Remote sensing techniques in the analysis of change detection in the Algarve coast, Portugal

The process of occupation in the Algarve area is millenary. The last decades have shown that economic activities in the region have caused significant changes in the use and occupation of the land. The main objective of this study was to correlate carbon sequestration and the evolution of land use and occupation, in the coastal zone of Algarve, Portugal, through the application of vegetation indices such as NDVI, PRI, CO2flux, compared with MODIS GPP and COPERNICUS Corine Land Cover, between the years 1990 and 2020. The results were expressed through digital cartography for better data visualization. The NDVI results demonstrate that the vigor and biomass produced by the coastal vegetation tended to increase. There was a decrease in areas without vegetation and areas with sparse vegetation, which were replaced mainly by the vegetation of moderate density and, secondly, by the vegetation of high density. The joint analysis of the indexes corroborates such results, PRI and CO2flux, which, related in a linear regression with the MODIS GPP, indicated that the study region has a great capacity to store carbon, mainly on the West Coast, where the highest density was observed of biomass and a consequent higher level of GPP. The results also indicated an abandonment of rural areas, which were taken over by vegetation and urban sprawl, as well as a growth of around 69% in areas destined for leisure areas, such as golf courses. The results also showed that the environmental preservation areas in the region, the RAMSAR and REDE NATURA 2000 Sites, did not suffer from changes in the use and occupation of their areas.É milenar o processo de ocupação na zona do Algarve. As últimas décadas mostraram que as atividades económicas da região têm provocado significativas alterações no uso e ocupação do Solo. O principal objetivo deste estudo foi correlacionar o sequestro de carbono e a evolução do uso e ocupação do solo, na zona costeira do Algarve, Portugal, através da aplicação de índices de vegetação como NDVI, PRI, CO2flux, comparados com os produtos MODIS GPP e COPERNICUS Corine Land Cover, entre os anos de 1990 e 2020. Os resultados foram expressos através cartografia digital para melhor visualização dos dados. Os resultados do NDVI demonstram que o vigor e biomassa produzidos pela vegetação litorânea tendeu a crescer. Houve uma diminuição das áreas sem vegetação e das áreas de vegetação esparsa, que foram substituídas, principalmente, por uma vegetação de densidade moderada e, em segundo lugar, por uma vegetação de alta densidade. Tais resultados são corroborados pela análise conjunta dos índices , PRI e CO2flux, que, relacionado numa regressão linear com os MODIS GPP, indicou que região de estudo tem uma grande capacidade de estocar de carbono, principalmente na Costa Oeste, onde foi observado a maior densidade de biomassa e consequente maior nível de GPP. Os resultados também indicaram que houve um abandono das áreas rurais, que foram tomadas pela vegetação e pela expansão urbana. Assim como um crescimento de cerca de 69% das áreas destinadas às zonas de lazer, como os campos de Golfe. Os resultados ainda mostraram que as áreas de preservação ambiental da região, os Sítios RAMSAR E REDE NATURA 2000, não sofreram com as alterações do uso e ocupação de suas áreas

Teacher-Child Interaction and Cognitive Development in Rio de Janeiro Preschools

Previous research has found that the quality of teacher-child interactions is considered one of the primary mechanisms to foster children’s language, mathematics, socioemotional, and self-regulation development. The study describes the quality of teacher-child interactions measured with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in 59 preschool classrooms in Rio de Janeiro public schools. It estimates the impact of classroom interactions on children’s cognitive development. The data is a subsample of a longitudinal study that tracked children over two years in preschool and presents a probabilistic single-stage cluster sample (school as the primary sampling unit) from the Rio de Janeiro municipal public system with 2716 children assessed. Confirmatory factor analysis provides evidence to support three specific domains of teacher-child interactions in Brazil. Multilevel models estimated the relationship between teacher-child interactions and cognitive development with cross-sectional and value-added models. Results suggest that instructional support positively correlates with language and mathematics development, even after controlling for baseline measures. Implications for educational policy are discussed.Previous research has found that the quality of teacher-child interactions is considered one of the primary mechanisms to foster children’s language, mathematics, socioemotional, and self-regulation development. The study describes the quality of teacher-child interactions measured with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in 59 preschool classrooms in Rio de Janeiro public schools. It estimates the impact of classroom interactions on children’s cognitive development. The data is a subsample of a longitudinal study that tracked children over two years in preschool and presents a probabilistic single-stage cluster sample (school as the primary sampling unit) from the Rio de Janeiro municipal public system with 2716 children assessed. Confirmatory factor analysis provides evidence to support three specific domains of teacher-child interactions in Brazil. Multilevel models estimated the relationship between teacher-child interactions and cognitive development with cross-sectional and value-added models. Results suggest that instructional support positively correlates with language and mathematics development, even after controlling for baseline measures. Implications for educational policy are discussed

Characterization of secondary deposits of columbite-tantalite minerals found in the city of Rorainópolis (RR), Brazil

Many of the studies about mineral deposits are bringing great information to the scientific community, providing, for example, general characteristics of these deposits, possible source areas and its used in some cases as prospective tools to help in geological mapping. In this way, this study aimed to characterize the alluvial secondary deposits of columbite-tantalite that were found near vicinal 12, about 50km north/northeast of Rorainópolis city, between the BR-174 and BR-210 roads, in the state of Roraima (Brazil), bases on 4 samples that were brought by a resident of the region. To fulfill these objectives, some chemical and mineralogical methods were performed, like: magnetic separation, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and petrographic description. The deposits of the region end up being characterized by having a large amount of Fe and Ti (mostly), containing in some places also a large concentration of Niobium and Tantalum. Not all samples have columbite-tantalite, showing that their concentration in some areas of the deposit is quite low. There are samples with less than 1% Nb and Ta and also samples with more than 20% Nb and 6% Ta concentration. These minerals were poorly transported, being identified by the degree of roundness and granulometry of the samples. A weathering cap on some minerals could also be verified. This research work turned out to be relevant, as it provides new data that add to the knowledge of the mineral potential, which has not been fully explored yet