'Will the Paris Agreement protect us from hydro-meteorological extremes?'

Multi-hazard assessment is needed to understand compound risk. Yet, modelling of multiple climate hazards has been limitedly applied at the global scale to date. Here we provide a first comprehensive assessment of global population exposure to hydro-meteorological extremes—floods, drought and heatwaves—under different temperature increase targets. This study shows how limiting temperature increase to 1.5 and 2 °C, as for the goals of the Paris Agreement, could substantially decrease the share of global population exposed compared to a 3 °C scenario. In a 2 °C world, population exposure would drop by more than 50%, in Africa, Asia and the Americas, and by about 40% in Europe and Oceania. A 1.5 °C stabilization would further reduce exposure of about an additional 10% to 30% across the globe. As the Parties of the Paris Agreement are expected to communicate new or updated nationally determined contributions by 2020, our results powerfully indicate the benefits of ratcheting up both mitigation and adaptation ambition

Understanding the Politics and Governance of Climate Change Loss and Damage

This introduction to the 2023 special issue of Global Environment Politics brings questions related to politics and political processes to the forefront in the study of climate change loss and damage. The aim of avoiding the detrimental impacts of climate change has been at the heart of the international response to global climate change for more than thirty years. Yet the development of global governance responses to climate change loss and damage—those impacts that we cannot, do not or choose not to prevent or adapt to—has only over the last decade become a central theme within the discussions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Loss and damage has also become a research topic of growing importance within an array of disciplines, from international law to the interdisciplinary environmental social sciences. However, the engagement of scholars working in the fields of political science and international relations has been more limited so far. This is surprising because questions about how to best respond to loss and damage are fundamentally political, as they derive from deliberative processes, invoke value judgments, imply contestation, demand the development of policies, and result in distributional outcomes. In this introduction we describe the context and contributions of the research articles in the special issue. By drawing on a wide range of perspectives from across the social sciences, the articles render visible the multifaceted politics of climate change loss and damage and help to account for the trajectory of governance processes

Motivation at work of Brazilian executives

This study aimed to verify the extent to which the Brazilian executives are motivated at work. Companies seek constantly for practices that allow greater motivation of employees in day-to-day activities. Such search gets particularly important when looking at the work of executives in Brazil, in which working conditions are extremely stressful, whether by race against time, either by issues relating to the relationship among people. Traditional management theory seems to be ineffective when searching for the solution of problems related to the process of management of employees motivation

Preliminary assessment of beaches and offshore sand resources of St. Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles : a report to the Government of St. Eustatius

Objectives: A pilot study was undertaken in July 1988 to: 1. Provide an estimate of the location and size of offshore sand resources suitable for beach nourishment. 2. Perform beach surveys and associated sampling for determining beach equilibrium configurations. 3. Provide a preliminary assessment of sites suitable for beach enhancement. 4. Provide a preliminary assessment of areas having extraordinary environmental sensitivity. Emphasis was given.to Oranje Baai and adjoining regions

Precision measurements of Linear Scattering Density using Muon Tomography

We demonstrate that muon tomography can be used to precisely measure the properties of various materials. The materials which have been considered have been extracted from an experimental blast furnace, including carbon (coke) and iron oxides, for which measurements of the linear scattering density relative to the mass density have been performed with an absolute precision of 10%. We report the procedures that are used in order to obtain such precision, and a discussion is presented to address the expected performance of the technique when applied to heavier materials. The results we obtain do not depend on the specific type of material considered and therefore they can be extended to any application.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Mixed ab initio quantum mechanical and Monte Carlo calculations of secondary emission from SiO2 nanoclusters

A mixed quantum mechanical and Monte Carlo method for calculating Auger spectra from nanoclusters is presented. The approach, based on a cluster method, consists of two steps. Ab initio quantum mechanical calculations are first performed to obtain accurate energy and probability distributions of the generated Auger electrons. In a second step, using the calculated line shape as electron source, the Monte Carlo method is used to simulate the effect of inelastic losses on the original Auger line shape. The resulting spectrum can be directly compared to 'as-acquired' experimental spectra, thus avoiding background subtraction or deconvolution procedures. As a case study, the O K-LL spectrum from solid SiO2 is considered. Spectra computed before or after the electron has traveled through the solid, i.e., unaffected or affected by extrinsic energy losses, are compared to the pertinent experimental spectra measured within our group. Both transition energies and relative intensities are well reproduced.Comment: 9 pageg, 5 figure

The Clumping Transition in Niche Competition: a Robust Critical Phenomenon

We show analytically and numerically that the appearance of lumps and gaps in the distribution of n competing species along a niche axis is a robust phenomenon whenever the finiteness of the niche space is taken into account. In this case depending if the niche width of the species $\sigma$ is above or below a threshold $\sigma_c$, which for large n coincides with 2/n, there are two different regimes. For $\sigma > sigma_c$ the lumpy pattern emerges directly from the dominant eigenvector of the competition matrix because its corresponding eigenvalue becomes negative. For $\sigma </- sigma_c$ the lumpy pattern disappears. Furthermore, this clumping transition exhibits critical slowing down as $\sigma$ is approached from above. We also find that the number of lumps of species vs. $\sigma$ displays a stair-step structure. The positions of these steps are distributed according to a power-law. It is thus straightforward to predict the number of groups that can be packed along a niche axis and it coincides with field measurements for a wide range of the model parameters.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures; http://iopscience.iop.org/1742-5468/2010/05/P0500

Variabilidade temporal da posição dos bancos arenosos da praia do Cassino (RS): uma análise através de imagens de vídeo

Beaches are dynamic systems where natural elements like winds, water waves and sand interact resulting in complex hydrodynamical and sedimentary processes. Among the many morphological features presented at those environment, the sandbars are one of the most common features. In this context the main objective of the present study was to discuss the Cassino beach (RS) sandbars behavior at different temporal scales using for such purpose a two years time series of their position. To achieve the main goal, this paper used remote sense techniques such as video imaging. Analysis of the time series showed that Cassino beach presents a multiple bar system composed mainly by three bars. In addition, the emergence of a new bar by the split of the second (intermediate) one in two was observed, in an unprecedented manner in the scientific literature. During this period of time, before the total disappearance of the most offshore sandbar, the system was characterized as a four sandbars system. The analysis also indicated the presence of different temporal components such as seasonal, sub-seasonal, monthly and weekly components, in which the last has the greatest representation of the total variance as well as a significant correlation with significant wave height variability.As praias constituem sistemas dinâmicos onde ondas, marés, correntes e ventos interagem com sedimentos resultando em complexos processos hidro e morfodinâmicos,  sendo os bancos arenosos uma das feições mais comuns nesses ambientes. O principal objetivo do presente trabalho foi analisar a variabilidade temporal da posição dos bancos da praia do Cassino (RS) com base em observações de alta resolução espaço-temporal utilizando técnicas de vídeo imageamento. A base de dados utilizada compreende o período entre abril de 2005 até abril de 2007. Os resultados indicam que a praia do Cassino é formada por um sistema de múltiplos bancos, com ocorrência mais comum de três bancos. Em especial foi registrado um evento de surgimento de um banco a partir da divisão do banco intermediário, acompanhado da gradual migração do banco externo costa afora até seu desaparecimento. Durante este processo a praia apresentou quatro bancos. As séries de dados indicaram diferentes componentes temporais, entre elas a subsazonal, a sazonal, a mensal e a semanal, sendo que esta última demonstrou maior representatividade na variabilidade total dos dados, apresentando ainda correlação significativa com a variabilidade diária da altura das ondas

Perigos E Riscos Associados A Processos Costeiros No Litoral Sul Do Brasil (RS): Uma Sintese

Some processes related to hydrodynamics, geomorphology and sediment movement represent coastal hazards and risks along the littoral of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state in southern Brazil. The hazards imply in coastal erosion, habitat loss and environmental change. The risks are related to serious accidents including fatalities to the coastal users. Shoreface morphology, storms and washouts induce erosion at specific locations of the coastline. Storms and washouts, together with beach morphodynamics and depositional processes both aeolian and hydrodynamic embody latent risks to the physical integrity of people that live in and use this environment. Wave refraction patterns from SE to SW cause erosion in two coastal sectors at the proximities of Conceição Lighthouse and Hermenegildo Beach respectively located at the central and southernmost portion of the RS coastline. In both areas, the high number of washouts amplifies the erosion destroying foredunes and the subaerial beach. In addition, the lowlands of the barrier adjacent to small pocket lagoons in the northern littoral are more susceptible to washout erosion. Both, the refraction patterns and the washouts can be associated with two storms tracks and extra-tropical cyclones which magnify erosion and inundation of the coastal zone. The combination of higher population during summer seasons and intermediate beaches with considerable amounts of medium sand make beaches from the northern littoral and extreme south more risky for bathers. Coastline orientation in relation to the predominant NE wind causes wind-blow sand to invade the coastal plain in the form of transgressive dunes causing several hazards mainly in the northern littoral between Tramandaí and Mostardas. Short-term effects associated with episodic events of mud deposition during heavy storms on Cassino Beach influence the morphodynamics behavior on the sectors affected by the mud deposits creating coastal risks relating to beach usage.Some processes related to hydrodynamics, geomorphology and sediment movement represent coastal hazards and risks along the littoral of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state in southern Brazil. The hazards imply in coastal erosion, habitat loss and environmental change. The risks are related to serious accidents including fatalities to the coastal users. Shoreface morphology, storms and washouts induce erosion at specific locations of the coastline. Storms and washouts, together with beach morphodynamics and depositional processes both aeolian and hydrodynamic embody latent risks to the physical integrity of people that live in and use this environment. Wave refraction patterns from SE to SW cause erosion in two coastal sectors at the proximities of Conceição Lighthouse and Hermenegildo Beach respectively located at the central and southernmost portion of the RS coastline. In both areas, the high number of washouts amplifies the erosion destroying foredunes and the subaerial beach. In addition, the lowlands of the barrier adjacent to small pocket lagoons in the northern littoral are more susceptible to washout erosion. Both, the refraction patterns and the washouts can be associated with two storms tracks and extra-tropical cyclones which magnify erosion and inundation of the coastal zone. The combination of higher population during summer seasons and intermediate beaches with considerable amounts of medium sand make beaches from the northern littoral and extreme south more risky for bathers. Coastline orientation in relation to the predominant NE wind causes wind-blow sand to invade the coastal plain in the form of transgressive dunes causing several hazards mainly in the northern littoral between Tramandaí and Mostardas. Short-term effects associated with episodic events of mud deposition during heavy storms on Cassino Beach influence the morphodynamics behavior on the sectors affected by the mud deposits creating coastal risks relating to beach usage

Immunohistochemical analysis of cytoskeleton and ubiquitin in cerebellum of poisoned cattle by Solanum bonariense

El Solanum bonariense L., es un arbusto perenne, autóctono en Uruguay, Argentina y sur de Brasil. Al ser ingerido por los bovinos en pastoreo, les ocasiona una degeneración cortical cerebelosa, afectando específicamente a las células de Purkinje. Estas presentan el pericario extensamente vacuolado con desplazamiento del núcleo, con progresiva muerte neuronal. En los axones de estas neuronas se observa presencia de esferoides axonales en la sustancia blanca cerebelosa, que finalmente son sustituidos por microcavitaciones en la sustancia blanca. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue describir el patrón de inmunoreactividad contra diferentes elementos del citoesqueleto y la ubiquitina conjugada a proteínas marcadas para degradarse dentro de las células de Purkinje de cerebelos de bovinos intoxicados natural o experimentalmente por ingestión de Solanum bonariense L.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria