Forensic analysis of architectural finishes using fourier transform infrared and raman spectroscopy, part II:White paint

White household paints are commonly encountered as evidence in the forensic laboratory but they often cannot be readily distinguished by color alone so Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microscopy is used since it can sometimes discriminate between paints prepared with different organic resins. Here we report the first comparative study of FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy for forensic analysis of white paint. Both techniques allowed the 51 white paint samples in the study to be classified by inspection as either belonging to distinct groups or as unique samples. FT-IR gave five groups and four unique samples; Raman gave seven groups and six unique samples. The basis for this discrimination was the type of resin and/ or inorganic pigments/extenders present. Although this allowed approximately half of the white paints to be distinguished by inspection, the other half were all based on a similar resin and did not contain the distinctive modifiers/pigments and extenders that allowed the other samples to be identified. The experimental uncertainty in the relative band intensities measured using FT-IR was similar to the variation within this large group, so no further discrimination was possible. However, the variation in the Raman spectra was larger than the uncertainty, which allowed the large group to be divided into three subgroups and four distinct spectra, based on relative band intensities. The combination of increased discrimination and higher sample throughput means that the Raman method is superior to FT-IR for samples of this type. © 2005 Society for Applied Spectroscopy.

O papel das organizações no crescimento, desenvolvimento e inovação do empreendedorismo em CaboVerde

A sociedade cabo-verdiana defronta-se hoje com diversos desafios à sua capacidade de assegurar um crescimento sustentável e garantir o bem-estar da população. Neste sentido, o empreendedorismo desempenha um papel crucial para o desenvolvimento do país que vem contribuindo ao longo dos anos com o aumento de inúmeros postos de trabalho. A opção pela realização de um Estágio Curricular, em detrimento das opções de realização de Dissertação ou Projeto, deveu-se ao facto de considerar esta opção como uma oportunidade de colocar em prática tudo o que aprendeu ao longo destes anos e por considerar ser um complemento importante à minha Formação Académica. O Estágio desenrolou-se na Empresa BIC – Business Incubation Center, e teve uma duração de 600 horas (aproximadamente 3 meses). A Empresa labora essencialmente na área do Empreendedorismo através de Elaboração de Planos de Negócios e Capacidade de Gestão. O objetivo deste relatório passa por transmitir uma ideia da forma como se vive o empreendedorismo em Cabo Verde e reportar o importante papel que diversas instituições têm vindo a ter na implementação do empreendedorismo em parcerias com universidades através da transformação de ideias em negócios de sucesso. Os principais resultados obtidos deste processo de estágio, estão relacionados com o contacto diário com empreendedores de várias áreas de negócio e estar sempre rodeado de pessoas qualificadas levando a que o estagiário tenha adquirido muitas competências, maturidade, experiência e responsabilidade.

Recueil de titres et pièces diverses concernant le comté de CLERMONT, la ville de REIMS, l'abbaye de MORIENVAL, diverses églises de SENLIS, la ville et l'université d'ANGERS, la famille des URSINS ; Pierre RAMUS, Jean-Antoine DE BAÏF, Ange POLITIEN ; les bibliothèques de François Savary DE BREVES, et de la cathédrale de CHARTRES ; différentes affaires de SORCELLERIE, etc. — De 1269 à 1635 environ.

Originaux et copies. On remarque dans ce volume les pièces suivantes : Lettres patentes de saint Louis, portant donation, à son fils Robert et à ses descendants, du château de Clermont et autres terres par lui possédées dans le comté de Clermont, Paris, mars 1269 (3) ; — Vidimus, par les échevins de Reims, des lettres d'abolition octroyées à cette ville par Charles VII, « Septfaux-lez-Reims », 16 juillet 1429 (4) ; — Lettres patentes de Philippe VI, relatives à la messe célébrée au Palais, par les soins des conseillers des Enquêtes, pour le salut du Roi et de la famille royale, Paris, 4 janv. 1340, en latin, et 22 août 1341, en français (6) ; — Instructions pour « ceulx qui sont ordenez à aller par le royaume demander ayde pour la guerre » ; « extr. du Registre + de la Chambre des comptes, fol. VIIXXX » (8) ; — « Anniex et décime » : dettes contractées par la Papauté envers la France ; extrait du même registre, fol. VIXXXIII V° (10) ; Documents et notes, de la main de Laurent Bouchel : « Extraict du dénombrement rendu au Roy en l'an 1524, le dernier may, par D. Jeanne Darson, abbesse de Morguienval... » (14) ; — Épitaphe, en vers latins, de Jeanne de Mansigni, abbesse de Morienval, décédée en 1485 (14 v°) ; — Notes historiques sur l'abbaye N.-D. de Morienval (15) ; sur la maladrerie de Saint-Lazare, de Crespy-en-Valois (16) ; sur Saint-Thomas de Crespy (17) ; sur plusieurs églises de Senlis (18) ; sur Saint-Nicolas d'Acy (21) ; Extraits de la « Chronique scandaleuse », de la main de P. Dupuy (22) ; — « Vérification des priviléges d'Angers soubz le roy Louys XI, faicte le 7 mars 1474, au Grand Conseil tenu en l'hostel du Roy, à Paris... » (24) ; — Extraits des lettres d'Abbon de Fleury et de Gerbert, par P. Pithou (28) ; — « Extraict d'un viel chartulaire de l'Église de Paris », par P. Pithou (32) ; — « Ex libro coenobii S. Petri de Valle Carnotensis, qui Aganonis appellatur... », de la main de P. Pithou (34) ; — Notes sur les manuscrits de l'église de Chartres ; sur les antiquités de l'église de Hautes-Bruyères et de Saint-Père de Chartres, par P. Pithou (35) ; « Animadversiones Hadriani Valesii in libr[um] P[atris Francisci] Macedo, cui titulus Propugnaculum Lusitano-gallicum » (36) ; — « Extraict d'un registre en parchemin, qui est en la Chambre des comptes et est un inventaire des fiefs, hommages et aultres tiltres estans en la Chambre des comptes de Fourez, en la ville de Montbrison, ledict inventaire faict l'an 1473 », de la main de P. Dupuy (42) ; — « Extraict de certaines escritures produites par Guillaume Bourrelier, procureur fiscal du duc et comte de Bourgongne, contre les chapelains de l'église de Seurre... », de la main de P. Dupuy (44) ; Actes de prise de possession de divers biens, situés à Sognolles et à Coutençon, par le procureur de Guillaume Juvénal des Ursins, orig. (47) ; — Acte relatif aux bois de Coutençon, 30 déc. 1454, orig. (48) ; — Lettres de M[ichel] Juvénal des Ursins, bailli de Troyes, à son frère le chancelier Guillaume, Troyes, 9 oct. 1456 et 30 juin 1469, autogr. (50 et 55) ; — Lettres de [Jean Juvénal des Ursins], archevêque de Reims, à son frère le chancelier Guillaume, Reims, 10 août 1468, autogr., et Paris, 14 juillet 1468, orig. (51 et 56) ; — Traité de mariage entre Jean Juvénal des Ursins, fils du chancelier, et Guyonne de Beauvau, Paris, 29 janv. 1469, orig. (52) ; — Testament de Guillaume Juvénal des Ursins, chancelier de France, Paris, 2 nov. 1471, et codicille, 13 juin 1472, copies (57) ; — Testament de Jean Juvénal des Ursins, archevêque de Reims, Reims, 18 sept. 1472, copie authentique (63) ; — Testament de Jean Juvénal des Ursins, sieur d'Autry, Tours, 14 juin 1474, copie (67) ; — « Inventoire des lettres mises et délaissées à Mr maistre Jehan Lardet,... lieutenant de Mgr le séneschal de Poictou à son siège de Niort,... pour icelles lettres garder en ses mains au prouffit desdicts héritiers [de Jeanne Juvénal des Ursins, en son vivant dame d'Appelvoisin] », Niort, 29 mars 1475 (69) ; Acte de vente à Pierre Doriole, chancelier de France, et à sa femme Charlotte de Bar, par Jean Juvénal des Ursins, de divers biens provenant de l'héritage du chancelier Guillaume Juvénal des Ursins et de sa femme Geneviève Héron, 4 janv. 1478 (73) ; — Transaction amiable passée entre les héritiers de Jacques Juvénal des Ursins, patriarche d'Antioche et évêque de Poitiers, s. d., minute (75) ; — Acte de vente à Jean Jallon, marchand à Tours, par le procureur de Jean Juvénal des Ursins, seigneur de Traînel, de biens provenant de la succession du chancelier Guillaume, Tours, 31 déc. 1478, copie authentique (76) ; — « Inventaire des lettres et tiltres de l'acquest fait par... Pierre Doriole,... chancecelier de France, et dame Charlote de Bar, sa femme, de la maison, court, boucherie, jardin..., que Guion Coeffart, ou nom et comme procureur de noble seigneur Jehan Juvenel des Ursins..., a vendu à mondit seigneur le chancelier..., fait cedit inventaire par nous Guillaume Barbotin et Jehan Pavin, clercs, notaires jurez des contractz royaulx de ceste ville de Tours », 16 janv. 1478, orig. (78) ; — Lettre de [Nicolas] Camusat à [P. Dupuy], au sujet de la famille des Ursins, s. d., autogr. (84) ; Lettres de Henri III, portant nouvelle érection et création d'un conservateur des privilèges royaux en l'Université d'Angers, avec droit de juridiction, Chenonceaux, mai 1577 (85) ; — Lettres de François Ier, concernant les ouvrages de Ramus contre Aristote, Paris, 10 mars 1543, de la main de Laurent Bouchel (87) ; — Note sur le baptême du fils du dauphin Henri de Valois [plus tard François II], 10 fév. 1543, par L. Bouchel (88) ; — Mémoire sur les deniers payés comptant aux rois de France, 1525-1633 (89) ; et lettres de Henri IV et du chancelier Philippe Hurault de Cheverny, au sujet d'un de ces versements, camp devant Laon, 14 juillet 1594 (93) ; — Notes sur divers mots et expressions : « Ad staplum Regis, estal, mallus, placitum, conventus, missi, marchiones, comites, vassi, pares », de la main de Peiresc (96) ; — Notes diverses de P. Dupuy (107), entre autres sur le déchiffrement des alphabets secrets (113) ; Minute d'une lettre latine de Jean-Antoine de Baïf au Pape [Grégoire XIII], autogr. (114) ; — Armes de Strasbourg (115) ; — Blasons des gentilshommes de la sénéchaussée de Beaucaire, tirés des sceaux d'un acte du Trésor des chartes, daté du 6 kal. aug. 1303 ; dessins (116) ; — Blasons coloriés (118-120) ; — Lettres du dauphin Charles [plus tard Charles VII], portant anoblissement de Jean Vaché, bourgeois de Saint-Marcellin en Dauphiné, Melunsur-Yèvre, 4 oct. 1420, parchemin, copie (122) ; — Requête adressée au Roi par Pierre Turquant, marchand de Châtellerault, orig. XVIe s. (123) ; — Note de P. Dupuy sur la part prise à la Ligue par la famille Hennequin (124) ; — Mémoire sur la construction du cadran solaire, de la main de N. Pithou (125) ; — Extraits d'Artémidore, par Ange Politien, Fiesole, 12 sept. 1483, autogr. [anc. feuillets 249 et 250 du ms. grec 3069] (129-130) ; « Illustrissimi domini de Brèves [François Savary] libri arabici, persici et turcici ms. celebriores » (131) ; — « Libri manuscripti bibliothecae ecclesiae Beatae Mariae Carnotensis » (133) ; — « Memoriale librorum Montis Rivi » (139) ; « Histoire au vray de la prévosté d'Orléans, et les jugements contre les imposteurs », 1533, de la main de Laurent Bouchel (142) ; — « Procès-verbal de l'ordre tenu, depuis le 23e febvrier jusqu'au 24e avril 1611, en l'instruction du procès faict à Louis Gauffridy, prebstre, convaincu de sorcellerie, magie et rapt de la personne de Madeleine de La Palu », Aix, fév. 1611 (148) ; — « Depposition d'un prebstre de Marseille..., recognu pour prince des magiciens par des pères Capucins... » (172) ; — « Jugement rendu en Lorraine contre André des Bordes. pour prétendu crime de magie », château de Condé, 28 janv. 1625 (178) ; — Pièce de procédure contre Jean Ralbon, dit Saldetarde, détenu au château de Condé sous l'accusation de magie et sortilège, vers 1635 (180) ; — Décret de Don Andres Pacheco, inquisiteur général d'Espagne, contre la secte des « Alumbrados », 1623, en espagnol (181) ; — Lette du sieur de Villiers à un moine, sur « un point qui regarde les exorcismes », Sens, 6 mars 1635, autogr. (187) ; etc.

Learning how (not) to fire a gun: combatant training and civilian victimization

What is the relationship between the type of training combatants receive upon recruitment into an armed group and their propensity to abuse civilians in civil war? Does military training or political training prevent or exacerbate the victimization of civilians by armed non-state actors? While the literature on civilian victimization has expanded rapidly, few studies have examined the correlation between abuse of civilians and the modes of training that illegal armed actors receive. Using a simple formal model, we develop hypotheses regarding this connection and argue that while military training should not decrease the probability that a combatant engages in civilian abuse, political training should. We test these hypotheses using a new survey consisting of a representative sample of approximately 1,500 demobilized combatants from the Colombian conflict, which we match with department-level data on civilian casualties. The empirical analysis confirms our hypotheses about the connection between training and civilian abuse and the results are robust to adding a full set of controls both at the department and at the individual level

Glycosaminoglycans and protein disulfide isomerase-mediated reduction of HIV Env

Conformational changes within the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) surface glycoprotein gp120 result from binding to the lymphocyte surface receptors and trigger gp41-mediated virus/cell membrane fusion. The triggering of fusion requires cleavage of two of the nine disulfide bonds of gp120 by a cell-surface protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI). Soluble glycosaminoglycans such as heparin and heparan sulfate bind gp120 via V3 and, possibly, a CD4-induced domain. They exert anti-HIV activity by interfering with the HIV envelope glycoprotein ( Env)/cell-surface interaction. Env also binds cell-surface glycosaminoglycans. Here, using surface plasmon resonance, we observed an inverse relationship between heparin binding by gp120 and its thiol content. In vitro, and in conditions in which gp120 could bind CD4, heparin and heparan sulfate reduced PDI-mediated gp120 reduction by approximately 80%. Interaction of Env with the surface of lymphocytes treated using sodium chlorate, an inhibitor of glycosaminoglycan synthesis, led to gp120 reduction. We conclude that besides their capacity to block Env/cell interaction, soluble glycosaminoglycans can effect anti-HIV activity via interference with PDI- mediated gp120 reduction. In contrast, their presence at the cell surface is dispensable for Env reduction during the course of interaction with the lymphocyte surface. This work suggests that the reduction of exofacial proteins in various diseases can be inhibited by compounds targeting the substrates ( not by targeting PDI, as is usually done), and that glycosaminoglycans that primarily protect proteins by preserving them from proteolysis also have a role in preventing reduction.

A preliminary investigation of the running digit span as a test of working memory

The objective of this study was to compare performance on different versions of the running span task, and to examine the relationship between task performance and tests of episodic memory and executive function. We found that the average capacity of the running span was approximately 4 digits, and at long sequence lengths, performance was no longer affected by varying the running span window. Both episodic and executive function measures correlated with short and long running spans. suggesting that a simple dissociation between immediate memory and executive processes in short and long running digit span tasks may not be warranted.

The role of management and landscape context in the restoration of grassland phytophagous beetles

1. Declines in area and quality of species-rich mesotrophic and calcareous grasslands have occurred all across Europe.While the European Union has promoted schemes to restore these grasslands, the emphasis for management has remained largely focused on plants. Here we focus on restoration of the phytophagous beetles of these grasslands. Although local management, particularly that which promotes the establishment of host plants, is key to restoration success, dispersal limitation is also likely to be an important limiting factor during the restoration of phytophagous beetle assemblages. 2. Using a 3-year multi-site experiment, we investigated how restoration success of phytophagous beetles was affected by hay-spreading management (intended to introduce target plant species), success in restoration of the plant communities and the landscape context within which restoration was attempted. 3. Restoration success of the plants was greatest where green hay spreading had been used to introduce seeds into restoration sites. Beetle restoration success increased over time, although hayspreading had no direct effect. However, restoration success of the beetles was positively correlated with restoration success of the plants. 4. Overall restoration success of the phytophagous beetles was positively correlated with the proportion of species-rich grassland in the landscape, as was the restoration success of the polyphagous beetles. Restoration success for beetles capable of flight and those showing oligophagous host plant specialism were also positively correlated with connectivity to species-rich grasslands. There was no indication that beetles not capable of flight showed greater dependence on landscape scale factors than flying species. 5. Synthesis and applications. Increasing the similarity of the plant community at restoration sites to target species-rich grasslands will promote restoration success for the phytophagous beetles. However, landscape context is also important, with restoration being approximately twice as successful in those landscapes containing high as opposed to low proportions of species-rich grassland. By targeting grassland restoration within landscapes containing high proportions of species-rich grassland, dispersal limitation problems associated with restoration for invertebrate assemblages are more likely to be overcome.

Randomized controlled trial of full and brief cognitive-behaviour therapy and wait-list for paediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background: Reviews and practice guidelines for paediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) recommend cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) as the psychological treatment of choice, but note that it has not been sufficiently evaluated for children and adolescents and that more randomized controlled trials are needed. The aim of this trial was to evaluate effectiveness and optimal delivery of CBT, emphasizing cognitive interventions. Methods: A total of 96 children and adolescents with OCD were randomly allocated to the three conditions each of approximately 12 weeks duration: full CBT (average therapist contact: 12 sessions) and brief CBT (average contact: 5 sessions, with use of therapist-guided workbooks), and wait-list/delayed treatment. The primary outcome measure was the child version of the semi-structured interviewer-based Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Clinical Trial registration: http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN/; unique identifier: ISRCTN29092580. Results: There was statistically significant symptomatic improvement in both treatment groups compared with the wait-list group, with no significant differences in outcomes between the two treatment groups. Controlled treatment effect sizes in intention-to-treat analyses were 2.2 for full CBT and 1.6 for brief CBT. Improvements were maintained at follow-up an average of 14 weeks later. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the benefits of CBT emphasizing cognitive interventions for children and adolescents with OCD and suggest that relatively lower therapist intensity delivery with use of therapist-guided workbooks is an efficient mode of delivery.

Multimodel estimates of intercontinental source-receptor relationships for ozone pollution

Understanding the surface O3 response over a “receptor” region to emission changes over a foreign “source” region is key to evaluating the potential gains from an international approach to abate ozone (O3) pollution. We apply an ensemble of 21 global and hemispheric chemical transport models to estimate the spatial average surface O3 response over east Asia (EA), Europe (EU), North America (NA), and south Asia (SA) to 20% decreases in anthropogenic emissions of the O3 precursors, NOx, NMVOC, and CO (individually and combined), from each of these regions. We find that the ensemble mean surface O3 concentrations in the base case (year 2001) simulation matches available observations throughout the year over EU but overestimates them by >10 ppb during summer and early fall over the eastern United States and Japan. The sum of the O3 responses to NOx, CO, and NMVOC decreases separately is approximately equal to that from a simultaneous reduction of all precursors. We define a continental-scale “import sensitivity” as the ratio of the O3 response to the 20% reductions in foreign versus “domestic” (i.e., over the source region itself) emissions. For example, the combined reduction of emissions from the three foreign regions produces an ensemble spatial mean decrease of 0.6 ppb over EU (0.4 ppb from NA), less than the 0.8 ppb from the reduction of EU emissions, leading to an import sensitivity ratio of 0.7. The ensemble mean surface O3 response to foreign emissions is largest in spring and late fall (0.7–0.9 ppb decrease in all regions from the combined precursor reductions in the three foreign regions), with import sensitivities ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 (responses to domestic emission reductions are 0.8–1.6 ppb). High O3 values are much more sensitive to domestic emissions than to foreign emissions, as indicated by lower import sensitivities of 0.2 to 0.3 during July in EA, EU, and NA when O3 levels are typically highest and by the weaker relative response of annual incidences of daily maximum 8-h average O3 above 60 ppb to emission reductions in a foreign region (<10–20% of that to domestic) as compared to the annual mean response (up to 50% of that to domestic). Applying the ensemble annual mean results to changes in anthropogenic emissions from 1996 to 2002, we estimate a Northern Hemispheric increase in background surface O3 of about 0.1 ppb a−1, at the low end of the 0.1–0.5 ppb a−1 derived from observations. From an additional simulation in which global atmospheric methane was reduced, we infer that 20% reductions in anthropogenic methane emissions from a foreign source region would yield an O3 response in a receptor region that roughly equals that produced by combined 20% reductions of anthropogenic NOx, NMVOC, and CO emissions from the foreign source region.

The global-scale impacts of climate change on water resources and flooding under new climate and socio-economic scenarios

This paper presents a preliminary assessment of the relative effects of rate of climate change (four Representative Concentration Pathways - RCPs), assumed future population (five Shared Socio-economic Pathways - SSPs), and pattern of climate change (19 CMIP5 climate models) on regional and global exposure to water resources stress and river flooding. Uncertainty in projected future impacts of climate change on exposure to water stress and river flooding is dominated by uncertainty in the projected spatial and seasonal pattern of change in climate. There is little clear difference in impact between RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP6.0 in 2050, and between RCP4.5 and RCP6.0 in 2080. Impacts under RCP8.5 are greater than under the other RCPs in 2050 and 2080. For a given RCP, there is a difference in the absolute numbers of people exposed to increased water resources stress or increased river flood frequency between the five SSPs. With the ‘middle-of-the-road’ SSP2, climate change by 2050 would increase exposure to water resources stress for between approximately 920 and 3400 million people under the highest RCP, and increase exposure to river flood risk for between 100 and 580 million people. Under RCP2.6, exposure to increased water scarcity would be reduced in 2050 by 22-24%, compared to impacts under the RCP8.5, and exposure to increased flood frequency would be reduced by around 16%. The implications of climate change for actual future losses and adaptation depend not only on the numbers of people exposed to changes in risk, but also on the qualitative characteristics of future worlds as described in the different SSPs. The difference in ‘actual’ impact between SSPs will therefore be greater than the differences in numbers of people exposed to impact.

Effects of noise and by-catch on a Danish harbour porpoise population

Ships and wind turbines generate noise, which can have a negative impact on marine mammal populations by scaring animals away. Effective modelling of how this affects the populations has to take account of the location and timing of disturbances. Here we construct an individual-based model of harbour porpoises in the Inner Danish Waters. Individuals have their own energy budgets constructed using established principles of physiological ecology. Data are lacking on the spatial distribution of food which is instead inferred from knowledge of time-varying porpoise distributions. The model produces plausible patterns of population dynamics and matches well the age distribution of porpoises caught in by-catch. It estimates the effect of existing wind farms as a 10% reduction in population size when food recovers fast (after two days). Proposed new wind farms and ships do not result in further population declines. The population is however sensitive to variations in mortality resulting from by-catch and to the speed at which food recovers after being depleted. If food recovers slowly the effect of wind turbines becomes negligible, whereas ships are estimated to have a significant negative impact on the population. Annual by-catch rates ≥10% lead to monotonously decreasing populations and to extinction, and even the estimated by-catch rate from the adjacent area (approximately 4.1%) has a strong impact on the population. This suggests that conservation efforts should be more focused on reducing by-catch in commercial gillnet fisheries than on limiting the amount of anthropogenic noise. Individual-based models are unique in their ability to take account of the location and timing of disturbances and to show their likely effects on populations. The models also identify deficiencies in the existing database and can be used to set priorities for future field research.

The impacts of climate change across the globe: a multi-sectoral assessment

The overall global-scale consequences of climate change are dependent on the distribution of impacts across regions, and there are multiple dimensions to these impacts.This paper presents a global assessment of the potential impacts of climate change across several sectors, using a harmonised set of impacts models forced by the same climate and socio-economic scenarios. Indicators of impact cover the water resources, river and coastal flooding, agriculture, natural environment and built environment sectors. Impacts are assessed under four SRES socio-economic and emissions scenarios, and the effects of uncertainty in the projected pattern of climate change are incorporated by constructing climate scenarios from 21 global climate models. There is considerable uncertainty in projected regional impacts across the climate model scenarios, and coherent assessments of impacts across sectors and regions therefore must be based on each model pattern separately; using ensemble means, for example, reduces variability between sectors and indicators. An example narrative assessment is presented in the paper. Under this narrative approximately 1 billion people would be exposed to increased water resources stress, around 450 million people exposed to increased river flooding, and 1.3 million extra people would be flooded in coastal floods each year. Crop productivity would fall in most regions, and residential energy demands would be reduced in most regions because reduced heating demands would offset higher cooling demands. Most of the global impacts on water stress and flooding would be in Asia, but the proportional impacts in the Middle East North Africa region would be larger. By 2050 there are emerging differences in impact between different emissions and socio-economic scenarios even though the changes in temperature and sea level are similar, and these differences are greater in 2080. However, for all the indicators, the range in projected impacts between different climate models is considerably greater than the range between emissions and socio-economic scenarios.

Influência da cultura anterior e da compactação do solo na absorção de macronutrientes em soja

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a concentração e a absorção de macronutrientes em soja cultivada em subseqüência a sete espécies vegetais em solo com diferentes níveis de compactação. O experimento foi conduzido em vasos contendo amostras de um Latossolo Vermelho, textura franco-arenosa, com camada de 3,5 cm compactada até as densidades de 1,12, 1,36 e 1,60 Mg m³, em que se cultivou anteriormente aveia-preta, guandu, milheto, mucuna-preta, soja, sorgo granífero, tremoço azul, mantendo-se um tratamento sem planta (pousio). Essas espécies se desenvolveram por 37 a 39 dias, foram cortadas ao nível do solo, picadas em partículas de, aproximadamente, 3 cm, e deixadas sobre a superfície do vaso por 40 dias. As plantas foram colhidas 28 dias após a emergência. Avaliou-se a produção de matéria seca, concentração e acúmulo de macronutrientes na parte aérea das plantas. A compactação do solo em subsuperfície diminui a nutrição da soja. A nutrição da soja é beneficiada quando cultivada em sucessão a plantas de cobertura no solo. O pousio antecedendo a cultura da soja não é recomendado como meio de reduzir os efeitos da compactação do solo.

Influence of Intensive Agriculture on Dry Deposition of Aerosol Nutrients

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Glycogen storage and muscle glucose transporters (GLUT-4) of mice selectively bred for high voluntary wheel running

To examine the evolution of endurance-exercise behaviour, we have selectively bred four replicate lines of laboratory mice (Mus domesticus) for high voluntary wheel running ('high runner' or HR lines), while also maintaining four non-selected control (C) lines. By generation 16, HR mice ran ∼2.7-fold more than C mice, mainly by running faster (especially in females), a differential maintained through subsequent generations, suggesting an evolutionary limit of unknown origin. We hypothesized that HR mice would have higher glycogen levels before nightly running, show greater depletion of those depots during their more intense wheel running, and have increased glycogen synthase activity and GLUT-4 protein in skeletal muscle. We sampled females from generation 35 at three times (photophase 07:00 h-19:00 h) during days 5-6 of wheel access, as in the routine selection protocol: Group 1, day 5, 16:00 h-17:30 h, wheels blocked from 13:00 h; Group 2, day 6, 02:00 h-03:30 h (immediately after peak running); and Group 3, day 6, 07:00 h-08:30 h. An additional Group 4, sampled 16:00 h-17:30 h, never had wheels. HR individuals with the mini-muscle phenotype (50% reduced hindlimb muscle mass) were distinguished for statistical analyses comparing C, HR normal, and HR mini. HR mini ran more than HR normal, and at higher speeds, which might explain why they have been favored by the selective-breeding protocol. Plasma glucose was higher in Group 1 than in Group 4, indicating a training effect (phenotypic plasticity). Without wheels, no differences in gastrocnemius GLUT-4 were observed. After 5 days with wheels, all mice showed elevated GLUT-4, but HR normal and mini were 2.5-fold higher than C. At all times and irrespective of wheel access, HR mini showed approximately three-fold higher [glycogen] in gastrocnemius and altered glycogen synthase activity. HR mini also showed elevated glycogen in soleus when sampled during peak running. All mice showed some glycogen depletion during nightly wheel running, in muscles and/or liver, but the magnitude of this depletion was not large and hence does not seem to be limiting to the evolution of even-higher wheel running.