Impacts of increasing the aerosol complexity in the Met Office global numerical weather prediction model.

The inclusion of the direct and indirect radiative effects of aerosols in high-resolution global numerical weather prediction (NWP) models is being increasingly recognised as important for the improved accuracy of short-range weather forecasts. In this study the impacts of increasing the aerosol complexity in the global NWP configuration of the Met Office Unified Model (MetUM) are investigated. A hierarchy of aerosol representations are evaluated including three-dimensional monthly mean speciated aerosol climatologies, fully prognostic aerosols modelled using the CLASSIC aerosol scheme and finally, initialised aerosols using assimilated aerosol fields from the GEMS project. The prognostic aerosol schemes are better able to predict the temporal and spatial variation of atmospheric aerosol optical depth, which is particularly important in cases of large sporadic aerosol events such as large dust storms or forest fires. Including the direct effect of aerosols improves model biases in outgoing long-wave radiation over West Africa due to a better representation of dust. However, uncertainties in dust optical properties propagate to its direct effect and the subsequent model response. Inclusion of the indirect aerosol effects improves surface radiation biases at the North Slope of Alaska ARM site due to lower cloud amounts in high-latitude clean-air regions. This leads to improved temperature and height forecasts in this region. Impacts on the global mean model precipitation and large-scale circulation fields were found to be generally small in the short-range forecasts. However, the indirect aerosol effect leads to a strengthening of the low-level monsoon flow over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal and an increase in precipitation over Southeast Asia. Regional impacts on the African Easterly Jet (AEJ) are also presented with the large dust loading in the aerosol climatology enhancing of the heat low over West Africa and weakening the AEJ. This study highlights the importance of including a more realistic treatment of aerosol–cloud interactions in global NWP models and the potential for improved global environmental prediction systems through the incorporation of more complex aerosol schemes.

The equivalent-weights particle filter in a high-dimensional system

In general, particle filters need large numbers of model runs in order to avoid filter degeneracy in high-dimensional systems. The recently proposed, fully nonlinear equivalent-weights particle filter overcomes this requirement by replacing the standard model transition density with two different proposal transition densities. The first proposal density is used to relax all particles towards the high-probability regions of state space as defined by the observations. The crucial second proposal density is then used to ensure that the majority of particles have equivalent weights at observation time. Here, the performance of the scheme in a high, 65 500 dimensional, simplified ocean model is explored. The success of the equivalent-weights particle filter in matching the true model state is shown using the mean of just 32 particles in twin experiments. It is of particular significance that this remains true even as the number and spatial variability of the observations are changed. The results from rank histograms are less easy to interpret and can be influenced considerably by the parameter values used. This article also explores the sensitivity of the performance of the scheme to the chosen parameter values and the effect of using different model error parameters in the truth compared with the ensemble model runs.

Bathymetric distribution of the shrimp Rimapenaeus constrictus (Stimpson, 1874) (Decapoda, Penaeidae) in two locations off the southeastern Brazilian coast

The distribution of benthic organisms is directly or indirectly associated with the physical and chemical properties of the water and sediment. This study analysed the spatial and temporal distribution of Rimapenaeus constrictus in unconsolidated sublittoral sediments of two areas off the northern coast of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. We also analysed the association of environmental factors with the occurrence of this species. Shrimp were collected monthly from July 2001 to June 2003, with a fishing boat equipped with two double-rig nets, in the regions of Ubatuba (UBA) and Caraguatatuba (CA). The collections were made during the day, along five transects with mean depths of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 m. We obtained a total of 5478 individuals, 3403 (UBA = 2025 and CA = 1378) during the first year, and 2075 (UBA = 875 and CA = 1200) during the second year. Significant differences in abundance were observed in relation to depth, season of the year, and also in the interaction between region and depth. Higher abundances occurred in fall and winter, independently of the sampling year. The largest numbers of shrimp were caught on the 20-m transect in UBA and the 25-m transect in CA. It is concluded that the distribution pattern of this species is closely related to environmental factors, and the temperature of the bottom water and the sediment texture were the most significant variables affecting the distribution.

Konsekvenser av rollövertagandet : ”I”, ”me” och individualiteten

Consequences of role taking: the ”I”, the ”me” and individuality This paper analyzes the tendency of taking the ”I” and the ”me” in G. H. Meads theory of role taking as two separate, qualitatively different parts of human personality, the ”I” being of individual origin, the ”me” of social. In the original Meadian sense role taking gives rise to both the ”I” and the ”me”. They are dialectically united rather than dualistically separated aspects. They refer to the joint functional power of the subject, finding itself as an object, mediated by the Other. As a consequence, the link between body and the social world becomes theoretically more stringent, as the body is given its place as a cognitive social object among others, this by contrast to interpretations where the body is left as an object mainly outside the human social experience and as a source of agency sui generis, a conception which is in opposition to Meads. The stress on the ”I”-phase, as related to body and concrete action in combination with its direct relation to the ”me”-phase, actualizes Mead as a forerunner in modern biologic/neurologic research on human perceptual, motivational and intentional capacity.Swedish Mead interpreters are critically analyzed. Interpretations of Charon, Giddens, Joas and Habermas are partly scrutinized. The author defines the conceptual pair in terms of activity, subjectivity, temporal relativity and distance.

Benthic response to upwelling events off the SE Brazilian coast

The main aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare temporal responses of the benthos in 2 continental shelf areas (Cabo Frio and Ubatuba) off the SE Brazilian coast. In Cabo Frio (23 degrees S, 42 degrees W), the western boundary coastal upwelling of the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) enhances primary productivity, potentially increasing food supply to the benthic communities via sinking of particulate organic carbon (POC). In contrast, POC fluxes in Ubatuba (23 degrees S, 45 degrees W) are expected to be comparatively lower because SACW remains subsurface. We analyzed the temporal and spatial input of phytodetritus (concentration of chlorophyll a in sediments) and the benthic microbial biomass (estimated by ATP-based carbon content in sediments). Median surface chlorophyll concentration was computed for all daily available SeaWiFS images (from 2001 and 2002) to follow chlorophyll a inputs. All parameters used to investigate benthic responses in the study areas showed consistently higher values in Cabo Frio than in Ubatuba. The results showed that benthic response to upwelling may last months, fueling the microbial communities in the Cabo Frio region.

Variabilidade espacial da textura de um latossolo vermelho eutroférrico sob cultivo de cana-de-açúcar

Estudos regionais mais detalhados, utilizando modelos de paisagem e geoestatística, têm demonstrado que, em áreas consideradas homogêneas, sob uma única classe de solo, existe dependência espacial de atributos granulométricos. Visando a avaliar a variabilidade espacial de atributos granulométricos em Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico, foram feitas amostragens do solo em intervalos regulares de 50 m, em forma de malha, totalizando 306 pontos de amostragem. Foram coletadas amostras nas profundidades de 0-0,2 m e 0,6-0,8 m para a determinação da argila, silte, areia total (AT), areia grossa (AG), areia média (AM), areia fina (AF) e areia muito fina (AMF). Os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística descritiva, geoestatística e interpolação por krigagem. Os valores do coeficiente de variação apresentaram-se baixos para argila, médios para silte, AT, AF, AM e AMF e altos para AG. Observou-se ocorrência de dependência espacial para todas as variáveis com grau moderado de dependência espacial, com os maiores alcances ocorrendo na profundidade de 0-0,2 m. Os latossolos, apesar de serem homogêneos, mesmo em áreas de mesma classe de solo e manejo, apresentaram variabilidade diferenciada para os atributos granulométricos.

Mortality Risk in Insects

Understanding how and why insect numbers fluctuate through time and space has been a central theme in ecological research for more than a century. Life tables have been used to understand temporal and spatial patterns in insect numbers. In this study, we estimated cause-of-death probabilities for phytophagous insects using multiple decrement life tables and the irreplaceable mortality analytic technique. Multiple decrement life tables were created from 73 insect life tables published from 1954 to 2004. Irreplaceable mortality (the portion of mortality that cannot be replaced by another cause) from pathogens, predators, and parasitoids was 8.6 +/- 7.2, 7.8 +/- 4.9, and 6.2 +/- 1.6%, respectively. In contrast, the mean irreplaceable mortality from all non-natural enemy mortality factors (mortality from factors other than natural enemies) was 35.1 +/- 4.4%. Irreplaceable mortality from natural enemies was significantly lower compared with non-natural enemy factors. Our results may partially explain cases of unsuccessful efficacy in classical biological control, after successful establishment, by showing low irreplaceable mortality for natural enemies, including 5.2 +/- 1.6% for introduced natural enemies. We suggest that the environment (i.e., the degree of environmental stability) influences the magnitude of the irreplaceable mortality from natural enemies. Our results lead to several testable hypotheses and emphasize that it is not possible to estimate the effect of any mortality factor without considering its interaction with competing mortality factors, which has far-reaching consequences for population biology and applied ecology.

Correlação linear e espsacial entre a produtividade de feijão e a porosidade de um Latossolo Vermelho de Selvíria (MS)

Soil porosity influences plant development since root growth and crop yield are determined by the root depth. The objective of this study was to investigate the linear and spatial variability and correlations between common bean yield and soil porosity. The bean grain yield of the irrigated cultivar Carioca IAC was analyzed in the growing season 2004/2005, in Selviria-MS, as well as macroporosity (MA), microporosity (MI) and total porosity (TP), in a Dystroferric Red Latosol, at four depths: 1 (0.0-0.10 m), 2 (0.10-0.20 M), 3 (0.20-0.30 m) and 4 (0.30-0.40 m). Soil and plant data were collected in a geostatistical grid with 135 points spaced 10 m apart, covering an area of 50 x 150 m. The data of the studied attributes did not vary randomly and the values were intermediate to low. They followed well-defined spatial standards, reaching between 11.70-104.40 m. on the other hand, the linear correlation between the plant and soil attributes was low, due to the high number of observations. Grain yield had the best linear correlations with MA1b, MI1 and TP3. From the spatial point of view, the inverse correlation between PG and #TP2 was outstanding. At the sites where #TP2 diminished (0.030-0.045 m(3) m(-3)) the yield varied from 2,173 to 3,529 kg ha(-1) and where it increased (0.045-0.076 m(3) m(-3)), the yield was between 1,630 and 2,173 kg ha(-1). Therefore, the total soil porosity, evaluated in the 0.10-0.20 m layer (#TP2), indicated the importance of the contact root/soil and was in turn a satisfactory indicator of soil physical quality, with a view to the grain yield of irrigated common bean.

Segmentação Fuzzy de Texturas e Vídeos

The segmentation of an image aims to subdivide it into constituent regions or objects that have some relevant semantic content. This subdivision can also be applied to videos. However, in these cases, the objects appear in various frames that compose the videos. The task of segmenting an image becomes more complex when they are composed of objects that are defined by textural features, where the color information alone is not a good descriptor of the image. Fuzzy Segmentation is a region-growing segmentation algorithm that uses affinity functions in order to assign to each element in an image a grade of membership for each object (between 0 and 1). This work presents a modification of the Fuzzy Segmentation algorithm, for the purpose of improving the temporal and spatial complexity. The algorithm was adapted to segmenting color videos, treating them as 3D volume. In order to perform segmentation in videos, conventional color model or a hybrid model obtained by a method for choosing the best channels were used. The Fuzzy Segmentation algorithm was also applied to texture segmentation by using adaptive affinity functions defined for each object texture. Two types of affinity functions were used, one defined using the normal (or Gaussian) probability distribution and the other using the Skew Divergence. This latter, a Kullback-Leibler Divergence variation, is a measure of the difference between two probability distributions. Finally, the algorithm was tested in somes videos and also in texture mosaic images composed by images of the Brodatz album

Phosphate distribution in the sediments along a cascade of reservoirs - (Paranapanema River, SE, Brazil)

Total phosphorus concentrations in the sediment of a cascade of 8 reservoirs located in the Paranapanema River (SE, Brazil) were analysed during two consecutive seasonal periods (2000 and 200 1). The reservoirs of Jurumirim, Chavantes, Salto Grande, Canoas 11, Canoas 1, Capivara, Taquarucu and Rosana were built during the last five decades with the purpose of hydroelectric generation. The sampling points were distributed along a 700 km of river stretch in 19 stations distributed in the river-reservoirs zones and main tributaries as well as in 5 stations representing the adjacent wetlands. The nutrient concentration was determined in samples from surface layers of sediment. Temporal and spatial changes were observed for both years. Three different areas could be identified along the river, considering not only Tot-P variations but also others physical and chemical characteristics such as organic matter concentration, nitrogen concentration of sediment and 02, pH, conductivity and Eh measured in the bottom layer of the water column. Higher values of Tot-P were found in the middle and lower region of the Paranapanema basin (maximum value of 1.96 mg g(-1) in Tibagi River in October/2001). Agricultural practices and cattle raising are the main external sources of nutrient in these regions. Superficial or sub-superficial watershed drainage and tributaries entrances are important nutrient contributors, leading to an increasing accumulation of nutrient in the sediment. This process seems to be especially important in the middle region of the Paranapanema Valley, were the values of Tot-P were higher comparing to the other areas.

Bathymetric distribution of the shrimp Rimapenaeus constrictus (Stimpson, 1874) (Decapoda, Penaeidae) in two locations off the southeastern Brazilian coast

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

Alimentação dos peixes em um riacho do Parque Estadual Morro do Diabo, bacia do Alto Rio Paraná, sudeste do Brasil

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

Aspectos da reprodução e alimentação de Neoplecostomus microps (Loricariidae, Neoplecostominae) na microbacia do Ribeirão Grande, serra da Mantiqueira oriental (Estado de São Paulo)

Reproduction and feeding aspects of Neoplecostomus microps (Loricariidae, Neoplecostominae) in the Ribeirao Grande system, eastern Serra da Mantiqueira (São Paulo State). The Ribeirao Grande system is located in the slope of the Serra da Mantiqueira and is surrounded by Atlantic forest. Eight sites were surveyed in the Ribeirao Grande system, during the winter (July 2001), spring (October 2001), summer (February 2002) and fall (April 2002). Samples were made with an electrofishing device. Gonad maturation, levels of stomach fullness and fat content were analyzed and their distributions reported in an annual cycle. Neoplecostomus microps has a spawning in the spring through to summer. The size at sexual maturity is about 5.9 cm total length for males and 6.9 cm for females. The high values in October and February by the gonadosomatic index and the relative condition factor coincided with the spawning period. In the diet of N. microps were found Diptera larvae (Simulium, Chironomus), Plecoptera nymphs and Coleoptera aquatic Larvae (Psephenus). The increased feeding from summer to fall provided fat accumulation. During subsequent seasons, fish may utilize visceral fat reserves for maintenance and reproduction. The reproductive pattern and feeding are interpreted as being an adaptation with respect to temporal and spatial variation and food availability.

Sedimentation rates of tripton in Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil)

Sedimentation rates of particulate material and some physicochemical parameters of water were determined in October, January, April and July 1990-91 at seven stations in the Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil), three located in the Paranapanema arm, three in the Taquari arm and one near the dam. Higher sedimentation rates of tripton were found in the Paranapanema arm, followed by those from the Taquari arm and the dam. Suspended matter (2.5-48.7 mg · 1-1) and chlorophyll-a (0.7-8.1 mg · m-3) concentrations in the Paranapanema arm were in general higher resulting in lower water transparency (0.3-1.7m) than in the Taquari arm. Temporal and spatial variations in the tripton sedimentation rates were mainly influenced by allochthonous input at the stations near the river mouth. The settling fluxes at station near the dam of the reservoir were affected rather by a small autochthonous production (65 g C ass m-2 ;yr-1), indicated by a higher organic content (64-87%). Therefore, sedimentation rates measured by bottom traps were affected by sediment ressuspension especially at isothermal conditions. With respect to sedimentation, the riverine, the transition and the lacustrine zones commonly found in reservoires could be distinguished. The extent of the riverine zone in each arm of the Jurumirim Reservoir depends on the seasonal change of allochthonous input.

Calibration of therapeutic ultrasound equipment

Temporal and spatial acoustic intensity (SATA) of therapeutic ultrasound (US) equipment should be monitored periodically. In order to evaluate the conditions of US equipment in use in the city of Piracicaba-Sao Paulo, Brazil, 31 machines - representing all Brazilian manufacturers - were analysed under continuous and pulsed conditions at a frequency of 1 MHz. Data about temporal and spatial acoustic intensity were collected and the use of equipment was surveyed. Intensities of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 Wcm -2, indicated on the equipment panel were analysed using a previously calibrated digital radiation pressure scale, model UPM-DT-1 (Ohmic Instruments Co). The acoustic intensity (I) results were expressed as superior and inferior quartile ranges for transducers with metal surfaces of 9 cm 2 and an effective radiation area (ERA) Of 4 cm 2. The results under continuous conditions were: I 0.1 = -20.0% and -96%. I 0.2 = -3.1% and -83.7%. I 0.5 = -35.0% and -86.5%. I 0.8 = -37.5% and -71.0%. I 2.5 = -49.0% and -69.5%. I 3.0 = -58.1% and -77.6%. For pulsed conditions, intensities were: I 0.1 = -40.0% and -86.2%. I 1.0 = -50.0% and -86.5%. I 1.5 = -62.5% and -82.5%. I 2.0 = -62.5% and -81.6%. I 2.5 = -64.7% and -88.8%. I 3.0 = -87.1% and -94.8%. In reply to the questionnaire drawn up to check the conditions of use of equipment, all users reported the use of hydrosoluble gel as a coupling medium and none had carried out previous calibrations. Most users used intensities in the range of 0.4. to 1.0 Wcm -2 and used machines for 300 to 400 minutes per week. The majority of machines had been bought during the previous seven years and weekly use ranged from less than 100 minutes to 700 minutes (11 hours 40 minutes). Findings confirm previous observations of discrepancy between the intensity indicated on the equipment panel and that emitted by the transducer and highlight the necessity for periodic evaluations of US equipment.