A dispersive wave pattern on Jupiter's fastest retrograde jet at 20∘20^\circS

A compact wave pattern has been identified on Jupiter's fastest retrograding jet at 20S (the SEBs) on the southern edge of the South Equatorial Belt. The wave has been identified in both reflected sunlight from amateur observations between 2010 and 2015, thermal infrared imaging from the Very Large Telescope and near infrared imaging from the Infrared Telescope Facility. The wave pattern is present when the SEB is relatively quiescent and lacking large-scale disturbances, and is particularly notable when the belt has undergone a fade (whitening). It is generally not present when the SEB exhibits its usual large-scale convective activity ('rifts'). Tracking of the wave pattern and associated white ovals on its southern edge over several epochs have permitted a measure of the dispersion relationship, showing a strong correlation between the phase speed (-43.2 to -21.2 m/s) and the longitudinal wavelength, which varied from 4.4-10.0 deg. longitude over the course of the observations. Infrared imaging sensing low pressures in the upper troposphere suggest that the wave is confined to near the cloud tops. The wave is moving westward at a phase speed slower (i.e., less negative) than the peak retrograde wind speed (-62 m/s), and is therefore moving east with respect to the SEBs jet peak. Unlike the retrograde NEBn jet near 17N, which is a location of strong vertical wind shear that sometimes hosts Rossby wave activity, the SEBs jet remains retrograde throughout the upper troposphere, suggesting the SEBs pattern cannot be interpreted as a classical Rossby wave. Cassini-derived windspeeds and temperatures reveal that the vorticity gradient is dominated by the baroclinic term and becomes negative (changes sign) in a region near the cloud-top level (400-700 mbar) associated with the SEBs, suggesting a baroclinic origin for this meandering wave pattern. [Abr]Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, article accepted for publication in Icaru

Análise multiespectral de medidas de complexidade utilizando o software CompPlexus aplicado a dados do sensor ASTER.

Neste trabalho, será avaliado a eficiência do software CompPlexus na análise multiespectral de complexidade de alvos distintos utilizando bandas do sensor ASTER ? Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer

Bacterial community analysis on the Mediaeval stained glass window "Natività" in the Florence Cathedral

Microbial corrosion of glass causes problems on delicates antique glass samples. Until now, the effect of microbial activity on corrosion phenomena has not been well documented. Only a few studies have been published concerning the microflora growing on glass surfaces. The present study deals with the characterization of cultivable aerobic bacteria isolated from the historical glass window "Natività" in the Florence Cathedral, designed by Paolo Uccello and realized by Angelo Lippi between 1443 and 1444. Microbial strains were sampled from four of the 25 panels of the "Natività" in the occasion of a recent conservation treatment, due to the presence of various kinds of crusts. One hundred microorganisms were isolated, about 50% bacteria and 50% fungi. Bacteria were submitted to morphological characterization and classified in the Gram group. For twenty strains, from different glass panels, the 16S rDNA gene was amplified and sequenced. Sequence analysis showed genus Bacillus, Arthrobacter and Paenibacillus as the most representative. In particular Bacillus and Paenibacillus are crusts associated. Phylogenetic relationship among isolates was determined. Chemical analysis of the glass and crusts completed the study

Comparação entre os índices espectrais EVI e EVI 2 para discriminação de pastagens plantadas e naturais.

A identificação e discriminação de espécies vegetais semelhantes, tais como pastagens plantadas (PP) e pastagens naturais (PN), constitui um desafio em decorrência da semelhança espectral entre essas classes. Assumindo-se uma premissa de que bandas espectrais na faixa do visível têm elevada correlação, os índices de vegetação (IVs) vêm contribuindo para a discriminação de classes. Portanto, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o comportamento do índice EVI 2 (índice de vegetação realçado, do inglês Enhanced Vegetation Index) na discriminação de alvos de PN e PP para dois períodos sazonais, comparando-o ao EVI. Para o desenvolvimento do trabalho, foram utilizadas 14 imagens do satélite TM/Landsat 5 em uma série temporal de sete anos, entre 2004 e 2010. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, pode-se concluir que, em geral, o EVI 2 mantém a correlação com dados do EVI, caracterizando sutilmente melhor a influência da sazonalidade nos dados

Avaliação de procedimento para correção de efeitos da atmosfera em ambiente tropical utilizando dados Landsat TM 5.

Os constituintes da atmosfera interferem nos valores de reflectância captados pelos sensores imageadores. Essa interferência decorre da interação dos gases e aerossóis com a radiação eletromagnética. Assim, comparamos respostas espectrais de alvos em imagem Landsat com e sem correção atmosférica, visando atestar a importância da correção. Para tanto, utilizamos dados de reflectância no sensor, influenciados pela atmosfera, e dados de reflectância na superfície, nos quais essa influência foi eliminada. A reflectância apresentou maiores valores no sensor que na superfície, principalmente nas bandas do visível (0,45 a 0,69 μm), devido aos efeitos de espalhamento. Portanto, a correção se mostra de grande importância, pois os dados corrigidos são mais fidedignos

Assessment of complexity metrics applied to analysis of spectral patterns generated by aster sensor.

Landscape metrics are traditionally used in the analysis and search for spatial patterns in complex environmental systems through of establishing numeric relationships between different types of targets on Earth's surface. Under this perspective, remote sensing has had great importance as a tool for data generation, providing several levels of land use and occupancy information isonomically for large areas. For that purpose, remote sensing uses regular pixel matrices (Picture Element) with associated quantitative values (e.g. digital numbers, radiance, reflectance) which constitute a direct measurement of the variation of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) after interaction with the target. The variations in pixel values may be considered in terms of their textural patterns, regarding pixel neighborhood relationships, or spectral patterns, when EMR variations are considered along different wavelengths for a same pixel. Thus, the objective of this work was to assess the results of spectral measurements to different area extensions in images taken by the ASTER sensor, which operates with 9 bands within the visible to shortwave infrared region (0.556 to 2.400 µm) and has a spatial resolution of 15 m. For this purpose, cerrado phytophysiognomies in two hillsides at Jataí Ecological Station, in the city of Luiz Antônio, northeast portion of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, were considered reference targets, and encompassed to its greatest extent the cerradão domain and also "campo sujo" and "cerrado strictu sensu" physiognomies. The metrics used for spectral analyses are based on information entropy: measure (SDL), in which most complexity values are associated to more disorderly patterns; and measure, LMC, which is represent by a convex entropy of function that attributes greater complexity values to patterns located in an intermediate zone between order and disorder. These measures was applied to values extracted from spectral response curve generated by a wavelength X reflectance graphic which represented the target's behavior in different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this work, was used two bands (8 and 9) that emphasize important components of cerrado phytophysiognomies, as lignin and water cell. For each hillside, was analysed three positions: base, medium and top, and each of these position, two spatial scales (150x150m and 75x75m). The results shows that, when taken alone, any measure presented a consistent behavior when compared of different spatial scales and bands used. However, both measures show identical behavior to attribute greater and lesser values of complexity to different positions and spatial scale at the same hillside. This results appoint that its can be used in combined as complementary measures, demonstrating in case LMC measure ? heterogeneity degrees of spectral patterns analysed and, from SDL measure, your respective location along of continuum that have in your extremes, one side, more ordered condition (therefore, more homogeneous) and, in the other extremity, more disordered conditions

Feedback cooling of the normal modes of a massive electromechanical system to submillikelvin temperature

We apply a feedback cooling technique to simultaneously cool the three electromechanical normal modes of the ton-scale resonant-bar gravitational wave detector AURIGA. The measuring system is based on a dc Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) amplifier, and the feedback cooling is applied electronically to the input circuit of the SQUID. Starting from a bath temperature of 4.2 K, we achieve a minimum temperature of 0.17 mK for the coolest normal mode. The same technique, implemented in a dedicated experiment at subkelvin bath temperature and with a quantum limited SQUID, could allow to approach the quantum ground state of a kilogram-scale mechanical resonator.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Air quality during uncontrolled fires: a multi-years case of study

Exposure to high level of pollutant as a consequence of uncontrolled fire is a issue that must be managed in the right way in order to protect environment and ensure a safe habitat for humans, flora and fauna, because is well know that emissions occurred during those events could serious contaminate air soil and water, and some pollutant could be hazardous for the human health (Lemieux, 2002). During uncontrolled fires a lot of contaminants may be emitted, but in high concern for the human health are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and PAHs (Coudon et al., 2019, Zhang et al., 2008). Moreover uncontrolled burning could release polychlorinated biphenyls dioxin-like (PCB dl), that are generated as by-product during industrial combustions. Those pollutants are all of high concern for human health because they have well-known carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, e.g. is well known that PAHs is the main carcinogenic constituent of ambient aerosol (Zhang et al., 2008, Fent et al., 2018; Ravindra et al., 2008). Moreover, PCDD/PCDF, frequently referred as dioxin, are recognized as toxic chemical pollutant, with endocrine proprieties and toxic dioxin congener is classified as group1 carcinogen by the international agency for research in cancer (IARC). The aim of this study is evaluate how uncontrolled fires can affect air quality by characterizing persistent organic pollutant emitted from some events occurred from 2015 to 2018 in Veneto region (northern Italy). This area is one of the most polluted and urbanized areas in Europe (Larsen et al., 2012)and uncontrolled fire can further enhance this severe situation, leading air pollution to critical level. During those accidental events the Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), in order to monitoring the effect of fires, and ensure public health, collected some air samples using Hi-vol samplers equipped with quartz fiber filter (QFF) for collecting “particulate” phase compounds and a polyurethane foam plug (PUF) for retaining “gas-phase” compounds. Subsequently, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF), polychlorinated biphenyls dioxin-like (PCB dl) and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were analysed using a High Resolution Gas Chromatography (HRGC), coupled with High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS). As expected results show large increase of PCDD/PCDF, PCB dl and PAHs during and immediately after incidental fires, with differences in pollutant composition. It’s noticeable how, in a few time (hours to days) pollutant concentration presented a clear and strong drop, leading air quality to better conditions. This drop is probably due to meteorological factors, that will be investigated

Landscape complexity analysis based on texture patterns and satellite image for a São Paulo's Cerrado site.

We analysed the spatial heterogeneity complexity of Cerrado vegetation of São Paulo. Spatial heterogeneity was obtained by quantity texture patterns on ASTER images for Jataí Ecological Station (JES; Luiz Antônio ‐ SP) conservation unit. Two hillsides of JES where cerradão physiognomy was present were analyzed, and for each of them we sampled three positions: base, medium and top. Vertical structure and canopy cover density varied along hillsides. For each site, we extracted the texture pattern for two spatial scales (150x150m and 75x75m). Spatial complexity were estimated by two landscape metrics, both based on informational entropy: a) maximum entropy (H/Hmax), in which high values of complexity are assigned to patterns more disordered; and b) convex function of entropy (LMC), which attribute high values of complexity to patterns situated in intermediate range between order and disorder. Comparing different sites of the same hillside, both metrics had identical results in relation to greatest and smallest values of complexity. In hillside 1, the top side showed greater values. In these area, the cerradão shows high trees with less density of canopy in comparison to others sites of this hillside, which provides more spatial heterogeneity. For the smaller values of complexity, there was difference in comparison of analyzed extensions in hillside 1: for 150 x 150m spatial scale, was attributed medium hillside site to smaller values of complexity; for 75 x 75m, the base had the smallest values. However, the value of complexity of medium and low hillsides for the same spatial extension were very close. In hillside 2, on the base of site, which shows a cerradão with shorter trees and lesser canopy cover density in relation to others sites of hillside, texture patterns had highest values of complexity for both entropy measures. The most homogeneity site, located in medium position of hillside and with presence of high trees and canopy density, smallest values were recorded. Based on our findings we can concluded that there is a tendency of sites situated in the top and in the base of hillside showed great values of complexity, while sites located in medium hillside tend to be less complex in terms of spatial heterogeneity. Also, for local scale, the canopy density is more relevant than tree vertical structure on determining the complexity of texture patterns of vegetation