Projected climate oligotrophication of the Adriatic marine ecosystems

The Adriatic Sea hosts diverse marine ecosystems, characterized by rich biodiversity and unique ecological dynamics. Its intricate coastal habitats and open waters support a range of species and contribute to the region's ecological and economic significance. Unraveling the consequences of the ongoing climate changes on this delicate environment is essential to ensure the future safeguard of this basin. To tackle this problem, we developed a biogeochemical model for the entire basin, with a horizontal resolution of about 2 km and 120 vertical levels, forced by the projections of atmosphere, hydrology and ocean circulation between 1992 and 2050, under emission scenario RCP8.5. The changes projected between 2031–2050 and 1992–2011 were evaluated on ecoregions characterized by different trophic conditions, identified using a k-medoid classification technique. The results point toward a generalized oligotrophication of the basin, especially intense in the northern estuarine areas, driven by a substantial decrease in river discharge projected for the rivers of the Po Plain. This scenario of unproductive and declining resources, together with the ongoing warming, salinization, and acidification of marine waters, cast doubt on the long-term resilience of the Northern Adriatic food web structure, which has evolved to thrive in high trophic conditions. The outcome of this study provides the stakeholders with a tool to understand how potential long-term decreases in the regimes of the Northern Adriatic Rivers could affect the marine ecosystem and its goods and services in the future

Fingerprint image enhancement using fully convolutional deep autoencoders / Destaque de imagens de impressão digital utilizando autoencoders profundos totalmente convolucionais

Image quality for fingerprint samples is critical for the matching process. Novel methods introduce deep learning matching techniques based on convolutions neural networks to enhance degraded fingerprint images. However, due to the nature of the enhanced image problem, these methods tend to rely on processing small image patches to achieve their goal. Such an approach may often yield satisfactory results while having high computational costs due to overlapping in patches. In this paper, we propose a fast and accurate fully convolutional neural network based on an auto-encoder architecture to enhance the quality of fingerprint images. We do not use the patch processing method and instead train a model to enhance the image as a whole. After exhaustive testing, we achieve a model that can quickly perform the desired task, while achieving an average of 97.956% and 83.748% per pixel accuracy on the easiest and hardest dataset respectively. The models were trained on the publicly available Fingerprint Verification Competition datasets. We then highlight the most general model that can best enhance the quality of all datasets

EVOLUÇÕES DA REGULARIZAÇÃO FUNDIÁRIA EM TERRAS DA UNIÃO SOB ADMINISTRAÇÃO DO EXÉRCITO BRASILEIRO

O presente trabalho tem por escopo apresentar o efetivo uso compartilhado e harmônico das terras da União a partir do sucesso na governança fundiária em terras jurisdicionadas ao Comando do Exército. Para tanto, será apresentado um panorama sobre a importância das terras vocacionas aos interesses da defesa nacional, a legislação correlata, particularmente ao Exército, bem como algumas evoluções alcançadas após a resolução de invasão em área militar conhecida como o “caso Puraquequara”, no Estado do Amazonas. Por fim, a conclusão tratará da harmonia entre os interesses da defesa nacional e os interesses sociais, sem prejuízo de sua destinação principal

Melhorias realizadas através da utilização de ferramentas da qualidade / Improvements made using quality tools

Esta pesquisa trata-se de um estudo realizado no processo de gestão documental da empresa Múltipla, empresa do ramo de terceirização de mão de obra nas áreas de limpeza e conservação predial prestando serviço principalmente aos órgãos federais dos estados de Sergipe e Bahia. Em conversa com o supervisor da empresa foi verificada a existência de problemas na gestão documental da empresa principalmente após a necessidade de obtenção de arquivos de um determinado colaborador e estes não terem sido encontrados. Através de observações e entrevistas com os colaboradores da Múltipla foi percebido que não havia um local adequado para armazenamento dos arquivos, ausência de procedimento orientando o correto arquivamento dos documentos e entre outros. Este estudo de caso foi desenvolvido com o objetivo principal de propor estratégias visando a padronização e a organização do acervo documental da empresa Múltipla. A fundamentação teórica apresenta conceitos relacionados a gestão de arquivos empresariais. Através de entrevistas com os colaboradores foram desenvolvidas estratégias que possam minimizar os problemas com localização e conservação dos arquivos da empresa

Enhancement of biogas production rate from bioplastics by alkaline pretreatment

Producción CientíficaThe effect of alkali-based pretreatment on the methanization of bioplastics was investigated. The tested bioplastics included PHB [poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)], PHBH [poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)], PHBV [poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate], PLA (polylactic acid), and a PLA/PCL [poly(caprolactone)] 80/20 blend. Prior to methanization tests, the powdered polymers (500–1000 μm) at a concentration of 50 g/L were subjected to alkaline pretreatment using NaOH 1 M for PLA and PLA/PCL, and NaOH 2 M for PHB-based materials. Following 7 days of pretreatment, the amount of solubilized carbon for PLA and its blend accounted for 92–98% of the total initial carbon, while lower carbon recoveries were recorded for most PHB-based materials (80–93%), as revealed by dissolved total organic carbon analysis. The pretreated bioplastics were then tested for biogas production by means of mesophilic biochemical methane potential tests. Compared to unpretreated PHBs, methanization rates of pretreated PHBs were accelerated by a factor of 2.7 to 9.1 with comparable (430 NmL CH4/g material feed) or slightly lower (15% in the case of PHBH) methane yields, despite featuring a 1.4–2.3 times longer lag phases. Both materials, PLA and the PLA/PCL blend, were only extensively digested when pretreated, yielding about 360–380 NmL CH4 per gram of material fed. Unpretreated PLA-based materials showed nearly zero methanization under the timeframe and experimental conditions tested. Overall, the results suggested that alkaline pretreatment can help to enhance the methanization kinetics of bioplastics.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - AEI and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR (RYC2021‐034559‐I)Junta de Castilla y León - EU-FEDER (CLU 2017-09, CL-EI-2021-07 y UIC 315

Hydro-meteorological risk assessment methods and management by nature-based solutions

Hydro-meteorological risk (HMR) management involves a range of methods, such as monitoring of uncertain climate, planning and prevention by technical countermeasures, risk assessment, preparedness for risk by early-warnings, spreading knowledge and awareness, response and recovery. To execute HMR management by risk assessment, many models and tools, ranging from conceptual to sophisticated/numerical methods are currently in use. However, there is still a gap in systematically classifying and documenting them in the field of disaster risk management. This paper discusses various methods used for HMR assessment and its management via potential nature-based solutions (NBS), which are actually lessons learnt from nature. We focused on three hydro-meteorological hazards (HMHs), floods, droughts and heatwaves, and their management by relevant NBS. Different methodologies related to the chosen HMHs are considered with respect to exposure, vulnerability and adaptation interaction of the elements at risk. Two widely used methods for flood risk assessment are fuzzy logic (e.g. fuzzy analytic hierarchy process) and probabilistic methodology (e.g. univariate and multivariate probability distributions). Different kinds of indices have been described in the literature to define drought risk, depending upon the type of drought and the purpose of evaluation. For heatwave risk estimation, mapping of the vulnerable property and population-based on geographical information system is a widely used methodology in addition to a number of computational, mathematical and statistical methods, such as principal component analysis, extreme value theorem, functional data analysis, the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process and meta-analysis. NBS (blue, green and hybrid infrastructures) are promoted for HMR management. For example, marshes and wetlands in place of dams for flood and drought risk reduction, and green infrastructure for urban cooling and combating heatwaves, are potential NBS. More research is needed into risk assessment and management through NBS, to enhance its wider significance for sustainable living, building adaptations and resilience

Reprodução de Meloidogyne incognita raça 1 e produtividade de cultivares de ervilha sob diferentes lâminas de água

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of six water depths on the reproduction factor and gall index of Meloidogyne incognita race 1 as well as yield of eight pea cultivars in Cerrado conditions of the Federal District, Brazil. Treatments were replicated four times in a completely randomized block design and combined eight pea cultivars (Triofin, Mikado, Marina, Viçosa, Maria, Luiza, Amélia and Kodama) besides six water depths, 479, 395, 311, 239, 177 and 156 mm. There was no interaction between cultivars and water depths for the nematode reproduction factor and gall index, but there was for yield. The means for reproductive factor and gall index per cultivar in the six water depths did not differ, showing that the cultivars presented the same degree of susceptibility. However, the general means of the eight cultivars for each water depth showed that the reproductive factor reduced by 60% in water depths of 156 and 177 mm, indicating that the nematode did not tolerate water deficit. Cultivar yield did not differ, considering water depths of 239 to 395 mm, but it reduced to 12, 30 and 40%, respectively, considering water depths of 479, 177 and 156 mm. Pea cultivars reached the best yield under water depths of 239 to 395 mm.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de seis lâminas de água no fator de reprodução (FR) e no índice de galhas (IG) de Meloidogyne incognita raça 1 e na produtividade de oito cultivares de ervilha em condições de Cerrado, no Distrito Federal. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso com parcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos constaram da combinação de oito cultivares (Triofin, Mikado, Marina, Viçosa, Maria, Luiza, Amélia e Kodama) e seis lâminas de água (156, 177, 239, 311, 395 e 479 mm). Não houve interação entre cultivares e lâminas de água para fator de repodução e índice de galhas do nematóide, mas houve para produtividade de grãos. As médias de FR e IG por cultivar nas seis lâminas não diferiram entre si, mostrando que as cultivares apresentaram o mesmo grau de suscetibilidade ao nematóide. As médias das oito cultivares por lâmina de água mostraram redução do fator de reprodução em 60% sob lâminas de 156 e 177 mm, indicando que o nematóide não tolerou a condição de déficit hídrico do solo. As produtividades não diferiram nas lâminas de 239 a 395 mm, mas foram reduzidas em 12, 30 e 40%, respectivamente, sob lâminas de 479, 177 e 156 mm. As cultivares de ervilha alcançaram melhores produtividades sob lâminas de água entre 239 e 395 mm