Heterogeneous catalysis afford biodiesel of babassu, castor oil and blends

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Infection patterns of Paradollfusnema amphisbaenia (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae) in a population of Amphisbaena wuchereri (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae) from Minas Gerais state, south-eastern Brazil, and its relations with host size, sex and fat body mass

Specimens (n= 41) of the amphisbaenid Amphisbaena wuchereri taken from a population in Minas Gerais state, south-eastern Brazil, were examined for gastrointestinal parasites. A single nematode species was found, Paradollfusnema amphisbaenia. This was a new host record for this nematode species. This parasite was encountered in the large intestine (prevalence of 100%), in the stomach (prevalence of 2%) and in the small intestine (prevalence of 7.3%). The intensity of infection ranged from 1 to 457 individual parasites per host and was positively correlated with body size of both male and female amphisbaenians. The discrepancy index (D) indicated that P. amphisbaenia tended to an even distribution in this host population. The nematode, which did not affect fat body mass, induced inflammatory infiltrations in the small intestine, indicating that the parasites might injure the host's organs. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012.

An analysis of diurnal cycles in the mass of ambient aerosols derived from biomass burning and agro-industry

Strong diurnal cycles in ambient aerosol mass were observed in a rural region of Southeast Brazil where the trace composition of the lower troposphere is governed mainly by emissions from agro-industry. An optical particle counter was used to record size-segregated aerosol number concentrations between 13 May 2010 and 15 March 2011. The data were collected every 10 min and used to calculate aerosol mass concentrations. Aerosol samples were also collected onto filters during daytime (10:00-16:00 local time) and nighttime (20:00-06:00) periods, for subsequent analysis of soluble ions and water-soluble organic carbon. Biomass burning aerosols predominated during the dry winter, while secondary aerosols were most important in the summer rainy season. In both seasons, diurnal cycles in calculated aerosol mass concentrations were due to the uptake of water by the aerosols and, to a lesser extent, to emissions and secondary aerosol formation. In neither season could the observed mass changes be explained by changes in the depth of the boundary layer. In the summer, nighttime increases in aerosol mass ranged from 2.7-fold to 81-fold, depending on particle size, while in the winter, the range was narrower, from 2.2-fold to 9.5-fold, supporting the possibility that the presence of particles derived from biomass burning reduced the overall ability of the aerosols to absorb water. Key Points Diurnal cycle of agro-industrial aerosol mass governed by humidity Biomass burning emissions act to suppress particle growth Need to consider diurnal mass cycles in aerosol dry deposition models ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Energy and fat intake are not associated with abdominal adiposity

Background and objective: Central or abdominal obesity (AA) is a highly prevalent determinant of the metabolic syndrome and its control requires intervention strategies. This study investigated the risk factors associated with the presence of AA in hospitalized individuals. Patients and methods: A total of 1626patients were studied. The investigated risk factors possibly associated with AA were gender, age, body mass index (BMI), habitual energy intake (HEI) and fat intake (FI). AA was determined by waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The chi2, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the data and univariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to identify the predictive factors of AA. Results: Women were at higher risk of developing AA than men (P. <. 0.0001). The HEI and FI of individuals with and without AA and of women and men were not significantly different. According to multivariate analysis, HEI was not a predictive factor of AA, contrary to gender and age. The risk factors for AA, determined by WC, were gender (OR. = 6.8; CI. = 5.3-8.7) and age (OR. = 1.0; CI. = 1.0-1.0). Women were six times more likely to develop AA than men. Conclusions: Evidence of an association between AA and HEI or FI was not found, but gender and age were associated with AA. © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS.

Action of andiroba oil and permethrin on the central nervous and reproductive systems of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks females. A confocal study

Research for acaricides with lower toxicity and impact on the environment has been intensified. An alternative would be the use of natural compounds or of synthetic products in lower concentrations than the ones sold commercially. Thus, this study describes the action of andiroba seed oil on the nuclei of the ovary and synganglion cells of Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and presents an analysis of the nuclear morphology of the nervous system cells of this tick species when exposed to permethrin. The results obtained showed that, although no changes have been observed in the genetic material of the ovary cells exposed to the andiroba oil, this compound, as well as permethrin, has neurotoxic action on the females of this species. The damages caused to the physiology of the synganglion, due to the loss of integrity of the genetic material, would result in the impairment of the metabolism of other systems of R. sanguineus ticks. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Report of the Latin American Meeting of Experts on the Pulp and Paper Industry

Includes Addendum: pulp and paper prospects in Latin America

Posibilidades de desarrollo de la industria de papel y celulosa en la América Latina = Possibilities for the development of the pulp and paper industry in Latin America

Incluye Bibliografía

Informes de reuniones sobre gestión ambiental de proyectos hidrocarburíferos de Ecuador = Report on meetings on the environmental management of Ecuadorian oil and natural gas projects

Presenta los objetivos y las etapas del programa de trabajo sobre gestion ambiental en proyectos hidrocarboniferos en el Ecuador; y recoge la valoracion y conclusiones de dos seminarios sobre el tema, asi como los resultados del Encuentro colombo-ecuatoriano sobre la dimension ambiental en la explotacion petrolera.