bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of planting density on green ear yield of maize cultivars bred in different periods
Authors: Silva Paulo Sérgio L e , Duarte Severino R , Oliveira Fábio Henrique T de , Silva Júlio César do V
Published: November 2007

Corn cultivation in the Northeast region of Brazil is characterized by a great diversity of production systems, ranging from large companies (modern cultivars and relatively high planting densities) to small farms (family agriculture, traditional cultivars, and low planting densities). In the present work we evaluated the effects of planting density (30; 40; 50; 60; or 70 thousand plants ha-1 - TPH) on green ear yield of cultivars Centralmex (traditional) and AG 510 (hybrid). Different densities were achieved by maintaining 1.0 m between rows and varying the spacing between pits, within the row. Cultivars and planting densities were combined in a factorial scheme, arranged in a random block design with four replicates and four 6 m long row plots. The number of green ears increased with density in both cultivars, but in a significantly more intense pace in cultivar AG 510. Cultivar AG-510 (14.9 t ha-1 on average, maximum yield at 58 TPH) yielded significantly more unhusked green ears than cultivar Centralmex (13.6 t ha-1 on average, maximum at 61 TPH). Marketable green ear yield increased with density in both cultivars, but more intensively in cultivar AG 510, which significantly out yielded cultivar Centralmex from 43 TPH ahead. The difference between cultivars at the planting density of 70 TPH was 14.4 t ha-1. There was no response of cultivar Centralmex in number of marketable husked green ears, while cultivar AG 510 increased yield with planting density. The difference between both cultivars started being significant at 38 TPH. Husked ear length decreased linearly and similarly in both cultivars as planting density increased. Planting density did not influence plant and ear height, and cultivar Centralmex was superior in both characteristics at all planting densities. There was no effect of cultivars on stalk diameter and root system biomass. Both characteristics decreased linearly as planting density increased.
Democratização inacabada: fracasso da segurança pública
Authors: Zaluar Alba
Published: November 2007

O artigo discute dois paradoxos e um enigma que se desenvolveram no país durante as últimas décadas: o processo de democratização iniciado em 1978, que foi acompanhado por aumento espetacular da criminalidade; uma nação que foi construída pelos ideais da cordialidade e da conciliação mudados recentemente para os mecanismos da vingança pessoal e impulsos agressivos incontroláveis, visto que nem o perdão nem a pacificação foram discutidos publicamente no término do regime militar. Por fim, o enigma de uma violência brutal entre homens jovens que afetou muito pouco as mulheres e outras categorias de idade. Ao contrário dos conflitos étnicos que atingem a todos, no Brasil são os homicídios cometidos entre homens jovens que cresceram várias vezes nos anos 1980 e 1990. A fim de compreender isso, são utilizadas quatro dimensões: o contexto internacional do tráfico de drogas e de armas de fogo; a importância e os limites das explicações macrossociais sobre a criminalidade violenta que interage com os mecanismos transnacionais do crime organizado; a inércia institucional que explica a ineficácia do sistema de justiça; os processos microssociais ou as formações subjetivas sobre a concepção de masculinidade em suas relações com a exibição de força, dinheiro e armas de fogo.
A Política Nacional de Segurança Pública: histórico, dilemas e perspectivas
Authors: Soares Luiz Eduardo
Published: November 2007

O artigo descreve as sucessivas tentativas de formular e implantar políticas de segurança pública, em âmbito nacional, por meio da elaboração de planos, buscando-se compreender seus principais movimentos: avanços e recuos, pressões e reações, a indução e as negociações que marcaram a experiência recente dos diversos atores relevantes. O período coberto corresponde aos dois governos Fernando Henrique Cardoso, ao primeiro mandato do presidente Lula e às novas propostas recentemente anunciadas pelo Programa Nacional de Segurança com Cidadania (Pronasci), no oitavo mês do segundo mandato. Para contextualizar o exame dos planos e do processo político envolvido, são analisadas as dificuldades implicadas na definição de critérios, métodos e mecanismos de avaliação e monitoramento de políticas de segurança pública e da performance policial.
Muita politicagem, pouca política os problemas da polícia são
Authors: Muniz Jacqueline de Oliveira , Proença Jr. Domício
Published: November 2007

A partir de uma tematização crítica do que seja, ou possa ser, o "crime organizado", este ensaio contextualiza e desenvolve a trajetória profissional de um(a) hipotético(a) jovem policial, compartilhando uma visão de base etnográfica sobre as "frágeis fronteiras" entre conveniência, convivência e conivência diante de atividades ilícitas. Segue a pista de uma expressão cotidiana dos policiais fluminenses: "a polícia tem vários patrões", que serve para criticar, contemporizar, explicar ou justificar o que compreendem como o "comprometimento" ou o "envolvimento" de policiais com os mais diversos interesses, incluindo os que se associam ao chamado "crime organizado". Compartilha elementos de um diagnóstico da clientelização policial que contextualizam e conformam as condições de possibilidade do uso do mandato policial para fins particulares e suas implicações.
Cidade e práticas urbanas: nas fronteiras incertas entre o ilegal, o informal e o ilícito
Authors: Telles Vera da Silva , Hirata Daniel veloso
Published: November 2007

Neste artigo, pretende-se abordar o tráfico de drogas a partir de suas capilaridades no mundo social e nas tramas urbanas, tomando como "posto de observação" alguns de seus pontos de ancoramento na periferia da cidade de São Paulo. Essa é uma perspectiva descritiva (e analítica) que permite situar as práticas criminosas nas suas relações com o que poderíamos definir como a gestão das ilegalidades inscritas nos agenciamentos concretos da vida cotidiana. A rigor, esse é o foco da discussão a ser desenvolvida: as evidências de uma crescente e expansiva trama de ilegalidades (nova e velhas) entrelaçadas nas práticas urbanas, seus circuitos e redes sociais, e que são urdidas nas relações hoje redefinidas (e a serem bem compreendidas) entre o ilegal, o informal e o ilícito. Com base em resultados de pesquisa recente, o artigo pretende o exercício de "etnografia experimental" para tentar flagrar as mediações e conexões pelas quais esses deslocamentos das fronteiras do legal e do ilegal vêm se processando. São essas conexões e mediações que precisam ser bem compreendidas: é nelas que se tem uma chave para identificar e compreender a porosidade entre o legal e ilegal, e as fronteiras borradas entre o trabalho, expedientes de sobrevivência e práticas ilícitas; é nelas que se podem identificar e compreender as capilaridades do tráfico de drogas no mundo social, capilaridades urdidas nessas formas de junção e conjugação da trama urbana.
Comparison of carbon and nitrogen determination methods for samples of a Paleudult subjected to no-till cropping systems
Authors: Dieckow Jeferson , Mielniczuk João , Knicker Heike , Bayer Cimélio , Dick Deborah Pinheiro , Kögel-Knabner Ingrid
Published: November 2007

Organic carbon (C) concentration evaluated by the Walkley-Black method, and total nitrogen(N)concentration determined by Kjeldahl method, were compared with corresponding results of C and N concentrations obtained through the dry combustion method (Elementar Vario EL analyzer), using samples of ten soil layers down to the depth of 107.5 cm of a kaolinitic Typic Paleudult (220-418 g clay kg-1 along the profile) subjected to no-till cropping systems [fallow bare soil, pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) plus maize, and lablab (Lablab purpureum L. Sweet) plus maize]. A close correlation (R² > 0.96) was observed between the C results of the Walkley-Black and dry combustion methods, but a correction was suggested to be applied to C results of Walkley-Black (C = 1.05C W.Black + 0.47). A close correlation (R² > 0.96) was also found between results of Kjeldahl-N and dry combustion-N, but no correction was necessary to be applied. The relationships between results of Walkley-Black and dry combustion and between results of Kjeldahl and dry combustion did not change among soil samples from different management systems, in disagreement to findings of a previous study where results of analytical C recovery were influenced by samples from different managements, supposedly because changes in lability or recalcitrance of organic matter might have affected the wet combustion reactions. A poor correlation (R² = 0.42) was found between the C:N ratios based on Walkley-Black and Kjeldahl analysis and the C:N ratios based on dry combustion analysis. The methods for C and N determination did not affect the interpretation of the effects of management systems on soil C and N stocks.
Utilização do diagnóstico de enfermagem segundo a classificação da NANDA, para a sistematização da assistência de enfermagem em aleitamento materno
Authors: Abrão Ana Cristina F. Vilhena , Gutiérrez Maria Gaby R. de , Marin Heimar de Fátima
Published: November 2007

Este estudo teve por objetivos descrever a reformulação de um instrumento utilizado na consulta de enfermagem à puérpera, com base na classificação dos diagnósticos de enfermagem, segundo a Taxonomia I-revisada da American Nursing Diagnosis Association - NANDA, e identificar os diagnósticos de enfermagem mais frequentes, relacionados ao aleitamento materno a partir da utilização deste instrumento. Os diagnósticos encontrados em percentuais acima de 50% foram: déficit de conhecimento (100,0%); distúrbio no padrão do sono (75,0%); alteração no padrão de sexualidade (75,0%); amamentação ineficaz (66,6%) e mobilidade física prejudicada (66,6%).
Creencias en fumadores pertenecientes a un programa de salud cardiovascular
Authors: González Consuegra Renata Virginia , Zago Márcia Maria Fontao
Published: November 2007

La presente investigación identifica las creencias de consumidores de tabaco, usuarios de un programa de promoción de la salud cardiovascular en la ciudad de Bogota-Colombia, mediante abordaje cuanti-cualitativa. A partir, de entrevista a profundidad grabada por 15 personas del grupo de promoción de la salud cardiovascular, quienes voluntariamente constituyeron la muestra hasta lograr la saturación de la temática en cuestión. Los datos fueron analizados y posibilitaron una descripción holistica de la interpretación frente a al cultura y al habito de consumir tabaco. Se obtuvo información que se consideró lográndose con ello una descripción amplia de motivaciones y factores desalentadores para la cesación del habito del tabaquismo.
Poverty as a predisposing factor of illness tendencies in sugar cane workers
Authors: Rocha Fernanda Ludmilla Rossi , Marziale Maria Helena Palucci , Robazzi Maria Lucia do Carmo Cruz
Published: November 2007

This exploratory research based on the Social Ecological Theory aimed to study the health promotion of 39 people working in the harvest of the sugarcane in São Paulo, Brazil. The objectives were to identify the individual, social and environmental factors predisposing the workers to illnesses. The data were collected through direct observation of the labor activity and a questionnaire. The main individual determinant factors were physical effort and hectic work rhythm, and among the environmental factors, intense solar radiation, dust, soot and the presence of venomous animals were highlighted. The conditions of life and work reflect the poverty of these individuals and are the main social determinants of illness. The interaction of these factors can cause respiratory, cutaneous, musculoskeletal problems, occupational accidents. Thus, eradicating poverty and improving work conditions are fundamental for the health promotion of these workers.
Old, poor and out on the streets: on the road to exclusion
Authors: Fernandes Flávia Saraiva Leão , Raizer Milena Veiga , Brêtas Ana Cristina Passarella
Published: November 2007

This exploratory study aimed to investigate and describe the homeless elderly population user of a shelter specifically designed for them in Sao Paulo. A total of 20 elderly participated in the study. The data were gathered through interviews and field observation. The data analysis was based on Collective Health and Gerontology references. The main results reveal that the vulnerability of the elderly to become homeless occurs in a macro level, characterized by fragile work and residence ties. The micro level is characterized by the lack of familiar support. In conclusion, this study led us to rethink the human values regarding the social inequalities as well the trivialization of social injustice. We learned to view the homeless elderly as subject and not just passive object of charity and assistance.
Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of a diabetic population at a primary level health care center
Authors: Otero Liudmila Miyar , Zanetti Maria Lúcia , Teixeira Carla Regina de Souza
Published: November 2007

This study aimed to analyze the social-demographic, clinical and life habits characteristics of a diabetic population being treated in the primary level of a healthcare center. A total of 52 diabetic patients, enrolled, in 2006, in a Research and Extension Center linked to a University in Sao Paulo, participated in the study. The data were collected through interviews, using appropriated forms, after the patients consent. The results showed other illness associated to diabetes and an unsatisfactory metabolic control. These data can support health professionals' actions in order to effectively prevent and manage diabetes in the basic health services. The conclusion, in face of the obtained results, is that there is the need to develop courses to the health professionals of education in diabetes, aiming to meet the complexity of the care and progression of the disease in this clientele.
Poverty, bioethics and research
Authors: Ribeiro Cléa Regina de Oliveira , Zoboli Elma Lourdes Campos Pavone
Published: November 2007

The article presents a reflection on conception of poverty as a condition or circumstance that restricts personal autonomy and increases vulnerability. Focusing on bioethical arguments, the authors discuss two perspectives: (i) economic, that relates poverty to incapacity to work and (ii) ethical-philosophical, which relates poverty to inequality and injustice. The first perspective corresponds to the World Bank's view according to its recommendations to the political and economic adjustment in Latin America. The second one is based on concepts of fairness and equality as components of social justice. The subjects' autonomy and vulnerability have been under question in an international movement that requests revision of ethical guidelines for the biomedical research. The bioethical arguments presented in this article enhance a discussion on unfair treatment to subjects enlisted in protocols sponsored by rich countries and hosted by poor nations.
Child health in Latin America: historiographic perspectives and challenges
Authors: Birn Anne-Emanuelle
Published: November 2007

Patterns of child health and well-being in Latin America's past - have been assumed to be delayed and derivative of European and North Americanexperiences. Through an examination of recent historiography, this essay traces a more complex reality: interest in infant and child health in Latin America arose from a range of domestic and regional prerogatives. This attention was rooted in preColumbian cultures, then relegated to the private sphere during the colonial period, except for young public wards. Starting in the 19th century, professionals, reformers, and policy-makers throughout the region regarded child health as a matter central to building modern societies. Burgeoning initiatives were also linked to international priorities and developments, not through one-way diffusion but via ongoing interaction of ideas and experts. Despite pioneering approaches to children's rights and health in Latin America, commitment to child well-being has remained uneven, constrained in many settings by problematic political and economic conditions uch.
Arte, clínica e loucura: um território em mutação
Authors: Lima Elizabeth Maria Freire de Araújo , Pelbart Peter Pál
Published: November 2007

A experiência clínica e didática no campo da terapia ocupacional, na qual práticas artísticas e processos terapêuticos se atravessavam, levou-nos à realização de uma pesquisa histórica visando investigar como se constituíram, no Brasil, as relações entre os campos da saúde mental e da arte, a partir de meados do século XIX e durante o século XX. Os métodos utilizados para realizar esta pesquisa - que tem como horizonte teórico o pensamento de Foucault, Deleuze e Guattari - foram a cartografia e a arqueologia. Com a arqueologia, tratamos dos discursos e acontecimentos históricos, procurando as forças que os engendraram. Ao cartografar, buscamos acompanhar algumas linhas que, emergindo de cada um desses campos em relação ao outro, se cruzaram formando diferentes configurações no território em estudo.
As origens da rede de serviços de atenção básica no Brasil: o Sistema Distrital de Administração Sanitária
Authors: Campos Carlos Eduardo Aguilera
Published: November 2007

Múltiplos aspectos relacionados à formulação de políticas, à construção do conhecimento e à implementação das práticas no setor saúde interagem e têm como produto a maneira como se prestam os serviços de saúde em determinado contexto histórico. O surgimento e a consolidação da organização sanitária resultaram de um processo político cujo ideário buscava atender às necessidades segundo um contexto histórico. Analisa-se a trajetória histórica da organização da rede de atenção básica no país tomando-se como referência os seus princípios organizativos e assistenciais, sua expansão em termos físicos e sua função no sistema público de saúde, entre 1918 e 1942. Abordam-se os antecedentes e as iniciativas para se implantar no Rio de Janeiro e, posteriormente, no país um Sistema Distrital de Administração Sanitária, precursor da rede de serviços de atenção básica no Brasil.
Médicos e farmacêuticos em Uberabinha (1890-1920): conflitos e disputas
Authors: Bosi Antônio de Pádua
Published: November 2007

Apresenta alguns resultados do estudo sobre as práticas de médicos e farmacêuticos na cidade de São Pedro de Uberabinha (MG), hoje Uberlândia, durante as décadas de 1890 e 1920. A hipótese levantada é a de que, no período, a conformação de um mercado de serviços de saúde foi marcada, e em parte constituída, por conflitos e disputas protagonizados por médicos e farmacêuticos. A partir de tal hipótese, tento identificar a razão e os recursos utilizados por esses sujeitos na delimitação de seus espaços e suas práticas em relação à cura.
Resposta da goiabeira à lâmina de água e à adubação nitrogenada
Authors: Maciel José L. , Dantas Neto José , Fernandes Pedro D.
Published: November 2007

Estudar os efeitos da irrigação e da adubação nitrogenada via irrigação na produtividade da goiabeira cultivar Paluma, com quatro anos de idade, sob sistema de microaspersão no espaçamento 6 x 5 m, foi o principal objetivo dos autores com este trabalho. O experimento foi conduzido na Estação Experimental de Veludo, município de Itaporanga, PB, no delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, em esquema fatorial 4 x 4, cujos fatores foram: quatro lâminas de irrigação, L1 = 0,60 Lb, L2 = 1,00 Lb, L3 = 1,40 Lb e L4 = 1,80 Lb, sendo Lb a lâmina bruta de irrigação, e quatro níveis de nitrogênio, N1 = 50, N2 = 100, N3 = 150 e N4 = 200 kg ha-1. As irrigações foram realizadas diariamente durante o ciclo da cultura (198 dias) após poda de frutificação e as fertirrigações o foram na freqüência de três aplicações semanais, totalizando 80 aplicações; as quantidades totais de água (irrigação + precipitação) por tratamento, foram L1 = 1.144; L2 = 1.465; L3 = 1.785 e L4 = 2.106 mm, respectivamente. A produtividade máxima econômica foi de 35.594 kg ha-1 correspondente à lâmina de água 1.721 mm e de 167 kg ha-1de nitrogênio resultando em uma receita líquida de R$ 13.154,68 ha-1, considerando-se o custo da água de R$ 0,65 mm ha-1, nitrogênio de R$ 1,15 kg-1 e o preço de venda do produto (Py) de R$ 0,50 kg.
Avaliação do desempenho de diferentes métodos de estimativa da evaporação para duas regiões da Paraíba
Authors: Leitão Mário de M. V. B. R. , Oliveira Gertrudes M. de , Leitão Ted J. V.
Published: November 2007

As regiões do Cariri e Sertão da Paraíba, nas cidades de Boqueirão e Patos, no período de 1 de abril de 2002 a 28 de fevereiro de 2003, foram estudadas com o objetivo de se avaliar o desempenho de diferentes métodos e obter-se as melhores estimativas da evaporação para essas regiões; para tanto, usaram-se medidas diárias de evaporação do tanque evaporimétrico padrão de 20 m² (WMO, 1996). Os métodos avaliados foram: Penman (1948); balanço de energia - razão de Bowen; Linacre (1993); Snyder (1992); Kohler et al. (1955); Gangopadhyaya et al. (1966) e Hounam (1973). Os resultados indicaram que os métodos de estimativa de evaporação que utilizam a umidade relativa do ar, velocidade do vento e radiação solar, apresentaram os melhores desempenhos. O método proposto por Snyder (1992) teve o melhor desempenho nas duas regiões estudadas, com erros relativos de -4,2% para Boqueirão e -3,3% para Patos. O método de Linacre (1993), que utiliza os valores extremos de temperatura diária do ar, apesar de ter apresentado os maiores erros relativos -16,9% em Boqueirão e -18,2% em Patos, mostrou que, se for corretamente calibrado, pode ter desempenho satisfatório para as duas áreas estudadas.
Estudo do comportamento hidrológico do Rio São Francisco e seus principais afluentes
Authors: Pereira Silvio B. , Pruski Fernando F. , Silva Demetrius D. da , Ramos Márcio M.
Published: November 2007

A Bacia do São Francisco possui 36 afluentes mais importantes, dos quais 19 são perenes, cujas áreas de drenagem, com exceção do Rio Verde Grande, se situam na região da bacia não abrangida pelo Polígono das Secas, representando 50% da área total da bacia. Analisou-se, neste trabalho, o comportamento hidrológico do Velho Chico e seus principais afluentes pertinentes aos dados anuais de precipitação média, vazão específica média e coeficiente de deságüe. Os resultados obtidos permitiram as seguintes conclusões: as variáveis hidrológicas estudadas apresentaram valores médios no segundo período superiores aos do primeiro; os afluentes estudados, que representam 46,3% da área da bacia, contribuem com 81% da sua vazão, no período sem a influência dos reservatórios de acumulação; as sub-bacias com as maiores contribuições para a formação da vazão do Rio São Francisco são as dos Rios Paracatu, Grande e Velhas.
Vulnerabilidade à erosão do solo da região do Alto Rio Pardo, Pardinho, SP
Authors: Ribeiro Fernanda L. , Campos Sérgio
Published: November 2007

Com este trabalho se visou à elaboração de um banco de dados com informações cadastrais e de um mapa temático de vulnerabilidade natural à erosão para futuros zoneamento ecológicos da bacia do Alto Rio Pardo, Pardinho, SP, através do Sistema de Informações Geográficas SPRING, utilizando-se da imagem digital do sensor Landsat 7 ETM+, e como fonte de dados: mapa de solos, cartas topográficas, geológicas e geomorfológicas e dados de precipitação. O mapa de vulnerabilidade à erosão foi elaborado a partir de regiões espectralmente homogêneas, sendo os pesos médios para cada tema associado a um valor de vulnerabilidade, gerando uma grade resultante da média zonal que, fatiada em termos de vulnerabilidade, resultou no mapa de vulnerabilidade à erosão. Os resultados permitiram concluir que a imagem digital gerou informações valiosas para o mapeamento do uso do solo e formação do banco de dados; o SIG-SPRING foi eficiente na identificação das classes de solo e de vulnerabilidade à erosão; que 95% da bacia apresentam grau de vulnerabilidade mediana e moderadamente estável, pela presença de solos de média jovialidade, em relevo suave ondulado e coberto por pastagem (49,27%) e cultura anual (29,88%).
Gender differences in suicide attempts: preliminary results of the multisite intervention study on suicidal behavior (SUPRE-MISS) from Campinas, Brazil
Authors: Stefanello Sabrina , Cais Carlos Filinto da Silva , Mauro Marisa Lúcia Fabrício , Freitas Gisleine Vaz Scavacini de , Botega Neury José
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVE: To identify sociodemographic, psychosocial and clinical differences between men and women who attempted suicide and were seen at a university general hospital. METHOD: This is a non-controlled cross-sectional study, sub-project of the Multisite Intervention Study on Suicidal Behavior by the World Health Organization. A standardized interview that comprised psychometric scales was used. The comparison between genders was made by means of uni and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: 210 subjects (68.1% women) participated. Women had worse scores on the WHO Well-Being Index (p = 0.005), the Beck Depression Inventory (p = 0.01) and the Psychiatric Disability Assessment Schedule (p = 0.03). In the multivariate logistic regression, men presented more mental disorders due to alcohol and drug use (26.1% vs 7%, p = 0.02) and used alcohol at the suicide attempt more frequently (28.3% vs 16%, p = 0.03). Men reported that most of the time they had been feeling "active and vigorous" (50% vs 22%, p < 0.001). Women had had more physical and sexual abuse (27% vs 8.7%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: There are some distinctive characteristics between men and women who attempt suicide. Such differences may also be present in the general population and suggest there is a need for further studies, as well as the adoption of different strategies in suicide prevention for men and women.
Physicochemical characterization of different trademarks of compound Yerba Maté and their herbs
Authors: Scipioni Griselda Patricia , Ferreyra Darío Jorge , Schmalko Miguel Eduardo
Published: November 2007

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of the main herbs used in the mixture of yerba maté with other aromatic herbs and the characterization of the trademarks of compound yerba maté. Moisture, water extract, total ash, acid-insoluble ash and caffeine concentration were determined. Results showed higher values of moisture content, total and aci-insoluble ash and lower water extracts in the herbs. Determinations were carried out in nine trademarks of compound yerba maté. In most cases they complied with the standards of the country with the exception of one trademark from Argentina.
Testing a new reinforced brick masonry shell system
Authors: Barros J. A. O. , Lourenço P. B. , Oliveira J. T. , Bonaldo E.
Published: November 2007

The main aim of the current paper is to describe the experimental research carried out at the University of Minho, Portugal, regarding the development of an innovative reinforced brick masonry shell structural system. The concept of the system is based on the work of the engineer Eladio Dieste, and focuses on the prefabrication industry. The structural system is composed of a layer of clay bricks, reinforced concrete joints and a reinforced concrete cover layer. The constituent materials of the structural system were selected according to the necessary requirements in terms of mechanical properties and prefabrication technology. To analyse the interaction between the intervening materials, flexural, shear and biaxial tests with representative panels were carried out. To validate the developed structural system, a full scale shell was built and tested under monotonic vertical load applied at a quarter of its span. The shell performance revealed that the developed structural system is suitable for the proposed application.
Bioaccumulation and biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during sediment tests with oligochaetes (Lumbriculus variegatus)
Authors: Lyytikäinen Merja , Pehkonen Sari , Akkanen Jarkko , Leppänen Matti , Kukkonen Jussi V. K.
Published: November 2007

In some kinetic studies with aquatic invertebrates, the bioaccumulation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been observed to peak at the beginning of the test. This has been explained by the depletion of PAHs from pore water due to limited desorption during the bioaccumulation test or, alternatively, by the activation of biotransformation mechanisms in the organisms. In the present study, we exposed the aquatic oligochaetes, Lumbriculus variegatus, to creosote oil–contaminated sediments to examine the bioaccumulation of PAHs and to clarify the importance of contaminant depletion and biotransformation for it. The contaminant depletion was studied by replanting test organisms into fresh, nondepleted test sediments at 3-d intervals over 12 d and by comparing the resulting body burdens to those of the organisms that were not replanted. The biotransformation capability of L. variegatus was assessed by following the concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP), a phase I metabolite of pyrene, in oligochaete tissue during a 15-d test. We observed that the bioaccumulation of most PAHs indeed peaked at the beginning of the test. The concentrations in the replanted organisms were only 1.5 to 2 times higher than in nonreplanted organisms during the first 9 d of the test and, by day 12, no differences were detected. 1-Hydroxypyrene was detected in oligochaete tissue throughout the exposures, and concentrations decreased over time. However, the proportion of 1-HP to pyrene increased linearly during the test. These results indicated that the depletion of contaminants has only a minor effect on their bioaccumulation in oligochaetes and that the cause for the observed bioaccumulation curve shape is rapid elimination of the contaminants and, possibly to some degree, their metabolites.
Uptake and translocation of p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene supplied in hydroponics solution to Cucurbita
Authors: Gent Martin P. N. , White Jason C. , Parrish Zakia D. , Isleyen Mehmet , Eitzer Brian D. , Mattina MaryJane Incorvia
Published: November 2007

Field studies show shoots of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) accumulate various hydrophobic contaminants from soil, although many other plants do not, including cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). To investigate the mechanism for this uptake, we presented p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) to these two species in hydroponics solution. A mixture of DDE bound to Tenax™ beads stirred with a solution of water passing through a reservoir provided a flowing solution containing DDE at approximately 2 μg/L for many weeks duration. Approximately 90% of the DDE supplied in solution was adsorbed on the roots of both cucumber and zucchini. Less than 10% of the sorbed DDE was released subsequently when clean solution flowed past these contaminated roots for 9 d. The shoots of both species accumulated DDE, but the fraction that moved from the roots to the shoot in zucchini, ranging from 6 to 27% in various trials, was 10-fold greater than that in cucumber, 0.7 to 2%. The gradient in DDE concentration in zucchini tissues was in the order root > stem > petiole > leaf blade, indicating the movement was through the xylem in the transpiration stream. Some DDE in leaf blades might have been absorbed from the air, because the concentration in this tissue varied less with time, position in trough, or species, than did DDE in stems and petioles. The remarkable ability of zucchini to translocate DDE could not be attributed to differences in tissue composition, growth rate, distribution of weight among plant parts, or in the leaf area and rate of transpiration of water from leaves. Some other factor enables efficient translocation of hydrophobic organic contaminants in the xylem of zucchini.
Use of two-photon excitation microscopy and autofluorescence for visualizing the fate and behavior of semivolatile organic chemicals within living vegetation
Authors: Wild Edward , Dent John , Thomas Gareth O. , Jones Kevin C.
Published: November 2007

The uptake, transport, storage, and processing of semivolatile organic chemicals (SVOCs) by vegetation plays an important role in their environmental fate. Understanding these processes at the plant cellular level is essential to understanding the fate and behavior of SVOCs within the environment. Traditional analytical methods have relied on destructive analysis of the plant and a level of inference to suggest exactly where within the plant the chemical is residing, how it is getting there, and what its subsequent fate might be. The use of two-photon excitation microscopy to visualize the in situ uptake, transport, storage, compartmentalization, processing, and fate of a number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in living vegetation is summarized. Using this technique, the uptake of PAHs to leaves and roots via the atmosphere or soil is visualized. Subsequent storage, transport, compartmentalization, and plant processing, including metabolism, can then be monitored. Differences in processing of the same chemical between species are observed, including compartmentalization, transport routes, and degradation pathways. Chemical location within the plant is observed to have a significant effect on PAH fate (e.g., through photodegradation). We highlight a number of key findings and the research areas requiring increased impetus to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexity involved in SVOC–plant interactions from the cellular to global scales.
Herbicidal effects on nontarget vegetation: Investigating the limitations of current pesticide registration guidelines
Authors: White Andrea L. , Boutin Céline
Published: November 2007

The impact of herbicide exposure on nontarget vegetation within agroecosystems has sparked extensive research that revealed that current pesticide registration guidelines may be inadequate at predicting the effects of herbicides on wild plants and habitats. This study extends the current interest by presenting three experiments highlighting some of the limitations to current phytotoxicity testing guidelines. Several crops and wild plant species were grown under greenhouse conditions following standard protocol for phytotoxicity testing. Plants were sprayed with five different herbicides at the four- to six-leaf stage, and biomass was recorded at 28 d after spray. Results showed that current regulatory protocol will likely underestimate herbicide phytotoxicity if testing does not include data for the complete tank-mix formulation. The present study also showed that the range in herbicide sensitivity among cultivars of the same crop can be quite extensive and that, depending on the cultivar included in a risk assessment, conclusions regarding the phytotoxicity of any given herbicide may differ. Although no significant differences in sensitivity were found between crops and related wild species, results revealed that current guidelines are too rigid in terms of species selection. Considering the variability among crop cultivars, coupled with the ecological importance and the ease of germination of many noncrop plant species, pesticide regulatory guidelines would be improved if wild species were included in testing. Findings of the present study indicate that current pesticide regulatory guidelines require modifications to ensure a more accurate assessment of herbicide effects on nontarget plant species.
Evaluation of ecotoxicity and fate of methylated butyltins in sediments and seawater from Tokyo Bay, Japan
Authors: Kurihara Ryo , Shiraishi Fujio , Rajendran Ramaswamy Babu , Tao Hiroaki , Horiguchi Fumio , Nakata Kisaburo , Hashimoto Shinya
Published: November 2007

We analyzed the fate of organotins in seawater and sediments from Tokyo Bay, Japan, by gas chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We also measured the toxicity of methylated butyltins by in vitro bioassays, the retinoid × receptor (RXR) activation method, and the marine luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Concentrations of tributyltin (TBT) and tributylmonomethyltin (TBMMT) in seawater were 0.0636 to 0.419 and 0.0050 to 0.108 ng Sn/L and in sediment were 7.51 to 17.8 and 3.67 to 6.87 ng Sn/wet weight g, respectively. Methylated butyltins did not activate RXR and were not toxic to bacteria. Tributylmonomethyltin in seawater would elute from sediment since TBMMT-to-TBT ratios showed a positive correlation (r2 = 0.858) between sediment and deep seawater. Both methylation and debutylation of TBT seem to be major routes of decomposition of TBT in sediment. Methylation of TBT would not only cause subsequent volatilization but also decrease the toxicity of TBT species in the marine environment.
The influence of exposure history on arsenic accumulation and toxicity in the killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus
Authors: Shaw Joseph R. , Jackson Brian , Gabor Kristin , Stanton Sara , Hamilton Joshua W. , Stanton Bruce A.
Published: November 2007

Exposure to arsenic is known to cause adverse effects in aquatic biota and wildlife and is of major concern to human health. Although numerous studies have investigated the toxicity of arsenic, little is known about the effects of acquired tolerance on arsenic accumulation and toxicity outside of cell culture models. Accordingly, studies were conducted on the estuarine fish, Fundulus heteroclitus, that were preexposed to nontoxic concentrations of arsenic (as sodium arsenite; 0.7 and 106 μmol As/L) for 96 h or naïve to elevated arsenic to determine the effects of acclimation on arsenic toxicity and accumulation. Tolerance to arsenic was rapidly (96 h) acquired in killifish that were preexposed. In toxicity tests with arsenic-acclimated killifish, preexposure to 106 μmol As/L resulted in a reduction in toxicity when compared to näive animals. Toxicity in arsenic-acclimated fish also was distinguished by a delayed onset of mortality that manifested in dose-dependent fashion and was significant even for the lower acclimation concentration (0.7 μmol As/L). The increase tolerance acquired following preexposure to 106 μmol As/L for 96 h was associated with lower concentrations of arsenic in all monitored tissues (e.g., gill, liver, kidney) and the whole body when fish were exposed to 240 μmol As/L for an additional 96 h. In accordance with these observations, expression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP)-2 gene, which is responsible for transporting arsenic conjugated to glutathione out of cells, was increased in the liver of arsenic-acclimated fish.
Release of elements to natural water from sediments of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, USA
Authors: Paulson Anthony J. , Cox Stephen E.
Published: November 2007

Reservoir sediments from Lake Roosevelt (WA, USA) that were contaminated with smelter waste discharged into the Columbia River (BC, Canada) were examined using three measures of elemental release reflecting varying degrees of physical mixing and time scales. Aqueous concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the interstitial water of reservoir sediments, in the gently stirred overlying waters of incubated sediment cores, and in supernatants of aggressively tumbled slurries of reservoir sediments generally were higher than the concentrations from a reference site. When compared to chronic water-quality criteria, all three measures of release suggest that slag-contaminated sediments near the U.S.–Canadian border are potentially toxic as a result of Cu release and Pb release in two of the three measures. All three measures of Cd release suggest potential toxicity for one site farther down the reservoir, probably contaminated as a result of transport and adsorption of Cd from smelter liquid waste. Releases of Zn and As did not appear to be potentially toxic. Carbonate geochemistry indirectly affects the potential toxicity by increasing water hardness.
Sorption of steroid estrogens to soil and soil constituents in single- and multi-sorbate systems
Authors: Bonin Julia L. , Simpson Myrna J.
Published: November 2007

The sorptive behavior of 17 β-estradiol (estradiol), estrone, and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) from aqueous solutions to four soil samples, two clay minerals, and sand was examined. The measured sorption isotherms were found to be nonlinear and soil isotherm data fit the Freundlich model. Alternatively, both the Langmuir and Freundlich models were used for the mineral samples. The sorption affinity of steroid estrogens was found to be greater for montmorillonite than kaolinite and the sand. The soil Freundlich coefficients (KF) for estradiol, estrone, and EE2 were observed to increase with organic carbon (OC) content, and resulting Freundlich coefficients that were normalized to the OC content (KFOC) were observed to be within the same range for estradiol and estrone but not for EE2. Sorption of steroid estrogens in soil appears to be governed by OC and expanding clay mineral content; thus, estimating sorption coefficients from physicochemical properties may underestimate sorption in soils or sediments that are rich in OC and smectitic clay minerals. Analysis of soils by solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance did not reveal any trends between sorption capacity and organic matter structure. Competitive sorption experiments revealed that the degree of competition varied with the OC and mineral content, further suggesting that specific soil properties are important for understanding sorption of estrogens in terrestrial environments.
Effects on growth and physiological parameters in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in soil and irrigated with cyanobacterial toxin contaminated water
Authors: Pflugmacher Stephan , Hofmann Jeannette , Hübner Bettina
Published: November 2007

The present study investigates the germination and growth of Triticum aestivum exposed to two different microcystins (microcystin-LR [where the two variable places in the toxin molecule are leucine (L) and arginine (R) (MC-LR)] and microcystin-RR) and to cell-free cyanobacterial crude extract containing MC-LR. The concentration of the microcystins was set to 0.5 μg L−1 and therefore is in the range of concentrations normally detected in the environment. In three experiments, the inhibition of germination, the inhibition of root and shoot development, photosynthesis, and activity of oxidative stress-response enzymes, such as glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, were measured. All plants were placed in pots containing normal garden soil to investigate the effects of soil in the uptake of toxin by Triticum aestivum. The results showed clear effects on the morphology of roots and shoots, which were inhibited in exposures with cyanotoxins and crude extract. The inhibition of photosynthesis and the elevation of antioxidative-response enzymes indicate the generation of reactive oxygen species due to the exposure to the toxins resulting in oxidative stress for the plants.
Laboratory calibration and field deployment of the Polar organic chemical integrative sampler for pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater and surface water
Authors: MacLeod Sherri L. , McClure Evelyn L. , Wong Charles S.
Published: November 2007

Aqueous sampling rates for 25 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were determined on the commercially available passive Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS). To date, POCIS calibration has only been carried out for a handful of compounds. Uptake rates were 0.040 to 2.462 L/d under conditions of flowing water; quiescent conditions resulted in uptake rates between 0.016 and 0.223 L/d. The uptake of many PPCPs appears to be boundary-layer controlled, as indicated by higher sampling rates under flowing conditions. Sampling rates were corrected for analyte dissipation rates, and some correlations with octanol–water partition coefficients were noted. Field deployments of POCIS in wastewater effluent and surface waters had time-weighted average concentrations derived from laboratory calibrations that were consistent with regular grab samples. This work indicates that POCIS can be used as a quantitative tool for measuring PPCPs in the aquatic environment.
Analysis of pyrethroids in sediment pore water by solid-phase microextraction
Authors: Bondarenko Svetlana , Spurlock Frank , Gan Jianying
Published: November 2007

Sediment toxicity from trace contamination of pyrethroid insecticides is an emerging water quality concern. Pyrethroids are highly hydrophobic, and their sediment toxicity is related to the freely dissolved concentration in pore water. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was evaluated as a selective method to analyze free concentrations of eight pyrethroids in sediment pore water, and SPME measurements were compared to total pore-water concentrations measured using a conventional liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) method. Free pore-water concentrations detected by SPME (Cw-SPME) were 4.1 to 37% of the total concentration given by LLE (Cw-LLE) in pore water prepared from a freshwater sediment and only 3.2 to 13.3% in the pore water of a marine sediment. The difference suggested predominant partitioning of pyrethroids into the dissolved organic matter phase in pore water. The method detection limits of the SPME method were lower than the 10th percentile of the reported median lethal concentrations for aquatic organisms, with relative standard deviation <20% as determined over 200 analyses. The SPME method was further used to analyze field-contaminated sediment samples. Those analyses showed that the phase distribution of pyrethroids in sediment was influenced by sediment type and other conditions. Our results show that SPME provides a sensitive, reproducible, and practical method for screening sediment toxicity from potential pyrethroid contamination.
Reconciling Wildlife Management's Conflicted Purpose With a Land Community Worldview
Authors: PETERSON M. NILS , RILEY SHAWN J. , BUSCH LAWRENCE , LIU JIANGUO
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT To reach its potential wildlife management needs a coherent purpose. Traditional divisions between science, society, and nature, however, create conflicts between responsibility to science, the public, and nature. These divisions emerged as early as Plato's (400 BC) allegory of the cave. In Plato's allegory human society existed inside a cave formed by its own delusions, and a philosopher or scientist could leave the cave and apprehend reality in nature. Wildlife management's simultaneous responsibility to public preferences, objective truth, and biotic integrity provides the foundation for a conservation worldview capable of transcending the divisions embodied in Plato's allegory. In this paper we deconstruct the conflicted worldview standing on that foundation and describe a land community‐based worldview for wildlife management that could replace it. The transition from traditional views of science, society, and nature to a land community worldview requires 1) changing scientific stewardship from seeking objective truth to seeking credible truth, 2) changing political stewardship from following societal dictates to representing wildlife within the land community, and 3) changing ethical stewardship from protecting biotic integrity to fighting permanent closure of land community boundaries. Adopting a land community worldview for wildlife management requires relinquishing the illusion of absolute objectivity and a fall from status as neutral arbiters of knowledge but provides a means for honorably seeking reliable knowledge, serving the public and respecting the land community.