Base de dados geográficos do “Corredor de Nacala”, Moçambique

The demand for agricultural products has been increasing in all countries in the last decades. Together with the decrease in natural resources and the possible impacts to agriculture caused by climatic changes, this aspect has aroused concerns in terms of the development of new global agricultural frontiers. In this context, some regions in Africa have been drawing attention from the world due to their edaphoclimatic conditions, which are favorable for agricultural development. The vision of a modern and dynamic agriculture must be based on the capacity of applying appropriate knowledge and technologies to the environment, as well as to the country´s economic and social situation. Such condition demands the installment of an efficient agricultural innovation system composed by a technical and operational structure which is able to support the agricultural industry along all its stages. Thus, this article aims at presenting some contributions to the formatting of a geographic database of natural resources for the Nacala Corridor, Mozambique. Geotechnology instruments were used for planning, generating and maintaining the accomplished database's data and information. This database will subsidize the integrated management of the region's geographic space from spatial information about landscape, soil, climate, land use, and land cover, thus subsidizing the management of the natural resources and of Mozambique's agricultural sustainability as well.Pages: 3995-400

Uso da banda termal do satélite LANDSAT-5 e técnicas de geoestatística na estimativa da degradação da Atrazina no solo em diferentes épocas do ano

Improper use of pesticides can lead to significant environmental impacts, such as contamination of various environmental compartments, been the most vulnerable, the aquatic compartments. The degradation rate defines the persistence of a pesticide in the soil profile. The temperature is a factor that causes effects on the degradation rate of pesticides, changing the speed of the metabolism of microorganisms. The thermal band of LANDSAT-5 satellite is able to obtain the estimated temperature of the soil surface. This study aims to assess the employability of thermal band of LANDSAT-5 satellite and geostatistical techniques, to obtain estimates of the degradation rate of Atrazine on two different dates in the year 2010. To obtain the results was performed a geometric and atmospheric correction of the images, together with the results of vegetation index and the use of mathematical models. It can be concluded that the use of thermal band of LANDSAT-5 satellite captured by the sensor TM and geostatistical techniques have contributed greatly to obtain the estimate of the rate of atrazine degradation in the soil surface. Using non-intrusive techniques (remote) to simulate the degradation rate of a pesticide helps to consider its use in places and times of year, indicating regions suitable for your use.Pages: 4161-416

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Geoeconomic variations in epidemiology, ventilation management, and outcomes in invasively ventilated intensive care unit patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome: a pooled analysis of four observational studies

Background: Geoeconomic variations in epidemiology, the practice of ventilation, and outcome in invasively ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain unexplored. In this analysis we aim to address these gaps using individual patient data of four large observational studies. Methods: In this pooled analysis we harmonised individual patient data from the ERICC, LUNG SAFE, PRoVENT, and PRoVENT-iMiC prospective observational studies, which were conducted from June, 2011, to December, 2018, in 534 ICUs in 54 countries. We used the 2016 World Bank classification to define two geoeconomic regions: middle-income countries (MICs) and high-income countries (HICs). ARDS was defined according to the Berlin criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to compare patients in MICs versus HICs. The primary outcome was the use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) for the first 3 days of mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes were key ventilation parameters (tidal volume size, positive end-expiratory pressure, fraction of inspired oxygen, peak pressure, plateau pressure, driving pressure, and respiratory rate), patient characteristics, the risk for and actual development of acute respiratory distress syndrome after the first day of ventilation, duration of ventilation, ICU length of stay, and ICU mortality. Findings: Of the 7608 patients included in the original studies, this analysis included 3852 patients without ARDS, of whom 2345 were from MICs and 1507 were from HICs. Patients in MICs were younger, shorter and with a slightly lower body-mass index, more often had diabetes and active cancer, but less often chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure than patients from HICs. Sequential organ failure assessment scores were similar in MICs and HICs. Use of LTVV in MICs and HICs was comparable (42·4% vs 44·2%; absolute difference -1·69 [-9·58 to 6·11] p=0·67; data available in 3174 [82%] of 3852 patients). The median applied positive end expiratory pressure was lower in MICs than in HICs (5 [IQR 5-8] vs 6 [5-8] cm H2O; p=0·0011). ICU mortality was higher in MICs than in HICs (30·5% vs 19·9%; p=0·0004; adjusted effect 16·41% [95% CI 9·52-23·52]; p<0·0001) and was inversely associated with gross domestic product (adjusted odds ratio for a US$10 000 increase per capita 0·80 [95% CI 0·75-0·86]; p<0·0001). Interpretation: Despite similar disease severity and ventilation management, ICU mortality in patients without ARDS is higher in MICs than in HICs, with a strong association with country-level economic status