The q-gradient method for global optimization

The q-gradient is an extension of the classical gradient vector based on the concept of Jackson's derivative. Here we introduce a preliminary version of the q-gradient method for unconstrained global optimization. The main idea behind our approach is the use of the negative of the q-gradient of the objective function as the search direction. In this sense, the method here proposed is a generalization of the well-known steepest descent method. The use of Jackson's derivative has shown to be an effective mechanism for escaping from local minima. The q-gradient method is complemented with strategies to generate the parameter q and to compute the step length in a way that the search process gradually shifts from global in the beginning to almost local search in the end. For testing this new approach, we considered six commonly used test functions and compared our results with three Genetic Algorithms (GAs) considered effective in optimizing multidimensional unimodal and multimodal functions. For the multimodal test functions, the q-gradient method outperformed the GAs, reaching the minimum with a better accuracy and with less function evaluations.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figur

Indicadores para avaliação de desempenho na tomada de decisão: um estudo com as cooperativas da região metropolitana da Serra Gaúcha

O processo de desenvolvimento econômico no Brasil, tem provocado concorrência entre as empresas, o que tem feito com que os gestores se dediquem na busca de ferramentas para auxiliar na tomada de decisão para torná-la mais eficiente. Essa competição entre as empresas ocorre também nas cooperativas, já que a cada determinado período há mudanças na gestão, fazendo com que os gestores busquem suporte para terem uma base de informações, para usá-la como auxílio na tomada de decisão. A Controladoria tem papel importante dentro da organização, pois possui ferramentas que podem contribuir no processo de tomada de decisão, entre elas os indicadores de desempenho. Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar os indicadores utilizados pelas cooperativas da região metropolitana da serra gaúcha. Para atingir esse objetivo realizou-se uma pesquisa bibliográfica e uma pesquisa descritiva, visto que foi feito uma análise sobre os dados encontrados através de questionário aplicado com as cooperativas da região metropolitana da serra gaúcha. A pesquisa teve como base as perspectivas de mercado e dos clientes, perspectiva financeira, perspectiva dos processos, perspectiva de aprendizado, inovação e crescimento, perspectiva de responsabilidade social, perspectiva das pessoas, perspectiva de aquisição e dos fornecedores e perspectiva do ambiente organizacional. Os resultados foram obtidos através de escala de relevância sobre a utilização e importância dos indicadores, os respondentes acreditam ser muito importante a utilização dos indicadores de desempenho na tomada de decisão como auxílio numa gestão mais eficiente, mas foi observado que alguns indicadores de determinadas áreas não são utilizados frequentemente.(sic

Estudo de caso : análise de gastos do pós-entrega de um empreendimento imobiliário quanto a assistência técnica e proposta de melhorias

As obras de construção civil apresentam um ciclo de vida útil que está relacionado ao sucesso do projeto, à qualidade dos materiais e da mão de obra, ao ambiente em que estão inseridas e às manutenções realizadas. No entanto, além do ciclo de vida adequado, as edificações devem oferecer qualidade e segurança aos seus usuários. Mesmo com o avanço das tecnologias construtivas e dos sistemas de controle, obras relativamente novas frequentemente apresentam problemas, que além de comprometê-las, consomem recursos financeiros que poderiam ser evitados. Neste trabalho será apresentado o estudo de caso feito em uma obra residencial que passou a apresentar manifestações patológicas cerca de seis meses após a sua entrega. O estudo irá utilizar dados coletados do sistema interno da empresa para avaliar o impacto financeiro relacionado à manutenção das unidades afetadas, seguido de propostas de melhorias na estrutura interna da empresa, levantadas a partir da análise de cada processo. As melhorias visam evitar a ocorrência de problemas semelhantes em habitações futuras, atenuando as despesas e melhorando o prestígio da empresa frente aos seus consumidores.Construction works have a life cycle that is related to the success of the project, the quality of materials and labor, the environment in which they are inserted and the maintenance performed. However, beyond the proper life cycle, buildings must offer quality and safety to their users. Even with the advancement of construction technologies and control systems, relatively new works often present problems that, in addition to compromising them, consume avoidable financial resources. In this paper we will present the case study made in a residential work that started to present pathological manifestations about six months after its delivery. The study will use data collected from the internal system of the company to evaluate the financial impact related to the maintenance of the affected units, followed by proposals for improvements in the internal structure of the company, based on the analysis of each process. The improvements are intended to prevent similar problems occurring in future housing by mitigating expenses and improving the company's standing with its consumers

Rehabilitation for improving automobile driving after stroke (Protocol)

THIS IS NOT THE MOST RECENT VERSION OF THIS PROTOCOL please see: http://hdl.handle.net/2328/27805 Copyright © 2010 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This review is made available in accordance with Cochrane Database of Systematic Review's repositories policyThis is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: This review aims to determine whether any intervention, with the specific aim of maximising driving skills or with an outcome of assessed driving skills, improves the driving performance for patients following stroke

The q-G method

In this work, the q-Gradient (q-G) method, a q-version of the Steepest Descent method, is presented. The main idea behind the q-G method is the use of the negative of the q-gradient vector of the objective function as the search direction. The q-gradient vector, or simply the q-gradient, is a generalization of the classical gradient vector based on the concept of Jackson’s derivative from the q-calculus. Its use provides the algorithm an effective mechanism for escaping from local minima. The q-G method reduces to the Steepest Descent method when the parameter q tends to 1. The algorithm has three free parameters and it is implemented so that the search process gradually shifts from global exploration in the beginning to local exploitation in the end. We evaluated the q-G method on 34 test functions, and compared its performance with 34 optimization algorithms, including derivative-free algorithms and the Steepest Descent method. Our results show that the q-G method is competitive and has a great potential for solving multimodal optimization problems

Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity

Plants have been used for medical purposes since the beginning of human history and are the basis of modern medicine. Most chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer treatment are molecules identified and isolated from plants or their synthetic derivatives. Our hypothesis was that whole plant extracts selected according to ethnobotanical sources of historical use might contain multiple molecules with antitumor activities that could be very effective in killing human cancer cells. This study examined the effects of three whole plant extracts (ethanol extraction) on human tumor cells. The extracts were from Urtica membranacea (Urticaceae), Artemesia monosperma (Asteraceae), and Origanum dayi post (Labiatae). All three plant extracts exhibited dose- and time-dependent killing capabilities in various human derived tumor cell lines and primary cultures established from patients’ biopsies. The killing activity was specific toward tumor cells, as the plant extracts had no effect on primary cultures of healthy human cells. Cell death caused by the whole plant extracts is via apoptosis. Plant extract 5 (Urtica membranacea) showed particularly strong anticancer capabilities since it inhibited actual tumor progression in a breast adenocarcinoma mouse model. Our results suggest that whole plant extracts are promising anticancer reagents

Rescue of the First Mitochondrial Membrane Carrier, the mPiC, by TAT-Mediated Protein Replacement Treatment

The mitochondrial phosphate carrier (mPiC), encoded by the nuclear gene SLC25A3, is synthesized with an N-terminus mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS), enabling its import into the mitochondria. mPiC imports inorganic phosphate (Pi) into the mitochondrial matrix for ATP production and other matrix phosphorylation reactions, as well as regulates mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and buffering of matrix Ca2+. PiC also imports copper (Cu), crucial to COX subunit holoenzyme assembly. Variants in SLC25A3 exist and lead to mPiC deficiency (MPCD), cause a rare autosomal recessive disease with no current cure; patients with MPCD usually die within the first year of life. We have developed a novel therapeutic approach using TAT-mPiC fusion protein for cellular delivery since the TAT peptide enables delivery of proteins across biological membranes. We designed, produced, and purified the TAT-mPiC fusion protein. The fusion protein is delivered into the mitochondria and localizes within the mIM, its natural cellular location, as a processed protein. Treatment of mPiC-knockdown cells with TAT-mPiC fusion protein increased cell growth and improved bioenergetic capabilities, as measured by oxygen consumption rate (OCR), ATP production, and reduction in lactate secretion. Most importantly, TAT-mPiC restored Pi and Cu delivery into the mitochondrial matrix. TAT-mPiC fusion protein also restored the mitochondrial activity of cells harboring various mitochondrial defects. This study presents the first successful delivery of a mitochondrial transmembrane carrier using the TAT-fusion system, offering a potential early treatment strategy for newborns with mPiC deficiency

Bacia hidrográfica urbana experimental do Canalete da Argolo, Pelotas-RS: o início do monitoramento hidrológico

Este presente trabalho teve como objetivo estabelecer e iniciar o monitoramento de uma nova bacia experimental urbana em Pelotas – RS, a Bacia Hidrográfica Urbana Experimental do Canalete da Argolo (BHUECA), trabalho fundamental de base para futuras pesquisas e aplicações técnico-científicas

α-Synuclein Expression Selectively Affects Tumorigenesis in Mice Modeling Parkinson's Disease

Alpha Synuclein (α-Syn) is a protein implicated in mechanisms of neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). α-Syn is primarily a neuronal protein, however, its expression is found in various tumors including ovarian, colorectal and melanoma tumors. It has been hypothesized that neurodegeneration may share common mechanisms with oncogenesis. We tested whether α-Syn expression affects tumorigenesis of three types of tumors. Specifically, B16 melanoma, E0771 mammary gland adenocarcinoma and D122 Lewis lung carcinoma. For this aim, we utilized transgenic mice expression the human A53T α-Syn form. We found that the in vivo growth of B16 and E0771 but not D122 was enhanced in the A53T α-Syn mice. The effect on tumorigenesis was not detected in age-matched APP/PS1 mice, modeling Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting a specific effect for α-Syn- dependent neurodegeneration. Importantly, transgenic α-Syn expression was detected within the three tumor types. We further show uptake of exogenously added, purified α-Syn, by the cultured tumor cells. In accord, with the affected tumorigenesis in the young A53T α-Syn mice, over- expression of α-Syn in cultured B16 and E0771 cells enhanced proliferation, however, had no effect on the proliferation of D122 cells. Based on these results, we suggest that certain forms of α-Syn may selectively accelerate cellular mechanisms leading to cancer