Search

Abstract The increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices necessitates innovative solutions for soil fertilization. This study aimed to assess the viability of using limestone mining co-products from the Irati and Corumbataí Formations as multi-nutrient sources for Glycine max cultivation. The experiment utilized a double factorial design (7 × 2) with five replications, randomly arranged and placed in pots within a greenhouse. The factors examined were the type of co-product (sedimentary rocks from the Irati Formation: rhythmite and bituminous shale; and the Corumbataí Formation: clayey siltstone) and the soil type (Haplic Arenosol and Rhodic Ferralsol). Soil ion content was assessed at 21 and 140 days after treatment application. Each pot housed four G. max plants, with leaf harvest occurring after 42 days of growth. Macronutrient content, leaf production, and soil ion availability were determined thereafter. Overall, co-product application led to increased soil pH and availability of essential ions, including K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, P, S-SO4 2−, and Si. At 140 days, rhythmite was notably effective in increasing pH, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in Haplic Arenosol, with respective increases of 22%, 224%, and 696%. Bituminous shale, on the other hand, significantly increased S-SO4 2− content by 67% and 426% in Rhodic Ferralsol and Haplic Arenosol, respectively. Moreover, the application of co-products resulted in enhanced accumulation of K, Ca, Mg, and S in G. max plants, alongside increased leaf production. In conclusion, the utilization of mining co-products positively influenced soil and plant chemical attributes, particularly enhancing leaf production in G. max. These findings highlight the potential of co-products as environmentally friendly solutions for soil fertilization, supporting sustainable agricultural practices. This research highlights a significant step towards sustainable agriculture by recycling mining waste into valuable soil amendments, which can improve crop yields and reduce the environmental impact of both mining and agricultural activities. Graphical Abstract

Some of the problems attributed to traditional laboratory analyses that limit the correct assessment of the nutrient contents in the soil are time requirements and high cost of the soil nutrient determinations. To solve these problems, a study was carried out to evaluate the use of visible, near-infrared, and short-wave infrared (Vis-NIR-SWIR) spectroscopy in the prediction of soil available ions submitted to the application of rock powders. The study was carried out on an Arenosol in Paranavaí City/Brazil. Treatments (rock powders) were arranged within a split-plot system designed in randomized blocks with four repetitions. Sugarcane was cultivated for 14 months after the application of rock powders. Later, 96 soil samples were collected for measuring the pH and available ions P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, S-SO42-, Si, Cu2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+ as well as spectral reading through a Vis-NIR-SWIR spectroradiometer to predict the soil chemical attributes through the partial least square regression (PLS) technique. The results showed that the elements K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, and Fe2+ could be predicted with a reasonable rightness degree (R2p > 0.50, RPDp > 1.40) from spectral models. However, for the attributes pH, P, S-SO42-, Si, Mn2+, and Zn2+, there were no satisfactory models (R2p

This study aims to analyze the variation in academic performance of undergraduate students enrolled in the Accounting Sciences course of a public, federal university of Southern Brazil between the second academic semester of 2019 and the first semester of 2020. The research was documentary and descriptive, following a quantitative approach. The sample was composed of data from 281 students. Quantitative data analysis was carried out through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results indicate that the implementation of emergency remote teaching due to social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic did not impact student performance. However, analyzing the students’ enrollment semester shows variation in the academic performance in 2017, which may be explored further by future research. Thus, this research contributes to understanding the new teaching model, supplying managers, students, teachers, and institutions new data regarding this issue.

Long-term gold mining within the Witwatersrand Basin Goldfields has led to the creation of over 200 tailings storage facilities (TSFs) releasing acid mine drainage. Plumes of contaminated shallow groundwater occur downslope of these TSFs. One such area lies adjacent to the Vaal River east of the town of Orkney. Natural vegetation in the riparian soils comprises a mixture of grasslands, reeds and woodlands dominated byVachellia karroo. The Mine Woodlands Project initiated by Witwatersrand University and AngloGold Ashanti is exploring the use of engineered woodlands for hydraulic control of plumes and immobilization of contaminants to protect the wider hydrological resource. To estimate the net increase in evapotranspiration (ET) resulting from various remedial woodlands, ET from existing vegetation types requires quantification. Growing season patterns of ET were measured and modelled in riparian grassland and twoV. karroowoodland sites close to the Vaal River. Two independent estimates of annual ET from these woodland sites (674 and 787 mm) were similar to that from grassland (697 mm) and much less than the 1100–1200 mm reported from some forms of engineered evergreen woodlands established in the vicinity. We conclude that theVachelliawoodlands have low potential for hydraulic control of contaminant plumes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reflectance hyperspectroscopy is recognised for its potential to elucidate biochemical changes, thereby enhancing the understanding of plant biochemistry. This study used the UV-VIS-NIR-SWIR spectral range to identify the different biochemical constituents in Hibiscus and Geranium plants. Hyperspectral vegetation indices (HVIs), principal component analysis (PCA), and correlation matrices provided in-depth insights into spectral differences. Through the application of advanced algorithms—such as PLS, VIP, iPLS-VIP, GA, RF, and CARS—the most responsive wavelengths were discerned. PLSR models consistently achieved R2 values above 0.75, presenting noteworthy predictions of 0.86 for DPPH and 0.89 for lignin. The red-edge and SWIR bands displayed strong associations with pivotal plant pigments and structural molecules, thus expanding the perspectives on leaf spectral dynamics. These findings highlight the efficacy of spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis in evaluating the management of biochemical compounds. A technique was introduced to measure the photosynthetic pigments and structural compounds via hyperspectroscopy across UV-VIS-NIR-SWIR, underpinned by rapid multivariate PLSR. Collectively, our results underscore the burgeoning potential of hyperspectroscopy in precision agriculture. This indicates a promising paradigm shift in plant phenotyping and biochemical evaluation.

The quantification of soil organic matter (SOM) has increased over the years, especially in the Brazilian Cerrado region, one of the most important areas for grain production in the country. In this area, SOM content tends to be low, which directly impacts the physical, chemical and biological quality of soils. Thus, the use of spectroradiometry has been widely evaluated to investigate whether it can be used as a faster, more reliable and cheaper solution to meet the SOM estimation. In this context, the objective of the present paper was to evaluate the performance of a local spectral model for SOM prediction generated through the spiking strategy. The research was developed in the municipality of Passos, Minas Gerais State, located in the Brazilian Cerrado. Soil samples (0–0.2 m and 0.2–0.4 m depths) were collected in a zigzag pattern and split in calibration of the local models from a test area (90 soil samples) and recalibration and validation from a target area (46 soil samples). After this stage, the SOM contents were determined in a laboratory, and the spectral responses (350–2500 nm) of each soil sample were collected. From the target area, 10, 25 and 50% of soil spectra were selected for recalibration of the local models generated for the test area. Although median results were observed in the post-recalibration, due to the type of sample selected and the relative similarity among the spectral curves of both areas, improvement was observed for all statistical indices, especially when using 50% (23) of samples for recalibration of the local models, reaching r2 = 0.43, RMSEP = 2.34 gdm−3 and RPIQ = 4.58. These results are important for the SOM estimation in the Brazilian Cerrado considering its importance to the food security and socioeconomic activities. However, considering the lack of similar research in the study area, it is necessary to further investigate the development of spectral models on a local scale and their contribution to improve the identification of SOM spatial variability.

ABSTRACT Objectives: to present the visual identity of a soft-hard technology; to describe its technical characteristics, standardization and norms of criteria for the interpretation of results, in order to measure clinical competencies in emergencies of nurses. Methods: article developed as a methodological study for the creation of the graphic image of the scale and standardization based on previous studies of validity and reliability evidence. Results: the designed technology was named “Lilalva Scale for Measuring Clinical Competencies in Emergencies of Nurses”. The graphic image text is organized by title, instructions on how to fill it out, description of the quality of delivery, and behavioral actions with respective degrees of response. The Scale has 22 items with characterization data. The standardization of the measurement instrument included: instructions for use, calculation protocol, and hypothetical example to calculate scores, the sum of the resulting scores metric for each clinical competence and diagnostic classification. Conclusions: the visual identity and the standardization instrumentalize the use of the Scale for those interested in the theme.

Introdução: Náuseas e vômitos induzidos por quimioterapia acometem cerca de 70-80% dos pacientes com câncer. Assim, é importante a utilização de um instrumento para avaliar melhor esses sintomas, visando a um tratamento mais adequado. Objetivo: Traduzir e adaptar culturalmente a escala Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis para o contexto brasileiro. Método: Estudo correlacional do tipo survey, com tradução e adaptação cultural da escala segundo o protocolo da European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer – Quality of Life Group (EORTC-QLG). A amostra foi constituída por 160 pacientes em tratamento quimioterápico em uma clínica de oncologia. No processo de validação, realizaram-se análises de correlação multimétodos entre os itens da escala Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis e os escores das escalas visuais numéricas de náusea e vômito com nível de p

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) has been recognized globally as a potential biofuel crop for ethanol production. Sweet sorghum is a drought-tolerant crop that is widely adapted to different environmental growing conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the water use efficiency (utilisable yield per unit amount of water used) of drip-irrigated sweet sorghum (variety Sugargraze) under two different climatic conditions in South Africa. The sweet sorghum trials were conducted at Ukulinga research farm (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg) and Hatfield experimental farm (University of Pretoria, Pretoria), South Africa. Field trials were conducted in two successive seasons, viz., 2010/11 and 2011/12. Seasonal water use was estimated using eddy covariance and surface renewal methods. Fresh and dry aboveground biomass yield, stalk yield and stalk Brix % were measured at final harvest. Theoretical ethanol yield was calculated from fresh stalk yield and Brix %. Water use for the two growing seasons was 415 mm at Ukulinga and 398 mm at Hatfield. The ethanol water use efficiency (WUE) values for the sweet sorghum at Ukulinga were 0.27 and 0.60 L.m-3 for 2010/11 and 2011/12 growing seasons, respectively. The ethanol WUE estimate of the sweet sorghum at Hatfield was 0.53 L.m-3 for the 2010/11 season and 0.70 L.m-3 for the 2011/12 growing season. WUE estimates of the sweet sorghum crop were higher for Hatfield compared to Ukulinga research farm. The results from this study showed that the WUE of sweet sorghum was sensitive to plant density. The WUE values confirm that sweet sorghum has high WUE under different climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]