Cyclone washer adapted from an American-type cyclone separator

A modified cyclone washer was designed, fabricated, and its collection efficiency evaluated. This equipment consists of an American-type cyclone separator with a triple cone and a spray nozzle was introduced into its cylindrical body. The study consisted of an experimental evaluation of the operating conditions at ambient and higher than ambient temperatures, varying chimney height and water flow rate, with the purpose of humidifying the dust. The collection efficiency of the cyclone washer was evaluated particles of micronized quartz with an average diameter of 7.48 mu m and a density of 2.650 g/cm(3). The amount of particles varied from 20-100 mg/m(3) of air. An average efficiency of 97.07 +/- 1.03 % was obtained with four spray nozzles, a chimney height of 0.645 m and 0.358 m(3)/s of gas.

Photochemical heat-shock response in common bean leaves as affected by previous water deficit

The heat sensitivity of photochemical processes was evaluated in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars A222, A320, and Carioca grown under well-watered conditions during the entire plant cycle (control treatment) or subjected to a temporal moderate water deficit at the preflowering stage (PWD). The responses of chlorophyll fluorescence to temperature were evaluated in leaf discs excised from control and PWD plants seven days after the complete recovery of plant shoot hydration. Heat treatment was done in the dark (5 min) at the ambient CO2 concentration. Chlorophyll fluorescence was assessed under both dark and light conditions at 25, 35, and 45 degrees C. In the dark, a decline of the potential quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) and an increase in minimum chlorophyll fluorescence were observed in all genotypes at 45 degrees C, but these responses were affected by PWD. In the light, the apparent electron transport rate and the effective quantum efficiency of PSII were reduced by heat stress (45 degrees C), but no change due to PWD was demonstrated. Interestingly, only the A222 cultivar subjected to PWD showed a significant increase in nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching at 45 degrees C. The common bean cultivars had different photochemical sensitivities to heat stress altered by a previous water deficit period. Increased thermal tolerance due to PWD was genotype-dependent and associated with an increase in potential quantum efficiency of PSII at high temperature. Under such conditions, the genotype responsive to PWD treatment enhanced its protective capacity against excessive light energy via increased nonphotochemical quenching.

Preweaning performance and body composition of calves from straightbred Nellore and Bos taurus x Nellore crosses

The objectives were to evaluate preweaning performance, body composition, and efficiency of calves representing straightbred Nellore (NL), F(1), and 3-breed-cross systems. Energy requirements, milk production, and efficiency of 39 cow-calf pairs were recorded from straightbred NL calves from NL cows (10), crossbred (Angus-sired) calves from NL cows (ANL: 9), and crossbred calves (CC; Canchim-sired: 5/8 Charolais, 3/8 Zebu) from ANL (10) and Simmental x NL (10) cows. Cows and their respective calves were individually fed from birth to weaning (17 to 190 d postpartum). At 38 d of age, corn silage (7.8% CP, 2.19 Mcal of ME/kg of DM) was available to calves ad libitum. Milk production at 42, 98, 126, and 180 d postpartum was recorded by weighing calves before and after suckling. The ratio between GE and ME of milk was considered 1:0.93. Calves were slaughtered at weaning and the 9th-, 10th-, and 11th-rib section was removed for body composition estimation. The ANL calves were lighter (P < 0.01) at birth than the CC calves; the NL calves were intermediate. At weaning, the CC calves were heavier (P = 0.04) than the NL and ANL calves (230 +/- 5.5 vs. 172 +/- 8.1 and 209 +/- 8.6 kg, respectively). The ANL calves had greater (371 +/- 27 Mcal; P = 0.01) silage intake than the NL (270 +/- 25 Mcal) and CC (279 +/- 17 Mcal) calves. Milk energy intake was greater for the CC calves (970 +/- 38 Mcal of ME; P = 0.005) than the NL (670 +/- 57 Mcal of ME) and ANL (743 +/- 61 Mcal of ME) calves. The ANL calves compensated for the reduced milk production of the NL cows, which supplied less of their energy requirement for growth by increased silage intake. Calves from crossbred cows received a greater proportion of their total energy intake from milk. Crossbred calves had greater (P < 0.03) retained energy (retained energy = weaning body energy - birth body energy) than the NL calves (388 +/- 23 for ANL, and 438 +/- 15 for CC vs. 312 +/- 22 Mcal for NL calves). Percentages of water (P = 0.74) and chemical fat (P = 0.51) were similar among groups (63.7 +/- 0.6 and 14.3 +/- 0.7% for ANL calves, 63.1 +/- 0.4 and 14.7 +/- 0.5% for CC calves, and 63.3 +/- 0.6 and 13.7 +/- 0.7% of empty BW for water and chemical fat, respectively, for NL calves). Energetic efficiency (kcal of retained energy/Mcal of ME intake) was similar (P = 0.52) among groups (358 +/- 22 for ANL calves, 355 +/- 14 for CC calves, and 327 +/- 22 for NL calves). The greater BW gains and the differences in empty body composition at weaning were not enough to compensate for the greater ME intake of crossbreds. In this study, the crossbreeding systems evaluated increased preweaning calf performance but did not affect gross or energetic calf efficiency.

Body weight as an indicator of fat-free mass in active elderly women

Objective: Fat-free mass (FFM) reduction and the tendency for a reduction in surrounding fatty issue and increase in the middle are a natural consequence of growing old and should be studied in order to gain a better understanding of the aging process. This study set out to find the FFM differences between active elderly women in two age groups (60-69 and 70-80 years) and to determine which of the anthropometric measurements, body weight (BW), abdominal circumference (AC), or body mass index (BMI) are the best predictors of FFM variation within the group. Methods: Eighty-one (n = 81) active elderly women of the Third Age willingly signed up to participate in the research during the activities at the University of the Third Age (UTA) in Brazil. The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). Body weight (BW), height (H) and the BMI were measured according to the international standards. The AC was measured in centimetres at the H of the navel and body composition was ascertained using bioimpedance analysis. The SAS program was used to perform the statistical analysis of independent samples and parametric data. Results: The results showed FFM values with significant differences between the two groups, with the lowest values occurring among the women who were over 70 years of age. In the analysis, the Pearson`s Correlation Coefficient for each measured independent variable was ascertained, with the BW measurement showing the highest ratio (0.900). Conclusions: The BW measurement was regarded as reliable, low-cost and easy to use for monitoring FFM in elderly women who engage in physical activities. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical and sensory characterization of coffee produced in the topoclimatic conditions at Jesuitas, Parana State (Brazil)

Climatic variations influence formation and maturation of coffee grains by altering their intrinsic characteristics, which call allow for several types of coffee qualities, including the potential for production of special coffee. This study was carried out to verify the effect of environmental conditions and crop cultivation on chemical composition and their consequences in cup quality of coffees from region of Jesuitas, Parana State. During the same crop season this study was accomplished (2002-2003), cup quality was evaluated among the producers in several coffee-growing municipalities in Parana State. It was observed that 86% of samples were classified simply as ""soft"" (smooth flavor) or ""hard"" (bolder flavor), and 14% were classified as rioysh/rio (strong unpleasant taste). The results concluded that the practices adopted by producers, who have collaborated with the study, reflected positively oil the final cup quality, when compared to the overall quality results in the State. The climatic conditions and practices of crop management and harvest ill the Jesuitas region made for bolder coffee with low acidity, comparable to high quality coffees produced in Brazil and abroad.

Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Unripe Banana Flour (Musa acuminata, var. Nanico)

Banana flour obtained from unripe banana (Musa acuminata, var. Nanico) under specific drying conditions was evaluated regarding its chemical composition and nutritional value. Results are expressed in dry weight (dw). The unripe banana flour (UBF) presented a high amount of total dietary fiber (DF) (56.24 g/100 g), which consisted of resistant starch (RS) (48.99 g/100 g), fructans (0.05 g/100 g) and DF without RS or fructans (7.2 g/100 g). The contents of available starch (AS) (27.78 g/100 g) and soluble sugars (1.81 g/100 g) were low. The main phytosterols found were campesterol (4.1 mg/100 g), stigmasterol (2.5 mg/100 g) and beta-sitosterol (6.2 mg/100 g). The total polyphenol content was 50.65 mg GAE/100 g. Antioxidant activity, by the FRAP and ORAC methods, was moderated, being 358.67 and 261.00 mu mol of Trolox equivalent/100 g, respectively. The content of Zn, Ca and Fe and mineral dialyzability were low. The procedure used to obtain UBF resulted in the recovery of undamaged starch granules and in a low-energy product (597 kJ/100 g).

Associations between glutathione peroxidase-1 Pro198Leu polymorphism, selenium status, and DNA damage levels in obese women after consumption of Brazil nuts

Objective: Alterations in selenium (Se) status may result in suboptimal amounts of selenoproteins, which have been associated with increased oxidative stress levels. The Pro198Leu polymorphism at the glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx1) gene is supposed to be functional. The response of Se status, GPx activity, and levels of DNA damage to a Se supplementation trial between the genotypes related to that polymorphism was investigated. Methods: A randomized trial was conducted with 37 morbidly obese women. Participants consumed one Brazil nut, which provided approximately 290 mu g of Se a day, for 8 wk. Blood Se concentrations, erythrocyte GPx activity, and DNA damage levels were measured at baseline and at 8 wk. The results were compared by genotypes. Results: The genotype frequencies were 0.487, 0.378, and 0.135 for Pro/Pro (the wild-type genotype), Pro/Leu, and Leu/Leu, respectively. At baseline, 100% of the subjects were Se deficient, and after the supplementation, there was an improvement in plasma Se (P < 0.001 for Pro/Pro and Pro/Leu, P < 0.05 for Leu/Leu), erythrocyte Se (P = 0.00 for Pro/Pro and Pro/Leu, P < 0.05 for Leu/Leu), and GPx activity (P = 0.00 for Pro/Pro, P < 0.00001 for Pro/Leu, P < 0.001 for Leu/Leu). In addition, the Pro/Pro group showed a decrease in DNA damage after Brazil nut consumption compared with baseline (P < 0.005), and those levels were higher in Leu/Leu subjects compared with those with the wild-type genotype (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Consumption of one unit of Brazil nuts daily effectively increases Se status and increases GPx activity in obese women, regardless of GPx1 Pro198Leu polymorphism. However, the evaluated biomarkers showed distinct results in response to the supplementation when the polymorphism was considered. (c) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel sequence types (STs) of Staphylococcus aureus isolates causing clinical and subclinical mastitis in flocks of sheep in the northeast of Brazil

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important infectious mastitis causative agents in small ruminants. In order to know the distribution of Staph. aureus strains associated with infectious mastitis in flocks of sheep in the northeast of Brazil and establish whether these clones are related to the strains distributed internationally, this study analysed the genetic diversity of Staph. aureus isolates from cases of clinical and subclinical mastitis in ewes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). In this research, 135 ewes with mastitis from 31 sheep flocks distributed in 15 districts were examined. Staph. aureus was isolated from sheep milk in 9 (29%) out of 31 herds located in 47% of the districts surveyed. MLST analysis allowed the identification of four STs (ST750, ST1728, ST1729 and ST1730). The last three with their respective novel alleles (g/p-220; pta-182 and yqil-180) were recently reported in the Staph. aureus MLST database (http://www.mlst.net). Each novel allele showed only a nucleotide different from those already described. The occurrence of CC133 (ST750 and ST1729) in this study is in agreement with other reports that only a few clones of Staph. aureus seem to be responsible for most cases of mastitis in dairy farms and that some of these clones may have broad geographic distribution. However, the prevalence of CC5 (ST1728 and ST1730)-an important group related to cases of colonization or infection in humans-differs from previous studies by its widespread occurrence and may suggest human contamination followed by selective pressures of the allelic diversifications presented for these STs.

Separation of Steroids and the Determination of Estradiol Content in Transdermic Patches by Microemulsion Electrokinetic Chromatography

A novel microemulsion electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEEKC) method has been developed which separates a range of nine steroids. A microemulsion containing ethyl acetate, butan-1-ol, sodium dodecyl sulfate, 15% (v/v) acetonitrile and 12 mmol L(-1) sodium tetraborate aqueous buffer at pH 9.2 was used with direct UV detection at 200 nm. The method was validated for the determination of 17 beta-estradiol content, a hormone steroid, in transdermal patches. Adequate sensitivity (DL = 0.88 mu g mL(-1); QL = 2.65 mu g mL(-1)) without interference from sample excipients was obtained. 17 beta-Estradiol migrates in approximately 5.4 min. Estrone was used as internal standard and acceptable precision (< 1.2% RSD), linearity (r = 0.9996; range from 40.0 to 60.0 mu g mL(-1)), and recovery (100.4 +/- A 0.9% at three concentration levels) were obtained. The principal advantage of the method is that it is rapid and avoids the need of time consuming and expensive sample pre-treatment steps.

Antineurotoxic activity of Galactia glaucescens against Crotalus durissus terrificus venom

Ethanolic extract of leaves of Galactia glauscescens (GGE) at concentration of 100 and 500 mu g/ml prevented the neuromuscular paralysis induced by Crotalus durissus terrificus venom on mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A valuation of patients` willingness-to-pay for insulin delivery in diabetes

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the insulin-delivery system and the attributes of insulin therapy that best meet patients` preferences, and to estimate patients` willingness-to-pay (WTP) for them. Methods: This was a cross-sectional discrete choice experiment (DCE) study involving 378 Canadian patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Patients were asked to choose between two hypothetical insulin treatment options made up of different combinations of the attribute levels. Regression coefficients derived using conditional logit models were used to calculate patients` WTP. Stratification of the sample was performed to evaluate WTP by predefined subgroups. Results: A total of 274 patients successfully completed the survey. Overall, patients were willing to pay the most for better blood glucose control followed by weight gain. Surprisingly, route of insulin administration was the least important attribute overall. Segmented models indicated that insulin naive diabetics were willing to pay significantly more for both oral and inhaled short-acting insulin compared with insulin users. Surprisingly, type 1 diabetics were willing to pay $C11.53 for subcutaneous short-acting insulin, while type 2 diabetics were willing to pay $C47.23 to avoid subcutaneous short-acting insulin (p < .05). These findings support the hypothesis of a psychological barrier to initiating insulin therapy, but once that this barrier has been overcome, they accommodate and accept injectable therapy as a treatment option. Conclusions: By understanding and addressing patients` preferences for insulin therapy, diabetes educators can use this information to find an optimal treatment approach for each individual patient, which may ultimately lead to improved control, through improved compliance, and better diabetes outcomes.

Hierarchical determinants of capital structure

We analyze the influence of time-, firm-, industry- and country-level determinants of capital structure. First, we apply hierarchical linear modeling in order to assess the relative importance of those levels. We find that time and firm levels explain 78% of firm leverage. Second, we include random intercepts and random coefficients in order to analyze the direct and indirect influences of firm/industry/country characteristics on firm leverage. We document several important indirect influences of variables at industry and country-levels on firm determinants of leverage, as well as several structural differences in the financial behavior between firms of developed and emerging countries. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photochemical Reactions of fac-[Mn(CO)(3)(phen)imidazole](+): Evidence for Long-Lived Radical Species Intermediates

The electronic absorption spectrum of fac[Mn(CO)(3)(phen)imH](+), fac-1 in CH(2)Cl(2) is characterized by a strong absorption band at 378 nm (epsilon(max) = 3200 mol(-1) L cm(-1)). On the basis of quantum mechanical calculations, the visible absorption band has been assigned to ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer (LLCT, im -> phen) and metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT, Mn -> phen) charge transfer transition. When fac-1 in CH(2)Cl(2) is irradiated with 350 nm continuous light, the absorption features are gradually shifted to represent those of the meridional complex mer-[Mn(CO)(3)(phen)imH](+), mer-1 (lambda(max) = 556 nm). The net photoreaction under these conditions is a photoisomerization, although, the presence of the long-lived radical species was also detected by (1)H NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. 355 nm continuous photolysis of fac-1 in CH(3)CN solution also gives the long-lived intermediate which is readly trapped by metylviologen (MV(2+)) giving rise to the formation of the one-electron reduced methyl viologen (MV(center dot+)). The UV-vis spectra monitored during the slow (45 min) thermal back reaction exhibited isosbestic conversion at 426 nm. On the basis of spectroscopic techniques and quantum mechanical calculations, the role of the radicals produced is analyzed.

Reduced pH induces an inactive non-native conformation of the monomeric bothropstoxin-I (Lys49-PLA(2))

Bothropstoxin-I (BthTx-I), a Lys49-PLA(2) from Bothrops jararacussu venom, permeabilizes membranes by a non-hydrolytic Ca(2+)-independent mechanism. The BthTx-I showed activity against liposomes including 10% and 50% negatively charged lipids at pH 7.0, but not at pH 5.0. Nevertheless, ultracentrifugation and FRET demonstrated that at pH 5.0 the BthTx-I is bound to 50% negatively charged membranes. ANS binding identified a non-native monomeric conformation at pH 5.0, suggesting that tertiary structure alterations result in activity loss of the BthTx-I at low pH. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Something moves: a philosophical and ethical praise to the combat practicing as art and education

In this work we tried to produce a philosophic-ethic praise to the Martial Arts` combat practice, based in our years of Martial Arts training accompanied with studies of oriental and occidental Philosophy. Tracing a critical history of the changes happened to the Martial Arts we brought the concept of combat as a martial practice of life empowerment. Opposing this, we presented the notion of fight as a result of the capture that the war arts suffered because of the despotic empires. Besides, we demonstrated that the combat practice is simultaneously an artistic and educational activity, because it aims at the production of an immanence field witch is loyal to the event.