Temas de Ciencias Naturales.

El 29 de abril del año próximo pasado se cumplieron veinte años del fallecimiento de Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet, quién fuera uno de los científicos más destacados que han dado las ciencias naturales de la Argentina. Salvo contadas excepciones, no hubo recordatorios sobre este acontecimiento, pero el Dr. Ringuelet es uno de los casos que no necesita de la magnanimidad y el tiempo de los mortales para tenerlo presente, ya que la vigencia y el peso de su obra, hacen cumplir con aquello de que “mientras el recuerdo permanece, la muerte no existe”. El Programa para el Estudio y Uso Sustentable de la Biota Austral (ProBiota) quiere recordarlo reproduciendo la publicación de una serie de conferencias dictadas en su juventud, durante 1943 y 1944, en LS 11 Radio Provincia de Buenos Aires y que fueron publicadas en 1946 bajo el título de “Temas de Ciencias Naturales”. En ese año, Raúl A. Ringuelet contaba con treinta dos años y el mundo se encontraba en su mayor parte lacerado y bajo ruinas por la conducta recurrente de la “especie hipócrita” que, en nombre de las ideologías y la paz universal, había concretado la matanza de varios millones de personas. En nuestro país se asistía al nacimiento de un nuevo movimiento histórico y el comienzo de profundos desencuentros en nuestra sociedad, los cuales, lamentablemente, aún no han terminado. En esta década la ciencia argentina sería destacada con el Premio Nóbel a través del Dr. Bernardo Houssay y en las ciencias naturales se habían publicado, entre otras obras, los rasgos principales de la Fitogeografía argentina de J. Frenguelli, la Zoogeografía de Cabrera y Yepes, la última entrega del catalógo sistemático de las aves de Argentina de Steullet y Deautier, y el estudio de la Selva Marginal de Punta Lara de A. L. Cabrera (hijo) y G. Dawson. La lectura de estas conferencias, un total de diez, nos muestra, ya entonces, el espíritu rico, inquieto y polifacético de Raúl A. Ringuelet, el cuál lo distinguiría pocos años después. En algunas de ellas realiza la reseña de la vida y obra de diferentes científicos y naturalistas de nuestro país; en las restantes, expresa ingeniosamente conceptos precursores sobre biodiversidad, conservación y manejo de los recursos naturales y su transferencia a los diferentes niveles de la sociedad. Finalmente, desde ProBiota consideramos que la trascripción de este tipo de documentos constituye un aporte para aquellos interesados en la historia de las ciencias naturales y, asimismo, una contribución para que nuestras jóvenes generaciones de biólogos y naturalistas posean una noción más clara de quienes marcaron rumbos e hicieron escuela en nuestra disciplina con un genuino sentido nacional.

Nota acerca de los nombres vernáculos de peces en el Paraná medio.

Lista complementaria del trabajo de Pozzi sobre Sistemática y distribución de los peces de agua dulce de la República Argentina, donde se incluyen sólo los nombres faltantes o los extensivos a otras especies o los que tengan distinta significación.

A history of the Connecticut River and its fisheries

(PDF contains 15 pages)

Diário da Constituinte [gravação de vídeo] : [programa n. 703]

Poder Legislativo recupera prerrogativas. Constituinte garante direitos dos servidores públicos e acaba com os marajás. A Constituinte acelera as votações, garantindo a aprovação de vários dispositivos, entre os quais a limitação dos salários no serviço público. Nos municípios o teto passa a ser o salário dos prefeitos e as câmaras municipais terão salários fixados por lei. Será assegurada a igualdade de vencimentos para servidores da administração direta, foi retirada do texto a isonomia para autarquias e fundações públicas. Foi rejeitada emenda que suprimia do texto a expressão servidor público militar, sendo mantida a equiparação salarial o entre servidores públicos civis e militares. Fica garantida aos servidores a aposentadoria proporcional, a revisão dos proventos e pensão integral. O legislativo recupera as prerrogativas da Constituição de 1946, como decidir sobre matéria financeira e arrecadação de tributos, modificar o efetivo das forças armadas, definir orçamento e aprovação concessão de canais de televisão, os decretos-leis não serão mais editados. Foi mantido o sistema presidencialista e foi retirada a moção de censura. Emendas à constituição serão votadas em dois turnos com a presença de 3/5 de cada Casa.

A snapshot of digitisation and OCR Developments

One of the goals of Knowledge Exchange (www.knowledge-exchange.info) is to help partners to share knowledge and expertise and facilitate the build of expert networks. In the area of digitisation, including non-textual and 3-D-digitisation, a first step is to provide a snapshot of current activities and challenges in the KE partner countries. This paper is a synthesis of the information gathered in a questionnaire that was sent to 15 infrastructure institutions, e.g. libraries and also funders, within the five partner countries of Knowledge Exchange: Denmark (DK), Finland (FIN), Germany (GER), the Netherlands (NL) and the United Kingdom (UK). The paper is based on the answers provided by 6 respondents from four countries:  DK o Danish Agency of Culture (Henrik Jarl Hansen) o State and University Library (Tonny Skovgård Jensen)  GER o German research foundation, DFG (Franziska Regner)  NL o Royal Library (Hildelies Balk) o Leiden University Library (Saskia van Bergen)  UK o Jisc (Paola Marchionni, Peter Findlay) The absence of Finnish responses may be due to Finland participating in the recent Enumerate Core Survey II that also addressed digitisation. We have included some of the outcomes of this survey to present a richer picture.

郭永怀文集

Population characteristics of gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus

The status of the Gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, fishery was assessed with purse-seine landings data from 1946 to 1997 and port sampling data from 1964 to 1997. These data were analyzed to determine growth rates, biological reference points for fi shing mortality from yield per recruit and maximum spawning potential analyses, spawner-recruit relationships, and maximum sustainable yield (MSY). The separable virtual population approach was used for the period 1976–97 (augmented by earlier analyses for 1964–75) to obtain point estimates of stock size, recruits to age 1, spawning stock size, and fishing mortality rates. Exploitation rates for age-1 fi sh ranged between 11% and 45%, for age-2 fi sh between 32% and 72%, and for age-3 fi sh between 32% and 76%. Biological reference points from yield per recruit (F0.1: 1.5–2.5/yr) and spawning potential ratio (F20: 1.3–1.9/yr and F30: 0.8–1.2/yr) were obtained for comparison with recent estimates of F (0.6–0.8/yr). Recent spawning stock estimates (as biomass or eggs) are above the long-term average, while recent recruits to age 1 are comparable to the long-term average. Parameters from Ricker-type spawner-recruit relations were estimated, although considerable unexplained variability remained. Recent survival to age-1 recruitment has generally been below that expected based on the Ricker spawner-recruit relation. Estimates of long-term MSY from PRODFIT and ASPIC estimation of production model ranged between 717,000 t and 753,000 t, respectively. Declines in landings between 1988 and 1992 raised concerns about the status of the Gulf menhaden stock. Landings have fl uctuated without trend since 1992, averaging about 571,000 t. However, Gulf menhaden are short lived and highly fecund. Thus, variation in recruitment to age 1, largely mediated by environmental conditions, infl uences fi shing success over the next two years (as age-1 and age-2 fi sh). Comparisons of recent estimates of fi shing mortality to biological reference points do not suggest overfishing. (PDF file contains 22 pages.)

Population Characteristics of Gulf Menhaden, Brevoortia patronus

The status of the gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, fishery was assessed with purseseine landing data from 1946 to 1992 and port sampling data from 1964 to 1992. These data were analyzed to determine growth rates, biological reference points for fishing mortality from yield per recruit and maximum spawning potential analyses, spawner-recruit relationships, and maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Virtual population approaches were used to obtain point estimates of stock size, recruits to age I, spawning stock size, and fishing mortality rates. Exploitation rates ranged between 14% and 45% for age-1 fish, between 30% and 72% for age-2 fish, and between 36% and 71% for age-3 fish. Biological reference points from yield per recruit (FO. I: 0.7-0.9 yr-1) and maximum spawning potential (F20: 1.62.9 yr-l and F30: 1.0-2.1 yr-1) were obtained for comparison with recent estimates of F (0.4-0.8 yr-l). Parameters from Ricker-type spawner-recruit relations were estimated, although considerable unexplained variability remained. Estimates of long-term MSY from fits of the generalized production model ranged between 664,000 metric tons (t) and 897,000 t. Declines in landings since 1988 have raised concerns about the status of the gulf menhaden stock. However, gulf menhaden are short lived and highly fecund. Thus, variation in recruitment to age 1 largely mediated by environmental conditions influences fishing success over the next two years (as age-1 and age-2 fish). Comparisons of recent estimates of fishing mortality to biological reference points do not suggest overfishing. (PDF file contains 26 pages.)

Stock assessment of the gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, fishery

A stock assessment of the gulf menhaden. Brevoortia patronus, fishery was conducted with data on purse-seine landings from 1946 to 1985 and port sampling data from 1964 to 1985. These data were analyzed to determine growth rates, yield-per-recruit, spawner-recruit relationships, and maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Virtual population analysis was used to estimate stock size, year-class size, and fishing mortality rates. During the period studied, an average of 27% of age-l fish and 55% of age-2 and age-3 fish were taken by the fishery, and 54% for age-I and 38% for age-2 and -3 fish were lost annually to natural causes. Annual yield-per-recruit estimates ranged from 6.9 to 19.3 g, with recent mean conditions averaging 12.2 g since 1978. Surplus production models produced estimates of MSY from 620 to 700 kilometric tons. Recruits to age-I ranged from 8.3 to 41.8 billion fish for 1964-82. Although there was substantial scatter about the fitted curves, Ricker·type spawner-recruit relationships were found suitable for use in a population simulation model. Estimates of MSY from population simulation model runs ranged from 705 to 825 kilometric tons with F -multiples of the mean rate of fishing ranging from 1.0 to 1.5. Recent harvests in excess of the historical MSY may not be detrimental to the gulf menhaden stock. However, one should not expect long-term harvesting above the historical MSY because of the short life span of gulf menhaden and possible changes from currently favorable environmental conditions supporting high recruitment.(PDF file contains 24 pages.)

Diário da Constituinte [gravação de vídeo] : [programa n. 498]

Mauro Benevides; Ulysses Guimarães; Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Haroldo Lima; Bonifácio de Andrada; Sandra Cavalcanti; Siqueira Campos; Vivaldo Barbosa; Carlos Sant'anna; Roberto Freire; Arnaldo Faria de Sá; Marco Maciel; Plínio Arruda Sampaio; Mário Covas; Fernando Henrique Cardoso; Nelson Carneiro; Augusto Carvalho; Fernando Gasparian; Mansueto de Lavor

Diário da Constituinte [gravação de vídeo] : [programa n. 411]

A Assembleia Nacional Constituinte começa hoje uma nova fase. Agora tudo o que for decidido e votado neste Plenário vai ter força de Lei. E força de Lei Maior, força de Constituição. Muita discussão e muitas horas sem dormir já foram gastas. Foram produzidos 66.197 documentos entre projetos e emendas. Foram enviadas 72.719 sugestões a Constituinte, de todas as partes do país. E mais de 10 milhões de brasileiros assinaram emendas populares. Mudanças importantes já foram discutidas e aprovadas nas etapas anteriores. A Constituição que começa a ser votada é a 7ª Carta que o Brasil tem. Há 164 anos o país começou a ser juridicamente organizado. Surgia a 1ª Constituição do Brasil, a Constituição do Império. A mudança surgiu com a Proclamação da República. A nova Carta foi votada em 1891. Serviu à Velha República e sofreu mudanças em 1934 e depois em 1937, com o Estado Novo. A redemocratização surgiu em 1946, durou até 1967, quando foi alterada depois da Revolução Militar, de março de 1964. A nova Carta começa a ser votada, com o compromisso dos constituintes de executá-la no tempo justo.

A 30-Year History of Tide and Current Measurements in Elkhorn Slough, California

Elkhorn Slough was first exposed to direct tidal forcing from the waters of Monterey Bay with the construction of Moss Landing Harbor in 1946. Elkhorn Slough is located mid-way between Santa Cruz and Monterey close to the head of Monterey Submarine Canyon. It follows a 10 km circuitous path inland from its entrance at Moss Landing Harbor. Today, Elkhorn Slough is a habitat and sanctuary for a wide variety of marine mammals, fish, and seabirds. The Slough also serves as a sink and pathway for various nutrients and pollutants. These attributes are directly or indirectly affected by its circulation and physical properties. Currents, tides and physical properties of Elkhorn Slough have been observed on an irregular basis since 1970. Based on these observations, the physical characteristics of Elkhorn Slough are examined and summarized. Elkhorn Slough is an ebb-dominated estuary and, as a result, the rise and fall of the tides is asymmetric. The fact that lower low water always follows higher high water and the tidal asymmetry produces ebb currents that are stronger than flooding currents. The presence of extensive mud flats and Salicornia marsh contribute to tidal distortion. Tidal distortion also produces several shallow water constituents including the M3, M4, and M6 overtides and the 2MK3 and MK3 compound tides. Tidal elevations and currents are approximately in quadrature; thus, the tides in Elkhorn Slough have some of the characters of a standing wave system. The temperature and salinity of lower Elkhorn Slough waters reflect, to a large extent, the influence of Monterey Bay waters, whereas the temperature and salinity of the waters of the upper Slough (>5 km from the mouth) are more sensitive to local processes. During the summer, temperature and salinity are higher in the upper slough due to local heating and evaporation. Maximum tidal currents in Elkhorn Slough have increased from approximately 75 to 120 cm/s over the past 30 years. This increase in current speed is primarily due to the change in tidal prism which has increased from approximately 2.5 to 6.2 x 106 m3 between 1956 and 1993. The increase in tidal prism is the result of both 3 rapid man-made changes to the Slough, and the continuing process of tidal erosion. Because of the increase in the tidal prism, the currents in Elkhorn Slough exhibit positive feedback, a process with uncertain consequences. [PDF contains 55 pages]

计算气动弹性若干研究进展

郭永怀和钱学森先生早在1946年提出了上临界马赫数的概念,即对于亚声速的二维无旋流动,当来流速度达到下临界马赫数时开始出现声速.稍增加来流速度,光滑无旋的亚、超声速混合流动可以继续存在,理论上只有当来流速度达到上临界马赫数出现激波后,光滑无旋流动才被破坏.随后,航空工程界先驱们为提高阻力发散马赫数,降低马赫数1附近的飞机阻力,为突破声障,提出了超临界翼型设计技术,引进了后掠翼设计概念,提出了跨声速面积律理论,导致了20世纪军民用航空飞行器的大规模发展,随着计算机技术和计算方法的进步,不同程度地简化流体控制方程的求解方法得到大发展.基于雷诺平均Navier-Stokes方程的计算流体力学已广泛应用于飞机性能评估、复杂流动机理分析.目前,气动外形优化设计、气动/结构耦合干扰、气动噪声等多学科问题成为空气动力学的研究热点.该文介绍作者的团队近年来在计算气动弹性研究方面的若干进展,作为对郭永怀先生诞辰100周年的怀念.