Life-history variation in three coexisting cheilostome bryozoan species of the genus Stylopoma in Panamá

Life-history variation was studied in three sympatric species of Stylopoma Levinsen [S. spongites (Pallas), S. projecta Canu and Bassler and Stylopoma n. sp. 15] in Panamá. Bryozoan colonies were collected from 27 reefs along 300 km of the Caribbean coast of Panamá. The distribution and abundance of each species were very patchy, but with broad overlap in occurrence among localities and depths. Nevertheless, species differed considerably in colony size, size at first reproduction and numbers of brooding larvae; implying that interspecific differences in life-history traits may contribute to their coexistence. To examine closely this variation in life-history patterns, we grew, in a common garden experiment, the offspring of the two most common species that were obtained from parent colonies collected from several reefs. There were highly significant differences in growth rates and the timing and extent of sexual reproduction which corresponded well to patterns observed in individuals from the field. Other factors, including size of larvae, extent of secondary zooidal calcification and numbers of avicularia were also correlated with differences in life histories. Despite this additional complexity, however, ecological consequences of trade-offs in life history among modular species such as Stylopoma spp. appear very similar to those among unitary species.     

SPACE-TIME MODELING OF VECTOR HYDROLOGIC SEQUENCES1

Stochastic modeling of vector hydrologic sequences is examined with a general class of space-time autoregressive integrated moving average (STARIMA) models. The models describe spatial and temporal autocorrelatjon, through dependent variables lagged both in space and time. The model structures incorporate a hierarchical ordering scheme to map the vector of observations into a network configuration. The neighboring structure used introduces a physical/geographical hierarchy to enable the model identification procedures to assist in determining appropriate correlative relationships. The three-stage iterative space-time model building procedure is illustrated using average monthly streamfiow data for a four-station network of the Southeastern Hydropower System.     

Reduction of NO by CO using Pd-CeTb and Pd-CeZr catalysts supported on SiO2 and La2O3-Al2O3

The catalytic activity of Pd catalysts supported on Ce_0.73Tb_0.27O_x/SiO₂, Ce_0.6Zr_0.4O_x/SiO₂, Ce_0.73Tb_0.27O_x/La₂O₃-Al₂O₃ and Ce_0.6Zr_0.4O_x/La₂O₃-Al₂O₃ was studied using the reduction of NO by CO. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, surface area, X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction, CO chemisorption and oxygen storage capacity. Temperature-programmed reduction results indicated that Tb or Zr incorporation improves the reducibility and oxygen storage capacity. CO chemisorption data suggested the presence of large PdO particles due to the low CO/Pd ratio. No significant differences were obtained in light off temperatures (T_{Light off}) for all Pd catalysts and the most active was 1.5%Pd/Ce_0.6Zr_0.4O_x/SiO₂.     

Glyphosate adsorption on soils of different characteristics. Influence of copper addition

Results of glyphosate (GPS) adsorption on three soils of different characteristics show that the interaction of this pesticide with the soils was not related to their CEC and clay minerals content, but to the content of iron and aluminum amorphous oxides and organic matter. The presence of Cu in treatment solutions enhanced GPS adsorption, due to several reasons: GPS coordinates strongly to Cu, and Cu GPS complexes formed seem to have higher ability to be adsorbed on the soil than free GPS; GPS adsorption can take place on sites where Cu was previously adsorbed, acting as a bridge between the soil and GPS; when Cu was present the solution pH decreased, and GPS adsorption increased, since lower pHs lead to the formation of GPS species with lower negative charge, which are adsorbed more easily on the negatively charged soil surfaces.     

Perceptual Indicators of Environmental Health, Future Land Use, and Stewardship

There are important linkages between the health of humans and theenvironment, restoration of degraded lands, and long-term stewardship of public lands, yet most environmental indicators deal only with assessing the physical and biological aspects ofecosystems. In this article, we examine the ratings of perceptionsof several environmental problems for their utility as indicatorsof environmental quality, and examine perceptions of future land use by people interviewed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, near the Department of Energy's (DOE) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Overall, people with lower incomes rated environmental problems as more severe than others, were more willing to spend federal funds to solve them, and were consistent in their ratingsof severity of environmental problems and their willingness to spend federal funds. Cleaning up LANL and other Department of Energy sites, received the highest rating for expenditure of federal funds. The highest rated future uses for DOE sites were for recreation and for National Environmental Research Parks. People with less education generally gave higher ratings to mostfuture land uses for DOE than did those with more education. However, those with higher education gave higher ratings to nuclear reprocessing, and nuclear material storage. Where there were differences, the people interviewed at Santa Fe rated all environmental problems (except pesticides) as more severe than did those previously interviewed in Albuquerque (located fartherfrom the LANL site), and they were more willing to spend federalfunds on these problems. Ratings for all future land uses did notdiffer between the Santa Fe and Albuquerque respondents. These perception-based indicators show general agreement among peopleliving close and farther away from LANL with respect to cleaningup LANL and the future land uses for the site. These indicators should be considered by regulators, site personnel, and policy makers in future management and land use decisions.     

Study of drying systems for the utilization of biodegradable municipal solid wastes as animal feed

The effectiveness of different drying systems used for the dehydration of certain fractions of biodegradable municipal solid wastes with a high moisture content (fruit and vegetable remains) was analyzed. Some tests using small amounts of the material were carried out in natural and forced convection ovens. For larger quantities of wastes, a discontinuous cabinet dryer and a continuous rotary dryer were used. With these dryers, the moisture content was reduced from 800 to 100 g kg(-1). It was verified that the continuous rotary dryer was the most efficient type of equipment studied, since it allowed a dried waste to be obtained with better nutritional and microbiological qualities and in accordance to the specifications of the products for animal feeding.     

Effect of the zero-tolerance drinking and driving law on mortality due to road traffic accidents according to the type of victim,sex, and age in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil: An interrupted time series study

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of the Brazilian zero-tolerance drinking and driving law on mortality rates due to road traffic accidents according to the type of victim, sex, and age.

Methods: An interrupted time series design was used to compare yearly mortality rates due to road traffic accidents in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before and after the zero-tolerance drinking and driving law came into effect on June 19, 2008. Yearly mortality rates were compared according to the type of victim: pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, and vehicle occupant. We used the Prais-Winsten procedure of autoregression in the analysis of time series; the outcome of this analysis was the annual percentage change in the rates. Overall and stratified analyses were conducted to investigate whether the zero-tolerance drinking and driving law may have had a distributional effect on mortality rates due to road traffic accidents depending on sex and age group; a significance level of P < .01 was accepted.

Results: From 1999 to 2016, there were 15,629 deaths due to road traffic accidents in Rio de Janeiro. The effect of the zero-tolerance drinking and driving law on overall mortality rates due to road traffic accidents in Rio de Janeiro was not statistically significant. However, among cyclists and motorcyclists aged ≥60 years and among pedestrians of both sexes and aged ≥20 years, the effect of the zero-tolerance drinking and driving law was to decrease mortality due to road traffic accidents at a yearly rate.

Conclusion: There is evidence of reduced mortality rates due to road traffic accidents among cyclists and motorcyclists aged ≥60 years and among pedestrians of both sexes aged ≥20 years in the second major Brazilian capital 9 years after the zero-tolerance drinking and driving law was adopted.     

Integrated farming systems for improving soil carbon balance in the southern Amazon of Brazil

Regional Environmental Change - Integrated farming systems (IS) are one of the main strategies of the Brazilian government to reduce or compensate for carbon emissions from agriculture with...     

“Return” and Extension Actions After Ethnobotanical Research: The Perceptions and Expectations of a Rural Community in Semi-arid Northeastern Brazil

The scientific community has debated the importance of “return” activities after ethnobiological studies. This issue has provoked debate because it touches on the ethics of research and the relationships with the people involved in these studies. This case study aimed to investigate community perception of an ethnobotany research project that was carried out in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Furthermore, we reported how the residents of this rural community felt about participating in the activities of “return” that arose from the projects. Our findings demonstrate that “return” activities should be planned from the design phase of the research until its closure as a lifelong process that allows the communities involved to gradually take ownership of the information and actions that are being generated. Similarly, we argue that such activities must be negotiated with the people of the community so that they have decision-making power and autonomy to decide what is most relevant to their lives.