Busselton Population Survey with levels from the 1995 survey. Parametric regression was used to assess the effects of body weight and biochemical parameters on serum level of ferritin to derive contemporary population-appropriate reference ranges. Results In 2005, age-adjusted levels of ferritin were 21% higher in men (P < .0001) and 10% higher in women (P = .01) than in 1995; 31% of men exceeded levels of 300 μg/L, compared with 23% in 1995. Body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 was associated with higher levels of ferritin in men ≥35 years old and in postmenopausal women (P ≤ .002). Serum level of γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) correlated with serum level of ferritin (P < .0001). In men, the estimated 95th percentiles ranged from 353 to 495 μg/L (<35 years), from 350 to 511 μg/L (≥35 years, BMI <25 kg/m2), and from 413 to 696 μg/L (≥35 years, BMI ≥25 kg/m2) when GGT levels were 10–75 IU/L. In women, the 95th percentiles ranged from 106 to 235 μg/L (premenopausal), from 222 to 323 μg/L (postmenopausal, BMI <25 kg/m2), and from 249 to 422 μg/L (postmenopausal, BMI ≥25 kg/m2) when GGT levels were 8–45 IU/L. Conclusion Serum levels of ferritin increased significantly between 1995 and 2005. Reference ranges that accommodate demographic and biomedical variations will assist clinicians in identifying individuals who require further evaluation for iron overload

The continuum limit of the quark mass step scaling function in quenched lattice QCD

The renormalisation group running of the quark mass is determined non-perturbatively for a large range of scales, by computing the step scaling function in the Schroedinger Functional formalism of quenched lattice QCD both with and without O(a) improvement. A one-loop perturbative calculation of the discretisation effects has been carried out for both the Wilson and the Clover-improved actions and for a large number of lattice resolutions. The non-perturbative computation yields continuum results which are regularisation independent, thus providing convincing evidence for the uniqueness of the continuum limit. As a byproduct, the ratio of the renormalisation group invariant quark mass to the quark mass, renormalised at a hadronic scale, is obtained with very high accuracy.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figures; minor changes, references adde

Mirror formation control in the vicinity of an asteroid

Two strategies are presented for the positioning and control of a spacecraft formation designed to focus sunlight onto a point on the surface of asteroid, thereby sublimating the material and ejecting debris creating thrust. In the first approach, the formation is located at artficial equilibrium points around the asteroid and controlled using the force from the solar radiation pressure. The second approach determines the optimal periodic formation orbits, subject to the gravitational perturbations from the asteroid, the solar radiation pressure and the control acceleration derived from a control law

SU(2) Calorons and Magnetic Monopoles

We investigate the self-dual Yang-Mills gauge configurations on $R^3\times S^1$ when the gauge symmetry SU(2) is broken to U(1) by the Wilson loop. We construct the explicit field configuration for a single instanton by the Nahm method and show that an instanton is composed of two self-dual monopoles of opposite magnetic charge. We normalize the moduli space metric of an instanton and study various limits of the field configuration and its moduli space metric.Comment: 17 pages, RevTex, 1 Figur

On the deflection of asteroids with mirrors

This paper presents an analysis of an asteroid deflection method based on multiple solar concentrators. A model of the deflection through the sublimation of the surface material of an asteroid is presented, with simulation results showing the achievable orbital deflection with, and without, accounting for the effects of mirror contamination due to the ejected debris plume. A second model with simulation results is presented analyzing an enhancement of the Yarkovsky effect, which provides a significant deflection even when the surface temperature is not high enough to sublimate. Finally the dynamical model of solar concentrators in the proximity of an irregular celestial body are discussed, together with a Lyapunov-based controller to maintain the spacecraft concentrators at a required distance from the asteroid