Viscosity measurement of Newtonian liquids using the complex reflection coefficient

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

Dynamics of meso and thermo citrate synthases with implicit solvation

The dynamics of hydration of meso and thermo citrate synthases has been investigated using the EEF1 methodology implemented with the CHARNM program. The native enzymes are composed of two identical subunits, each divided into a small and large domain. The dynamics behavior of both enzymes at 30 degrees C and 60 degrees C has been compared. The results of simulations show that during the hydration process, each subunit follows a different pathway of hydration, in spite of the identical sequence. The hydrated structures were compared with the crystalline structure, and the root mean square deviation (RMSD) of each residue along the trajectory was calculated. The regions with larger and smaller mobility were identified. In particular, helices belonging to the small domain are more mobile than those of the large domain. In contrast, the residues that constitute the active site show a much lower displacement compared with the crystalline structure. Hydration free energy calculations point out that Thermoplasma acidophilum citrate synthase (TCS) is more stable than chicken citrate synthase (CCS), at high temperatures. Such result has been ascribed to the higher number of superficial charges in the thermophilic homologue, which stabilizes the enzyme, while the mesophilic homologue denatures. These results are in accord with the experimental found that TCS keeps activity at temperatures farther apart from the catalysis regular temperature than the CCS. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influência da acrilamida e da poliacrilamida em sistema microemulsionado visando aplicação na recuperação avançada de petróleo

This work aims to study the influence of two additives, the monomer, acrylamide and its polymer, polyacrylamide, solubilized in microemulsion systems and applied on enhanced oil recovery. By the microemulsion system obtained, it was chosen points into the phase diagram, presenting these compositions: 25%, 30%, 35% C/T; 2% Fo (fixed for all points) e 73%, 68% e 63% Fa, respectively. However, the monomer and the polymer were solubilized in these microemulsion points with 0.1%; 0.5%; 1% e 2% of concentration, ordering to check the concentration influence at the physicochemical properties (surface tension and rheology) of the microemulsion. Through the salinity study, was possible to observe that the concentrations of 1% and 2% of polymer made the solution became blurred, accordingly, the study of surface tension and rheology only was made for the concentrations of 0.1% e 0.5% of monomer and polymer, respectively. By the surface tension study it was observed that how the concentration of active matter (C/T) was increasing the surface tension was amending for each system, with or without additives. In the rheology study, as it increases the concentration of active matter increases both the viscosity of the microemulsion system (SME) with no additive, as the SME with polymer (AD2). After the entire study, it was chosen the lower point of active matter (25% C/T; 2% Fo e 73% Fa), plus additives in concentrations of 0.1% and 0.5% to be used on enhanced oil recovery. Assays were made on sandstone from Botucatu Formation, where after the tests, it was concluded that among the studied points, the point who showed the best efficiency of advanced shift was the microemulsion system + 0.5% AD2, with a recovery of 28% of oil in place and a total of 96,49%, while the other solution with 0.5% of polymer presented the worst result, with 14.1% of oil in place and 67,39% of efficiency of total displacement

Obtenção de novos sistemas nanoautoemulsificantes a partir do óleo das sementes de Azadirachta indica A Juss e suas aplicações como inibidores de corrosão

Corrosion is a natural process that causes progressive deterioration of materials, so, reducing the corrosive effects is a major objective of development of scientific studies. In this work, the efficiency of corrosion inhibition on a AISI 1018 carbon steel of the nanoemulsion system containing the oil of the seeds of Azadirachta indica A. Juss (SNEOAI) was evaluated by the techniques of linear polarization resistance (LPR) and weight loss (CPM), a instrumented cell. For that, hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of A. indica (EAI) was solubilized in a nanoemulsion system (SNEOAI) of which O/W system (rich in aqueous phase). This nanoemulsion system (tested in different concentrations) was obtained with oil from the seeds of this plant species (OAI) (oil phase), dodecylammonium chloride (DDAC) (surfactant), butanol (cosurfactant) and water, using 30 % of C/T (cosurfactant/surfactant), 0.5 % of oil phase and 69.5 % of aqueous phase, and characterized by surface tension, rheology and droplet sizes. This systems SNEOAI and SNEOAI-EAI (nanoemulsion containing hydroalcoholic extract - EAI) showed inhibition efficiencies in corrosive environment in saline (1 %), for the method of LPR with significant value of 70.58 % (300 ppm) to SNEOAI, 74.17 % (100 ppm) and 72.51 % (150 ppm) to SNEOAI-EAI. The best efficiencies inhibitions were observed for the method of CPM with 85.41 % for the SNEOAI (300 ppm) and 83.19 % SNEOAI-EAI (500 ppm). The results show that this formulation could be used commercially for use as a corrosion inhibitor, this research contributed to the biotechnological applicability of Azadirachta indica, considering the large use of this plant species rich in limonoids (tetranortriterpenoids), especially azadirachtin

Sistema microemulsionado: caracterização e aplicação na indústria de petróleo

Alkyl polyethoxylates are surfactants widely used in vastly different fields, from oil exploitation to pharmaceutical applications. One of the most interesting characteristics of these surfactants is their ability to form micellar systems with specific geometry, the so-called wormlike micelle. In this work, microemulsions with three distinct compositions (C/T = 40 %, 30 % and 25 %) was used with contain UNITOL / butanol / water / xylene, cosurfactant / surfactante (C/S) ratio equal to 0,5. The microemulsion was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), capillary viscometry, torque rheometry and surface tensiometry experiments carried out with systems based on xylene, water, butanol (cosurfactant) and nonaethyleneglycolmonododecyl ether (surfactant), with fixed surfactant:cosurfactant:oil composition (with and without oil phase) and varying the overall concentration of the microemulsion. The results showed that a transition from wormlike micelles to nanodrops was characterized by maximum relative viscosity (depending on how relative viscosity was defined), which was connected to maximum effective diameter, determined by DLS. Surface tension suggested that adsorption at the air water interface had a Langmuir character and that the limiting value of the surfactant surface excess was independent of the presence of cosurfactant and xylene. The results of the solubilization of oil sludge and oil recovery with the microemulsion: C/S = 40%, 30% and 25% proved to be quite effective in solubilization of oil sludge, with the percentage of solubilization (%solubilization) as high as 92.37% and enhanced oil recovery rates up to 90.22% for the point with the highest concentration of active material (surfactant), that is, 40%.

Estudo cinético da degradação térmica e catalítica de petróleo pesado usando Al-MCM-41

The mesoporous nanostructured materials have been studied for application in the oil industry, in particular Al-MCM-41, due to the surface area around 800 to 1.000 m2 g-1 and, pore diameters ranging from 2 to 10 nm, suitable for catalysis to large molecules such as heavy oil. The MCM-41 has been synthesized by hydrothermal method, on which aluminum was added, in the ratio Si/Al equal to 50, to increase the generation of active acid sites in the nanotubes. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface area by the BET method and, the average pore volume BJH method using the N2 adsorption, absorption spectroscopy in the infrared Fourier Transform (FT-IR) and determination of surface acidity with application of a probe molecule - n-butylamine. The catalyst showed well-defined structural properties and consistent with the literature. The overall objective was to test the Al-MCM-41 as catalyst and thermogravimetric perform tests, using two samples of heavy oil with API º equal to 14.0 and 18.5. Assays were performed using a temperature range of 30-900 ° C and heating ratios (β) ranging from 5, 10 and 20 °C min-1.The aim was to verify the thermogravimetric profiles of these oils when subjected to the action of the catalyst Al- MCM-41. Therefore, the percentage ranged catalyst applied 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 wt%, and from the TG data were applied two different kinetic models: Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW) and Kissinger-Akahrira-Sunose (KAS).The apparent activation energies found for both models had similar values and were lower for the second event of mass loss known as cracking zone, indicating a more effective performance of Al-MCM-41 in that area. Furthermore, there was a more pronounced reduction in the value of activation energy for between 10 and 20% by weight of the oil-catalyst mixture. It was concluded that the Al-MCM-41 catalyst has applicability in heavy oils to reduce the apparent activation energy of a catalyst-oil system, and the best result with 20% by weight of Al-MCM-41

The Temperature and Humidity in a Low-Flow Anesthesia Workstation With and Without a Heat and Moisture Exchanger

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Structural alterations in the seminiferous tubules of rats treated with immunosuppressor tacrolimus

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Métodos de superação da dormência e temperatura na germinação de sementes de dioclea violácea

The aim of this experiment was to overcome the dormancy and the effect of different temperatures in Dioclea violacea seeds' germination. Two experiments were developed. In the first, it was studied the use of chemical and mechanical scarification in the overcome dormancy seeds. Therefore, were accomplished seven treatments with four replications of 15 seeds each. The experiment constituted of one testify treatment, five chemical scarification treatments (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hours of immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid - H(2)SO(4)) and one mechanical scarification treatment. In the second experiment, was studied the temperature effects on germination seeds; it was constituted on six treatments with four replications with 12 seeds each. The treatments constituted of constant temperatures 15 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 25 degrees C, 30 degrees C and 35 degrees C and the alternate temperature 20-30 degrees C ( 16 and 8 hours, respectively). Germination, died seeds, hard seeds percentages, medium time germination and germination speed index were determined. The data were submitted to the variance analysis, and the averages compared by the Tukey test to 5% of probability and regression analysis. It was observed that the dormancy overcome of Dioclea violacea seeds can be done with chemical scarification, 3 to 5 hours in H(2)SO(4), as much as with mechanical scarification. Also, it was possible to conclude that Dioclea violacea seeds germinate in a wide temperature strip, with constant temperatures of 20 degrees C, 25 degrees C and 35 degrees C benefit the germination process.

Studies on the adsorption and kinetics of photodegradation of a model compound for heterogeneous photocatalysis onto TiO2

An investigation was made on the adsorption and kinetics of photodegradation of potassium hydrogenphthalate in an aqueous suspension of TiO2. Two models, Langmuir and Freundlich, were used to describe the adsorption process and the model proposed by Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) was employed to describe the kinetics of the photodecomposition reactions of hydrogenphthalate. The results of the adsorptions were fitted to the models proposed by Langmuir and Freundlich. Adsorption was found to be a function of the temperature, with adsorption capacity increasing from 2.4 to 4.5 mg/g when the temperature rose from 20 to 30 degrees C. The kinetic model indicates that the rate constant, k, of the first order reaction, is high in the 10.0 to 100 mg/l interval, which is coherent with the low value of the adsorption constant, K. The results fitted to the L-H model led to an equation that, within the range of concentrations studied here, theoretically allows one to evaluate the photodegradation rate. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic structure of the ornamental tetra fish species Piabucus melanostomus Holmberg, 1891 (CHARACIDAE, IGUANODECTINAE) in the Brazilian Pantanal wetlands inferred by mitochondrial DNA sequences

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

Shikimate Kinase (EC 2.7.1.71) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Kinetics and Structural Dynamics of a Potential Molecular Target for Drug Development

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

The influence of temperature on the behavior of burrowing in larvae of the blowflies, Chrysomya albiceps and Lucilia cuprina, under controlled conditions

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

Xylanase production by Aspergillus versicolor

The xylanolytic system of Aspergillus versicolor is controlled by induction and carbon catabolite repression. Carboxymethylcellulose and wheat bran were the best inducers of xylanolytic activity. When the fungus was grown for 5 days on VOGEL's liquid medium with wheat bran, the optimal pH and temperature for xylanase production were 6.5 and 30 degrees C, respectively. Optimal conditions for the xylanolytic activity assay were at pH 6.0 and 55 degrees C. The half-life at 60 degrees C of the crude enzyme was 6.5 and 21 minutes, in the absence or presence of substrate, respectively.Xylan is the main hemicellulosic component of plant biomass being present in appreciable quantities in agricultural and several agroindustrial wastes. From the products of xylan enzymatic hydrolysis it is possible to obtain cell protein, fuels and other chemicals. Xylanases combined with cellulase could have applications in food processing. Cellulase-free xylanases can be also utilized for preparation of cellulose pulps and liberation of textile fibres (WOODWARD 1984; BIELY 1985, WONG et al. 1988). In view of the potential applications of xylanases, a study of these enzymes from various sources and their multiplicity is desirable.Among xylanolytic microorganisms, filamentous fungi have been more extensively studied and the genus Aspergillus has been shown to be an efficient producer of xylanases. Preliminary observations from our laboratory have demonstrated that a strain of Aspergillus versicolor, isolated from Brazilian soil, produced high xylanase and low cellulase levels, which is an interesting characteristic for some industrial applications. In this report we describe the production and some properties of xylanase obtained from this fungus.

Biosurfactant synthesis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBI isolated from a hydrocarbon-contaminated site

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