Critical variables to predict technological expansion in traditional sugarcane productive region of north-east Brazil.

Abstract: Several critical variables are used to predict the technological expansion of traditional sugarcane productive region of Brazil's northeast (NE). Variables were selected after retrospective evaluation, present diagnosis and validation by expertise of the sugarcane sector. After the selection, the variables were classified based on impact levei and predictability. The matrix for morphological analysis was carried out to indicate the technological expansion pathway. It is possible to conclude that technological expansion of sugarcane production in this traditional region could be limited or enhanced by agricultural, social environrnental and economic variables. ln this study, a total of twenty five parameters were designated to evaluate the sugarcane expansion in this region, being eight agricultural, six natural resource, six market and five social variables. Therefore, straight analysis of the scenario lead to the possibility of immediate actions in agricultura I sugarcane production, natural resource preservation and social relationships variables, on the other hand the market actions agreements are more complex and complicated to apply

Producción primaria fitoplanctónica de un lago somero turbio orgánico en relación con el zooplancton (La Pampa, Argentina)

Primary production (PPr) is the energy fixed by autotrophic organisms. In aquatic ecosystems, it is mostly produced by photosynthetic processes performed by planktonic or benthic algae and macrophytes. In La Pampa, the ecology of shallow lakes has recently begun to be studied, but there is no reference inade to the algal PPr and how it is influenced by zooplankton. Since shallow lakes in La Pampa are different from those widely studied in Buenos Aires province, the objective of this contribution was to determine the phytoplanktonic PPr of an organic turbid shallow lake of the northeast La Pampa, and the influence of zooplankton in its valué. PPr was estimated 6 times along the day with the dissolved oxygen technique, using clear and dark bottles. To test the ef- fect of zooplankton on PPr estimates, we compared PPr with and without zooplankton, which was removed with a 40-micron mesh net. A higher concentration of nutrients was recorded than the typical pampasic shallow lakes of Buenos Aires province, Phytoplank- ton was dominated by Chlorophyta and the zooplankton assemblage was typical of low salinity environments. Zooplankton densities were reduced during noon-afternoon hours, what might indícate an important zooplankton migration process. Net PPr was similar to the detected in lakes at similar latitudinal location, but the máximum PPr per unít chlorophyll was higher than the recorded in organic turbid lakes of Buenos Aires Province. Zooplankton had a weak influence on PPr. Determinations from the two treat- ments did not show significant differences, except at 8 PM when the net PPr without zooplankton was three times higher than the treaíment with zooplankton.Instituto de Limnología "Raúl A. Ringuelet

Producción primaria fitoplanctónica de un lago somero turbio orgánico en relación con el zooplancton (La Pampa, Argentina)

Primary production (PPr) is the energy fixed by autotrophic organisms. In aquatic ecosystems, it is mostly produced by photosynthetic processes performed by planktonic or benthic algae and macrophytes. In La Pampa, the ecology of shallow lakes has recently begun to be studied, but there is no reference inade to the algal PPr and how it is influenced by zooplankton. Since shallow lakes in La Pampa are different from those widely studied in Buenos Aires province, the objective of this contribution was to determine the phytoplanktonic PPr of an organic turbid shallow lake of the northeast La Pampa, and the influence of zooplankton in its valué. PPr was estimated 6 times along the day with the dissolved oxygen technique, using clear and dark bottles. To test the ef- fect of zooplankton on PPr estimates, we compared PPr with and without zooplankton, which was removed with a 40-micron mesh net. A higher concentration of nutrients was recorded than the typical pampasic shallow lakes of Buenos Aires province, Phytoplank- ton was dominated by Chlorophyta and the zooplankton assemblage was typical of low salinity environments. Zooplankton densities were reduced during noon-afternoon hours, what might indícate an important zooplankton migration process. Net PPr was similar to the detected in lakes at similar latitudinal location, but the máximum PPr per unít chlorophyll was higher than the recorded in organic turbid lakes of Buenos Aires Province. Zooplankton had a weak influence on PPr. Determinations from the two treat- ments did not show significant differences, except at 8 PM when the net PPr without zooplankton was three times higher than the treaíment with zooplankton.Instituto de Limnología "Raúl A. Ringuelet

Zinc(II) coordination polymers with pseudopeptidic ligands

Two new phenyl-bridged pseudopeptidic ligands have been prepared and structurally characterised. The nature of the ligands’ substituents play an important role in the nature of the solid state structure yielding either hydrogen bonded linked sheets of molecules or infinite hydrogen bonded networks. Both these ligands were reacted with a range of zinc(II) salts with the aim of synthesising coordination polymers and networks and exploring the role that anions could play in determining the final structure. The crystal structures of four of these systems (with ZnSO4 and ZnBr2) were determined; in one case, a 3D coordination network was obtained where zinc–ligand coordination bonds generated the 3D arrangements. Three other 3D networks were obtained by anion-mediated hydrogen bonding of coordination 1D chains or 2D sheets. These four very different structures highlight the important role played by the ligands’ substituents and the counteranions present in the system

Contrasting vertical and horizontal representations of affect in emotional visual search

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/ 10.3758/s13423-015-0884-6Independent lines of evidence suggest that the representation of emotional evaluation recruits both vertical and horizontal spatial mappings. These two spatial mappings differ in their experiential origins and their productivity, and available data suggest that they differ in their saliency. Yet, no study has so far compared their relative strength in an attentional orienting reaction time task that affords the simultaneous manifestation of both of them. Here we investigated this question using a visual search task with emotional faces. We presented angry and happy face targets and neutral distracter faces in top, bottom, left, and right locations on the computer screen. Conceptual congruency effects were observed along the vertical dimension supporting the ‘up=good’ metaphor, but not along the horizontal dimension. This asymmetrical processing pattern was observed when faces were presented in a cropped (Experiment 1) and whole (Experiment 2) format. These findings suggest that the ‘up=good’ metaphor is more salient and readily activated than the ‘right=good’ metaphor, and that the former outcompetes the latter when the task context affords the simultaneous activation of both mappings

Best standards for data collection and reporting requirements on FOBs: towards a science-based FOB fishery management.

A major concern for tropical tunas, on these last years, has been the worldwide increasing use of drifting FOBs by purse seiners, which are equipped with satellite buoys and echo-sounders. The use of these floating objects has contributed to increase the catch of skipjack tuna, but also of juveniles of yellowfin and bigeye tunas. Moreover, it has increased the amount of by-catch (including some species classified as vulnerable or endangered) and has likely resulted in adverse effects on the ecology of fish and on vulnerable areas (e.g. beaching events on coral reef areas). Despite the increasing FOB use and concerns, little information is available on FOB use worldwide for an appropriate monitoring and management. Thus, FOB monitoring has become a priority in all tuna t-RFMOs. However, the data collection and reporting requirements around FOBs are not standardized and there are significant data gaps. The aim of this document is to review current requirements and procedures in place and propose standards for data collection and submission on FOBs to tRFMOs. The proposals included in this document are the result of a collaborative work between scientists and the fishing industry