scholarly journals Avaliação da qualidade do solo em agroecossistemas na zona rural de São Bentinho-PB

Author(s):  
M. F. A. Alves ◽  
S. N. Ribeiro ◽  
F. J. S. Melo ◽  
L. R. A. Alves ◽  
Z. C. Vieira

<p>O crescimento da demanda por alimentos gera a expansão de áreas agrícolas ocasionando um aumento do desmatamento. Tais fatores contribuem para o crescimento da preocupação com a sustentabilidade dos sistemas agrícolas, o qual passa por uma percepção do espaço rural como agente ativo na conservação e proteção dos recursos naturais. O conhecimento dos limites de exploração dos ecossistemas rurais é fator primordial para que se obtenham sistemas agrícolas mais sustentáveis.  Diante do exposto o presente trabalho objetiva avaliar, através de uma extensa revisão bibliográfica, visitas em campo e utilização de índices de sustentabilidade, a qualidade do solo de dois agroecossistemas utilizados para o plantio de feijão e milho na zona rural de São Bentinho-PB; e finalmente, propor estratégias ou técnicas de manejo que venham tornar os agroecossistemas estudados mais sustentáveis. Conclui-se que a área de plantio de feijão apresentou um solo de melhor qualidade do que área de plantio de milho. A utilização dessa metodologia para avaliar a qualidade do solo mostrou-se simples e acessível, podendo direcionar as ações para uma agricultura mais sustentável, necessitando-se para isso, qualificação e treinamento dos agricultores. Finalmente, deve-se treinar esses pequenos produtores também na aplicação de técnicas sustentáveis de manejo do solo.</p><p align="center"><strong><em>Evaluation of soil quality in agroecosystems in rural São Bentinho-PB</em></strong></p><p><strong>Abstract</strong><strong>: </strong>The growth in demand for food generates the expansion of agricultural areas causing an increase in deforestation. Such factors contribute to the growing concern about the sustainability of agricultural systems, which involves a perception of the countryside as an active agent in the conservation and protection of natural resources. Knowledge of rural ecosystems operating limits is a key factor in order to obtain more sustainable agricultural systems. Given the above the present study aims to evaluate, through an extensive literature review, field visits and use of sustainability indexes, the quality of the two agro soil used for planting beans and corn in the countryside of São Bento-PB; and finally, propose strategies and management techniques that may make them more sustainable agro-ecosystems studied. In conclusion, the bean planting area presented a solo better quality than corn planting area. The use of this methodology for assessing soil quality proved to be simple and affordable, and can direct the actions for a more sustainable agriculture, requiring up to that, qualifications and training of farmers. Finally, one should train these small producers also in the implementation of sustainable techniques for soil management.</p>

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-164
Author(s):  
Sweta Bhardwaj ◽  
D.R. Khanna ◽  
Mukesh Ruhela ◽  
Rakesh Bhutiani ◽  
Rahul Bhardwaj ◽  
...  

The present study aims to compare the quality of soil of different region of Haridwar with reference to physicochemical and heavy metal parameters. To fulfill the objectives of present study, soil sampling was performed in forest (control site), industrial, residential and agricultural areas in and around Haridwar. Soil samples were analyzed for different physicochemical and heavy metal parameters.  Values of all the studied soil parameters were found highest (an increase of 32% in temperature (16.63 to 21.640C), 121% in soil moisture (13.05 to 28.39%), 29.02% in soil porosity (37.56 to 49.03%), and 19.6% in the water holding capacity (36.22 to 43.58%), 74.18% in conductivity (0.25 to 0.40 µMhos/cm), and 203.78% in chloride (16.67 to 53.97mg/gm)) at the industrial area in comparison to other sites. During the course of the study, an increasing trend in all the parameters at all the sites was observed this may be due to the dumping of industrial solid waste and effluent. Although no negative impact was observed on the soil quality but continuous dumping will results in harmful impacts due to the accumulation of pollutants. Therefore there is a need for safe and proper disposal and utilization techniques to manage the enormous quantity of industrial waste. All the heavy metals (such as copper (0.050 to 0.055mg/gm), manganese (0.232 to 0.242mg/gm), nickel (0.035 to 0.036mg/gm), lead (0.039mg/gm), and iron (1.19 to 1.22) were found in higher concentration during the study period while cadmium was found absent during the study period.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39
Author(s):  
Oluwadara Oluwaseun Alegbeleye ◽  
Wasiu Akinloye Oyebisi Afolabi ◽  
Beatrice Oluwatoyin Opeolu ◽  
Amin Mousavi Khaneghah

Background: Bacterial counts in ready-to-eat foods are a key factor in assessing the microbiological quality and safety of food. Periodic assessment of the microbiological quality of food is necessary to develop a robust database and help to ensure food safety. </P><P> Methods: The bacterial contamination of a total of 336 bread samples collected from two bakeries and 10 vendors in Ojoo Area of Ibadan, Oyo-State, Nigeria (December 2014 -June 2015) was evaluated. The microbiological quality of the bread loaves was investigated using standard microbiological methods (morphological, phenotypic and molecular characterization). </P><P> Results: The results showed that the number of contaminated samples among the vended bread samples was higher than the bakery bread samples and can be summarized as Bacillus megaterium (4.30%), Staphylococcus arlettae (0.005%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (2.78%), Citrobacter freundii (2.40%), Bacillus flexus (1.64%), Bacillus species (49.59%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.12%), Pseudomonas fluorescens (0.92%), Pseudomonas species (0.045%), Escherichia coli (30.44%) Klebsiella sp. (0.040%) and Aeromonas hydrophila (3.72%). </P><P> Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the bread samples which become contaminated after transport and handling can be considered a potential hazard to human health in the area. More stringent adherence to food safety regulations should be encouraged and enforced by the appropriate authorities. The findings of this study may be adopted to improve the hygienic conditions of bread distribution chain in the area as well as in other regions of the World.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave L Dixon ◽  
William L Baker

BACKGROUND The impact and quality of a faculty members publications is a key factor in promotion and tenure decisions and career advancement. Traditional measures, including citation counts and journal impact factor, have notable limitations. Since 2010, alternative metrics have been proposed as another means of assessing the impact and quality of scholarly work. The Altmetric Attention Score is an objective score frequently used to determine the immediate reach of a published work across the web, including news outlets, blogs, social media, and more. Several studies evaluating the correlation between the Altmetric Attention Score and number of citations have found mixed results and may be discipline-specific. OBJECTIVE To determine the correlation between higher Altmetric Attention Scores and citation count for journal articles published in major pharmacy journals. METHODS This cross-sectional study evaluated articles from major pharmacy journals ranked in the top 10% according to the Altmetric Attention Score. Sources of attention that determined the Altmetric Attention Score were obtained, as well each articles open access status, article type, study design, and topic. Correlation between journal characteristics, including the Altmetric Attention Score and number of citations, was assessed using the Spearman’s correlation test. A Kruskal-Wallis 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the Altmetric Attention Scores between journals. RESULTS Six major pharmacy journals were identified. A total of 1,376 articles were published in 2017 and 137 of these represented the top 10% with the highest Altmetric Attention Scores. The median Altmetric Attention Score was 19 (IQR 15-28). Twitter and Mendeley were the most common sources of attention. Over half (56.2%) of the articles were original investigations and 49.8% were either cross-sectional, qualitative, or cohort studies. No significant correlation was found between the Altmetric Attention Score and citation count (rs=0.07, P = 0.485). Mendeley was the only attention source that correlated with the number of citations (rs=0.486, P<0.001). The median Altmetric Attention Score varied widely between each journal (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The overall median Altmetric Attention score of 19 suggests articles published in major pharmacy journals are near the top 5% of all scientific output. However, we found no correlation between the Altmetric Attention Score and number of citations for articles published in major pharmacy journals in the year 2017.


Author(s):  
Audrius Dėdelė ◽  
Auksė Miškinytė

Sustainable mobility is becoming a key factor in improving the quality of life of the residents and increasing physical activity (PA) levels. The current situation of sustainable mobility and its analysis is a first step in understanding the factors that would encourage residents to discover and choose alternative modes of travel. The present study examined the factors that encourage the choice of active modes of travel among urban adult population. Walking and cycling were analyzed as the most sustainable forms of urban mobility from the perspective of car and public transport (PT) users. Total of 902 subjects aged 18 years or older were analyzed in the study to assess commuting habits in Kaunas city, Lithuania. The majority (61.1%) of the respondents used a passenger vehicle, 28.2% used PT, and only 13.5% used active modes of travel. The results showed that safer pedestrian crossings, and comfortable paths were the most significant factors that encourage walking. A wider cycling network, and bicycle safety were the most important incentives for the promotion of cycling. Our findings show that the main factors encouraging walking and cycling among car and PT users are similar, however, the individual characteristics that determine the choice of these factors vary significantly.


Author(s):  
Jessica Bowie ◽  
Oliver Brunckhorst ◽  
Robert Stewart ◽  
Prokar Dasgupta ◽  
Kamran Ahmed

Abstract Purpose Body image, self-esteem, and masculinity are three interconnected constructs in men with prostate cancer, with profound effects on quality of life. This meta-synthesis aimed to evaluate all known qualitative studies published studying the effect of prostate cancer on these constructs. Methods A systematic review utilising PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases up to May 2020 was conducted in line with PRISMA and ENTREQ guidelines. All qualitative studies of men’s experiences with body image, self-esteem, and masculinity whilst living with prostate cancer were included. A thematic meta-synthesis was conducted to identify emergent descriptive and analytical themes under the main study constructs. Results Of 2188 articles identified, 68 were included. Eight descriptive themes were identified under two analytical themes: ‘Becoming a Prostate Cancer Patient’ and ‘Becoming a Prostate Cancer Survivor’. These described the distress caused by changes to body image, sexual functioning, sense of masculinity, and self-esteem, and the subsequent discourses men engaged with to cope with and manage their disease. A key element was increased flexibility in masculinity definitions, and finding other ways to re-affirm masculinity. Conclusions Prostate cancer has an important effect on men’s health post-diagnosis, and we identified strong relationships between each construct evaluated. The role of hegemonic masculinity is important when considering men’s coping mechanisms and is also a key factor when addressing these constructs in counselling post-treatment. Implications for Cancer Survivors This meta-synthesis provides key topics that uniquely affect prostate cancer survivors, enabling these patients to be effectively counselled, and have their concerns recognised by clinicians.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-398
Author(s):  
Sylvia O. OGOANAH ◽  
Uzoamaka N. NGWOKE ◽  
Edokpolor O. OHANMU ◽  
Pascal C. OKOYE ◽  
Beckley IKHAJIAGBE

The study investigated the enhancement of soil quality of an oil-polluted ultisol using livestock wastes. Top soil (0 - 10 cm) was obtained as a pooled sample and polluted with spent lubricating oil at 10% w/w. The soil was subsequently amended with sun-dried goat (GT), rabbit (RB), and poultry (PG) dung at 10% w/w on dry weight basis both in singles, double-mixed, and triple-mixed combinations. Twelve weeks after treatment application, results showed that there was a 93.9% decrease (p<0.05) in bacterial colony count in the oil-polluted soil compared to the control. Penicillium notatum and Aspergillus niger as well as Bacillus sp. and Proteus sp. were the prominent fungal and bacterial species identified respectively. The most abundant plant in the soil seed bank was Panicum maximum with 10.4% abundance and this showed possible involvement of the plant in remediation of oil-pollution. The total hydrocarbon content of the oil-polluted soil was 9984.0 mg/kg, compared to 3170.6 mg/kg when amended with RB+GT, implying 76.77% remediation efficiency. Among several trials employed in this study, the combination of rabbit and goat wastes proved to be more effective in reducing the total hydrocarbon content of oil-polluted soil and therefore, is recommended as a potential candidate for application in the bioremediation of such soil.


Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (23) ◽  
pp. 1455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Czajczyńska ◽  
Renata Krzyżyńska ◽  
Hussam Jouhara

In 2016 4.94 million tonnes of tyres were produced. Each tyre eventually become waste and pyrolysis has been considered an effective way of utilizing scrap tyres for several decades. However, pyrolysis has failed many times because the process has a great energy demand and the quality of products is unstable or insufficient for commercial use. Usually plants are focused on the production of pyrolytic oil or char and the gaseous phase is only a by-product. In this paper the importance of composition and quality of pyrolytic gas is emphasized. The main chemical properties make this gas a valuable biofuel that may satisfy energy requirements of the whole process (except for the start-up phase). Available data from literature concerning composition and other features of the pyrolytic gas from scrap tyres obtained at temperatures up to 1000 °C are compared with experimental results. The quality of evolved gases is discussed in the context of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), too. Finally, an analysis of the mass balances obtained allows a decision about the business profile and profitability.


2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482096261
Author(s):  
Carol Opdebeeck ◽  
Michael A. Katsaris ◽  
Anthony Martyr ◽  
Ruth A. Lamont ◽  
James A. Pickett ◽  
...  

Pet ownership has been associated with positive outcomes in many populations, yet the associations with physical and psychological wellbeing in people with dementia remain unclear. The current study used baseline data from 1,542 people living at home with mild-to-moderate dementia from the Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) programme. Regression analyses investigated associations of pet ownership and pet care with self-reports of walking, loneliness, depression, and quality of life (QoL). After adjusting for covariates, having any pet was associated with higher likelihood of walking over 3 hr in the last week. Those with a dog and who were involved in its care were less likely to be lonely than those with no dog. Having any pet but no involvement in its care was associated with increased depression and decreased QoL compared with those without a pet. The key factor in the associations was involvement in the care of the pet by the person with dementia.


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