High diversity of frenulates (Polychaeta: Siboglinidae) in the Gulf of Cadiz mud volcanoes: A DNA taxonomy analysis

Frenulates are the most poorly known members of the family Siboglinidae (Polychaeta: Canalipalpata). These thread-like worms occur in reducing marine sediments worldwide, but they are often overlooked in benthic samples or too poorly preserved for adequate taxonomic evaluations. We report on a remarkable diversity of frenulates that were recently sampled from 13 mud volcanoes (350–3902 m deep) in the Gulf of Cadiz, off southern Iberia. Sampled with benthic coring devices, the bodies of these long tubiculous worms were often broken or incomplete, making them difficult to identify morphologically. Consequently, we employed DNA taxonomic methods to assess their diversity. Mitochondrial cytochrome-c-oxidase subunit 1 (COI) sequences distinguished 15 evolutionary lineages inhabiting the Gulf of Cadiz. Only four of the lineages could be assigned to currently recognized Atlantic species; the remaining 11 may be new to science. This remarkable diversity of frenulates in a small geographical region is unprecedented and is hypothesized to result from environmental heterogeneity associated with the bathymetric and geochemical settings of these mud volcanoes.     

Social segregation and academic achievement in state-run elementary schools in the municipality of Campinas, Brazil

Space not only reflects social inequality, it also reinforces the advantages or disadvantages associated with social class. However, the study of how neighbourhoods affect their residents has only recently entered the debate on urban poverty in Latin America. We use 2000 data from the Brazilian population census, school census, and the state of São Paulo’s educational evaluation system to analyze the relationship between school infrastructure, school academic achievement, and the neighbourhoods in which these schools are located. Our analyses indicate that state-run elementary schools located in areas of concentrated poverty have lower academic achievement in mathematics tests and Portuguese than mixed and affluent areas of the city, even though these schools are all administered by the same government body. We end with a discussion of the relationship between Brazilian education policy and its influence on spatial differences in São Paulo State.     

Estimating the redshift distribution of photometric galaxy samples – II. Applications and tests of a new method

In Lima et al. we presented a new method for estimating the redshift distribution,   N ( z )  , of a photometric galaxy sample, using photometric observables and weighted sampling from a spectroscopic subsample of the data. In this paper, we extend this method and explore various applications of it, using both simulations and real data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). In addition to estimating the redshift distribution for an entire sample, the weighting method enables accurate estimates of the redshift probability distribution,   p ( z )  , for each galaxy in a photometric sample. Use of   p ( z )  in cosmological analyses can substantially reduce biases associated with traditional photometric redshifts, in which a single redshift estimate is associated with each galaxy. The weighting procedure also naturally indicates which galaxies in the photometric sample are expected to have accurate redshift estimates, namely those that lie in regions of photometric-observable space that are well sampled by the spectroscopic subsample. In addition to providing a method that has some advantages over standard photo- z estimates, the weights method can also be used in conjunction with photo- z estimates e.g. by providing improved estimation of   N ( z )  via deconvolution of   N ( z _phot)  and improved estimates of photo- z scatter and bias. We present a publicly available   p ( z )  catalogue for ∼78 million SDSS DR7 galaxies.     

On mode conversion and wave reflection in magnetic Ap stars

We investigate the effect of a strong large-scale magnetic field on the reflection of high-frequency acoustic modes in rapidly oscillating Ap stars. To that end, we consider a toy model composed of an isothermal atmosphere matched on to a polytropic interior and determine the numerical solution to the set of ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations in a local plane-parallel approximation with constant gravity. Using the numerical solution in combination with approximate analytical solutions that are valid in the limits where the magnetic and acoustic components are decoupled, we calculate the relative fraction of energy flux that is carried away in each oscillation cycle by running acoustic waves in the atmosphere and running magnetic waves in the interior. For oscillation frequencies above the acoustic cut-off, we show that most energy losses associated with the presence of running waves occur in regions where the magnetic field is close to vertical. Moreover, by considering the depth dependence of the energy associated with the magnetic component of the wave in the atmosphere we show that a fraction of the wave energy is kept in the oscillation every cycle. For frequencies above the acoustic cut-off frequency, such energy is concentrated in regions where the magnetic field is significantly inclined in relation to the local vertical. Even though our calculations were aimed at studying oscillations with frequencies above the acoustic cut-off frequency, based on our results we discuss what results may be expected for oscillations of lower frequency.     

Modeling soil erosion using RUSLE and GIS in a watershed occupied by rural settlement in the Brazilian Cerrado

The installation of a rural settlement complex in the watershed stream Indaiá has promoted changes in land-use and vegetation cover dynamics; however, the effects of intensive agriculture and cattle farming in rural settlements on soil loss rates are not well known. Predictive models implemented in geographic information systems have proven to be effective tools for estimating erosive processes. The erosion predictive model Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is a useful tool for analyzing, establishing and managing soil erosion. RUSLE has been widely used to estimate annual averages of soil loss, by both interrill and rill erosion, worldwide. Therefore, the aim of this work was to estimate the soil loss in the watershed stream Indaiá, using the RUSLE model and geoprocessing techniques. To estimate soil loss, the following factors were spatialized: erosivity (R), erodibility (K), topography (LS), land-use and management (C) and conservation practices (P); the annual soil loss values were calculated using the RUSLE model equation. The estimated value of soil loss in the hydrographic basin ranged from 0 to 4082.16 Mg ha^?1 year^?1 and had an average value of 47.81 Mg ha^?1 year^?1. These results have demonstrated that 68.16 % of the study area showed little or no soil loss based on the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO 1980) classification. When comparing the average value of soil loss obtained using the RUSLE model with the Natural Potential for Erosion, a 16-fold reduction in soil was found, which highlighted the fact that vegetation cover (C factor) has a greater influence than other factors (R, K and LS) on soil loss prediction attenuation. These results lead to the conclusion that soil loss occurs by different methods in each settlement in the basin and that erosive processes modeled by geoprocessing have the potential to contribute to an orderly land management process.     

Female ornaments signal own and offspring quality in a sex‐role‐reversed fish with extreme male parental care

Although female ornaments have been described in many taxa, the full spectrum of information conveyed by such traits together with the potential male fitness benefits are far from fully understood. Here, we used a sex‐role‐reversed species, the black‐striped pipefish, Syngnathus abaster, where females are the ornamented sex and intensively compete for mates who present an extreme form of paternal care (male pregnancy). We investigated what information is conveyed by female traits and if males are using it during mate choice. We further assessed which traits would reflect offspring quality at birth. We found that although body length generally portrays information on female reproductive potential (gonadosomatic index and oocyte diameter), it does so indirectly. Different aspects of the female traits, such as stripe width and trunk broadness, were found to be better direct indicators. When size is kept constant, males prefer females with wider stripes. Moreover, stripe coloration was found to reflect offspring quality as darker‐striped females produced larger newborns. Our observations suggest that in a species with exclusive paternal care, independently from the male's direct investment in reproduction, female contribution decisively impacts male fitness. Thus, at least in sex‐role‐reversed species such as the black striped pipefish, female ornaments can be selected in an analogous way to those of males in species with conventional sex roles (i.e. by mate choice).     

CDM implementation in Brazil’s rural and isolated regions: the Amazonian case

There is a growing understanding that energy services play a crucial role in underpinning efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and in improving the lives of poor people. Brazil remains challenged in regard to a number of social issues, notably poverty reduction in isolated areas, where access to electricity is as poor as their population. In the Amazonian region, most people have no access to electricity, or else have only a precarious supply. Due to several economic and technical reasons, many cities have old, inefficient diesel generators. In such a scenario, CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) can be an instrument both to mitigate climate change and to promote sustainable development in these remote areas, thereby contributing to the achievement of the MDGs in Brazil. However, CDM implementation in Brazil is still restricted to a few types of projects (such as sugar cane bagasse cogeneration and landfill gas use), mostly proposed by big companies and hardly ever directed to the Amazon region. The main objectives of this article are to assess the potential of CDM as a possible tool to promote electricity access to the poor rural population in the Amazonian region, and to discuss the main reasons why it has not become a reality so far.     

Phytoplankton community in the tropical lake of Lagoa Santa (Brazil): Conditions favoring a persistent bloom of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii

This study presents data on seasonal changes of the phytoplanktonic community of a small tropical lake, Lagoa Santa, in the Brazilian cerrado. Temporal variation in the community structure was small and we observed a permanent dominance of the cyanobacteria Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. This dominance could be associated to the stability of several environmental conditions. Especially water temperature, always within the optimal growth range for C. raciborskii, and the constant mixed water column may have been important factors driving to the long term dominance of this species in the lake. Remarkable seasonal variation in rainfall, as well as the occasional and non-seasonal variation in nutrient concentrations, were important to explain changes in environmental and biological variables, but were not related to the dominance of C. raciborskii. Pearson's correlation and PCA could just in part explain the stable dominance of this cyanobacterium. Meteorological and chemical factors seem to have no clear control on the variability of the phytoplankton dynamics in Lagoa Santa. The weak relationship between C. raciborskii abundance and environmental variables points to additional intrinsic factors associated to this species that may be important in structuring the phytoplankton assemblage.     

Impact of sampling depth and plant species on local environmental conditions, microbiological parameters and bacterial composition in a mercury contaminated salt marsh

We compare the environmental characteristics and bacterial communities associated with two rushes, Juncus maritimus and Bolboschoenus maritimus, and adjacent unvegetated habitat in a salt marsh subjected to historical mercury pollution. Mercury content was higher in vegetated than unvegetated habitat and increased with sampling depth. There was also a significant relationship between mercury concentration and bacterial composition. Habitat (Juncus, Bolboschoenus or unvegetated), sample depth, and the interaction between both, however, explained most of the variation in composition (~70%). Variation in composition with depth was most prominent for the unvegetated habitat, followed by Juncus, but more constrained for Bolboschoenus habitat. This constraint may be indicative of a strong plant-microbe ecophysiological adaptation. Vegetated habitat contained distinct bacterial communities associated with higher potential activity of aminopeptidase, β-glucosidase and arylsulphatase and incorporation rates of (14)C-glucose and (14)C-acetate. Communities in unvegetated habitat were, in contrast, associated with both higher pH and proportion of sulphate reducing bacteria.     

Assessing drought in the drylands of northeast Brazil under regional warming exceeding 4 °C

Natural Hazards - Historically, during periods of extreme drought, food security in the drylands of the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil (NEB) is under severe risk due to agricultural collapse....