Unlocking ecological history using fish remains: Eco-evolutionary consequences of exploitation in the Atlantic bluefin tuna

During recent decades, the health of ocean ecosystems and fish populations has been threatened by overexploitation, pollution, and anthropogenic-driven climate change. Due to a lack of long-term data, we have a poor understanding of when intensive exploitation began and what impact anthropogenic activities have had on the ecology and evolution of fishes. Such information is crucial to recover degraded and depleted marine ecosystems and fish populations, maximise their productivity in-line with historical levels, and predict their future dynamics. In this thesis, I evaluate anthropogenic impacts on the iconic Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus; BFT), one of the longest and recently most intensely exploited marine fishes, with a tremendous cultural and economic importance. Using a long-time series of archaeological and archived faunal remains (bones) dating back to approximately two millennia ago, I apply morphological, isotopic, and genomic techniques to perform the first studies on long-term BFT size and growth, diet and habitat use, and demography and adaptation, and produce the first genome-wide data on this species. My findings suggest that exploitation had impacted BFT foraging behaviour by the ~16th century when coastal ecosystem degradation induced a pelagic shift in diet and habitat use. I reveal that BFT biomass began to decline much earlier than hitherto documented, by the 19th century, consistent with intensive tuna trap catches during this period and catch-at-size increasing. I find that BFT juvenile growth had increased by the early 1900s (and more dramatically by the 21st century) which may reflect an evolutionary response to size selective harvest–which I find putative genomic signatures of. Further, I observed that BFT foraging behaviours have been modified following overexploitation during the 20th century, which previously included a isotopically distinct, Black Sea niche. Finally, I show that despite biomass declining from centuries ago, BFT has retained genomic diversity.

Use of Inverted Fluoroscope`s C-arm During Endoscopic Treatment of Urinary Tract Obstruction in Pregnancy: A Practicable Solution to Cut Radiation

OBJECTIVES To describe the use of pulsed fluoroscopic guidance, to perform endoscopic procedures in pregnant women, by inverting the fluoroscope`s c-arm using a lead thyroid collar to shield the fetus from the direct X-ray beam. The use of radiation during treatment of pregnant patients with urolithiasis remains a recurring dilemma. METHODS Between May 2006 and December 2008, endoscopic treatment due to ureteral stones was attempted in 8 pregnant women. In all cases, we use an inverted fluoroscope`s c-arm during endoscopic treatment associated with 2 lead neck thyroid collars to shield the uterus, protecting the fetus from direct radiation. Indication for treatment was symptomatic ureteral stones unresponsive to medical treatment in 7 and persistent fever in 1. RESULTS Mean ureteral stone size was 8.1 +/- 4.8 mm, located in the left ureter in 5 (62.5%) cases. Three (37.5%) patients had stone located in the upper ureter, 2 (25%) in the middle ureter, and 3 (37.5) in the distal ureter. In 6 cases, ureteral stones were treated using the semi-rigid ureteroscope, whereas in 1 case a flexible ureteroscope was needed. One woman was treated with insertion of a double-J stent due to associated urinary infection. No women has early delivery related to the endoscopic procedure, and all neonates were perfectly normal. CONCLUSIONS We present a technique for endoscopic procedures in pregnant women inverting the fluoroscope`s c-arm and protecting the fetus from the direct X-ray beam. This practical approach should be specially considered when no portable ultrasound and radiologic assistance in available in the operating room. UROLOGY 75: 1505-1508, 2010. (c) 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Caracterização química do "pitch" em indústria de celulose e papel de Eucalyptus

The chemical analysis of the acetone, chloroform, toluene and methanol extracts of a pitch sample was carried out by IR and GC-MS, leading to the identification of sixty nine compounds, including fatty acids, alcohols and hydrocarbons. Analysis of the acetone extractive of a eucalyptus wood used in Brazil for pulp production was also carried out, resulting in identification of fifty nine compounds, including mainly fatty acids, phenolic compounds, beta-sitosterol and other steroids. This analysis showed that pitch formation had a contribution from wood extractives and other sources of contamination. The results obtained and the methodology applied can be used by the pulp industry to develop new methods of pitch control.

Evolução setorial e trajetórias tecnológicas em nível de empresas na indústria de celulose e papel no Brasil (1970 - 2004): contexto da política de substituição de importações à competição globalizada

Accordingly, a variety of firms's technological capabilities studies, the literature recently is still lacking about the dynamic of sector evolution and technological development in inter-firm and their implication for technical and economical financial performance. More lacking is the research catching up the evolution of industrial sectors after the institutional reforms in the 90. For that, the focus of the dissertation is to analyze the main of the evolution of the pulp and paper industry from 1970 to 2004, using as reference points the import-substitution policy and the economic deregulation of the 1990s. Futhermore, the work tries to evaluate how such changes at industry level have been perceived from a firm point of view in terms of accumulation of technological capabilities and improvement of economic financial performance. This linkage is tested and examined in the following firms: Aracruz (Barra do Riacho establishment ), Klabin (Monte Alegre establishment) e Votorantim Celulose e Papel ¿ VCP (Jacareí establishment), defining the same time period of sectoral level. As far as the industry level study is concerned, it is based on the average rate of annual growth of some selected variables, given that the technological capabilities test is performed according to the methodology already existing in the literature, but properly adapted to the pulp and paper case. Similarly, the analysis regarding the improvement of the economic financial performance is based on a set of industry specific indicators. Hence, the work is built upon multiple case studies, taking into account both the qualitative and quantitative evidence, i.e. interviews, direct observations, as well as firm reports. Finally, it is worth emphasizing as the analysis of the changes in the sector, in conjunction with the above mentioned methodology used to measure the technological capabilities in the context of an evolving industrial regime, is still lacking in emerging economies as well as in Brazil. According to the empirical evidence, the reforms of the 1990s had a positive impact on the industrial development, from both the national and international viewpoint. Such a transformation was evident at firm level in terms of accumulation of technological capabilities and improvement of economic financial indicators. Indeed, the results show that the speed of accumulation of technological capabilities within the firms influences positively the performance indicators. On the other hand, these are also related to external factors, such as the macroeconomic conditions, which as such have not been considered in details.

Trajetórias De Acumulação De Capacidades Inovadoras, Mecanismos De Aprendizagem E Fatores Organizacionais Relativos A Atividades Em Gestão De Projetos: Estudo De Caso Comparativo Inter-Empresarial Na Indústria De Bens De Capital E De Celulose E Papel No Brasil

Over the last 40 years there has been a profusion of studies about the ccumulation of technological capacities in firms from developing economies. However, there remain few studies that examine, on a combined basis, the relationship among: the trajectories of technological capacities accumulation; the underlying learning mechanisms; and, the implications of organizational factors for these two variables. Still scarcer are the studies that examine the relationship among these variables along time and based on a comparative case study. This dissertation examines the relationship among the trajectory of accumulation of innovative capacities in complex project management, the learning mechanisms underlying these technological capacities and the intra-organizational factors that influence these learning echanisms. That set of relationships is examined through a comparative and a long-term (1988-2008) case study in a capital goods firm (for the pulp and paper industry) and a pulp mill in Brazil. Based on first-hand quantitative and qualitative empiric evidence, gathered through extensive field research, this dissertation found: 1. Both firms accumulated innovative capacity in project management at the international frontier level (Level 6). However, there was variability between the firms in terms of the nature and speed of accumulation of those capacities. It was also observed that, at this level of innovation, the innovative capacities of both firms are not confined to their organizational boundaries, but they are distributed beyond their boundaries. 2. So that these companies could accumulate those levels of innovative capacities it was necessary to manage several learning mechanisms: leveraging of external knowledge and its internalization in terms of internal apacities of the firm. In other words, as the companies accumulated more innovative levels of capacities for project management, it was necessary to manage different cycles of technological learning. 3. Further, the relationship between the ccumulation of technological capacities and learning was affected positively by intra-organizational factors, such as 'authority disposition', 'mutability of work roles' and 'intensity of internal crises', and negatively by the factor 'singularity of goals'. This dissertation revealed divergent results between firms in two of the four factors studied. These results contribute to advance our understanding of the complexity and variability involved in the process of accumulation of innovative capacities in firms from developing economies. This highlights the growing importance of the organizational and the human resource dimensions of innovation and technological capacity as the company approaches the international frontier. The results suggest to managers that: (i) the good performance in project management in the two firms studied did not occur simply as a result of the pulp and paper Brazilian industry growth, rather as a result of the deliberate construction and accumulation of the capacities through an intensive and coordinated cyclical process of technological learning, (ii) to develop innovative capabilities in project management, besides looking for learning mechanisms they should also look at the organizational factors that influence the learning mechanisms directly, (iii) performance of pulp mill¿s projects is better when projects are implemented together with technology suppliers than when performed only by the mill. This dissertation concludes that capital goods firms have been having a fundamental role for the innovative capabilities accumulation in project management of pulp mills in Brazil (and vice-versa) for a long time. This contradicts some authors' propositions that affirm that: a) equipment suppliers for the pulp and paper industry have been creating little, if any, development of processes or engineering projects in Brazil; b) firms in the pulp and paper industry have little capacity for machinery and equipments projects only taking place in few technological activities, being internal or external to the firm. Finally, some studies are proposed for future research.

Remoção, por flotação, de óleo em águas produzidas na indústria de petróleo: eficiência e modelagem do processo

The separation oil-water by the use of flotation process is characterized by the involvement between the liquid and gas phases. For the comprehension of this process, it s necessary to analyze the physical and chemical properties command float flotation, defining the nature and forces over the particles. The interface chemistry has an important role on the flotation technology once, by dispersion of a gas phase into a liquid mixture the particles desired get stuck into air bubbles, being conduced to a superficial layer where can be physically separated. Through the study of interface interaction involved in the system used for this work, was possible to apply the results in an mathematical model able to determine the probability of flotation using a different view related to petroleum emulsions such as oil-water. The terms of probability of flotation correlate the collision and addition between particles of oil and air bubbles, that as more collisions, better is the probability of flotation. The additional probability was analyzed by the isotherm of absorption from Freundlich, represents itself the add probability between air bubbles and oil particles. The mathematical scheme for float flotation involved the injected air flow, the size of bubbles and quantity for second, the volume of float cell, viscosity of environment and concentration of demulsifier. The results shown that the float agent developed by castor oil, pos pH variation, salt quantity, temperature, concentration and water-oil quantity, presented efficient extraction of oil from water, up to 95%, using concentrations around 11 ppm of demulsifier. The best results were compared to other commercial products, codified by ―W‖ and ―Z‖, being observed an equivalent demulsifier power between Agflot and commercial product ―W‖ and superior to commercial product ―Z‖

Indústria e mudanças tecnológicas: considerações sobre a décima região administrativa de Presidente Prudente/SP

Pós-graduação em Geografia - FCT

Aproveitamento de resíduos da indústria de celulose e papel em argamassa mista de revestimento interno

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comportamento mecânico de material compósito de matriz poliéster reforçado por sistema híbrido fibras naturais e resíduos da indústria madeireira

Neste trabalho, materiais compósitos de matriz poliéster reforçados por fibras curtas de sisal, por resíduo de madeira e por sistema híbrido sisal/resíduo de madeira, dispostos aleatoriamente foram produzidos, utilizando-se o menor nível possível de processamento tecnológico nas etapas produtivas, com vistas a se produzir um compósito tecnicamente viável a pequenos produtores. A matriz de poliéster utilizada foi a tereftálica pré-acelerada com naftenato de cobalto e curada a temperatura ambiente com peróxido de metil-etil-cetona (MEK) em diferentes proporções em relação à resina, 0,33%, 1,66%, 3,33% e 5,00% em volume, de forma a se avaliar a influência deste nas propriedades mecânicas. As fibras de sisal foram cortadas manualmente nos comprimentos de 5, 10 e 15mm e utilizadas da maneira como adquiridas, sem tratamento superficial. O resíduo de madeira utilizado foi o pó de lixadeira da madeira maçaranduba. Os compósitos foram fabricados por moldagem manual, sem pressão e a temperatura ambiente. Foram fabricados corpos de prova de matriz pura, compósitos reforçados por sisal, variando-se o comprimento das fibras, compósitos reforçados por pó de maçaranduba e compósitos de reforço híbrido, sisal/pó de madeira, em diferentes proporções entre os constituintes. As propriedades mecânicas foram avaliadas por ensaios de tração e impacto charpy e as superfícies de fratura geradas foram avaliadas por microscopia eletrônica de varredura de modo a se correlacionar os aspectos de fratura com as propriedades mecânicas. Foi determinada a massa específica de cada série de corpos de prova fabricada, bem como a fração volumétrica dos reforços nos compósitos. Os resultados demonstraram que com o aumento do comprimento da fibra de sisal a resistência à tração e ao impacto dos compósitos foi incrementada, alcançando, o compósito com fibras de sisal de 15 mm, o melhor desempenho mecânico dentre as séries testadas. Por outro lado, a heterogeneidade granulométrica do pó de maçaranduba teve efeito negativo sobre as propriedades mecânicas dos compósitos. Os compósitos híbridos sisal/pó de madeira com maior teor de fibras, alcançaram 80% do desempenho obtido para os compósitos de fibras de sisal.

Resíduos de indústria de celulose e papel na fertilidade do solo e no desenvolvimento de eucalipto

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Redesign do calçado com solado de corda a partir dos resíduos têxteis da indústria do vestuário: inovação de material e avaliação de conforto

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

Aplicações de Ferramentas Lean em uma Indústria de Transformação de Papel

Esta dissertação foi desenvolvida no âmbito do 2º ano do Mestrado em Engenharia Mecânica – Ramo de Gestão Industrial no Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto. Este projeto realizou-se em ambiente industrial, nomeadamente na Tubembal, S.A. uma empresa localizada no concelho da Trofa, distrito do Porto. Esta empresa dedica-se à transformação de papel e comércio de embalagens, produz tubos e cantoneiras de cartão e é atualmente a maior empresa do sector na Península Ibérica. Esta dissertação baseia-se na aplicação de ferramentas Lean, numa perspetiva de melhoria de um ambiente produtivo industrial, melhorando o desempenho dos processos existentes e consequentemente a produtividade da empresa em estudo, com o objetivo de a tornar mais competitiva num ambiente global. A metodologia Lean tem como principal objetivo a eliminação de desperdício em toda a cadeia de valor e neste sentido surge como fundamental numa cultura de melhoria contínua e focalização no cliente, que se pretende instalar nesta empresa. Foi realizada uma análise profunda a toda a cadeia de valor como forma de identificar os maiores desperdícios e posteriormente apresentadas medidas para combater estes mesmos desperdícios, podendo assim reduzir custos. No projeto de melhoria apresentado à organização constam como principais ações, a implementação da metodologia 5S’s como ferramenta essencial para mudança de hábitos dos funcionários e integração e envolvimento de todos num mesmo projeto comum, na busca da melhoria contínua. Procedeu-se ainda à simulação de algumas propostas de reorganização do layout de forma a encontrar aquela que minimizasse os custos com movimentações e garantisse um fluxo controlado e em segurança dos produtos e pessoas dentro da fábrica. As propostas apresentadas mostram que a reorganização do layout da fábrica pode trazer ganhos significativos para a empresa, redução direta no tempo perdido em deslocações e maior disponibilidade dos meios e consequente direta redução dos custos. Todas as propostas apresentadas visam a adaptação da empresa a um modelo mais dinâmico de negócio, capaz de responder rápida e eficazmente aos seus clientes, adaptando-se ao mercado e garantindo a sua sustentabilidade num futuro próximo.

O papel das construtoras e incorporadoras na adoção da tecnologia BIM na indústria da construção no Brasil : um estudo prospectivo

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Arquitetura e Urbanismo, 2015.

Gluttonous predators: how to estimate prey size when there are too many prey

Prey size is an important factor in food consumption. In studies of feeding ecology, prey items are usually measured individually using calipers or ocular micrometers. Among amphibians and reptiles, there are species that feed on large numbers of small prey items (e.g. ants, termites). This high intake makes it difficult to estimate prey size consumed by these animals. We addressed this problem by developing and evaluating a procedure for subsampling the stomach contents of such predators in order to estimate prey size. Specifically, we developed a protocol based on a bootstrap procedure to obtain a subsample with a precision error of at the most 5%, with a confidence level of at least 95%. This guideline should reduce the sampling effort and facilitate future studies on the feeding habits of amphibians and reptiles, and also provide a means of obtaining precise estimates of prey size.