Décio Barbin

Modifications for the tukey test procedure and evaluation of the power and efficiency of multiple comparison procedures

Multiple pairwise comparison tests of treatment means are of great interest in applied research. Two modifications for the Tukey test were proposed. The power of unilateral and bilateral Student, Waller-Duncan, Duncan, SNK, REGWF, REGWQ, Tukey, Bonferroni, Sidak, unilateral Dunnet statistical tests and the modified tests, Sidak, Bonferroni 1 and 2, Tukey 1 and 2, has been compared using the Monte Carlo method. Data were generated for 600 experiments with eight treatments in a randomized block design, of which 400 had four and 200 eight blocks. The differences between the treatment means in relation to the control were 30%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%. Two extra treatments did not differ from the control. A coefficient of variation of 10% and a probability Type I error of α = 0.05 were adopted. The power of all the tests decreased when the differences to the control, decreased. The unilateral and bilateral Student t, Waller-Duncan and Duncan tests showed greater number of significative differences, followed by unilateral Dunnett, modified Sidak, modified Bonferroni 1 and 2, modified Tukey 1, SNK, REGWF, REGWQ, modified Tukey 2, Tukey, Sidak and Bonferroni. There is great loss of efficiency for all tests in relation to the unilateral Student t test for each difference of the treatment to the control, when the differences between means decrease. The modified tests were always more efficient than their original ones.

Distribution of aflatoxins in corn fractions visually segregated for defects

The aflatoxin distribution in corn fractions obtained after visual segregation for defects in 30 samples, known to be contaminated, was studied. Each sample was passed through a 5.0 mm round holes sieve, graded for defects and then segregated in sound kernels (regular kernels) and non-sound kernels (injured, germinated, fermented, moldy, heated, insect damaged, immature, broken, hollow, fermented up to ¼, discolored, extraneous materials, and injured by other causes), as defined by the Brazilian Official Grading rules for corn. The non-sound kernels showed the highest contamination levels in all samples. The contamination levels of non-sound kernels (20% of total weight) ranged from 23 to 1,365 µg/kg of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) and were higher than sound kernels (p<1%) ranging from not detected (ND) to 126 µg/kg and in 87% of these the aflatoxin contents were lower than 20 µg/kg. Statistically significant correlation indexes were found among the percentage of defective groups like fermented, heated and sprouted kernels or the total injured kernels, and the estimated contamination levels for the sound and non sound fractions. It was concluded that the non-sound kernels fraction, even being small in weight, has contributed with 84% of the estimated contamination of the samples. The segregation of the non-sound kernels would favor a reduction in the contamination of corn lots. The poorer quality corn types (types 3 and Bellow Standart) have predominated among samples of the experiment.

Modelos de predição para sobrevivência de plantas de Eucalyptus grandis

Objetivou-se com este trabalho comparar modelos de predicao de plantas sobreviventes de Eucalyptus grandis. Utilizaram-se os seguintes modelos: modelo linear misto com os dados transformados, utilizando-se as transformacoes angular e BOX-COX; modelo linear generalizado misto com distribuicao binomial e funcoes de ligacao logistica, probit e complemento log-log; modelo linear generalizado misto com distribuicao Poisson e funcao de ligacao logaritmica. Os dados sao provenientes de um experimento em blocos ao acaso, para avaliacao de progenies maternas de Eucalyptus grandis, aos 5 anos de idade, em que a variavel resposta sao plantas sobreviventes. Para comparacao dos efeitos entre os modelos foram estimadas as correlacoes de Spearman e aplicado o teste de permutacao de Fisher. Foi possivel concluir que, o modelo linear generalizado misto com distribuicao Poisson e funcao de ligacao logaritmica se ajustou mal aos dados e que as estimativas para os efeitos fixos e predicao para os efeitos aleatorios, nao se diferenciaram entre os demais modelos estudados.

Distribution of aflatoxins in contaminated corn fractions segregated by size

The efficiency of segregation, by particle size, in reducing the aflatoxin content of corn lots under the Brazilian conditions was studied. The aflatoxin content, in the corn fractions obtained after sieving thirty contaminated samples, with approximately 3.0 kg each, was determined. The samples were passed through 4.5 mm round-hole sieves and the fractions with particles ³4.5 mm (fraction A) and <4.5 mm (fraction B) and then analyzed for aflatoxins by TLC. The results showed that the distribution of the aflatoxins among the fractions A and B varied from sample to sample. However, the fraction B presented higher content (6 to 1,422 µg/kg) of aflatoxins (P<5%), than samples of fraction A (4 to 389 µg/kg). In spite of that the segregation of this fraction did not reduce significantly the contamination of the samples. This probably occurred because the contribution of the fraction B for the estimated total of the concentration of aflatoxin of the sample was smaller than that of the fraction A, due to the smallest amount of the fraction B in the sample weight total. In spite of being significant for the studied samples the correlation among the percentages of the groups of grains with defects a) burning grains, sprouted, burned and moldy and b) total injured, with the estimated level of contamination for the samples, more studies will be necessary so that better conclusions can be drawn for this correlation.

Genetic parameters for post weaning growth of Nellore cattle using polinomyals and trigonometric functions in random regression models

Covariance functions and random regression models have been considered as an alternative for data adjustment, in sequence, stemming from the same animal along time and which presents a structured pattern of covariance. Aiming to evaluate the performance of random regression models based on the Legendre, modified Jacobi and trigonometric functions, data concerning the weights of Nellore breed animals were used from birth to the 800th day of life, in models that assumed direct additive and animal permanent environmental effects coefficients. The Schwarz Bayesian information criterion (BIC) led to the selection of the models Legendre of order six (ML6), Jacobi of order five (MJ5) and trigonometric of order six (MT6), the ML6 model presenting the lowest BIC. At the extremity of the interval, the MJ5 model presented lower variance of component estimates than those obtained through the ML6 model, however the estimates were in accordance to the medium part of the interval; while the estimates from the MT6 model were oscillating and different from those obtained through the other models. At the extremity of the interval, the heritability coefficient estimates (2) obtained through the MJ5 model were lower than those obtained through the ML6 model, however, in the medium part of the interval, they were in accordance, remaining between 0.2 and 0.3. The values obtained through the MT6 model were different from those obtained through the other models, remaining between 0.35 and 0.40 on the first 285th days and then dropping to 0.01 on the 800th days of life. The means of the estimated growth curves started to distance from the data mean tendency from the 470th days on, and in this interval, the MT6 model was the most suitable.

Imputação de dados climáticos utilizando a decomposição por valores singulares: uma comparação empírica

A common problem in climate data is missing information. Recently, four methods have been developed which are based in the singular value decomposition of a matrix (SVD). The aim of this paper is to evaluate these new developments making a comparison by means of a simulation study based on two complete matrices of real data. One corresponds to the historical precipitation of Piracicaba / SP - Brazil and the other matrix corresponds to multivariate meteorological characteristics in the same city from year 1997 to 2012. In the study, values were deleted randomly at different percentages with subsequent imputation, comparing the methodologies by three criteria: the normalized root mean squared error, the similarity statistic of Procrustes and the Spearman correlation coefficient. It was concluded that the SVD should be used only when multivariate matrices are analyzed and when matrices of precipitation are used, the monthly mean overcome the performance of other methods based on the SVD.

Epidemic phase and the site percolation with distant-neighbor interactions☆

Abstract A generalized site percolation model is used to construct an analogy with the epidemic problem, involving spatial coordinates. Epidemic phase and concepts like herd immunity are analyzed in terms of connectivity in a 2D square lattice. The epidemic model used in this work considers a specific interaction topology that includes up to the fifth-nearest neighbors. The results, obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, emphasize the meaning of the spatial coordinates and are illustrated by an epidemic/non-epidemic phase diagram.

Estudo de diversas variedades de copas sobre diferentes porta-enxertos da mangueira (Mangifera indica L.)

The aim of this paper was to investigate the influence of the combination tree crown + rootstock on mango tree performance. The trees were selected according to height and crown diameter, measured once in 1981, using 210 trees, 15 years old at the beginning of the experiment. The Extrema, Espada, Oliveira Neto, Carlota, Bourbon, Coco and Pahiri varieties were used as rootstock and Extrema, Pahiri, Imperial, Oliveira Neto, Cariota e Bourbon were utilized as scions for tree crown development. Data were analysed by classical statistics, comparing means through the Tukey test, at a probability level of 5%. The crowns Oliveira Neto, Extrema e Bourbon showed the highest heights and diametres.

MANGUEIRA: INFLUÊNCIA DO PORTA-ENXERTO E DA COPA NA PRODUÇÃO DE FRUTAS

The aim of this paper was to study combinations of crown and rootstock for mango. Data on flowering and frutification were taken from 1981, 1982 and 1983, using 210 trees 15 year-old at the begining of the experiment. The varieties Extrema, Oliveira Neto, Carlota Imperial, Pahiri and Bourbon were used as crown, and Espada, Extrema, Oliveira Neto, Carlota, Coco, Pahiri and Bourbon were utilized as rootstock.

Efeito de clorofenoxipropionamida (Fruitone CPA) sobre o fruto da bananeira 'nanicão'

Fruitone CPA was applied on the two terminals hands of the banana bunch, using the following doses: 0-159-300 and 600 ppm. Fruitone did not affect fruit weightm but increased fruit lenght. This alteration was greater with Fruitone at 600 ppm.