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To evaluate real estates means estimate its market value, taking into account several factors, such as: the particular characteristics of the property, market conditions and the balance between stakeholders in the negotiation. All these features make the evaluation a complex task, mainly because the real estate market represents an important segment of the national economy requiring more precise results. In this context, we conducted a survey on evaluation methodologies of properties that are used and identified that the main technique, regression analysis, has limitations that may compromise the outcome of the evaluation. This paper presents the research methodology developed using Multicriteria Analysis and Artificial Neural Network to evaluate residential apartments. The results were considered very satisfactory, indicating that the combination of multicriteria analysis and artificial neural network is efficient and promising.

The structural and dielectric properties of BaMoO4 - CaTiO3 advanced ceramics in the Radio Frequency (RF) region (< 300 MHz) were studied in the present work. X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement showed no evidence of secondary phases, indicating no reaction between the BaMoO4 (BMO) and CaTiO3 (CTO) phases. Complex Impedance Spectroscopy (CIS) analysis demonstrated that BMO presents greater permittivity than composites can be explained by the low densification of the composites. Nyquist diagrams were fitted employing an equivalent circuit with two associations of R-CPE (constant phase element) related to the grain and the grain boundary effects. The composites showed a decrease in the values of Temperature Capacitance Coefficient (TCC) with CTO (CaTiO3) content increase, whereas composites BMO20 and BMO40 showed TCC values equal to zero at 1 MHz. Moreover, as obtained by CIS analysis, the activation energy of thermo-activated processes decreases with CTO concentration increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Thermal stress causes significant changes in the bioavailability of minerals, especially calcium, in laying birds, resulting in reduced egg production, and compromising egg quality. Therefore, it is necessary to use additives that provide better nutrient availability and minimise the negative effects caused by high temperatures. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of super-dosing the diet of laying quails submitted to different temperatures with phytase on their bone parameters and on the epithelial calcium transporter calbindin-D28K positivity. Methods: Seven hundred and twenty (720) Japanese quails in the production phase were distributed in a completely randomised design, in a 5 × 3 factorial design, with five supplementation levels of phytase (0, 500, 1000, 1500, and 3000 FTU/kg), and three temperatures (24°C, 30°C and 36°C), totalling 15 treatments, and six replications of eight birds each. The study began at the 8th week of age and continued for two cycles of 21 days, totalling 42 days of experiment. Bone parameters of the tibias and calbindin-D28K positivity were measured by immunohistochemistry. The data were submitted to variance, Tukey, and regression analyses. Key results: At 24°C, birds had higher averages for proximal, medial, and distal diaphyses than did birds at 30°C and 36°C, and a greater breaking strength of the tibias than did those at 36°C. There was an increasing linear effect on the medial diaphysis and Seedor index in the tibias with an increasing phytase supplementation level. Calcium (Ca) in the tibias was higher in birds kept at 30°C at a supplementation level of up to 1000 FTU of phytase, than in the birds at 24°C and 36°C, equalling at 1500 FTU, and lower at 3000 FTU. There was a quadratic effect for phosphorus (P) and the Ca:P ratio in the tibias of quails submitted to increasing concentrations of phytase. Quails kept at 30°C showed greater anti-calbindin-D28K positivity in the duodenum and jejunum, when compared to animals subjected to temperatures of 24°C and 36°C. Phytase doses of 500 and 1000 FTU increased calbindin-D28K positivity in the duodenum of quails kept at 30°C. At a supplementation level of 1500 FTU, phytase provided greater eggshell thickness and greater calbindin-D28K positivity in the uterus of quails kept at 36°C. Conclusions: Therefore, it is recommended to use 1500 FTU of phytase for Japanese quail exposed to high temperatures. Implications: These findings suggest that dietary phytase super-dosing can help alleviate thermal stress in Japanese quail. Thermal stress induces significant changes in the bioavailability of minerals, especially calcium, compromising egg production and egg quality in quails. The use of additives becomes necessary to optimise nutrient absorption and mitigate the negative impacts of high temperatures. Phytase stands out as it breaks down phytate molecules, releasing vital nutrients such as calcium. It also helps combat the effects of thermal stress on the calcium transporter calbindin-D28K. This optimisation consequently enhances calcium absorption for use in egg production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tri-doped phosphor YNbO4:Er3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ was prepared by solid-state reaction method. The XRD and SEM results reveal that the product is a monoclinic phase of YNbO4 with high crystallinity and the particles presenting grains with well-defined boundaries with average size is about 1–5 μm. The temperature-dependent luminescence is investigated with 980 nm laser excitation, whereas temperature sensing behaviour was studied in the range of 300–500 K based on Stark sublevels 1G4(a)/1G4(b) (Tm3+), thermal coupling levels 2H11/2/4S3/2 (Er3+) and non-thermal coupling levels 4F9/2 → 4I15/2 (Er3+) /3F2 → 3H6 (Tm3+), 2H11/2 → 4I15/2 (Er3+) / 4F9/2 → 4I15/2 (Tm3+) and 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 (Er3+) /3F2 → 3H6 (Tm3+), utilizing fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) technique. It is worth highlighting that 1G4(a)/1G4(b) ratio as is not much employed in thermometry. Regarding, NTCL 3F2/1G4(b) pair exhibited the highest absolute sensitivity (SA) is about 110.2 × 10− 3 K− 1 at 500 K, whereas NTCL 3F2/4F9/2 pair presented the highest relative sensitivity (SR) is 2.1% K− 1 at 339 K. Meanwhile, the temperature-dependent emission colours are discussed in detail. High sensitivity indicates that YNbO4:Er3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ white-light phosphor can be used in non-contact temperature sensors applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been investigated for their versatile properties and remarkable tunability. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in magnetically intercalated TMDCs, driven by their potential applications in spintronic devices. In this paper, we describe a novel high-pressure synthesis procedure, yielding nominal NixTi2S4 compositions in a one-step straightforward procedure, starting from TiS2 and Ni metal. According to the Rietveld-refined synchrotron X-ray diffraction data, the compound crystallizes into a trigonal space group P3¯m1 (No. 164) with a crystallographic formula of Ni0.8Ti2S4. We observe anomalies in the thermal evolution of the Ni–S pair-bond at ∼8 K, which were correlated to a minor deviation of ∼0.05% below 25 K from the Grüneisen model for the zero-pressure equation of state that describes the thermal expansion of the unit-cell volume. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis probed the local atomic dynamics surrounding the Ni atoms (Ni K-edge). A careful examination of the bond variance in paths within the first shell indicated an increase in the covalent bonding between Ni and Ti, in contrast to other intercalated sulfides such as FexTi2S4. The investigated magnetic properties and specific heat do not demonstrate a long-range magnetic order. Instead, we observed a cluster glass-like behavior around 16 K, which suggests the coexistence of anti/ferromagnetic short-range magnetic interactions at low temperatures mediated by electron hopping between Ni eg states due to magnetic frustration in the system. The local atomic arrangement correlates to the short-range magnetic interactions, which suggests the occurrence of magnetoelastic coupling in Ni0.8Ti2S4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-cerium molybdate, NaCe(MoO4)2, belongs to the family of double alkaline rare-earth molybdate, and it holds significant importance across various technological domains, such as environmental remediation and energy conversion. Despite its importance, the behavior of NaCe(MoO4)2 under high-pressure conditions remains unexplored. This study uses synchrotron x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy to investigate NaCe(MoO4)2in situ under high-pressure conditions. We observed a pressure-induced phase transition from the scheelite to the M ′ -fergusonite structure type on a double molybdate at approximately 10 GPa. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the structural stability of NaCe(MoO4)2 and shed light on the broader field of high-pressure studies of double molybdates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]