Transfer and Reverse Transfer of Knowledge of International Acquisitions: the case of the acquisition of the Perez Companc by Petrobras in Argentina

The objective of this article was to analyze the processes of transfer and reverse trans fer of knowledge following. international acquisitions made by Brazilian multinational companies. Reverse transfer is understood,as the process of transferring knowledge from the acquired company to the acquirer. Therefore, a case study was conducted on the acquisition of the Perez Companc group by Petrobras in Argentina. The study is qualitative. Primary data were obtained and eight members of the international managing board of Petrobras were interviewed. After the first moment of integration, reported as conflictive, there was a better integration of the companies, mainly in the technical areas of, the oil and gas exploration activities. The size of Perez Companc, its aim (a company of energy, not only oil and gas company) and the length of time were critical factors for the transfer of best practices between the companies. The expatriation of the employees is seen as a key-tool, as well as the technical visits, for the transfer of knowledge.. An. additional contribution of the study was to present the results of the research on the process of transfer and reverse transfer of knowledge in Brazilian multinational companies, since most studies on the theme focus on the motivators and challenges concerning these processes.

Crise financeira, energia e sustentabilidade no Brasil

A recente crise financeira global traz consigo efeitos como a redução da atividade econômica e, consequentemente, do consumo de energia. Essa pode ser uma importante oportunidade para reorganizar o sistema energético em bases mais sólidas e sustentáveis: a eficiência, a maior participação das fontes renováveis e a descentralização da produção de energia. O Brasil e outros países em desenvolvimento podem aproveitar a experiência dos países desenvolvidos em eficiência energética, complementando com um programa vigoroso em energias renováveis, particularmente as "modernas" (eólica, solar, biomassa e pequenas hidrelétricas). Entretanto, preocupa o cenário inercial nacional, baseado num aumento da participação das fontes fósseis de energia na matriz, na priorização dos recursos à exploração de petróleo e gás natural e na manutenção de padrões insustentáveis de produção e consumo.

Analysis of the emissions of volatile organic compounds from the compression ignition engine fueled by diesel-biodiesel blend and diesel oil using gas chromatography

This paper describes the procedures of the analysis Of Pollutant gases, as volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene) emitted by engines, using high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC). In a broad sense, CI engine burning diesel was compared with B10 and a drastic reduction was observed in the emissions of the aromatic compounds by using B10. Especially for benzene, the reduction of concentrations occurs on the level of about 19.5%. Although a concentration value below 1 mu g ml(-1) has been obtained, this reduction is extremely significant since benzene is a carcinogenic compound. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Packed-Bed Reactor Running on Babassu Oil and Glycerol to Produce Monoglycerides by Enzymatic Route using Immobilized Burkholderia cepacia Lipase

The aim of this study was the glycerolysis of babassu oil catalyzed by immobilized lipase from Burkholderia cepacia, in a continuous packed-bed reactor. The best reaction conditions were previously established in batchwise via response surface methodology as a function of glycerol-to-oil molar ratio and reaction temperature. The reactor operated continuously for 22 days at 50 A degrees C, and during the first 6 days, no significant decrease on the initial lipase activity was observed. Monoglycerides concentration was in the range from 25 to 33 wt.%. Subsequently, a progressive decrease in the activity was detected, and an inactivation profile described by Arrhenius model estimated values of 50 days and 1.37 x 10(-2) h(-1), for the half-life and deactivation coefficient, respectively.

Determination of eight fatty acid ethyl esters in meconium samples by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A number of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) have recently been detected in meconium samples. Several of these FAEEs have been evaluated as possible biomarkers for in utero ethanol exposure. In the present study, a method was optimized and validated for the simultaneous determination of eight FAEEs (ethyl laurate, ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl palmitoleate, ethyl stearate, ethyl oleate, ethyl linoleate and ethyl arachidonate) in meconium samples. FAEEs were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction. Analyte detection and quantification were carried out using GC-MS operated in chemical ionization mode. The corresponding D5-ethyl esters were synthesized and used as internal standards. The LOQ and LOD for each analyte were <150 and <100 ng/g, respectively. The method showed good linearity (r(2)>0.98) in the concentration range studied (LOQ -2000 ng/g). The intra- and interday imprecision, given by the RSD of the method, was lower than 15% for all FAEEs studied. The validated method was applied to 63 authentic specimens. FAEEs could be detected in alcohol-exposed newborns ( >600 ng/g cumulative concentration). Interestingly, FAEEs could also be detected in some non-exposed newborns, although the concentrations were much lower than those measured in exposed cases.

Structured lipids obtained by chemical interesterification of olive oil and palm stearin

Interesterification of palm stearin (PS) with liquid vegetable oils could yield a good solid fat stock that may impart desirable physical properties, because PS is a useful source of vegetable hard fat, providing beta` stable solid fats Dietary ingestion of olive oil (OO) has been reported to have physiological benefits such as lowering serum cholesterol levels Fat blends, formulated by binary blends of palm stearin and olive oil in different ratios, were subjected to chemical interesterification with sodium methoxide The original and interesterified blends were examined for fatty acid and triacylglycerol composition, melting point, solid fat content (SFC) and consistency. Interestenfication caused rearrangement of triacylglycerol species, reduction of trisaturated and triunsaturated triacylglycerols content and increase in diunsaturated-monosaturated triacylglycerols of all blends, resulting in lowering of melting point and solid fat content The incorporation of OO to PS reduced consistency, producing more plastic blends The mixture and chemical interesterification allowed obtaining fats with various degrees of plasticity, increasing the possibilities for the commercial use of palm stearin and olive oil (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

Influence of chemical interesterification on thermal behavior, microstructure, polymorphism and crystallization properties of canola oil and fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil blends

This work evaluated chemical interesterification of canola oil (CaO) and fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil (FHCSO) blends, with 20%, 25%, 30%, 35% and 40%(w/w) FHCSO content. Interesterification produced reduction of trisaturated and increase in monounsaturated and diunsaturated triacylglycerols contents, which caused important changes in temperatures and enthalpies associated with the crystallization and melting thermograms. It was verified reduction in medium crystal diameter in all blends, in addition crystal morphology modification. Crystallization kinetics revealed that crystal formation induction period and maximum solid fat content were altered according to FHCSO content in original blends and as a result of random rearrangement. Changes in Avrami constant (k) and exponent (n) indicated, respectively, that interesterification decreased crystallization rates and altered crystalline morphology. However, X-ray diffraction analyses showed randomization did not change the original crystalline polymorphism. The original and interesterified blends had significant predominance of beta` polymorph, which is interesting for several food applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EFFECT OF CHEMICAL INTERESTERIFICATION ON PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF CANOLA OIL AND FULLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL BLENDS

Blends of canola oil (CO) and fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil (FHCSO), with 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40% FHCSO (w/w) were interesterified under the following conditions: 0.4% sodium methoxide, 500 rpm stirring, 100C, 20 min. The original and interesterified blends were examined for triacylglycerol composition, melting point, solid fat content (SFC) and consistency. Interesterification caused considerable rearrangement of triacylglycerol species, reduction of trisaturated triacylglycerol content and increase in disaturated-monounsaturated and monosaturated-diunsaturated triacylglycerols in all blends, resulting in lowering of respective melting points. The interesterified blends showed reduced SFC at all temperatures and more linear melting profiles if compared with the original blends. Consistency, expressed as yield value, significantly decreased after the reaction. Iso-solid curves indicated eutectic interactions for the original blends, which were eliminated after randomization. The 80:20, 75:25, 70:30 and 65:35 (w/w) CO: FHCSO interesterified blends showed characteristics which are appropriate for their application as soft margarines, spreads, fat for bakery/all-purpose shortenings, and icing shortenings, respectively. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Recently, a number of studies have suggested a direct relationship between trans isomers and increased risk of vascular disease. In response, many health organizations have recommended reducing consumption of foods containing trans fatty acids. In this connection, chemical interesterification has proven the main alternative for obtaining plastic fats that have low trans isomer content or are even trans isomer free. This work proposes to evaluate the chemical interesterification of binary blends of canola oil and fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil and the specific potential application of these interesterified blends in food products.

Thermal Behavior, Microstructure, Polymorphism, and Crystallization Properties of Zero Trans Fats from Soybean Oil and Fully Hydrogenated Soybean Oil

Blends of soybean oil (SO) and fully hydrogenated soybean oil (FHSBO), with 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% (w/w) FHSBO content were interesterified under the following conditions: 20 min reaction time, 0.4% sodium methoxide catalyst, and 500 rpm stirring speed, at 100 A degrees C. The original and interesterified blends were examined for triacylglycerol composition, thermal behavior, microstructure, crystallization kinetics, and polymorphism. Interesterification produced substantial rearrangement of the triacylglycerol species in all the blends, reduction of trisaturated triacylglycerol content and increase in monounsaturated-disaturated and diunsaturated-monosaturated triacylglycerols. Evaluation of thermal behavior parameters showed linear relations with FHSBO content in the original blends. Blend melting and crystallization thermograms were significantly modified by the randomization. Interesterification caused significant reductions in maximum crystal diameter in all blends, in addition to modifying crystal morphology. Characterization of crystallization kinetics revealed that crystal formation induction period (tau (SFC)) and maximum solid fat content (SFC(max)) were altered according to FHSBO content in the original blends and as a result of the random rearrangement. Changes in Avrami constant (k) and exponent (n) indicated, respectively, that-as compared with the original blends-interesterification decreased crystallization velocities and modified crystallization processes, altering crystalline morphology and nucleation mechanism. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that interesterification altered crystalline polymorphism. The interesterified blends showed a predominance of the beta` polymorph, which is of more interest for food applications.

Zero trans fats from soybean oil and fully hydrogenated soybean oil: Physico-chemical properties and food applications

Blends of soybean oil (50) and fully hydrogenated soybean oil (FHSBO), with 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% FHSBO (w/w) content were interesterified under the following conditions: 0.4% sodium methoxide, 500 rpm stirring, 100 degrees C, 20 min. The original and interesterified blends were examined for triacylglycerol composition, melting point, solid fat content (SFC) and consistency. Interesterification caused considerable rearrangement of triacylglycerol species, reduction of trisaturated triacylglycerol content and increase in monounsaturated and diunsaturated triacylglycerols, resulting in lowering of respective melting points. The interesterified blends displayed reduced SFC at all temperatures and more linear melting profiles as compared with the original blends. Yield values showed increased plasticity in the blends after the reaction. Isosolid diagrams before and after the reaction showed no eutectic interactions. The 90:10, 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40 interesterified SO:FHSBO blends displayed characteristics suited to application, respectively, as liquid shortening, table margarine, baking/confectionery fat and all-purpose shortenings/biscuit-filing base. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the chemical composition of the essential oil and the water soluble oil of Baccharis dracunculifolia DC. (Asteraceae)

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of Baccharis dracunculifolia essential oil and the water soluble oil obtained by steam distillation that were analyzed by GC and GUMS. in the first hour of distillation, B. dracunculifolia aerial parts yielded 0.08% oil and in the second hour, 0.27%. The oil recovered from the distillate water yielded 0.18 g/L in the first hour and 0.44 g/L in the second hour of distillation. The main volatile compounds identified in the distillate water were aromatic compounds and sesquiterpene alcohols.

Attainment of O/W emulsions containing liquid crystal from annatto oil (Bixa orellana), coffee oil, and tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) as oily phase using HLB system and ternary phase diagram

Emulsions containing liquid crystals present interesting properties and advantages such as the skin moisturize increase, active release modulation, and emulsion stabilization. In this work, emulsions containing annatto, coffee and tea tree oils, and nonionic surfactants were developed. The HLB method was used for selection of surfactants. The required HLB value was established (9.0). Liquid crystals were attained when used the surfactant mixture Ceteareth-5 and Steareth-2 and identified as lamellar. The emulsions showed pseudoplastic behavior and tixotropy. The ternary diagram was useful in the selection of the proportion of surfactant and oily phase considering skin compatibility and liquid crystal presence.

Evaluation of the enthalpy of formation, proton affinity, and gas-phase basicity of gamma-butyrolactone and 2-pyrrolidinone by isodesmic reactions

The knowledge of thermochemical parameters such as the enthalpy of formation, gas-phase basicity, and proton affinity may be the key to understanding molecular reactivity. The obtention of these thermochemical parameters by theoretical chemical models may be advantageous when experimental measurements are difficult to accomplish. The development of ab initio composite models represents a major advance in the obtention of these thermochemical parameters,. but these methods do not always lead to accurate values. Aiming at achieving a comparison between the ab initio models and the hybrid models based on the density functional theory (DFT), we have studied gamma-butyrolactone and 2-pyrrolidinone with a goal of obtaining high-quality thermochemical parameters using the composite chemical models G2, G2MP2, MP2, G3, CBS-Q, CBS-4, and CBS-QB3; the DFT methods B3LYP, B3P86, PW91PW91, mPW1PW, and B98; and the basis sets 6-31G(d), 6-31+G(d), 6-31G(d,p), 6-31+G(d,p), 6-31++G(d,p), 6-311G(d), 6-311+G(d), 6-311G(d,p), 6-311+G(d,p), 6-311++G(d,p), aug-cc-pVDZ, and aug-cc-pVTZ. Values obtained for the enthalpies of formation, proton affinity, and gas-phase basicity of the two target molecules were compared to the experimental data reported in the literature. The best results were achieved with the use of DFT models, and the B3LYP method led to the most accurate data.

USE OF DISPERSIVE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY IN THE DETERMINATION OF UNSATURATED FAT IN COMMERCIAL EDIBLE OIL- AND FAT-CONTAINING INDUSTRIALIZED FOODS

The present study aims at the use of Raman spectroscopy in the quantification of unsaturated fats in fat-containing foods, compared to the information available in the Nutritional Table, to obtain a non-destructive optical quantification of unsaturation. Raman spectra of edible oil, margarine, mayonnaise, hydrogenated fat, and butter were obtained with a near-infrared Raman spectrometer (830nm). By analyzing selected bands in the regions of 1750, 1660, 1440, 1300, and 1260cm-1, the amount of total and unsaturated fat of samples of oil, margarine, and mayonnaise were correlated with the information displayed in the Nutritional Table. The amount of unsaturated trans fat in selected samples was correlated to the Raman shift of 1660cm-1. Dispersive Raman spectroscopy was shown to be effective in quantifying the unsaturated fats in oil, margarine, and mayonnaise, and trans fat in hydrogenated oils and butter.

Eosinophilic pneumonitis induced by aerosol-administered diesel oil and pyrethrum to mice

Objective. To confirm the episode of eosinophilic pneumonitis that occurred in March 2001 in Manaus, Amazon, northern Brazil, as secondary to home aerosolization with 2% cypermethrin diluted in diesel compared with the more conventional 1% cypermethrin and soybean solution used in prophylaxis of dengue. Methods. Four groups of Swiss mice were kept in polycarbonate cages aerosolized with one of the following solutions: diesel, diesel and cypermethrin, soy oil and cypermethrin, and saline. Three and 6 days after exposure, resistance and compliance of the respiratory system and white cell kinetics in peripheral blood and lung tissue were analyzed. Results. The group exposed to diesel and cypermethrin showed higher respiratory system resistance (p < 0.001), lower compliance (p = 0.03), and increased eosinophils in blood (p = 0.03) and lung tissue (p = 0.005) compared with the other groups. There was an increase of neutrophils in the blood of all experimental groups on the third day after exposure (p < 0.001). Conclusions. We concluded that diesel associated with cypermethrin induced lung hyperresponsiveness in this experimental model and was associated with increased polymorphonuclear cells (eosinophils and neutrophils) in blood and lungs. This effect is strongest on the third day after exposure. These results are similar to the episode that occurred in Manaus in 2001 and suggest that diesel plus cypermethrin home aerosolization for arbovirosis prophylaxis should be revised.