Nous processos i formes de creixement urbà: el cas del districte industrial de Montebelluna a Itàlia

This article analyses the spatial organization of Montebelluna's industrial district (Italy) as an exemple of the dinamics of urbanization phenomenon in small urban areas. The study is divided in two parts: in the first one I present the social organisation's model of production named «industrial district» and its relation with the space, which is characterizeded by the rising of diffused urbanization settlements; in the second part I try to verify some explanatory factors pointed out by different autors in this specific area with an historical analysis of processes point of view. The diffused organisation of economic and housing activity show a change in the urban morphology

Structure of turbulent flow over arrays of cubical roughness

The structure of turbulent flow over large roughness consisting of regular arrays of cubical obstacles is investigated numerically under constant pressure gradient conditions. Results are analysed in terms of first- and second-order statistics, by visualization of instantaneous flow fields and by conditional averaging. The accuracy of the simulations is established by detailed comparisons of first- and second-order statistics with wind-tunnel measurements. Coherent structures in the log region are investigated. Structure angles are computed from two-point correlations, and quadrant analysis is performed to determine the relative importance of Q2 and Q4 events (ejections and sweeps) as a function of height above the roughness. Flow visualization shows the existence of low-momentum regions (LMRs) as well as vortical structures throughout the log layer. Filtering techniques are used to reveal instantaneous examples of the association of the vortices with the LMRs, and linear stochastic estimation and conditional averaging are employed to deduce their statistical properties. The conditional averaging results reveal the presence of LMRs and regions of Q2 and Q4 events that appear to be associated with hairpin-like vortices, but a quantitative correspondence between the sizes of the vortices and those of the LMRs is difficult to establish; a simple estimate of the ratio of the vortex width to the LMR width gives a value that is several times larger than the corresponding ratio over smooth walls. The shape and inclination of the vortices and their spatial organization are compared to recent findings over smooth walls. Characteristic length scales are shown to scale linearly with height in the log region. Whilst there are striking qualitative similarities with smooth walls, there are also important differences in detail regarding: (i) structure angles and sizes and their dependence on distance from the rough surface; (ii) the flow structure close to the roughness; (iii) the roles of inflows into and outflows from cavities within the roughness; (iv) larger vortices on the rough wall compared to the smooth wall; (v) the effect of the different generation mechanism at the wall in setting the scales of structures.

How well do high resolution models reproduce tropical convection?

Cascade is a multi-institution project studying the temporal and spatial organization of tropical convective systems. While cloud resolving numerical models can reproduce the observed diurnal cycle of such systems they are sensitive to the chosen resolution. As part of this effort, we are comparing results from the Met. Office Unified Model to data from the Global Earth Radiation Budget satellite instrument over the African Monsoon Interdisciplinary Analyses region of North Africa. We use a variety of mathematical techniques to study the outgoing radiation and the evolution of properties such as the cloud size distribution. The effectiveness of various model resolutions is tested with a view to determining the optimum balance between resolution and the need to reproduce the observations.

Low-molecular-weight gelators: Elucidating the principles of gelation based on gelator solubility and a cooperative self-assembly model

This paper highlights the key role played by solubility in influencing gelation and demonstrates that many facets of the gelation process depend on this vital parameter. In particular, we relate thermal stability (T-gel) and minimum gelation concentration (MGC) values of small-molecule gelation in terms of the solubility and cooperative self-assembly of gelator building blocks. By employing a van't Hoff analysis of solubility data, determined from simple NMR measurements, we are able to generate T-calc values that reflect the calculated temperature for complete solubilization of the networked gelator. The concentration dependence of T-calc allows the previously difficult to rationalize "plateau-region" thermal stability values to be elucidated in terms of gelator molecular design. This is demonstrated for a family of four gelators with lysine units attached to each end of an aliphatic diamine, with different peripheral groups (Z or Bee) in different locations on the periphery of the molecule. By tuning the peripheral protecting groups of the gelators, the solubility of the system is modified, which in turn controls the saturation point of the system and hence controls the concentration at which network formation takes place. We report that the critical concentration (C-crit) of gelator incorporated into the solid-phase sample-spanning network within the gel is invariant of gelator structural design. However, because some systems have higher solubilities, they are less effective gelators and require the application of higher total concentrations to achieve gelation, hence shedding light on the role of the MGC parameter in gelation. Furthermore, gelator structural design also modulates the level of cooperative self-assembly through solubility effects, as determined by applying a cooperative binding model to NMR data. Finally, the effect of gelator chemical design on the spatial organization of the networked gelator was probed by small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering (SANS/SAXS) on the native gel, and a tentative self-assembly model was proposed.

Subdiffraction fluorescence imaging of biomolecular structure and distributions with quantum dots

We introduce semiconductor quantum dot-based fluorescence imaging with approximately 2-fold increased optical resolution in three dimensions as a method that allows both studying cellular structures and spatial organization of biomolecules in membranes and subcellular organelles. Target biomolecules are labelled with quantum dots via immunocytochemistry. The resolution enhancement is achieved by three-photon absorption of quantum dots and subsequent fluorescence emission from a higher-order excitonic state. Different from conventional multiphoton microscopy, this approach can be realized on any confocal microscope without the need for pulsed excitation light. We demonstrate quantum dot triexciton imaging (QDTI) of the microtubule network of U373 cells, 3D imaging of TNF receptor 2 on the plasma membrane of HeLa cells, and multicolor 3D imaging of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase and actin in COS-7 cells.

A game theoretical approach to the evolution of structured communication codes

Structured meaning-signal mappings, i.e., mappings that preserve neighborhood relationships by associating similar signals with similar meanings, are advantageous in an environment where signals are corrupted by noise and sub-optimal meaning inferences are rewarded as well. The evolution of these mappings, however, cannot be explained within a traditional language evolutionary game scenario in which individuals meet randomly because the evolutionary dynamics is trapped in local maxima that do not reflect the structure of the meaning and signal spaces. Here we use a simple game theoretical model to show analytically that when individuals adopting the same communication code meet more frequently than individuals using different codes-a result of the spatial organization of the population-then advantageous linguistic innovations can spread and take over the population. In addition, we report results of simulations in which an individual can communicate only with its K nearest neighbors and show that the probability that the lineage of a mutant that uses a more efficient communication code becomes fixed decreases exponentially with increasing K. These findings support the mother tongue hypothesis that human language evolved as a communication system used among kin, especially between mothers and offspring.

Peritrophic membrane role in enhancing digestive efficiency Theoretical and experimental models

The pentrophic membrane (PM) is an anatomical structure surrounding the food bolus in most insects. Rejecting the idea that PM has evolved from coating mucus to play the same protective role as it, novel functions were proposed and experimentally tested. The theoretical principles underlying the digestive enzyme recycling mechanism were described and used to develop an algorithm to calculate enzyme distributions along the midgut and to infer secretory and absorptive sites. The activity of a Spodoptera frugiperda microvillar aminopeptidase decreases by 50% if placed in the presence of midgut contents. S. frugiperda trypsin preparations placed into dialysis bags in stirred and unstirred media have activities of 210 and 160%, respectively, over the activities of samples in a test tube. The ectoperitrophic fluid (EF) present in the midgut caeca of Rhynchosciara americana may be collected. If the enzymes restricted to this fluid are assayed in the presence of PM contents (PMC) their activities decrease by at least 58%. The lack of PM caused by calcofluor feeding impairs growth due to an increase in the metabolic cost associated with the conversion of food into body mass. This probably results from an increase in digestive enzyme excretion and useless homeostatic attempt to reestablish destroyed midgut gradients. The experimental models support the view that PM enhances digestive efficiency by: (a) prevention of non-specific binding of undigested material onto cell Surface; (b) prevention of excretion by allowing enzyme recycling powered by an ectoperitrophic counterflux of fluid; (c) removal from inside PM of the oligomeric molecules that may inhibit the enzymes involved in initial digestion; (d) restriction of oligomer hydrolases to ectoperitrophic space (ECS) to avoid probable partial inhibition by non-dispersed undigested food. Finally,PM functions are discussed regarding insects feeding on any diet. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Migração interna populacional e sua participação no desenvolvimento regional no final do século XX

A divulgação dos primeiros blocos de resultados do Censo Demográfico de 2000 traz importantes oportunidades de constatação sobre os padrões de evolução e distribuição demográfica brasileira nos anos 90. Nesse sentido, ao tratar do comportamento reprodutivo, destaca a continuidade do declínio dos níveis de fecundidade, associando-o a mudanças na organização econômica e espacial. Quanto á mortalidade, ressalta-se sua queda sistemática nas últimas décadas. Por último, em relação ás migrações e redistribuição espacial da população, enfatizam -se as alterações nos fluxos migratórios recentes, a desaceleração do crescimento de algumas regiões metropolitanas e áreas do Sudeste , enquanto aumentam relativamente a retenção populacional no Nordeste e o deslocamento para o Norte e para o Centro-Oeste.

Aparências da forma e forma do espaço: análise da configuração espacial de residências unifamiliares dos anos 1970 em João Pessoa PB

Assuming that the form of a building shell and its content the spatial form are distinct dimensions of architecture - however indivisible and interdependent -, this study focus, in the light of the Social Logic of Space (HILLIER; HANSON, 1984), on the intrinsic properties through which domestic space was structured in a sample of single-family dwellings built in João Pessoa (PB) during the 1970s - when the vocabulary of modern architecture still prevailed in Brazil though sharing the urban scene with other architectural trends -, in order to investigate regularities or divergences underlying their conception. These dwellings were originally classified (ARAÚJO, 2010a) in five categories defined according to the form of their building shells and to their prevailing construction techniques: (1) Brazilian modern legacy (considered as truly Brazilian modern style); (2) Paulista architecture (that refers to the modern production of São Paulo, Brazil, from the 1950s through the 1970s); (3) experiences of rationalization and prefabrication ; (4) experiences of adaptation to the climate (referring to a design strongly influenced by the hot and humid climate of North-eastern Brazil); and (5) hybrid (to account for a kind of stylistic hybridism that includes formal attributes, which evoke our colonial past). This study aims to determine, through the analyses of nineteen cases that represent each category, whether this taxonomy corresponds to distinct modes of spatial configuration. This research therefore proposes an approach to the classification of domestic architecture based on topological properties. The dwellings spatial organization was represented, quantified and analyzed, their spatial properties explored in consonance with one another and with the literature. Results pointed out that there is no evidence of a reciprocal relationship between the formal look of the built shells and their respective spatial structures

Geografia da dominação: um estudo sobre a organização espacial da terra do sal (Macau-RN)

This work aims to understand the spatial organization in the Town of Macau, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. This approach focus on bringing back the history of the town, the main personages responsible for the construction of this place, denominated "social agents", as well as its social processes and the spatial forms derived from them. As the personages and their practices were identified, it was found out the existence of a driving force for structuring, interlocking, and maintaining the actions carried out by the social agents during the time. Such actions were materialized in the urban space: "the social segregation". The social segregation takes place as a specific geography of domination. The outcome of those owning the best areas" and ways of accessibility in the urban space, varies from the enrichment by property valorization, because of the concentration of public investments of infrastructure, to the comfort of easily reaching all the daily needs related to the displacements in the urban space. In the latter case, such facility has contributed to improve life quality. While one takes advantage of the location in the urban space, others are negatively affected by the same process. This research identified the salina worker as the weakest element of this social structure, occupying the urban periphery of the town of Macau. Such area is characterized by the lack of services and urban equipment in opposition to the center of the town, the locus of elite. This way, it is established the most known segregation pattern: center x periphery, in which the space acts as a mechanism of segregation

Patrimônio, Memória e Espaço: a construção da paisagem açucareira do Vale do Ceará-Mirim

This work aims to understand how the installation of sugar culture along the river Ceará-Mirim defined the spatial organization of the Valley, and thus setting the landscape. This space has begun to be defined only in the second half of the nineteenth century, when the sugarcane growth had atarted on land located on the banks of the river Ceará-Mirim. The passage of this period of great prosperity can be seen through the heritage material which is still presented in the region. Walking through the Valley, we found a considerable number of architectural buildings, many in ruins, linked to this historical moment. This perception, caused by these buildings, will take us on a trip to the past, back to a time characterized by great-houses, mills, sugarcane plantations, planters, slaves, etc. The references that lead us to consider the sugar mills located along the valley of Ceará Mirim as a patrimony, which carry an entire historical baggage, guide us to the first half of the twentieth century. During this period, the role of intellectuals from the Rio - Sao Paulo through the modernist movement will be decisive in the formation of a national identity. The heritage material identified along the valley of Ceará Mirim defined its current spatial organization, setting the landscape. But we must conceive this landscape into two ways: first, as a material representation of social practices carried out in this space, where social, cultural, economic and environmental aspects have interacted to their training; as well as a landscape that carries a whole historical baggage which was built throughout the twentieth century

Aspectos anatômicos do olho e neuroquímicos da retina do mocó (Kerodon rupestris)

The visual system is an important link between the animal and the environment, com profound influences on the habits and lifestyle in various habitats. Adaptive mechanismsto the temporal niche are present in the visual system of many vertebrates, involving changins in ocular dimensios and design, retinal cell distribution and organization of neurochemical circuits related to the retinal resolution or sensitivity. The sensory system of the eye is represented by the retina, whose organization is responsible by receipty, initial analysis, and transmission of the information to the brain. The knowledge of the position of the eyes in the head and the distribution of retinal cells allow to identify adaptive aspects of each species to its visual field, which is characteristic to the ecological niche it occupies. In this research, we study eye anatomical characteristics and retina neurochemical features of the rock cavy (Kerodon rupestris), a tipical Brazilian rodent from the suborder Hystricomorpha, family Caviidae. The rock cavy has lateral eyes well constitute bony orbit and well differentiated extrinsic muscle. The study of the descriptive and morphometric anatomy of the showed mean values of axial diameter 10.7±0,5mm and equatorial diameter 11.6±0.7mm. The pupil is slit shaped and the lens has mean axial diameter 5.4±0.03 mm, corresponding to ~45% of the axial diameter of the eye. The posterior nodal distance and the retinal magnification factor were estimated at 6.74 mm e 118 μm/grau, respectively. Flat mounts were processed for Nissl stain, and the topographic distribution of ganglion cells showed a moderate visual band, just below the optic disc, with higher density in the ventral retina. Retinal vertical sections and flat mounts were processed for immunohistochemistry to visualize tyrosine hydroxilase (TH) and thus two types of TH+ cells were detected. Type 1 cells had strong TH-immunoreactivity, the body cell varied from 120.047 to 269.373 μm2 stratifying in the sublamina 1 of the IPL. Type 2 cells were weakly TH-imunoreactive, had cell body located mostly in the IPL, varying from 54.848 to 177.142 μm2, constituting ~10% of the TH+ cells. Both cell types exhibited similar topographic distribution with higher density found in a horizontal band along of the naso-temporal axis in the dorsal retina. The total population of dopaminergic cells was 2,156±469,4 cells, occupying an average area of 198,164 μm2. The presence of cones and rods was detected by immunohistochemistry in vertical sections and flat mounts. S cones density is around 10 times smaller than L cones, with different degree of spatial organization. Other retinal neuronal populations of the rock cavy were also detected in vertical sections with specific markers. Comparative analysis of the anatomical characteristics of the rock cavy eye 12 suggest that it was designed to acquire higher sensitivity to light, at expense of image sharpness, compatible with a vision at mesopic conditions. Additionally, the distribution of the 2 subtypes of dopaminergic cells in a naso-temporal band in the dorsal retina seems suitable to a gain in sensitivity, coherent with an animal with predominantly crepuscular activity pattern

O afeto além dos muros e portões : o apego a vizinhanças na cidade do Natal

Place Attachment is a positive affective bond between people and environments, and its main characteristic is the desire to maintain closeness to the place of attachment. Neighborhoods, in turn, are spaces close to the dwelling, which varies according to environmental, social and cultural characteristics. Facing the contemporary scenario of diminishment of neighborhood relations and its importance to the understanding of cities social-environmental context, the present work aimed to investigate the attachment to neighborhoods at the city of Natal-RN. This study had two stages. The first stage consisted on investigating, through an experts panel, the main characteristics of attached neighborhoods, aspects that contributes to the development of these neighborhoods, the ones that difficult, as well as look for indications of neighborhoods at the city of Natal that may be identified by these elements. In the following stage I interviewed 11 residents of two indicated neighborhoods at the district of Alecrim, to better comprehend the main characteristics of this attachment and the elements of the context that enable its development. The content of the interviews, categorized and evaluated by judges, indicated that, due to the 10 participant experts, the main characteristics of attached neighborhoods encompass elements of socialization, cooperation, physical space usage, intimacy and identity. According to them, these are characteristics enabled by temporal and rootedness aspects, by spatial contact, familiarity between neighbors, and cultural inheritance. The interviews with residents showed that attachment to the studied neighborhoods is specially grounded on support and cooperation networks between neighbors, on satisfaction with the proximity of services, and on the bond to symbolic aspects and local traditions. In addition to be enabled by spatial organization, by low displacement of residents, and by the district s history, relations at these neighborhoods are fostered by an intention to establish this kind of ties, carried by cultural values

Turismo religioso na cidade da santa: a percepção da comunidade sobre a construção do Complexo Turístico e Religioso Alto de Santa Rita, Santa Cruz/RN

The general objective of this study was to analyze the city of Santa Cruz cope with the impacts of the changes caused by the insertion of religious tourism with the construction of the Tourist Complex Religious Alto de Santa Rita, and specific objectives: to identify the economic activities from building the Tourist Complex Religious Alto de Santa Rita with the monument of Santa Rita; describe the research scenario to respect the traditions, rituals and spatial organization of the city and to evaluate the impacts through construction of movement by Religious Tourism Complex human capital and economic development fostered by Religious Tourism. To this end, we used the methods of application of Questionnaires and interviews, as well as the method was conducted participant observation, individual and systematic, having exploratory held through a correlational analysis regarding the impacts by inserting Tourism religious elsewhere. Was performed also discourse analysis of speeches Stakeholder city of Santa Cruz / RN for understanding the local reality. Literature search was performed readings of books, articles, theses and dissertations dealing with the issue, it was necessary to use data from websites. As for the media research field was qualitative. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the city of Santa Cruz suffered socio-economic and cultural, as a result, especially the lack of a previously developed tourism planning

A produção capitalista do espaço: os loteamentos, os condomínios fechados e o seu papel na formação do Bairro de Nova Parnamirim/Parnamirim-RN

This work exposed desired to investigate the function of evolution of closed allotment, of market of the earth and of forms of extraction of the lace of earth, in the processes capitalist production of urban space in Nova Parnamirim, community of Parnamirim/RN. This tendentious urbanization were marked for an expressive increase of number of horizontal and vertical closed residences joint ownership concerning at social groups more privileged financial position. Go after, set off, a temporal investigation, based in the forms of appropriation of space in the middle intermediate by action of the several producers agent of capitalist capital. This way, make necessary understand the past of local structure earth, in order that to make possible analyze the beginning of the process. Not enough, appealed the publics institutions as immobile notary s office and secretary municipal for to collect the more important information, and in the field through of application of formulary together the population of ward, in order that of examine the motivation of residential establishment inside. Make this, confirmed that the actual spatial organization of ward of Nova Parnamirim started of two allotments: the Vale do Pitimbú Park and Eucaliptos Park, both divided in several little allotments. Before of begin the ward, allotments reproduced set off from that native has been consigned during the 80, 90 decade s and begin the actual century, resigning a complicated urban structure earth, dynamized by exploration of a promising residential area. Leashed of this, confirmed the installation of logic of segregation and auto-segregation conducted by an immobile market which exclude the poor class and absorb rich class, motivate by perspective of obtaining of urban lace of earth by immobile promoter. However, perceived that the growth this market was promoted by migration of groups of capital, interior of state and others regions of country. Not distant, horizontal and vertical closed residences represent production forms of a new form of residence, corresponding the pattern architectonic as socioeconomics, strengthened by ideal of security, quality of life, necessity of reclusion and of proximity of Natal. Is in the capital which this individual found possibilities of attend satisfactory minimum of yours necessity in relation a consumption of bens and specialized and specifics services. Before this qualitative perceive that the social and spacial differential of Nova Parnamirim was the responsible by soil and habitation valorization of ward, that reinforce the promotion of segregation and of auto-segregation, and consequently, of capitalist reproduction of urban space