Statistical Dynamics of Religions and Adherents

Religiosity is one of the most important sociological aspects of populations. All religions may evolve in their beliefs and adapt to the society developments. A religion is a social variable, like a language or wealth, to be studied like any other organizational parameter. Several questions can be raised, as considered in this study: e.g. (i) from a ``macroscopic'' point of view : How many religions exist at a given time? (ii) from a ``microscopic'' view point: How many adherents belong to one religion? Does the number of adherents increase or not, and how? No need to say that if quantitative answers and mathematical laws are found, agent based models can be imagined to describe such non-equilibrium processes. It is found that empirical laws can be deduced and related to preferential attachment processes, like on evolving network; we propose two different algorithmic models reproducing as well the data. Moreover, a population growth-death equation is shown to be a plausible modeling of evolution dynamics in a continuous time framework. Differences with language dynamic competition is emphasized.Comment: submitted to EP

A Heuristic Strategy to Compute Ensemble of Trajectories for 3D Low Cost Earth-Moon Transfers

The problem of finding optimal trajectories is essential for modern space mission design. When considering multibody gravitational dynamics and exploiting both low-thrust and high-thrust and alternative forms of propulsion such as solar sailing, sets of good initial guesses are fundamental for the convergence to local or global optimal solutions, using both direct or indirect methods available to solve the optimal control problem. This paper deals with obtaining preliminary trajectories that are designed to be good initial guesses as input to search optimal low-energy short-time Earth-Moon transfers with ballistic capture. A more realistic modelling is introduced, in which the restricted four-body system Sun-Earth-Moon-Spacecraft is decoupled in two patched planar Circular Restricted Three-Body Problems, taking into account the inclination of the orbital plane of the Moon with respect to the ecliptic. We present a heuristic strategy based on the hyperbolic invariant manifolds of the Lyapunov orbits around the Lagrangian points of the Earth- Moon system to obtain ballistic capture orbits around the Moon that fulfill specific mission requirements. Moreover, quasi-periodic orbits of the Sun-Earth system are exploited using a genetic algorithm to find optimal solutions with respect to total Dv, time of flight and altitude at departure. Finally, the procedure is illustrated and the full transfer trajectories assessed in view of relevant properties. The proposed methodology provides sets of low-cost and shorttime initial guesses to serve as inputs to compute fully optimized three-dimensional solutions considering different propulsion technologies, such as low, high, and hybrid thrust, and/or using more realistic models

Encontro de Trypanosoma forattinii Coutinho & Pattoli em roedores de Trinidad

Recovery of Trypanosoma forattinii from natural infected Oryzomys capito velutinus from Trinidad, is reported. Negative results were obtained with attempts to infect experimentally, several laboratories animals, silvatyc rodents of the same ecological area and several species of triatomids bugs. Positive results were obtained only by using O. capito velutinus born in laboratory.Relata-se o encontro de Trypanosoma forattinii, em exemplares de Oryzomys capito velutinus de Trinidad. Tentativas de isolamento em meio de NNN e de inoculação experimental em animais de laboratório, foram completamente negativas. Resultados positivos foram obtidos com inoculação de O. capito velutinus criados em laboratórios. As tentativas de infectar triatomíneos e roedores silvestres da mesma área foram igualmente negativas

Modelling formation and evolution of transverse dune fields

We model formation and evolution of transverse dune fields. In the model, only the cross section of the dune is simulated. The only physical variable of relevance is the dune height, from which the dune width and velocity are determined, as well as phenomenological rules for interaction between two dunes of different heights. We find that dune fields with no sand on the ground between dunes are unstable, i.e. small dunes leave the higher ones behind. We then introduce a saturation length to simulate transverse dunes on a sand bed and show that this leads to stable dune fields with regular spacing and dune heights. Finally, we show that our model can be used to simulate coastal dune fields if a constant sand influx is considered, where the dune height increases with the distance from the beach, reaching a constant value.Comment: 18 pages including 9 figure

Ovinos Santa Inês: estado de arte e perspectivas.

[Santa Inês hair sheep: state of art and perspectives]. Abstract: The Santa Inês hair sheep breed is found in whole to areas of Brazil. Its origin has been object of vary speculations. However, the most probable could be traced starting from combinations of four genetic sources: a) Criuola is wool type of sheep, brought by Portuguese and Spanish settlers, but that eliminated the wool under tropical conditions was; b) Hair sheep breeds originating from of the African continent, which originated most of the hair sheep breeds from Brazil, Central America and Caribbean; c) Bergamácia sheep breed from Italian, which was crossed with the remaining sheep of those originating from of the African continent, and Morada Nova, followed by adaptation, selection and evolution for absence of wool; d) finally, in the end of the decade of 80, a small group of the breeders added to Santa Inês the Somalis and Suffolk breeds. The breed presents good reproductive, adaptability and growth potential. The pattern of the coat calor includes the white, the red, the black and the mailed. In field conditions the ewes reach weights of 40-60 kg and the males can reach up to 120 kg. The selection practiced in the breed has been done in direction for size and body weight, absence of wool and horns and, presence of an intense pigmentation. The females present good maternal ability and they get easily to give birth vigorous lambs. The age to the puberty and first lambing, lambing interval, fertility, the prolificacy and the survival rate from weaning found in the literature, vary from: 274 to 376 days, 442 to 551 days, 227 to 307 days, 83,6 to 93%, 1,1 to 1,4 and, from 69 to 87%, respectively. The Santa Inês lamb can reach 23-32 kg at weaning and gain 166 -336 kg. At slaughter, Santa Inês Lamb, had dressing percentage of approximately 48,0 %. The animals generally demonstrate capacity to develop a strong answer immunology against the nematodes gastrontestinais, even before of the weaning. That skin presents great market value, due to the high quality pattern, resultant of its largest elasticity and excellent flexibility, and great resistance, associated to a fine texture, being rendered for use in several manufactured products. In spite of the few studies involving the face Santa Inês the breed has been demonstrating to be an excellent alternative to increase the production of meat in the main areas of the country, considering its reproductive capacity, resistance sponges it gastrontestinais, skin quality and adaptability , besides good growth rate

Early atypical malignant transformation of diffuse low-grade astrocytoma: The importance of genotyping

Diffuse astrocytoma (WHO grade II) has classically been considered a slow growing tumour, typically affecting young adults, with tendency for late malignant conversion. We describe a case of early atypical malignant transformation of diffuse astrocytoma seventeen months after complete surgical removal, as an intraventricular high-grade glioma (HGG). Retrospective laboratory findings for the presence of IDH 1/2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase) mutations were negative. There is growing evidence that IDH-wildtype (wt) astrocytomas behave more aggressively, therefore identifying IDH-mutation status should be mandatory in order to determine disease prognosis and guide treatment course.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chaos and Synchronized Chaos in an Earthquake Model

We show that chaos is present in the symmetric two-block Burridge-Knopoff model for earthquakes. This is in contrast with previous numerical studies, but in agreement with experimental results. In this system, we have found a rich dynamical behavior with an unusual route to chaos. In the three-block system, we see the appearance of synchronized chaos, showing that this concept can have potential applications in the field of seismology.Comment: To appear in Physical Review Letters (13 pages, 6 figures

CVD of CrO2: towards a lower temperature deposition process

We report on the synthesis of highly oriented a-axis CrO2 films onto (0001) sapphire by atmospheric pressure CVD from CrO3 precursor, at growth temperatures down to 330 degree Celsius, i.e. close to 70 degrees lower than in published data for the same chemical system. The films keep the high quality magnetic behaviour as those deposited at higher temperature, which can be looked as a promising result in view of their use with thermally sensitive materials, e.g. narrow band gap semiconductors.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure