PEASANT AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE ON PLANOSOLS AS A SOURCE OF MATERIALS IN THE MAKING OF NON-INDUSTRIAL POTTERY

Ethnopedological studies have mainly focused on agricultural land uses and associated practices. Nevertheless, peasant and indigenous populations use soil and land resources for a number of additional purposes, including pottery. In the present study, we describe and analyze folk knowledge related to the use of soils in non-industrial pottery making by peasant potters, in the municipality of Altinho, Pernambuco State, semiarid region at Brazil. Ethnoscientific techniques were used to record local knowledge, with an emphasis on describing the soil materials recognized by the potters, the properties they used to identify those soil materials, and the criteria employed by them to differentiate and relate such materials. The potters recognized three categories of soil materials: “terra” (earth), “barro” (clay) and, “piçarro” (soft rock). The multi-layered arrangement of these materials within the soil profiles was similar to the arrangement of the soil horizon described by formal pedologists. “Barro vermelho” (red clay) was considered by potters as the principal ceramic resource. The potters followed morphological and utilitarian criteria in distinguishing the different soil materials. Soils from all of these sites were sodium-affected Alfisols and correspond to Typic Albaqualf and Typic Natraqualf in the Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 2010).

ALTERAÇÕES ELETROQUÍMICAS E DINÂMICA DE NUTRIENTES NA SOLUÇÃO DO SOLO EM ARROZ IRRIGADO COM LIXIVIADO INDUSTRIAL TRATADO

A utilização de efluentes industriais tratados na irrigação do arroz por alagamento pode provocar alterações eletroquímicas e aumentar o teor de nutrientes na solução do solo. Para testar essa hipótese, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a dinâmica dos atributos químicos e eletroquímicos da solução do solo sob cultivo de arroz irrigado com lixiviado industrial tratado, contendo 820 mg L-1 de Na. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, utilizando-se como unidades experimentais vasos preenchidos com 20 kg de solo, em delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram: controle (irrigação com água destilada) e quatro proporções do lixiviado (25, 50, 75 e 100 %). As coletas de solução do solo foram feitas semanalmente a partir do quarto dia após o início do alagamento (DAA) até 84 DAA. A solução do solo foi amostrada na profundidade de 10 cm e analisada para os principais nutrientes e o Na, bem como para a demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO5), relação de adsorção de sódio (RAS), condutividade elétrica (CE) e potencial redox (EH). A irrigação com o lixiviado aumentou os teores de K, Ca, Mg, S, P, N-NH+4, N-NO−3 e Na, assim como os valores de RAS e CE, para valores considerados prejudiciais para as plantas. Foi observada diminuição do potencial redox na solução do solo pela irrigação com lixiviado industrial tratado. Os teores de DBO5 e o N-NH+4 diminuíram com o tempo de alagamento. Em proporções menores que 25 %, o lixiviado industrial tratado pode aumentar os teores de nutrientes em solução sem causar interferência do Na para as plantas.

PHYTOAVAILABILITY OF COPPER IN INDUSTRIAL BY-PRODUCTS AND MINERAL FERTILIZERS

Alternative copper (Cu) sources could be used in fertilizer production, although the bioavailability of copper in these materials is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the extractants neutral ammonium citrate (NAC), 2 % citric acid, 1 % acetic acid, 10 % HCl, 10 % H2SO4, buffer solution pH 6.0, DTPA, EDTA, water, and hot water in the quantification of available Cu content in several sources, relating them to the relative agronomic efficiency (RAE) of wheat grown in a clayey Latossolo Vermelho eutrófico (Oxisol) and Neossolo Quartzarênico (Typic Quartzipsamment). Copper was applied at the rate of 1.5 mg kg-1 as scrap slag, brass slag, Cu ore, granulated copper, and copper sulfate. The extractants 10 % HCl, 10 % H2SO4, and NAC extracted higher Cu concentrations. The RAE values of brass slag and Cu ore were similar to or higher than those of Cu sulfate and granulated Cu. Solubility in the 2nd NAC extractant, officially required for mineral fertilizers with Cu, was lower than 60 % for the scrap slag, Cu ore, and granulated copper sources. This fact indicates that adoption of the NAC extractant may be ineffective for industrial by-products, although no extractant was more efficient in predicting Cu availability for wheat fertilized with the Cu sources tested.

MODELING OF SOIL LOAD-BEARING CAPACITY AS A FUNCTION OF SOIL MECHANICAL RESISTANCE TO PENETRATION

Estimation of soil load-bearing capacity from mathematical models that relate preconsolidation pressure (σp) to mechanical resistance to penetration (PR) and gravimetric soil water content (U) is important for defining strategies to prevent compaction of agricultural soils. Our objective was therefore to model the σp and compression index (CI) according to the PR (with an impact penetrometer in the field and a static penetrometer inserted at a constant rate in the laboratory) and U in a Rhodic Eutrudox. The experiment consisted of six treatments: no-tillage system (NT); NT with chiseling; and NT with additional compaction by combine traffic (passing 4, 8, 10, and 20 times). Soil bulk density, total porosity, PR (in field and laboratory measurements), U, σp, and CI values were determined in the 5.5-10.5 cm and 13.5-18.5 cm layers. Preconsolidation pressure (σp) and CI were modeled according to PR in different U. The σp increased and the CI decreased linearly with increases in the PR values. The correlations between σp and PR and PR and CI are influenced by U. From these correlations, the soil load-bearing capacity and compaction susceptibility can be estimated by PR readings evaluated in different U.

Surface Complexation Modeling in Variable Charge Soils: Charge Characterization by Potentiometric Titration

ABSTRACT Intrinsic equilibrium constants of 17 representative Brazilian Oxisols were estimated from potentiometric titration measuring the adsorption of H+ and OH− on amphoteric surfaces in suspensions of varying ionic strength. Equilibrium constants were fitted to two surface complexation models: diffuse layer and constant capacitance. The former was fitted by calculating total site concentration from curve fitting estimates and pH-extrapolation of the intrinsic equilibrium constants to the PZNPC (hand calculation), considering one and two reactive sites, and by the FITEQL software. The latter was fitted only by FITEQL, with one reactive site. Soil chemical and physical properties were correlated to the intrinsic equilibrium constants. Both surface complexation models satisfactorily fit our experimental data, but for results at low ionic strength, optimization did not converge in FITEQL. Data were incorporated in Visual MINTEQ and they provide a modeling system that can predict protonation-dissociation reactions in the soil surface under changing environmental conditions.

Surface Complexation Modeling in Variable Charge Soils: Prediction of Cadmium Adsorption

ABSTRACT Intrinsic equilibrium constants for 22 representative Brazilian Oxisols were estimated from a cadmium adsorption experiment. Equilibrium constants were fitted to two surface complexation models: diffuse layer and constant capacitance. Intrinsic equilibrium constants were optimized by FITEQL and by hand calculation using Visual MINTEQ in sweep mode, and Excel spreadsheets. Data from both models were incorporated into Visual MINTEQ. Constants estimated by FITEQL and incorporated in Visual MINTEQ software failed to predict observed data accurately. However, FITEQL raw output data rendered good results when predicted values were directly compared with observed values, instead of incorporating the estimated constants into Visual MINTEQ. Intrinsic equilibrium constants optimized by hand calculation and incorporated in Visual MINTEQ reliably predicted Cd adsorption reactions on soil surfaces under changing environmental conditions.

Audit report on America’s Agricultural Industrial Heritage Landscape, Inc., d/b/a Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, in Waterloo, Iowa for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010

Audit report on America’s Agricultural Industrial Heritage Landscape, Inc., d/b/a Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, in Waterloo, Iowa for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010

The determinants of industrial location in Spain, 1856-1929

Durant el segle XIX, l'economia espanyola va transitar per les primeres etapes de la industrialització. Aquest procés es va donar en paral·lel a la integració del mercat domèstic de béns i factors, en un moment en què les reformes liberals i la construcció de la xarxa ferroviària, entre d'altres, van generar una important caiguda en els costos detransport. Al mateix temps que es donava aquesta progressiva integració del mercat domèstic espanyol, es van produir canvis significatius en la pauta de localització industrial. D'una banda, hi hagué un augment considerable de la concentració espacial de la indústria des de mitjans de segle XIX i fins a la Guerra Civil, i d¿altra, un increment de l'especialització regional. Ara bé, quines van ser les forces que van generar aquests canvis? Des d¿un punt de vista teòric, el model de Heckscher-Ohlin suggereix que la distribució a l'espai de l¿activitat econòmica ve determinada per l'avantatge comparativa dels territoris en funció de la dotació relativa de factors. Al seu torn, els models de Nova Geografia Econòmica (NEG) mostren l'existència d'una relació en forma de campana entre el procés d'integració econòmica i el grau de concentració geogràfica de l'activitat industrial. Aquest article examina empíricament els determinants de la localització industrial a Espanya entre 1856 i 1929, mitjançant l'estimació d¿un model que combina els elements de tipus Heckscher-Ohlin i els factors apuntats des de la NEG, amb l'objectiu de contrastar la força relativa dels arguments vinculats a aquestes dues interpretacions a l'hora de modular la localització de la indústria a Espanya. L'anàlisi dels resultats obtinguts mostra que tant la dotació de factors com els mecanismes de tipus NEG van ser elements determinants que expliquen la distribució geogràfica de la indústria des del segle XIX, tot i que la seva força relativa va anar variant amb el temps.

Integración económica y localización industrial. Cataluña, la fábrica de España: ¿cuándo y por qué?

En este artículo se analizan los determinantes de la localización de la actividad industrial en España durante la segunda mitad del siglo XIX. El objetivo es estudiar la existencia de cambios en los factores explicativos de la localización, con el fin de identificar los efectos de la integración económica sobre la geografía industrial española. Para hacerlo, en primer lugar se analiza la literatura histórica existente. En segundo lugar, se describen las teorías que explican la localización de l'actividad. En tercer lugar, se realiza un análisis empírico de la localización y la concentración de la industria española al siglo XIX. A continuación, se propone un estudio econométrico de los determinantes de la localización industrial en dos cortes temporales, 1856 y 1893. Los resultados son consistentes con las teorías del comercio. Durante el decurso de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, España paso a ser una economía integrada, la movilidad del trabajo y del capital se vio favorecida y como resultado, las diferencias relativas en las dotaciones de factores perdieron importancia en la explicación de las pautas de especialización industrial. Por el contrario, la integración económica favoreció la significación relativa de las economías de escala o de la proximidad a los mercados como elementos explicativos de la localización de la industria, favoreciendo, de esta manera, la aglomeración de la actividad industrial

Una nova estimació retrospectiva del VAB regional industrial. Espanya, 1860-1930

[cat] En aquest treball, es realitza una nova estimació del VAB industrial espanyol a un nivell de desagregació territorial corresponent a les províncies (NUTSIII) i les Comunitats Autònomes (NUTS II). Per assolir aquest objectiu es planteja una nova metodologia d’estimació de les xifres històriques de VAB industrial regional. Front a les aproximacions tradicionals, basades en la utilització de fonts fiscals com a forma d’aproximar la capacitat productiva industrial, en aquest treball s’ofereix una estimació que també es basa en les rendes generades per la producció industrial de les regions. Amb aquest objectiu, es fa servir la metodologia proposada per Geary i Stark (2002) i les millores proposades per Crafts (2005). La utilització d’aquesta metodologia permet elaborar una nova estimació retrospectiva del VAB industrial de les regions espanyoles a diversos talls temporals corresponents al període 1860-1930.

Industrial agglomerations and wage gradients: the Spanish economy in the interwar period

This paper gives new evidence on the relationship between integration and industrial agglomeration in the presence of scale economies, by testing directly one of the predictions that can be derived from Krugman (1991), that is, the existence of regional nominal wage gradients and its transformation following changes in trade regimes. Our case study analyzes the effects of the substitution of an open economy by a closed economy regime, exactly the opposite process studied by Hanson (1996, 1997). In Spain, during the interwar period, protectionist policies would have favored the loss of centrality of the coastal location (Barcelona) and the relative rise of central locations (such as Madrid). Our results indicate the existence of a wage gradient centered in Barcelona during the interwar period (1914-1930) and its weakening after 1925.

Were Spanish migrants attracted by industrial agglomerations?: an analysis for the interwar years in the light of the new economic geography

In this paper we examine whether access to markets had a significant influence onmigration choices of Spanish internal migrants in the inter-war years. We perform astructural contrast of a New Economic Geography model that focus on the forwardlinkage that links workers location choice with the geography of industrial production,one of the centripetal forces that drive agglomeration in the NEG models. The resultshighlight the presence of this forward linkage in the Spanish economy of the inter-warperiod. That is, we prove the existence of a direct relation between workers¿ localizationdecisions and the market potential of the host regions. In addition, the direct estimationof the values associated with key parameters in the NEG model allows us to simulatethe migratory flows derived from different scenarios of the relative size of regions andthe distances between them. We show that in Spain the power of attraction of theagglomerations grew as they increased in size, but the high elasticity estimated for themigration costs reduced the intensity of the migratory flows. This could help to explainthe apparently low intensity of internal migrations in Spain until its upsurge during the1920s. This also explains the geography of migrations in Spain during this period,which hardly affected the regions furthest from the large industrial agglomerations (i.e.,regions such as Andalusia, Estremadura and Castile-La Mancha) but had an intenseeffect on the provinces nearest to the principal centres of industrial development.

High-throughput SELEX SAGE method for quantitative modeling of transcription-factor binding sites.

The ability to determine the location and relative strength of all transcription-factor binding sites in a genome is important both for a comprehensive understanding of gene regulation and for effective promoter engineering in biotechnological applications. Here we present a bioinformatically driven experimental method to accurately define the DNA-binding sequence specificity of transcription factors. A generalized profile was used as a predictive quantitative model for binding sites, and its parameters were estimated from in vitro-selected ligands using standard hidden Markov model training algorithms. Computer simulations showed that several thousand low- to medium-affinity sequences are required to generate a profile of desired accuracy. To produce data on this scale, we applied high-throughput genomics methods to the biochemical problem addressed here. A method combining systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) and serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) protocols was coupled to an automated quality-controlled sequence extraction procedure based on Phred quality scores. This allowed the sequencing of a database of more than 10,000 potential DNA ligands for the CTF/NFI transcription factor. The resulting binding-site model defines the sequence specificity of this protein with a high degree of accuracy not achieved earlier and thereby makes it possible to identify previously unknown regulatory sequences in genomic DNA. A covariance analysis of the selected sites revealed non-independent base preferences at different nucleotide positions, providing insight into the binding mechanism.