Origin and evolution of Upper Triassic to Miocene clay-mineral associations from the eastern Algarve of Portugal

XRD-analyses of pelitic deposits of Upper Jurassic to Miocene age occuring in the eastern Algarve (Portugal), give evidence of the occurrence of detrital clay minerals of continental origin as well as of conspicuous neoformations of marine provenance. The vertical succession of clay-mineral associations indicates the existence of three distinctive evolutionary cycles which are thought to reflect tectonically controlled transgressive-regressive events.

Calculating an upper bound on the finishing time of a group of threads executing on a GPU: a preliminary case study

Graphics processor units (GPUs) today can be used for computations that go beyond graphics and such use can attain a performance that is orders of magnitude greater than a normal processor. The software executing on a graphics processor is composed of a set of (often thousands of) threads which operate on different parts of the data and thereby jointly compute a result which is delivered to another thread executing on the main processor. Hence the response time of a thread executing on the main processor is dependent on the finishing time of the execution of threads executing on the GPU. Therefore, we present a simple method for calculating an upper bound on the finishing time of threads executing on a GPU, in particular NVIDIA Fermi. Developing such a method is nontrivial because threads executing on a GPU share hardware resources at very fine granularity.

Upper Miocene planktonic foraminifera from Algarve. Chronostratigraphical implications

Ciências da Terra(UNL) Nº 15, pp. 199-208

New evidence of shared dinosaur across upper jurassic proto-North Atlantic: stegosaurus from Portugal

Naturwissenschaften 94,367–374

On the Upper Cretaceous age and affinities of Neocyprideis lusitanicus (Ostracoda)

Guernet & Lauverjat (1986) described a new species, Neocyprideis lusitanicus, from sediments deposited near Aveiro, Portugal. For these authors, some associated fossils (Molluscs, planktonic Foraminifera) indicated a Pliocene age. That seemingly was the first record of Neocyprideis in post-Miocene sediments in Europe. A recent study of Upper Cretaceous material from the same region showed an abundant Neocyprideis fauna, associated with Charophyta. These Neocyprideis could be assigned without any doubt to N. lusitanicus. Therefore, N. lusitanicus appears as an Upper Cretaceous species, reworked in much later sediments, not Pliocene but Quaternary, as indicated by the planktonic Foraminifera assemblage. This interpretation is supported by: 1 - the incompatibility of the Neocyprideis (restricted to lacustrine-lagoonal environments) with abundant planktic Foraminifera; 2 - the occurrence of N. lusitanicus with Charophytes and non marine, cretaceous vertebrates but without the same Foraminifera. Neocyprideis lusitanicus is a valid species, clearly different from the other late Cretaceous species (N. coudouxensis and N. murciensis) as well as the Early Miocene described species (N. aquitanica, N. janoscheki).

Upper Jurassic Hybodontidae (Selachii) from Lourinhã, Portugal

Hybodontidae teeth and spines from the Lourinha Formation, Sobral unit are described. These teeth and spines have been ascribed to the genus Hybodus and regarded as Hybodus cf. reticulatus.

Charophytes from Silveirinha (?Upper Paleocene - Lowermost Eocene) according to Janine Riveline

Charophytae gyrogonites are common among the washing/sieving residues from the important ?Upper Paleocene or lowermost Eocene site of Silveirinha (lower Mondego, Portugal). The whole Charophyte material has been submitted to Janine Riveline, who recognized but Nitellopsis (Tectochara) dutemplei (Watelet)Grambast & Souliè-Marsche minor Riveline. This form has been found in the lacustrine marls overlying the "Conglomerat de Cernay" that is rich in late Thanetian vertebrates. Taking into account the presence of the above referred form, the age of the concerned sediments may be (not basal) Sparnacian, Peckichara disermas Charophyte zone.

Upper Paleocene-Early Eocene mollusks of Silveirinha (Figueira da Foz, West Central Portugal)

A collection of fossil gastropods and bivalves assembled at the Thanetian/Ypresian vertebrate site of Silveirinha (Figueira da Foz, West Central Portugal) is analysed from the point of view of systematics and palaeoecology. The diversity is scarce but the age and exceptional characteristics of the site are factors that substantiate a detailed study. The taxa identified are: Bithynia soaresi sp. nov., Gyraulus antunesi sp. nov., Chlamys sp. and Cardiiacea gen. sp. indet. The prevailing of freshwater gastropods and the occurrence of 2 fragments of marine bivalves suggest a palaeoenvironmental setting that is in conformity with interpretations already established, which are based both in sedimentologic and vertebrate data. These interpretations point out the existence of a freshwater environment opened from time to time to marine influences, resulting from a palaeoatlantic coast placed some kilometres westwards.

Upper miocene planktonic foraminifera from Algarve. Chronostratigraphical implications

New data on the planktonic foraminifera from the Upper Miocene Cacela Formation and Mem Moniz spongoliths are presented. The coiling type of Globorotalia menardii from Cacela and Quelfes and the occurrence at Quelfes of G. miotumida allow correlation with the bio-events I to 3 (7,512 to 7,24 Ma; Sierro et al., 1993; 2001) that have been recognized in the Guadalquivir Basin (Spain). The presence of Neogloboquadrina acostaensis and N. humerosa at Mem Moniz points out to the Upper Miocene (Tortonian, upper N16, or even NI7). Mem Moniz spongoliths are correlated with the Cacela Formation. Some 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ages of mollusc or foraminifera shells don't fit well with finer biostratigraphic record and present wide error margins.

From the Bay of Biscay to the High Atlas: completing the anisotropic characterization of the upper mantle beneath the westernmost Mediterranean region

The knowledge of the anisotropic properties beneath the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Morocco has been dramatically improved since late 2007 with the analysis of the data provided by the dense TopoIberia broadband seismic network, the increasing number of permanent stations operating in Morocco, Portugal and Spain, and the contribution of smaller scale/higher resolution experiments. Results from the two first TopoIberia deployments have evidenced a spectacular rotation of the fast polarization direction (FPD) along the Gibraltar Arc, interpreted as an evidence of mantle flow deflected around the high velocity slab beneath the Alboran Sea, and a rather uniform N100 degrees E FPD beneath the central Iberian Variscan Massif, consistent with global mantle flow models taking into account contributions of surface plate motion, density variations and net lithosphere rotation. The results from the last Iberarray deployment presented here, covering the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, also show a rather uniform FPD orientation close to N100 degrees E, thus confirming the previous interpretation globally relating the anisotropic parameters to the LPO of mantle minerals generated by mantle flow at asthenospheric depths. However, the degree of anisotropy varies significantly, from delay time values of around 0.5 s beneath NW Iberia to values reaching 2.0 sin its NE comer. The anisotropic parameters retrieved from single events providing high quality data also show significant differences for stations located in the Variscan units of NW Iberia, suggesting that the region includes multiple anisotropic layers or complex anisotropy systems. These results allow to complete the map of the anisotropic properties of the westernmost Mediterranean region, which can now be considered as one of best constrained regions worldwide, with more than 300 sites investigated over an area extending from the Bay of Biscay to the Sahara platform. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Upper crustal structure of Madeira Island revealed from ambient noise tomography

We present the first image of the Madeira upper crustal structure, using ambient seismic noise tomography. 16 months of ambient noise, recorded in a dense network of 26 seismometers deployed across Madeira, allowed reconstructing Rayleigh wave Green's functions between receivers. Dispersion analysis was performed in the short period band from 1.0 to 4.0 s. Group velocity measurements were regionalized to obtain 20 tomographic images, with a lateral resolution of 2.0 km in central Madeira. Afterwards, the dispersion curves, extracted from each cell of the 2D group velocity maps, were inverted as a function of depth to obtain a 3D shear wave velocity model of the upper crust, from the surface to a depth of 2.0 km. The obtained 3D velocity model reveals features throughout the island that correlates well with surface geology and island evolution. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Upper crustal structure of Madeira Island revealed from ambient noise tomography

We present the first image of the Madeira upper crustal structure, using ambient seismic noise tomography. 16 months of ambient noise, recorded in a dense network of 26 seismometers deployed across Madeira, allowed reconstructing Rayleigh wave Green's functions between receivers. Dispersion analysis was performed in the short period band from 1.0 to 4.0 s. Group velocity measurements were regionalized to obtain 20 tomographic images, with a lateral resolution of 2.0 km in central Madeira. Afterwards, the dispersion curves, extracted from each cell of the 2D group velocity maps, were inverted as a function of depth to obtain a 3D shear wave velocity model of the upper crust, from the surface to a depth of 2.0 km. The obtained 3D velocity model reveals features throughout the island that correlates well with surface geology and island evolution. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Orbital forcing of stratal patterns in an inner platform carbonate sucession: an example from an Upper Hauterivian series of the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal

With an example taken from a late-Hauterivian series of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal), we will demonstrate the sedimentary record of orbital pattern variations and, consequently, climate variations in an inner platform environment with patterns and isolation changes, allows us to establish 4 major orders of periodicity related to orbital components:- The large cycles ob bed thickness variation, constituted by 31-32 beds, recording the 400 ky eccentricity cycle component;- The medium cycles, represented by byndles of 8-9 beds, related to the 100 ky eccentricity cycle component; - The small cycles, of 3-5 beds, recording the 41 ky obliquity components;- The very small cycles, of 2 beds, related to the 22 ky and 26 ky precession components. The mean duration of each bed is around 11.8 ky, a number very close to that of the precession hemi-cycle. Climatic control on qualitative production is confirmed by the close relation between the bed thickness variations, the insolation variability and the variation of micritized elements concentrations.

Clinical and endoscopic findings in the mucosae of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts in post-treatment follow-up of paracoccidioidomycosis patients

Systematic examination of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts (URDT) was performed in a group of 80 paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) patients submitted to post-treatment follow-up ranging from 8 months to 17 years. Mucosae of the URDT had been involved prior to specific treatment in 74 patients, distributed as follows: oropharynx, 50 (41 alone, 7 in association with the larynx, and 2 with the nasal mucosa); larynx, 30 (23 alone and 7 in association); and nasal mucosa, 3(1 alone and 2 in association). Inactive lesions were observed in all the 50 patients with lesions of the oropharynx, 3 of whom with deforming scars (1 with retraction of the tongue and 2 with narrowing of the oral orifice). One case presented a destructive lesion, with perfuration of the palate. Of the other 46 cases, examination showed nacreous white striated scars which were nearly imperceptible in some cases and in others displayed partial retraction of anatomical structures without any alteration of their features. Patients presented a high rate of missing teeth. In 3 patients with involvement of the nasal mucosa, none of whom presented active PCM lesions, 2 still had nasal voices. In 30 patients with lesions of the larynx, 1 suffered a relapse of PCM and 2 developed epidermoid carcinoma. Of the other 27 cases, none of whom had active PCM lesions, 15 presented dysphonia, 3 were tracheotomized, and 9 were asymptomatic.

Upper Ontology for Multi-Agent Energy Systems’ Applications

Energy systems worldwide are complex and challenging environments. Multi-agent based simulation platforms are increasing at a high rate, as they show to be a good option to study many issues related to these systems, as well as the involved players at act in this domain. In this scope the authors research group has developed three multi-agent systems: MASCEM, which simulates the electricity markets; ALBidS that works as a decision support system for market players; and MASGriP, which simulates the internal operations of smart grids. To take better advantage of these systems, their integration is mandatory. For this reason, is proposed the development of an upper-ontology which allows an easier cooperation and adequate communication between them. Additionally, the concepts and rules defined by this ontology can be expanded and complemented by the needs of other simulation and real systems in the same areas as the mentioned systems. Each system’s particular ontology must be extended from this top-level ontology.