Nutrient content in aboveground biomass of Brazilian peanut cultivars in conservation tillage on sugarcane straw and pasture area.

Fields studies were conducted in 2004/2005 in order to evaluate the effects of tillage on nutrient content in aboveground biomass of two peanut cultivars, cultivated in rotation after mechanical harvested sugarcane and pastures. These trials were carried out in two types of soils; Oxisol and Ultisol, respectively in Ribeir?ao Preto and Mirassol, S?ao Paulo State, Brazil. The experimental design was split-plot with four replications. Tillage treatments (conventional, minimum and no-tillage) were main plots while sub-plots were peanut genotypes IAC-Tatu ST (Valencia market-type, erect growth habit, red seed coat, maturity range around 100 days after planting) and IAC-Caiap´o (Runner market-type, prostate growth habit, pink testa, maturity range more than 135 days). From 15 to 90 days after emergence, samples of leaves and stems were harvested, dried, weighted and ground to determine macro and micronutrient concentration. At 75 days after sowing, the cultivar IAC-Caiap´o showed higher contents of N, P, K, Cu, and Zn while IAC-Tatu presented higher concentrations of Ca, Mg, and S. Zn content was higher in conservation tillage than in conventional, mainly in Oxisoil for both of cultivars

Bactérias promotoras de crescimento e adubação nitrogenada no crescimento inicial de cana-de-açúcar proveniente de mudas pré-brotadas

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da inoculação de bactérias promotoras de crescimento sobre a formação de mudas pré?brotadas de cana?de?açúcar, oriundas de gemas individualizadas, e quantificar o crescimento inicial dessas mudas, em associação à aplicação de nitrogênio, em solo de baixa fertilidade. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos: um em casa de vegetação, com duração de 50 dias, e o outro, em vasos no campo, com duração de 180 dias. Em ambos os experimentos, utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 2x3, no primeiro experimento ? com ou sem inoculante, e com três quantidades de reserva nas gemas ?, e 2x2x4, no segundo ? com ou sem inoculante, com ou sem nitrogênio, avaliados em quatro épocas: aos 45, 90, 135 e 180 dias. O inoculante produziu efeito na fase inicial de crescimento das mudas pré?brotadas, com aumento na velocidade de brotação e no acúmulo da matéria seca de raízes e da parte aérea, independentemente da quantidade de reserva da gema. No segundo experimento, o inoculante promoveu ganhos no crescimento inicial da parte aérea e do sistema radicular, até os 180 dias após o transplantio, com aumento em altura, perfilhamento, diâmetro do colmo, produção da matéria seca de colmos e de palha e do comprimento radicular, independentemente da aplicação de nitrogênio. O inoculante tem efeito fisiológico positivo sobre o crescimento das plantas

The impact of a uniform ocean warming on the West African monsoon

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordAvailability of data and materials: CMIP6 data was accessed from the ESGF CEDA data node https://esgf-index1.ceda.ac.uk/search/cmip6-ceda/. Data from the HadGEM2-A spin-up experiments are archived at the Met Office and available from the authors on request for research purposes.Projections of West African Monsoon (WAM) precipitation are uncertain. To address this, an improved understanding of the mechanisms driving WAM precipitation change is needed to shed light on inter-model differences and aid model development. The full forcing of increased CO2 can be decomposed into different components such as the impact of ocean warming, or the direct radiative effect of increased CO2. This paper investigates such a decomposition, analysing the effect of a uniform 4K ocean warming whilst keeping atmospheric CO2 concentrations constant. The analysis highlights several mechanisms acting to decrease WAM precipitation over a range of timescales, from days after the abrupt ocean warming, to the long-term equilibrium response. The initial decrease in WAM precipitation is caused by warming and enhanced convection over the ocean, stabilising the atmosphere inland and disrupting the monsoon inflow at low levels. Later in the response (after about 5 days), the WAM precipitation is reduced through a strengthening of the shallow circulation over West Africa, associated with changes in the large-scale temperature gradients and a local warming of the atmosphere related to a soil moisture feedback mechanism over the Sahel. Finally, from around 20 days after the SST increase, the WAM precipitation is also reduced through changes in specific humidity gradients that lead to increased potency of dry air advection into the monsoon rainband. The analysis concludes by demonstrating that the processes affecting precipitation in the early stages of the response are also relevant to the long-term equilibrium response.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)UK-China Research & Innovation Partnership Fund

Analysis of stiffness and flexural strength of a reinforced concrete beam using an invented reinforcement system

In this study, we conducted experimental tests on two specimens of reinforced concrete beams using a three-point bending test to optimize the flexure and stiffness designs. The first specimen is a reinforced concrete beam with an ordinary reinforcement, and the second specimen has an invented reinforcement system that consists of an ordinary reinforcement in addition to three additional bracings using steel bars and steel plates. The results of the flexure test were collected and analyzed, and the flexural strength, the rate of damage during bending, and the stiffness were determined. Finite element modeling was applied for both specimens using the LSDYNA program, and the simulation results of the flexure test for the same outputs were determined. The results of the experimental tests showed that the flexural strength of the invented reinforcement system was significantly enhanced by 15.5% compared to the ordinary system. Moreover, the flexural cracks decreased to a significant extent, manifesting extremely small and narrow cracks in the flexure spread along the bottom face of the concrete. In addition, the maximum deflection for the invented reinforced concrete beam decreased to 1/3 compared to that of an ordinary reinforced concrete beam. The results were verified through numerical simulations, which demonstrated excellent similarities between the flexural failure and the stiffness of the beam. The invented reinforcement system exhibited a high capability in boosting the flexure design and stiffness

Effects of fluoxetine on functional outcomes after acute stroke (FOCUS): a pragmatic, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial

Background Results of small trials indicate that fluoxetine might improve functional outcomes after stroke. The FOCUS trial aimed to provide a precise estimate of these effects. Methods FOCUS was a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel group, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial done at 103 hospitals in the UK. Patients were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, had a clinical stroke diagnosis, were enrolled and randomly assigned between 2 days and 15 days after onset, and had focal neurological deficits. Patients were randomly allocated fluoxetine 20 mg or matching placebo orally once daily for 6 months via a web-based system by use of a minimisation algorithm. The primary outcome was functional status, measured with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), at 6 months. Patients, carers, health-care staff, and the trial team were masked to treatment allocation. Functional status was assessed at 6 months and 12 months after randomisation. Patients were analysed according to their treatment allocation. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN83290762. Findings Between Sept 10, 2012, and March 31, 2017, 3127 patients were recruited. 1564 patients were allocated fluoxetine and 1563 allocated placebo. mRS data at 6 months were available for 1553 (99·3%) patients in each treatment group. The distribution across mRS categories at 6 months was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (common odds ratio adjusted for minimisation variables 0·951 [95% CI 0·839–1·079]; p=0·439). Patients allocated fluoxetine were less likely than those allocated placebo to develop new depression by 6 months (210 [13·43%] patients vs 269 [17·21%]; difference 3·78% [95% CI 1·26–6·30]; p=0·0033), but they had more bone fractures (45 [2·88%] vs 23 [1·47%]; difference 1·41% [95% CI 0·38–2·43]; p=0·0070). There were no significant differences in any other event at 6 or 12 months. Interpretation Fluoxetine 20 mg given daily for 6 months after acute stroke does not seem to improve functional outcomes. Although the treatment reduced the occurrence of depression, it increased the frequency of bone fractures. These results do not support the routine use of fluoxetine either for the prevention of post-stroke depression or to promote recovery of function. Funding UK Stroke Association and NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme