Study of wet porous filtration

A growing demand for efficient air quality management calls for the development of technologies capable of meeting the stringent requirements now being applied in areas of chemical, biological and medical activities. Currently, filtration is the most effective process available for removal of fine particles from carrier gases. Purification of gaseous pollutants is associated with adsorption, absorption and incineration. In this paper we discuss a new technique for highly efficient simultaneous purification of gaseous and particulate pollutants from carrier gases, and investigate the utilization of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging for the study of the dynamic processes associated with gas-liquid flow in porous media. Our technique involves the passage of contaminated carrier gases through a porous medium submerged into a liquid, leading to the formation of narrow and tortuous pathways through the medium. The wet walls of these pathways result in outstanding purification of gaseous, liquid and solid alien additives. NMR imaging was successfully used to map the gas pathways inside the porous medium submerged into the liquid layer. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Estrutura e propriedades da difenil-4-amina sulfonato de sódio : um dopante de filmes condutores

This work contains the theoretical simulation of the conformation of diphenyl-4-amine sodium sulphonate (DASNa) and correlates its geometry with conductivity, showing that the conductivity increases as the molecule becomes more planar. The solvent effect was also evaluated, using water and dimethylsulfoxide. Some properties, such as bond distance, vibration al frequency and effective charge were calculated. The utilization of diphenyl-4-amine sodium sulphonate (DASNa) as dopant of aniline was investigated in view of the HOMO-LUMO energy gap.

Indicadores de qualidade do solo e determinação de níveis de degradação de pastagens

A utilização do solo no Brasil foi realizada de forma exploratória, com a conversão de sistemas naturais em sistemas agrícolas extrativistas. Grande parte das áreas de sistemas naturais deu lugar às áreas de cultivo, posteriormente sucedidas por pastagens, encontrando-se boa parte em elevado estágio de degradação. Diante do exposto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a sensibilidade de alguns atributos físicos, químicos, compartimentos da matéria orgânica e determinações de campo como indicadores de qualidade do solo estabelecendo relações entre os mesmos. O estudo foi desenvolvido no município de Governador Valadares-MG, para tal foram escolhidos níveis de pastagens progressivamente degradadas observadas visualmente (pastagem 1, pastagem 2, pastagem 3 e pastagem 4), duas áreas de capoeira em estágios de regeneração natural (capoeira 1 e capoeira 2) e mata (referência). O solo em estudo foi um Argissolo Vermelho, textura argilosa. As determinações dos indicadores físicos, químicos e compartimentos da matéria orgânica foram realizadas em quatro profundidades (0-5, 5-10, 10-20 e 20-40 cm). Foram realizadas também determinações de campo, todos os atributos foram determinados no terço médio de uma pedoforma convexa, em dois períodos, chuvoso e seco. Através dos atributos do solo utilizados como indicadores do solo, foi possível separar dois níveis de pastagens degradadas, baixa degradação (pastagem 1 e pastagem 2) e elevada degradação (pastagem 3 e pastagem 4). A melhor qualidade do solo foi observada na área de mata. Entre os atributos do solo utilizados como indicadores de qualidade do solo os mais sensíveis aos níveis de pastagens degradadas são os atributos químicos pH, Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+, H+Al, saturação por bases (V), saturação por alumínio (m), seguidos pelos atributos físicos macroporosidade e porosidade total. Os compartimentos da matéria orgânica do solo, matéria orgânica particulada (MOP), matéria orgânica leve (MOL) e carbono solúvel em água (CSA) utilizados como indicadores de qualidade do solo são eficientes em diferenciar a qualidade do solo nas conversões de sistema, mata/pastagens e pastagens/capoeiras, não sendo sensível aos níveis de pastagens degradadas, o que sugere estudos futuros utilizado compartimentos mais sensíveis a pequenas variações. As determinações de campo espessura do horizonte “A”, profundidade do sistema radicular e taxa de cobertura do solo são sensíveis aos níveis de pastagens degradadas, e apresentam uma boa correlação com os indicadores de laboratório macroporosidade (Ma), matéria orgânica particulada (MOP), saturação por bases (V), saturação por alumínio (m) sugerindo assim a utilização dessas determinações como indicadores de qualidade do solo em pastagens degradadas, para o solo e a região estudados.

Initial performance of pineapple and utilization of rock phosphate applied in combination with organic compounds to leaf axils

Rock phosphates have low solubility in water, but good solubility in acid. The use of organic compounds together with these phosphorus sources applied to the basal leaf axils of pineapple can increase the solubility of this phosfate source and increase the P availability to the crop. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using Araxá rock phosphate (10 g) in combination or not with solutions containing increasing concentrations of humic acids (0 to 40 mmol L-1 of carbon), with or without citric acid (0.005 mmol L-1), applied to basal leaf axils of pineapple cv. Pérola. Growth and nutritional characteristics of aerial plant parts were assessed. Growth rates of aerial parts and N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents increased curvilinearly with increasing concentration of carbon in the form of humic acids. Maximum values were found for the concentration of 9.3 mmol L-1 of carbon combined with 0.005 mmol L-1 of citric acid and natural phosphate.

Utilization of Interactive Internet in High Education

The present work reports on the practical cooperation between two Universities from Hungary and Portugal. Students from Portugal are remotely accessing an experimental facility, which is physically in Hungary. The cooperation among these Higher Education establishments allowed the development and testing of a Remote Laboratory at the BME. This paper reports on the characteristics and initial testing of the Thermocouples Rise Time Measurement System and provides information on development and students' feedback.

An architecture for an effective usage of data mining in business intelligence systems

Business Intelligence (BI) is one emergent area of the Decision Support Systems (DSS) discipline. Over the last years, the evolution in this area has been considerable. Similarly, in the last years, there has been a huge growth and consolidation of the Data Mining (DM) field. DM is being used with success in BI systems, but a truly DM integration with BI is lacking. Therefore, a lack of an effective usage of DM in BI can be found in some BI systems. An architecture that pretends to conduct to an effective usage of DM in BI is presented.

Effective teaching and optimal experiences: possible link

ISME, Thessaloniki, 2012

Outpatient health service utilization and associated factors: a population-based study

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that lead people to visit a doctor in Brazil and assess differences between socioeconomic groups. METHODS: A cross-sectional study comprising 1,260 subjects aged 15 or more was carried out in southern Brazil. Demographic, socioeconomic, health needs and regular source of care data were analyzed concerning visits to a doctor within two months from the interview. Adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Poisson regression. RESULTS: Adjusted PR showed that women having stressful life events, health insurance, and a regular doctor increased the outcome. A dose-related response was found with self-reported health, and the probability of visiting a doctor increased with health needs. Analysis in the chronic disease group revealed that uneducated lower income subjects had a 62% reduction in the chance of visiting a doctor compared to uneducated higher income ones. However, as it was seen a significant interaction between income and education, years of schooling increased utilization in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the existence of health inequity in the poorest group that could be overcome with education. Specific measures reinforcing the importance of having a regular doctor may also improve access in the underserved group.

VPPs information needs for effective operation in competitive electricity markets

The large increase of renewable energy sources and Distributed Generation (DG) of electricity gives place to the Virtual Power Producer (VPP) concept. VPPs may turn electricity generation by renewable sources valuable in electricity markets. Information availability and adequate decision-support tools are crucial for achieving VPPs’ goals. This involves information concerning associated producers and market operation. This paper presents ViProd, a simulation tool that allows simulating VPPs operation, focusing mainly in the information requirements for adequate decision making.

Epidemiology of physiotherapy utilization among adults and elderly

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence of physiotherapy utilization and to explore the variables associated to its utilization. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study, including 3,100 subjects aged 20 years or more living in the urban area of Pelotas, southern Brazil, was carried out. The sample was selected following a multiple-stage protocol; the census tracts delimited by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) were the primary sample units. Following descriptive and crude analyses, Poisson regression models taking the clustering of the sample into account were carried out. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized and pre-tested questionnaire. RESULTS: The lifetime utilization of physiotherapy was 30.2%; and physiotherapy utilization in the 12 months prior to the interview was reported by 4.9%. Women, elderly subjects, and those from higher socioeconomic levels were more likely to use physiotherapy. Restricting analysis to subjects who attended physiotherapy, 66% used public health services, 25% used insurance health services and 9% had private sessions. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first population-based study on physiotherapy utilization carried out in Brazil. Utilization of physio therapy was lower than reported in both developed and developing countries. The study findings might help public health authorities to organize healthcare service in terms of this important demand.

Brazilian doctors' perspective on the second opinion strategy before a C-section

OBJECTIVE: To describe the opinion of doctors who participated in the Latin American Study on Cesarean section in Brazil regarding the second opinion strategy when faced with the decision of performing a C-section. METHODS: Seventy-two doctors from the hospitals where the study took place (where the second opinion was routinely sought) and 70 from the control group answered a pre-tested self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive tables were prepared based on the frequency of relevant variables on opinion of physicians regarding: effectiveness of the application of the second opinion strategy; on whether they would recommend implementation of this strategy and reasons for not recommending it in private institutions; feasibility of the strategy implementation and reasons for not considering this implementation feasible in private institutions. RESULTS: Half of the doctors from the intervention hospitals (50%) and about two thirds of those in the control group (65%) evaluated the second opinion as being or having the potential of being effective/very effective in their institutions. The great majority of those interviewed from both intervention and control hospitals considered this strategy feasible in public (87% and 95% respectively) but not in private hospitals (64% and 70% respectively), mainly because in the latter the doctors would not accept interference from a colleague in their decision-making process. CONCLUSION: Although the second opinion strategy was perceived as effective in reducing C-section rates, doctors did not regard it feasible outside the public health system in Brazil.