Earth as a Hybrid Planet - The Anthropocene in an Evolutionary Astrobiological Context

We develop a classification scheme for the evolutionary state of planets based on the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of their coupled systems, including the presence of a biosphere and the possibility of what we call an agency-dominated biosphere (i.e. an energy-intensive technological species). The premise is that Earths entry into the Anthropocene represents what might be from an astrobiological perspective a predictable planetary transition. We explore this problem from the perspective of the solar system and exoplanet studies. Our classification discriminates planets by the forms of free energy generation driven from stellar forcing. We then explore how timescales for global evolutionary processes on Earth might be synchronized with ecological transformations driven by increases in energy harvesting and its consequences (which might have reached a turning point with global urbanization). Finally, we describe quantitatively the classification scheme based on the maintenance of chemical disequilibrium in the past and current Earth systems and on other worlds in the solar system. In this perspective, the beginning of the Anthropocene can be seen as the onset of the hybridization of the planet - a transitional stage from one class of planetary systems interaction to another. For Earth, this stage occurs as the effects of human civilization yield not just new evolutionary pressures, but new selected directions for novel planetary ecosystem functions and their capacity to generate disequilibrium and enhance planetary dissipation.Comment: Accepted for publication in the journal Anthropocen

O USO DO SOFTWARE SPRING NO TRATAMENTO DE FOTO DIGITAL E ORTOFOTO DIGITAL PARA ATUALIZAÇÃO CARTOGRÁFICA VETORIAL

Este trabalho tem por objetivo a realização de testes comparativos entre um arquivo vetorial desatualizado e diferentes produtos fotogramétricos, utilizandose o software SPRING, na versão 2.0. Os testes comparativos foram executados sobrepondo-se um arquivo vetorial desatualizado, representado por uma restituição de 1991, na escala 1:2.000, com 2 (dois) produtos fotogramétricos a saber: uma fotografia rasterizada na escala 1:8.500, e duas ortofotos na escala l:2.000. Os dois produtos foram obtidos a partir de um vôo fotogramétrico realizado em 1995. Utilizou-se como padrão de exatidão planimétrico nas avaliações, as especificações contidas na Legislação de Cartografia e Aerolevantamento de 1986. The use of SPRINGSoftware in treating Digital Photo and Digital Ortophoto for Updating Vectorial Cartographic data Abstract This paper aims at establishing comparative tests - among old-fashioned vectorial data and different photogrammetric products, by using the SPRING-2.0 software. These comparative tests were held by overlaying on old-fashioned by a restituion in 1991, scale 1:2.000 with two photogrammetric products namely: a scannerized photo at 1:8.500 scale and two ortophotos at scale 1:2.000. The two products were obtaineed from a photogrammetric flight which occured in 1995. A pattern of planimmetric precision was used as a pattern in evaluation, with specification, contained in the Cartography Legislation and Airsurveying (1986). Finally the obtained results as well as the comparative analysis ways so as to present the vector data along with several products are presented

O uso do software "spring" no tratamento de foto digital e ortofoto digital para atualização cartografica vetorial

Orientador: Quintino DalmolinDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ParanáResumo: Este trabalho tem por objetivo a realizacao de testes comparativos entre um arquivo vetorial desatualizado e diferentes produtos fotogrametricos, utilizando-se o software SPRING, na versao 2.0. Os testes comparativos foram executados sobrepondose um arquivo vetorial desatualizado, representado por uma restituicao de 1991, na escala 1:2.000, com 2(dois) produtos fotogrametricos a saber: uma fotografia rasterizada na escala 1:8.500, e duas ortofotos na escala 1:2.000. Os dois produtos foram obtidos a partir de um voo fotogrametrico realizado em 1995. Utilizou-se como padrao de exatidao planimetrico nas avaliacoes, as especificacoes contidas na Legislacao de Cartografia e Aerolevantamento de 1986.Abstract: This paper aims at stablishing comparative tests - among old-fashioned vectorial data and diferent photogrammetric products, by using the SPR1NG-2.0 software. These comparative tests were held by overlaying on old-fashioned by a restituion in 1991, scale 1:2.000, with two photogrammetric products namely: a scannerized photo at 1:8.500 scale and two ortophotos at scale 1:2.000. The two products were obtained from a photogrammetric flight which occured in 1995. A pattern of plnimmetric precision was used as a pattern in evaluation, with specification, contained in the Cartography Legislation and Airsurveying (1986). Finally the, obtained results as well as the comparative analysis aways the vector data along with several products are presented

Minimization of hazardous waste in Western Europe : policy implementation and harmonization

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1992.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 261-275).by Marina Alberti.Ph.D

Identification des discriminations institutionnelles à l'encontre des personnes vivant avec le VIH en Suisse

Formes de discriminations institutionnelle en raison du statut [I. Santé] Restrictions d'accès aux soins: refus ou différences de traitement en raison du statut VIH. Tests nominaux de routine sans consentement, non-confidentialité des données médicales. Contrôle sanitaire, mise en quarantaine, internement obligatoire, ségrégation dans les hôpitaux. Notification obligatoire du statut sérologique au partenaire ou à la famille. Tests sans consentement, refus d'annonce du résultat au patient. Licenciement de professionnels dans le domaine de la santé; etc. [II. Emploi] Test obligatoire à l'embauche ou en cours d'emploi. Questions sur le statut VIH ou le style de vie. Non-respect de la confidentialité. Licenciement ou changement dans les conditions de travail (non-promotion...) liés au statut VIH; etc [III. Justice / Procédure légale] Criminalisation d'un comportement (prostitution, homosexualité...). Inégalités devant la loi. Obstacles au recours légal en cas de discrimination VIH. Différence de jugement due au stat de porteur VIH réel/présumé. [IV. Administration: prisons] Test obligatoire à l'entrée, pendant l'internement, à la sortie de prison. Conditions spéciales de détention. Restrictions dans l'accès aux soins. Service militaire ou civil, police: test obligatoire, licenciement, etc. Non respect de la confidentialité, restrictions au niveau des assurances. Entrée/séjour : test obligatoire, déclaration du statut, certification de séronégativité comme condition d'entrée, de séjour ou de liberté de circulation. Expulsion due au statut VIH sans procédures appropriées. [V. Aide sociale] Refus ou restriction d'accès aux allocations. [VI. Logement public] Test obligatoire, déclaration de statut, certificat séronégativité comme condition pour l'obtention de logement ou droit de rester. [VII. Education] Refus d'accès à l'éducation ou restrictions imposées à cause du statut VIH. Refus d'emploi dans l'enseignement ou résilitation du contrat d'enseignant (>VIH). [VIII. Vie de famille] Test prénuptial et test prénatal obligatoires. Avortement ou stérilisation obligatoire des femmes VIH positives. Retrait ou modification des conditions d'exercer l'autorité parentale, soutien, droits de succession dû au statut VIH. [IX. Assurance] Restrictions d'accès ou de prestations de sécurité sociale sur la base du statut VIH (p. ex. assurances maladie, prestations complémentaires, AVS/AI, CNA). Restrictions pour conclure d'autres assurances (vie, etc)

Novel DFO-functionalized mesoporous silica for iron sensing. Part 2. Experimental detection of free iron concentration (pFe) in urine samples.

Successful in vivo chelation treatment of iron(III) overload pathologies requires that a significant fraction of the administered drug actually chelates the toxic metal. Increased mobilization of the iron(III) in experiments on animals or humans, most often evaluated from urinary output, is usually used as an assessment tool for chelation therapy. Alternatively, the efficiency of a drug is estimated by calculating the complexing ability of a chelating agent towards Fe(III). The latter is calculated by the pFe value, defined as the negative logarithm of the concentration of the free metal ion in a solution containing 10 μM total ligand and 1 μM total metal at a physiological pH of 7.4. In theory, pFe has to be calculated taking into account all the complexation equilibria involving the metal and the possible ligands. Nevertheless, complexation reactions in complex systems such as serum and urine may hardly be accurately modelled by computer software. The experimental determination of the bioavailable fraction of iron(III) in biological fluids would therefore be of the utmost relevance in the clinical practice. The efficiency of the therapy could be more easily estimated as well as the course of overload pathologies. In this context, the aim of the present work was the development of a sensor to assess the free iron directly in biological fluids (urine) of patients under treatment with chelating agents. In the proposed device (DFO-MS), the strong iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) is immobilized on the MCM-41 mesoporous silica. The characterization of the iron(III) sorption on DFO-MS was undertaken, firstly in 0.1 M KNO3, then directly in urine samples, in order to identify the sorption mechanism. The stoichiometry of the reaction in the solid phase was found to be: with an exchange constant (average value) of log βex = 40(1). The application of DFO-MS to assess pFe in SPU (Simulating Pathology Urine) samples was also considered. The results obtained were very promising for a future validation and subsequent application of the sensor in samples of patients undergoing chelation therapy

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Poem by Márcia Marina SiqueiraPoema de Márcia Marina Siqueir

DETERMINAÇÃO DA ÁREA CULTIVADA COM CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR NA MICRORREGIÃO DE CERES (GO) ATRAVÉS DE IMAGENS LANDSAT TM

Devido à importância da cana-de-açúcar para o crescimento econômico do Brasil as regiões que hoje despontam como maiores produtoras dessa cultura necessitam de informações precisas sobre a produção e o local onde ela está inserida, para auxiliar no planejamento e a tomada de decisão de toda cadeia produtiva. Com base nisso, o presente trabalho utilizou imagens do sensor TM do satélite Landsat 5 nos anos de 2005 e 2011 para determinar a área cultivada com cana-de-açúcar na Microrregião de Ceres (GO), bem como imagens SRTM para estabelecer as faixas de declividades do terreno sob as quais predominam as terras cultivadas.  Como resultado a microrregião foi classificadas em seis classes de uso do solo, entre elas a cana-de-açúcar, e sete faixas de declividade, onde foi constatado um aumento de 87% na área plantada de 2005 para 2011, bem como 88% dessa área em 2011 predominantemente na faixa de declividade variando de 0-10%.  As Imagens do sensor TM do satélite Landsat 5 se apresentam eficientes na identificação e delimitação dos canaviais

Triggering A Climate Change Dominated "Anthropocene": Is It Common Among Exocivilizations?

We seek to model the coupled evolution of a planet and a civilization through the era when energy harvesting by the civilization drives the planet into new and adverse climate states. In this way we ask if triggering "anthropocenes" of the kind humanity is experiencing now might be a generic feature of planet-civilization evolution. In this study we focus on the effects of energy harvesting via combustion and vary the planet's initial atmospheric chemistry and orbital radius. In our model, energy harvesting increases the civilization's population growth rate while also, eventually, leading to a degradation of the planetary climate state (relative to the civilization's habitability.) We also assume the existence of a Complex Life Habitable Zone in which very high levels of $CO_2$ are detrimental to multi-cellular animal life such as those creating technological civilizations. Our models show that the civilization's growth is truncated by planetary feedback (a "climate dominated anthropocene") for a significant region of the initial parameter space.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figure