The ager tarraconensis project (right side of river Francoli) (PAT): the application of geophysical survey to identify rural Roman settlement typologies

The methodology of the ager Tarraconensis project also included geophysical surveys aiming to distinguish different categories of rural settlements. Two geophysical techniques (resistivity and magnetometry) were combined to reveal traces of unearth structures from a selection of sites identified from the field survey. Results of geophysical surveys of these seven sites as well as conclusions obtained from this approach are discussed here.

Weed Phytosociological and Floristic Survey in Agricultural Areas of Southwestern Goiás Region

The use of the Roundup Ready(r) technology and the cultivation of a second crop influence the floristic composition of weed communities in Brazilian Central-West region cropping systems. This study has aimed to diagnose the dominant weed species in southwestern Goiás in areas of genetically-modified and conventional soybeans, using phytosociological and floristic surveys. Weed sampling was obtained by collecting all the plants present within a 0.5 m hollow frame, randomly thrown 20 times in each of thirty-five agricultural areas in the 2012/2013 harvest. Field survey was carried out in three periods: before desiccation for soybean sowing, before postemergence herbicide in soybean first application and before postemergence herbicide application in late harvest. A total of 525 m2 was inventoried and 3,219 weeds were collected, which included 79 species, 58 genera and 28 families. Families Poaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae, were the most representative in the survey. Species Cenchrus echinatus, Glycine max, Chamaesyce hirta, Commelina benghalensis, and Alternanthera tenella stood out in importance. The RR+millet soybean treatment had the highest number of species (44), while the conventional soybean + sorghum treatment had the lowest number of species (18). The highest number of species was recorded in first sampling period. Treatments conventional soybean + maize and conventional soybean + millet showed higher similarity (70%), while treatments RR soybean + millet and conventional soybean + sorghum showed the least (51%). Species of difficult control were recorded in all cultivation systems analyzed.

Nickel in a tropical soil treated with sewage sludge and cropped with maize in a long-term field study

Sewage sludge produced by the SABESP wastewater treatment plant (Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo), located in Barueri, SP, Brazil, may contain high contents of nickel (Ni), increasing the risk of application to agricultural soils. An experiment was carried out under field conditions in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating the effects on soil properties and on maize plants of increasing rates of a sewage sludge rich in Ni that had been applied for 6 consecutive years. The experiment was located on a Typic Haplorthox soil, using an experimental design of randomized blocks with four treatments (rates of sewage sludge) and five replications. At the end of the experiment the accumulated amounts of sewage sludge applied were 0.0, 30.0, 60.0 and 67.5 t ha-1. Maize (Zea mays L.) was the test plant. Soil samples were collected 60 d after sowing at depths of 0-20 cm for Ni studies and from 0 to 10 cm and from 10 to 20 cm for urease studies. Sewage sludge did not cause toxicity or micronutrient deficiencies to maize plants and increased grain production. Soil Ni appeared to be associated with the most stable fractions of the soil organic matter and was protected against strong extracting solutions such as concentrated and hot HNO3 and HCl. Ni added to the soil by sewage sludge increased the metal concentration in the shoots, but not in the grain. The Mehlich 3 extractor was not efficient to evaluate Ni phytoavailability to maize plants. Soil urease activity was increased by sewage sludge only in the layer where the residue was applied. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The juvenile three-spined stickleback : model organism for the study of estrogenic and androgenic endocrine disruption in laboratory and field

Industrial and domestic sewage effluents have been found to cause reproductive disorders in wild fish, often as a result of the interference of compounds in the effluents with the endocrine system. This thesis describes laboratory-based exposure experiments and a field survey that were conducted with juveniles of the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. This small teleost is a common fish in Swedish coastal waters and was chosen as an alternative to non-native test species commonly used in endocrine disruption studies, which allows the comparison of field data with results from laboratory experiments. The aim of this thesis was to elucidate 1) if genetic sex determination and differentiation can be disturbed by natural and synthetic steroid hormones and 2) whether this provides an endpoint for the detection of endocrine disruption, 3) to evaluate the applicability of specific estrogen- and androgen-inducible marker proteins in juvenile three-spined sticklebacks, 4) to investigate whether estrogenic and/or androgenic endocrine disrupting activity can be detected in effluents from Swedish pulp mills and domestic sewage treatment plants and 5) whether such activity can be detected in coastal waters receiving these effluents. Laboratory exposure experiments found juvenile three-spined sticklebacks to be sensitive to water-borne estrogenic and androgenic steroid substances. Intersex – the co-occurrence of ovarian and testicular tissue in gonads – was induced by 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The first two weeks after hatching was the phase of highest sensitivity. MT was ambivalent by simultaneously eliciting masculinizing and feminizing effects. When applying a DNA-based method for genetic sex identification, it was found that application of MT only during the first two weeks after hatching caused total and apparently irreversible development of testis in genetic females. E2 caused gonad type reversal from male to female. E2 and EE2 induced vitellogenin - the estrogen-responsive yolk precursor protein, while DHT and MT induced spiggin – the androgen-responsive glue protein of the stickleback. None of the effluents from two pulp mills and two domestic sewage treatment plants had any estrogenic or androgenic activity. Juvenile three-spined sticklebacks were collected during four subsequent summers at the Swedish Baltic Sea coast in recipients of effluents from pulp mills and a domestic sewage treatment plant as well as remote reference sites. No sings of endocrine disruption were observed at any site, when studying gonad development or marker proteins, except for a deviation of sex ratios at a reference site. The three-spined stickleback – with focus on the juvenile stage – was found to be a sensitive species suitable for the study of estrogenic and androgenic endocrine disruption.

Virus isolation vs RT-PCR: which method is more successful in detecting VHSV and IHNV in fish tissue sampled under field conditions?

This study compared the results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and traditional virus isolation on cell culture in detection of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) and infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). RT-PCR was used for 172 tissue sample pools (total of 859 fish) originating from a field survey on the occurrence of VHSV and IHNV in farmed and wild salmonids in Switzerland. These samples represented all sites with fish that were either identified as virus-positive by means of virus isolation (three sites, four positive tissue sample pools) and/or demonstrated positive anti-VHSV-antibody titres (83 sites, 121 positive blood samples) in a serum plaque neutralization test (SPNT). The RT-PCR technique confirmed the four VHSV-positive tissue sample pools detected by virus isolation and additionally identified one VHSV-positive sample that showed positive anti-VHSV-AB titres, but was negative in virus isolation. With IHNV, RT-PCR detected two positive samples not identified by virus isolation while in these fish the SPNT result had been questionable. One of the IHNV-positive samples represents the first detection of IHNV-RNA in wild brown trout in Switzerland. Compared to SPNT, the RT-PCR method detected, as with virus isolation, a much lower number of positive cases; reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Our results indicate that RT-PCR can not only be successfully applied in field surveys, but may also be slightly more sensitive than virus isolation. However, in a titration experiment under laboratory conditions, the sensitivity of RT-PCR was not significantly higher when compared with virus isolation.

Caste, land, and migration : a preliminary analysis of a village survey in an underdeveloped state in India

This paper explores migration from Bihar, one of the most underdeveloped states in India, by paying particular attention to social class (caste) and landholdings. After describing details of individual migrants, we present our preliminary findings on the determinants of migration, based on our field survey of 200 households in four villages in 2011. In terms of social class, Muslims are more likely to migrate, but Scheduled Castes do not show a high propensity to migrate as is stated in some of the existing literature where the underclass is said to be more mobile. In terms of landholdings, the probability that someone will migrate is high among the landless and smaller landholders but it decreases as the size of the landholding increases. However, as the size of the landholding increases still further, a reverse effect of landholding on decisions regarding migration moves in, with the decline in probability becoming less and less. This result confirms a non-linear relationship between landholdings and the decision to migrate. Some further research questions are raised in the paper.

Excerpts from preliminary class specifications for use in the classification of positions in the field service of the Navy Department /

At head of title: Excerpts from P. C. B. Form No. 18.

Monitoring the condition of savanna riparian zones in Northern Australia using high spatial resolution imagery and a field based rapid assessment method

Government agencies responsible for riparian environments are assessing the combined utility of field survey and remote sensing for mapping and monitoring indicators of riparian zone condition. The objective of this work was to compare the Tropical Rapid Appraisal of Riparian Condition (TRARC) method to a satellite image based approach. TRARC was developed for rapid assessment of the environmental condition of savanna riparian zones. The comparison assessed mapping accuracy, representativeness of TRARC assessment, cost-effectiveness, and suitability for multi-temporal analysis. Two multi-spectral QuickBird images captured in 2004 and 2005 and coincident field data covering sections of the Daly River in the Northern Territory, Australia were used in this work. Both field and image data were processed to map riparian health indicators (RHIs) including percentage canopy cover, organic litter, canopy continuity, stream bank stability, and extent of tree clearing. Spectral vegetation indices, image segmentation and supervised classification were used to produce RHI maps. QuickBird image data were used to examine if the spatial distribution of TRARC transects provided a representative sample of ground based RHI measurements. Results showed that TRARC transects were required to cover at least 3% of the study area to obtain a representative sample. The mapping accuracy and costs of the image based approach were compared to those of the ground based TRARC approach. Results proved that TRARC was more cost-effective at smaller scales (1-100km), while image based assessment becomes more feasible at regional scales (100-1000km). Finally, the ability to use both the image and field based approaches for multi-temporal analysis of RHIs was assessed. Change detection analysis demonstrated that image data can provide detailed information on gradual change, while the TRARC method was only able to identify more gross scale changes. In conclusion, results from both methods were considered to complement each other if used at appropriate spatial scales.

O floreio na capoeira

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Soil carbon stocks under no-tillage mulch-based cropping systems in the Brazilian Cerrado: An on-farm synchronic assessment

No-tillage mulch-based (NTM) cropping systems have been widely adopted by farmers in the Brazilian savanna region (Cerrado biome). We hypothesized that this new type of management should have a profound impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) at regional scale and consequently on climate change mitigation. The objective of this study was thus to quantify the SOC storage potential of NTM in the oxisols of the Cerrado using a synchronic approach that is based on a chronosequence of fields of different years under NTM. The study consisted of three phases: (1) a farm/cropping system survey to identify the main types of NTM systems to be chosen for the chronosequence; (2) a field survey to identify a homogeneous set of situations for the chronosequence and (3) the characterization of the chronosequence to assess the SOC storage potential. The main NTM system practiced by farmers is an annual succession of soybean (Glycine max)or maize (Zea mays) with another cereal crop. This cropping system covers 54% of the total cultivated area in the region. At the regional level, soil organic C concentrations from NTM fields were closely correlated with clay + silt content of the soil (r(2) = 0.64). No significant correlation was observed (r(2) = 0.07), however, between these two variables when we only considered the fields with a clay + silt content in the 500-700 g kg(-1) range. The final chronosequence of NTM fields was therefore based on a subsample of eight fields, within this textural range. The SOC stocks in the 0-30 cm topsoil layer of these selected fields varied between 4.2 and 6.7 kg C m(-2) and increased on average (r(2) = 0.97) with 0.19 kg C m(-2) year(-1). After 12 years of NTM management, SOC stocks were no longer significantly different from the stocks under natural Cerrado vegetation (p < 0.05), whereas a 23-year-old conventionally tilled and cropped field showed SOC stocks that were about 30% below this level. Confirming our hypotheses, this study clearly illustrated the high potential of NTM systems in increasing SOC storage under tropical conditions, and how a synchronic approach may be used to assess efficiently such modification on farmers` fields, identifying and excluding non desirable sources of heterogeneity (management, soils and climate). (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aggregated personality, climate and demographic factors as predictors of departmental shrinkage

The present study investigated how demographic, personality, and climate variables act to predict departmental theft. Participants in the current field survey were 153 employees from 17 departments across two stores. The results of confirmatory factor analyses supported the construct validity of the Big Five Inventory (John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991) and the Occupational Climate Questionnaire (Furnham & Gunter, 1997) in UK work settings. The results of regression analysis indicate that the variability in departmental theft is accountable in terms of a linear combination of demographic, personality, and climate factors. We concluded that an expanded theoretical perspective (utilizing demographic, personality, and climate variables) explained more variance than might otherwise be expected from any single perspective. Indeed, climate, personality, and demographic variables operated legitimately at the departmental level. Finally, we explained aggregated personality as a form of social interaction which is the by-product of individual differences.

Evas??o em cursos de educa????o continuada a dist??ncia: um estudo na Escola Nacional de Administra????o P??blica

A an??lise da literatura brasileira sobre educa????o a dist??ncia ?? ainda limitada no que diz respeito a estudos que investiguem o fen??meno da evas??o, em especial, em contextos de escolas de governo. Este artigo procura identificar e analisar os fatores que contribuem para a evas??o de participantes nos cursos de educa????o continuada a dist??ncia em uma organiza????o governamental respons??vel pela capacita????o dos servidores da administra????o p??blica federal. A ??nfase das investiga????es encontra-se nas vari??veis referentes ??s dificuldades pessoais, profissionais e tecnol??gicas, ??s peculiaridades do curso e caracter??sticas da clientela, contrastadas com as vari??veis demogr??ficas referentes ?? evas??o em cursos a dist??ncia mediados por tecnologias da informa????o e da comunica????o. O trabalho ?? embasado em metodologia quantitativa, por meio de pesquisa descritiva de campo junto aos participantes, valendo-se do uso de question??rio eletr??nico. Procura contribuir para investiga????es sobre o tema, em especial no que se refere aos servidores p??blicos.

Tsunami vulnerability assessment of Casablanca-Morocco using numerical modelling and GIS tools

Earthquakes and tsunamis along Morocco's coasts have been reported since historical times. The threat posed by tsunamis must be included in coastal risk studies. This study focuses on the tsunami impact and vulnerability assessment of the Casablanca harbour and surrounding area using a combination of tsunami inundation numerical modelling, field survey data and geographic information system. The tsunami scenario used here is compatible with the 1755 Lisbon event that we considered to be the worst case tsunami scenario. Hydrodynamic modelling was performed with an adapted version of the Cornell Multigrid Coupled Tsunami Model from Cornell University. The simulation covers the eastern domain of the Azores-Gibraltar fracture zone corresponding to the largest tsunamigenic area in the North Atlantic. The proposed vulnerability model attempts to provide an insight into the tsunami vulnerability of building stock. Results in the form of a vulnerability map will be useful for decision makers and local authorities in preventing the community resiliency for tsunami hazards.

Effects of density versus size on grazing by a key exploited herbivore

Fishing decreases the biomass of target species via reduction in the numbers and/or size of individuals. In natural systems, the strength of biological interactions, including predator-prey dynamics, are often density or size-dependent. Hence, changes in the numbers or size of key taxa may be expected to influence biological interactions but their effects do not need to be identical. Here we compare the effects of biomass reduction in populations of the exploited limpet Patella candei. Biomass removal was experimentally achieved by either removing individuals (density reduction) or by replacing large by small individuals (size reduction), while controlling for total limpet biomass in a laboratory-based experiment. At the experiment’s termination, biomass reduction led to proportional changes in area grazed. However, there was no difference whether this was achieved via changes in density or in size. Furthermore, no discernible effects of treatments were evident on different components of the algal assemblage. A field survey also revealed that P. candei biomass explained a greater proportion in variation in the area free of algae than density alone. Our results suggest that loss of biomass in populations of P. candei has quantitatively and qualitatively similar effects on algal cover regardless of whether it is caused by an equivalent (biomass) reduction in the numbers or size of individuals.

Spanish society's perceptions about socially responsible investing

The debate surrounding the financial needs of investors and the impact on society of investment is considered to be an important research topic due to the growth of socially responsible financial markets. The objective of this research is to study the perception of the Spanish public about socially responsible investing (SRI) criteria and real-life investment needs. To examine the Spanish perception of SRI, we conducted a field survey. The results show that SRI is in an early stage and Spanish investors need more exact information regarding social, environmental, and governance criteria in order to invest in socially responsible companies and products.