Conceitos de química dos ingressantes nos cursos de graduação do Instituto de Química da Universidade de São Paulo

A diagnostic instrument was developed to evaluate the basic chemistry concepts held by freshmen students of the three Chemistry undergraduate courses offered by the University of São Paulo. The instrument minimizes the use of algorithms or memorization by students and values high-order cognitive skills. Analysis of the students' performances reveals systematic use of "displacement reaction" as an algorithm and a mechanical use of Le Chatelier's Principle. Failure in comprehending the chemical equation and chemical language drives students to alternative models for chemical reactions in aqueous solution. For instance, reaction would occur between "ionic pairs" and/or between species situated in separate compartments

A Cascade Of Models To Guide Reservoir Operations: Application On The Deadwood River System, Idaho, USA

Adaptive management strategies are increasingly being used by resource managers to optimize complex water delivery systems at the scale of entire watersheds. A variety of models have been proposed to evaluate systems in a piecemeal approach that often times operate at different spatial and temporal scales and prove difficult to integrate with associated field data. In the Deadwood River system of Central Idaho, a series of cascading models was utilized to examine potential impacts of reservoir operations on endangered resident bull trout. Results from integrating limnologic, temperature, nutrient, hyporheic, and hydraulic models show that reservoir operations must remain dynamic depending upon the hydrologic conditions (wet vs. dry) present during any given year. Assimilating models that operate at various levels within a watershed will become increasingly important as climate change affects the regional hydrology and water resources operations must adjust to meet current and future demands

Arctic Ocean evidence for late Quaternary initiation of northern Eurasian ice sheets

A high-resolution multiparameter stratigraphy allows the identification of late Quaternary glacial and interglacial cycles in a central Arctic Ocean sediment core. Distinct sandy layers in the upper part of the otherwise fine-grained sediment core from the Lomonosov Ridge (lat 87.5°N) correlate to four major glacials since ca. 0.7 Ma. The composition of these ice-rafted terrigenous sediments points to a glaciated northern Siberia as the main source. In contrast, lithic carbonates derived from North America are also present in older sediments and indicate a northern North American glaciation since at least 2.8 Ma. We conclude that large-scale northern Siberian glaciation began much later than other Northern Hemisphere ice sheets

Arctic Ocean evidence for late Quaternary initiation of northern Eurasian ice sheets

A high-resolution multiparameter stratigraphy allows the identification of late Quaternary glacial and interglacial cycles in a central Arctic Ocean sediment core. Distinct sandy layers in the upper part of the otherwise fine-grained sediment core from the Lomonosov Ridge (lat 87.5°N) correlate to four major glacials since ca. 0.7 Ma. The composition of these ice-rafted terrigenous sediments points to a glaciated northern Siberia as the main source. In contrast, lithic carbonates derived from North America are also present in older sediments and indicate a northern North American glaciation since at least 2.8 Ma. We conclude that large-scale northern Siberian glaciation began much later than other Northern Hemisphere ice sheets

Study of the reaction dynamics of Li+HF, HCl by the crossed molecular beams method

The reactions of (I) Li + HF {yields} LiF + H and (II) Li + HCl {yields} LiCl + H have been studied by the crossed molecular beams method. Angular distributions [N({theta})] of product molecules have been measured at 4 collision energies (E{sub c}) ranging from about 2 to 9 kcal/mole and time-of-flight (TOF) measurements of product velocity distribution were made at approximately E{sub c} = 3 and 9 kcal/mole for both reactions (I) and (II). The combined N({theta}) and TOF results were used to generate contour maps of lithium-halide product flux in angle and recoil velocity in the center-of-mass (c.m.) frame. For reaction (I) at E{sub c} = 3 kcal/mole the c.m. angular distribution [T({theta})] shows evidence of complex formation with near forward-backward symmetry; slightly favored backward peaking is observed. The shape of this T({theta}) indicates there is significant parallel or antiparallel spatial orientation of initial and final orbital angular momentum {rvec L} and {rvec L}', even though with H departing L' must be rather small and {rvec L} = {rvec J}', where {rvec J}' is the final rotational angular momentum vector. It is deduced that coplanar reaction geometries are strongly favored. At E{sub c} = 8.7 kcal/mole the T({theta}) of reaction (I) becomes strongly forward peaked. The product translational energy distributions P(E{sub T}') at both these collision energies give an average E{sub T}' of ~55% of the total available energy; this appears consistent with a theoretically calculated late exit barrier to reaction. The T({theta}) at E{sub c} = 2.9 and 9.2 kcal/mole for reaction (II) are forward-sideways peaked. Most of the available energy (~70%) goes into recoil velocity at both E{sub c} for LiCl formation. This suggests a late energy release for this 11 kcal/mole exoergic reaction. Both reactions (I) and (II) show evidence of no more than a minor partitioning of energy into product vibrational excitation. Integral reactive cross sections ({sigma}{sub R}) are evaluated by integrating the product distributions in the c.m. frame and using small angle nonreactive scattering of Li as an absolute calibrant. Values of {sigma}{sub R} are: for LiF formation {sigma}{sub R} ~ 0.8 {Angstrom}{sup 2} and 0.94 {Angstrom}{sup 2} at E{sub c} = 3 and 8.7 kcal/mole, while for LiCl formation {sigma}{sub R} = 27 {Angstrom}{sup 2} and 42 {Angstrom}{sup 2} at E{sub c} = 2.9 and 9.2 kcal/mole, with estimated absolute and relative uncertainties of a factor of 2, and 30%, respectively. Average opacities for reaction have been estimated from the reaction cross sections and the extent of rotational excitation of products to be about 0.1 for reaction (I) and 1 for reaction (II), for L values allowed to react. These results are discussed in some detail with regard to the kinematic constraints, reaction dynamics and potential energy surfaces for these two reactions, and related experimental and theoretical work are noted. In addition, angular distributions of nonreactive scattering of Li off HF and HCl are measured at 4 different E{sub c} each. Rainbow structure is observed at low E{sub c} and the angular distributions are fit by a spherically symmetric piecewise analytic potential. The resulting values of the potential's well depth ({epsilon}) and minimum position (r{sub m} ) are: for Li + HF {epsilon} = 0.46 kcal/mole and r{sub m} = 4.34 {Angstrom} and for Li + HCl {epsilon} = 0.32 kcal/mole and r{sub m} = 4.7 {Angstrom}. These results differ significantly from some earlier estimates based on the measurements of integral scattering cross sections

Electric Vehicles in Imperfect Electricity Markets: A German Case Study

We analyze the impacts of a hypothetical fleet of plug-in electric vehicles on the imperfectly competitive German electricity market with a game-theoretic model. Electric vehicles bring both additional demand and additional storage capacity to the market. We determine their effects on prices, welfare, and electricity generation for various cases with different players being in charge of vehicle operations. We find that vehicle loading increases generator profits, but decreases consumer surplus. If excess vehicle batteries can be used for storage, welfare results are reversed: generating firms suffer from the price-smoothing effect of additional storage, whereas consumers benefit despite increasing overall demand. Results however depend on the player being in charge of storage operations, and on battery degradation costs. Strategic players tend to underutilize the storage capacity of the vehicle fleet, which may have negative welfare implications. In contrast, we find a small market power mitigating effect of electric vehicle recharging on oligopolistic generators. Overall, electric vehicles are unlikely to be a relevant source of market power in Germany

ICDP workshop on the Lake Tanganyika Scientific Drilling Project: a late Miocene–present record of climate, rifting, and ecosystem evolution from the world's oldest tropical lake

The Neogene and Quaternary are characterized by enormous changes in global climate and environments, including global cooling and the establishment of northern high-latitude glaciers. These changes reshaped global ecosystems, including the emergence of tropical dry forests and savannahs that are found in Africa today, which in turn may have influenced the evolution of humans and their ancestors. However, despite decades of research we lack long, continuous, well-resolved records of tropical climate, ecosystem changes, and surface processes necessary to understand their interactions and influences on evolutionary processes. Lake Tanganyika, Africa, contains the most continuous, long continental climate record from the mid-Miocene (∼10 Ma) to the present anywhere in the tropics and has long been recognized as a top-priority site for scientific drilling. The lake is surrounded by the Miombo woodlands, part of the largest dry tropical biome on Earth. Lake Tanganyika also harbors incredibly diverse endemic biota and an entirely unexplored deep microbial biosphere, and it provides textbook examples of rift segmentation, fault behavior, and associated surface processes. To evaluate the interdisciplinary scientific opportunities that an ICDP drilling program at Lake Tanganyika could offer, more than 70 scientists representing 12 countries and a variety of scientific disciplines met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in June 2019. The team developed key research objectives in basin evolution, source-to-sink sedimentology, organismal evolution, geomicrobiology, paleoclimatology, paleolimnology, terrestrial paleoecology, paleoanthropology, and geochronology to be addressed through scientific drilling on Lake Tanganyika. They also identified drilling targets and strategies, logistical challenges, and education and capacity building programs to be carried out through the project. Participants concluded that a drilling program at Lake Tanganyika would produce the first continuous Miocene–present record from the tropics, transforming our understanding of global environmental change, the environmental context of human origins in Africa, and providing a detailed window into the dynamics, tempo and mode of biological diversification and adaptive radiations.© Author(s) 2020. This open access article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

Study of the Reaction Dynamics of Li + HF, HCl by the Crossed Molecular Beams Method

The reactions of (I) Li + HF {yields} LiF + H and (II) Li + HCl {yields} LiCl + H have been studied by the crossed molecular beams method. Angular distributions [N({theta})] of product molecules have been measured at 4 collision energies (E{sub c}) ranging from about 2 to 9 kcal/mole and time-of-flight (TOF) measurements of product velocity distribution were made at approximately E{sub c} = 3 and 9 kcal/mole for both reactions (I) and (II). The combined N({theta}) and TOF results were used to generate contour maps of lithium-halide product flux in angle and recoil velocity in the center-of-mass (c.m.) frame. For reaction (I) at E{sub c} = 3 kcal/mole the c.m. angular distribution [T({theta})] shows evidence of complex formation with near forward-backward symmetry; slightly favored backward peaking is observed. The shape of this T({theta}) indicates there is significant parallel or antiparallel spatial orientation of initial and final orbital angular momentum {rvec L} and {rvec L}', even though with H departing L' must be rather small and {rvec L} = {rvec J}', where {rvec J}' is the final rotational angular momentum vector. It is deduced that coplanar reaction geometries are strongly favored. At E{sub c} = 8.7 kcal/mole the T({theta}) of reaction (I) becomes strongly forward peaked. The product translational energy distributions P(E{sub T}') at both these collision energies give an average E{sub T}' of ~55% of the total available energy; this appears consistent with a theoretically calculated late exit barrier to reaction. The T({theta}) at E{sub c} = 2.9 and 9.2 kcal/mole for reaction (II) are forward-sideways peaked. Most of the available energy (~70%) goes into recoil velocity at both E{sub c} for LiCl formation. This suggests a late energy release for this 11 kcal/mole exoergic reaction. Both reactions (I) and (II) show evidence of no more than a minor partitioning of energy into product vibrational excitation. Integral reactive cross sections ({sigma}{sub R}) are evaluated by integrating the product distributions in the c.m. frame and using small angle nonreactive scattering of Li as an absolute calibrant. Values of {sigma}{sub R} are: for LiF formation {sigma}{sub R} ~ 0.8 {Angstrom}{sup 2} and 0.94 {Angstrom}{sup 2} at E{sub c} = 3 and 8.7 kcal/mole, while for LiCl formation {sigma}{sub R} = 27 {Angstrom}{sup 2} and 42 {Angstrom}{sup 2} at E{sub c} = 2.9 and 9.2 kcal/mole, with estimated absolute and relative uncertainties of a factor of 2, and 30%, respectively. Average opacities for reaction have been estimated from the reaction cross sections and the extent of rotational excitation of products to be about 0.1 for reaction (I) and 1 for reaction (II), for L values allowed to react. These results are discussed in some detail with regard to the kinematic constraints, reaction dynamics and potential energy surfaces for these two reactions, and related experimental and theoretical work are noted. In addition, angular distributions of nonreactive scattering of Li off HF and HCl are measured at 4 different E{sub c} each. Rainbow structure is observed at low E{sub c} and the angular distributions are fit by a spherically symmetric piecewise analytic potential. The resulting values of the potential's well depth ({epsilon}) and minimum position (r{sub m} ) are: for Li + HF {epsilon} = 0.46 kcal/mole and r{sub m} = 4.34 {Angstrom} and for Li + HCl {epsilon} = 0.32 kcal/mole and r{sub m} = 4.7 {Angstrom}. These results differ significantly from some earlier estimates based on the measurements of integral scattering cross sections