Stagnant effective thermal conductivity of agro-industrial residues for solid-state fermentation

The stagnant effective thermal conductivities (K0) of sugar cane bagasse (SCB), wheat bran (WB), orange pulp and peel (OPP) and their combination (weight proportion 1:2:2 SCB/OPP/WB) were obtained using the line heat source method. These solid materials were applied to pectinase production via solid-state fermentation. The moisture content ranged from 4 to 80% (w.b.). A conduction mechanism through the porous media was observed, along with conduction through a liquid film and contact thermal resistance between the samples and the probe. K0 was low for intermediate moisture contents and approached the molecular conductivity of water for high moisture contents. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Comparative study of the life cycle assessment of particleboards made of residues from sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum spp.) and pine wood shavings (Pinus elliottii)

This paper presents a research on the environmental impacts of particleboards produced from wastes, based on a comparative Life Cycle Assessment study. The particleboards were manufactured in laboratorial scale from the following residues: sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum spp.) and pine wood shavings (Pinus elliottii). The study was developed following the methodological guidelines of ISO 14040. The functional unit adopted was the m2 of the particleboards produced and the impacts were evaluated by the Environmental Development of Industrial Products method. The results indicated that pine particleboard present the highest environmental impact potential. Our findings suggested that the factors that mostly aggravated the environmental impacts were: the distance between the raw materials and the production site, and formaldehyde emissions (FE). The first is related to the combustion of fossil fuel during the acquisition of raw material, which achieved the values of 2185.94 g/m2 for consumption of non-renewable resources for pine particleboard and 893.53 g/m2 for bagasse particleboard. The second is related to the use of urea-formaldehyde resin, responsible for the FE into the air during production. The FE is accountable for the contamination of approximately 7,800,000.00 m3 of air per m2 of particleboard produced, and was the factor with the greatest impact in human toxicity potential. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crop residues on short-term CO2 emissions in sugarcane production areas

The proper management of agricultural crop residues could produce benefits in a warmer, more drought-prone world. Field experiments were conducted in sugarcane production areas in the Southern Brazil to assess the influence of crop residues on the soil surface in short-term CO2 emissions. The study was carried out over a period of 50 days after establishing 6 plots with and without crop residues applied to the soil surface. The effects of sugarcane residues on CO2 emissions were immediate; the emissions from residue-covered plots with equivalent densities of 3 (D50) and 6 (D100) t ha-1 (dry mass) were less than those from non-covered plots (D0). Additionally, the covered fields had lower soil temperatures and higher soil moisture for most of the studied days, especially during the periods of drought. Total emissions were as high as 553.62 ± 47.20 g CO2 m-2, and as low as 384.69 ± 31.69 g CO2 m-2 in non-covered (D0) and covered plot with an equivalent density of 3 t ha-1 (D50), respectively. Our results indicate a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, indicating conservation of soil carbon over the short-term period following the application of sugarcane residues to the soil surface.

The management of cover plant residues for cotton cropped in a no-tillage system

The cutting of plant residue in no-tillage systems under certain environmental conditions becomes necessary to adequately establish and grow crops. This study aims to assess the effect on the yield of different methods of managing millet plant residue in cotton plantations. The study was conducted during the agricultural years 2006/07 and 2007/08, and the treatments included no-mechanical-treatment tillage and the use of a rotary shredder, crimper-roller, and mechanical disintegrator for millet plants before sowing the cotton. Evaluations were performed for the residue fragmentation, emergence speed, percent of soil cover during the cycle and yield of the cotton crop. The emergence speed was faster in the management with the rotary shredder. In 2006/07, the no-tillage treatment showed a rate of loss for soil cover that was 46 percent greater than the disintegrator treatment. The rotary shredder and the disintegrator yielded greater soil coverage during the cultivation cycle, and the yield was highly correlated with the soil cover at 75 days after emergence. The management of the millet residue affected the cotton plants for the two-year study period.

Study of pK Values and Effective Dielectric Constants of Ionizable Residues in Pentapeptides and in Staphylococcal Nuclease (SNase) Using a Mean-Field Approach

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Heavy Metals Extracted by DTPA and Organic Acids from Soil Amended with Urban or Industrial Residues

Understanding soil responses to the application of urban or industrial residues is necessary. In the current experiment, both sources of residues were applied to the soil surface of a Hapludox soil for 8 years. The four residues studied were biodigested and centrifuged sewage sludge (LB and LC, respectively), steel slag from the metallurgic industry (E), and limed mud from the pulp and cellulose industry (LCal). The residues were applied at 0, 2, 4, and 8 Mg ha(-1) four times from 2002 to 2010 when soybean was cultivated in the summer and lopsided oat and sorghum were cultivated during the winter. The contents of heavy metals were evaluated with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and organic acids. The LB was the residue that increased the contents of soil micronutrients and heavy metals to their greatest levels, although within limits that impair the risks of environmental contamination.

Alkylation of Histidine Residues of Bothrops jararacussu Venom Proteins and Isolated Phospholipases A(2): A Biotechnological Tool to Improve the Production of Antibodies

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of the surface treatment of tire rubber residues added in mortars

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Screening and determination of sulphonamide residues in bovine milk samples using a flow injection system

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Proliferação e Morte Celular (Apoptose) avaliadas em ratos Lewis após tratamento com mistura de praguicidas em baixas doses

The use of pesticides in Brazil has intensified over the years. And since 2009 it was ranked as the largest market for pesticides worldwide. The consequential diffuse contamination of the environment is therefore due to the increasing number of chemicals of different classes, origins and modes of action. Little is known about the action of pesticides on human health in situations of co-exposure. Possible toxic effects are not restricted to agricultural and industrial workers, but also the general population that may be exposed continuously to its residues in food and water. Although these pesticides are mostly present in the environment at low doses, it must be considered that possible cumulative or synergistic effects may occur when there are concurrent or sustained exposure for two or more of these agents, which can lead to late manifestation of subclinical damages, sometimes irreversible. Thus, the specific objective of this study was to assess the effect of carcinogenesis promotion of a mixture of pesticides at low doses and analyze the phenomena of cell proliferation and apoptosis in rat liver. A total of 50 male Lewis rats was separated into 5 groups for 8 weeks in a medium term hepatocarcinogenesis model. The three different classes of pesticides (dieldrin, dicofol, endosulfan, dichlorvos and permethrin), whose residues were detected by ANVISA during the period from 2001 to 2005 in tomatoes cultures, were added to the feed of rats initiated to hepatocarcinogenesis with diethylnitrosamine (DEN- 200mg/kg ip). We used two different mixtures, one with no toxic effects at doses (MEX1) referring to the NOEL (no-observed-effect level) and another at doses LOEL / LEL / LOAEL (Lowest-observed-effect level / Lowest-effect level / Lowest -observed-adverse-effect level), to the installation of adverse effects (MEX2), derived from chronic studies. All animals ...(Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Ethanol is inefficient to remove endodontic sealer residues of dentinal surface

Endodontic sealer residues on dentinal surface have negative effects on adhesion of adhesives system and/or can cause discoloration of the dental crown. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of 95% ethanol in removal of residues of epoxy-based (AH Plus), methacrylate-based (Epiphany SE) or calcium-based (Sealapex) sealers on dentinal surface. Material and methods: Thirty-two bovine incisor dental crown fragments (0.5 mm x 0.5 mm) were treated with 17% EDTA and 2.5% NaOCl. The specimens were divided into three experimental groups (n = 10): G1 (AH Plus), G2 (Epiphany SE) and G3 (Sealapex). In each group was applied a coating of one endodontic sealer type and were left undisturbed for 5 minutes. After this period, the specimens were cleaned with 95% ethanol. The control group was composed by two specimens that did not receive any sealer or cleaning treatment. The sealer residues persistence after cleaning with 95% ethanol was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (x500) and a score system was applied. Data obtained were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (α = 5%). Results: Moderate amount of endodontic sealer residues were observed in all groups, regardless of the endodontic sealer compositions. G1, G2 and G3 presented similar amount of sealer residues on dentinal surface after cleaning with 95% ethanol (p > 0.05). Conclusion: 95% ethanol was inefficiency to remove completely AH Plus, Epiphany SE and Sealapex residues of sealer-contaminated dentin.

Ethanol is inneficient to remove endodontic sealer residues of dentinal surface

Introduction: Endodontic sealer residues on dentinal surface have negative effects on adhesion of adhesives system and/or can cause discoloration of the dental crown. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of 95% ethanol in removal of residues of epoxy-based (AH Plus), methacrylate-based (Epiphany SE) or calcium-based (Sealapex) sealers on dentinal surface. Material and methods: Thirty-two bovine incisor dental crown fragments (0.5 mm x 0.5 mm) were treated with 17% EDTA and 2.5% NaOCl. The specimens were divided into three experimental groups (n = 10): G1 (AH Plus), G2 (Epiphany SE) and G3 (Sealapex). In each group was applied a coating of one endodontic sealer type and were left undisturbed for 5 minutes. After this period, the specimens were cleaned with 95% ethanol. The control group was composed by two specimens that did not receive any sealer or cleaning treatment. The sealer residues persistence after cleaning with 95% ethanol was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (x500) and a score system was applied. Data obtained were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (α = 5%). Results: Moderate amount of endodontic sealer residues were observed in all groups, regardless of the endodontic sealer compositions. G1, G2 and G3 presented similar amount of sealer residues on dentinal surface after cleaning with 95% ethanol (p > 0.05). Conclusion: 95% ethanol was inefficiency to remove completely AH Plus, Epiphany SE and Sealapex residues of sealercontaminated dentin.

Residues of different gel formulations on dentinal walls: a SEM/EDS analysis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of residues of sodium hypo-chlorite gel, chlorhexidine gel, and EDTA gel on dentina l walls after canal preparat ion throughchemical SEM- elemental chemical microanal ys is (EDS) analysis. Forty-eight single-rootedteeth were selected. They had their crowns sectioned and were instrumented with a reciprocat-ing system. The canals were irrigated with 5 mL of saline solution during root canal preparation.After instrumentation, the root canals were irrigated with 3 mL 17% EDTA followed by 1 min ofultrasonic passive activation (33 20 sec) to remove the smear layer, and then irrigated with3 mL of saline solution. The specimens were randomized into three groups (n 5 12) accord ing tothe chemical substance that filled the root canal for 30 min: GI: 5.5% sodium hypochlorite gel;GII: 2% chlorhexidine gel; GIII: 24% EDTA gel; Negative c ontrol group: no substance was used.Then, the root canals were irrigated with 6 mL of saline solution followed by 1 min of ultrasonicpassive activation (33 20 sec). After ultrasonic activation , the canals were irrigated with 2 mLsaline. The roots were sect ioned, and the perce ntage of each chemical element present in thesamples was analyzed through chemi cal SEM-EDS microanalysis. All expe rimental groupsshowed a significantly higher percentage of chemical elements (Na and/or Cl) than the controlgroup (P < 0.03). This in vitro study has shown that, regardless of chemical solutions used evenafter the final irrigation protocol, chemical residues of d ifferent substances remained attached tothe r oot c anal wa lls. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:495–49 9, 2015.

Effects of a Mixture of Pesticides on the Adult Female Reproductive System of Sprague-Dawley, Wistar, and Lewis Rats

The Brazilian federal government Agency for Health Surveillance detected pesticide residues in fresh food available for consumers all over the country. The current study investigated the effects of a mixture of some of those pesticides (dichlorvos, dicofol, dieldrin, endosulfan, and permethrin) on the reproductive system of Sprague-Dawley (SD), Wistar (WT), and Lewis (LEW) rats. Female rats from each strain were randomized into three experimental groups and were fed a control diet or diets added with pesticides mixture at their respective no-observed-effect level (NOEL)/no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) (low dose) (mg/kg/d): dichlorvos (0.23), dicofol (0.5), dieldrin (0.025), endosulfan (0.7), permethrin (5), or lowest-observed-effect level (LOEL)/lowest-effect level (LEL)/ lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) (toxically effective dose) (mg/kg/d): dichlorvos (2.3), dicofol (2.1), dieldrin (0.05), endosulfan (3.8), and permethrin (25) as reported in the literature. Euthanasia was performed between wk 10 and 12, during the estrous stage. Decreased body weights gain (SD and WT) and increased liver weights (SD, WT, and LEW) were observed in each strain fed the pesticides mixture at the higher levels. At that dose level, rat strains also varied in their responses regarding the estrous cycle, hormonal levels, and number of developing ovarian follicles. The studied mixture of pesticides was found to interfere with the female reproductive system when individual pesticides were mixed above a certain level, indicating a threshold exists for each of the strains studied.

High precision and selectivity for quantitation of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in five chicken tissues using solid phase extraction and ESI LC-MS/MS for application in monitoring residues

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)