The influence of particles recycling on the geochemistry of sediments in a large tropical dam lake in the Amazonian region, Brazil

The influence of particles recycling on the geochemistry of sediments in a large tropical dam lake in the Amazonian region, Brazil. Article in Journal of South American Earth Sciences 72 · December 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsames.2016.09.012 1st Rita Fonseca 16.85 · Universidade de Évora 2nd Catarina Pinho 3rd Manuela Oliveira 22.6 · Universidade de Évora Abstract As a result of over-erosion of soils, the fine particles, which contain the majority of nutrients, are easily washed away from soils, which become deficient in a host of components, accumulating in lakes. On one hand, the accumulation of nutrients-rich sediments are a problem, as they affect the quality of the overlying water and decrease the water storage capacity of the system; on the other hand, sediments may constitute an important resource, as they are often extremely rich in organic and inorganic nutrients in readily available forms. In the framework of an extensive work on the use of rock related materials to enhance the fertility of impoverish soils, this study aimed to evaluate the role on the nutrients cycle, of particles recycling processes from the watershed to the bottom of a large dam reservoir, at a wet tropical region under high weathering conditions. The study focus on the mineralogical transformations that clay particles undergo from the soils of the drainage basin to their final deposition within the reservoir and their influence in terms of the geochemical characteristics of sediments. We studied the bottom sediments that accumulate in two distinct seasonal periods in Tucuruí reservoir, located in the Amazonian Basin, Brazil, and soils from its drainage basin. The surface layers of sediments in twenty sampling points with variable depths, are representative of the different morphological sections of the reservoir. Nineteen soil samples, representing the main soil classes, were collected near the margins of the reservoir. Sediments and soils were subjected to the same array of physical, mineralogical and geochemical analyses: (1) texture, (2) characterization and semi-quantification of the clay fraction mineralogy and (3) geochemical analysis of the total concentration of major elements, organic compounds (organic C and nitrogen), soluble fractions of nutrients (P and K), exchangeable fractions (cation exchange capacity, exchangeable bases and acidity) and pH(H2O).

Impactes do Preço da Água na Agricultura no Perímetro Irrigado do Vale de Caxito

O aumento da pressão sobre os recursos hídricos tem levado muitos países a reconsiderarem os mecanismos utilizados na indução do uso eficiente da água, especialmente na agricultura irrigada. Estabelecer o preço correto da água é um dos mecanismos de tornar mais eficiente a alocação da água. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo a análise dos impactes económicos, sociais e ambientais de políticas de preço da água. A metodologia utilizada foi a Programação Linear, aplicada ao Perímetro Irrigado do Vale de Caxito, Província do Bengo, a 45 km de Luanda, que tem como fonte o rio Dande. Foram testados três cenários relativos a políticas de tarifação de água: tarifa volumétrica simples, tarifa volumétrica variável, e tarifa fixa por superfície. As principais conclusões mostram que, do ponto de vista do uso eficiente da água na agricultura, os melhores resultados obtêm-se com a tarifa volumétrica variável; do ponto de vista social, a tarifação volumétrica simples apresenta os melhores resultados; o método de tarifa volumétrica variável foi o mais penalizador, reduzindo rapidamente a área das culturas mais consumidoras de água, sendo o melhor do ponto de vista ambiental. Qualquer um dos métodos traz aspetos negativos relativamente à redução da margem bruta total. Palavras-chaves: Recursos hídricos; Preço da água; Programação linear. Abstract: Increased pressure on water resources has led many countries to reconsider the mechanisms used in the induction of efficient water use, especially for irrigated agriculture, a major consumer of water. Establishing the correct price of water is one of the mechanisms for more efficient allocation of water. This paper aims to analyze the economic, social and essenenvironmental impacts of water price policies. The methodology used is the linear programming, applied to the Irrigated Valley Caxito, in Bengo Province, 45 kilometers from Luanda, which has the river Dande as its source. Three scenarios concerning water price policies were tested: simple volumetric rate, variable volumetric rate and flat rate per surface. The main findings show that from the point of view of the efficient use of water in agriculture, the best results are obtained with variable volumetric rate; from the social point of view, the simple volumetric rate has the best results; the volume variable rate method proved to be the most penalizing, quickly reducing the area of most water consuming cultures, being the method in which the environmental objectives would be more readily achieved. Either methods bring negative aspects in relation to the reduction of total gross margin. Key-words: Water resources; Water price; Linear programming.

Distribución espacial de Tinámidos (tinamiformes) en la Estación Biológica La Selva, Costa Rica (ING)

In the period from September to November 2003 I registered tinamids, using routes with variable radius through paths and transects of 200 m in four different habitats of La Selva Biological Station (10°25ʼ52.51"N, 84°00ʼ12.96"W). The objective of this study was to identify the sites that are frequent the most by the three different species of Tinamiformes of the area. I registered highest number of tinamous using transects of 200 m. Tinamus major was mainly found in primary forest, where it was very hard to observe, and in an abandoned agroforestry system, where it was very tolerant to the presence of humans. It was observed solitary or in group of up to five adult individuals. Crypturellus soui would concentrate more in areas that had an initial secondary growth, and was the specie most difficult to observe, it was registered as pairs and groups. Crypturellus boucardi is a uncommon specie, it was found solitary in different types of habitats.

Impiego dell’ecografia ad alta risoluzione nella diagnosi di anomalie cerebrali fetali difficili. Focus sul complesso anteriore.

In questo lavoro di tesi vengono prese in esame le principali anomalie cerebrali fetali a carico del complesso anteriore, formato dal cavo del setto pellucido e dai corni frontali dei ventricoli laterali. Si è poi concentrata l’attenzione sull’oloprosencefalia e sull’obliterazione del cavo del setto pellucido, analizzando i casi che sono stati riferiti c/o la U.O. di Ostetricia e Medicina dell’Età Prenatale del Policlinico di S. Orsola – IRCCS. L’oloprosencefalia racchiude in sé uno spettro di anomalie cerebrali caratterizzate da un difetto di formazione della linea mediana con forme variabili di fusione degli emisferi cerebrali. Le forme alobari mostrano una distorsione della anatomia cerebrale, con un singolo ventricolo e sono spesso associate ad anomalie extracerebrali e del cariotipo. Nelle forme semilobari e lobari il setto pellucido è generalmente assente nei piani assiali, con corni frontali fusi ed ipoplasici, ma queste caratteristiche possono essere di difficile interpretazione ad un esame di screening. Le anomalie facciali sono invece più sfuggenti. L’obliterazione del cavo del setto consiste in un suo aspetto ecogeno, normalmente disteso da fluido; è ritenuta una variante della norma, ma queste conclusioni sono basate su casistiche limitate. Anche in questo caso abbiamo riportato l’eventuale presenza di anomalie associate ed abbiamo poi rivalutato questi bambini mediante una visita specialistica presso la U.O. di Neuropsichiatria Infantile. Nella nostra esperienza di 16 casi, la neurosonografia è stata in grado di definire la presenza o meno di anomalie cerebrali associate (1 caso di cisti interemisferiche e corpo calloso disgenetico) al pari della risonanza magnetica. Nei casi apparentemente isolati, in circa il 20% tale reperto è stato transitorio nel corso della gravidanza e non sono state riportate anomalie del cariotipo. Tutte le visite di follow up eseguite nel contesto dello studio (risultati parziali di 7/15 bambini) hanno dimostrato uno sviluppo nella norma per l’età del bambino.

Possible states in the flow around two circular cylinders in tandem with separations in the vicinity of the drag inversion spacing

The possible states in the flow around two identical circular cylinders in tandem arrangements are investigated for configurations in the vicinity of the drag inversion separation. By means of numerical simulations, the hysteresis in the transition between the shedding regimes is studied and the relationship between (three-dimensional) secondary instabilities and shedding regime determination is addressed. The differences observed in the behavior of two- and three-dimensional flows are analyzed, and the regions of bistable flow are delimited. Very good agreement is found between the proposed scenario and results available in the literature. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3420111]

Skewed Distribution of Circulating Activated Natural Killer T (NKT) Cells in Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency Disorders (CVID)

Common variable immunodeficiency disorder (CVID) is the commonest cause of primary antibody failure in adults and children, and characterized clinically by recurrent bacterial infections and autoimmune manifestations. Several innate immune defects have been described in CVID, but no study has yet investigated the frequency, phenotype or function of the key regulatory cell population, natural killer T (NKT) cells. We measured the frequencies and subsets of NKT cells in patients with CVID and compared these to healthy controls. Our results show a skewing of NKT cell subsets, with CD4+ NKT cells at higher frequencies, and CD8+ NKT cells at lower frequencies. However, these cells were highly activated and expression CD161. The NKT cells had a higher expression of CCR5 and concomitantly expression of CCR5+CD69+CXCR6 suggesting a compensation of the remaining population of NKT cells for rapid effector action.

Random perturbations of stochastic processes with unbounded variable length memory

We consider binary infinite order stochastic chains perturbed by a random noise. This means that at each time step, the value assumed by the chain can be randomly and independently flipped with a small fixed probability. We show that the transition probabilities of the perturbed chain are uniformly close to the corresponding transition probabilities of the original chain. As a consequence, in the case of stochastic chains with unbounded but otherwise finite variable length memory, we show that it is possible to recover the context tree of the original chain, using a suitable version of the algorithm Context, provided that the noise is small enough.

Variable expression of mental retardation, autism, seizures, and dystonic hand movements in two families with an identical ARX gene mutation

Two families, originally diagnosed as having nonsyndromic X-linked mental retardation (NSXLMR), were reviewed when it was shown that they had a 24-bp duplication (428-45 1dup(24bp)) in the ARX gene [Stromme et al., 2002: Nat Genet 30:441-445]. This same duplication had also been found in three other families: one with X-linked infantile spasms and hypsarrhythmia (X-linked West syndrome, MIM 308350) and two with XLMR and dystonic movements of the hands (Partington syndrome, MIM 309510). On review, manifestations of both West and Partington syndromes were found in some individuals from both families. In addition, it was found that one individual had autism and two had autistic behavior, one of whom had epilepsy. The degree of mental retardation ranged from mild to severe. A GCG trinucleotide expansion (GCG)10+7 and a deletion of 1,517 by in the ARX gene have also been found in association with the West syndrome, and a missense mutation (1058C >T) in a family with a newly recognized form of myoclonic epilepsy, severe mental retardation, and spastic paraplegia [Scheffer et al., 2002: Neurology, in press]. Evidently all these disorders are expressions of mutations in the same gene. It remains to be seen what proportions of patients with infantile spasms, focal dystonia, autism, epilepsy, and nonsyndromic mental retardation are accounted for by mutations in the ARX gene. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Allergic asthma in patients with common variable immunodeficiency

P>Background: Many patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) have a clinical history suggestive of allergic respiratory disease. However, in such individuals, the prevalence of asthma and the role of atopy have not been well established. The objective of this study was to evaluate pulmonary function and identify asthma in patients with CVID. We also investigated the role of IgE as a trigger of asthma in these patients. Methods: Sixty-two patients diagnosed with CVID underwent spirometry, as well as skin prick testing and in vitro determination of serum-specific IgE levels for aeroallergens, together with bronchial provocation with histamine and allergen. Results: The most common alteration identified through spirometry was obstructive lung disease, which was observed in 29 (47.5%) of the 62 patients evaluated. Eighteen (29.0%) of the 62 patients had a clinical history suggestive of allergic asthma. By the end of the study, asthma had been diagnosed in nine (14.5%) patients and atopy had been identified in six (9.7%). In addition, allergic asthma had been diagnosed in four patients (6.5% of the sample as a whole; 22.2% of the 18 patients with a clinical history suggestive of the diagnosis). Conclusion: In this study, CVID patients testing negative for specific IgE antibodies and suspected of having allergic asthma presented a positive response to bronchial provocation tests with allergens. To our knowledge, this is the first such study. When CVID patients with a history suggestive of allergic asthma test negative on traditional tests, additional tests designed to identify allergic asthma might be conducted.

An equivalent waveguide approach to designing of reflect arrays with the use of variable-size microstrip patches

An equivalent unit cell waveguide approach (WGA) is described to study the behavior of a multilayer reflect array of variable-size patches/dipoles, The approach considers normal incidence of a plane wave on an infinite periodic array of identical radiating elements and introduces an equivalent unit cell waveguide to obtain the reflection coefficient. A field matching technique and method of moments (MoM) is used to determine fields in different layers of the equivalent waveguide. Good agreements for the phase of the reflection coefficient between the proposed model and those published in selected literatures are obtained. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genotyping of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by assaying for the presence of variable elements associated with mecA

The region surrounding mecA in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is highly variable. We describe an approach for the rapid genotyping of MRSA by assaying for the presence or absence of variable or mobile elements previously shown to be associated with the mecA region.

An analysis of helium primordial nucleosynthesis with a variable cosmological coupling

The synthesis of helium in the early Universe depends on many input parameters, including the value of the gravitational coupling during the period when the nucleosynthesis takes place. We compute the primordial abundance of helium as function of the gravitational coupling, using a semi-analytical method, in order to track the influence of G in the primordial nucleosynthesis. To be specific, we construct a cosmological model with varying G, using the Brans-Dicke theory. The greater the value of G at nucleosynthesis period, the greater the predicted abundance of helium. Using the observational data for the abundance of primordial helium, constraints for the time variation of G are established.

Supervisory control of a variable speed wind turbine with doubly fed induction generator

This paper is on an onshore variable speed wind turbine with doubly fed induction generator and under supervisory control. The control architecture is equipped with an event-based supervisor for the supervision level and fuzzy proportional integral or discrete adaptive linear quadratic as proposed controllers for the execution level. The supervisory control assesses the operational state of the variable speed wind turbine and sends the state to the execution level. Controllers operation are in the full load region to extract energy at full power from the wind while ensuring safety conditions required to inject the energy into the electric grid. A comparison between the simulations of the proposed controllers with the inclusion of the supervisory control on the variable speed wind turbine benchmark model is presented to assess advantages of these controls. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).