The comprehensive aerospace index (CASI): Tracking the economic performance of the aerospace industry

In this paper, we described the Comprehensive Aerospace Index (CASI), a financial index aimed at representing the economic performance of the aerospace industry. CASI is build upon a data set of approximately 20 years of daily close prices set, from January 1987 to June 2007, from a comprehensive sample of leading aerospace-related companies with stocks negotiated on the New York Exchange (NYSE) and on the over-the-counter (OTC) markets. We also introduced the sub-indices CASI-AERO, for aeronautical segment, and CASI-SAT for satellite segment. and considered the relation between them. These three indices are compared to others aerospace indices and to more traditional general financial indices like DJIA, S&P500 and Nasdaq. Our results have shown that the CASI is an index that describes very well the aerospace sector behavior, since it is able to reflect the aeronautical segment comportment as well as the satellite one. Therefore, in this sense, it can be considered as a representative index of the aerospace sector. Moreover, the creation of two sub-indices, the CASI-AERO and the CASI-SAT. allows to elucidate capital movements within the aerospace sector, particularly those of speculative nature, like the dot.com bubble and crash of 1998-2001

Economic assessment of urban watersheds: developing mechanisms for environmental protection of the Feijão river, São Carlos - SP, Brazil

In order to determine the willingness of the population of São Carlos (a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil) to pay for the environmental protection (WTP) of the Feijão River's watershed, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), as well as the bidding-games technique, were used. In October 2010, 280 questionnaires were applied to a probabilistic sample of the population. A multivariate logistic regression model was built, creating five scenarios adjusted to the age and probability to pay according to the significant variables found. Concerning the WTP, 56% of the interviewees showed willingness to pay a monthly amount using the water bill as a vehicle for this. The WTP average was 1.94 US Dollar (USD), with a standard deviation of 1.91 USD. The total annual amount for the scenario that considers the whole population over 18 years old was of USD 3,930,616.80. The main argument for the negative WTP was that the interviewees could not afford it (14%)

Qualidade dos frutos de genótipos de tomateiro do banco de germoplasma de hortaliças da Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Foi avaliada a qualidade dos frutos de 29 acessos de tomateiro do Banco de Germoplasma de Hortaliças (BGH-UFV) e de três cultivares comerciais, Santa Clara, Débora Plus e Fanny. As variáveis avaliadas foram: sólidos solúveis (SS), acidez titulável (AT), pH e relação SS/AT. Foi observada, para os acessos, variação significativa das características avaliadas, com exceção do pH. Os acessos BGH700, BGH2000, BGH2008, BGH2013, BGH2014 e BGH2017 destacaram-se no que se refere ao teor de SS, tendo estes sido superiores em 4,2 ºBrix aos dos cultivares comerciais. Com relação à acidez titulável, os acessos BGH2013, BGH2019, BGH2020 e BGH2033 apresentaram os maiores valores, com acidez acima de 0,57%. Os cultivares comerciais foram alocados no grupo de menor acidez, com valores inferiores a 0,46%. Para a relação SS/AT, destacaram-se os acessos BGH700, BGH2000, BGH2008 e o cultivar comercial Débora Plus com valores de 11,1; 11,9; 10,9; e 10,0, respectivamente.Fruit quality of 29 tomato accesses from the Vegetable Germplasm Bank of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa and three commercial cultivars, Santa Clara, Débora Plus and Fanny were evaluated for the characteristics soluble solids (SS), acidity (AT), pH and SS/AT ratio (flavor fruits indicator). The accesses showed significant variation for the evaluated characteristics, except for the pH. The accesses BGH-700, BGH-2000, BGH-2008, BGH-2013, BGH-2014 and BGH-2017 stood out for the SS content, which were higher than 4.2 ºBrix and the SS content of the commercial cultivars. Acidity of the accesses BGH-2013, BGH-2019, BGH-2020 and BGH-2033 was higher, above 0.57%. The commercial cultivars were classified into the group with the lowest acidity, with values under 0.46%. The accesses BGH-700, BGH-2000, BGH-2008 and the commercial cultivar Débora Plus stood out for the SS/AT ratio, with values of 11.1, 11.9 and 10.9, and 10.0, respectively