Reference Area Research Articles

Genotoxic and mutagenic evaluation in Eisenia foetida annelids exposed to iron ore tailings from the region of Brumadinho, MG, Brazil

Soils that have a disproportion of metallic elements due to anthropic activities endanger the terrestrial fauna. This study evaluated whether earthworms (Eisenia foetida) exposed to ore tailings from Brumadinho region presented a higher frequency of genotoxic and mutagenic damages than annelids from a reference area (control). The animals were exposed to substrates containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% iron mining waste. The results indicated increased DNA damage (p < 0.05), detected by the comet assay at 25% and 50%. There was a three-fold increase in micronuclei in animals on the substrates with the highest concentrations (75% and 100%) [F = 3.095; p = 0.02]. The earthworms lost weight as the percentage of mining waste increased. We concluded that E. foetida presented DNA damage in the contaminated soils of Brumadinho. However, more research is fundamental, once the environmental disaster in Brumadinho was one of the biggest mining catastrophe in Brazil.

Human and environmental exposure to rare earth elements in gold mining areas in the northeastern Amazon

Rudimentary methods are used to exploit gold (Au) in several artisanal mines in the Amazon, producing hazardous wastes that may pose risks of contamination by rare earth elements (REEs). The objectives of this study were to quantify the concentrations of REEs and assess their environmental and human health risks in artisanal Au mining areas in the northeastern Amazon. Thus, 25 samples of soils and mining wastes were collected in underground, colluvial, and cyanidation exploration sites, as well as in a natural forest that was considered as a reference area. The concentrations of REEs were quantified using alkaline fusion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the results were used to estimate pollution indices and risks associated with the contaminants. All REEs showed higher concentrations in waste deposition areas than in the reference area, especially Ce, Sc, Nd, La, Pr, Sm, and Eu. Pollution and enrichment levels were higher in the underground and cyanidation mining areas, with very high contamination factors (6.2–27) for Ce, Eu, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, and Sc, and significant to very high enrichment factors (5.5–20) for Ce, La, Nd, Pr, and Sc. The ecological risk indices varied from moderate (167.3) to high (365.7) in the most polluted sites, but risks to human health were low in all areas studied. The results of this study indicate that artisanal Au mining has the potential to cause contamination, enrichment, and ecological risks by REEs in the northeastern Amazon. Mitigation measures should be implemented to protect the environment from the negative impacts of these contaminants.

Metallothionein expression in the central nervous system in response to chronic heavy metal exposure: possible neuroprotective mechanism

It has been reported that volcanoes release several tonnes of mercury per year among other heavy metals through eruptions, fumaroles, or diffuse soil degassing. Since a high percentage of the world's population lives in the vicinity of an active volcano, the aim of this study is to evaluate the accumulation of these metals in the central nervous system and the presence of cellular mechanisms of heavy metal detoxification such as metallothioneins. To carry out this study, wild mice (Mus musculus) chronically exposed to an active volcanic environment were captured in Furnas village (Azores, Portugal) and compared with those trapped in a reference area (Rabo de Peixe, Azores, Portugal). On the one hand, the heavy metal load has been evaluated by analyzing brain and cerebellum using ICP-MS and a mercury analyzer and on the other hand, the presence of metallothionein 2A has been studied by immunofluorescence assays. Our results show a higher load of metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead in the central nervous system of exposed mice compared to non-exposed individuals and, in addition, a higher immunoreactivity for metallothionein 2A in different areas of the cerebrum and cerebellum indicating a possible neuroprotection process.

Von „Studierenden“, „Mitarbeiter*innen“ und „Professoren“ – Geschlechtergerechte Personenbezeichnungen zwischen Varianz und Normierung

Gender-fair language has been a controversial and topical issue in Germany for over 50 years, both in public and in the professional discourse of German linguistics. In this article, two contiguous studies of gender-fair language at German universities are presented. In the first part, university guidelines for gender-fair language usage are subjected to a content analysis. In the second part, linguistic practice in the area of person reference is studied using a corpus compiled from a range of text types used in the internal and external communication of universities. The relation between the existing variance of language use and institutional attempts at standardization of gender-fair language are examined. In the two studies presented, the interplay between theory and practice becomes evident: There are tensions between theories motivating the options presented for gender-fair language and the goals formulated in university guidelines clash with the observable variation in language use. This work contributes to the current dialog on compulsory regulations on gender-fair language by providing data from writing practice while shedding light on ongoing processes of language change.

Identifying appropriate reference ecosystems based on soil indicators to evaluate postmining reclamation: A multivariate framework

ABSTRACTLarge-scale mining operations, such as those associated with iron extraction, disturb soils and vegetation and create the need for effective rehabilitation practices. The Iron Quadrangle region of southeastern Brazil is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots; however, iron mining activities threaten many natural and seminatural ecosystem types in which many rare/protected species occur. The Iron Quadrangle has four main ecosystem types: Atlantic Forest (AF), ferruginous rupestrian grassland with dense vegetation (FRG-D); ferruginous rupestrian grassland with sparse vegetation (FRG-S); and quartzite rupestrian grassland (QRG). To support rehabilitation and monitoring plans, we evaluated reference areas and identified soil and vegetative attributes that best differentiated between these four ecosystems. We measured thirty-four physical, chemical, and biological soil properties and two vegetation parameters and, using a multivariate analysis, detected: 1) correlations between properties and 2) differences between areas. We identified twelve properties that best differentiated the areas (in order from most to least relevant): nickel content; exchangeable aluminum; clay content; above-ground vegetation volume; aluminum saturation; particle density; bulk density; arsenic content; zinc content; lead content, fine sand plus silt content; and fine sand content. Soil physicochemical properties proved to be more sensitive to differences in ecosystem type, and in particular, parameters related to fertility and the presence of metals and semi-metals differentiated the AF from the FRG-D and FRG-S. Soil physical properties, including fine sand and silt content, were most important for differentiating QRG from the other ecosystems, possibly resulting from the exposure of quartzite material to erosive processes. This study demonstrates the importance of identifying appropriate reference areas for post-mining reclamation.

Instance segmentation of individual tree crowns with YOLOv5: A comparison of approaches using the ForInstance benchmark LiDAR dataset

Fine-grained information on the level of individual trees constitute key components for forest observation enabling forest management practices tackling the effects of climate change and the loss of biodiversity in forest ecosystems. Such information on individual tree crowns (ITC's) can be derived from the application of ITC segmentation approaches, which utilize remotely sensed data. However, many ITC segmentation approaches require prior knowledge about forest characteristics, which is difficult to obtain for parameterization. This can be avoided by the adoption of data-driven, automated workflows based on convolutional neural networks (CNN). To contribute to the advancements of efficient ITC segmentation approaches, we present a novel ITC segmentation approach based on the YOLOv5 CNN. We analyzed the performance of this approach on a comprehensive international unmanned aerial laser scanning (UAV-LS) dataset (ForInstance), which covers a wide range of forest types. The ForInstance dataset consists of 4192 individually annotated trees in high-density point clouds with point densities ranging from 498 to 9529 points m-2 collected across 80 sites. The original dataset was split into 70% for training and validation and 30% for model performance assessment (test data). For the best performing model, we observed a F1-score of 0.74 for ITC segmentation and a tree detection rate (DET %) of 64% in the test data. This model outperformed an ITC segmentation approach, which requires prior knowledge about forest characteristics, by 41% and 33% for F1-score and DET %, respectively. Furthermore, we tested the effects of reduced point densities (498, 50 and 10 points per m-2) on ITC segmentation performance. The YOLO model exhibited promising F1-scores of 0.69 and 0.62 even at point densities of 50 and 10 points m-2, respectively, which were between 27% and 34% better than the ITC approach that requires prior knowledge.Furthermore, the areas of ITC segments resulting from the application of the best performing YOLO model were close to the reference areas (RMSE = 3.19 m-2), suggesting that the YOLO-derived ITC segments can be used to derive information on ITC level.

FAMILY CRISIS CAUSED BY MIGRATION

The migration phenomenon represents a current social issue. Often, migration is motivated by the desire for a better life, and the effects experienced by children affect most areas of reference: behavioural, social, emotional, and educational. Going abroad involves sacrifices both from the children's perspective and from that of their parents, and the crisis is felt by each family member individually, in a different way. In the absence of the departing parent, especially if they are the sole provider, the child feels abandoned and seeks attention through atypical behaviour, such as a strong cry for help. In this article, I have tried to detail how children left behind in the country perceive their parents' departure for work abroad, what are their adaptation methods, alongside the strategies parents use to support their children from afar. The exploratory research, undertaken within a master's thesis, may represent a starting point for further research on the proposed topic.

Ecological and hygienic assessment of soils on the content of heavy metals and arsenic in an industrial city with glass production

Introduction. The paper presents the results of a study on assessing the level of soil contamination with heavy metals and arsenic in a city with a long-term glass production.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The object of the study is the soil cover of the city of Gus-Khrustalny, widely known for the products that are produced at its enterprises. The city-forming industry, the mention of which begins in the second half of the 18th century, is the production of glass and crystal.&#x0D; Results. The presence of polyelement pollution of the soil cover of the city was established, which is probably associated with the specifics and duration of the functioning of the glass industry. The priority pollutants of urban soil are primarily those belonging to the first hazard class, Zn, Pb, and As. The maximum levels of pollution were recorded in the industrial urbanozems, the minimum – in the landscape and recreational zone. An extremely dangerous chemical contamination of the soil in terms of the total indicator was revealed on the territory of the currently non-functioning part of the glass plant, which in fact is a local technogenic lithogeochemical anomaly. An assessment of the level of chemical contamination of soils as an indicator of an adverse impact on the health of the population showed most of them to live in the zone of moderately hazardous or hazardous soil categories.&#x0D; Limitations. The limitations of the study are associated with one-time sampling and a small number of reference areas, which limits the possibility of a broader interpretation of the data obtained. &#x0D; Conclusion. To justify measures to reduce the risk to the environment and health of the population living here, it is necessary to manage constant environmental and hygienic monitoring of the territory. To reduce soil pollution in the city, there are required the modernization of industrial enterprises and the creation of expanded sanitary protection zones around them. It is necessary to carry out measures to detoxify contaminated soilsusing modern methods, primarily biological treatment as phytoremediation, phytorecultivation.

Micronuclei frequency and exposure to chemical mixtures in three Colombian mining populations

The Colombian mining industry has witnessed significant growth. Depending on the scale and mineral extracted, complex chemical mixtures are generated, impacting the health of occupationally exposed populations and communities near mining projects. Increasing evidence suggests that chromosomal instability (CIN) is an important link between the development of certain diseases and exposure to complex mixtures. To better understand the effects of exposure to complex mixtures we performed a biomonitoring study on 407 healthy individuals from four areas: three located in municipalities exploiting different-scale mining systems and a reference area with no mining activity. Large, medium, and small-scale mining systems were analyzed in Montelibano (Córdoba), artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM) in Nechí (Antioquia), and a closed mining system in Aranzazu (Caldas). The reference area with no mining activity was established in Montería (Córdoba). ICP-MS measured multi-elemental exposure in hair, and CIN was evaluated using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus technique (MNBN). Exposure to mixtures of chemical elements was comparable in workers and residents of the mining areas but significantly higher compared to reference individuals. In Montelibano, increased MNBN frequencies were associated with combined exposure to Se, Hg, Mn, Pb, and Mg. This distinct pattern significantly differed from other areas. Specifically, in Nechí, Cr, Ni, Hg, Se, and Mg emerged as the primary contributors to elevated frequencies of MNBN. In contrast, a combination of Hg and Ni played a role in increasing MNBN in Aranzazu. Interestingly, Se consistently correlated with increased MNBN frequencies across all active mining areas. Chemical elements in Montelibano exhibit a broader range compared to other mining zones, reflecting the characteristics of the high-impact and large-scale mining in the area. This research provides valuable insights into the effects of exposure to chemical mixtures, underscoring the importance of employing this approach in the risk assessment of communities, especially those from residential areas.

Paleocene A-type igneous suites in the Sikhote-Alin (the East Asian continental margin): Petrological, geochronological, isotopic, and geodynamic constraints

Global geodynamic reconstruction models of the Pacific margin of Asia refer to materials collected throughout Japan, Korea and northeastern China, but they lack data on southern Sikhote-Alin. Therewith, the Sikhote-Alin orogenic belt (NE Asia) constituted a single eastern margin of the paleo-Asian continent with the abovementioned territories in the Paleocene. New isotopic, geochemical, and geochronological data show that Paleocene igneous activity (∼61–55 Ma) is widely developed in southern Sikhote-Alin. Bulk rock compositions of the igneous rocks of this period yield ferroan, peraluminous, calc-alkaline to alkaline affinities, highly abundant LILE and HFSE (with pronounced Ba, Sr, Eu, and Ti negative anomalies) and depleted HREE. The initial melts, displaying Zr + Y + Ce + Nb > 350 ppm and 10,000 × Ga/Al > 2.6, derived from an OIB-like mantle source crystallised under fairly reducing conditions (below FMQ buffer), and yield high temperature of zircon saturation (>850 °C), indicating typical A-type granite and related volcanic rock features. It is logical to associate variations in A-type rock geochemical composition with an enrichment of the upper part of the magma chamber with fluid-mobile components involving a redistribution of major and trace elements through fluid-magmatic differentiation. Strong depletion in Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, Eu in the A-type rocks is caused by an outflow of these elements by an oxidizing, initially reduced, acidic fluid beyond the zone of magma generation. Whole-rock Sr-Nd isotope data argue for the generation of the A-type rocks by melting of dominantly a juvenile mantle component with a subordinate component of the ancient crust. Isotope variations of igneous rocks of the reference area: 87Sr/86Sr(t) (0.7024–0.7118), εNd(t) (−0.9 to −5.1) and TDM2 (934–1277 Ma), result from the mixing of the OIB-like mantle source with selective melts or from the metapelite contamination of the Samarka terrane accretionary prism and of the Zhuravlevka-Amur turbidite basin, later followed by fluid-magmatic differentiation that led to the formation of anatectic or hybrid melts. We further suggest that the origin of the A-type granites and related volcanic rocks is the result of the oblique interaction of oceanic and continental plates. This interaction accounts for the simultaneous formation of tears in the slab, enabling sub-slab asthenospheric upwelling, and strike-slip fault-related extensional structures in the overriding continental plate.

The influence of vertical canopy structure on the cooling and humidifying urban microclimate during hot summer days

Urban forests can mitigate urban heat effectively during hot summer days. Their cooling effects are largely determined by the plant canopy structure, which can be classified into three features: canopy density and horizontal and vertical canopy structures. This study aimed to identify the contribution of these canopy structural features to cooling effect of urban forests and how their contribution varies during the day. Near-surface air temperature and relative humidity were measured repeatedly between 07:00 – 10:00, 11:00 – 14:00, 16:00 – 19:00 and 21:00 – 24:00 during 16 summer days of 2021 using a mobile monitoring system at five urban parks and representative reference areas in Shanghai. To measure canopy structural features around each measurement point with a scale of 5 m, 10 m and 20 m radius buffers, each park was scanned by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) laser scanner and an UAV multiple-spectrum image system. We found vertical canopy structure had great importance in explaining cooling effects and even exceeded the magnitude of air temperature reductions caused by leaf area index and canopy coverage during noon and nighttime. With increasing foliage height diversity (FHD), the cooling effect first decreased and then increased, when the turning point of FHD was approximately 0.5. Generally, sites with a high canopy coverage and an unevenly distributed canopy (FHD < 0.3) in high layers are recommended to provide better cooling effects in summer. Along with canopy density and horizontal structure, vertical canopy structure must be considered to optimize the cooling potential of urban forests in future planning.

Environmental DNA reveals spatial patterns of fish and plankton diversity at a floating offshore wind farm

AbstractIn this study, we collected water eDNA from sampling stations at the first full scale floating offshore wind farm (OWF), the Hywind Pilot Park, east of Peterhead, UK, and a nearby reference area. We combined targeted droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) quantification of two commercially important species, Atlantic mackerel (Scombrus scombrus) and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), with metabarcoding of fish and plankton communities. The goal of this study was to assess the performance of eDNA data to characterize pelagic communities and its use for environmental monitoring. The metabarcoding recovered 26 fish species including both pelagic and demersal taxa. The plankton data were dominated by dinoflagellates (Karenia) and calanoid copepods. We found that both specific quantification of eDNA from mackerel and herring and eDNA metabarcoding of fish communities were able to reveal spatial patterns: Mackerel was most abundant in the surface across both OWF and reference sites; herring was present at a wider depth range. While ddPCR and metabarcoding data for these two species were broadly congruent, we observed detection/non‐detection mismatches for both methods, highlighting the need for robust sampling design. There was no consistent OWF versus reference area pattern in the demersal fraction of fish assemblages. We interpret our findings as representing a snapshot of fish school location around the time of sampling, and do not consider the single timepoint data from this pilot study to be sufficient to attribute any effects to the OWF itself. As a non‐invasive tool, we conclude that eDNA has a high potential in future environmental monitoring of OWFs. We recommend further ground‐truthing and biomass correlation of eDNA data with catch data and establishing eDNA time series as next steps towards implementation of eDNA in OWF environmental monitoring.

The talent management business model and its impact on business performance

Purpose This paper aims to empirically analyse the relationship between the business model and the evolution of employment during the Great Recession, based on data from 75 industrial companies in the Corredor del Henares in Guadalajara, a reference area for being one of the fastest growing economic and business areas in Spain in recent decades. Design/methodology/approach The concept of the business model has been incorporated into organizational theory and practice over the last 25 years and continues to attract the interest of the academic and business community. The most recent research found in the literature has confirmed the relationship between business model and business performance, being directly connected to business performance and, therefore, to the creation of employment. However, the conclusions of the available studies are not directly scalable, as they refer to a specific sector or market. Findings The result confirms the positive impact of the business model on results and specifically, that talent management, through the value proposition and technology, has an impact on improving business performance. The study specifically confirms that talent integrated in organizations has an impact on the performance through a solid value proposition, scalable and adaptable to changes in the environment and whose transformation must be led by the top management. Talent integrates key partners and considers corporate social responsibility, sustainability, security and transparency as key factors in its management. Originality/value Thus, providing new and relevant information for research and business practice, and its conclusions are generalisable thanks to the multi-sector and multi-territorial nature of the sample selected.

Monitoring of &lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;C, &lt;sup&gt;90&lt;/sup&gt;Sr and &lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;Kin Sod-Podzolic Soils and Plants of Reference Sites of the Ivanovo Region

The results of radiation monitoring of sod-podzolic soils of reference agricultural plots of the Ivanovo region, conducted in 2014 and 2021, are presented. Background values of the specific activities of the studied radionuclides in the soils of reference sites have been established. According to the pollution density of the arable horizon of soils 137Cs and 90Sr, the level of the ecological situation was determined, which made it possible to attribute the soils of all reference areas of the region to uncontaminated territories suitable without restrictions for agricultural use. The power of the exposure dose of gamma radiation of soils and the contribution of 40K and 137Cs to the formation of the gamma background of soils were determined. Correlation analysis determined the influence of individual physical and chemical properties of soils on the behavior and distribution of radionuclides in the soil and the relationship between the content of the radionuclides themselves. Based on the values of the specific activity of 137Cs and 90Sr in plant products grown in 2014 and 2021, rows of cultivated plants with a decreasing ability to accumulate these radionuclides from the soil were constructed. All grown plant products of all types of crops fully met the veterinary standards required to limit the content of 137Cs and 90Sr in plant feeds (green mass, straw and feed grain). The coefficients of accumulation and transition of 137Cs and 90Sr from soil to plants are calculated. The coefficients of linear correlation between the values of the specific activity of 137Cs and 90Sr in soils and plants revealed the strength and nature of these dependencies.

USING RADIOISOTOPE METHODS TO DATE Cs INFLOW TO BOTTOM SEDIMENTS OF THE YENISEI RIVER

The long-term study of samples of bottom sediments (BS) of the Yenisei River revealed the presence of a unique set of artificial radionuclides (Co, Cs, Eu, Eu), which made it possible to combine different methods for calculating sedimentation rates for a retrospective assessment of river BS. Studies have been carried out to determine the sedimentation rates by various methods, using natural non-equilibrium Pb, the ratios of artificial isotopes Cs/Co and Eu/Eu, and marker Co, in several sections of the Yenisei River - downstream of the radioactive discharges of the Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC) of Rosatom near the villages of B. Balchug and Atamanovo, as well as upstream of the MCC discharges in the reference areas near the villages of Esaulovo and Shivera. Estimation of sedimentation rates using non-equilibrium Pb, Cs/Co and Eu/Eu isotope ratios, and marker Co for reference areas and the areas near villages located downstream of the MCC showed that their values lay in the range of 0.5-1.3 cm/year. A chronology of Cs influx into BS was constructed using different radioisotope methods, which demonstrated that the maximum Cs influx into BS in the reference regions of the villages of Esaulovo and Shivera and in areas of the village of B. Balchug was noted during the extreme flood of 1966. Cs maxima were also found in the BS layers whose dating coincided with the floods of 1988 and 1995-1997.

Geochemical features of copper accumulation in the soil and spring common wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the conditions of the South of Tyumen region

The article presents data on the content of copper in the plow horizon of the main types of soils in Tyumen region and in plants grown on these soils. The interrelations of its distribution with the content of mobile forms of a number of macro- and microelements in soils were determined, and the interrelations of copper with chemical elements when entering plants were studied. To analyze the geochemical features of the microelement distribution in the soil cover and vegetation, field, laboratory, and statistical research methods were used. When summarizing and analyzing the material, we used our own research and materials from the reports of the “Tyumensky” State Center for Agrochemical Service on the survey of arable soils in Tyumen region. In all the studied types of soils in the south of Tyumen region, the excess of the maximum permissible concentrations of copper is not observed. An inverse relationship has been established between mobile forms of copper and humus, manganese, and lead. For the elements zinc, cobalt, iron, sulfur, cadmium, nickel, mercury, arsenic, the connection with mobile forms of copper has not been established. The content of copper in plants of spring soft wheat Triticum aestivum grown on the studied soil types was studied. For the south of the Tyumen region (within the considered reference areas), the highest content of the trace element is noted in the Tyumensky district (6.4 mg/kg), the lowest in Zavodoukovsky (3.83 mg/kg). The interrelation of copper with macro- and microelements upon entering plants was studied. A high positive correlation has been established between the content of copper and zinc, manganese, cadmium, potassium, and calcium. With cobalt, lead, arsenic, nitrogen, phosphorus, a reliable relationship has not been established. The data obtained can be used in environmental monitoring as initial, background reporting points in assessing the degree of pollution of agrocenoses, the availability of arable soils with copper, as well as in predicting the content and effect of copper in the soil-plant system in the South of Tyumen region

Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks following forest conversion to long-term pasture in Amazon rainforest-Cerrado transition environment

The conversion of Amazon rainforest to grasslands has significant implications for regional and global carbon cycling. The description of affected organic pools and their extent is crucial for accurate prediction of forest-to-pasture conversions. We assessed soil C and N stocks in granulometric fractions of soil organic matter (SOM), particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM), following forest-to-pasture conversion in transition environments of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and Cerrado biomes. Five study situations (SS) were selected in the Lontra River basin, Tocantins state, Brazil. The situations were established by the association between vegetation and soil classes: OFAr (Ombrophilous Forest on Orthodystric Arenosol); OFPt (Ombrophilous Forest on Petric Plinthosol); DCFr (Dense Cerrado on Acric Petroplinthic Ferralsol); DCAc (Dense Cerrado on Haplic Acrisol); and CSAr (Cerrado Sensu Stricto on Orthodystric Arenosol). In each SS, soil samples were collected in pasture areas with different planting times (between 10 and 30 years), in addition to a reference area with natural vegetation. DCFrP30 (30-y-old pasture) and DCFrNV (natural vegetation area) were statistically similar, both having the highest mean C stocks (0–20 cm: 41.5 ± 6.6 t C/ha; 0–40 cm: 64.6 ± 12.3 t C/ha; 0–60 cm: 85.0 ± 14.8 t C/ha; 0–100 cm: 102 ± 21.8 t C/ha) and N stocks (0–20 cm: 3.5 ± 0.6 t C/ha; 0–40 cm: 5.3 ± 0.9 t C/ha; 0–60 cm: 6.9 ± 1.1 t C/ha; 0–100 cm: 8.1 ± 1.5 t C/ha), especially in MAOM. The highest C-C3 (δ13C ≈ −27‰) losses occurred in newer pastures of OFAr and CSAr and in DCFr, while C-C4 (δ13C ≈ −14‰) gains were greater in POM and in 20-y-old pastures of OFPt and DCFr. Our results demonstrate significant change in stocks and distribution of soil C and N in SOM granulometric fractions following the conversion of forest to pasture. Moreover, the results give important insight into the development of strategies focused on the recovery and conservation of environmental quality and mitigation of climate change, particularly for the Amazon region where Cerrado-Amazon rainforest transition areas have been incorporated into agricultural land in recent years.

TOWARDS A PAN-EU BUILDING FOOTPRINT MAP BASED ON THE HIERARCHICAL CONFLATION OF OPEN DATASETS: THE DIGITAL BUILDING STOCK MODEL - DBSM

Abstract. This paper presents a hierarchical conflation process applied to open datasets for the creation of a seamless pan-European map of building footprints in vector format, named Digital Building Stock Model – DBSM. The objective is the sequential addition of input components (which currently include OpenStreetMap, Microsoft GlobalML Building Footprints, European Settlement Map), taking into account their limitations, and aiming at the highest level of completeness possible, for planning and evaluating energy transition scenarios at the EU level. The results indicate how DBSM compares robustly against cadastral data from Estonia, used as reference area. The comparison of DBSM with GHS-BUILT-S, a 10 metres resolution grid with worldwide coverage that encodes the built-up surface in each pixel as derived from Sentinel-2 imagery for the year 2018, reveals a relative overestimation of the latter, factored by 0.68 at the EU scale for a sound match.

Índice de qualidade do solo de um argissolo sob parcelas de longa duração no tabuleiro costeiro nordestino, Brasil

ABSTRACT Soil quality, measured through its chemical, physical and microbiological attributes, changes as a result of anthropic sensations and becomes an important tool to assess environmental quality. The objective of this study was to determine and evaluate the Quality Index of an Ultisol in a long-term (17-yr) plots under different management systems in the Coastal Tablelands of Sergipe State, in Northeastern, Brazil. Main effects were conventional tillage (CT), no-tillage (NT), and minimum tillage (MT) distributed cultivated strips with corn as the main crop. Split-range treatments were randomly distributed and cultivated with cowpea beans (Vigna unguiculata), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), and millet (Pennisetum glaucum). A forest soil was used as reference, compared to the soil samples of the cultivated area. The Soil Quality Index (SQI) for the 0-0.10 m layer was calculated by the additive method. There were changes in soil properties between the different management systems, and between the experimental soil and the reference area. The highest SQI was obtained from the forest area (67.1) followed by the NT treatment (65.5), MT (65.1) and CT treatment (61.0). The lowest SQI was observed in the CT treatment previously cultivated with pigeon pea (56.5). Among the evaluated soil functions, maintenance of homeostasis had the greatest influence on the SQI. The higher acidity of the forest soil helps to explain the origin of the limitations of the soil in the cultivated area that occupies the same type of soil, tolerated by the adoption of conservationist managements.

Centiloid scale measure of amyloid PET by CT‐guided anatomic standardization

AbstractBackgroundCentiloid (CL) scaling has become a standardized quantitative measure in amyloid PET because it facilitates the direct comparison of results across institutions, even when different analytical methods or tracers are used. Standard volumes of interest must be used to calculate the CL scale after the anatomic standardization of amyloid PET images using coregistered MRI; if the MRI is unavailable, the CL scale cannot be accurately calculated. This study sought to determine the substitutability of CT, which is used to correct PET attenuation in PET/CT equipment, by evaluating the measurement accuracy when CT is used as an alternative to MRI in the calculation of the CL scale.MethodAmyloid PET images obtained using 11C‐PiB from 19 patients with possible or probable Alzheimer’s disease were processed to calculate the CL scale using 3D T1‐weighted MRI (Optima MR450w, 1.5T, GE healthcare) and CT of PET/CT (uMI780, United Imaging Healthcare). CLMRI and CLCT were respectively defined as the use of MRI and CT for anatomic standardization and compared. We followed the method advocated by the Global Alzheimer’s Association Interactive Network for the calculation of the CL scale. The whole cerebellum was chosen as a reference area for the CL calculation.ResultA Bland–Altman plot showed that CLCT did not significantly differ from CLMRI (mean ± standard deviation, −0.1 ± 1.5; p = 0.734). The 95% limits of agreement ranged from −0.8 to 0.6. Pearson correlation analysis showed a highly significant correlation of r = 0.999 between CLCT and CLMRI (p &lt; 0.001). The linear regression equation was CLCT = 0.992 × CLMRI + 0.144. In a Bland–Altman plot, Spearman correlation analysis did not identify a significant association between the difference in CLMRI versus CLCT and CL load (ρ = −0.045, p = 0.853).ConclusionCL scales based on CT show a highly significant positive correlation with those based on MRI, regardless of the degree of amyloid accumulation in possible and probable AD patients. A key advantage of the use of CT is the simultaneous acquisition of PET and CT. This method would be applicable to subjects who are unable to undergo MRI.