Policy issues and data communications for NASA earth observation missions until 1985

The series of LANDSAT sensors with the highest potential data rates of the missions were examined. An examination of LANDSAT imagery uses shows that relatively few require transmission of the full resolution data on a repetitive quasi real time basis. Accuracy of global crop size forecasting can possibly be improved through information derived from LANDSAT imagery. A current forecasting experiment uses the imagery for crop area estimation only, yield being derived from other data sources

Kinetics and Mechanism of Hydrolysis of Benzimidazolylcarbamates

Synthesis of new 2-aminobenzimidazole-1-carbamates was accomplished by carbamoylation of 2-aminobenzimidazole using different substituted phenyl chloroformates. The aqueous hydrolysis of the new compounds was examined in the pH range 1-13 at 25 oC. The evaluated kinetic parameters led to the conclusion that up to pH 4 reaction proceeds by a bimolecular attack of water to the N-protonated substrate. This is the first time this behavior is described for carbamates, and can be ascribed to the higher basicity of the benzimidazolyl moiety when compared with the carbonyl oxygen. For higher values of pH, the results are consistent with a BAc2 mechanism with nucleophilic catalysis, but while between pH 4 and pH 7 water acts as the nucleophile, for pH> 7 the hydroxide ion is the acting species

The “golden key”: A novel approach to teaching/learning Biology in a secondary school in Brazil: A cultural historical activity theory approach.

The importance of developing students’ conceptual understanding of biological science in school is well established as a precursor to future development (Cachapuz et al. 2005). However, students continue to underperform in this important scholastic area due in large part to not engaging in the deeper concepts taught. In this article we investigate an interdisciplinary approach to teaching biology in a school in Brazil. We draw on the theoretical concepts provided by Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) to unpack how interdisciplinary teaching, across different activity systems, can lead to shifts in the activity systems, with students developing a deeper conceptual understanding of biology. Seven teachers (from chemistry, biology, the arts, and geography) and 196 students form the participants in this study. Findings indicate that contradictions arising both within and between activity systems across the teaching contexts led to students’ object shifting from merely covering the curriculum to developing a deeper understanding of biological concepts

Soil Functional Ability for groundwater recharge related with Land Use and Tillage System in a dry Mediterranean climate, southern Portugal

Groundwater has capacities like storing, filtering and transforming, which allows regulates atmospheric, hydrological and nutrient cycles. For agronomists, groundwater recharge is defined as the quantity of freshwater derived from precipitation that infiltrates vertically downward from the land surface to below the root zone. At this point the water may move laterally to discharge in streams or downward to enter an aquifer. Fresh water sustains biomass growth in terrestrial ecosystems, and provides key ecological services that supports biodiversity, sequesters carbon and combats desertification. On the other hand, soils provide us services like give clean water and abundant crops. To do this, soils plays there function of “regulator” distributing water for the recharge of groundwater and for the use by plants and animals, regulating the drainage, flow and storing water. Soil functions are difficult to measure directly, so they are usually assessed by measuring soil quality indicators. The soil functional ability to provide groundwater recharge is dependent on the water flowing within soils, under natural conditions or ones affected by its exploitation. Thus Soil Functional Ability to recharge groundwater (SFAgr) and Land use are essential to study the environmental sustainability and agricultural production capability once groundwater is a key component of a healthy watershed. But it is necessary pay attention to the Tillage System and not only to Land Use because the same Land Use can be related with more or less soil mobilizations and that have a great influence on soil structure and its hydrological skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Soil Functional Ability for groundwater recharge (SFAgr), different Land Uses and different Tillage Systems in a Dry Mediterranean climate in Alentejo, Portugal. This will be achieved by building a SFAgr, generated with combination of four properties related to water infiltration and percolation into the soil: depth; bulk density; saturated hydraulic conductivity; and drainable porosity. The saturated hydraulic conductivity was calculated by an indirect method based on texture and drainable porosity was also calculated by an indirect method though the difference between total porosity and field capacity. Each unit Soil/ Land Use/ Tillage System was analyzed in several identical units within the same catchment. When comparing SFAgr for different Land Uses and different soils, the results show a higher dependency of the groundwater recharge ability on Soil properties than on Land Use. The highest influences on SFAgr were bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity and the smallers were depth and drainage porosity. Better situations are where soils have bulk density rounding 1,2 covered by Cork/Holm Oak (50%) + Pasture and the worst situation are soils with bulk density greater than 1,5 even with Cork/Holm Oak (30%) + Pasture. When comparing SFAgr only for Annual Crops at same soils but having different Tillage Systems, the results showed that in both soils studied, the SFAgr was highest when Tillage System was a conservation one than when was a traditional system. The conclusions of this study for a Dry Mediterranean Climate are: 1 – Land Use influences the Soil Functional Ability to recharge groundwater, but more important than Land Use itself is the Tillage System used; 2- Tillage Systems associated with Conservation Agriculture more specifically No Tillage Systems provide better ability to recharge groundwater in clayey soils; 3 - The more years a system of No Tillage is practiced the higher Soil Functional Ability to Groundwater Recharge is expected in clayey soils

Adubação de cobertura na batata-doce com doses combinadas de nitrogênio e potássio.

Resumo: A adubação balanceada de N e K frequentemente aumenta o desempenho das lavouras, contudo, a falta de um desses nutrientes em solos deficientes pode levar a decréscimos na resposta ao outro. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a produtividade de batata-doce comercializável, a quantidade de raízes tuberosas para descarte e a diagnose foliar de lavoura de batata-doce adubada com N e K. O experimento foi realizado em lavoura comercial, em Presidente Prudente-SP, de fevereiro a junho de 2007, em um Argissolo Vermelho distroférrico de textura média. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos completos casualizados, com quatro repetições, no esquema fatorial 4 x 4, com 0, 30, 60 e 120 kg há de N (uréia), em interação com 0, 30, 60 e 120 kg há de KO (KCl), aplicados em cobertura aos 39 dias após o plantio. A cultura da batata-doce é responsiva à adubação nitrogenada e potássica de cobertura, porém, os maiores incrementos de produtividade são alcançados com as doses de N e K combinadas. A adubação de cobertura com N e K não acarreta em aumento da quantidade de raízes tuberosas impróprias para a comercialização. O maior incremento de produtividade da batata-doce é alcançado com a adubação de cobertura combinada com 100 kg de N ha mais 120 kg de K. Abstract: Balanced fertilizations with N and K often increase the performance of crops, however, when there is absence of one of these nutrients in poor soils, can reduce crop response to fertilization with the other. The objective of this work was to evaluate the productivity of sweet-potato, the amount of sweetpotato without quality, and leaf nutrients analysis, of sweet-potato crop fertilized with N and K. The trial was conducted in farming for commercial production, in Presidente Prudente, São Paulo State, during February-June 2007, in a dystrophic Ultisol of medium texture. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design, with four replications, on factorial 4 x 4: levels of 0, 30, 60 and 120 kg N ha (urea source) combined with levels of 0, 30, 60 and 120 kg KO ha (KCl source), applied to 39 days after planting of the crop. The sweet-potato is responsive to topdressing application with nitrogen and potassium, however, the greatest increases in productivity occur when doses of N and K are combined. Fertilization with N and K not increase the amount of sweet-potato without quality marketing. The highest increase in productivity of sweet-potato is reached with topdressing combined with 100 kg N ha plus 120 kg KO ha

Postgraduate Medical Teaching

Os autores afirmam a urgência em reestruturar o ensino medico pós-graduado em Portugal. De uma forma critica, analisam esquematicamente a situação actual do ensino médico pós-graduado em geral e da Urologia em particular, no nosso país. Depois de enunciar as etapas para atingir o internato da especialidade, resumem o Plano de preparação para a especialidade de Urologia do Conselho Directivo do Colégio de Urologistas da Ordem dos Médicos, de 1979. 0 Plano refere-se a tempos de estágio, programas teórico e prático, e formas de avaliação dos internos e aponta ainda as características para que um serviço seja considerado idóneo. Referindo que a realidade actual não corresponde às exigências preconizadas, os autores indicam aquilo que de facto acontece. Respondendo negativamente a uma série de questões sobre pontos fulcrais para uma prática correcta do ensino pós-graduado, os autores terminam a primeira parte da sua exposição perguntando se, nas condições actuais, o resultado final da preparação dos médicos será mesmo um Especialista. Na segunda parte fazem propostas para a reestruturação do ensino pós-graduado em Portugal. Referem-se sucessivamente as seguintes alíneas: criação de institutos ou escolas médicas hospitalares de pós graduação, universitários; elaboração de um programa padrão nacional do ensino médico pós-graduado; criação de comissões para o ensino médico pós-graduado; definição exigente do perfil de serviço idóneo para o ensino médico pós-graduado; elaboração de programas individuais pelos serviços dos institutos de pós-graduação; caderneta; fiscalização da actividade dos docentes e discentes; avaliação, contínua e por provas intercalar e final; mestrado. Dado o carácter auto-explicativo dos quadros, os autores, para além de alguns comentários, apenas desenvolvem as alíneas referentes aos Institutos ou Escolas Médicas de Pós-graduação, Universitários e ao Mestrado, expondo, duma maneira sucinta, a forma como pensam que deviam ser organizados

Multiple Glaciations of the Cordon del Plata, Mendoza, Argentina [Glaciaciones multiples del Cordon del Plata, Mendoza, Argentina]

Evidence exists for four glaciations in the Río Blanco basin west of Mendoza, Argentina. Morphology, superposition of tills, soil-profile development, loess thickness, and boulder weathering have been the techniques most useful in mapping the tills. Glaciers of Vallecitos (= Wisconsinan) age extended to 2600 m and left distinctive moraines. Tills of two preVallecitos glacier advances cover the floor of the valley from 2600 m to below 2100 m, and remnants of one of the tills extend nearly to the junction with Río Mendoza (1400 m) 13 km below the lowest Vallecitos moraines. These deposits were considered to be mudflows rather than tills by Polanski; however, the quartz sand grains examined with SEM have surface textures characteristic of glacial abrasion. The sediments, thus, are more likely glacial than mudflow deposits. One still older till caps ridges as much as 200 m above the present valley floor. Vallecitos glaciers did not smooth the walls of the wide valleys through which they flowed; the valleys had been enlarged by the larger ice tongues during one or more of the earlier glaciations. Frost shattering of the rhyolite and quartzite has altered much of the distinctive glacial valley shape, and talus lies between the valley walls and Vallecitos lateral moraines. Holocene glaciations seem to be in phase with those of the Northern Hemisphere, and the Vallecitos glaciation coincided with oxygen isotope stage 2 and the Wisconsin of North America. The next older glaciation may correlate with oxygen isotope stage 6 and the Illinoian glaciation of North America. A till that underlies it is difficult to correlate and is clearly much older, but postdates the last major uplift of the range. It may represent isotope stage 12, and the period that followed it was more moist than other interglacial ages in this area. The oldest, Los Mesones, may correlate with Mercer\u27s Greatest Glaciation of Patagonia, 1.0 to 1.2 m.y. ago. Although it is beyond the established oxygen isotope stages, a long cold period is present on the curves at this time, and it coincides with one of the glaciations of the Nebraskan-Kansan complex of North America. Resumen: Existe en la cuenca del río Blanco, al oeste de Mendoza, Argentina, evidencia por cuatro glaciaciones. Los métodos más útiles en la identificación y el trazar un mapa de los depósitos son la morfología, la superposición de los tils, el desarrollo de los perfiles de los suelos, el espesor del loess, y la meteorización de los rodados. Glaciares de la etapa Vallecitoense (= Wisconsinan/Würm) extendieron a 2600 in donde depositaron morrenas distinctivas. Los tils de los avanzes glaciales pre-Vallecitos llenan la parte baja del valle entre 2600 m y 2100 m, y remanantes de uno de ellos extiende casi a la unión de los ríos Blanco y Mendoza, 13 km más bajo que las morrenas Vallecitoenses más bajas. Estos acarreos eran considerado por Polanski como depositos de corrientes de barro más bien que til; sin embargo, las superficies de los granos de cuarzo en tamaño de arena son fracturados para que puedan ser transportados por un glaciar. Por esto, es más probable que son los acarreos depósitos de glaciares que los de corrientes de barro. Un til más antiguo cubre caballetes que están a 200 m más altos que los arroyos actuales. Los glaciares Vallecitoense no erosionaron lisos las muredes de los valles en que se deslizaron. Durante glaciaciones anteriores, lenguas de hielo más grandes que las de la última etapa han erosionado los valles. La forma distinta glaciaria se ha alterado por el astillar por congelamiento de los cuarcitas y riolitas de las pendientes, y taludes están entre los muredes y las morrenas. Las glaciaciones Holocénicas parecen en fase con elias del hemisferio del norte, y la glaciación Vallecitoense coincidió con la etapa 2 de los isótopos de oxígeno y de la glaciación Wisconsinense norteamericana. El til de la glaciación más antigua, la Río Blancoense, se correlacione con la etapa 6 de los isótopos de oxígeno y la glaciación Illinoianense de norteamerica. Hay dificultades en el correlacionar del til que está debajo de éste, el til Angosturaense. Claramente tiene más edad, pero depositó después de la ültima elevación del cordón. Se correlacione con la etapa 12. El suelo ahora enterrado que se desarrolló en la superficie de este til tiene rasgos semejantes a los de los suelos de áreas algos húmedas; en contraste, los suelos calcáreos indican que dos otros períodos interglaciales fueron más secos. El til de edad más grande de esta cuenca, Los Mesones, se correlacione con la Glaciacion Más Grande de Patagonia, descrito por Mercer, que occurrió hace 1.0 a 1.2 × 106 años. Aunque es más antigua que las etapas establecidas de isótopos de oxígeno, existe en las curvas un período largo y frío por este tiempo. También, coincide con una de las glaciaciones de complejo Nebraskan-Kansan de norteamerica

Developing daily precipitation scenarios for climate change impact studies in the Guadiana and the Tejo basins

International audienceHydrological models to evaluate the impacts of climate change in the water resources sector require spatially correlated daily precipitation scenarios as model inputs. This paper presents a practical procedure for developing such precipitation scenarios using multisite stochastic weather models or generators conditional on large-scale daily circulation patterns, based on GCM-simulated future mean sea level pressure (MSLP) fields. The procedure is demonstrated on the basis of HadCM3 and HadAM3H simulations with an example for two river basins in the Iberian Peninsula. Changes in daily precipitation scenarios for the region generated by stochastic models are consistent with large-scale precipitation scenarios from direct GCM outputs; however, more localised characteristics have to be found from downscaled precipitation scenarios rather than from direct GCM outputs. This may imply that possible changes in downscaled precipitation reflect the underlying physics in GCMs, so that downscaled daily precipitation scenarios may be more suitable for impact models than the coarse GCM outputs

Littératures francophones et formation des enseignants de FLE

Alors qu’en France les littératures francophones sont marginalisées dans les programmes des licences et masters de lettres, elles apparaissent régulièrement dans les cours des «parcours» ou «mention» FLE de licence, tout comme dans ceux des masters de didactique du FLE. Nous nous interrogeons ici, en prenant appui sur une enquête par questionnaire menée auprès d\u27étudiants de master FLE, sur les raisons de cette présence des littératures francophones dans ces cours, qui pourrait sembler de prime abord inattendue, mais renvoie de fait à l’attention qui leur est portée depuis une quinzaine d’années dans le domaine de la didactique du FLE. Quelle place tiennent-elles dans les formations ? Quels objectifs leur sont assignés ? Que connaissent  ces futurs enseignants de FLE de ces littératures ? Quel rôle pensent-ils qu’elles puissent tenir dans leur pratique future