Polychaetes associated to a Cymodocea nodosa meadow in the Canary Islands: assemblage structure, temporal variability and vertical distribution compared to other Mediterranean seagrass meadows

15 páginas, 6 tablas, 5 figuras.Abstract The structure, diversity and temporal distribution of the infaunal polychaetes associated with Cymodocea nodosa meadows were studied in Tenerife (Canary Islands). The samples were collected monthly throughout a year, to depths of 13–16 m. The sediment was extracted by means of PVC cores, in which four layers were separated (i.e. 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm). A total of 1,167 polychaete specimens, belonging to 69 taxa were collected, representing one of the most dominant groups in the benthic assemblage throughout the entire year. The most common families were Syllidae, Paraonidae and Spionidae, both in terms of abundance and species richness. The dominant species were Streptosyllis bidentata, Aricidea assimilis and Exogone parahomoseta mediterranea, representing also the only constant species throughout the year. The highest values of species richness, diversity, equitability and abundance of polychaetes occurred in September. The multifactorial analysis of abundances (i.e. cluster analysis and non-metric, multi-dimensional scaling) indicated temporal segregation of the samples from July, August and September (i.e. the warmest months) with respect to those from the rest of the year, due to structural differences in the assemblage. Polychaete species have been found to a depth of up to 30 cm in the sediment. Nevertheless, most of them (89%) occurred in the upper 5 cm of the sediment, with an increase of specimens in deeper layers in February (i.e. due to sporadic episodes of higher hydrodynamics). To compare the vertical distribution of polychaetes, additional core samples were collected in two seagrass meadows (i.e. C. nodosa and Ruppia cirrhosa) at Ebro’s Delta (NW Mediterranean); these were separated into five layers (i.e. 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, 10–15 cm, 15–20 cm, 20–25 cm). The results obtained for the R. cirrhosa meadow (98% of the polychaetes within the upper 5 cm) agree with those for the Canarian C. nodosa meadow, while the polychaetes reached up to 15 cm depth in the Mediterranean C. nodosa meadow (i.e. 39% between 0 and 5 cm, 41% between 5 and 10 cm, 20% between 10 and 15 cm). Our results indicated that the structural characteristics of the assemblages appeared to be more strongly controlled by the combined characteristics of the sediment (i.e. lack of oxygen, granulometry and degree of compaction) than by the seagrass species building the meadow.Peer reviewe

Mechanical performance of lap joints of flat roof waterproofing membranes subjected to artificial weathering

The flat roof of a building, here understood as the whole of every construction element from the ceiling to the surface exposed to climatic agents, is made of a set of horizontal or quasi-horizontal layers that satisfy its functional demands. The waterproofing layer is fundamental in most flat roofs and, of the various options, single-layer systems made of prefabricated membranes and mechanically fastened are one of the most frequently used in Portugal. This solution is also used to repair roofs’ waterproofing systems without having to remove the existing layers, thus reducing the cost. However, it is well known that the performance of these systems is strongly influenced by the efficiency of the membrane fastenings, which is directly related to the membranes’ nature and the design and execution of the lap joints. Many of the anomalies that occur are related to the deficient execution of the membranes’ lap joints1–3 and the consequent faulty performance when subjected to average environmental agents. Studies undertaken in Portugal on the behavior of lap joints in membranes made or commercialized in this country4,5 have corroborated other studies in this area and shown that certain membranes perform worse than others when used in single-layer systems. Three different solutions were tested: amyloid precursor protein (APP)- and Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS)-modified bituminous membranes and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membranes. Of the bituminous membranes, the SBS ones produced and commercialized in Portugal presented, as expected, much more satisfactory mechanical characteristics than the APP ones, thus justifying a more thorough study of their suitability for use in mechanically fastened single-layer systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Thermoelectric exhaust energy recovery with temperature control through heat pipes

Currently, a great deal of the automotive industry’s R&D effort is focused on improving overall vehicle environmental and energy efficiency. For instance, one of the things that Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Hybrid cars (HEV) have in common is the recovery of waste energy, namely during braking. But, when an I.C. engine is operating (e. g. as a range extender in an EV), a large amount of energy is also wasted within the exhaust gases and with engine cooling, energy that could otherwise be recovered by different methods. This paper reports on the recovery of waste thermal energy using thermoelectric generators (TEG) for application in hybrid, extended range electric vehicles and more generally in any vehicle that could benefit from the generation of a small amount of electric current that would reduce the alternator operation time. Although some manufacturers are trying to develop TEGs to use at exhaust temperatures, there are still no commercially available TEG modules capable of withstanding these extreme temperatures. The present work assesses the potential of the use of heat pipes (HP) as a means of transferring energy from the hot exhaust gases to the TEG modules at a compatible temperature level while minimizing the loss of efficiency due to temperature downgrading. The type of HP used in this study is called Variable Conductance Heat Pipe (VCHP), and its deployment has the advantage of inducing good temperature control. Various types of HPs were designed, manufactured, tested and improved with the aim of enhancing the overall heat transfer process, enabling an optimal level of electric energy recovery from the referred TEG modules. This was accomplished by the testing of different fluids inside the HP and by regulating the pressure of the gas chamber. Although the system is still under improvement, the results indicate that the use of VCHPs in conjunction with thermoelectric generators is a convincing technique for recovering otherwise wasted energy from the exhaust gases.MIT Portugal (MIT-Pt/EDAM-SMS/0030/2008)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (bolsa SFRH / BPD / 51048 / 2010

Modelling of thermoelectric generator with heat pipe assist for range extender application

Recent trends towards electrification of vehicles favour the adoption of waste energy recovery into electricity. Battery-only Electric Vehicles (BEV) need a very large energy storage system so the use of a Range Extender (RE) may allow a significant downsizing of these bulky components. The Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) have two major discarded energy fluxes, engine cooling and exhaust gas. In Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREV) and hybrids the potential for heat conversion into electricity is particularly convenient. The direct conversion of thermal energy into electricity, using Thermoelectric Generators (TEG) is very attractive in terms of complexity. However, current commercial TEG modules based on Seebeck effect are temperature limited, so they are unable to be in direct contact with the exhaust gases. A way to downgrade the temperature levels without reducing its potential is to interpose Heat Pipes (HP) between the exhaust gas and the modules. This control of maximum temperature at the modules is achieved by regulating the pressure of phase change of the HP fluid. Such design is convenient for engines with large thermal load variations, such as the RE being developed by the team, with a low (15kW) and a high (40kW) power mode of operation. This system will be able to operate efficiently in both modes. The present work presents the thermal modelling of such a system in order to assess the suitability of this approach. This work is complemented with the experimental work being carried out by the team in this subject, already with some published results. The model was validated with experimental data with a good correlation. Therefore, it was possible to demonstrate the potential of this system for wasted heat recovery.MIT Portugal, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Um sistema de avaliação através de verificações parcialmente cumulativas

The author describes the grading system used in the course of oral histology and embriology of the dentistry graduation at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in wich the programmatic content is appraised through five partially cumulative written examinations concerning the five units that integrate the refered content. The results were compared and analyzed statistically by the Student's t test, for a level of significance of 0.01. The conclusion is for the validity of the method, wich provides a relearning, reenforcing the retention of the acquired knowledge in the mentioned discipline.O autor descreve o sistema de avaliação usado na disciplina de Histologia e Embriologia Bucodentárias do curso de odontologia da UFRGS, no qual o conteúdo programático é avaliado através de cinco verificações escritas, parcialmente cumulativas das cinco unidades que integram o referido conteúdo. Os resultados foram comparados e analisados estatisticamente pelo teste "1" de Student, para um nível de significância de 0,01. A conclusão é pela validade do método que proporciona uma reaprendizagem, reforçando a retenção de conhecimentos adquiridos na mencionada disciplina

Temperature controlled exhaust heat thermoelectric generation

The amount of energy wasted through the exhaust of an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle is roughly the same as the mechanical power output of the engine. The high temperature of these gases (up to 1000°C) makes them intrinsically apt for energy recovery. The gains in efficiency for the vehicle could be relevant, even if a small percentage of this waste energy could be regenerated into electric power and used to charge the battery pack of a Hybrid or Extended Range Electric Vehicle, or prevent the actuation of a conventional vehicle's alternator.SFRH / BPD / 51048 / 2010MIT-Pt/EDAM-SMS/0030/200

Eco-eficiência na indústria extractiva : uma estratégia para o desenvolvimento sustentável

Processo de extracção de mármore da pedreira do Rosal; processo de transformação em comprimentos livre

Acoetidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the Iberian Peninsula, Madeira and Canary islands, with description of a new species

Six species of acoetid polychaetes are reported from the Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia: Euarche tubifex Ehlers, 1887, Euarche cristata Núñez, n. sp., Eupanthalis kinbergi McIntosh, 1876, Eupolyodontes gulo (Grube, 1855), Polyodontes maxillosus (Ranzani, 1817), and Panthalis oerstedi (Kinberg, 1856). Material was collected during several sublittoral benthic surveys. Descriptions, figures, and a key for the six species are included. The new species Euarche cristata is characterized by its prostomium with cristate or serrated posterior margin