Hydrocarbon analyses of submarine mud volcanoes (MV) in the Kumano forearc basin

Twelve submarine mud volcanoes (MV) in the Kumano forearc basin within the Nankai Trough subduction zone were investigated for hydrocarbon origins and fluid dynamics. Gas hydrates diagnostic for methane concentrations exceeding solubilities were recovered from MVs 2, 4, 5, and 10. Molecular ratios (C1/C2<250) and stable carbon isotopic compositions (d13C-CH4 >-40 per mil V-PDB) indicate that hydrate-bound hydrocarbons (HCs) at MVs 2, 4, and 10 are derived from thermal cracking of organic matter. Considering thermal gradients at the nearby IODP Sites C0009 and C0002, the likely formation depth of such HCs ranges between 2300 and 4300 m below seafloor (mbsf). With respect to basin sediment thickness and the minimum distance to the top of the plate boundary thrust we propose that the majority of HCs fueling the MVs is derived from sediments of the Cretaceous to Tertiary Shimanto belt below Pliocene/Pleistocene to recent basin sediments. Considering their sizes and appearances hydrates are suggested to be relicts of higher MV activity in the past, although the sporadic presence of vesicomyid clams at MV 2 showed that fluid migration is sufficient to nourish chemosynthesis-based organisms in places. Distributions of dissolved methane at MVs 3, 4, 5, and 8 pointed at fluid supply through one or few MV conduits and effective methane oxidation in the immediate subsurface. The aged nature of the hydrates suggests that the major portion of methane immediately below the top of the methane-containing sediment interval is fueled by current hydrate dissolution rather than active migration from greater depth.

14C specific radiocarbon ages and bulk ages accompanied by geochemical proxys from surface sediment samples in the Black Sea

Transfer of organic carbon (OC) from the terrestrial to the oceanic carbon pool is largely driven by riverine and aeolian transport. Before transport, however, terrigenous organic matter can be retained in intermediate terrestrial reservoirs such as soils. Using compound-specific radiocarbon analysis of terrigenous biomarkers their average terrestrial residence time can be evaluated. Here we show compound-specific radiocarbon (14C) ages of terrigenous biomarkers and bulk 14C ages accompanied by geochemical proxy data from core top samples collected along transects in front of several river mouths in the Black Sea. 14C ages of long chain n-alkanes, long chain n-fatty acids and total organic carbon (TOC) are highest in front of the river mouths, correlating well with BIT (branched and isoprenoid tetraether) indices, which indicates contribution of pre-aged, soil-derived terrigenous organic matter. The radiocarbon ages decrease further offshore towards locations where organic matter is dominated by marine production and aeolian input potentially contributes terrigenous organic matter. Average terrestrial residence times of vascular plant biomarkers deduced from n-C29+31 alkanes and n-C28+30 fatty acids ages from stations directly in front of the river mouths range from 900 ± 70 years to 4400 ± 170 years. These average residence times correlate with size and topography in climatically similar catchments, whereas the climatic regime appears to control continental carbon turnover times in morphologically similar drainage areas of the Black Sea catchment. Along-transect data imply petrogenic contribution of n-C29+31 alkanes and input via different terrigenous biomarker transport modes, i.e., riverine and aeolian, resulting in aged biomarkers at offshore core locations. Because n-C29+31 alkanes show contributions from petrogenic sources, n-C28+30 fatty acids likely provide better estimates of average terrestrial residence times of vascular plant biomarkers. Moreover, sedimentary n-C28 and n-C30 fatty acids appear clearly much less influenced by autochthonous sources than n-C24 and n-C26 fatty acids as indicated by increasing radiocarbon ages with increasing chain-length and are, thus, more representative as vascular plant biomarkers.

Gas hydrate investigation at the Amsterdam mud volcano

We investigated gas hydrate in situ inventories as well as the composition and principal transport mechanisms of fluids expelled at the Amsterdam mud volcano (AMV; 2,025 m water depth) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Pressure coring (the only technique preventing hydrates from decomposition during recovery) was used for the quantification of light hydrocarbons in near-surface deposits. The cores (up to 2.5 m in length) were retrieved with an autoclave piston corer, and served for analyses of gas quantities and compositions, and pore-water chemistry. For comparison, gravity cores from sites at the summit and beyond the AMV were analyzed. A prevalence of thermogenic light hydrocarbons was inferred from average C1/C2+ ratios <35 and d13C-CH4 values of -50.6 per mil. Gas venting from the seafloor indicated methane oversaturation, and volumetric gas-sediment ratios of up to 17.0 in pressure cores taken from the center demonstrated hydrate presence at the time of sampling. Relative enrichments in ethane, propane, and iso-butane in gas released from pressure cores, and from an intact hydrate piece compared to venting gas suggest incipient crystallization of hydrate structure II (sII). Nonetheless, the co-existence of sI hydrate can not be excluded from our dataset. Hydrates fill up to 16.7% of pore volume within the sediment interval between the base of the sulfate zone and the maximum sampling depth at the summit. The concave-down shapes of pore-water concentration profiles recorded in the center indicate the influence of upward-directed advection of low-salinity fluids/fluidized mud. Furthermore, the SO42- and Ba2+ pore-water profiles in the central part of the AMV demonstrate that sulfate reduction driven by the anaerobic oxidation of methane is complete at depths between 30 cm and 70 cm below seafloor. Our results indicate that methane oversaturation, high hydrostatic pressure, and elevated pore-water activity caused by low salinity promote fixing of considerable proportions of light hydrocarbons in shallow hydrates even at the summit of the AMV, and possibly also of other MVs in the region. Depending on their crystallographic structure, however, hydrates will already decompose and release hydrocarbon masses if sediment temperatures exceed ca. 19.3°C and 21.0°C, respectively. Based on observations from other mud volcanoes, the common occurrence of such temperatures induced by heat flux from below into the immediate subsurface appears likely for the AMV.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and biological processed during experiments with corals Porites sp. & Stylophora pistillata, 2010

Uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the oceans is altering seawater chemistry with potentially serious consequences for coral reef ecosystems due to the reduction of seawater pH and aragonite saturation state (omega arag). The objectives of this long-term study were to investigate the viability of two ecologically important reef-building coral species, massive Porites sp. and Stylophora pistilata, exposed to high pCO2(or low pH) conditions and to observe possible changes in physiologically related parameters as well as skeletal isotopic composition. Fragments of Porites sp. and S. pistilata were kept for 6-14 months under controlled aquarium conditions characterized by normal and elevated pCO2 conditions, corresponding to pHTvalues of 8.09, 7.49, and 7.19, respectively. In contrast with shorter, and therefore more transient experiments, the long experimental timescale achieved in this study ensures complete equilibration and steady state with the experimental environment and guarantees that the data provide insights into viable and stably growing corals. During the experiments, all coral fragments survived and added new skeleton, even at seawater omega arag <1, implying that the coral skeleton is formed by mechanisms under strong biological control. Measurements of boron (B), carbon (C) and oxygen (O) isotopic composition of skeleton, C isotopic composition of coral tissue and symbiont zooxanthellae, along with physiological data (such as skeletal growth, tissue biomass, zooxanthellae cell density and chlorophyll concentration) allow for a direct comparison with corals living under normal conditions and sampled simultaneously. Skeletal growth and zooxanthellae density were found to decrease, whereas coral tissue biomass (measured as protein concentration) and zooxanthellae chlorophyll concentrations increased under high pCO2 (low pH) conditions. Both species showed similar trends of delta11B depletion and delta18O enrichment under reduced pH, whereas the delta13C results imply species-specific metabolic response to high pCO2 conditions. The skeletal delta11B values plot above seawater delta11B vs. pH borate fractionation curves calculated using either the theoretically derived deltaB value of 1.0194 (Kakihana et al., Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 50(1977), 158) or the empirical deltaB value of 1.0272 (Klochko et al., EPSL 248 (2006), 261). However, the effective deltaB must be greater than 1.0200 in order to yield calculated coral skeletal delta11B values for pH conditions where omega arag >1. The delta11B vs. pH offset from the literature seawater delta11B vs. pH fractionation curves suggests a change in the ratio of skeletal material laid down during dark and light calcification and/or an internal pH regulation, presumably controlled by ion-transport enzymes. Finally, seawater pH significantly influences skeletal delta13C and delta18O. This must be taken into consideration when reconstructing paleo-environmental conditions from coral skeleton

n-alkane carbon isotope ratios in plants and recent lake sediments from Cameroon

Trees and shrubs in tropical Africa use the C3 cycle as a carbon fixation pathway during photosynthesis, while grasses and sedges mostly use the C4 cycle. Leaf-wax lipids from sedimentary archives such as the long-chain n-alkanes (e.g., n-C27 to n-C33) inherit carbon isotope ratios that are representative of the carbon fixation pathway. Therefore, n-alkane d13C values are often used to reconstruct past C3/C4 composition of vegetation, assuming that the relative proportions of C3 and C4 leaf waxes reflect the relative proportions of C3 and C4 plants. We have compared the d13C values of n-alkanes from modern C3 and C4 plants with previously published values from recent lake sediments and provide a framework for estimating the fractional contribution (areal-based) of C3 vegetation cover (fC3) represented by these sedimentary archives. Samples were collected in Cameroon, across a latitudinal transect that accommodates a wide range of climate zones and vegetation types, as reflected in the progressive northward replacement of C3-dominated rain forest by C4-dominated savanna. The C3 plants analysed were characterised by substantially higher abundances of n-C29 alkanes and by substantially lower abundances of n-C33 alkanes than the C4 plants. Furthermore, the sedimentary d13C values of n-C29 and n-C31 alkanes from recent lake sediments in Cameroon (-37.4 per mil to -26.5 per mil) were generally within the range of d13C values for C3 plants, even when from sites where C4 plants dominated the catchment vegetation. In such cases simple linear mixing models fail to accurately reconstruct the relative proportions of C3 and C4 vegetation cover when using the d13C values of sedimentary n-alkanes, overestimating the proportion of C3 vegetation, likely as a consequence of the differences in plant wax production, preservation, transport, and/or deposition between C3 and C4 plants. We therefore tested a set of non-linear binary mixing models using d13C values from both C3 and C4 vegetation as end-members. The non-linear models included a sigmoid function (sine-squared) that describes small variations in the fC3 values as the minimum and maximum d13C values are approached, and a hyperbolic function that takes into account the differences between C3 and C4 plants discussed above. Model fitting and the estimation of uncertainties were completed using the Monte Carlo algorithm and can be improved by future data addition. Models that provided the best fit with the observed d13C values of sedimentary n-alkanes were either hyperbolic functions or a combination of hyperbolic and sine-squared functions. Such non-linear models may be used to convert d13C measurements on sedimentary n-alkanes directly into reconstructions of C3 vegetation cover.

Enfermagem na Câmara dos Pares do Reino e na Câmara dos Senhores Deputados da Nação Portuguesa em 1896.

Introdução: A Monarquia Constitucional, de 1821 a 1910, funcionou com seis Câmaras de Representantes. A pergunta é: o que discutiam as elites, nestes palcos, relacionado com a enfermagem? Através de descritores relacionados com enfermagem, identificámos nos diários das sessões, em todo o período, 1317 páginas com referência a enfermagem. O ano 1896 mostrou a frequência mais elevada, 89 entradas. Nesse ano, funcionava a Câmara dos Pares do Reino (CPR) e a Câmara dos Senhores Deputados da Nação Portuguesa (CSDNP). Objectivos: Identificar os assuntos tratados nas Câmaras de Representantes durante a Monarquia Constitucional, relacionados com a enfermagem, enfermeiros e enfermarias, no ano 1896, ano de frequênciamais elevada das citações nos diários das sessões, verificado em estudo prévio.Descrever, analisar e enquadrar os assuntos encontrados.Verificar se existem diferenças nos assuntos e na sua abordagem nas duas câmaras em funcionamento, dos Pares do Reino e dos Senhores Deputados da Nação. Metodologia: Levantamento e análise de fontes diretas, segundo uma metodologia de análise histórica. Através dos descritores, enfermeiro(s), enfermeira(s),enfermagem, enfermaria(s), pesquisa nos diários das sessões das câmaras de representantes em funcionamento no ano 1896, localizados no site da Assembleia da República. Levantamento das páginas sensíveis aos descritores. Leitura e análise das problemáticas e seu enquadramento diacrónico e sincrónico. Identificação dos temas e análise em pormenor das suas ligações e do seu contributo para a história de enfermagem. Num processo de exame do passado, construção mental desse exame e comunicação desse resultado. Resultados: Em 1896 encontrámos 89 entradas, 58 páginas dos diários da CSDNP e 31 dos diários da CPR. Na distribuição numérica das entradas pelos descritores verificámos a preponderância institucional sobre os descritores pessoais, para a CPR 21 em 31 e na CSDNP 38 em 58. Na CPR os assuntos de enfermagem ocuparam cinco dias de sessões. Quatro relacionados com a problemática dos delinquentes alienados e da construção de uma enfermaria anexa à Penitenciária de Lisboa. Outra sessão ocupou-se com a reorganização geral dos serviços de saúde do ultramar. Na CSDNP registamos a presença em oito dias, três com o assunto delinquentes alienados e construção de enfermaria, um com a reorganização dos serviço de saúde do ultramar, onde se estipula formação, funções, organização e vencimentos, noutro dia, uma representação dos empregados dos HUC mostrando seu descontentamento, noutro a cedência de instalações para Hospital da Misericórdia de Elvas, e por fim a organização de enfermarias nos barcos da linha Lisboa - Ilhas. Conclusões: A existência de enfermarias anexas aos estabelecimentos prisionais responde ao imperativo de direito dos alienados/inimputabilidade. A reorganização dos serviços de saúde do ultramar contabiliza enfermeiros, problematiza as irmãs hospitaleiras, dá conta de maqueiros. Temas comuns às duas câmaras. Em 1896, elites, nas Câmaras, realçam e discutem, relacionado com enfermagem e enfermarias, os seguintes aspectos: política de saúde (direitos dos alienados; ocupação do espaço ultramarino; higienismo); institucionais (enfermarias para inimputáveis; organização de serviços no ultramar; melhoria de instalações hospitalares; enfermarias em barcos); disciplinaridade (formação especifica para o ultramar); profissionalidade (embrião decarreira; funções e vencimentos; polémica com irmãs; manifestação de descontentamento).

Lipid and lipid carbon stable isotope composition of the hydrothermal vent shrimp Mirocaris fortunata: evidence for nutritional dependence on photosynthetically fixed carbon

Mirocaris fortunata were sampled from the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent area (Eiffel Tower site) on the mid-Atlantic ridge during the French DIVA 2 cruise (June 1994). Small adults (17 to 22 mm total length), although morphologically identical, could be divided into 2 categories on the basis of pigmentation, lipid composition and C-13/C-12 stable isotope ratios of fatty acids. Highly pigmented small adults (8.6 to 9.2 mu g carotenoid shrimp(-1)) contained higher levels of total lipid than similar-sized individuals containing lower levels of pigment (0.9 to 2.9 mu g carotenoid shrimp(-1)). Lipid class analysis indicated that wax esters comprised 62.5% of total lipid in the former group. These pigmented shrimp also contained high proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly the phototrophic microplanktonic markers 20:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3) (14.0 and 33.5% respectively). By contrast small adults (22 mm) and adult shrimp (25 to 26 mm) with low levels of carotenoid pigmentation contained lower amounts of total lipid, little or no wax ester and low levels of 20:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3), but did contain 16:2(n-4) and 18:2(n-4) and the non-methylene interrupted dienes 20:2 Delta 5,13 and 22:2 Delta 7,15. GC-IRMS analysis of all fatty acids and fatty alcohols in the pigmented small adults indicated delta(13)C values of -18.2 to -27.7 parts per thousand, which is consistent with a photosynthetic carbon source for these compounds. The C-13/C-12 isotope composition of fatty acids from low-pigmented small adults and adults was more variable (-12.5 to -33.1 parts per thousand) and suggests a bimodal distribution which may be attributable to differing nutritional sources or the physiological/reproductive status of these shrimp. Samples of eggs, which are carried by the female on the pleopods, represented approximately 57% of total somatic lipid which indicates a substantial reproductive investment by this species. The egg lipids comprised high proportions of triacylglycerols (64.4 to 78.0% of total lipid) whilst the fatty acid composition was dominated by the monounsaturated fatty acids 16:1(n-7), 18:1(n-7) and 18:1(n-9), which accounted for 65.7 to 33.5% of total fatty acids. By contrast, PUFA were relatively minor components of egg lipids, particularly 20:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3), which accounted for only 1.1 and 2.9% of total egg fatty acids respectively. This indicates that the reproductive investment by this species is supported mainly by material derived from bacterial chemosynthesis. The potential for M. fortunata hedge betting by producing larvae which either metamorphose at the vent site or adopt a bathypelagic lifestyle and delay metamorphosis to facilitate more widespread dispersal is discussed.

Sistema de informação integrado de apoio à gestão hospitalar

Dissertação de mest. em Gestão Empresarial, Faculdade de Economia, Univ. do Algarve, 2005

Intervenção psicomotora por terras de Moçambique : crianças com paralisia cerebral e jovens com DID, uma realidade escondida

O presente documento, criado no âmbito da Unidade Curricular de Atividade de Aprofundamento de Competências Profissionais, do Mestrado em Reabilitação Psicomotora, apresenta o trabalho desenvolvido no Centro de Reabilitação Psicossocial, das Irmãs Hospitaleiras em Maputo – Moçambique. O processo de intervenção psicomotora foi desenvolvido com jovens/adultos com Dificuldades Intelectuais e Desenvolvimentais e crianças com Paralisia Cerebral ou Atraso Global do Desenvolvimento, durante 8 meses. A intervenção concretizou-se em sessões de grupo e individuais em contexto de atividade motora, terapias expressivas, desenvolvimento pessoal e social com os jovens/adultos e em contexto de promoção do desenvolvimento psicomotor, atividades psicopedagógicas e terapias expressivas com as crianças, com objetivo de promoção de bem-estar, qualidade de vida, funcionalidade e autonomia dos utentes, tendo em conta o contexto cultural, familiar e as potencialidades, dificuldades e interesses. No processo de intervenção estiveram presentes as fases próprias da prática terapêutica, observação, conhecimento e criação de relação empática com os utentes, avaliação inicial, processo de intervenção planeado, avaliação final e comparação dos resultados com avaliação inicial e reflexão sobre o mesmo. É ainda apresentado um projeto de investigação centrado no estudo das atitudes da comunidade do Bairro das Mahotas perante a população com Dificuldade Intelectual e Desenvolvimental.

Critical success factors for implementing risk management systems in developing countries

A review of published studies on risk management in developing countries reveals that critical success factors for implementing risk management has remained an under-researched area of investigation. This paper is aimed at investigating the perceptions of construction professionals concerning the critical success factors (CSFs) for implementation of risk management systems (IRMS). Survey data was collected from 87 construction professionals from the Iranian construction industry as a developing country. The results indicate that four factors are regarded as highly critical: ‘support from managers’, ‘inclusion of risk management in construction education and training courses for construction practitioners’, ‘attempting to deliver projects systematically’, and ‘awareness and knowledge of the process for implementing risk management’. Assessing the associations among CSFs also highlighted the crucial role of enhancing the effectiveness of knowledge management practices in construction organisations. Study also revealed that parties involved in projects do not agree on the level of importance of CSFs for implementing risk management in developing countries. This study contributes to practice and research in several ways. For practice, it increases understanding of how closely knowledge management is associated with the implementation of risk management systems in developing countries. For research, the findings would encourage construction practitioners to support effective knowledge management as a precursor to higher levels of risk management implementation on construction projects.

A Ordem Carmelita em Évora - contributos para o estudo arquitetónico das suas fundações

O objetivo do presente trabalho procura realizar um estudo comparativo de três conjuntos monásticos da Ordem Carmelita em Évora, de épocas de construção diferenciadas. A Ordem do Carmo surgiu no final do século XII, na região do Monte Carmelo (ordem católica cuja designação inicial era Ordem dos Carmelitas) localizado nas proximidades da cidade de Haifa pertencente ao Estado de Israel. O Patriarca de Jerusalém, Santo Alberto, propôs a sistematização de uma Regra para a Ordem do Carmo, cerca de 1209. A sua aprovação ocorreu em 1226, pelo Papa Honório III. No século XIII com as invasões árabes os religiosos migraram para o Ocidente. Posteriormente no século XVI, em Espanha, Santa Teresa de Ávila e São João da Cruz efetuaram a renovação (ou reforma) do carisma da Ordem do Carmo. Surgiu deste processo um novo ramo: o ramo dos Carmelitas Descalços. A Ordem dos Carmelitas Descalços foi instituída em Portugal em 1612, data em que houve a separação os conventos portugueses dos conventos da Baixa Andaluzia. A Ordem dos Carmelitas Descalços é um ramo da Ordem do Carmo, formado em 1593, que resulta de uma reforma feita ao carisma carmelita elaborada por Santa Teresa de Ávila e São João da Cruz. Os carmelitas descalços instalaram-se no séc. XVI em Évora, fora da cerca amuralhada fernandina, em local fronteiro à torre de menagem junto às Portas de Alconchel em terrenos confinantes com o antigo hospital dos leprosos de S. Lázaro. Os carmelitas descalços instalaram-se no séc. XVI em Évora, fora da cerca amuralhada fernandina, em local fronteiro à torre de menagem junto às Portas de Alconchel em terrenos confinantes com o antigo hospital dos leprosos de S. Lázaro. Após algumas vicissitudes que retardaram a fundação deste convento em Évora, vieram alguns religiosos em 1594 dando início ao primeiro convento. Este convento foi a última casa religiosa a ser construída em Évora e por esse motivo ficou vulgarmente conhecido como convento Novo. O convento de freiras da Ordem das Carmelitas Descalças, foi fundado em 13 de março de 1681. Trata-se de um convento feminino da Ordem das Irmãs Descalças de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo (Carmelitas) - Província de São Filipe. O Convento do Carmo localiza-se no Largo das Portas de Moura e Rua D. Augusto Eduardo Nunes (antiga Rua da Mesquita), na freguesia da Sé e São Pedro. Foi construído na segunda metade do século XVII e não foi o primeiro desta ordem existente na cidade. A 6 de Outubro de 1531 Frei Baltazar Limpo recebeu a doação da então ermida de S. Tomé, situada extramuros, à porta da Lagoa, e sobre ela erigiu o convento. Estes três conjuntos monásticos de épocas de construção diferenciadas, entre os séculos XVI e XVII, contribuem para a riqueza patrimonial de Évora, pelas suas características arquitetónicas e também pelo rico acervo que integram.