Variabilidade espacial de atributos físicos do solo em áreas de empréstimo para construção da hidrelétrica de Ilha Solteira (SP).

A retirada de espessas camadas de solo para construção de usinas hidrelétricas provoca grandes modificações ambientais, como a exposição do substrato e compactação do solo devido ao tráfego de máquinas pesadas. A análise da variabilidade espacial dos solos permite detectar estes impactos de modo eficaz e aperfeiçoa o gerenciamento das atividades futuras nestas áreas. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a variabilidade espacial da estrutura, porosidade e densidade do solo em diferentes condições de uso do solo na área de empréstimo para construção da Hidrelétrica de Ilha Solteira (SP). A amostragem dos solos foi efetuada numa grade de 30 pontos de 30 x 40 m em até 0,02 m de profundidade sob os diferentes usos do solo: substrato degradado (SD); substrato com lodo de esgoto e plantado com eucalipto (SDLE); solo com pastagens (SP); capoeira em regeneração (SR) e solo sob cerrado (SC). Avaliou-se a porosidade total do solo (m3.m-3), a densidade do solo (Mg.m-3), o diâmetro médio ponderado ? DMP (mm) dos agregados determinados por via úmida e os percentuais dos agregados determinados pelo método do simulador de chuva. A análise geoestatística foi efetuada a partir do exame do parâmetro de ajuste do semivariograma, interpolação por krigagem e a construção de mapas de isolinhas. Houve dependência espacial, com alcance variando de 8 a 12 metros, nas condições de uso do solo SD e SR para os agregados, no SR para macroporosidade, porosidade total e densidade do solo, no SP para os agregados, microporosidade e porosidade total, no SC para os agregados e no LE para microporosidade. Foram identificadas manchas de dependência espacial bem definidas nos mapas dos atributos do solo, que foram caracterizados tanto por valores altos quanto baixos numa mesma área, e, portanto, torna-se inadequado considerar tais áreas como homogêneas para atividades agropecuárias futuras

Toxicity in aquatic environments: discussion and evaluation methods

Aquatic toxicity tests are assays performed with different aquatic organisms of different ecological organization levels. Such tests are a source of information on the toxicity of a given substance or wastewater under controlled conditions, and they complement the physico-chemical analyses. Moreover, they allow one to evaluate the risks resulting from the presence of toxic substances in the environment. Algae, crustaceans, fishes and bacteria are frequently used in toxicity tests. In this work, we will present the main aspects related to the aquatic toxicity tests and a discussion of their applicability will also be presented.FAPES

The Cascading Reservoir Continuum Concept (CRCC) and its application to the river Tietê-basin, São Paulo State, Brazil

Major changes in the water quality and basic features of phytoplankton assemblages in a series (cascade) of 7 reservoirs int he middle Tiete river, south-east Brazil were investigated in February 1998 (rainy season). The biologically non-affected variables change rapidly in the upstream reservoirs and then remain constant while biologically affected ones showed a prolonged response that can be explained only if considering the cascade as an entire system. The changes in the first reservoir in the system accord to the predictions of the serial discontinuity concept (SDC): the river continuum (RCC) is basically affected. However, changes on the downstream reservoirs become continuous again and show that the same processes remain operative throughout the entire river continuum. Therefore, a cascading reservoir continuum concept (CRCC) can be proposed for handling the ecological processes at a system level. A comparison of the present data with those recorded previously for some of the reservoirs show a fast growing eutrophication of the upper reservoirs in the cascade. On the basis of the CRCC and the present ecological status and water quality of the Tiete cascade a progressive downstream eutrophication can be forecasted thus calling attention for urgent need of restoration measures at the headwaters

The Versatile Molecular Complex Component LC8 Promotes Several Distinct Steps of Flagellar Assembly

LC8 is present in various molecular complexes. However, its role in these complexes remains unclear. We discovered that although LC8 is a subunit of the radial spoke (RS) complex in Chlamydomonas flagella, it was undetectable in the RS precursor that is converted into the mature RS at the tip of elongating axonemes. Interestingly, LC8 dimers bound in tandem to the N-terminal region of a spoke phosphoprotein, RS protein 3 (RSP3), that docks RSs to axonemes. LC8 enhanced the binding of RSP3 N-terminal fragments to purified axonemes. Likewise, the N-terminal fragments extracted from axonemes contained LC8 and putative spoke-docking proteins. Lastly, perturbations of RSP3’s LC8-binding sites resulted in asynchronous flagella with hypophosphorylated RSP3 and defective associations between LC8, RSs, and axonemes. We propose that at the tip of flagella, an array of LC8 dimers binds to RSP3 in RS precursors, triggering phosphorylation, stalk base formation, and axoneme targeting. These multiple effects shed new light on fundamental questions about LC8-containing complexes and axoneme assembly

Cultivo orgânico de milho verde em sistema plantio direto na palhada de diferentes espécies de plantas de cobertura do solo.

Foram avaliadas, em Seropédica, RJ (Baixada Fluminense), diferentes espécies botânicas, em cultivos solteiros e consorciados, antecedendo o plantio direto de milho verde submetido ao manejo orgânico. Adotou-se delineamento de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos constaram de cultivos solteiros de crotalária ? Crotalaria juncea (C), girassol ? Helianthus annuus (G), sorgo ? Sorghum bicolor (S) e mamona ? Ricinus communis (M); dos consórcios: C + G, C + S, C + M, C + G + S, C + G + M, C + S + M e C + G + S + M; além do pousio, representado pelas parcelas mantidas cobertas com a vegetação espontânea. Na ausência da palhada de crotalária, o milho recebeu adubação suplementar com torta de mamona (2,0 Mg ha-1), 35 dias após a semeadura. Máxima contribuição em biomassa aérea correspondeu ao cultivo solteiro de crotalária. Nos consórcios, a leguminosa produziu mais biomassa do que cada uma das outras espécies e também acumulou maior quantidade de nitrogênio nos tecidos. Em sucessão aos cultivos solteiros das plantas de cobertura do solo e ao pousio, o milho alcançou produtividade maior do que em sucessão aos cultivos consorciados. Os resultados indicaram vantagem do uso da crotalária para o plantio direto do milho, pelo volume de palhada disponibilizada para adubação verde, o que proporcionou rendimento em espigas comercializáveis equivalente ou superior aos tratamentos nos quais o milho foi beneficiado pela adubação orgânica suplementar de cobertura.bitstream/item/42981/1/BOP-46.pd

Recuperação no sistema solo-planta de nitrogênio derivado da adubação verde aplicada à cultura do repolho.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a eficiência de recuperação, no sistema solo-planta, do nitrogênio derivado da adubação verde aplicada à cultura de repolho (Brassica oleracea). O experimento foi dividido em duas etapas: a primeira consistiu da produção de palhada de feijão-de-porco (Canavalia ensiformis), mucuna-cinza (Mucuna cinereum), e sorgo (Sorghum bicolor), em substrato enriquecido com 15N. A segunda etapa consistiu da aplicação das palhadas marcadas com 15N, em cobertura nos canteiros com repolho. Os tratamentos consistiram de: palha fresca de feijão-de-porco; palha fresca de mucuna-cinza; palha fresca de sorgo; mistura das palhas de mucuna, feijão-de-porco e sorgo a 1:1:1; e controle sem adubação verde. A recuperação de N no sistema solo-planta foi influenciada pelo tipo de palhada utilizado, e a eficiência de recuperação do N derivado da palhada de leguminosa variou de 9 a 16%. O tratamento com palha de feijão-de-porco é o que apresenta maior eficiência de recuperação e, portanto, a melhor sincronia da oferta de nitrogênio pela decomposição da palhada com a demanda pela cultura do repolho

Modelling Land Use Change in Brazil: 2000–2050

The input and output land cover dataset across all modelled time periods (2000-2050) and scenarios resulting from the work of the REDD-PAC project in Brazil. Please consult the data section of the REDD-PAC website (http://redd-pac.org/new_page.php?contents=data1.csv) to access a data visualization tool and to obtain the dataset in WFS format. This dataset can be accessed and displayed using GIS software such as QGIS. Please consult the metadata file for further instruction

Comparison of Yarrowia lipolytica and Pichia pastoris cellular response to different agents of oxidative stress

Yeast cells exposed to adverse conditions employ a number of defense mechanisms in order to respond effectively to the stress effects of reactive oxygen species. In this work, the cellular response of Yarrowia lipolytica and Pichia pastoris to the exposure to the ROSinducing agents’ paraquat, hydrogen peroxide, and increased air pressure was analyzed. Yeast cells at exponential phase were exposed for 3 h to 1 mM paraquat, to 50 mM H2O2, or to increased air pressure of 3 or 5 bar. For both strains, the cellular viability loss and lipid peroxidation was lower for the cells exposed to increased air pressure than for those exposed to chemical oxidants. The glutathione induction occurred only in Y. lipolytica strain and reached the highest level as a response to PQ exposure. In general, antioxidant enzymes were more expressed in Y. lipolytica than in P. pastoris. The enzyme superoxide dismutase was induced in both strains under all the oxidant conditions but was dependent on the cellular growth phase, being undetectable in non-growing cells, whereas glutathione reductase was more induced in those conditions. Hydrogen peroxide was the most efficient inducer of catalase. Both yeast cultures underwent no cellular growth inhibition with increased air pressure, indicating that these yeast species were able to adapt to the oxidative stressful environment.The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by "Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia" (Grant SFRH/BD/47371/2008)

Changing states in holography: From modular Berry curvature to the bulk symplectic form

We present a new perspective on bulk reconstruction using Berry phases in the boundary conformal field theory (CFT). Our parallel transport of modular Hamiltonians is associated to a trajectory in the space of states, which we obtain from the insertion of a source in the Euclidean path integral. Using a modular version of the extrapolate dictionary and the equivalence between modular flow in the boundary and the bulk, we show that the expectation value of the modular Berry curvature on the boundary agrees with an appropriately defined bulk symplectic form associated to the entanglement wedge. In addition, we derive a quantum information metric on the space of density matrices from the Berry curvature, which is related to the canonical energy in the bulk. We also explore the case where a state change reduces to a shape change, uncovering the coadjoint orbit structure of kinematic space in higher dimensions

Improved Performance of an Epoxy Matrix as a Result of Combining Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene

We present an easy and effective way to improve the mechanical properties of an epoxy matrix by reinforcing it with a combination of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). These nanocomposites were prepared with different load of nanofillers: 0.1, 0.4, 0.7, 1.0 wt% and a neat epoxy. Ratios of graphene oxide and reduced graphene (GO : RGO) employed were: 0 : 1, 0.25 : 0.75, 0.5 : 0.5, 0.75 : 0.25, and 1 : 0. Results show that with only 0.4 wt% and a ratio 0.2 : 0.75 of GO : RGO, tensile strength and tensile toughness are 52% and 152% higher than neat epoxy while modulus of elasticity was improved ~20%. The obtained results suggest that it is possible achieve advantageous properties by combining graphene in oxidized and reduced conditions as it shows a synergic effect by the presence of both nanofillers