A studying of solar-ENSO correlation with southern Brazil tree-ring index (1955?1994)

International audienceSolar activity, volcanic aerosol, El Niño-Southern Oscillation and global temperature anomalies effects on Southern Brazil tree growth rings are presented through multiple linear analysis. Linear correlations were made on annual, 10 year running averages and band pass filter. For annual averages, the correlation coefficients were low, and the 10 years running average correlations the coefficient correlations were much higher. The multiple regression of 2 to 5 year band pass filter indicates that 60% of the variance in tree ring index was explained by volcanic eruptions, Southern Oscillation Index and temperature anomalies. The multiple regression of 10 year running averages indicates that 84% of the variance in tree ring index was explained by solar activity and another time series. These results indicate that the effects of solar activity, volcanic eruptions, ENSO and temperature anomalies on tree rings are better seen on long timescales than volcanic eruption, ENSO and temperature anomaly

Factors associated with smoking in pregnancy

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify factors related to smoking during pregnancy. The sample included 267 puerperae hospitalized in the maternity unit of a university hospital in Porto Alegre/RS. The data were collected through a self-applied instrument and statistically analyzed. The majority of the puerperae (51.3%) were between 18 and 25 years old, 55.4% were nonsmokers, 25.5% were smokers, 19.1% had recently ceased smoking (in abstinence). The nonsmokers had more consultations than the smokers and the abstinent smokers (p=0.025). The number of women who had more than one child was higher among smokers than among nonsmokers and abstinent smokers (p=0.002). Women were more likely to stop smoking before pregnancy when they had a partner who was a nonsmoker (p=0.007). Several factors influence smoking and smoking cessation and these are important in prenatal interventions aimed at pregnant women and their partners

Qualidade tecnológica da cana-de-açúcar sob adubação com torta de filtro enriquecida com fosfato solúvel.

O trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o rendimento de açúcar em função da adubação com torta de filtro enriquecida com fontes solúveis de fósforo. O experimento foi conduzido a campo, em Presidente Prudente, SP. Adotou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos completos ao acaso, no esquema fatorial 5 x 4, em que o primeiro fator constou de níveis de torta de filtro (0; 0,5; 1,0; 2,0 e 4,0 t ha-1) e o segundo de níveis de fósforo (0, 50, 100, 200 kg ha-1 de P2O5), com 4 repetições, totalizando 80 parcelas. Os resultados indicaram que o fósforo aplicado no sulco de plantio melhora a qualidade da matériaprima da cana-de-açúcar, por meio do aumento nos teores de sólidos solúveis, de açúcares redutores totais e de sacarose nos colmos; o fósforo também aumenta a produtividade de açúcar. A torta de filtro aplicada no sulco de plantio da cana-de-açúcar tem potencial para substituir parcialmente a adubação química fosfatada visando à melhoria na qualidade e na produtividade de açúcar. A melhor combinação foi torta de filtro na dose entre 2,6 e 2,7 t ha-1 associada a 160 e 190 kg ha-1 de P2O5, para obter melhores respostas visando ao teor de sólidos solúveis e à produtividade de açúcar. Palavras-chave: Saccharum spp., adubação organomineral, superfosfato triplo, produtividade de açúcar Technological quality of sugarcane under fertilization with filter cake enriched with soluble phosphate. Technological quality of sugarcane under fertilization with filter cake enriched with soluble phosphate. The study had the objective to evaluate the effect of the fertilization with filter cake enriched with soluble phosphate on the sugar yield. The experiment carried at Presidente Prudente-SP, used a randomized complete block design, in the factorial scheme 5 x 4, where the first factor consisted of doses of filter cake (0; 0.5; 1.0; 2.0 and 4.0 t ha-1) and the second, doses of phosphorus fertilizer (0, 50, 100, 200 kg ha-1 of P2O5), with 4 replicates, totaling 80 plots. The results indicated that phosphorus applied in planting furrows improves the quality of sugarcane raw matter by increasing the levels of soluble solids, total reducing sugars and sucrose in the stalks. The phosphorus also increases the productivity of sugar. The filter cake applied in planting furrow has the potential to partially replace the chemical fertilization with phosphate aiming to improve the quality and the productivity of sugar. The best combination was filter cake at dose between 2.6 and 2.7 t ha-1 combined with dose between 160 and 190 kg P2O5 ha-1 for obtaining best response of soluble solids and productivity of sugar. JOSÉ S. S. FOLONI4 IAPAR FÁBIO R. ECHER1 UNESP Botucatu - Doutorand

Relation between workplace accidents and the levels of carboxyhemoglobin in motorcycle taxi drivers

OBJECTIVE: to investigate the relation between workplace accidents and the levels of carboxyhemoglobin found in motorcycle taxi drivers. METHOD: correlational, quantitative study involving 111 workers and data obtained in July 2012 through a questionnaire to characterize the participants and blood collection to measure carboxyhemoglobin levels. RESULT: 28.8% had suffered workplace accidents; 27.6% had fractured the lower limbs and significant symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure were verified in smokers. The carboxyhemoglobin levels were higher among smokers and victims of workplace accidents. CONCLUSION: motorcycle taxi drivers had increased levels of carboxyhemoglobin, possibly due to the exposure to carbon monoxide; these levels are also increased among smokers and victims of workplace accidents. The study provides advances in the knowledge about occupational health and environmental science, and also shows that carboxyhemoglobin can be an indicator of exposure to environmental pollutants for those working outdoors, which can be related to workplace accidents

Origins of the Ambient Solar Wind: Implications for Space Weather

The Sun's outer atmosphere is heated to temperatures of millions of degrees, and solar plasma flows out into interplanetary space at supersonic speeds. This paper reviews our current understanding of these interrelated problems: coronal heating and the acceleration of the ambient solar wind. We also discuss where the community stands in its ability to forecast how variations in the solar wind (i.e., fast and slow wind streams) impact the Earth. Although the last few decades have seen significant progress in observations and modeling, we still do not have a complete understanding of the relevant physical processes, nor do we have a quantitatively precise census of which coronal structures contribute to specific types of solar wind. Fast streams are known to be connected to the central regions of large coronal holes. Slow streams, however, appear to come from a wide range of sources, including streamers, pseudostreamers, coronal loops, active regions, and coronal hole boundaries. Complicating our understanding even more is the fact that processes such as turbulence, stream-stream interactions, and Coulomb collisions can make it difficult to unambiguously map a parcel measured at 1 AU back down to its coronal source. We also review recent progress -- in theoretical modeling, observational data analysis, and forecasting techniques that sit at the interface between data and theory -- that gives us hope that the above problems are indeed solvable.Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews. Special issue connected with a 2016 ISSI workshop on "The Scientific Foundations of Space Weather." 44 pages, 9 figure