Utilização de descarte de resíduos têxtil (poliamida/poliester), como agregado, em concreto

Neste trabalho são apresentadas algumas características físicas, vantagens e viabilidade do uso do pó de tecido, proveniente do processamento de resíduos têxteis que são descartados em confecções em geral. A produção e utilização desse tipo de pó diminui o impacto ambiental e se mostra viável economicamente, pois é produzido facilmente a partir do processamento de resíduos, que seriam descartados na natureza. O presente trabalho mostra o estudo da produção do pó de tecido e a sua substituição parcial do agregado miúdo natural na produção de concretos de cimento Portland convencionais. Para comprovar a viabilidade técnica e econômica do uso do pó de tecido foram analisadas características do agregado como sua composição granulométrica, e seu comportamento nos ensaios de abatimento tronco de cone (Slump Test). Uma relação água-cimento também foi convencionada a um concreto usual com resistência esperada de 27MPa. Com estes dados foi definido um traço para o concreto utilizando 5% e 15% de agregado pó de tecido, substituindo a areia. A pesquisa apresenta os resultados de resistência à compressão simples dos corpos de prova cilíndricos de concreto aos 28 dias. Verificou-se que as amostras não apresentaram diferenças significativas de resistência entre si, tão pouco com relação às resistências de um concreto convencional produzido somente com agregado miúdo natural. Entretanto, houve uma melhora nos resultados dos ensaios à compressão, principalmente no concreto com 15% de pó de tecido.

A função e natureza das convenções e hipóteses segundo o convencionalismo francês da virada do século XIX para o XX: relações entre ciência e metafísica nas obras de Henri Poincaré, Pierre Duhem e Édouard Le Roy

Nesse trabalho apresentamos a função e determinamos a natureza das convenções e hipóteses para os fundamentos científicos segundo a corrente convencionalista que surgiu na França na virada do século XIX para o XX, composta por Henri Poincaré, Pierre Duhem e Édouard Le Roy. Além disso, analisamos a relação que as convenções e hipóteses podem estabelecer com teses metafísicas através dos critérios utilizados pelos cientistas para determinar a preferência por certas teorias. Para isso, promovemos uma interpretação imanente das obras publicadas entre 1891 e 1905. Como resultado, revelamos que os autores, apesar de serem classificados como pertencentes a uma mesma corrente, não possuem apenas posições comuns, mas também divergências. Poincaré e Le Roy concordam que as convenções geométricas são escolhidas de acordo com o critério de conveniência. Contudo, eles discordam sobre o valor que a conveniência agrega ao conhecimento científico. Em relação aos fenômenos naturais, os três autores concordam que a realidade não pode ser descrita univocamente por um mesmo conjunto de convenções e hipóteses. Porém, Poincaré e Duhem acreditam que há critérios que tornam umas teorias mais satisfatórias que outras. Analisamos os critérios experimentais, racionais e axiológicos que justificam a satisfação dos cientistas com certas teorias e apontamos como estes critérios se relacionam com a metafísica. Concluímos que os convencionalistas, mesmo que cautelosamente e de modo implícito, buscaram se aproximar da metafísica com o intuito de justificar a própria atividade científica.

River Yealm SAP Consultation

This is the River Yealm Salmon Action Plan Consultation document produced by the Environment Agency in 2003. The report pays attention on the external consultation of the River Yealm Salmon Action Plan (SAP). This strategy represents an entirely new approach to salmon management within the UK and introduces the concept of river-specific salmon spawning targets as a salmon management tool. The River Yealm Salmon Action Plan follows the format of those completed for the rivers Tamar, Lynher, Tavy, Camel, Fowey and Plym. It is the final one of seven action plans that will be produced for salmon rivers managed by Cornwall Area. The River Yealm SAP contains a description of the river catchment and highlights particular features that are relevant to the salmon population and the associated fishery. Notably there are potable water abstractions in the headwaters, workings for china clay on the main tributary, two inert waste landfill sites and an aggregate quarry adjacent to the main river and inputs from several Sewage Treatment Works (STW) and two industrial estates. The main River Yealm has been designated as River Ecosystem Class 1 for its water quality objectives. This is the highest water quality target set for rivers.

Avaliação da influência do manejo agrícola no uso e cobertura das terras através de ferramentas de geoprocessamento e indicadores de qualidade dos solos na bacia hidrográfica do Córrego da Caçada - Paraty/RJ

A avaliação da qualidade dos solos e a redução da Mata Atlântica tem sido alvo de diversas pesquisas no Brasil e no mundo, principalmente quando estes estão atrelados ao recorte espacial de Unidades de Conservação. No entanto, tem sido difícil para os gestores dessas unidades a avaliação dos impactos ambientais gerados ao longo dos anos nas bacias hidrográficas, principalmente pela falta de investimentos. Esta dissertação teve por objetivo geral avaliar o atual estágio de degradação da bacia hidrográfica do Córrego da Caçada pertencente à Área de Proteção Ambiental Federal de Cairuçu, no município de Paraty RJ, analisando quantitativamente e qualitativamente a redução dos fragmentos de Mata Atlântica e estabelecendo relações com a degradação física e química dos solos dentro e fora dos fragmentos florestais. A metodologia utilizada para a redução ou avanço dos fragmentos de Mata Atlântica baseou-se no uso de fotografias aéreas do ano de 1956 e imagens de satélite de 2012, onde possibilitou a avaliação espaço-temporal do uso e cobertura das terras, através da produção de um mapa temático final. Além disso, foram elaborados mapas temáticos de reconhecimento da área de estudo, como o de hipsometria, de declividade, de orientação e forma das encostas, além da geração de perfis topográficos. Para a avaliação da qualidade física, química e biológica dos solos foram determinadas as curvas de distribuição granulométrica, a densidade relativa dos grãos sólidos e a densidade aparente, porosidade total, os limites de liquidez e plasticidade, a estabilidade dos agregados em água, análises morfológicas, a saturação de bases, a capacidade de troca catiônica (CTC), a saturação por alumínio, fósforo, pH e o carbono orgânico. Para tal, foi realizada a abertura de três perfis, sendo um em área de fragmento florestal e dois em áreas de pasto. O resultado das análises permitiu, segundo a Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do solo, a classificação de dois tipos de solos na bacia, sendo: Cambissolo Háplico Tb Distrófico Típico em área fragmento florestal e em área de pasto, e um Latossolo Amarelo Tb Distrófico Típico em área de pasto. Os resultados de laboratório mostraram que os solos avaliados têm baixa fertilidade e valores variados nos resultados de física do solo. No entanto, além do histórico de uso do solo caracterizado pelas práticas rudimentares do manejo empregado pelos Caiçaras, o clima predominante na região possibilita um regime pluviométrico anual que passa dos 2.000mm de chuva/ano, caracterizando solos muito lixiviados e pobres quimicamente. Portanto, conclui-se que a relação das propriedades físicas e químicas avaliadas junto ao manejo inadequado ao longo dos anos tem apresentado um cenário de grandes dificuldades para a recuperação florestal na bacia hidrográfica do Córrego da Caçada, o que mostra a importância da avaliação dos impactos ambientais não só pelo recorte de bacias hidrográficas, como contextualizar seu posicionamento dentro de Unidades de Conservação, com legislações e objetivos específicos.

Estudo de porosidade por processamento de imagens aplicada a patologias do concreto

A reação álcali-agregado - RAA é uma patologia de ação lenta que tem sido observada em construções de concreto capaz de comprometer suas estruturas. Sabe-se que a reação álcali-agregado é um fenômeno bastante complexo em virtude da grande variedade de rochas na natureza que são empregadas como agregados no preparo do concreto, podendo cada mineral utilizado afetar de forma distinta a reação ocorrida. Em função dos tipos de estrutura, das suas condições de exposição e dos materiais empregados, a RAA não se comporta sempre da mesma forma, em virtude disto a pesquisa constante neste tema é necessária para o meio técnico e a sociedade. Pesquisas laboratoriais, empíricas e experimentais tem sido rotina em muitos dos estudos da RAA dada ainda à carência de certas definições mais precisas a respeito dos métodos de ensaio, mas também em função da necessidade do melhor conhecimento dos materiais de uso em concretos como os agregados, cimentos, adições, aditivos entre outros e do comportamento da estrutura. Embora técnicas de prevenção possam reduzir significativamente a incidência da RAA, muitas estruturas foram construídas antes que tais medidas fossem conhecidas, havendo no Brasil vários casos de estruturas afetadas, sendo custosos os reparos dessas estruturas. Em estudos recentes sobre o tamanho das partículas de álcali-agregado e sua distribuição foi concluído que o tamanho do agregado está relacionado com o potencial danoso da RAA. Existem ainda indícios de que o tamanho e a distribuição dos poros do concreto também sejam capazes de influenciar o potencial reativo do concreto. Neste trabalho desenvolvemos um Sistema de Visão Artificial (SVA) que, com o uso de técnicas de Processamento de Imagens, é capaz de identificar em imagens de concreto, agregado e poros que atendam em sua forma, às especificações do usuário, possibilitando o cálculo da porosidade e produzindo imagens segmentadas à partir das quais será possível extrair dados relativos à geometria desses elementos. Serão feitas duas abordagens para a obtenção das imagens, uma por Escâner Comercial, que possui vantagens relacionadas à facilidade de aquisição do equipamento, e outra por micro tomógrafo. Uma vez obtidas informações sobre as amostras de concreto, estas podem ser utilizadas para pesquisar a RAA, comparar estruturas de risco com estruturas antigas de forma a melhorar a previsão de risco de ocorrência, bem como serem aplicadas a outras no estudo de outras patologias do concreto menos comuns no nosso país, como o efeito gelo/degelo.

A novel ultra-fast optical router using time-slot switching

We present a novel optical routing scheme scalable to greater than 50×50 channels with a potential aggregate bit-rate of 1Tbps. The proof-of-principle experiment demonstrates the feasibility of the router with a de-multiplexed Q-factor of 6.35. © 2004 Optical Society of America.

Seabed classification for trawlability determined with a multibeam echo sounder on Snakehead Bank in the Gulf of Alaska

Rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) tend to aggregate near rocky, cobble, or generally rugged areas that are difficult to survey with bottom trawls, and evidence indicates that assemblages of rockfish species may differ between areas accessible to trawling and those areas that are not. Consequently, it is important to determine grounds that are trawlable or untrawlable so that the areas where trawl survey results should be applied are accurately identified. To this end, we used multibeam echosounder data to generate metrics that describe the seafloor: backscatter strength at normal and oblique incidence angles, the variation of the angle-dependent backscatter strength within 10° of normal incidence, the scintillation of the acoustic intensity scattered from the seafloor, and the seafloor rugosity. We used these metrics to develop a binary classification scheme to estimate where the seafloor is expected to be trawlable. The multibeam echosounder data were verified through analyses of video and still images collected with a stereo drop camera and a remotely operated vehicle in a study at Snakehead Bank, ~100 km south of Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Comparisons of different combinations of metrics derived from the multibeam data indicated that the oblique-incidence backscatter strength was the most accurate estimator of trawlability at Snakehead Bank and that the addition of other metrics provided only marginal improvements. If successful on a wider scale in the Gulf of Alaska, this acoustic remote-sensing technique, or a similar one, could help improve the accuracy of rockfish stock assessments.

《植物名实图考》中一些百合科植物考证兼论茄子在中国的栽培起源和传播——植物考据学个例研究

中国古代涉及植物学的文献可谓浩如烟海。由于中国植物种类繁多，加之方言的分化和文字的演变，古籍文献中的植物名称难以计数。距古愈久，失误愈多，渐至名称混乱难以分辨，同物异名、同名异物现象比比皆是。植物考据在这样的背景下产生了。本文确立了中国植物考据研究的范围、内容、证据、方法和目的，并以时间为线索，梳理了中国植物考据研究两千多年的历史，扼要评介了各个历史阶段的代表人物及作品。在此基础上，本文遵循“由近及远，先实后虚”的研究思路，考证了《植物名实图考》的几种百合科植物，同时选定茄子这一栽培植物，以它为点，利用中国古籍文献证据，研究它在中国的起源、驯化和传播，藉此探讨植物考据研究所能解决的植物学问题。 1. 粉条儿菜和肺筋草考 理清了近百年来“粉条儿菜”和“肺筋草”这两个植物中文名称的混乱，确认粉条儿菜一名最早见于《救荒本草》，实为菊科Compositae鸦葱属Scorzonera华北鸦葱Scorzonera albicaulis;首次记载于《植物名实图考》中的“肺筋草”才是Aletris 属植物，应为Aletris scopulorum，非前人考证的Aletris spicata。 2. 黄精属植物考 《图考》“黄精”包括了多花黄精Polygonatum cyrtonema、长梗黄精P. filipes和距药黄精P. franchetii，这三个种实际上是一个集合种 (species aggregate), 即使用现代分类的观点来看，它们之间也很难从外部形态区分开来;“黄精苗”可能为P. sibiricum或P. verticillatum;认为“滇钩吻（一）”应为点花黄精P. punctatum，这与前人的考证结果相同;“滇钩吻（二）”和“滇黄精”可能分别为卷叶黄精P. cirrhifolium和滇黄精P. kingianum中的某个种，但限于黄精属植物分类研究的程度，暂且存疑;“萎蕤”图所绘植物不属于黄精属Polygonatum，而为万寿竹属Disporum的横脉万寿竹D．trabeculatum。 3. 贝母考 《图考》贝母条下所附贝母图，不属于贝母属Fritillaria植物，而属天南星科Araceae，可能为半夏Pinellia ternata的幼苗;文中“点苍山生者”可能是鸭趾草科蓝耳草Cyanotis vaga;“张子诗”中的蔓生贝母为Bolbostemma paniculatum，这可能是中国古代最早利用的“贝母”，后来逐渐被Fritillaria属植物替代。 4. 茄子的栽培起源和传播 本文首先借助于现代系统学和遗传学的研究结果，理清茄子及其近缘种的分类、地理分布和可能的驯化过程;结合民族植物学研究和大量的野外考察，确认了茄子及其近缘种在中国的形态、分布和利用方法等等;而后将今论古，用严格的考据方法理清在浩如烟海的中国古籍文献中与茄子相关文献的科学含义。在这个基础上推演茄子在中国栽培起源和传播的途径。得到以下结论：茄子的野生种GroupF和原始栽培种Group G在中国南方热带地区存在，早在晋代记载的“茄树”很可能就是这个原始栽培种Group G;高级栽培种Group H最早在公元前一世纪就有记载，有可能在中国四川盆地南部山区的暖温带地区被首先驯化;中国有些茄子的高级栽培种Group H也有可能从印度传来，但传播路线应该是沿着由南向北的西南丝绸之路，而非如一些学者所认为的自西向东由西北丝绸之路首先传入长安;在中国，茄子的高级栽培种由成都平原向长江中下游地区传播，继而在公元五到六世纪传播到黄河中下游地区，栽培技术已经成熟，利用方法越来越多, 到了宋代已经遍布整个中国;茄子在中国的选育是向着果实体积变大、味道变甜的方向进行, 宋代茄子发生了明显的品种分化，出现了世界上最早的茄子图。

Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands coral reef ecosystems mapping report

Digital maps of the coral reef ecosystem (<~30m deep) of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, were created through visual interpretation of remote sensing imagery. Digital Globe’s Quickbird II satellite images were acquired between 2004 and 2006 and georeferenced to within 1.6 m of their true positions. Reef ecosystem features were digitized directly into a GIS at a display scale of 1:4000 using a minimum feature size of 1000 square meters. Benthic features were categorized according to a classification scheme with attributes including zone (location, such as lagoon or forereef, etc.), structure (bottom type, such as sand or patch reef, etc.) and percent hard bottom. Ground validation of habitat features was conducted at 311 sites in 2009. Resulting maps consisted of 1829 features covering 366 square kilometers. Results demonstrate that reef zones occurred in a typical progression of narrow bands from offshore, though forereef, reef flat, shoreline, land, backreef, and lagoon habitats. Lagoon was the largest zone mapped and covered nearly 80% of the atoll, although much of it was too deep to have structures identified from the satellite imagery. Dominant habitat structures by area were pavement and aggregate reef, which covered 29% and 18% of the mapped structures, respectively. Based on the number of features, individual and aggregated patch reefs comprised over 40% of the features mapped. Products include GIS based maps, field videos and pictures, satellite imagery, PDF atlas, and this summary report. Maps and associated data can be used to support science and management activities on Majuro reef ecosystems including inventory, monitoring, conservation, and sustainable development applications.

Diel movements of fishes linked to benthic seascape structure in a Caribbean coral reef ecosystem

Many common fishes associated with Caribbean coral reef ecosystems use resources from more than 1 patch type during routine daily foraging activities. Few studies have provided direct evidence of connectivity across seascapes, and the importance of benthic seascape structure on movement behavior is poorly known. To address this knowledge gap, we coupled hydro-acoustic technology to track fish with seafloor mapping and pattern analysis techniques from landscape ecology to quantify seascape structure. Bluestriped grunts Haemulon sciurus and schoolmaster snapper Lutjanus apodus were tracked over 24 h periods using boat-based acoustic telemetry. Movement pathways, and day and night activity spaces were mapped using geographical information system (GIS) tools, and seafloor structure within activity spaces was mapped from high-resolution aerial photography and quantified using spatial pattern metrics. For both fish species, night activity spaces were significantly larger than day activity spaces. Fish exhibited a daytime preference for seascapes with aggregate coral reef and colonized bedrock, then shifted to night activity spaces with lower complexity soft sediment including sand, seagrass, and scattered coral/rock. Movement path complexity was negatively correlated with seascape complexity. This demonstrates direct connectivity across multiple patch types and represents the first study to apply quantitative landscape ecology techniques to examine the movement ecology of marine fish. The spatially explicit approach facilitates understanding to the linkages between biological processes and the heterogeneity of the landscape. Such studies are essential for identifying ecologically relevant spatial scales, delineating essential fish habitat and designing marine protected areas.

Demersal groundfish densities in trawlable and untrawlable habitats off Washington: implications for the estimation of habitat bias in trawl surveys

Demersal groundfish densities were estimated by conducting a visual strip-transect survey via manned submersible on the continental shelf off Cape Flattery, Washington. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the statistical sampling power of the submersible survey as a tool to discriminate density differences between trawlable and untrawlable habitats. A geophysical map of the study area was prepared with side-scan sonar imagery, multibeam bathymetry data, and known locations of historical NMFS trawl survey events. Submersible transects were completed at randomly selected dive sites located in each habitat type. Significant differences in density between habitats were observed for lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus), yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus), and tiger rockfish (S. nigrocinctus) individually, and for “all rockfish” and “all flatfish” in the aggregate. Flatfish were more than ten times as abundant in the trawlable habitat samples than in the untrawlable samples, whereas rockfish as a group were over three times as abundant in the untrawlable habitat samples. Guidelines for sample sizes and implications for the estimation of the continental shelf trawl-survey habitat-bias are considered. We demonstrate an approach that can be used to establish sample size guidelines for future work by illustrating the interplay between statistical sampling power and 1) habitat specific-density differences, 2) variance of density differences, and 3) the proportion of untrawlable area in a habitat.

The occurrence of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) at Espiritu Santo Seamount in the Gulf of Mexico) at Espiritu Santo Seamount in the Gulf of Mexico

Pelagic fishes are not evenly dispersed in the oceans, but aggregate at distinct locations in this vast and open environment. Nomadic species such as mackerels, tunas, and sharks form assemblages at seamounts (Klimley and Butler, 1988; Fontenau, 1991). Fishermen have recognized this behavior and have placed moorings with surface buoys in deep waters to provide artificial landmarks, around which fish concentrate and are more easily captured. These fish aggregating devices (termed FADs) are common in the tropical oceans (see review, Holland, 1996). In a sense, it may only be the larger size that separates a seamount from a man-made FAD.

Marine fish assemblages associated with fish aggregating devices (FADs): effects of fish removal, FAD size, fouling communities, and prior recruits

Fishes are widely known to aggregate around floating objects, including flotsam and fish aggregating devices (FADs).The numbers and diversity of juvenile fishes that associated with floating objects in the nearshore waters of the eastern tropical Pacific were recording by using FADs as an experimental tool. The effects of fish removal, FAD size, and the presence or absence of a fouling community at the FAD over a period of days, and the presence of prior recruits over a period of hours were evaluated by using a series of experiments. The removal of FAD-associated fish assemblages had a significant effect on the number of the dominant species (Abudefduf troschelii) in the following day’s assemblage compared to FADs where the previous day’s assemblage was undisturbed; there was no experimental effect on combined species totals. Fishes do, however, discriminate among floating objects, forming larger, more species-rich assemblages around large FADs compared to small ones. Fishes also formed larger assemblages around FADs possessing a fouling biota versus FADs without a fouling biota, although this effect was also closely tied to temporal factors. FADs enriched with fish accumulated additional recruits more quickly than FADs that were not enriched with fish and therefore the presence of prior recruits had a strong, positive effect on subsequent recruitment. These results suggest that fish recruitment to floating objects is deliberate rather than haphazard or accidental and they sup-port the hypothesis that flotsam plays a role in the interrelationship between environment and some juvenile fishes. These results are relevant to the use of FADs for fisheries, but emphasize that further research is necessary for applied interests.

Intermingling and seasonal migrations of Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) populations determined from tagging studies

A total of 7244 Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, Walbaum) were tagged in Greenland waters between 1986 and 1998 to increase information on stock delineations, to clarify migration routes, and to describe the seasonal movements of fjord populations. At present 517 recaptured Greenland halibut have been recorded. For Greenland halibut released in Davis Strait, Baffin Bay, and the fjords of southwestern and eastern Greenland, a substantial portion of recovered fish demonstrated migratory behavior, up to 2500 km, primarily to Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland. The recaptured fish provided evidence of intermingling between the population in Denmark Strait and the populations in Davis Strait and the southwest Greenland fjords. These observations support those of other studies that indicate that Greenland halibut inhabiting Davis Strait and the fjords of southwestern and eastern Greenland originate in the spawning grounds west of Iceland. The high mobility of offshore Greenland halibut within Baffin Bay and Davis Strait suggests that Greenland halibut migrate extensively between feeding and spawning areas. Greenland halibut in the fjords of northwestern Greenland appear to be resident in behavior and do not intermingle with offshore or more southerly inshore populations. A seasonal pattern in the recovery of these fish indicates that Greenland halibut aggregate in the inner part of fjords during the second half of the year (when inshore waters are not covered with ice).

Niche measures and feeding strategies of Barbodes gonionotus Bleeker and Oreochromis spp. from a ricefield in Bangladesh

Intra-and interspecific virtual niche measures and feeding strategies of Barbodes gonionotus and Oreochromis spp. were studied from a rice field in Bangladesh. Appropriateness and ease of interpretation of different indices were evaluated. Small sizes of both species had a relatively wider dietary breadth and used many of the resource categories available to them than the large size groups, though none were generalist feeder. The dietary overlap of large B. gonionotus on the small was greater than the reverse, but biologically insignificant. While the dietary overlap of large Oreochromis spp. on the small was significantly greater. Interspecific dietary width was relatively broader for B. gonionotus than Oreochromis spp. and overlap of B. gonionotus on Oreochromis spp. was significantly greater than the reverse. Evidence of significant intraspecific dietary overlap between the two sizes of tilapia reflects strong competition and cautions for mixed-size stocking in rice-fish system. Besides, there seem fewer opportunities for habitat segregation between B. gonionotus and Oreochromis spp., due to the significant interspecific dietary overlap of the former on the latter in rice-fish system. Tilapia specialized on periphytic detrital aggregate while silver barb tended to consume aquatic macrophytes and molluscs. Small sizes of B. gonionotus should be preferred for rice-fish integration over the Oreochromis spp. due to their broader niche width and pronounced ontogenetic dietary shifts with the aging of the stock.