Spectrofluorometric analysis of amino acid mixtures: Implications for future space missions

Efficient detection of organic molecules is fundamental for the success of future life detection missions. Spectrofluorometric analysis is one of the many techniques that may be used to detect organic molecules in extraterrestrial settings. A particularly important class of organic molecules to target is the amino acids on which all terrestrial life depends. This study aims to identify the optimum fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths for 17 amino acid standards to examine the effects of amino acid concentrations, mixtures and fluorescence quenching. The results and interpretations can guide the design and operation of life detection protocols on future space missions.     

Capability of LISEM to estimate flood hydrographs in a watershed with predominance of long-duration rainfall events

Natural Hazards - Process-based hydrological models are of great importance to understand hydrological processes and support decision making. The LImburg Soil Erosion Model (LISEM) requires...     

Soil quality indicator of oxisols grown with sugarcane and native forest in northeastern São Paulo state,Brazil

The evaluation of soil quality is an important tool for degradation monitoring and sustainable management implementation. The objective of this study was to measure physical and chemical soil properties to set soil quality and validate a model of soil quality indicator in latosols (oxisols) under sugarcane cropping and native forest. The study was carried out in the cities of Araras, Santa Ernestina, and Guariba in São Paulo State, Brazil. We collected 24 samples of disturbed and undisturbed soil at 0.0–0.10 m layer from three areas grown with sugarcane and neighboring locations under native woodland. We assessed the following soil properties: (a) chemical—pH in CaCl₂, organic matter (OM), phosphorus (P), potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), potential acidity (H?+?Al), aluminum (Al³⁺), and sulfur (S); (b) physical—macro- and microporosity, soil bulk density (Ds), aggregate stability, mean weight diameter (MWD), rill (K_r) and interrill (K_i) global erodibility, shear stress (τc), and magnetic susceptibility (MS). Data underwent multivariate statistics to identify the properties that denote soil quality and to set their weights within the functions of soil quality indicator (SQI). This study showed that the multivariate analysis was efficient in determining which physical and chemical properties were most sensitive, of which we can mention total sand, MS, clay, microporosity, Mg, Ca, pH, and OM. We can therefore conclude that the quality indicators of soils grown with sugarcane were lower than those under forest were, showing the need for adoption of conservation management practices.     

Social vulnerability assessment to seismic risk using multicriteria analysis: the case study of Vila Franca do Campo (S?o Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal)

The increase in the frequency and magnitude of disasters triggered by earthquakes in different regions of the Earth is a major challenge to contemporary societies. The awareness that disasters and risk are processes structured on spatial?Ctemporal interactions maintained at the social-ecological system between the natural hazards and the vulnerabilities of socioeconomic, political and physical nature becomes utterly important in the increase of social systems?? resilience. Thus, the assessment of social vulnerability plays a decisive role in understanding the factors that distinguishes individuals, households and communities, in terms of their ability to anticipate, cope with, resist to and recover from the impact of disasters triggered by natural hazards. This article presents a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach model to assess the social vulnerability to seismic risk using multicriteria analysis (MCA) techniques, in a group decision-making process. The methodology applied to the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo (S?o Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal) identified moderate social vulnerability values at the neighbourhood level and higher social vulnerability values for the built environment and demographic characteristics of the social groups. The social vulnerability patterns make a clear distinction between the older/historical urban cores and the new urban areas. In the first case, the presence of ancient buildings constructed with materials of low resistance to earthquakes coupled with a higher population density and the traits of demographic and socioeconomic frailties of the social groups, results in higher vulnerability values. This pattern is common in the historic centre of S. Miguel district, Ribeira das Taínhas, northern areas of água de Alto and western and eastern neighbourhoods of Ponta Gar?a. The new urban areas, mainly found in S. Pedro, central areas of água de Alto, S. Miguel and Ponta Gar?a districts, have lower values of social vulnerability due to changes in the built, demographic and socioeconomic environments. Results recommend the integration of social vulnerability indexes into seismic risk mitigation policies and emergency management planning.     

Effects of coastal orientation and depth on the distribution of subtidal benthic assemblages

A better understanding of biological systems can only be gained if we understand what processes are important and how they operate to determine the distribution of organisms. Coastal orientation and depth can influence environmental conditions, including the degree of water motion and availability of light, which in turn may influence the horizontal and vertical patterns of organism distribution. Here, we used a mixed‐model design to examine the effects of coastal orientation and depth on the structure of benthic assemblages by comparing the abundance and distribution of macroalgae and invertebrates in shallow and deep waters on the opposing coasts of São Miguel. Generally, coastal orientation had little influence on the distribution of most taxa. In contrast, significant differences were generally associated with depth, although patterns were spatially variable at the scale of locations. This study suggests that depth, and processes operating at the scale of location, but not at the scale of the coast, have an important influence on these assemblages, and that failure to recognise such a scale of variability may hamper our ability to better understand the processes that structure these communities.     

Significant variations in the productivity of green macroalgae in a mesotidal estuary: implications to the nutrient loading of the system and the adjacent coastal area

A spatially dynamic model for the productivity of spores and adults of green macroalgae (Enteromorpha sp.) was developed for a mesotidal estuary (Mondego estuary, Portugal). Many of the algal processes and parameters included in the model were experimentally obtained. Model predictions were compared to a real time series (1993-1997) of macroalgal biomass variation and the two sets show a good agreement (ANOVA, P<0.001). Results suggest that algal growth is highly sensitive to small changes in depth and exhibits different patterns of variation in different seasons. On a yearly basis, global calculations for the south channel of the estuary (137 ha) suggest that during bloom years, macroalgal biomass may reach about 21,205 ton DW compared to 240 ton DW in regular years. On a seasonal basis, the difference may be even more significant. The consequences of such variations on the nitrogen and phosphorus loading of the system and the adjacent coastal area are discussed.     

Layered intrusions and volcanic sequences in Central Brazil: Geological and geochronological constraints for Mesoproterozoic (1.25 Ga) and Neoproterozoic (0.79 Ga) igneous associations

A 350-km long belt of layered complexes and associated volcano-sedimentary sequences forms a continental-scale feature exposed along the internal portion of the Neoproterozoic Brasília Belt in central Brazil. This study provides new geochronological results and a critical review of the available data of these igneous associations of central Brazil. Precise age dating combined with geological and petrological studies indicate that this belt consists of two distinct igneous rock associations. The 1.25 and 0.79 Ga igneous episodes are constrained by reliable U–Pb zircon ages (SHRIMP and ID-TIMS) obtained in different regions and lithotypes of this belt. Both igneous associations were affected by high-grade metamorphism and tectonism at ca. 0.76 Ga, which partially disrupted the original igneous stratigraphy of the layered complexes and volcano-sedimentary sequences. The present configuration of this belt results from later events, probably caused by final ocean closure and continental collision between the São Francisco and Amazonian continents at ca. 0.63 Ga.