Uso da Terra no Rebordo do Planalto do Rio Grande do Sul

Using images from Google Earth Pro we described land occupationand its use in a small basin located in the Plateau Border areas of the RioGrande do Sul State, Brazil. Our results showed that in spite of intensereplacement of native vegetation into agriculture, the changes in land usealong the years resulted in the restoration of native vegetation. Nowadaysforest is the main land use in these areas. The sequence that best representsthe changes in land use is: agriculture pasture fallow forest. Soilsin areas under forest are shallow and stony. In the areas under cultivationsoils are deeper and not stony. This information indicates that land-use maps shall be used for predicting soil characteristics in digital mappingprocedures. Images from Google Earth Pro allowed discriminating adequatelyland-use classes, what makes this tool adequate for land-use studies.Utilizando imagens do aplicativo Google Earth Pro, foram descritosa ocupação e uso da terra numa pequena bacia hidrográfica na regiãodo Rebordo do Planalto do Rio Grande do Sul. Os resultados mostramque, apesar da intensa substituição da vegetação nativa para o cultivoagropecuário, as mudanças ocorridas no uso da terra resultaram na regeneraçãoda vegetação natural e atual predomínio de áreas florestadas. Asequência que melhor representa essas mudanças é: lavoura pecuáriacapoeira floresta. Os solos das áreas ocupadas por floresta natural sãopedregosos e rasos, ao contrário das áreas sob cultivo. Isso indica que mapasde uso da terra devem ser utilizados na predição de características dosolo em trabalhos de mapeamento digital. Além disso, as imagensdisponibilizadas pelo aplicativo Google Earth Pro permitiram a discriminaçãoadequada das classes de uso da terra, devendo ser utilizadas em trabalhoscom essa finalidade.Palavras-chave: sensoriament

Open legacy soil survey data in Brazil: geospatial data quality and how to improve it

Spatial soil data applications require sound geospatial data including coordinates and a coordinate reference system. However, when it comes to legacy soil data we frequently find them to be missing or incorrect. This paper assesses the quality of the geospatial data of legacy soil observations in Brazil, and evaluates geospatial data sources (survey reports, maps, spatial data infrastructures, web mapping services) and expert knowledge as a means to fix inconsistencies. The analyses included several consistency checks performed on 6,195 observations from the Brazilian Soil Information System. The positional accuracy of geospatial data sources was estimated so as to obtain an indication of the quality for fixing inconsistencies. The coordinates of 20 soil observations, estimated using the web mapping service, were validated with the true coordinates measured in the field. Overall, inconsistencies of different types and magnitudes were found in half of the observations, causing mild to severe misplacements. The involuntary substitution of symbols and numeric characters with similar appearance when recording geospatial data was the most common typing mistake. Among the geospatial data sources, the web mapping service was the most useful, due to operational advantages and lower positional error (~6 m). However, the quality of the description of the observation location controls the accuracy of estimated coordinates. Thus, the error of coordinates estimated using the web mapping service ranged between 30 and 1000 m. This is equivalent to coordinates measured from arc-seconds to arc-minutes, respectively. Under this scenario, the feedback from soil survey experts is crucial to improving the quality of geospatial data

Abordagem Integrada Para Avaliação de Aterros Encerrados

The disposal of solid urban wastes (RSU) on inappropriate placesplays an important role on environmental degradation. To reverse this situation, the federal government developed the National Policy on SolidWaste (NPSW). A useful tool to accomplish the NPSW goals is theintegrated use of SAPUT (Evaluation System of the Urban Land UsePotential) and ClaRCA (Environmental Contamination Rating Risk).The application of this integrated approach to a closed landfill in SantaMaria, RS, Brazil, shows that while 1) ClaRCA defines the urgencydegree of intervention measures adoption, 2) SAPUT points in whichdirection these measures must be taken. In this particular case, it wasidentified to be urgent the intervention measures adoption to avoidthe contact of the leachate generated by the landfill with the aquiferand surface water bodies.O descarte de resíduos sólidos urbanos (RSU) em locais inadequados é um dos principais responsáveis pela degradação ambiental. Com vistas a reverter esse quadro, o governo federal elaborou a Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS). Uma ferramenta útil para atingir as metas da PNRS é o uso integrado do SAPUT (Sistema de Avaliação do Potencial de Uso Urbano das Terras) e da ClaRCA (Classificação do Risco de Contaminação Ambiental). A aplicação dessa abordagem integrada a um aterro encerrado em Santa Maria, RS, mostra que, enquanto 1) a ClaRCA define o grau de urgência na adoção de medidas de intervenção, 2) o SAPUT aponta em que direção essas medidas devem ser tomadas. No caso em estudo, foi identificado ser urgente a adoção de medidas para evitar o contato do chorume gerado pelo aterro com o aquífero e corpos d'água superficiais

A poluição Causada por Aterros de Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos sobre os Recursos Hídricos

This study shows that Caturrita closed landfill site (Santa Maria, RS, Brazil)causes a large contamination of superficial water resources. There areproblems in the leachate collection system and the stabilization ponds areineffective in removing the pollutant load of the leachate collected. Sinceresidue decomposition may take several decades after landfill closure, the potential of environmental contamination may be even larger. Estimatesshow that until the complete stabilization of the landfill site it still may introduce14,5 Mg of soluble organic carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, sodium,potassium, calcium and iron ions directly in superficial water bodies.Esse trabalho mostra que o aterro encerrado da Caturrita, Santa Maria, estado do Rio Grande do Sul (RS), causa grande contaminação dos recursos hídricos superficiais. Como a decomposição dos resíduos pode se estender por décadas após a desativação do aterro, o potencial de contaminação ambiental é ainda maior. Estima-se que até a completa estabilização do aterro encerrado da Caturrita ainda sejam lançados, aproximadamente, 14,5 Mg de carbono orgânico solúvel, fósforo, nitrogênio, sódio, potássio, cálcio e ferro

Impact of burning on soil chemical attributes and organic matter composition and on vegetation

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito residual de queimadas periódicas nos atributos químicos, teor e composição da matéria orgânica de um Latossolo Vermelho e na composição química da vegetação predominante. Os ambientes estudados foram: campo nativo pastejado, sem queima e sem roçada (PN); campo nativo queimado e pastejado (PQ); e mata nativa adjacente à pastagem (MN). As amostras de solo foram coletadas nas camadas 0–5, 0–20, 20–40 e 40–60 cm, para determinação dos atributos de fertilidade, teores de carbono e nitrogênio, e realização das análises de espectroscopia de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR). A parte aérea da vegetação desses ambientes foi analisada por análise elementar e FTIR. A queima da pastagem reduziu os teores de N, Mg e K e aumentou a saturação por Al no solo, em comparação ao PN. No solo sob mata, os teores dos nutrientes foram menores, e os de C e N e a saturação por Al mais elevados do que em PN. A aromaticidade da matéria orgânica do solo não diferiu entre os três ambientes estudados e aumentou em profundidade. Na vegetação da pastagem queimada, observou-se menor teor de N e maior proporção de grupos silicatados, em comparação ao PN. A vegetação de mata apresentou maior quantidade de grupamentos nitrogenados e aromáticos do que a de PN e PQ.The objective of this study was to evaluate the residual effect of periodic burning on soil chemical attributes, composition of soil organic matter, and on vegetation of a Hapludox. Samples from three environments were studied: native pasture under grazing, without burning and shortening (NP); native pasture under grazing and burning (BP); and native forest (NF) adjacent to the pasture area. Soil samples were collected in four layers: 0–5, 0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm, in which fertility attributes and contents of C and N were determined, and analyses of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were performed. Samples from the above ground vegetation from these environments were analyzed through elemental analyses and FTIR. Pasture burning reduced soil contents of N, Mg and K, and increased Al saturation in soil, in comparison to NP soil. Nutrient contents were smaller in the soil samples under forest, when compared to NP, while C and N contents and Al saturation were greater. The aromatic character of soil organic matter did not differ among the studied environments, and increased with depth in all environments. In comparison to NP, BP vegetation had a lower N content and a greater proportion of Si groups. The forest vegetation contained more N and showed higher aromaticity than the pasture vegetation

SoilGrids1km — Global Soil Information Based on Automated Mapping

Background: Soils are widely recognized as a non-renewable natural resource and as biophysical carbon sinks. As such, there is a growing requirement for global soil information. Although several global soil information systems already exist, these tend to suffer from inconsistencies and limited spatial detail. Methodology/Principal Findings: We present SoilGrids1km — a global 3D soil information system at 1 km resolution — containing spatial predictions for a selection of soil properties (at six standard depths): soil organic carbon (g kg−1), soil pH, sand, silt and clay fractions (%), bulk density (kg m−3), cation-exchange capacity (cmol+/kg), coarse fragments (%), soil organic carbon stock (t ha−1), depth to bedrock (cm), World Reference Base soil groups, and USDA Soil Taxonomy suborders. Our predictions are based on global spatial prediction models which we fitted, per soil variable, using a compilation of major international soil profile databases (ca. 110,000 soil profiles), and a selection of ca. 75 global environmental covariates representing soil forming factors. Results of regression modeling indicate that the most useful covariates for modeling soils at the global scale are climatic and biomass indices (based on MODIS images), lithology, and taxonomic mapping units derived from conventional soil survey (Harmonized World Soil Database). Prediction accuracies assessed using 5–fold cross-validation were between 23–51%. Conclusions/Significance: SoilGrids1km provide an initial set of examples of soil spatial data for input into global models at a resolution and consistency not previously available. Some of the main limitations of the current version of SoilGrids1km are: (1) weak relationships between soil properties/classes and explanatory variables due to scale mismatches, (2) difficulty to obtain covariates that capture soil forming factors, (3) low sampling density and spatial clustering of soil profile locations. However, as the SoilGrids system is highly automated and flexible, increasingly accurate predictions can be generated as new input data become available. SoilGrids1km are available for download via http://soilgrids.org under a Creative Commons Non Commercial license

Development and Implementation of the AIDA International Registry for Patients with Non-Infectious Uveitis

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to point out the design, development and deployment of the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) International Registry for paediatric and adult patients with non-infectious uveitis (NIU). Methods: This is a physician-driven, population- and electronic-based registry implemented for both retrospective and prospective collection of real-world demographics, clinical, laboratory, instrumental and socioeconomic data of patients with uveitis and other non-infectious inflammatory ocular diseases recruited through the AIDA Network. Data recruitment, based on the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool, is thought to collect standardised information for real-life research and has been developed to change over time according to future scientific acquisitions and potentially communicate with other similar instruments. Security, data quality and data governance are cornerstones of this platform. Results: Ninety-five centres have been involved from 19 countries and four continents from 24 March to 16 November 2021. Forty-eight out of 95 have already obtained the approval from their local ethics committees. At present, the platform counts 259 users (95 principal investigators, 160 site investigators, 2 lead investigators, and 2 data managers). The AIDA Registry collects baseline and follow-up data using 3943 fields organised into 13 instruments, including patient's demographics, history, symptoms, trigger/risk factors, therapies and healthcare utilization for patients with NIU. Conclusions: The development of the AIDA Registry for patients with NIU will facilitate the collection of standardised data leading to real-world evidence and enabling international multicentre collaborative research through inclusion of patients and their families worldwide

Guidelines for the management of neuroendocrine tumours by the Brazilian gastrointestinal tumour group

Neuroendocrine tumours are a heterogeneous group of diseases with a significant variety of diagnostic tests and treatment modalities. Guidelines were developed by North American and European groups to recommend their best management. However, local particularities and relativisms found worldwide led us to create Brazilian guidelines. Our consensus considered the best feasible strategies in an environment involving more limited resources. We believe that our recommendations may be extended to other countries with similar economic standards.Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Canc Estado Sao Paulo, BR-01246000 Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Radiol & Oncol, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo, BrazilHosp Sirio Libanes, BR-01308050 Sao Paulo, BrazilHosp Moinhos de Vento Porto Alegre, BR-90035000 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilOncoctr, BR-30360680 Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Dept Cirurgia, BR-90040060 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilHosp Clin Porto Alegre, BR-90035903 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilUniv Fed Ceara, Fac Med, Dept Fisiol & Farmacol, BR-60020180 Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilHosp Univ Walter Cantidio, BR-60430370 Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilInst Nacl Canc, BR-20230240 Rio De Janeiro, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Disciplina Endocrinol & Metabol, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo, BrazilAC Camargo Canc Ctr, Dept Surg, BR-01509010 Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Gastroenterol, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Ciencias Saude Porto Alegre, BR-90050170 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilHosp Albert Einstein, BR-05652900 Sao Paulo, BrazilHosp Base, Fac Med Sao Jose do Rio Preto, BR-15090000 Sao Paulo, BrazilSanta Casa Sao Jose do Rio Preto, BR-15025500 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, BrazilPontificia Univ Catolica Parana, Hosp Erasto Gaertner, BR-81520060 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniv Fed Rio Grande do Norte, BR-59300000 Natal, RN, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Inst Coracao, BR-05403900 Sao Paulo, BrazilAC Camargo Canc Ctr, Med Oncol, BR-01509010 Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Disciplina Gastroenterol, BR-04021001 Sao Paulo, BrazilHosp Sao Rafael, BR-41253190 Salvador, BA, BrazilHosp Canc Barretos, Dept Cirurgia Aparelho Digest Alto & Hepatobiliop, BR-14784400 Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Patol, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo, BrazilClin AMO, BR-1950640 Salvador, BA, BrazilHosp Sao Jose, BR-01323001 Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Nove de Julho, BR-02111030 Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Disciplina Gastroenterol, BR-04021001 Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Spatio-Temporal Brain Mapping of Motion-Onset VEPs Combined with fMRI and Retinotopic Maps

Neuroimaging studies have identified several motion-sensitive visual areas in the human brain, but the time course of their activation cannot be measured with these techniques. In the present study, we combined electrophysiological and neuroimaging methods (including retinotopic brain mapping) to determine the spatio-temporal profile of motion-onset visual evoked potentials for slow and fast motion stimuli and to localize its neural generators. We found that cortical activity initiates in the primary visual area (V1) for slow stimuli, peaking 100 ms after the onset of motion. Subsequently, activity in the mid-temporal motion-sensitive areas, MT+, peaked at 120 ms, followed by peaks in activity in the more dorsal area, V3A, at 160 ms and the lateral occipital complex at 180 ms. Approximately 250 ms after stimulus onset, activity fast motion stimuli was predominant in area V6 along the parieto-occipital sulcus. Finally, at 350 ms (100 ms after the motion offset) brain activity was visible again in area V1. For fast motion stimuli, the spatio-temporal brain pattern was similar, except that the first activity was detected at 70 ms in area MT+. Comparing functional magnetic resonance data for slow vs. fast motion, we found signs of slow-fast motion stimulus topography along the posterior brain in at least three cortical regions (MT+, V3A and LOR)