Capitalist Formations of Enclosure: Space and the Extinction of the Commons

Despite their theoretical and political potential, recent debates on enclosure usually lack an effective consideration of how space is mobilized in the process of dispossession. This article connects the analysis of enclosure's general spatial rationality to a range of illustrations of its particular formations and procedures. Enclosure is understood as one of capitalism's “universal territorial equivalents”, a polymorphous technique with variegated expressions in time but also with a consistent logic that uses the spatial erosion of the commons to subsume non-commodified, self-managed social spaces. In response to the ever-changing nature of commoning, successive regimes of enclosure reshape the morphologies of deprivation and their articulation to other state and market apparatuses in order to meet shifting strategies of capital accumulation and social reproduction. Through a spatially nuanced account of these phenomena, I outline a tentative genealogy of enclosure formations that allows tracking diverse geographies of dispossession across different scales and regulatory contexts in various historical stages of capitalist development

Management of corm size and soil water content for gladiolus flower production

Gladiolus grandiflorus Andrews, in the family Iridaceae, is one of the most produced and marketed flowers in the world. In general, however, research results on gladioli production factors are scarce and divergent. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of corm size and soil water content on gladiolus flower production. The experimental design, using the early maturity cultivar ‘White Friendship’, was entirely randomized, arranged in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme (five soil water contents: 25; 50; 75; 100; and 125% field capacity, combined with two corm sizes: medium and big), with four replications per treatment. Each replication, composed of one pot, comprised three corms, totaling 40 pots and 120 plants. Both vegetative and flowering characteristics were evaluated. Gladiolus cultivation at 80% soil field capacity presents best results for commercialization, generating longer flower stems with greater diameter and flower number, plus larger flowers. Furthermore, such soil water content promotes the shortest cultivation perio

Factors that affect the permeability of commercial hollow-fibre membranes in a submerged anaerobic MBR (HF-SAnMBR) system

A demonstration plant with two commercial HF ultrafiltration membrane modules (PURON (R), Koch Membrane Systems, PUR-PSH31) was operated with urban wastewater. The effect of the main operating variables on membrane performance at sub-critical and supracritical filtration conditions was tested. The physical operating variables that affected membrane performance most were gas sparging intensity and back-flush (BF) frequency. Indeed, low gas sparging intensities (around 0.23 Nm(3) h(-1) m(-2)) and low BF frequencies (30s back-flush for every 10 basic filtration relaxation cycles) were enough to enable membranes to be operated sub-critically even when levels of mixed liquor total solids were high (up to 25 g L-1). On the other hand, significant gas sparging intensities and BF frequencies were required in order to maintain long-term operating at supra-critical filtration conditions. After operating for more than two years at sub-critical conditions (transmembrane flux between 9 and 13.3 LMH at gas sparging intensities of around 0.23 Nm(3) h(-1) m(-2) and MLTS levels from around 10-30 g L-1) no significant irreversible/irrecoverable fouling problems were detected (membrane permeability remained above 100 LMH bar(-1) and total filtration resistance remained below 10(13) m(-1)), therefore no chemical cleaning was conducted. Membrane performance was similar to the aerobic HF membranes operated in full-scale MBR plants. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This research work has been supported by the Spanish Research Foundation (CICYT Projects CTM2008-06809-C02-01 and CTM2008-06809-C02-02, and MICINN FPI grant BES-2009-023712) and Generalitat Valenciana (Projects GVA-ACOMP2010/130 and GVA-ACOMP2011/182), which are gratefully acknowledged.Robles Martínez, Á.; Ruano García, MV.; Ribes Bertomeu, J.; Ferrer, J. (2013). Factors that affect the permeability of commercial hollow-fibre membranes in a submerged anaerobic MBR (HF-SAnMBR) system. Water Research. 47(3):1277-1288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2012.11.055S1277128847

Germination response of palm seeds on a two-way thermogradient plate

ABSTRACT Palm trees are propagated almost exclusively by seeds and each species germinates under a certain temperature range. In this sense, the two-way thermogradient plate may be used to determine temperature limits for germination and seed response to temperature. The objective was to define the alternating temperature regime promoting higher and faster seed germination of Carpentaria acuminata and Phoenix canariensis palms using a two-way thermogradient plate. This equipment allowed 64 combinations of alternating and constant temperatures, ranging from 6.97 to 36.42 ºC for C. acuminata, and 7.96 to 35.94 ºC for P. canariensis. Seeds were sown in Petri dishes (25 x 9 cm) containing 1% water agar. Linear regressions were estimated to determine cardinal temperatures. After 50 days, non-germinated seeds were transferred from the two-way thermogradient plate to a germination chamber at 30 °C. The temperature regime promoting highest seed germination percentage of C. acuminata was 30.45/33.00 °C (day/night), with minimum, optimum, and maximum temperatures of 9.13, 28.53, and 36.33 °C, respectively. For seed germination of P. canariensis, the most appropriate temperature regime was 29.77/17.93 °C (day/night), with minimum, optimum, and maximum temperatures of 9.53, 28.03, and 35.43 °C, respectively

Advanced control system for optimal filtration in submerged anaerobic MBRs (SAnMBRs)

The main aim of this study was to develop an advanced controller to optimise filtration in submerged anaerobic MBRs (SAnMBRs). The proposed controller was developed, calibrated and validated in a SAnMBR demonstration plant fitted with industrial-scale hollow-fibre membranes with variable influent flow and load. This 2-layer control system is designed for membranes operating sub-critically and features a lower layer (on/off and PID controllers) and an upper layer (knowledge-based controller). The upper layer consists of a MIMO (multiple-input-multiple-output) control structure that regulates the gas sparging for membrane scouring and the frequency of physical cleaning (ventilation and back flushing). The filtration process is monitored by measuring the fouling rate on-line. This controller demonstrated its ability to keep fouling rates low (close to 0 mbar mm(-1)) by applying sustainable gas sparging intensities (approx. 0.23 Nm(3) h(-1) m(-2)). It also reduced the downtimes needed for ventilation and back-flushing (less than 2% of operating time).This research has been supported by the Spanish Research Foundation (CICYT Projects CTM2008-06809-C02-01 and CTM2008-06809-C02-02, and MICINN FPI Grant BES-2009-023712) and Generalitat Valenciana (Projects GVA-ACOMP2010/130 and GVA-ACOMP2011/182), which are gratefully acknowledged.Robles Martínez, Á.; Ruano García, MV.; Ribes Bertomeu, J.; Ferrer, J. (2013). Advanced control system for optimal filtration in submerged anaerobic MBRs (SAnMBRs). Journal of Membrane Science. 430:330-341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2012.11.078S33034143

Produção sustentável de mudas de amendoim-do-campo para uso na arborização urbana / Sustainable production of peanut seedlings for use in urban afforestation

A necessidade de estudar a utilização dos resíduos de tratamento de esgoto como substrato é de grande importância ambiental para solucionar os problemas de contaminação do solo e de corpos d’água provocados pelo despejo incorreto dos efluentes no ambiente e melhorar a qualidade da formação de mudas para paisagismo e arborização urbana. O estudo deste material foi avaliado com o desenvolvimento de mudas de amendoim-do-campo (Platypodium elegans Vogel) em diferentes concentrações de biossólido e terra de subsolo. O experimento foi instalado no Departamento das Ciências da Produção Agrícola da Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias – UNESP, Campus de Jaboticabal. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado. Foram seis tratamentos, oito repetições e quatro plantas por parcela. Os tratamentos testados foram constituídos por substratos resultantes da mistura de terra de subsolo (TS) e biossólido (BIO) em diferentes proporções: 100% TS (controle); 80% TS + 20% BIO; 60% TS + 40% BIO; 40% TS + 60% BIO; 20% TS + 80% BIO; T6 100% BIO. Para acompanhar o desenvolvimento das mudas de amendoim-do-campo, foram avaliados: altura da parte aérea (cm), comprimento da raiz (cm), diâmetro do coleto (mm), número de folhas, área foliar (cm2), e massa seca da parte aérea, das raízes e total. As características foram avaliadas assim que as raízes das plântulas puderam ser observadas na extremidade inferior dos tubetes. Da análise dos resultados, possibilitou-se concluir que os substratos estudados promoveram diferenças significativas para praticamente todas as características avaliadas das mudas de P. elegans, não existindo significância apenas para comprimento da raiz. As maiores concentrações de biossólido apresentaram os melhores resultados no desenvolvimento das mudas de amendoim-do-campo

Initial growth of Bauhinia variegata trees under different colored shade nets and light conditions

Bauhinia variegata and B. variegata var. candida, commonly known as orchid trees, are small sized trees widely used for urban forestry and landscaping. Adult plants grow under full sun; in Brazil, however, seedlings are generally cultivated in commercial nurseries under natural half-shading. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different colored shade nets and light conditions on the initial growth of B. variegata and B. variegata var. candida. The influence of six light conditions (red net with 50% shading; blue net with 50% shading; black net with 70% shading; black net with 50% shading; black net with 30% shading; and full sun) on the initial growth of B. variegata and B. variegata var. candida were evaluated along 160 days, and growth relationships were calculated. Seedlings showed more efficiency on the use of photoassimilated compounds when grown under full sun. Such condition is the most appropriate for seedling production of B. variegata and B. variegata var. candida, contradicting what has been performed in practice.Bauhinia variegata e B. variegata var. candida, popularmente conhecidas como pata-de-vaca, são árvores de porte baixo muito usadas na arborização urbana e no paisagismo. Plantas adultas crescem sob sol pleno; no Brasil, no entanto, mudas são geralmente cultivadas em viveiros comerciais sob meia-sombra. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de diferentes telas coloridas e condições de luminosidade no crescimento inicial de mudas de B. variegata e B. variegata var. candida. A influência de seis condições de luminosidade (tela vermelha com 50% de sombreamento, tela azul com 50% de sombreamento, tela preta com 70% de sombreamento, tela preta com 50% de sombreamento, tela preta com 30% de sombreamento e a sol pleno) no crescimento inicial das mudas foi avaliada ao longo de 160 dias, e relações de crescimento foram calculadas. As mudas foram mais eficientes no uso dos fotoassimilados quando cultivadas a sol pleno. Essa condição é a mais apropriada para a produção de mudas de B. variegata e B. variegata var. candida, contrariando o que vem sendo feito na prática.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista Julio Mesquita Filho, FCAV, Dept Prod Vegetal, Jaboticabal, SP, BrazilUNESP Univ Estadual Paulista Julio Mesquita Filho, FCAV, Dept Prod Vegetal, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazi