Evaluation of two genera of benthic foraminifera for down-core paleotemperature studies in the western south atlantic

Neste estudo, compara-se a composição de isótopos de oxigênio de dois gêneros de foraminíferos bentônicos (Uvigerina e Cibicidoides) de amostras de topo de testemunho com a composição isotópica moderna da água do mar (d¹⁸O). Baseados em uma nova relação entre d¹⁸O e salinidade para a latitude média do Atlântico Sul ocidental, estimou-se a composição isotópica da calcita em equilíbrio (d¹⁸O_eq) a partir de duas equações diferentes: (1) O'Neil et al. (1969), modificada por McCorkle et al. (1997) e (2) Kim & O'Neil (1997). Utilizando (1), a pequena diferença entre d¹⁸O_eq e d¹⁸O de Uvigerina sugere que este gênero precipita as suas testas próximo ao equilíbrio com a água. Já os dados de d¹⁸O de Cibicidoides são 0,82 ‰ menores que a composição isotópica prevista. Ao contrário, utilizando (2) os dados de d¹⁸O de Cibicidoides mostram uma concordância excelente com a composição isotópica esperada, enquanto que os dados de d¹⁸O de Uvigerina são 0,69 ‰ maiores que os valores de equilíbrio previstos. A partir das evidências apresentadas neste trabalho e em estudos prévios sugerimos a utilização do gênero Cibicidoides e a aplicação da equação de Kim & O'Neil (1997) para pesquisas de paleotemperatura. Na ausência de suficientes espécimens de Cibicidoides sugerimos a utilização de d¹⁸O deUvigerina aplicando um fator de correção de -0,69 ‰.

O emprego da geoestatística na determinação do tamanho "ótimo" de amostras aleatórias com vistas à obtenção de estimativas dos volumes dos fustes de espécies florestais em Paragominas, estado do Pará

O objetivo do trabalho foi determinar o tamanho adequado de amostra para estimar o volume de fustes de espécies florestais de uma população de árvores a serem cortadas no sistema de manejo florestal da empresa Cikel Brasil Verde Madeiras - Pará. Utilizaram-se as metodologias da amostragem sistemática e do estimador geoestatístico da krigagem ordinária com simulação sequencial, respectivamente para a escolha das amostras e estimação dos volumes dos fustes das árvores. Os resultados mostraram que os métodos podem ser utilizados no cálculo dos volumes de fustes de árvores. Entretanto, o método da krigagem apresenta um efeito de suavização, tendo como conseqüência uma subestimação dos volumes calculados. Neste caso, um fator de correção foi aplicado para minimizar o efeito da suavização. A simulação sequencial indicativa apresentou resultados mais precisos em relação à krigagem, uma vez que tal método apresentou algumas vantagens, tal como a não exigência de amostras com distribuições normais e ausência de efeito de suavização, característico dos métodos de interpolação.

Silagem de grãos úmidos de sorgo para frangos de corte criados no sistema alternativo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Deconvolução de perfis de poços através do ajuste de energia

As medidas de resistividade são de fundamental importância para o cálculo da saturação de óleo em reservatórios potencialmente produtores. A combinação das medidas de resistividade rasa e profunda permite a obtenção dos parâmetros R_t, R_xo e d_i. Mas, em reservatórios complexos existem dificuldades em se obter leituras confiáveis de R_t, devido à baixa resolução vertical das ferramentas de investigação profunda. Em reservatórios laminados, por exemplo, as leituras obtidas pela ferramenta de indução profunda (ILD) podem levar a uma interpretação errônea das mesmas, levando a acreditar que as medidas obtidas do perfil referem-se a uma única camada. Este problema pode ser em parte resolvido através de uma metodologia que melhore a resolução vertical dos perfis de investigação profunda, valendo-se do uso de informações obtidas de um perfil de alta resolução vertical, i.e; a curva de resistividade rasa. Uma abordagem neste sentido seria usar um perfil de alta resolução que apresente uma boa correlação com o perfil de investigação profunda. Esta correlação pode ser melhor avaliada se aplicarmos um filtro no perfil de alta resolução, de tal forma que o perfil resultante tenha teoricamente a mesma resolução vertical do perfil de baixa resolução. A obtenção deste filtro, porém, recai na premissa de que as funções respostas verticais para as ferramentas de alta e baixa resolução são disponíveis, o que não ocorre na prática. Este trabalho se propõe mostrar uma nova abordagem onde o filtro pode ser obtido a partir de um tratamento no domínio da freqüência. Tal tratamento visa igualar a energia espectral do perfil de alta resolução à energia espectral do perfil de baixa resolução tendo como base o Teorema de Parseval. Será mostrado que a resolução vertical depende fundamentalmente da energia espectral do perfil em questão. A seguir, uma regressão linear é aplicada sobre os perfis de alta resolução filtrado e de baixa resolução. Para cada ponto amostrado dos perfis, uma rotina de minimização é aplicada visando escolher o melhor intervalo de correlação entre os perfis. Finalmente, um fator de correção é aplicado sobre cada ponto do perfil de baixa resolução. Os resultados obtidos com os perfis de indução são promissores, demonstrando a eficácia da abordagem e mesmo quando aplicada em perfis com diferentes propriedades petrofísicas, a metodologia funcionou satisfatoriamente, sem danificar os perfis originais.

Modelagem da área foliar de duas cultivares de amendoim em função das dimensões lineares dos folíolos

The purpose of this study was to determine a shape factor to estimate area of leaflets of two peanut cultivars (IAC TATU ST, IAC RUNNER 886). Correlation studies were conducted involving real leaf area (Sf) and leaf length (C), maximum leaf width (L) and the product between C and L. For each cultivar was determined a form factor (f) by means of regression analysis between the product of the length by the width and the actual area of leaves and the correlation between leaf area estimated by the correction factor and direct measurement. All evaluated models (linear, exponential or geometric) provided good estimates of leaf area (above 87%). Linear models had the best fit, passing or not through the origin. From a practical viewpoint, it is suggested to use the linear model involving the C and L product, using a linear coefficient equal to zero, with values of factor f equal to 0.7111 and 0.7266 for IAC RUNNER 886 and IAC TATU ST, respectively. The method of dimensions is feasible for the estimation of leaf area for both peanut cultivars, for showing good r(2) values (0.97), with errors below 3%, even when used with independent data.

Mapeamento de áreas de risco para ocorrência da ferrugem do eucalipto no Espírito Santo e extremo sul da Bahia

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudo para correção dos sensores da rede de monitoramento do campo elétrico em função do campo elétrico de tempo bom

A monitoring network of atmospheric electric field covering the Vale do Paraiba region was implemented. The sensors were located on different sites with different altitude and geographic topology. The present work reports the study carried on those sensors in order to verify the necessity of using some correction factor to the measured local electric field intensity due to effects of local environment. The measurements were done in continuous 24 hours per day with the data recorded on registers in each device accumulating information during a period of four months. The relation between the electric field values by each sensor was compared to the reference located on Sao Jose dos Campos city using the same period. In a graphical analysis using the local field intensity and the reference, the data were fitted to a straight line obtained by minimum square method. Variation up to 95% was observed between the field values in some sensors. Another method was proposed, comparing the mean values of the electric field in a function of time. The variation in some sensors reached up to 133%. We conclude that the variations are due to local atmospheric conditions and no correction factor is required on the electric field sensors

Systemic blood flow relations in conscious South American rattlesnakes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Classificação multicritério de peças de reposição

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Mapeamento, erodibilidade e tolerância de perdas de solo na sub-bacia do Ribeirão das Perobas

The land use conservation planning requires knowledge of the soil characteristics, natural susceptibility to erosion and the soil loss limit. In this context, the objectives of this study were to perform a detailed soil survey of Ribeirão das Perobas watershed, located in Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo State and to determine and map the erodibility and soil loss tolerance of the soil classes found in the survey. The following techniques were used to perform the detailed soil survey: photopedology, field sampling, physical analysis, chemical analysis, and morphological description of the soil samples and profiles. The erodibility was determined by the methods described by Denardin (1990) and Mannigel et al. (2002), and the determination of soil loss tolerance followed the methodology of Mannigel et al. (2002). The results of erodibility determined by the methodology of Denardin (1990) were not discrepant and they did not distinguish soils that are known to have different susceptibility to erosion., w\Whereas, using the methodology of Mannigel et al. (2002), very high or very low erodibility values were observed in soils with extreme contents of sand silt or clay. The most influent variable to the soil loss tolerance results was the correction factor for the textural gradient of clay between soil horizons.

The Abundance of Harbor Seals in the Gulf of Alaska

The abundance of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) has declined in recent decades at several Alaska locations. The causes of these declines are unknown, but there is concern about the status of the populations, especially in the Gulf of Alaska. To assess the status of harbor seals in the Gulf of Alaska, we conducted aerial surveys of seals on their haul-out sites in August-September 1996. Many factors influence the propensity of seals to haul out, including tides, weather, time of day, and time of year. Because these “covariates” cannot simultaneously be controlled through survey design, we used a regression model to adjust the counts to an estimate of the number of seals that would have been ashore during a hypothetical survey conducted under ideal conditions for hauling out. The regression, a generalized additive model, not only provided an adjustment for the covariates, but also confirmed the nature and shape of the covariate effects on haul-out behavior. The number of seals hauled out was greatest at the beginning of the surveys (mid-August). There was a broad daily peak from about 1100-1400 local solar time. The greatest numbers were hauled out at low tide on terrestrial sites. Tidal state made little difference in the numbers hauled out on glacial ice, where the area available to seals did not fluctuate with the tide. Adjusting the survey counts to the ideal state for each covariate produced an estimate of 30,035 seals, about 1.8 times the total of the unadjusted counts (16,355 seals). To the adjusted count, we applied a correction factor of 1.198 from a separate study of two haul-out sites elsewhere in Alaska, to produce a total abundance estimate of 35,981 (SE 1,833). This estimate accounts both for the effect of covariates on survey counts and for the proportion of seals that remained in the water even under ideal conditions for hauling out.

Black carbon affects the cycling of non-black carbon in soil

Black carbon (BC) is an important fraction of many soils worldwide and plays an important role in global C biogeochemistry. However, few studies have examined how it influences the mineralization of added organic matter (AOM) and its incorporation into soil physical fractions and whether BC decomposition is increased by AOM. BC-rich Anthrosols and BC-poor adjacent soils from the Central Amazon (Brazil) were incubated for 532 days either with or without addition of (13)C-isotopically different plant residue. Total C mineralization from the BC-rich Anthrosols with AOM was 25.5% (P < 0.05) lower than with mineralization from the BC-poor adjacent soils. The AOM contributed to a significantly (P < 0.05) higher proportion to the total C mineralized in the BC-rich Anthrosols (91-92%) than the BC-poor adjacent soils (69-80%). The AOM was incorporated more rapidly in BC-rich than BC-poor soils from the separated free light fraction through the intra-aggregate light fraction into the stable organo-mineral fraction and up to 340% more AOM was found in the organo-mineral fraction. This more rapid stabilization was observed despite a significantly (P < 0.05) lower metabolic quotient for BC-rich Anthrosols. The microbial biomass (MB) was up to 125% greater (P < 0.05) in BC-rich Anthrosols than BC-poor adjacent soils. To account for increased MB adsorption onto BC during fumigation extraction, a correction factor was developed via addition of a (13)C-enriched microbial culture. The recovery was found to be 21-41 % lower (P < 0.05) for BC-rich than BC-poor soils due to re-adsorption of MB onto BC. Mineralization of native soil C was enhanced to a significantly greater degree in BC-poor adjacent soils compared to BC-rich Anthrosols as a result of AOM. No positive priming by way of cometabolism due to AOM could be found for aged BC in the soils. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphometric endoscopic study of the pharynx in patients with sleep apnea

Purpose: The aims of the study were to measure endoscopically the retrolingual pharynx during wakefulness and sleep before and after maxillomandibular advancement surgery and to quantify the changes observed. Materials and Methods: Eighteen patients with mild to severe grade obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea were evaluated during wakefulness while sitting and lying down and during induced sleep in dorsal decubitus while breathing naturally. Images of the retrolingual region of the pharynx were captured with a nasofibroscope and recorded on a DVD using the Sony Vegas 8.0 software (Sony Creative Software, Madison, WI). The images captured in greater and smaller aperture were measured with the Image J software (produced by Wayne Rasband, United States National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD) in linear anteroposterior and linear laterolateral areas. A correction factor was then applied to equalize the size of the images and thus compare them to one another. Results: The postoperative dimensions of the pharynx always increased significantly in all measurements compared with the preoperative ones. During induced sleep in dorsal decubitus, there was a greater gain in the area of smaller aperture (201.33%). Conclusions: The proposed method showed that the dimensions of the pharynx always increased significantly after surgery for maxillomandibular advancement, although the gain was not homogeneous in all dimensions and also varied according to state of consciousness. The greatest gain was observed in the area of smaller aperture with the patient in induced sleep, thus reducing the collapse of the pharynx. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The use of Open Reading frame ESTs (ORESTES) for analysis of the honey bee transcriptome

Abstract Background The ongoing efforts to sequence the honey bee genome require additional initiatives to define its transcriptome. Towards this end, we employed the Open Reading frame ESTs (ORESTES) strategy to generate profiles for the life cycle of Apis mellifera workers. Results Of the 5,021 ORESTES, 35.2% matched with previously deposited Apis ESTs. The analysis of the remaining sequences defined a set of putative orthologs whose majority had their best-match hits with Anopheles and Drosophila genes. CAP3 assembly of the Apis ORESTES with the already existing 15,500 Apis ESTs generated 3,408 contigs. BLASTX comparison of these contigs with protein sets of organisms representing distinct phylogenetic clades revealed a total of 1,629 contigs that Apis mellifera shares with different taxa. Most (41%) represent genes that are in common to all taxa, another 21% are shared between metazoans (Bilateria), and 16% are shared only within the Insecta clade. A set of 23 putative genes presented a best match with human genes, many of which encode factors related to cell signaling/signal transduction. 1,779 contigs (52%) did not match any known sequence. Applying a correction factor deduced from a parallel analysis performed with Drosophila melanogaster ORESTES, we estimate that approximately half of these no-match ESTs contigs (22%) should represent Apis-specific genes. Conclusions The versatile and cost-efficient ORESTES approach produced minilibraries for honey bee life cycle stages. Such information on central gene regions contributes to genome annotation and also lends itself to cross-transcriptome comparisons to reveal evolutionary trends in insect genomes.

Grazing incidence pumped Zr x-ray laser for spectroscopy on Li-like ions

X-ray laser fluorescence spectroscopy of the 2s-2p transition in Li-like ions is promising to become a widely applicable tool to provide information on the nuclear charge radii of stable and radioactive isotopes. For performing such experiments at the Experimental Storage Ring ESR, and the future NESR within the FAIR Project, a grazing incidence pumped (GRIP) x-ray laser (XRL) was set up at GSI Darmstadt using PHELIX (Petawatt High Energy Laser for heavy Ions eXperiments). The experiments demonstrated that lasing using the GRIP geometry could be achieved with relatively low pump energy, a prerequisite for higher repetition rate. In the first chapter the need of a plasma XRL is motivated and a short history of the plasma XRL is presented. The distinctive characteristic of the GRIP method is the controlled deposition of the pump laser energy into the desired plasma density region. While up to now the analysis performed were mostly concerned with the plasma density at the turning point of the main pump pulse, in this thesis it is demonstrated that also the energy deposition is significantly modified for the GRIP method, being sensitive in different ways to a large number of parameters. In the second chapter, the theoretical description of the plasma evolution, active medium and XRL emission properties are reviewed. In addition an innovative analysis of the laser absorption in plasma which includes an inverse Bremsstrahlung (IB) correction factor is presented. The third chapter gives an overview of the experimental set-up and diagnostics, providing an analytical formula for the average and instantaneous traveling wave speed generated with a tilted, on-axis spherical mirror, the only focusing system used up to now in GRIP XRL. The fourth chapter describes the experimental optimization and results. The emphasis is on the effect of the incidence angle of the main pump pulse on the absorption in plasma and on output and gain in different lasing lines. This is compared to the theoretical results for two different incidence angles. Significant corrections for the temperature evolution during the main pump pulse due to the incidence angle are demonstrated in comparison to a simple analytical model which does not take into account the pumping geometry. A much better agreement is reached by the model developed in this thesis. An interesting result is also the appearance of a central dip in the spatially resolved keV emission which was observed in the XRL experiments for the first time and correlates well with previous near field imaging and plasma density profile measurements. In the conclusion also an outlook to the generation of shorter wavelength XRL’s is given.