Fragilidade ambiental da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Seridó (RN/PB Brasil)

There are many applications coming from geomorphological studies and their different constitutive and inter related elements, to the implementation of public politics of planning and environmental management. This search presents an analysis of the environmental fragility of the watershed of Seridó River, situated between the states of Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), including the identification of possible unstable areas. It is based on the methodological approach of Ecodynamics of the French researcher J. Tricart (1977) and on the operalisation proposal advocated by the Brazilian J. Ross (1994), related to the Potential and Emerging Ecodynamic Units, grounded in the Relief s Dissection Index or the topographic roughness, soil, rainfall and land use/vegetal cover. Under a quantitative perspective, the results obtained from the analysis of the watershed can be divided into classes of potential fragility: around 2.613,0 km² of low intensity, 5.188,4 km² of medium intensity and 2.585,5 km² of high intensity. Concerning the emerging fragility, the results are close to 2.212,0 km² of low intensity, 6.191,23 km² of medium intensity and 2.062,34 km² of high intensity. In the case of the watershed in question, the environmental degradation is particularly effective in the areas more dissected, where the ecological conditions, in synergy the environmental degradation, prevent the regeneration of vegetation when arises an opportunity for the (re)establishment of its equilibrium tenuous. The collected data is relevant for the territorial and environmental planning of the watershed, once we can still verify a close association of the cities on the central area of desertification with the areas of high environmental instability/fragility. This is an important tool to the understanding of the potential susceptibility of the natural and anthropic environments related to the advance and/or intensification of the erosion process, rock falls, mass movements, among other phenomena inside the potential unstable areas. From this perspective, the continuity of this research becomes extremely important to the understanding and arrangement of the process, together with the engendering and sustainability of the system in its totality; in narrow correlation because their potentialities, constraints and alternatives on Seridó River watershed, and in all the semi-arid region with similar characteristics

Evolutionary heuristic to determine future land use

In the spatial electric load forecasting, the future land use determination is one of the most important tasks, and one of the most difficult, because of the stochastic nature of the city growth. This paper proposes a fast and efficient algorithm to find out the future land use for the vacant land in the utility service area, using ideas from knowledge extraction and evolutionary algorithms. The methodology was implemented into a full simulation software for spatial electric load forecasting, showing a high rate of success when the results are compared to information gathered from specialists. The importance of this methodology lies in the reduced set of data needed to perform the task and the simplicity for implementation, which is a great plus for most of the electric utilities without specialized tools for this planning activity. © 2008 IEEE.

Land parceling and neighborhood impacts in Brazil

The proposal and implementation of parceling real estate into smaller lots in Brazil is done according to legal and technical formalities. However, these instruments have proved inefficient in reducing the resulting environmental impacts. The ambiguities of the federal, state and municipal laws and regulations have limited the effectiveness of the actions of urban administrators. Law 10257/2001 emerged as an alternative to overcome these difficulties, proposing the adoption of neighborhood impact studies as an instrument to evaluate new proposals of urban occupation for purposes of environmental licensing. Thus, the purpose of this law is to provide the foundations for municipal public authorities to establish criteria for the assessment, mitigation and compensation of impacts resulting from new occupations. However, the very vagueness of the generic nature of this federal law and its incorrect application in the municipal sphere has posed the greatest obstacles to the good use of this instrument of urban environmental management. These deficiencies are classified herein in the categories of philosophical, technical and operational problems. The problems of a philosophical nature lead to technical difficulties, which in turn trigger operational deficiencies. This article discusses these deficiencies and points out ways to reduce them. © 2009 Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering (JUEE). All rights reserved.

Socio-economic vulnerability to natural disasters in Mexico: rural poor, trade and public response

Includes bibliography

Institutions and public policies for rural development in Guatemala

Includes bibliography

Supervision, control and regulation of land transport

The first Latin American meeting of bodies responsible for the supervision, control and regulation of land transport, organized jointly by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the National Transport Regulation Commission of Argentina (CNRT), was held in Buenos Aires from 5 to 7 November 1997. Representatives of public- and private-sector bodies connected with land transport in Latin America, the United States of America and Europe took part in the meeting, in an atmosphere which was highly interactive owing to the numerous questions asked and the enriching discussions.

Does public financial support stimulate innovation and productivity? An impact evaluation

This paper contributes to the empirical literature that evaluates the effects of public financial support to innovation on innovation expenditures, innovation itself and productivity in developing countries. Propensity score matching techniques and data from Innovation Surveys are used to analyse the impacts of public financial support to innovation on Uruguayan firms. The results indicate that there is no crowding-out effect of private innovation investment by public funds and that public financial support in Uruguay seems to increase private innovation expenditures. Financial support also appears to induce increased research and development expenditures and innovative sales, with these effects being greatest for service firms. Public funds do not, however, significantly stimulate private expenditures by firms that would have carried out innovation activities even in the absence of financial support.

Small hospitals matter: insights from the emergence and spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in 2 public hospitals in inner Brazil

Although vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are reported in Brazil since 1996, data on their impact over settings of different complexity are scarce. We performed a study aimed at identifying determinants ofVRE emergence and spread in a public hospital consortium (comprising 2 hospitals, with 318 and 57 beds) in inner Brazil. Molecular typing and case-control studies (addressing predictors of acquisition or clonality) were performed. Among 122 authocthonous isolates, 106 were Enterococcus faecium (22 clones), and 16, Enterococcus faecalis (5 clones). Incidence was greater in the small-sized hospital, and a previous admission to this hospital was associated with greater risk of VRE colonization or infection during admission to the larger one. Overall risk factors included comorbidities, procedures, and antimicrobials (piperacillin-tazobactam, cefepime, and imipenem). Risk factors varied among different hospitals, species, and clones. Our findings demonstrate that VRE can spread within low-complexity facilities and from these to larger hospitals. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RP979-56 Long-Term Installment Land Contracts

The installment land contract is both an instrument of transfer and a method of financing sales of land. If properly drawn, it can have a number of advantages for both the buyer and seller. Both parties should contact their attorneys to be sure that the terms of the contract are clearly stated and understood. This research publication discusses how long-term installment land contracts are used in the agricultural community.

Biogeography in the air: fungal diversity over land and oceans

Biogenic aerosols are relevant for the Earth system, climate, and public health on local, regional, and global scales. Up to now, however, little is known about the diversity and biogeography of airborne microorganisms. We present the first DNA-based analysis of airborne fungi on global scales, showing pronounced geographic patterns and boundaries. In particular we find that the ratio of species richness between Basidiomycota and Ascomycota is much higher in continental air than in marine air. This may be an important difference between the 'blue ocean' and 'green ocean' regimes in the formation of clouds and precipitation, for which fungal spores can act as nuclei. Our findings also suggest that air flow patterns and the global atmospheric circulation are important for the understanding of global changes in biodiversity.

A New Method to Predict the Epidemiology of Fungal Keratitis by Monitoring the Sales Distribution of Antifungal Eye Drops in Brazil

Purpose: Fungi are a major cause of keratitis, although few medications are licensed for their treatment. The aim of this study is to observe the variation in commercialisation of antifungal eye drops, and to predict the seasonal distribution of fungal keratitis in Brazil. Methods: Data from a retrospective study of antifungal eye drops sales from the only pharmaceutical ophthalmologic laboratory, authorized to dispense them in Brazil (Opthalmos) were gathered. These data were correlated with geographic and seasonal distribution of fungal keratitis in Brazil between July 2002 and June 2008. Results: A total of 26,087 antifungal eye drop units were sold, with a mean of 2.3 per patient. There was significant variation in antifungal sales during the year (p < 0.01). A linear regression model displayed a significant association between reduced relative humidity and antifungal drug sales (R-2 = 0.17, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Antifungal eye drops sales suggest that there is a seasonal distribution of fungal keratitis. A possible interpretation is that the third quarter of the year (a period when the climate is drier), when agricultural activity is more intense in Brazil, suggests a correlation with a higher incidence of fungal keratitis. A similar model could be applied to other diseases, that are managed with unique, or few, and monitorable medications to predict epidemiological aspects.

INTERNAL AUDIT AND GROWTH OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

The ONATRACOM was established by the law number 08/2007 of 03/02/2007 determining the responsibilities, organization and functioning of Rwanda Public Transport Authority with function of promoting public transportation between Rwanda and other countries; participating in the implementation of the public transportation policy of Ministry in charge of transportation; perform any other activity that is directly or indirectly related to its objectives; and establish relations and collaborate with other regional and international agencies with similar attributions. In the recent days many public institutions have been listed by general auditor for being mismanaged and are on the course of deficit. This study aimed at examining internal audit growth of public institutions, case study of ONATRACOM – Rwanda. This research was conducted as a case study using ONATRACOM in NYARUGENGE District. The study was built at four specific objectives which are to determine if internal audit lead to the business growth of ONATRACOM, to find out if achieving internal audit increases the net profit and sales of ONATRACOM, to explore if there is internal sources of funds for pursuing growth opportunities in ONATRACOM, to assess whether ONATRACOM is able to obtain external sources of funds for pursuing growth opportunities as a result of internal audit impact or not. The findings were got from 27 respondents as the sample from the total target population of 96. Questionnaire was used as the technique to obtain primary data, while secondary data were obtained through examining the existing literature about the study. Chapter four presents the finding in form of descriptive statistical tables starting with the profile of the respondent and findings in line with the research objectives, It was found out that ONATRACOM was failure in its services because it was not achieve its targeted objectives and in this company, the internal audit was not effective in order to make performance of that company.

Impact of Land-Use Intensity and Productivity on Bryophyte Diversity in Agricultural Grasslands

While bryophytes greatly contribute to plant diversity of semi-natural grasslands, little is known about the relationships between land-use intensity, productivity, and bryophyte diversity in these habitats. We recorded vascular plant and bryophyte vegetation in 85 agricultural used grasslands in two regions in northern and central Germany and gathered information on land-use intensity. To assess grassland productivity, we harvested aboveground vascular plant biomass and analyzed nutrient concentrations of N, P, K, Ca and Mg. Further we calculated mean Ellenberg indicator values of vascular plant vegetation. We tested for effects of land-use intensity and productivity on total bryophyte species richness and on the species richness of acrocarpous (small & erect) and pleurocarpous (creeping, including liverworts) growth forms separately. Bryophyte species were found in almost all studied grasslands, but species richness differed considerably between study regions in northern Germany (2.8 species per 16 m2) and central Germany (6.4 species per 16 m2) due environmental differences as well as land-use history. Increased fertilizer application, coinciding with high mowing frequency, reduced bryophyte species richness significantly. Accordingly, productivity estimates such as plant biomass and nitrogen concentration were strongly negatively related to bryophyte species richness, although productivity decreased only pleurocarpous species. Ellenberg indicator values for nutrients proved to be useful indicators of species richness and productivity. In conclusion, bryophyte composition was strongly dependent on productivity, with smaller bryophytes that were likely negatively affected by greater competition for light. Intensive land-use, however, can also indirectly decrease bryophyte species richness by promoting grassland productivity. Thus, increasing productivity is likely to cause a loss of bryophyte species and a decrease in species diversity.

Reading Our Land Use Legacy in Groundwater: Nitrate Dynamics in the Judith River Watershed

Elevated nitrate in groundwater is common is agricultural areas where fertilizer has been added at high rates for decades. Within the Judith River Wastershed, high native soil fertility allowed for dryland wheat production without N fertilization until the 1980s, yet elevated nitrate levels were frequently observed in shallow aquifers. Dr. Stephanie Ewing presents results for soil, groundwater and surface water analyses from a hydrologically isolated strath terrace near Moccasin, MT. In context of this uniquely well constrained field setting, these observed data, along with land use history and a simple mass balance model, revel the long term development and perturbation of native soil fertility with cultivation.

Different Land Use Intensities in Grassland Ecosystems Drive Ecology of Microbial Communities Involved in Nitrogen Turnover in Soil

Understanding factors driving the ecology of N cycling microbial communities is of central importance for sustainable land use. In this study we report changes of abundance of denitrifiers, nitrifiers and nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (based on qPCR data for selected functional genes) in response to different land use intensity levels and the consequences for potential turnover rates. We investigated selected grassland sites being comparable with respect to soil type and climatic conditions, which have been continuously treated for many years as intensely used meadows (IM), intensely used mown pastures (IP) and extensively used pastures (EP), respectively. The obtained data were linked to above ground biodiversity pattern as well as water extractable fractions of nitrogen and carbon in soil. Shifts in land use intensity changed plant community composition from systems dominated by s-strategists in extensive managed grasslands to c-strategist dominated communities in intensive managed grasslands. Along the different types of land use intensity, the availability of inorganic nitrogen regulated the abundance of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers. In contrast, the amount of dissolved organic nitrogen determined the abundance of denitrifiers (nirS and nirK). The high abundance of nifH carrying bacteria at intensive managed sites gave evidence that the amounts of substrates as energy source outcompete the high availability of inorganic nitrogen in these sites. Overall, we revealed that abundance and function of microorganisms involved in key processes of inorganic N cycling (nitrification, denitrification and N fixation) might be independently regulated by different abiotic and biotic factors in response to land use intensity.