Food web structure in a tropical stream ecosystem

This study investigated the structure and properties of a tropical stream food web in a small spatial scale, characterizing its planktonic, epiphytic and benthic compartments. The study was carried out in the Potreirinho Creek, a second-order stream located in the south-east of Brazil. Some attributes of the three subwebs and of the conglomerate food web, composed by the trophic links of the three compartments plus the fish species, were determined. Among compartments, the food webs showed considerable variation in structure. The epiphytic food web was consistently more complex than the planktonic and benthic webs. The values of number of species, number of links and maximum food chain length were significantly higher in the epiphytic compartment than in the other two. Otherwise, the connectance was significantly lower in epiphyton. The significant differences of most food web parameters were determined by the increase in the number of trophic species, represented mainly by basal and intermediate species. High species richness, detritus-based system and high degree of omnivory characterized the stream food web studied. The aquatic macrophytes probably provide a substratum more stable and structurally complex than the sediment. We suggest that the greater species richness and trophic complexity in the epiphytic subweb might be due to the higher degree of habitat complexity supported by macrophyte substrate. Despite differences observed in the structure of the three subwebs, they are highly connected by trophic interactions, mainly by fishes. The high degree of fish omnivory associated with their movements at different spatial scales suggests that these animals have a significant role in the food web dynamic of Potreirinho Creek. This interface between macrophytes and the interconnections resultant from fish foraging, diluted the compartmentalization of the Potreirinho food web.

Thermo-physical properties of cooked ham

Experimental studies were carried out to determine thermal conductivity (k), thermal diffusivity (alpha), specific heat at constant pressure (c(p)), and density (rho) of cooked ham as functions of both sample moisture content (M) and temperature (T). Thermal conductivity was measured using the heat-line-source probe, thermal diffusivity by Dickerson method, specific heat by differential scanning calorimeter, and density by pycnometer assembly. Temperature ranged from 3.0 degrees C to 74.0 degrees C, corresponding to the cooking process, and moisture ranged from 40.0 to 73.0% (w. b.). Equations are provided for alpha as a function of M, c(p) as a function of T, and rho as a function of both M and T. Results for thermal conductivity are compatible with those published in the literature.

New starches for the food industry: Curcuma longa and Curcuma zedoaria

The evolution of the food sector has increased interest in the identification of new starches with distinct properties. Curcuma longa and Curcuma zedoaria rhizomes, which are already used in industry to obtain food coloring and pharmaceutical products, may become commercially interesting as starch raw materials. This work aimed to characterize the starch of two Curcuma species. The results revealed that the rhizomes of two species showed low dry matter and high starch contents. The amylose contents of the starches (22% C. longa and 21% C. zedoaria) were similar to potato starch. The results of microscopic analysis showed flat triangular shape and the size was 20-30 mum for two starches. The final viscosity of C longa was high (740 RVU) and the pasting temperature was 81 degreesC. In C. zedoaria the final viscosity was 427 RVU and the pasting temperature was 78 degreesC. These results differed from standard commercially used natural starches. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of ZnGa2O4 formation on structural and optical properties of ZnO : Ga powders

Gallium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga 1, 2 3, 4 and 5 at%) samples were prepared in powder form by modifying the Pechini method. The formation of zinc gallate (ZnGa2O4) With the spinel crystal structure was observed even in ZnO:Ga 1 at% by X-ray diffraction. The presence of ZnGa2O4 in ZnO:Ga samples was also evidenced by luminescence spectroscopy through its blue emission at 430 nm, assigned to charge transfer between Ga3+ at regular octahedral symmetry and its surrounding O2- ions. The amount of ZnGa2O4 increases as the dopant concentration increases, as observed by the quantitative phase analysis by the Rietveld method. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Role of the Eu3+ Concentration on the SrMoO4:Eu Phosphor Properties: Synthesis, Characterization and Photophysical Studies

SrMoO4 doped with rare earth are still scarce nowadays and have attracted great attention due to their applications as scintillating materials in electro-optical like solid-state lasers and optical fibers, for instance. In this work Sr1-xEuxMoO4 powders, where x = 0.01; 0.03 and 0.05, were synthesized by Complex Polymerization (CP) Method. The structural and optical properties of the SrMoO4:Eu3+ were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction patterns, Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, and through Photoluminescent Measurements (PL). Only a crystalline scheelite-type phase was obtained when the powders were heat-treated at 800 A degrees C for 2 h, 2 theta = 27.8A degrees (100% peak). The excitation spectra of the SrMoO4:Eu3+ (lambda(Em.) = 614 nm) presented the characteristic band of the Eu3 + 5L6 transition at 394 nm and a broad band at around 288 nm ascribed to the charge-transfer from the O (2p) state to the Mo (4d) one in the SrMoO4 matrix. The emission spectra of the SrMoO4:Eu3+ powders (lambda(Exc.) = 394 and 288 nm) show the group of sharp emission bands among 523-554 nm and 578-699 nm, assigned to the D-5(1)-> F-7(0,1and 2) and D-5(0)-> F-7(0,1,2,3 and 4), respectively. The band related to the D-5(0)-> F-7(0) transition indicates the presence of Eu3+ site without inversion center. This hypothesis is strengthened by the fact that the band referent to the D-5(0)-> F-7(2) transition is the most intense in the emission spectra.

Oxygen plasma treatment of sisal fibers and polypropylene: Effects on mechanical properties of composites

Polypropylene powder and sisal fibers were oxygen plasma treated, and the mechanical properties of their composites were tested. Two main effects were investigated: the incorporation of oxygen polar groups in the polypropylene surface and the surface degradation and chain scission of both polypropylene and sisal fibers. Prior to these treatments, three reactor configurations were tested to investigate the best condition for both effects to occur in PP film. Results showed that polypropylene-cellulose adhesion forces are about an order of magnitude higher for PP film treatments at 13.56 MHz than at 40 kHz owing to much higher chain scission at lower frequencies, although it probably also occurs at high frequency and high power. Polypropylene powder treated with oxygen plasma in optimum conditions for polar group incorporation did not result in improvement in any composite mechanical property, probably owing to the polymer melting. Sisal fibers and PP powder treated In conditions of surface degradation did not improve flexural or tensile properties but resulted in higher impact resistance, comparable to the improvement obtained with the addition of compatibilizer.

Crystallographic properties of KSr2Nb5O15

Nanostructured KSr2Nb5O15 oxide was synthesized by the polymeric precursor method, a chemical synthesis route based on the Pechini's method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the calcined powder at 1150 degreesC were performed in the angular range 5 less than or equal to 20 less than or equal to 120degrees with a 0.02degrees step and a fixed counting time of 30 s. The XRD data were analyzed by the Rietveld refinements using the FullProf software. The results C showed a tetragonal system with the tetragonal tungsten bronze structure (TTB) type (a = 12.4585 (2) Angstrom and c = 3.9423 (6) Angstrom, V = 611,90 (2) Angstrom). In this work, the sites occupancy by the K+ and Sr2+ cations on the TTB type structure were determined. The thermal parameters (B) were analyzed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrical Properties of Textured Niobium-Doped Bismuth Titanate Ceramics

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

Yeast biodiversity from oleic ecosystems: Study of their biotechnological properties

The aim of this study was to know the yeast biodiversity from fresh olive (Olea europaea L.) fruits, olive paste (crush olives) and olive pomace (solid waste) from Arbequina and Cornicabra varieties. Yeasts were isolated from fruits randomly harvested at various olive groves in the region of Castilla La Mancha (Spain). Olive paste and pomace, a byproduct of the processing of this raw material, were also collected in sterile flasks from different oil mills. Molecular identification methodology used included comparison of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons of their 5.8S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 followed by restriction pattern analysis (RFLP). For some species, sequence analysis of the 5.8S rDNA gene was necessary. The results were compared to sequences held in public databases (BLAST). These techniques allowed to identify fourteen different species of yeasts, belonging to seven different genera (Zygosaccharomyces, Pichia, Lachancea, Kluyveromyces, Saccharomyces, Candida, Torulaspora) from the 108 yeast isolates. Species diversity was thus considerable: Pichia caribbica, Zygosaccharomyces fermentati (Lachancea fermentati) and Pichia holstii (Nakazawaea holstii) were the most commonly isolated species, followed by Pichia mississippiensis, Lachancea sp., Kluyveromyces thermotolerans and Saccharomyces rosinii. The biotechnological properties of these isolates, was also studied. For this purpose, the activity of various enzymes (beta-glucosidase, beta-glucanase, carboxymethylcellulase, polygalacturonase, peroxidase and lipase) was evaluated. It was important that none of species showed lipase activity, a few had cellulase and polygalacturonase activities and the majority of them presented beta-glucanase, beta-glucosidase and peroxidase activities. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of structural and photoluminescent properties of Ca8Eu2(PO4)(6)O-2

In this work it is presented for the first time the nanostructured hydroxyapatites doped with 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 wt% of Eu3+ prepared at room temperature by the mechanical alloying technique. X-ray diffraction powder (XRD), infrared (IR) and Raman scattering spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microhardness measurements as well as luminescent data of Eu3+ were used to investigate the structural and optical properties of these nanomaterials. The electrical and dielectrical analyses were used with the intention of having a better comprehension about the electromagnetic fields in pure and doped hydroxyapatites.

Production and physicochemical properties of resistant starch from hydrolysed wrinkled pea starch

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

Photoluminescent properties of lead zirconate powders obtained by the polymeric precursor method

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

BaMoO4:Tb3+ phosphor properties: Synthesis, characterization and photophysical studies

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Europium(III) Concentration Effect on the Spectroscopic and Photoluminescent Properties of BaMoO4:Eu

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

Study of Structure and Properties of Bi4Ti3O12 Prepared by Mechanochemical Syntheses

Bi4Ti3O12 powder was synthesized from bismuth oxide and titanium oxide. Mixture of oxides was milled in zirconium oxide jar in the planetary ball-mill during 1, 3 and 6 h. Extended time of milling directed to formation of higher amount of titanates perovskite phase. Bi4Ti3O12 was formed between 1 and 3 h of milling time. The phase formation of Bi4Ti3O12, crystal structure and powder particle size were followed by XRD, Raman spectroscopy and SEM analysis. After milling for various times the powders were compacted by pressing and isothermal sintering. Sample milled for 3 h and subsequently sintered at 1000C for 24 h exhibit a hysteresis loop, confirming that the synthesized material possesses ferroelectric properties. All results affect that the structure Bi4Ti3O12 is strongly dependent on the milling time.