Meridional Region Research Articles

Solid waste management: an investigation on the current situation of the landfill in the municipality of Garanhuns – PE

The generation of solid residues has become one of the biggest problems of humanity due to the growing demand of the population for goods and services, and it is necessary that the governments look into a way to mitigate its harmful effects on the environment. In Brazil, the problem of adequate solid waste management also became recurrent and started with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which took place in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Rio-92 or Eco-92. The general objective of the work is to diagnose the current situation of the Garanhuns landfill regarding its suitability for the Intermunicipal Solid Waste Plan - PIRS of the Agreste Meridional Region of Pernambuco and the Garanhuns landfill as an instrument to combat environmental transgression. In the first moment, a documentary analysis was carried out regarding the proposed theme and in the second moment, an investigation, through an interview, about the situation of the landfill in relation to the PIRS. Despite fulfilling some requirements regarding the final destination of the waste, the municipality has not yet prepared, licensed and implemented the Degraded Areas Recovery Program-PRAD, an indispensable part to comply with the guideline of “Compliance with the National Solid Waste Policy”. However, even though there are still some obstacles to compliance with the PIRS, the importance of a properly licensed landfill operating in Agreste Meridional de Pernambuco is emphasized.

Sunflower response to nitrogen doses

The sunflower is an oilseed species, rustic, cultivated in different agroecosystems. The responses of cultivars to nitrogen fertilization vary according to the cultivar and environment. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the response of biometric characters of sunflower cv. Embrapa 122-V2000 under N doses. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with five treatments (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg N ha-1) and four blocks. All characters were influenced (p<0.05) by N doses, fitting to the quadratic model. The maximum values of plant height (1.68 m), stem diameter (22.71 mm), leaf area (423.41 cm2), capitulum diameter (15.22 cm), dry biomass yield (6,075.13 kg DM ha-1) and grains (2,982.89 kg ha-1), N use efficiency from biomass (80.3 kg kg-1) and grains (43.27 kg kg-1) close to 90 kg N ha-1, this dose being recommended for the edaphoclimatic conditions of the Agreste Meridional Region of Pernambuco, Brazil.

Quartz Mining Waste for Concrete Production: Environment and Public Health

Brazil, one of the largest ore producers in the world, holds 95% of the world’s quartz reserves. The aim of this research is to enhance mitigation measures in quartz ore exploration common in the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional region through the specific study of a mining venture. The three (3) phases of the study were: (1) characterization of the project under study and evaluation of the impacts generated; (2) evaluation of the economic feasibility of using the waste as a coarse aggregate for concrete production; (3) evaluation of the technical feasibility of reusing this waste through analysis of compressive strength. The results of the study show potential negative impacts on occupational health from the piles of disposed waste, specifically silicosis, caused by silica dust dispersed in the air. In the economic analysis, a decrease of 49.05% was verified in coarse aggregate cost through the use of the residue. The compressive strength of the concrete was 26.80 MPa when quartz residue was used and 29.2 MPa when limestone was used. The quartz residue generated by the venture can be reused as aggregate for the production of concrete, generating improvements in environmental and health aspects.

Aplicação dos modelos lineares generalizados na modelagem da produção leiteira no Agreste Meridional pernambucano

O artigo teve o objetivo de avaliar os fatores que podem influenciar a produção de leite de vaca nos municípios que fazem parte da região do Agreste Meridional pernambucano. Inicialmente realizou-se uma análise exploratória das variáveis a fim de observar algumas medidas de posição e dispersão. Em seguida, utilizou-se a classe de Modelos Lineares Generalizados para avaliar de que forma as variáveis influenciam a produção leiteira. Como variável dependente considerou-se a produção de leite de vaca e como variáveis explicativas a precipitação ocorrida nos municípios em 2018, produção de milho, produção de palma forrageira, presença de cooperativa/associação nos municípios e quantidade de empreendimentos que participam da agricultura familiar. Os resultados encontrados evidenciaram que em 2012, ano de extrema seca, a produção média de leite sofreu uma queda de 36% na região. Além disso, verificou-se que o número de estabelecimentos que produzem leite e participam da agricultura familiar foram responsáveis por 61% da produção média de leite no Agreste Meridional. Os municípios que possuem cooperativas e/ou associações de produção de leite apresentaram produção média maior em relação aos municípios que não possuíam cooperativas e/ou associações.

The seismicity of central and north-east Himalayan region

Abstract The Himalayan range extends upto 2400 km arc from Indus river valley in the west to Brahmaputra river valley in the east of India. Due to distinct geological structures of Himalayan seismic belt, seismicity in Himalaya is inhomogeneous. The inhomogeneity in seismicity is responsible for a number of seismic gaps in the Himalayan seismic belt. Thus Iin the present study, we proposed the study of spatial and temporal evolution of seismicity in entire central and north-east Himalayan region by using Gutenberg-Richter relationship. A detailed study on the behavior of natural seismicity in and around the seismic gap regions is carried out. The study region is segmented in four meridional regions (A) 80°E to 83.5°E, (B) 83.5°E to 87.5°E, (C) 87.5°E to 90°E and (D) 90°E to 98°E along with a fixed latitude belt. The homogeneous catalogue with 3 ≤ Mb ≤ 6.5 is used for the spatial and temporal analysis of seismicity in terms of b-value. It is find out that pockets of lower b-values are coinciding over and around stress accumulated regions. The observed low b-value before occurrence of the Nepal earthquake of 25th April, 2015 supports the argument of impending occurrence of moderate to large magnitude earthquake in Sikkim and north-east Himalayan region in future.

Conifer Regeneration After Experimental Shelterwood and Seed-Tree Treatments in Boreal Forests: Finding Silvicultural Alternatives.

Forest regeneration is a key element in achieving sustainable forest management. Partial harvest methods have been used extensively in temperate broadleaf and mixedwood ecosystems to promote regeneration on poorly stocked sites and to maintain forest composition and productivity. However, their effectiveness in promoting conifer establishment has yet to be demonstrated in unmanaged boreal forests, especially those dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) where constraints for regeneration differ from those found in more meridional regions. We aimed to evaluate conifer seedling density and dimensions, 10 years after the onset of a gradient of silvicultural treatments varying in harvesting intensities, and to identify the critical factors driving the regeneration process. Study blocks of even-aged black spruce stands in the eastern Canadian boreal forest were submitted to three variants of shelterwood harvesting: a seed-tree harvest, a clear-cut and an untreated control. Shelterwood and seed-tree harvesting were combined with spot scarification to promote regeneration. Shelterwood and seed-tree harvesting produced a density of conifer regeneration sufficient to maintain forest productivity, but they did not promote seedling growth. Black spruce was the predominant species in terms of regeneration density, with proportions 3–5× higher than that for balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.). Ten years after treatment, seed-origin black spruce seedlings were abundant in skidding trails, while layers dominated the residual strips. Balsam fir density was not influenced by treatment nor by tree position relative to skidding trails. Balsam fir and black spruce had different responses to treatment in terms of height and diameter, the former exhibiting a better growth performance and larger diameter in the residual strips. Spot scarification created micro-sites that had a significant impact on the regeneration process. Overall, our results support that shelterwood and seed-tree harvesting combined with scarification enable adequate regeneration in black spruce stands, confirming these treatments as viable silvicultural alternatives to clear-cutting when required by sustainable forest management objectives.

The dilemma of environmental sustainability in a developing country: Environmental crimes in southern Brazil

AbstractIn a contemporary society, awareness of the importance of environmental causes is eminent; however, crimes against the Brazilian environment do occur at an unacceptable rate, because it concerns a developing country situation. This study aims to analyze the most incident environmental crimes that occurred in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, a meridional region of Brazil, in a territory that covers 239 municipalities. The study analyzes the environmental management dilemmas that occurred in the inspection carried out by the Third Environmental Battalion of the Military Brigade in the period of 2011 to 2016. The method was qualitative and exploratory considering that the research is the first of its kind in the region. The results highlight a lack of commitment with the Brazilian environmental legislation, from offenders acting in the criminal, administrative, and civil spheres. The 5 most serious environmental crimes refer to deforestation, unlicensed activities, captive animals, solid waste pollution, and effluents pollution. Furthermore, environmental sustainability is still not present as a strategic area in the Brazilian organizations, and the ones that do have some internal practices do it more in reaction to legal penalties than for awareness of the environmental causes. The research brings important environmental information on decision making related to actions and public policies that promote environmental sustainability in developing countries.

Large-scale drift and Rossby wave turbulence

We study drift/Rossby wave turbulence described by the large-scale limit of the Charney–Hasegawa–Mima equation. We define the zonal and meridional regions as and respectively, where is in a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field such that kx is along the isopycnals and ky is along the plasma density gradient. We prove that the only types of resonant triads allowed are and . Therefore, if the spectrum of weak large-scale drift/Rossby turbulence is initially in Z it will remain in Z indefinitely. We present a generalised Fjørtoft’s argument to find transfer directions for the quadratic invariants in the two-dimensional -space. Using direct numerical simulations, we test and confirm our theoretical predictions for weak large-scale drift/Rossby turbulence, and establish qualitative differences with cases when turbulence is strong. We demonstrate that the qualitative features of the large-scale limit survive when the typical turbulent scale is only moderately greater than the Larmor/Rossby radius.

Some Anthropic Aspects in Meridional Region of Sebdou (Oran-Algeria)

Relying essentially on human data (social structure, demography, population repartitions, migratory movements, agro-pastural activities), the authors, from their studies, note that these regions are an extension of hamlets and other groups. Highlands gather a small population that seems to settle. Responsible human disturbance (clearings, cultures, urbanization, etc.) modified a large part of the actual state of vegetation structures. The results also show that most of the population is concentrated in the main towns. This concentration causes consumption of pre-forest land and rangelands. The average annual extension can sometimes reach 2.4 Ha. Hamlets, home grouping seem to impose a lifestyle approaching that of centers located in the North. At the bioclimatic level, the results show that the cold thermal variations promote contact between woody vegetation and steppe formations with thermal determinism (formation often in xerophytes thorny pads). Droughts often advocate regressive dynamics of these plant formations which are quite degraded. On the other hand, stressing continuity issues related to human actions, the authors present the floristic composition, detailing the botanical plant species including biological and morphological types. The therophyte type predominates in all areas explored and their percentage can reach 73% in the steppe and 49% in Beni-Snous.

Taxonomía y distribución de Nathalis (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) en Colombia

In Colombia, Nathalis has two described species: N. iole and N. plauta. Previous authors did not make detailed descriptions of its distribution in meridional regions and failed to differentiate both species based on genitalic characters. Some wing marks have been enough to separate them, but co-specificity was a possibility. They inhabit Colombia above 2000 m in the paramo, and have a vicariant distribution from the remaining population of N. iole in the Antillean and Central and North America. An analysis focused on male and female genitalia, as well as the wing pattern of more than 100 specimens from the Colombian Andes (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Sierra de Perijá) and Mexico, indicates that the two species differ in their genitalia, and considering their allopatric distribution, we support the specific distinction of N. iole and N. plauta. We describe a new endemic subspecies found exclusively in the paramo above 3000 m, an area where other endemics occur. It has phenotypic plasticity related to environmental factors.

The influence of molten fraction on the uniaxial deformation behavior of polypropylene: Real time mechano‐optical and atomic force microscopy observations

AbstractIn this study, we have coupled the real time mechano‐optical measurements with the off‐line structural characterization techniques including AFM, WAXS, and DSC to establish the quantitative relationships between the “true mechano‐optical behavior and developed morphology” as influenced by the fraction of molten phase present in the polypropylene films. Stretching PP in the solid state invariably leads to formation of fibrillar texture. The evolution of surface morphology in partially molten state was found to depend on the fraction of the molten phase present at the start of the deformation. If the samples are strained past the yielding in partially molten state, the birefringence begins a rapid rise. Concurrent with this, the equatorial zones of the spherulites begin to crack while meridional regions remaining intact. This leads to temporary reduction of crystallinity because of destruction of some of the crystals. If held in this strained state, the crystallite thickening was observed while the birefringence increases while the lost crystallinity is recovered. If the films are strained past the strain hardening point, the microfibrillar structure was found to dominate the surface morphology. When the films are stretched in the melting temperature range, they exhibit substantial nodular surface topology. These nodules that were absent in the solid state deformed samples are hard lamellae buried inside amorphous “soft matter”. The tangential lamellae increasingly become dominant as the processing temperature approaches substantially molten state leading to the observation of a* oriented crystallites in the X‐ray analysis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 925–941, 2006

Consideraciones sobre la génesis de una turbera meridional: la Laguna de las Madres y otras lagunas cercanas (Huelva, SW España)

In the Huelva province (SW Spain) lays one of the most important peat-bogs of the southern part of the Iberian penninsula: the Laguna de las Madres, an habitat extremely rare in this meridional regions. This work shows the preliminary results of a still ongoing important study on Laguna de las Madres. rom data about the basins’ reconstruction, cartography analysis and historic documents, ideas are provided about the evolution and genesis of this wetland that acts as a refuge for hughly singular organisms, with very reduced or fragmented distribution areas.

LA MINERÍA AURÍFERA EN LA REGIÓN AUSTRAL AMERICANA (1869-1950)

A complete panoramic vision about the discovery and exploitation of in the meridional region of America is presented, describing its different episodes: Las Minas River (1869), Boqueron mountains (1881), Zanja a Pique (1884), Paramo (1887), Sloggett Bay (1887) and Southern Islands (1890). Also an account of the climax, development and decline of mechanic miners (the gold fever) between 1903 and 1908 is given, specially in relation to Tierra del Fuego island, which generated so many frustrations and failures. In the same manner the development of craft miners is described before and after 1900, until 1950, when the hole historic aurifer exploitation finished. Some considerations and evaluations of historic aurifer production are made and, also, about the demographic, economic and politic consequences of this auriferous activity in Magallanes.

Importance et évolution des épidémies de la tordeuse des bourgeons de l’épinette dans l’est du Canada : l’apport de la dendrochronologie

La compilation de toutes les chronologies publiées sur les épidémies de la tordeuse des bourgeons de l'épinette établies à partir de la largeur des cernes de croissance des arbres hôtes a été utilisée pour étudier l'évolution spatiale et temporelle des épidémies survenues au cours du XX e siècle dans l'est de l'Amérique du Nord et particulièrement dans les régions nordiques. L'étude inclue 19 chronologies comprenant 1 257 arbres échantillonnés. Les données sont nombreuses pour certaines régions du Québec mais fragmentaires dans d'autres régions comme l'est et le centre de l'Ontario. On observe un remarquable synchronisme des plus faibles croissances radiales associées à la défoliation entre les différentes régions représentées pour les trois épidémies enregistrées au XX e siècle. La plus faible croissance radiale a été atteinte dans la majorité des régions vers 1914 pour la première épidémie du XX e siècle, entre 1948 et 1952 pour la deuxième et entre 1977 et 1979 pour la troisième. L'analyse des chronologies existantes ne montre pas une expansion des épidémies des régions méridionales vers les régions plus nordiques à moins forte proportion de sapin. Les chronologies du sud du Québec sont synchrones avec celles de la réserve des Laurentides et du nord du Saguenay - Lac Saint-Jean pour les trois épidémies, jusqu'au 50 e parallèle où les populations de sapin sont marginales. Il y a un léger décalage vers l'est pour la première épidémie, dans le Bas-Saint-Laurent et en Gaspésie. Les résultats des analyses dendrochronologiques présentées appuient l'hypothèse selon laquelle la dynamique des populations de tbe dans les forêts boréales nordiques du domaine de la pessière noire ne serait pas fondée sur un débordement des populations plus méridionales en période d'épidémies graves mais résulterait d'une augmentation relativement synchrone de populations présentes à l'état endémique.

Velocity Probability Density Functions from Altimetry

Probability density functions (pdfs) are employed to evaluate the distribution of velocities in the global ocean. This study computes pdfs of ocean surface velocity using altimetric data from the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. Results show that the shape of the observed pdfs changes with the size of the domain over which they are calculated: if data are drawn from a small region of the ocean, the pdfs are Gaussian. As the area of the ocean considered increases, the pdfs take on more exponential shapes. The appearance of exponential pdfs is particularly pronounced when data are drawn from a large range of latitudes, while data drawn from constant latitude tend to have a more Gaussian pdf. The authors show that this distinction between zonal and meridional regions is also observed in acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements. The authors propose a simple statistical model to explain the observed velocity pdfs. This explanation depends on the fact that root-mean-squared velocity (or the width of velocity pdf ) varies throughout the ocean. The velocity pdf is predicted from the distribution of the mean-squared velocity. The model matches the observations in predicting a pdf that is parabolic for small velocities with generalized exponential decay for large velocities.

New Developments in Instrumentation for X-ray and Neutron Fibre Diffraction Experiments

New instrumentation has been developed for use in X-ray and neutron fibre diffraction studies to provide automated control of sample position, orientation and ambient relative humidity. A sample mount system has been constructed for the Keele fibre diffraction camera on beamline 7.2 at the Daresbury Laboratory synchrotron radiation source. This allows the sample position and orientation to be controlled remotely, without disturbing the sample environment or the detector, and permits the implementation of efficient data-collection strategies. The system can be used to record entire datasets without incurring any loss of data in the meridional region of the diffraction pattern and has also been used to record three-dimensional datasets from fibres exhibiting `double orientation'. The design incorporates a translation feature so that the effects of radiation damage during data collection can be minimized. An automated humidity control system has also been constructed and can be used in either X-ray or neutron fibre diffraction studies where the water content of samples is a critical parameter and careful control of the relative humidity of the sample environment is required. This system allows the relative humidity to be controlled according to a pre-programmed set of instructions and alleviates some of the common problems that are encountered with conventional methods that require the use of saturated salt solutions. The system is currently installed on instrument D19 at the Institut Laue–Langevin, Grenoble. Results illustrating the application of these facilities in high-angle fibre diffraction studies of DNA are presented.

The Structure Of Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts In The Royal College Of Surgeons (RCS) Rats

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat is an animal model for human autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. As the retinas of these animals degenerate from two to six weeks after birth, posterior subcapsular cataracts (PSCs) develop, presumably in response to toxic lipid peroxides formed by degenerating rod outer segments. Morphologically, these PSCs are thought to be characterized by a proliferation of dysplastic bladder-like fibers, or Wedl cells, in the meridional region of the lens, that subsequently migrate to, and aggregate at, the posterior pole as the PSC. This report presents the results of correlative scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopic as well as light microscopic (LM) analysis of the ultrastructure of RCS PSCs. SEM analysis of two, four and six week old lenses (n=6–10 specimens per age group) demonstrated that the PSCs of RCS rats resulted from a growth malformation of the posterior fiber ends from four to six weeks. The PSC is composed of markedly enlarged and irregular posterior fiber ends aberrantly curved away from the polar axis toward the vitreous rather than overlapping and abutting to form suture branches within and between concentric growth shells. LM analysis revealed evidence of progressively more numerous, enlarged, and irregular, ovate cellular profiles at the posterior pole from four to six weeks. However, there was no evidence of Wedl cells either within the meridional row region or along a migratory path from the equator to the posterior pole at any age. TEM analysis confirmed that the size and abnormal shapes of cellular profiles were consistent with SEM analysis and that nuclei were never observed within the plaque. In addition, there was considerable variation in cytoplasmic densities between cells. Also, dense deposits were frequently noted between cells and beneath the capsule. The orientation of posterior fiber end profiles to the posterior capsule was 45, 70 and 90° at respectively two, four and six weeks of age. These results show that RCS PSCs are a consequence of abnormal posterior fiber end growth culminating in a posterior opacity.

Two-dimensional time resolved X-ray diffraction of muscle: Recent results

This report provides a preliminary sketch of the results obtained in a two-dimensional time resolved X-ray diffraction study of "live" frog sartorius muscles undergoing isometric tetani. These results demonstrate the recently developed capability to record time resolved (10 msec time resolution), two-dimensional X-ray diffraction diagrams throughout the cycle of contraction. The correlation between the time courses of the diffraction features in the whole of the diffraction diagram establishes a sequence of structural events, which suggest that during the transition from rest to the plateau of tension and the subsequent recovery, the following sequence of events takes place: a) Following the activation phase, which is best monitored by the increase of intensity on the second actin layer line at 18.0 nm spacing (5), there is the onset of three dimensional disorder due to the filaments losing their axial alignment and the myosin heads rotating azimuthally and moving radially outwards. A set of low-angle layer lines, following the actin based spacings seen in rigor (i.e., at spacings of ca. 36.5-37.5, 24.0 and 18.0 nm) become visible and those at ca. 24.0 and 18.0 nm appear to increase in intensity during this phase with a time course that cannot be determined accurately because of the proximity of the neighbouring first, second and third myosin layer lines and the weakness of these diffraction features. Whether the first of these layer lines increases or not is difficult to ascertain. Moreover, proper account of the loss in crystallinity during the development of tension must be made before the comparisons in intensity between the rest and peak of tension states have any significance. Nevertheless, these features together with the behaviour of the equatorial reflections and the meridional region of the third myosin layer line indicate that a sizeable fraction of the crossbridges may become axially disposed with an actin based periodicity. The formation of this complex does not immediately result in the generation of tension. The labelling of the thin filaments is also reflected in the main actin layer lines at 5.9 and 5.1 nm. b) The tension generating phase is monitored by the intensity changes in the meridional region of the third myosin layer line, which are best explained by a change in the orientation/conformation of the tension bearing crossbridges, (which probably adopt a more perpendicular orientation to the filament axis). c) At the end of stimulation, the crossbridges return to an axial spacing and axial orientation (although not yet azimuthal) similar to the one at rest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Light scattering from crystalline superstructure in tubular‐extruded polybutene‐1 films

AbstractLight scattering from polybutene‐1 films prepared by tubular extrusion was studied in order to investigate its crystalline superstructure and the deformation mechanism. Analysis of the light‐scattering patterns together with electron micrographs, indicate the existence of sheaflike crystalline superstructures. The sheaves are aligned nearly side by side with their axes preferentially oriented perpendicular to the machine direction. The Hv scattering patterns exhibit a “butterfly” appearance. Analysis of the patterns in terms of scattering and azimuthal angles at which the scattering intensity is a maximum yields information on the size and shape of the sheaflike texture. The information should be of importance in studies of anisotropic crystal growth caused by molecular orientation in the melt and of the deformation mechanism of the texture. The deformation behavior should be representative of that of different parts of spherulites, at least qualitatively; the deformation of the texture along the machine and transverse directions corresponds to deformation of equatorial and meridional regions of a spherulite, respectively.

Interpretation of the “figure-of-eight” reflections in small angle X-radiograms of stretched spherulitic polymers

In small angle X-radiograms of uniaxially stretched polymers containing spherulites, “figures-of-eight” reflections are often seen. The conclusion is drawn on the basis of experimental evidence that these reflections are the result of superimposition of cross-shaped reflections (with the point of intersection at the centre of the X-radiogram) on equatorial are-shaped reflections. It is suggested that the cross-shaped reflections are produced by transformation of some of the radical strips (in the meridional regions of the spherulites) into helical supermolecular formations, or by splitting of these strips into blocks on shear deformation.