Towards an ecological index for tropical soil quality based on soil macrofauna

The objective of this work was to construct a simple index based on the presence/absence of different groups of soil macrofauna to determine the ecological quality of soils. The index was tested with data from 20 sites in South and Central Tabasco, Mexico, and a positive relation between the model and the field observations was detected. The index showed that diverse agroforestry systems had the highest soil quality index (1.00), and monocrops without trees, such as pineapple, showed the lowest soil quality index (0.08). Further research is required to improve this model for natural systems that have very low earthworm biomass

Impacts of forestation on water and soils in the Andes: What do we know?

POLICY BRIEF: This brief summarizes the findings of a systematic review on the impacts of forestation on water and soils in the Andes (detailed in Bonnesoeur et al., 2019). For each finding, we report the confidence level in the evidence found in the literature reviewed. Forestation impacts on water supply, hydrological regulation and soil erosion. The results of the synthesis also helped identify research gaps, which are described at the end

The city shaped through the railway line: Albergaria-a-Velha, Portugal (1908-2018)

The construction of the railway lines in the cities has led to relevant territorial transformations and instigated the first urban planning operations all over the world. In Portugal, the deployment of the railway line — even though late in the second half of the 19th century — had a crucial role in the transformation of the territory. This article analyses the relationships between the implementation of the railways and the urban development. This is clarified with the case study of the city of Albergaria-a-Velha, in Portugal, which takes part in the largest railway system named “Vale do Vouga” line. The article is organized into three main moments. First, the implementation of the railways in the cities, in general, is addressed. Then, in a second moment, the implementation of the railways in Portugal is studied. Finally, the article focuses on the case of Albergaria-a-Velha and the way the railways relate to the urban development in this territory. It was found that, initially, the deployment of the train line in Albergaria-a-Velha was not too invasive in the territory, occupying predominantly agricultural lands. Also, it is noticed that Albergaria-a-Velha suffered its greatest urban growth during the early 70s of the 20th century. This came about abruptly and unregulated, similarly to what occurred in several other cities during this period. In the current urban structure, the railway line is an element that clearly divides the city. But still, over time, the railway line was responsible for moments in which the city was redesigned and adapted to it, through the new buildings and streets. In fact, the railway line had an important role in the regulation of the urban fabric, shaping and defining the urban growth in Albergaria-a-Velha. We conclude that the railway line produces two opposite effects in the urban design of Albergaria-a-Velha. It regulates the space, but acts simultaneously as a barrier. Not only it conditions the roads that it crosses, but also conditions the limits on the development of urban form, while not preventing the urban growth.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nanotailoring Stereolithography Resins for Unique Applications using Carbon Nanotubes

Nanostructured materials and exploiting their properties in stereolithography (SL) may open new markets for unique rapidly manufactured functional devices. Controlled amounts of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully dispersed in SL epoxy-based resins and complex three-dimensional (3D) parts were successfully fabricated by means of a multi-material SL setup. The effect of the nanosized filler was evaluated using mechanical testing. Small dispersions of MWCNTs resulted in significant effects on the physical properties of the polymerized resin. A MWCNT concentration of .05 wt% (w/v) in DSM Somos® WaterShed™ 11120 resin increased the ultimate tensile stress and fracture stress an average of 17% and 37%, respectively. Electron microscopy was used to examine the morphology of the nanocomposite and results showed affinity between the MWCNTs and SL resin and identified buckled nanotubes that illustrated strong interfacial bonding. These improved physical properties may provide opportunities for using nanocomposite SL resins in end-use applications. Varying types and concentrations of nanomaterials can be used to tailor existing SL resins for particular applications.Mechanical Engineerin

Bead, Hoop, and Spring as a Classical Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking Problem

We describe a simple mechanical system that involves Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking. The system consists of two beads constrained to slide along a hoop and attached each other through a spring. When the hoop rotates about a fixed axis, the spring-beads system will change its equilibrium position as a function of the angular velocity. The system shows two different regions of symmetry separated by a critical point analogous to a second order transition. The competitive balance between the rotational diynamics and the interaction of the spring causes an Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking just as the balance between temperature and the spin interaction causes a transition in a ferromagnetic system. In addition, the gravitational potential act as an external force that causes explicit symmetry breaking and a feature of first-order transition. Near the transition point, the system exhibits a universal critical behavior where the changes of the parameter of order is described by the critical exponent beta =1/2 and the susceptibility by gamma =1. We also found a chaotic behavior near the critical point. Through a demostrative device we perform some qualitative observations that describe important features of the system.Comment: 7 pages, 2 tables, 30 figures, LaTeX2

Elastic, dielectric and electromechanical properties of (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-BaTiO3 piezoceramics at the morphotropic phase boundary region

A systematic study of the functional properties of the (1-x)(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–xBaTiO3 (BNT-xBT) piezoceramic system for 0.05 = x = 0.07 is performed. The samples are obtained through the conventional solid-state route. The expected microstructure for these compounds, with no significant dependence on the composition, is verified by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) is detected for x = 0.06–0.07 by means of the Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction data. The dielectric spectra show a frequency-independent, completely diffuse phase transition with a composition-dependent diffusivity coefficient. The depolarization temperature is effectively evaluated from pyroelectric measurements, the value being strongly dependent on the composition. A significant contribution of the extrinsic effect to elastic, dielectric and electromechanical properties is revealed for MPB BNT-xBT. The Bi3+ substitution by Ba2+ leads to the formation of A-site vacancies, which give rise to the enhancement of domain wall motion, as occurs in other perovskite-type piezoelectrics. Good functional properties are achieved for x = 0.07 (d33 = 180 pC/N), which are similar or even better than those obtained by complex synthesis routes. This system exhibits a remarkable stability in the permittivity that has hitherto not been reported. This fact may open the way for BNT-BT compositions to be used in specific applications in which lead-free piezoceramics have previously been employed with little success, e.g. in high power devices.Postprint (author's final draft

Observation of Muon Neutrino Disappearance with the MINOS Detectors in the NuMI Neutrino Beam

This Letter reports results from the MINOS experiment based on its initial exposure to neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI beam. The rates and energy spectra of charged current ν_μ interactions are compared in two detectors located along the beam axis at distances of 1 and 735 km. With 1.27×10^(20) 120 GeV protons incident on the NuMI target, 215 events with energies below 30 GeV are observed at the Far Detector, compared to an expectation of 336±14 events. The data are consistent with ν_μ disappearance via oscillations with Δm_(32)^2|=2.74_(-0.26)^(+0.44)×10^(-3)  eV^2 and sin^2(2θ_(23))>0.87 (68% C.L.)

First observations of separated atmospheric ν_μ and ν̅ _μ events in the MINOS detector

The complete 5.4 kton MINOS far detector has been taking data since the beginning of August 2003 at a depth of 2070 meters water-equivalent in the Soudan mine, Minnesota. This paper presents the first MINOS observations of ν_μ and ν̅ _μ charged-current atmospheric neutrino interactions based on an exposure of 418 days. The ratio of upward- to downward-going events in the data is compared to the Monte Carlo expectation in the absence of neutrino oscillations, giving R^(data)_(up/down/R^(MC)_(up/down) = 0:62^(+0.19)_(0:14)(stat.) ± 0.02(sys.). An extended maximum likelihood analysis of the observed L/E distributions excludes the null hypothesis of no neutrino oscillations at the 98% confidence level. Using the curvature of the observed muons in the 1.3 T MINOS magnetic field ν_μ and ν̅ _μ interactions are separated. The ratio of ν̅ _μ to ν_μ events in the data is compared to the Monte Carlo expectation assuming neutrinos and antineutrinos oscillate in the same manner, giving R^(data)_(ν_μ/ν̅ _μ) / R^(MC)_(ν_μ/ν̅ _μ) = 0.96^(+0:38)_(0.27)(stat.) ± 0.15(sys.), where the errors are the statistical and systematic uncertainties. Although the statistics are limited, this is the first direct observation of atmospheric neutrino interactions separately for ν_μ and ν̅ _μ