The Southeast Indian Ridge between 88°E and 118°E: Gravity anomalies and crustal accretion at intermediate spreading rates

Although slow spreading ridges characterized by a deep axial valley and fast spreading ridges characterized by an axial bathymetric high have been extensively studied, the transition between these two modes of axial morphology is not well understood. We conducted a geophysical-survey of the intermediate spreading rate Southeast Indian Ridge between 88 degrees E and 118 degrees E, a 2300-km-long section of the ridge located between the Amsterdam hot spot and the Australian-Antarctic Discordance where satellite gravity data suggest that the Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR) undergoes a change from an axial high in the west to an axial valley in the east. A basic change in axial morphology is found near 103 degrees 30'E in the shipboard data; the axis to the west is marked by an axial high, while a valley is found to the east. Although a well-developed axial high, characteristic of the East Pacific Rise (EPR), is occasionally present, the more common observation is a rifted high that is lower and pervasively faulted, sometimes with significant (> 50 m throw) faults within a kilometer of the axis. A shallow axial valley (< 700 m deep) is observed from 104 degrees E to 114 degrees E with a sudden change to a deep (>1200 m deep) valley across a transform at 114 degrees E. The changes in axial morphology along the SEIR are accompanied by a 500 m increase in near-axis ridge flank depth from 2800 m near 88 degrees E to 3300 m near 114 degrees E and by a 50 mGal increase in the regional level of mantle Bouguer gravity anomalies over the same distance, The regional changes in depth and mantle Bouguer anomaly (MBA) gravity can be both explained by a 1.7-2.4 km change in crustal thickness or by a mantle temperature change of 50 degrees C-90 degrees C. In reality, melt supply (crustal thickness) and mantle temperature are linked, so that changes in both may occur simultaneously and these estimates serve as upper bounds. The along-axis MBA gradient is not uniform. Pronounced steps in the regional level of the MBA gravity occur at 103 degrees 30'E-104 degrees E and at 114 degrees E-116 degrees E and correspond to the changes in the nature of the axial morphology and in the amplitude of abyssal hill morphology suggesting that the different forms of morphology do not grade into each other but rather represent distinctly different forms of axial (s)tructure and tectonics with a sharp transition between them. The change from an axial high to an axial valley requires a threshold effect in which the strength of the lithosphere changes quickly. The presence or absence of a quasi-steady state magma chamber may provide such a mechanism. The different forms of axial morphology are also associated with different intrasegment MBA gravity patterns. Segments with an axial high have an MBA low located at a depth minimum near the center of the segment, At EPR-like segments, the MBA low is about 10 mGal with along-axis gradients of 0.15-0.25 mGal/km, similar to those observed at the EPR, Rifted highs have a shallower low and lower gradients suggesting an attenuated composite magma chamber and a reduced and perhaps episodic melt supply. Segments with a shallow axial valley have very flat along-axis MBA profiles with little correspondence between axial depth and axial MBA gravity.

The relationship between early and intermediate level spatial vision during typical development and in autism spectrum disorder

Certaines recherches ont investigué le traitement visuel de bas et de plus hauts niveaux chez des personnes neurotypiques et chez des personnes ayant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme (TSA). Cependant, l’interaction développementale entre chacun de ces niveaux du traitement visuel n’est toujours pas bien comprise. La présente thèse a donc deux objectifs principaux. Le premier objectif (Étude 1) est d’évaluer l’interaction développementale entre l’analyse visuelle de bas niveaux et de niveaux intermédiaires à travers différentes périodes développementales (âge scolaire, adolescence et âge adulte). Le second objectif (Étude 2) est d’évaluer la relation fonctionnelle entre le traitement visuel de bas niveaux et de niveaux intermédiaires chez des adolescents et des adultes ayant un TSA. Ces deux objectifs ont été évalué en utilisant les mêmes stimuli et procédures. Plus précisément, la sensibilité de formes circulaires complexes (Formes de Fréquences Radiales ou FFR), définies par de la luminance ou par de la texture, a été mesurée avec une procédure à choix forcés à deux alternatives. Les résultats de la première étude ont illustré que l’information locale des FFR sous-jacents aux processus visuels de niveaux intermédiaires, affecte différemment la sensibilité à travers des périodes développementales distinctes. Plus précisément, lorsque le contour est défini par de la luminance, la performance des enfants est plus faible comparativement à celle des adolescents et des adultes pour les FFR sollicitant la perception globale. Lorsque les FFR sont définies par la texture, la sensibilité des enfants est plus faible comparativement à celle des adolescents et des adultes pour les conditions locales et globales. Par conséquent, le type d’information locale, qui définit les éléments locaux de la forme globale, influence la période à laquelle la sensibilité visuelle atteint un niveau développemental similaire à celle identifiée chez les adultes. Il est possible qu’une faible intégration visuelle entre les mécanismes de bas et de niveaux intermédiaires explique la sensibilité réduite des FFR chez les enfants. Ceci peut être attribué à des connexions descendantes et horizontales immatures ainsi qu’au sous-développement de certaines aires cérébrales du système visuel. Les résultats de la deuxième étude ont démontré que la sensibilité visuelle en autisme est influencée par la manipulation de l’information locale. Plus précisément, en présence de luminance, la sensibilité est seulement affectée pour les conditions sollicitant un traitement local chez les personnes avec un TSA. Cependant, en présence de texture, la sensibilité est réduite pour le traitement visuel global et local. Ces résultats suggèrent que la perception de formes en autisme est reliée à l’efficacité à laquelle les éléments locaux (luminance versus texture) sont traités. Les connexions latérales et ascendantes / descendantes des aires visuelles primaires sont possiblement tributaires d’un déséquilibre entre les signaux excitateurs et inhibiteurs, influençant ainsi l’efficacité à laquelle l’information visuelle de luminance et de texture est traitée en autisme. Ces résultats supportent l’hypothèse selon laquelle les altérations de la perception visuelle de bas niveaux (local) sont à l’origine des atypies de plus hauts niveaux chez les personnes avec un TSA.

Characterization of patients undergoing noninvasive ventilation admitted in unit intermediate care

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is the application of a ventilatory support without resorting to invasive methods. Today it’s considered a credible therapeutic option, with enough scientiic evidence to support its application in various situations and clinical settings related to the treatment of acute respiratory disease, as well as chronic respiratory disease. Objectives: Characterize patients undergoing NIV admitted in Unit Intermediate Care (ICU) in the period from October 1st 2015 to June 30th 2016. Methods: Prospective study conducted in ICU between October 2015 and June 2016. In this study were included all patients hospitalized in this unit (ICU) and in that time period a sample of 57 participants was obtained. As data collection instruments we used a questionnaire for sociodemographic and clinical data and the Braden scale. Results: Participants were mostly male 38 (66.7%), the average age 69.5 ± 11.3 years, ranging between 43 and 92 years. They weighed on average 76.6 kg (52 and 150), with an average body mass index of 28.5 kg/m2 (20 to 58.5). With skin intact 28 (49.1%) with abnormal perfusion 12 (21.1%), with altered sensitivity 11 (19.3%) and a high risk of ulcer on the scale of Braden 37 (65%). The admission diagnosis was respiratory failure 33 (57.3%) and had different backgrounds. We used reused mask 53 (93.0%), the average time of NIV was 7.1 days (1-28), 4.8 days of hospitalization (1-18) and an average of 7.8 IPAP pressure. 11 (19.3%) of the participants developed face ulcer pressure.Conclusions: The NIV is used in patients with advanced age, obesity, respiratory failure and high risk of face ulcer development.

Araucaria clonal forestry: types of cuttings and mother tree sex in field survival and growth.

Araucaria angustifolia é uma espécie nativa potencial para a silvicultura brasileira. No entanto, uma série de desafios e limitações técnicas ainda persistem, dificultando sua expansão silvicultural, dentre os quais se destaca a falta de tecnologias de clonagem de materiais genéticos superiores, bem como sua avaliação em condições de campo. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a potencialidade da utilização de mudas de araucária oriundas de estaquia e de sementes para produção madeireira, por meio da avaliação da sobrevivência e crescimento a campo. Clones provenientes de matrizes masculinas e femininas, de diferentes tipos de estacas e mudas de sementes foram plantadas em espaçamento 3 x 3 m. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos e parcelas de uma planta (one tree plot). Clones do sexo feminino e de estacas contendo o ápice apresentaram maior crescimento em diâmetro à altura do peito (6,4 cm) e altura total (3,6 m) aos 74 meses após o plantio, seguidas das de sementes e demais clones, com resultados similares. Conclui-se que a estaquia é uma técnica potencial de produção de mudas de araucária para fins madeireiros e é favorecida pela utilização de estacas proveniente de matrizes femininas e com ápice.

Multiplicação do nematoide Meloidogyne paranaensis e velocidade de enraizamento de estacas caulinares em sete espécies de plantas medicinais

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agronomia, 2016.

Quantification of free auxins in semi-hardwood plant cuttings and microshoots by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction/microwave derivatization and GC/MS analysis

Several studies have suggested that differences in the natural rooting ability of plant cuttings could be attributed to differences in endogenous auxin levels. Hence, during rooting experiments, it is important to be able to routinely monitor the evolution of endogenous levels of plant hormones. This work reports the development of a new method for the quantification of free auxins in auxin-treated Olea europaea (L.) explants, using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) and microwave assisted derivatization (MAD) followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. Linear ranges of 0.5–500 ng mL 1 and 1–500 mg mL 1 were used for the quantification of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), respectively. Determined by serial dilutions, the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.05 ng mL 1 and 0.25 ng mL 1, respectively for both compounds. When using the calibration curve for determination, the LOQ corresponded to 0.5 ng mL 1 (IAA) and 0.5 mg mL 1 (IBA). The proposed method proved to be substantially faster than other alternatives, and allowed free auxin quantification in real samples of semi-hardwood cuttings and microshoots of two olive cultivars. The concentrations found in the analyzed samples are in the range of 0.131–0.342 mg g 1 (IAA) and 20–264 mg g 1 (IBA).

Nitrogen requirements at bulb initiation for production of intermediate-day onions

Nitrogen requirements at bulb initiation for production of intermediate-day onions Article in Acta horticulturae · October 2016 DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1142.11 1st Rui Machado 16.44 · Universidade de Évora 2nd David R. Bryla 30.16 · United States Department of Agriculture Abstract Nitrogen requirements at bulb initiation for production of intermediate-day onions Authors: R.M.A. Machado, D.R. Bryla Keywords: Allium cepa, crop growth, nitrogen uptake, soil nitrate Abstract: The effect of nitrogen application on growth, nitrogen (N) uptake, yield, and quality of intermediate-day onion (Allium cepa 'Guimar') was evaluated in the field in southern Portugal. Plants were fertilized with 30 kg ha-1 N at transplanting, 10 kg ha-1 N at 29 days after transplanting (DAT) during early leaf growth, and with 0, 20, 40 and 60 kg ha-1 N at 51 DAT at the initiation of bulbing. The root system of plants in each treatment were concentrated in the top 0.1 m of soil and limited to 0.3 m depth but neither root length density nor rooting depth were affected by N application during later stages of bulb development. Leaf and bulb dry matter, on the other hand, increased linearly with N rate during bulb growth (85 DAT) and at harvest (114 DAT), respectively. Soil nitrate-N (NO3-N) at 0-0.3 m depth likewise increased linearly with N rate during bulb growth but declined from 15-30 mg kg-1 at bulbing to >10 mg kg-1 in each treatment by harvest. A substantial amount of N in the plants, which ranged from 302-525 mg, was taken up from the soil. Application of 60 kg ha-1 N resulted in luxury consumption. Yield (fresh bulb weight) increased from 0.19 kg plant-1 with no N at bulbing to as much as 0.28 kg plant-1 with 60 kg ha-1 N. Bulbs harvested from plants fertilized 40-60 kg ha-1 N averaged 8.2-8.5 cm in diameter, while those from plants with no N at bulbing averaged only 7.2 cm in diameter. Application of N fertilizer is thus recommended at bulbing to increase N uptake, yield, and bulb size of intermediate-day onions, particularly in dry Mediterranean climates where many onions are produced. Other components of quality, including neck diameter, bulb water content, total soluble solids, and juice pH, were not affect by N applied at bulbing.

Semi-implicit finite strain constitutive integration and mixed strain/stress control based on intermediate configurations

A new semi-implicit stress integration algorithm for finite strain plasticity (compatible with hyperelas- ticity) is introduced. Its most distinctive feature is the use of different parameterizations of equilibrium and reference configurations. Rotation terms (nonlinear trigonometric functions) are integrated explicitly and correspond to a change in the reference configuration. In contrast, relative Green–Lagrange strains (which are quadratic in terms of displacements) represent the equilibrium configuration implicitly. In addition, the adequacy of several objective stress rates in the semi-implicit context is studied. We para- metrize both reference and equilibrium configurations, in contrast with the so-called objective stress integration algorithms which use coinciding configurations. A single constitutive framework provides quantities needed by common discretization schemes. This is computationally convenient and robust, as all elements only need to provide pre-established quantities irrespectively of the constitutive model. In this work, mixed strain/stress control is used, as well as our smoothing algorithm for the complemen- tarity condition. Exceptional time-step robustness is achieved in elasto-plastic problems: often fewer than one-tenth of the typical number of time increments can be used with a quantifiable effect in accuracy. The proposed algorithm is general: all hyperelastic models and all classical elasto-plastic models can be employed. Plane-stress, Shell and 3D examples are used to illustrate the new algorithm. Both isotropic and anisotropic behavior is presented in elasto-plastic and hyperelastic examples.

Starch, growth, and development in cuttings of rootstock "Paulsen 1103" from plants infested with ground pearl.

ABSTRACT The ground pearl, Eurhizococcus brasiliensis, is considered an important pest of vineyards in southern Brazil, with affected plants exhibiting leaf chlorosis, reduction in vigor, fading, and death. This study evaluated the quality of hardwood cuttings produced from plants infected (I) and not infected (NI) by ground pearl. ?Paulsen 1103? (Vitis berlandieri × Vitis rupestris) plants were grown for 29 months in brick-built raised beds either infested or not infested by ground pearl; then, 12 one-year-old branches with a maximum of 12 buds each were cut from each plant, subdivided into three portions (4 buds cutting-1), and subjected to destructive and nondestructive testing. Destructive testing comprised determining fresh and dry weight, length, internode diameters, and percentage of starch. Nondestructive testing comprised assessing the potential for bud sprouting and shoot development. Each mother plant in the I and NI beds was considered a replicate, with a total of 360 cuttings per treatment. It was observed that cuttings from infected plants had significantly lower (P<0.05) internode diameter, length, and fresh and dry weight than those of the uninfected plants. The percentage of starch content of the cuttings did not differ significantly. All cuttings showed the same percentage (100%) of bud breaking and no changes in growth and development of seedlings regardless of source. Given these results, it was concluded that vines of ?Paulsen 1103? infested with ground pearl produce smaller cuttings than those of uninfected plants but with no reduction in bud break percentage or seedling development. Key words: Margarodidae, Vitaceae, insect?plant interaction, carbohydrates. RESUMO A pérola-da-terra, Eurhizococcus brasiliensis, tem sido considerada uma importante praga dos vinhedos no sul do Brasil, sendo que as plantas atacadas manifestam clorose foliar, redução no vigor, definhamento e morte. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a qualidade de estacas lenhosas produzidas a partir do contraste de videiras infestadas (I) e não infestadas (NI) por pérola-da-terra. Após 29 meses de cultivo em canteiros de alvenaria, em presença ou ausência de pérola-da-terra, cada planta da variedade ?Paulsen 1103? (Vitis berlandieri × Vitis rupestris) foi submetida à retirada de 12 ramos de ano, com no máximo 12 gemas cada, sendo subdivididos em três porções 4 gemas estaca-1) e submetidos a avaliações destrutivas e não destrutivas. As destrutivas consistiram em determinar massas fresca e seca, comprimento, diâmetro de entrenós e percentual de amido. As avaliações não estrutivas consistiram em testar o potencial de brotação e desenvolvimento das estacas. Cada planta matriz dos canteiros I e NI foi considerada uma repetição, totalizando 360 estacas por tratamento. As estacas das plantas infestadas tiveram uma redução (P<0,05), em relação às não infestadas, em diâmetro, comprimento e massas fresca e seca. Não houve contraste significativo do percentual de amido avaliado das estacas. Quanto à brotação, destaca-se que todas as estacas apresentaram o mesmo percentual (100%), independente da origem, sem alterações no desenvolvimento e crescimento das mudas. Diante desses resultados, salienta-se que videiras ?Paulsen 1103? infestadas por pérola-da-terra produzem estacas menores, porém não há comprometimento no percentual de brotação e desenvolvimento das mudas, quando comparadas com plantas não infestadas. Palavras-chave: Margarodidae, Vitaceae, interação inseto-planta, carboidrato

Drought tolerance phenotyping in maize and sorghum: preliminary, intermediate and advanced evaluations.

2008

Towards the Enabling City: Intermediate Places between Practices and Planning for Social Innovation in Bologna

The research investigates the interaction between social innovation practices and urban planning, assuming as a case study and field of application the city of Bologna, observed from the point of view of the production of urban policies and with respect to the places where it is practiced. Social innovation are localised actions tackling current urban complexities with micro-scale practices of service and urban production, by which new urban actors find answers to social needs, which are less afforded by the market and the public sectors. Planning and social innovation practices are two dimensions working in the city in different but complementary ways, subject to a mismatch. Through the lenses of interaction, the research explores the context of Bologna, a paradigmatic study and application field, a laboratory of innovative policies where a tradition of collective civic initiatives intertwines with a more responsible institutional planning framework. After drawing from area-based policies of Berlin and Barcelona, the thesis reads the role of specific intermediate places, mediators in bridging the level of institutions and the practices. Through an inventory and a cross-cutting taxonomy of intermediate places, the research draws the knowledge to inform a new urban model for the city of Bologna, aimed at overtake the mismatches by enabling the practices to act, allowing urban planning to frame them in a cross-fertilisation dimension. The proposed urban diagrammatic model, foresees intermediate places as local socio-urban observatories for research and development, interacting with both institutions and communities. The goal is to critically explore the limits and widen the meaning of the capacity of action of social innovation practices engaging in mutual-learning with the city. The model suggests a new possibility for reflection on urban planning as a more flexible approach, which translates the numerous experiences of the city into alternatives and multiple visions.

Intermediate linguistic task fine-tuning on Multi-lingual models

State-of-the-art NLP systems are generally based on the assumption that the underlying models are provided with vast datasets to train on. However, especially when working in multi-lingual contexts, datasets are often scarce, thus more research should be carried out in this field. This thesis investigates the benefits of introducing an additional training step when fine-tuning NLP models, named Intermediate Training, which could be exploited to augment the data used for the training phase. The Intermediate Training step is applied by training models on NLP tasks that are not strictly related to the target task, aiming to verify if the models are able to leverage the learned knowledge of such tasks. Furthermore, in order to better analyze the synergies between different categories of NLP tasks, experimentations have been extended also to Multi-Task Training, in which the model is trained on multiple tasks at the same time.

Characterization of ENSO changes under idealised radiative forcing in an intermediate complexity general circulation model

Intermediate-complexity general circulation models are a fundamental tool to investigate the role of internal and external variability within the general circulation of the atmosphere and ocean. The model used in this thesis is an intermediate complexity atmospheric general circulation model (SPEEDY) coupled to a state-of-the-art modelling framework for the ocean (NEMO). We assess to which extent the model allows a realistic simulation of the most prominent natural mode of variability at interannual time scales: El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). To a good approximation, the model represents the ENSO-induced Sea Surface Temperature (SST) pattern in the equatorial Pacific, despite a cold tongue-like bias. The model underestimates (overestimates) the typical ENSO spatial variability during the winter (summer) seasons. The mid-latitude response to ENSO reveals that the typical poleward stationary Rossby wave train is reasonably well represented. The spectral decomposition of ENSO features a spectrum that lacks periodicity at high frequencies and is overly periodic at interannual timescales. We then implemented an idealised transient mean state change in the SPEEDY model. A warmer climate is simulated by an alteration of the parametrized radiative fluxes that corresponds to doubled carbon dioxide absorptivity. Results indicate that the globally averaged surface air temperature increases of 0.76 K. Regionally, the induced signal on the SST field features a significant warming over the central-western Pacific and an El-Niño-like warming in the subtropics. In general, the model features a weakening of the tropical Walker circulation and a poleward expansion of the local Hadley cell. This response is also detected in a poleward rearrangement of the tropical convective rainfall pattern. The model setting that has been here implemented provides a valid theoretical support for future studies on climate sensitivity and forced modes of variability under mean state changes.

Validation of an intermediate-complexity flood risk model for climate change adaptation

In questo lavoro di tesi viene presentato e validato un modello di rischio di alluvione a complessità intermedia per scenari climatici futuri. Questo modello appartiene a quella categoria di strumenti che mirano a soddisfare le esigenze identificate dal World Climate Research Program (WRCP) per affrontare gli effetti del cambiamento climatico. L'obiettivo perseguito è quello di sviluppare, seguendo un approccio ``bottom-up" al rischio climatico regionale, strumenti che possano aiutare i decisori a realizzare l'adattamento ai cambiamenti climatici. Il modello qui presentato è interamente basato su dati open-source forniti dai servizi Copernicus. Il contributo di questo lavoro di tesi riguarda lo sviluppo di un modello, formulato da (Ruggieri et al.), per stimare i danni di eventi alluvionali fluviali per specifici i livelli di riscaldamento globale (GWL). Il modello è stato testato su tre bacini idrografici di medie dimensioni in Emilia-Romagna, Panaro, Reno e Secchia. In questo lavoro, il modello viene sottoposto a test di sensibilità rispetto a un'ipotesi enunciata nella formulazione del modello, poi vengono effettuate analisi relative all'ensemble multi-modello utilizzato per le proiezioni. Il modello viene quindi validato, confrontando i danni stimati nel clima attuale per i tre fiumi con i danni osservati e confrontando le portate simulate con quelle osservate. Infine, vengono stimati i danni associati agli eventi alluvionali in tre scenari climatici futuri caratterizzati da GWL di 1.5° C, 2.0° C e 3.0°C.

The Value Of The 2005 International Society Of Urological Pathology (isup) Modified Gleason Grading System As A Predictor Of Biochemical Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy.

To compare time and risk to biochemical recurrence (BR) after radical prostatectomy of two chronologically different groups of patients using the standard and the modified Gleason system (MGS). Cohort 1 comprised biopsies of 197 patients graded according to the standard Gleason system (SGS) in the period 1997/2004, and cohort 2, 176 biopsies graded according to the modified system in the period 2005/2011. Time to BR was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier product-limit analysis and prediction of shorter time to recurrence using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Patients in cohort 2 reflected time-related changes: striking increase in clinical stage T1c, systematic use of extended biopsies, and lower percentage of total length of cancer in millimeter in all cores. The MGS used in cohort 2 showed fewer biopsies with Gleason score ≤ 6 and more biopsies of the intermediate Gleason score 7. Time to BR using the Kaplan-Meier curves showed statistical significance using the MGS in cohort 2, but not the SGS in cohort 1. Only the MGS predicted shorter time to BR on univariate analysis and on multivariate analysis was an independent predictor. The results favor that the 2005 International Society of Urological Pathology modified system is a refinement of the Gleason grading and valuable for contemporary clinical practice.