Thermal inkjet printing of polyaniline on paper

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

Determination of BTEX by GC-MS in air of offset printing plants: Comparison between conventional and ecological inks

The use of inks containing organic solvents by the offset printing process implies in the release of volatile organic compounds to the work environment. Many of these compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the xylene isomers (well known by the acronym BTEX) are extremely toxic. In this study, the BTEX concentrations were determined in two different printing plants that use distinct types of inks: the conventional and the so-called ecological, which is manufactured based on vegetal oil. Concentration ranges were 43-84, 15-3,480, 2-133, 5-459, and 2-236 μg m-3 for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m + p-xylene, and o-xylene, respectively, for the conventional printing plant. At the ecological printing plant, concentration ranges were below limit of detection (printing environment than in the conventional, where mineral oil-based inks are used. However, the worker who cleans the printing matrices is exposed to high concentrations of ethylbenzene and xylenes, due probably to the cleaning product's composition (containing high amounts of BTEX). Although the BTEX concentrations found in both printing work environments were below the limits considered by the Brazilian Law for Activities and Unhealthy Operations (NR-15), the exposure to such vapors characterizes risk to the workers' health for some of the evaluated samples, mainly the personal ones. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.

Pigments based on Cr and Sb doped TiO2 prepared by microemulsion-mediated solvothermal synthesis for inkjet printing on ceramics

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

Thermal inkjet printing of copper tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (CuTsPc) as a semiconducting layer on flexible MIS capacitors

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

Comparative analysis between a CAD model design and physical models obtained by manufacturing additive technologies using optical scan

This article presents a detailed study of the application of different additive manufacturing technologies (sintering process, three-dimensional printing, extrusion and stereolithographic process), in the design process of a complex geometry model and its moving parts. The fabrication sequence was evaluated in terms of pre-processing conditions (model generation and model STL SLI), generation strategy and physical model post-processing operations. Dimensional verification of the obtained models was undertook by projecting structured light (optical scan), a relatively new technology of main importance for metrology and reverse engineering. Studies were done in certain manufacturing time and production costs, which allowed the definition of an more comprehensive evaluation matrix of additive technologies.

Influência da densidade básica da madeira de clones de Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla na qualidade da polpa branqueada.

The study analyzed the wood basic density effect in two Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla hybrid clones (440 kg/m(3) e 508 kg/m(3)) on bleached pulp quality (fiber dimensions and physical-mechanical properties). The woods performance on pulping, bleaching and beating results were analyzed. The Kraft pulping was carried out in forced circulation digester in order to obtain 17 +/- 1 kappa number targets. The pulps were bleached to 90 +/- 1 using delignification oxygen and D0EOPD1 bleaching sequence. Bleached pulp of low basic density clone showed, significantly, lowest revolutions number in the PFI mill to reach tensile index of 70 N.m/g, low Schopper Riegler degree and generated sheets with higher values to bulk and opacity. These characteristics and properties allow concluding that bleached pulp of low basic density clone was the most indicated to produce printing and writing sheets. The bleached pulp of high basic density clone showed higher values of bulk and capillarity Klemm and lower water retention value when analyzed without beating. The bleached pulp of high basic density clone showed more favorable characteristics to the production of tissue papers.

Efeito do déficit hídrico na eficiência de herbicidas e nas características bioquímicas de picão-preto

The objective of this work was to evaluate conditions the effectiveness of acetolactate synthase (ALS) and protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PROTOX) inhibitors in the Bidens pilosa control under two water deficit conditions, as well as to determine the influence of water deficit under the contents of soluble carbohydrates and protein of weed. The experimental design was randomized completely design with the treatments, with four replications, setup in a factorial scheme 4x2, with four herbicides (fomesafen lactofen, chlorimuron-ethyl and imazethapyr), and two water conditions (-0.5 MPa and -0.01MPa). At 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after application (DAA), was assessed visually control efficiency of herbicides. For the determination of organic solutes plants were collected at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after application (HAA). Herbicides controlled efficiently plants of B. pilosa, except lactofen, whereas the water deficit affected the efficiency of control of all the herbicides. The soluble carbohydrate content increased with the imposition of water deficit, however, herbicides and water deficit further reduction of soluble proteins in plants of B. pilosa.

Best practices for the implantation of ISO 14001 norms: a study of change management in two industrial companies in the Midwest region of the state of São Paulo - Brazil

Among the difficulties found in the implementation of ISO 14001 systems, resistance to change can always be found. It is mainly a consequence of the hurry to change, loss of focus, concentration of decision making at the level of top management, arbitrary imposition of objectives and results, faulty communication, and the absence of motivational and financial incentive for change.Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to present best practices with respect to the management of organizational change due to the implementation of ISO 14001 norms in two industrial companies in the Midwest region of the State of São Paulo - Brazil. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High power factor dimmable electronic ballast for multiple tubular fluorescent lamps

This paper presents a dimmable electronic ballast designed for multiple fluorescent lamps applications. A ZCS-PWM Boost rectifier and a classical resonant Full-Bridge inverter compose this new electronic ballast, providing conditions for the obtaining of high input power-factor, and soft-switching processes for all semiconductor devices employed in the structure. The instantaneous average input current control technique is employed in the Boost rectifier. Concerning the Full-Bridge inverter, it is controlled by the imposition of phase-shift in the current processed through the sets of resonant filters + lamps, according to an adaptation in a specially designed control IC, called IR2159. Experimental results are presented in order to validate the analyses developed in this paper.

Setting the preheating and steady-state operation of electronic ballasts, considering electrodes of hot-cathode fluorescent lamps

This paper presents a new methodology for the adjustment of the preheating process and steady-state operation of electronic ballasts intended for hot-cathode fluorescent lamps. The classical series-resonant parallel-loaded half-bridge inverter is the power stage analyzed in this paper. In addition, the preheating process is based on the imposition of a constant rms current through the electrodes, in order to provide a proper value of the R-h/R-c ratio before the lamp start. According to the proposed methodology, it is possible to set suitable operating points for, the electronic ballast, considering optimal conditions for the lamps electrodes. Therefore, the proposed methodology for setting the preheating and steady-state operation is a complete platform to the design of electronic ballasts for hot-cathode fluorescent lamps.

Stress responses of the fish Nile tilapia subjected to electroshock and social stressors

Plasma cortisol and glucose levels were measured in 36 adult Nile tilapia males, Oreochromis niloticus (standard length, mean ± SD, 14.38 ± 1.31 cm), subjected to electroshock and social stressors. Pre-stressor levels were determined 5 days after the adjustment of the fish to the experimental aquaria (1 fish/aquarium). Five days later, the effects of stressors on both cortisol and glucose levels were assessed. The following stressors were imposed for 60 min: pairing with a larger resident animal (social stressor), or a gentle electroshock (AC, 20 V, 15 mA, 100 Hz for 1 min every 4 min). Each stressor was tested in two independent groups, one in which stress was quantified immediately after the end of the 60-min stressor imposition (T60) and the other in which stress was quantified 30 min later (T90). Pre-stressor values for cortisol and glucose were not statistically different between groups. Plasma cortisol levels increased significantly and were of similar magnitude for both electroshock and the social stressor (mean ± SD for basal and final samples were: electroshock T60 = 65.47 ± 15.3, 177.0 ± 30.3; T90 = 54.8 ± 16.0, 196.2 ± 57.8; social stress T60 = 47.1 ± 9.0, 187.6 ± 61.7; T90 = 41.6 ± 8.1, 112.3 ± 26.8, respectively). Plasma glucose levels increased significantly for electroshock at both time points (T60 and T90), but only at T90 for the social stressor. Initial and final mean (± SD) values are: electroshock T60 = 52.5 ± 9.2, 115.0 ± 15.7; T90 = 35.5 ± 1.1, 146.3 ± 13.3; social stress T60 = 54.8 ± 8.8, 84.4 ± 15.0; T90 = 34.5 ± 5.6, 116.3 ± 13.6, respectively. Therefore, electroshock induced an increase in glucose more rapidly than did the social stressor. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation between cortisol and glucose was detected only at T90 for the social stressor. These results indicate that a fish species responds differently to different stressors, thus suggesting specificity of fish stress response to a stressor.

Charges and fluxes in Maxwell theory on compact manifolds with boundary

We investigate the charges and fluxes that can occur in higher-order Abelian gauge theories defined on compact space-time manifolds with boundary. The boundary is necessary to supply a destination to the electric lines of force emanating from brane sources, thus allowing non-zero net electric charges, but it also introduces new types of electric and magnetic flux. The resulting structure of currents, charges, and fluxes is studied and expressed in the language of relative homology and de Rham cohomology and the corresponding abelian groups. These can be organised in terms of a pair of exact sequences related by the Poincare-Lefschetz isomorphism and by a weaker flip symmetry exchanging the ends of the sequences. It is shown how all this structure is brought into play by the imposition of the appropriately generalised Maxwell's equations. The requirement that these equations be integrable restricts the world-volume of a permitted brane (assumed closed) to be homologous to a cycle on the boundary of space-time. All electric charges and magnetic fluxes are quantised and satisfy the Dirac quantisation condition. But through some boundary cycles there may be unquantised electric fluxes associated with quantised magnetic fluxes and so dyonic in nature.

Predictive formulation of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model

A novel strategy to handle divergences typical of perturbative calculations is implemented for the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model and its phenomenological consequences investigated. The central idea of the method is to avoid the critical step involved in the regularization process, namely, the explicit evaluation of divergent integrals. This goal is achieved by assuming a regularization distribution in an implicit way and making use, in intermediary steps, only of very general properties of such regularization. The finite parts are separated from the divergent ones and integrated free from effects of the regularization. The divergent parts are organized in terms of standard objects, which are independent of the ( arbitrary) momenta running in internal lines of loop graphs. Through the analysis of symmetry relations, a set of properties for the divergent objects are identified, which we denominate consistency relations, reducing the number of divergent objects to only a few. The calculational strategy eliminates unphysical dependencies of the arbitrary choices for the routing of internal momenta, leading to ambiguity-free, and symmetry-preserving physical amplitudes. We show that the imposition of scale properties for the basic divergent objects leads to a critical condition for the constituent quark mass such that the remaining arbitrariness is removed. The model becomes predictive in the sense that its phenomenological consequences do not depend on possible choices made in intermediary steps. Numerical results are obtained for physical quantities at the one-loop level for the pion and sigma masses and pion-quark and sigma-quark coupling constants.

Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous TiO2 nanostructured films prepared by a modified sol-gel method for application in dye solar cells

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

Aferição da exatidão dos saquinhos plásticos, empregados na determinação da vazão de pulverizadores

A utilização de sacos plásticos graduados para a medida da vazão de pulverizadores está ba stante di fundida entre técnicos e agricultores. 0 seu emprego é simples, consistindo, basicamente, em se coletar o líquido pulverizado por um bico durante o período equivalente ao deslocamento de 50 metros. O volume coletado é indicado numa escala graduada impr essa nos sacos calib rad ores e fornece diretament e a vazão em 1/ha. Firmas que comercializam os agro fármacos distribuem esses instrumentos aos agricultores, muitas vezes com propósitos puramente promocionais. Cinco sacos graduados de cada uma das 6 marcas diferentes foram aferidos. Agua a 20°C foi adicionada até as marcas de 100 1/ha, 250 1/ha e 400 1/ha. Esses volumes foram medidos em pro veta graduada e o volume real de pulverização foi calculado. Todos os saquinhos testados mostraram erros, em alguns bastante elevados, atingindo desvios de até 35,2%. Considerando esses resultados, é recomendada maior atenção na fabricação desses instrumentos. São sugeridas também algumas modificações da maneira de imprimir a escala e no conteúdo das instruções de uso.