Mechanistic framework to link root growth models with weather and soil physical properties, including example applications to soybean growth in Brazil

Background and aimsRoot elongation is generally limited by a combination of mechanical impedance and water stress in most arable soils. However, dynamic changes of soil penetration resistance with soil water content are rarely included in models for predicting root growth. Better modelling frameworks are needed to understand root growth interactions between plant genotype, soil management, and climate. Aim of paper is to describe a new model of root elongation in relation to soil physical characteristics like penetration resistance, matric potential, and hypoxia.MethodsA new diagrammatic framework is proposed to illustrate the interaction between root elongation, soil management, and climatic conditions. The new model was written in Matlab®, using the root architecture model RootBox and a model that solves the 1D Richards equations for water flux in soil. Inputs: root architectural parameters for Soybean; soil hydraulic properties; root water uptake function in relation to matric flux potential; root elongation rate as a function of soil physical characteristics. Simulation scenarios: (a) compact soil layer at 16 to 20 cm; (b) test against a field experiment in Brazil during contrasting drought and normal rainfall seasons.Results(a) Soil compaction substantially slowed root growth into and below the compact layer. (b) Simulated root length density was very similar to field measurements, which was influenced greatly by drought. The main factor slowing root elongation in the simulations was evaluated using a stress reduction function.ConclusionThe proposed framework offers a way to explore the interaction between soil physical properties, weather and root growth. It may be applied to most root elongation models, and offers the potential to evaluate likely factors limiting root growth in different soils and tillage regimes

Soil-cement masonry brick production and construction process mapping for social interest housing

O assunto sustentabilidade vem crescendo cada vez mais, junto com a necessidade de redução de emissão de gás carbônico por todo o mundo. De modo que projetos, técnicas, e materiais que não prejudiquem o meio ambiente estão ganhando espaço nas pesquisas e nos mercados. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo principal um estudo de caso do processo produtivo e construtivo com tijolo solo-cimento, mais conhecido como tijolo ecológico, de uma HIS (Habitação de Interesse Social) na cidade de Limeira-SP. Para isso foram realizados o mapeamento do processo produtivo dos tijolos, os quais são produzidos pelo próprio mutuário na olaria da prefeitura, e o mapeamento da construção da alvenaria em obra. Foram abordados conceitos Lean, tais como: Lean Construction e Mapeamento de Fluxo de Valor (MFV). Os resultados encontrados foram satisfatórios, de modo que se propôs uma diminuição no tempo de produção dos tijolos solo-cimento em quase 50%, usando a ferramenta mapeamento de fluxo de valor. Foi possível diminuir em dois dias o tempo de construção da alvenaria de tijolo solo-cimento para uma residência de aproximadamente 50 m2, apenas introduzindo atividades em paralelo e utilizando a mão de obra de maneira mais eficiente244sem informaçãoSustainability issue is growing more and more, along with the need to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide around the world. So, projects, techniques and materials that don’t harm the environment are gaining ground in research and markets. This work has as main objective a case study of the production and construction process of soil-cement brick, better known as ecological brick, of a SIH (Social Interest Housing) in the city of Limeira-SP. Other pertinent objectives of this research are the mapping of the productive process of the bricks, which are produced by the borrower himself in the brick factory, and the material flow mapping on construction. For this, Lean concepts will be addressed such as: Lean construction and value flow mapping (VSM) will be addressed. The results were satisfactory, so that a reduction without time of production in the ecological pottery of the soil-cement bricks is proposed in almost 50%, using value-flow mapping. It was possible to reduce in two days the time of construction of masonry of soil-cement brick to a residence of approximately 50m2, only to introduce activities in parallel and to use a labor with more efficient waysem informaçã

Passive Sensing of Preteens’ Smartphone Use: An Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Cohort Substudy

BackgroundConcerns abound regarding childhood smartphone use, but studies to date have largely relied on self-reported screen use. Self-reporting of screen use is known to be misreported by pediatric samples and their parents, limiting the accurate determination of the impact of screen use on social, emotional, and cognitive development. Thus, a more passive, objective measurement of smartphone screen use among children is needed. ObjectiveThis study aims to passively sense smartphone screen use by time and types of apps used in a pilot sample of children and to assess the feasibility of passive sensing in a larger longitudinal sample. MethodsThe Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study used passive, objective phone app methods for assessing smartphone screen use over 4 weeks in 2019-2020 in a subsample of 67 participants (aged 11-12 years; 31/67, 46% female; 23/67, 34% White). Children and their parents both reported average smartphone screen use before and after the study period, and they completed a questionnaire regarding the acceptability of the study protocol. Descriptive statistics for smartphone screen use, app use, and protocol feasibility and acceptability were reviewed. Analyses of variance were run to assess differences in categorical app use by demographics. Self-report and parent report were correlated with passive sensing data. ResultsSelf-report of smartphone screen use was partly consistent with objective measurement (r=0.49), although objective data indicated that children used their phones more than they reported. Passive sensing revealed the most common types of apps used were for streaming (mean 1 hour 57 minutes per day, SD 1 hour 32 minutes), communication (mean 48 minutes per day, SD 1 hour 17 minutes), gaming (mean 41 minutes per day, SD 41 minutes), and social media (mean 36 minutes per day, SD 1 hour 7 minutes). Passive sensing of smartphone screen use was generally acceptable to children (43/62, 69%) and parents (53/62, 85%). ConclusionsThe results of passive, objective sensing suggest that children use their phones more than they self-report. Therefore, use of more robust methods for objective data collection is necessary and feasible in pediatric samples. These data may then more accurately reflect the impact of smartphone screen use on behavioral and emotional functioning. Accordingly, the ABCD study is implementing a passive sensing protocol in the full ABCD cohort. Taken together, passive assessment with a phone app provided objective, low-burden, novel, informative data about preteen smartphone screen use

Estudo da incidência de coledocolitíase em pacientes com colecistite calculosa aguda e crônica submetidos à colecistectomia vídeolaparoscópica

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a incidência da coledocolitiase em pacientes submetidos à colecistectomia laparoscópica, portadores de colecistopatia calculosa aguda e crônica. O presente estudo, também, analisa se a era laparoscópica modificou a incidência e a história natural da litíase da via biliar quando compara os dados da literatura com os índices do Grupo estudado. MÉTODO: O estudo foi realizado em um Grupo de 946 pacientes, distribuídos em Grupo A de 214 pacientes de 1991-1995 e Grupo B de 732 pacientes de 1999-2007 colecistectomizados pelo método laparoscópico. O critério diagnóstico de coledocolitíase foi estabelecido por colangiofluoroscopia de rotina em todas as operações. RESULTADOS: A incidência total de coledocolitiase no Grupo A de 9,8% e no B de 5,8% não mostram diferença estatística significativa entre si e com a literatura mundial (p=0,08).Nos pacientes operados por colecistite aguda também não se observou diferença estatística entre o grupo A e B na incidência de litíase da via biliar( p=0,8). A análise dos dados nos pacientes operados por colecistite crônica revela uma taxa de coledocolitíase menor no Grupo B de 3,7% com significância estatística do que no A de 8,4% p=0,03. CONCLUSÃO: O presente estudo revela uma diminuição expressiva na incidência de coledocolitiase no Grupo B em relação ao A e a literatura mundial quando a indicação cirúrgica ocorre na fase não complicada da doença litiásica biliar. O estudo também demonstra um aumento significativo na indicação da colecistectomia laparoscópica eletiva mais precoce no Grupo B como já observado em diversas publicações da literatura médica