Reproductive traits of Euterpina acutifrons in a coastal area of Southeastern Brazil

We investigated the reproductive biology of the planktonic harpacticoid copepod Euterpina acutifrons, including morphometric data, egg production rates (EPR) and viability, and weight‐specific egg production. Experiments were carried out during 1 year in an inner‐shelf area off Ubatuba (SE Brazil), a site seasonally influenced by bottom intrusions of the relatively cold and nutrient‐rich South Atlantic Central Water (SACW). We hypothesized that E. acutifrons attain higher reproductive rates when SACW penetrates in this region. Live females were incubated individually in cell culture plates during two periods of 24 h each, under controlled temperature and light conditions. Euterpina acutifrons carried on average 16.9 ± 6.9 eggs·sac^?1, ranging between 10.8 ± 5.7 and 30.8 ± 7.4 eggs·sac^?1. Estimated EPRs ranged from 6.3 ± 3.4 to 13.6 ± 4.2 eggs·female^?1·day^?1, with mean weight‐specific egg production rates of 0.06 ± 0.04 and 0.17 ± 0.08 per day. Euterpina acutifrons was not directly influenced by SACW intrusions, but body length and clutch size were positively related to temperature and chlorophyll content. Egg hatching time was clearly dependent on water temperature, as a 2 °C increase resulted in a decrease of 15 h in egg hatching time. This shows that even a small variation in temperature may considerably affect E. acutifrons population dynamics. Reproductive traits of this pelagic harpacticoid seem, therefore, to be controlled by the trade‐offs between increased food supply and the metabolic demands at low temperatures associated with SACW bottom intrusions toward this coastal area.     

Symplectite formation during decompression induced garnet breakdown in lower crustal mafic granulite xenoliths: mechanisms and rates

The complex microstructure of kelyphitic rims around garnet in lower crustal garnet granulite xenoliths from the Bakony–Balaton Highland Volcanic Field, Central Pannonian Basin has been studied in order to identify controls on garnet breakdown. Symplectites comprised of a vermicular intergrowth of submicron sized anorthite, orthopyroxene and spinel replace garnet at a sharp reaction front. Based on element distribution maps the transformation of garnet to symplectite is isochemical. Phase diagram calculations indicate that this reaction was induced by a pressure decrease and/or a temperature increase. In site-specific TEM foils prepared by focused ion beam technique and oriented parallel and perpendicular to the reaction front 200 nm wide rods of anorthite and 20 nm wide rods of spinel are identified. The rods are oriented approximately perpendicular to the replacement front and are embedded in an orthopyroxene matrix. The regular spacing of the symplectite phases along the reaction front suggests that their growth is controlled by diffusion. The kinetics of symplectite formation has been modelled based on irreversible thermodynamics. During interaction of the xenolith with the host basalt the microstructure and chemistry of the An–Opx–Spl symplectite was significantly modified and it was partially replaced by an olivine bearing symplectite. In contrast to primary symplectite formation, these processes were metasomatic in nature including addition of sodium, titanium and some trace elements from the basaltic melt and can clearly be discerned from the garnet breakdown. Based on these observations it is inferred that symplectite formation took place within the deep crust during the extension of the Pannonian Basin between 15 and 30 km depth at high temperature (850–1,050°C) prior to the volcanic transport to the surface.     

Comparative Analysis of Stability—Genetic Diversity in Seagrass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Posidonia oceanica</Emphasis>) Meadows Yields Unexpected Results

The diversity–stability relationship is the subject of a long-standing debate in ecology, but the genetic component of diversity has seldom been explored. In this study, we analyzed the interplay between genetic diversity and demographic responses to environmental pressures. This analysis included 30 meadows formed by the Mediterranean endemic seagrass, Posidonia oceanica, showing a wide range of population dynamics ranging from a near equilibrium state to steep decline due to strong environmental pressures close to aquaculture installations. Our results show that sedimentation rates are much better predictors of mortality than clonal or genetic components. An unexpected positive trend was observed between genotypic diversity and mortality, along with a negative relationship between allelic richness and net population growth. Yet such trends disappeared when excluding the most extreme cases of disturbance and mortality, suggesting the occurrence of a threshold below which no relationship exists. These results contrast with the positive relationship between genotypic diversity and resistance or resilience observed in previous manipulative experiments on seagrass. We discuss the reasons for this discrepancy, including the difficulties in designing experiments reflecting the complexity of natural meadows.     

Analyzing the genesis, intensity, and tracks of western Mediterranean cyclones

Midlatitude cyclones are analyzed on a selected region covering most of southern Europe and the western part of the Mediterranean Sea (35–50°N, 10°W–25°E). On the basis of mean sea level pressure fields of the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast) Reanalysis Dataset (ERA-40), detailed evaluation of Mediterranean cyclones is accomplished for the period between 1957 and 2002 on a 1° horizontal resolution grid. Cyclone centers are identified and their paths are tracked with a 6-h time step (using 00 UTC, 06 UTC, 12 UTC, and 18 UTC). Decadal, annual, and seasonal statistical analysis of cyclone tracks includes the study of the genesis, frequency, and activity of the Mediterranean cyclones as well as the variability of cyclone tracks. The results suggest that the cyclone frequency in the western Mediterranean region increased in summer and autumn, and decreased in winter and spring. A special belt-shaped area is identified, which plays a special role in cyclogenesis, and also, the cyclone tracks often remain within this belt. An overall decreasing trend is detected in winter and spring in the entire Mediterranean belt, while cyclone frequency increased in autumn. The largest positive and negative trend coefficients are identified in summer.     

Kinetic of biogenic sulfide production for microbial consortia isolated from soils with different bioaccessible concentrations of lead

Different technologies have been implemented for the treatment of acid mine drainage. Among these are technologies such as geochemical barriers and sulfidogenic reactors, which use biogenic sulfide (produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria) for metallic stabilization. Because both processes involve microorganisms, it is important to have a clear understanding of the factors that influence their activity in different toxic environments. Given that microbial communities isolated from polluted sites could have a higher tolerance to toxic ions, two consortia with sulfate-reducing activity were isolated from different soils impacted by mining activities. These soils had different total (401 and 19,300 mg Pb kg^?1), mobile (54 and 1,415 mg Pb kg^?1) and bioaccessible (316 and 3,175 mg Pb kg^?1) concentrations of lead. The kinetics of biogenic sulfide production (BSP) for both consortia were monitored in a batch reactor after they were exposed to different initial lead concentrations. These lead concentrations were established based on the results of lead mobility tests. The estimated BSP rates and biomass concentrations of both consortia showed different responses to the presence of lead. Results highlighted that lead sulfide precipitation on microbial cell is a tolerance mechanism identified and this one is triggered for the lead bioaccessible concentrations threshold in soil. These results could be useful for the designing of processes based on sulfate reducing activity for the removal or stabilization of metal present in water or soil, respectively.     

Effect of the activation temperature over activated carbon production from castor cake and its evaluation as dye adsorbent

In this work, castor cake produced as a by-product in castor oil extraction was used for activated carbon production. Castor cake was chemically treated with a K₂CO₃ solution, and the effect of the pyrolysis temperature in the 500–900 °C range was studied. Materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption at ?196 °C. Methylene blue adsorption was selected as a test probe to stress the removal capacity of the prepared materials. By the X-ray powder diffraction analysis, carbon obtaining in its graphite allotropic form together with other inorganic compounds was verified. Scanning electron microscopy images evidenced the generation of porosity in the thermally treated samples compared with the pristine compound. In addition, the specific surface area values augmented progressively with the thermal treatment increment achieving a value of 1015 m² g^?1 in the 900 °C calcined sample. Calcination at 800 °C and m/V = 0.003 ratio were the best parameter combination to achieve a 99.6% methylene blue uptake.     

Electron-microprobe dating of monazites from Western Carpathian basement granitoids: plutonic evidence for an important Permian rifting event subsequent to Variscan crustal anatexis

Accessory monazites from 35 granitoid samples from the Western Carpathian basement have been analysed with the electron microprobe in an attempt to broadly constrain their formation ages, on the basis of their Th, U and Pb contents. The sample set includes representative granite types from the Tatric, Veporic and Gemeric tectonic units. In most cases Lower Carboniferous (Variscan) ages have been obtained. However, a much younger mid-Permian age has been recorded for the specialised S-type granites of the Gemeric Unit, and several small A- and S-type granite bodies in the Veporic Unit and the southern Tatric Unit. This distinct Permian plutonic activity in the southern part of the Western Carpathians is an important, although previously little considered geological feature. It appears to be not related to the Variscan orogeny and is interpreted here to reflect the onset of the Alpine orogenic cycle, with magma generation in response to continental rifting. The voluminous Carboniferous granitoid bodies in the Tatric and Veporic units comprise S- and I-type variants which document crustal anatexis accompanying the collapse of a compressional Variscan orogen sector. The Variscan magmas were most likely produced through the remelting of a subducted Precambrian volcanic arc-type crust which included both igneous and sedimentary reworked volcanic-arc material. Although the 2C errors of the applied dating method are quite large and typically ᆞ-20 Ma for single samples, it would appear from the data that the Variscan S-type granitoids (333-367 Ma) are systematically older than the Variscan I-type granitoids (308-345 Ma). This feature is interpreted in terms of a prograde temperature evolution in the deeper parts of the post-collisional Variscan crust. In accordance with recently published zircon ages, this study shows that the Western Carpathian basement must be viewed as a distinct "eastern" tectonomagmatic province in the Variscan collision zone, where the post-collisional crustal melting processes occurred ~20 Ma earlier than in the central sector (South Bohemian Batholith, Hohe Tauern Batholith).     

San Quirce (Palencia,Spain): new chronologies for the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic transition of south-west Europe

San Quirce is an open-air archaeological site situated on a fluvial terrace in the Duero basin (Palencia, northern Iberia). This paper presents new and consistent chronologies obtained for the sedimentary sequence using post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIR-IR) dating of K-feldspars and single-grain thermally transferred optically stimulated luminescence (TT-OSL) dating of quartz. The new dating results indicate that the sequence is older than ~200 000 years and place San Quirce Level III within marine isotope stages (MIS) 8 and 7, between 274 ± 13 ka and 238 ± 13 ka. The main lithic assemblage at San Quirce comes from Level III. The predominant tool types found in this level are hammerstones, manuports and flakes, with a small proportion of cores and a significant presence of denticulates. Adaptation to local environmental conditions resulted in distinctive cultural habits, which were embedded in the cultural tradition of hominins occupying the site during the final third of the Middle Pleistocene. San Quirce preserves a simple cultural tradition that was employed by local hominins to engage in a diverse array of activities, and highlights the cultural diversity that appears to have been a characteristic feature of the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic transition 300–200 ka.