A review of the processes and effects of droughts and summer floods in rivers and threats due to climate change on current adaptive strategies

Europe is expected to experience a greater frequency of floods and droughts as precipitation and evapotranspiration patterns are modified by climate change in future. Several large scale drought and flooding events have occurred in Europe since 2000. Studies of drought are rare but indicate important impacts on freshwater habitats, water quality, plants and animals, which may have wider consequences for ecosystem functioning. The main factors determining the impacts of droughts and floods are event duration and seasonality of the event. A diverse habitat distribution and the presence of refugia at the reach scale confer the most resilience against droughts and floods. Management measures will also be impacted particularly with regard to riparian zones, channel morphology, flow and floodplain connectivity. However there is a conflict between management actions that target the effects of drought, and those that target floods. This report reviews information on droughts and aseasonal floods (summer floods) published since 2000 with a principal focus on small lowland rivers. Using several recent (post 2000) reviews on these topics, we describe abiotic and biotic effects of droughts and floods, providing recent European examples where possible. We explain the current status of droughts and summer floods in Europe, and where the main sources of data can be found. We highlight the threats posed by these phenomena to some of the most common current adaptive management strategies in place in the EU. To this end we use measures already described within REFRESH under Deliverables 1.1 and 1.2, and we focused solely on adaptive measures relating to riparian zones, channel morphology, flow and floodplain connectivity

Novel river eco-hydrological systems projected for Europe

Future flows in rivers throughout Europe were computed for different combinations of climate models and socio-economic scenarios for a baseline (1961-1990) and for the future (2050s). Sets of indicators describing all ecologically-relevant facets of river flow regime were derived. Eco-hydrological regime types were defined using classification techniques applied to these indicators. Projected future flow alterations (2050s) for major European rivers were mapped in terms of eco-hydrological types and compared with maps for the baseline situation. It was found that for many river reaches their regime would remain broadly similar (in the same class), for other reaches the regime would alter to be more similar to another class. For some reaches the eco-hydrological regime would change to a novel form not currently seen in Europe, with the potential to create new river ecosystems

SNIFFER WFD119: Enhancement of the River Invertebrate Classification Tool (RICT)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Project funders/partners: Environment Agency (EA), Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Scotland & Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Background to research The Regulatory Agencies in the UK (the Environment Agency; Scottish Environment Protection Agency; and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency) now use the River Invertebrate Classification Tool (RICT) to classify the ecological quality of rivers for Water Framework Directive compliance monitoring. RICT incorporates RIVPACS IV predictive models and is a highly capable tool written in a modern software programming language. While RICT classifies waters for general degradation and organic pollution stress, producing assessments of status class and uncertainty, WFD compliance monitoring also requires the UK Agencies to assess the impacts of a wide range of pressures including hydromorphological and acidification stresses. Some of these pressures alter the predictor variables that current RIVPACS models use to derive predicted biotic indices. This project has sought to broaden the scope of RICT by developing one or more RIVPACS model(s) that do not use predictor variables that are affected by these stressors, but instead use alternative GIS based variables that are wholly independent of these pressures. This project has also included a review of the wide range of biotic indices now available in RICT, identifying published sources, examining index performance, and where necessary making recommendations on further needs for index testing and development. Objectives of research •To remove and derive alternative predictive variables that are not affected by stressors, with particular emphasis on hydrological/acidification metric predictors. •To construct one or more new RIVPACS model(s) using stressor independent variables. •Review WFD reporting indices notably AWIC(species), LIFE (species), PSI & WHPT. Key findings and recommendations : Predictor variables and intellectual property rights : An extensive suite of new variables have been derived by GIS for the RIVPACS reference sites that have been shown to act as stressor-independent predictor variables. These include measures of stream order, solid and drift geology, and a range of upstream catchment characteristics (e.g. catchment area, mean altitude of upstream catchment, and catchment aspect). It is recommended that decisions are reached on which of the newly derived model(s) are implemented in RICT so that IPR issues for the relevant datasets can be quickly resolved and the datasets licensed. It is also recommended that licensing is sought for a point and click system (where the dataset cannot be reverse engineered) that is capable of calculating any of the time-invariant RIVPACS environmental predictor variables used by any of the newly derived (and existing) RIVPACS models, and for any potential users. New stressor-independent RIVPACS models : Using the existing predictor variables, together with new ones derived for their properties of stressor-independence, initial step-wise forward selection discriminant models suggested a range of 36 possible models that merited further testing. Following further testing, the following models are recommended for assessing watercourses affected by flow/hydromorphological and/or acidity stress: • For flow/hydromorphological stressors that may have modified width, depth and/or substrate in GB, it is suggested that a new ‘RIVPACS IV – Hydromorphology Independent’ model (Model 24) is used (this does not use the predictor variables width, depth and substratum, but includes a suite of new stressor-independent variables). • For acidity related stressors in GB, it is suggested that a new ‘RIVPACS IV – Alkalinity Independent’ model (Model 35) is used (this does not use the predictor variable alkalinity, but includes new stressor-independent variables). • For flow/hydromorphological stressors and acidity related stressors in GB, it is suggested that a new ‘RIVPACS IV – Hydromorphology & Alkalinity Independent’ model (Model 13) is used (this does not use the predictor variables width, depth, substratum and alkalinity, but includes a suite of new stressor-independent variables). • Reduced availability of appropriate GIS tools at this time has meant that no new models have been developed for Northern Ireland. Discriminant functions and end group means have now been calculated to enable any of these models to be easily implemented in the RICT software. Biotic indices : The RIVPACS models in RICT can now produce expected values for a wide range of biotic indices addressing a variety of stressors. These indices will support the use of RICT as a primary tool for WFD classification and reporting of the quality of UK streams and rivers. There are however a number of outstanding issues with indices that need to be addressed: • There is a need to develop a biotic index for assessing metal pollution. • WFD EQR banding schemes are required for many of the indices to report what is considered an acceptable degree of stress (High-Good) and what is not (Moderate, Poor or Bad). • A comprehensive objective testing process needs to be undertaken on the indices in RICT using UK-wide, large-scale, independent test datasets to quantify their index-stressor relationships and their associated uncertainty, for example following the approach to acidity index testing in Murphy et al., (in review) or organic/general degradation indices in Banks & McFarland (2010). • Following objective testing, the UK Agencies should make efforts to address any index under-performance issues that have been identified, and where necessary new work should be commissioned to modify existing indices, or develop new ones where required so that indices for all stress types meet certain minimum performance criteria. • Testing needs to be done to examine index-stressor relationships with both observed index scores and RIVPACS observed/expected ratios. Work should also be done to compare the existing RIVPACS IV and the new stressor-independent models (developed in this project) as alternative sources of the expected index values for these tests. • Consideration should be given to assessing the extent to which chemical and biological monitoring points co-occur. Site-matched (rather than reach-matched) chemical and biological monitoring points would i) generate the substantial training datasets needed to refine or develop new indices and ii) generate the independent datasets for testing

Estudo teorico do mecanismo de transesterificação de triglicerídeos de cadeia curta catalisada por ácido

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Físicas e Matemáticas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Química, Florianópolis, 2011O mecanismo de transesterificação do triglicerídeo do ácido butírico (TAG) catalisado por ácido foi estudado empregando a aproximação de Hartree-Fock (HF) e Teoria do Funcional da Densidade (DFT). A reação procede por meio de um mecanismo concertado, com um único estado transição, sem a formação de um intermediário tetraédrico. Primeiramente foi efetuado os cálculos para o monoglicerídeo do ácido butírico (MAG) empregando ambos os métodos, em três sistemas diferentes, não catalisado, catalisado, e catalisado com a presença do contra íon (HSO4-). O sistema completo, TAG, foi estudado apenas com o método DFT, sem a presença do contra íon, onde foram calculados os diferentes caminhos pelos quais a reação pode seguir. Uma melhor avaliação das energias de ativação foi acessada através de cálculos empregando-se teoria de perturbação de segunda ordem de Møller-Plesset (MP2) em adição às correções térmicas que incluem automaticamente a correção da energia do ponto zero. Foram obtidos estados de transição com formação de ligação entre o carbono carbonílico e o oxigênio do nucleófilo e uma quebra de ligação entre este carbono e o oxigênio do grupo de saída, ocorrendo concomitantemente com a transferência de hidrogenio do oxigênio do nucleófilo para o oxigênio do grupo de saída. As ordens de ligação fornecem o grau de quebra e formação de ligação nos estados de transição ressaltando o papel do catalisador; mostrando estados de transição com maior grau de quebra do que formação de ligação, os quais são estabilizados por meio de interações com os grupos de ataque e saída. Para o sistema completo TAG, o caminho que possui menor custo energético é o que procede por ataque a carbonila central, seguido de ataque as carbonilas das pontas.The reaction mechanism of the acid-catalyzed transesterification of butyric acid triglyceride was studied employing the Hartree-Fock approximation and Density Functional Theory. The reaction proceeds through a concerted mechanism with one single transition state (TS) and without the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate. Firstly was studied the acid-catalyzed transesterification of butyric acid monoglyceride employing both methods in three different systems, non-catalyzed reaction, catalyzed reaction and catalyzed reaction including the counter ion (HSO4-). The transesterification of butyric acid triglyceride was studied employing DFT method without the presence of the counter ion. The calculations were done by considering the three different pathways by which the reaction may proceeds. Best evaluation of the activation energies was obtained by inclusion electron correlation through single point Møller-Plesset (MP2) calculations and adds thermal corrections which include the zero point energy automatically. For both non-catalyzed and acid-catalyzed reaction transition states, with both methods bond formation was observed between the carbonyl carbon and the oxygen of the incoming nucleophilic and bond breaking between this carbon and the oxygen of the leaving group. This occurs concomitantly with proton transfer from the nucleophilic oxygen to the oxygen of the leaving group. Bond order analysis revealed the degree of bond breaking and formation in transition states, highlighting the role of the acid proton in the catalyzed reaction and showing transition states with a much greater degree of bond cleavage than bond formation, which are stabilized through interactions with both attacking and leaving groups. For the TAG system the pathway with low energy cost is that occurs with the nucleophilic attack to central carbonyl followed by successive attacks to the others carbonyl

Editorial | Dossiê "Som e/ou Música, Violência e Resistência"

Editorial | Dossiê "Som e/ou Música, Violência e Resistência

Priority river habitat in England – mapping and targeting measures

• This paper outlines an analysis of nationally available GIS datasets to generate a new map of priority river habitat for England. • Rivers in England were selected as priority habitat based on naturalness criteria (physical, hydrological, chemical and biological), capturing the most natural remaining examples as far as can be ascertained from nationally available data. This means that many examples of river types included in the UK BAP definition (such as chalk rivers) are excluded from the priority habitat map as they have been significantly modified and degraded over the centuries. • In addition to explaining the development of the new priority habitat map, this paper provides advice on how the map might best be used, how to target and prioritise restoration activity on rivers that do not feature on the map, and how to identify and give recognition to any restoration works that contribute to wider priority river habitat objectives. • The priority habitat map (Figure 10 in the report) - This provides a focus for preventing deterioration of our most natural remaining rivers and undertaking any limited restoration of natural processes that may be desirable (as indicated in Figure 16). • Priority rivers for restoration - Figure 17 shows rivers that are of types relevant to the UK BAP definition (chalk rivers and active shingle rivers) but are not sufficiently natural to feature on the priority habitat map. These should be considered a priority for restoration of natural processes. Action on these rivers should be considered of equal importance to the protection and enhancement of rivers on the priority habitat map. • Given that this national analysis is relatively coarse (particularly in respect of headwater areas), there is considerable scope for local ground-truthing and refinement. Local knowledge and interpretation have an important role to play in the use of the outputs of this work. It is recommended that a process is established for refining the priority habitat map based on more detailed local knowledge of naturally functioning rivers. The national map should subsequently be updated (a timeframe of 6 months is recommended) to reflect any local refinements. Resources need to be made available for this process. • As part of local application, it should be recognised that the national analysis only provides a river-reach or water body perspective. Local interpretation is needed to place priorities in a whole-river and catchment management context

Síntese, caracterização e aplicação de nanopartículas de níquel em reações de hidrogenação de compostos carbonílicos a,B-insaturados e nitrocompostos

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Físicas e Matemáticas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Química, 2017.Diferentes catalisadores baseados em nanopartículas de níquel (Ni-NPs) foram sintetizados empregando dois diferentes métodos: O primeiro, consistiu na redução do complexo organometálico, acetilacetonato de níquel (Ni (acac)2), por amina, na presença do ligante trioctilfosfina (TOP). O segundo, consistiu na decomposição do complexo organometálico bis-(1,5-ciclooctadieno)níquel(0), (Ni (COD)2), em atmosfera de hidrogênio, na presença de diferentes agentes estabilizantes: polivinilpirrolidona (PVP), mistura de PVP e trifenilfosfina, ácido octanóico, ácido esteárico e hexadecilamina. Os catalisadores foram caracterizados por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (TEM), espectroscopia de emissão atômica por plasma indutivamente acoplado (ICP-AES), entre outras técnicas. A Ni-NP obtida da redução do complexo Ni(acac)2, Ni-TOP, foi avaliada cineticamente na reação de redução de diferentes nitrocompostos (NCs), na presença de NaBH4 em meio aquoso. As reações foram acompanhadas através de espectrofotometria de UV-vis. Para o p-nitrofenol, as constantes de Langmuir-Hinshelwood, de adsorção de substrato e de redutor foram comparáveis aos valores obtidos na literatura para metais nobres, como Ag e Pd. As Ni-NPs obtidas a partir da decomposição do Ni(COD)2, foram avaliadas em dois tipos de reação sob atmosfera de hidrogênio: redução de nitrobenzeno e hidrogenação de compostos ?,?-insaturados. Para a reação de redução do nitrobenzeno, foi observado que o aumento da temperatura favorece a formação de intermediários reacionais, reduzindo a seletividade ao produto anilina. O aumento da pressão, no entanto, aumenta o rendimento da reação, bem como a sua seletividade. Com relação à reação de hidrogenação de olefinas e compostos a,?-insaturados, foi observado boa reatividade para as olefinas e quimiosseletividade com relação aos compostos a,?-insaturados. Estas Ni-NPs apresentaram alta atividade catalítica quando comparados ao catalisador comercial Raney-Ni. Foi realizada uma investigação cinética completa da reação de hidrogenação seletiva da ligação C=C da trans-chalcona, com o melhor catalisador. Neste estudo, foi revelado que a etapa determinante da reação é a hidrogenação do substrato adsorvido na superfície da Ni-NP, com energia de ativação comparável a outros sistemas catalisadores da literatura. Além disto, o catalisador pôde ser reciclado por dez ciclos, sem perda significativa da atividade.Abstract : A series of different catalytic nickel nanoparticles (Ni-NPs) was prepared following two methods: one through the reduction of the acetylacetonate nickel complex (Ni(acac)2) by amine in the presence of trioctylphosphine. And another from the decomposition of bis-(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0), (Ni(COD)2) complex under dihydrogen atmosphere in the presence of different stabilizers (polyvinylpyrrolidone PVP, a mixture of PVP and triphenylphosphine, octanoic acid, hexadecylamine, and stearic acid). The catalysts were characterized by Transmission Eletron Microscopy (TEM), Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and others techniques. The catalytic activity of Ni-NP obtained by Ni(acac)2 reduction (Ni-TOP) was evaluated through kinetics studies on the reduction reaction of nitroaromatic compounds (NCs) by NaBH4 in aqueous media. The reactions could be easily monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy. For the substrate p-nitrophenol, the obtained Langmuir-Hinshelwood constants, substrate and reductant adsorption were equivalent to those obtained in the literature for noble metals, such as Ag-NP and Pd-NP. The Ni-NPs obtained by Ni(COD)2 decomposition were evaluated in two types of reaction under H2 atmosphere: reduction of nitrobenzene, and hydrogenation reaction of olefins and a,ß-unsaturated compounds. It was observed, in the nitrobenzene reduction reaction, that the temperature favors the formation of intermediates, reducing the selectivity to the aniline product. The increase in pressure, however, increases the conversion to aniline. Regarding the evaluation of Ni-NPs in the hydrogenation of olefins and a,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, these nanocatalysts exhibited high catalytic activity using olefin as substrates and chemoselectvity using a,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. These Ni-NPs also exhibited high catalytic activity when compared with commercial Raney-Ni. A full kinetic investigation on the trans-chalcone chemoselective reduction of the C=C bond, with the best catalyst, revealed that the rate-determining step is the hydrogenation of the adsorbed substrate on the NPs surface. Moreover, the best catalyst could be reused up to 10 times without significant loss of activity

Geografia Econômica e desenvolvimento: diferentes abordagens nos programas de cursos de graduação no Brasil

Na ciência geográfica, a Geografia Econômica é uma das disciplinas que mais se dedica ao debate sobre desenvolvimento. Este artigo tem o objetivo de apresentar e discutir diferentes abordagens de desenvolvimento nos programas da disciplina Geografia Econômica no Brasil, em cursos presenciais de graduação em Geografia oferecidos por instituições públicas. Nesta pesquisa, consultaram-se matrizes curriculares de cursos de graduação em Geografia e se analisaram programas de Geografia Econômica; com a informação obtida, se organizou um banco de dados que sofreu tratamento estatístico, gráfico e cartográfico. Os resultados permitiram identificar os principais autores, obras e as abordagens de desenvolvimento predominantes nos programas de Geografia Econômica – como desenvolvimento desigual, desenvolvimento regional e desenvolvimento sustentável.In the science of Geography, one of the most dedicated disciplines to the debate of development is Economic Geography. This paper aims to present and discuss different approaches to development found in syllabi of Economic Geography in Brazil, in presential graduation courses in Geography offered by public institutions. To perform this research, it was consulted curricular matrices from graduation courses in Geography and analysis of Economic Geography syllabi; we produced a database from the information, with statistical, graphic and cartographic treatment. The results allowed the identification of predominant authors, works and approaches of development in Economic Geography syllabi – such as uneven development, regional development and sustainable development.En ciencia geográfica, la Geografía Económica es una de las asignaturas más dedicadas al debate sobre el desarrollo. El propósito de este artículo es presentar y discutir diferentes enfoques de desarrollo contemplados en los programas de la disciplina Geografía Económica en Brasil, en cursos de grado en Geografía ofrecidos por instituciones públicas. Para realizar esta investigación, se consultaran matrices curriculares de cursos de grado en Geografía y se analizaron programas de Geografía Económica; elaboramos un banco de datos con la información obtenida y posterior tratamiento estadístico, gráfico y cartográfico. Los resultados permitieron identificar los principales autores, obras y los enfoques de desarrollo predominantes en los programas de Geografía Económica – como el desarrollo desigual, el desarrollo regional y el desarrollo sostenible

Comparative analysis on the efficiency of public expenditure in education in municipalities of southeast Pará

The general objective of this research is to verify if the allocation of public spending on public education is efficient in the municipalities of southeastern Pará, comparing with the performance indicators by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The research regards the allocation of public spending on education and the relationship of spending with the Basic Education Development Index (IDEB). Regarding the objectives this research is characterized as descriptive and exploratory, which used bibliographic and documentary research. Secondary data were collected with reference to the years 2009 and 2017. As a main result it is found that the municipalities are allocating the resources received to invest in elementary education, but further progress is needed to improve education, as the one that spends more is not always the one that allocates best its resources, as shown by school performance indicators