SMEs in the environmental goods and services market: identifying areas of opportunity, policies and instruments: case studies: Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico

Includes bibliography

The contribution of biofuels to the sustainability of development in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

A new approach to development banking in Jamaica

Includes bibliography

Tocopherol content and fatty acid profile in soybean oil supplemented with salvia extract (Salvia officinalis L.) during heating

This paper aimed to assess the tocopherol content and evaluate the fatty acid profile in soybean oil supplemented with salvia extract during heating, so as to verify the isolated and synergistic effect of natural and synthetic antioxidants. In order to obtain the extract, the lyophilized and crushed salvia was subjected to extraction by ethyl alcohol for 30 min, with a 1:20 salvia:ethyl alcohol ratio, under continuous agitation. Afterwards, the mixture was filtered and the supernatant was subjected to the rotary evaporator at 40 °C. Later the control treatments, ES (3000 mg kg-1 salvia extract), TBHQ (50 mg kg-1), and mixture (ES+50 mg kg-1 TBHQ) were prepared and subjected to 180 °C for 20 h. Samples were taken in time intervals 0, 10, and 20 h and analysed in terms of tocopherol content and fatty acid profile. Regarding the tocopherol and fatty acid profile analysis, it was found that the extract proved efficient in oil protection, when added isolated to soybean oil subjected to thermo oxidation. According to the results, salvia extract is a viable alternative that might be applied in industrialized processing of oils as natural antioxidant.

Reduced in vitro immune response on titania nanotube arrays compared to titanium surface

Material surfaces that provide biomimetic cues, such as nanoscale architectures, have been shown to alter cell/biomaterial interactions. Recent studies have identified titania nanotube arrays as strong candidates for use in interfaces on implantable devices due to their ability to elicit improved cellular functionality. However, limited information exists regarding the immune response of nanotube arrays. Thus, in this study, we have investigated the short- and long-term immune cell reaction of titania nanotube arrays. Whole blood lysate (containing leukocytes, thrombocytes and trace amounts of erythrocytes), isolated from human blood, were cultured on titania nanotube arrays and biomedical grade titanium (as a control) for 2 hours and 2 and 7 days. In order to determine the in vitro immune response on titania nanotube arrays, immune cell functionality was evaluated by cellular viability, adhesion, proliferation, morphology, cytokine/chemokine expression, with and without lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and nitric oxide release. The results presented in this study indicate a decrease in short- and long-term monocyte, macrophage and neutrophil functionality on titania nanotube arrays as compared to the control substrate. This work shows a reduced stimulation of the immune response on titania nanotube arrays, identifying this specific nanoarchitecture as a potentially optimal interface for implantable biomedical devices. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Signal classification of submerged aquatic vegetation based on the hemispherical-conical reflectance factor spectrum shape in the yellow and red regions

The water column overlying the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) canopy presents difficulties when using remote sensing images for mapping such vegetation. Inherent and apparent water optical properties and its optically active components, which are commonly present in natural waters, in addition to the water column height over the canopy, and plant characteristics are some of the factors that affect the signal from SAV mainly due to its strong energy absorption in the near-infrared. By considering these interferences, a hypothesis was developed that the vegetation signal is better conserved and less absorbed by the water column in certain intervals of the visible region of the spectrum; as a consequence, it is possible to distinguish the SAV signal. To distinguish the signal from SAV, two types of classification approaches were selected. Both of these methods consider the hemispherical-conical reflectance factor (HCRF) spectrum shape, although one type was supervised and the other one was not. The first method adopts cluster analysis and uses the parameters of the band (absorption, asymmetry, height and width) obtained by continuum removal as the input of the classification. The spectral angle mapper (SAM) was adopted as the supervised classification approach. Both approaches tested different wavelength intervals in the visible and near-infrared spectra. It was demonstrated that the 585 to 685-nm interval, corresponding to the green, yellow and red wavelength bands, offered the best results in both classification approaches. However, SAM classification showed better results relative to cluster analysis and correctly separated all spectral curves with or without SAV. Based on this research, it can be concluded that it is possible to discriminate areas with and without SAV using remote sensing. © 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

The igapó of the Negro River in central Amazonia: Linking late-successional inundation forest with fluvial geomorphology

Despite important progress on Amazonian floodplain research, the flooded forest of the Negro River igapó has been little investigated. In particular, no study has previously focused the linkage between fluvial geomorphology and the floristic variation across the course of the river. In this paper we describe and interpret relations between igapó forest, fluvial geomorphology and the spatial evolution of the igapó forest through the Holocene. Therefore, we investigate the effect of geomorphological units of the floodplain and channel patterns on tree diversity, composition and structural parameters of the late-successional igapó forest. Our results show that sites sharing almost identical flooding regime, exhibit variable tree assemblages, species richness and structural parameters such as basal area, tree density and tree heights, indicating a trend in which the geomorphologic styles seem to partially control the organization of igapó's tree communities. This can be also explained by the high variability of well-developed geomorphologic units in short distances and concentrated in small areas. In this dynamic the inputs from the species pool of tributary rivers play a crucial role, but also the depositional and erosional processes associated with the evolution of the floodplain during the Holocene may control floristic and structural components of the igapó forests. These results suggest that a comprehensive approach integrating floristic and geomorphologic methods is needed to understand the distribution of the complex vegetation patterns in complex floodplains such as the igapó of the Negro River. This combination of approaches may introduce a better comprehension of the temporal and spatial evolutionary analysis and a logic rationale to understand the vegetation distribution and variability in function of major landforms, soil distributions and hydrology. Thus, by integrating the past into macroecological analyses will sharpen our understanding of the underlying forces for contemporary floristic patterns along the inundation forests of the Negro River. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Caracterização hídrica em função das condições de uso e manejo do solo na microbacia hidrográfica do córrego da Fazenda da Glória, Taquaritinga, S.P

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Extratos de especiarias: aplicações em óleo de soja e repercussões sobre o perfil lipídico in vivo

Pós-graduação em Engenharia e Ciência de Alimentos - IBILCE

Mutagenicity of hydroxyurea in lymphocytes from patients with sickle cell disease

Hydroxyurea is commonly used in the treatment of myeloproliferative diseases and in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). The use of this antineoplastic agent in patients with SCD is justified because of the drug's ability to increase fetal hemoglobin levels, thereby decreasing the severity of SCD. However, high doses or prolonged treatment with hydroxyurea can be cytotoxic or genotoxic for these patients, with an increased risk of developing acute leukemia. This danger can be avoided by monitoring the lymphocytes of patients treated with hydroxyurea. Cytogenetic tests are important endpoints for monitoring the physiological effects of physical and chemical agents, including drugs. In this work, we assessed the genotoxicity of hydroxyurea in short-term cultures of lymphocytes from SCD patients. Hydroxyurea was not cytotoxic or genotoxic at the concentrations tested in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. These results support the use of hydroxyurea in the treatment of SCD, although further work is necessary to understand the effects of this drug in vivo

Utilização do DELI-teste para avaliação da sensibilidade in vitro do Plasmodium vivax à Cloroquina em condições de campo no município de Tucuruí, Pará

O Estado do Pará é um dos responsáveis pela maioria das notificações de malária na Região Amazônica. Plasmodium vivax é a espécie mais freqüente e a avaliação da sensibilidade do mesmo à cloroquina é essencial para verificar se tal droga mantém sua eficácia. Entretanto, isso não era factível em função da não disponibilidade de metodologia de cultivo de curto prazo e da dificuldade de avaliação da maturação desse parasito. Recentemente, um sistema para cultivo de curto prazo de P. vivax foi introduzido, assim como uma metodologia de mensuração (DELIteste) da maturação/crescimento do parasito baseada na detecção da enzima Lactato Desidrogenase do parasito (pLDH), permitindo estudos de sensibilidade dessa especie plasmodial aos antimaláricos. O objetivo desse trabalho foi então avaliar o desempenho dessa metodologia para avaliar a quimiossensibilidade de P. vivax a cloroquina em condições de campo no município de Tucuruí, no Estado do Para. Foram utilizados 44 pacientes positivos para malária vivax, diagnosticados pelo exame de gota espessa, dos quais, após consentimento, foram coletados 5mL de sangue. Uma suspensão de hemácias de cada paciente, preparada em meio de cultura especial (meios RPMI e Waymouth, soro AB+, hematocrito de 1,8%), foi colocada em cultivo in vitro de curto prazo (48 horas), a 37°C e microaerofilia, frente a uma gama de concentrações (2,34-600ng/mL) de cloroquina. As placas foram então congeladas e, posteriormente, os parasitos foram lisados por congelamento e descongelamento, liberando a pLDH. A mensuração da pLDH foi feita por ELISA-sanduiche (DELI-teste), utilizando como anticorpos de captura os monoclonais 6C9 (anti-pLDH de Plasmodium) e 11D (anti-LDH de P. vivax) e como anticorpo de detecção o monoclonal 19G (anti-pLDH de Plasmodium). Os valores de densidade ótica obtidos permitiram, na maioria dos casos, traçar curvas de sensibilidade a droga e o conseqüente calculo da concentração inibitória de 50% (IC50). Do total de amostras, 53,8% apresentaram melhores curvas com o monoclonal 11D e 46,1% com o monoclonal 6C9. Das 44 amostras, 26 (59,2%) permitiram traçar curvas interpretáveis de sensibilidade a cloroquina. O rendimento de 59% pode ser considerado satisfatório em função da conhecida dificuldade de se cultivar P. vivax in vitro, e das precárias condições de infra-estrutura para realização das culturas. Doze (46,2%) dessas 26 amostras apresentaram IC50 superior ao limiar de 100nM, sendo consideradas resistentes. Esse elevado percentual de amostras com perda e sensibilidade a cloroquina é preocupante e indica que esse tipo de avaliação deve ser continuada e estendida a outras localidades para se ter uma caracterização mais clara dessa situação. O DELIteste é o único capaz de avaliar a resistência in vitro do P. vivax e sua utilização em condições de campo pode contribuir para direcionar estratégias terapêuticas para malária em nosso País.

Manual responses to visual stimuli: early and late facilitatory effects due to the offset of a peripheral cue

Os tempos de reação manuais e sacádicos (TRMs e TRSs) são reduzidos quando um sinal de aviso precede o aparecimento do alvo. O decréscimo nos TRSs observados depois do desaparecimento do ponto de fixação tem sido chamado de efeito de intervalo. Teorias diferentes foram propostas para explicá-lo. De acordo com alguns autores, o desaparecimento também permite ao sistema sacádico gerar uma população separada de TRSs, as sacádicas expressas. No entanto, não há concordância sobre a influência do desaparecimento de um estímulo periférico no TRM. Em dois experimentos, testou-se os efeitos de um desaparecimento visual periférico empregado como um sinal preparatório para os TRMs a um alvo, após intervalos variáveis. Encontrou-se uma redução no TRM para intervalos curtos (200-300 ms) e longos (1300-2000 ms) após o desaparecimento periférico. A distribuição dos TRMs deslocou-se para latências curtas, formando por vezes populações separadas. Visto que os TRMs obtidos em intervalos longos foram afetados pela introdução de sessões capciosas, enquanto que os TRMs em intervalos curtos não o foram, propõe-se que dois mecanismos diferentes estão envolvidos no decréscimo dos TRMs: alerta e expectativa temporal. Nossos dados sustentam a hipótese de que o componente temporal envolvido com os estágios preparatórios das respostas motoras podem ser compartilhados pelos movimentos sacádicos e pelas respostas de apertar botões, permitindo a redução das latências motoras após o desaparecimento visual, dentro do paradigma do intervalo. Nossos dados corroboram o modelo de três componentes do efeito de intervalo. Em nosso ponto de vista, a questão da existência ou não do efeito de intervalo para respostas manuais é essencialmente conceitual.

Dynamics of soil exploration by fine roots down to a depth of 10 m throughout the entire rotation in Eucalyptus grandis plantations

Although highly weathered soils cover considerable areas in tropical regions, little is known about exploration by roots in deep soil layers. Intensively managed Eucalyptus plantations are simple forest ecosystems that can provide an insight into the belowground growth strategy of fast-growing tropical trees. Fast exploration of deep soil layers by eucalypt fine roots may contribute to achieving a gross primary production that is among the highest in the world for forests. Soil exploration by fine roots down to a depth of 10 m was studied throughout the complete cycle in Eucalyptus grandis plantations managed in short rotation. Intersects of fine roots, less than 1 mm in diameter, and medium-sized roots, 1-3 mm in diameter, were counted on trench walls in a chronosequence of 1-, 2-, 3.5-, and 6-year-old plantations on a sandy soil, as well as in an adjacent 6-year-old stand growing in a clayey soil. Two soil profiles were studied down to a depth of 10 m in each stand (down to 6 m at ages 1 and 2 years) and 4 soil profiles down to 1.5-3.0 m deep. The root intersects were counted on 224 m(2) of trench walls in 15 pits. Monitoring the soil water content showed that, after clear cutting, almost all the available water stored down to a depth of 7 m was taken up by tree roots within 1.1 year of planting. The soil space was explored intensively by fine roots down to a depth of 3 m from 1 year after planting, with an increase in anisotropy in the upper layers throughout the rotation. About 60% of fine root intersects were found at a depth of more than 1 m, irrespective of stand age. The root distribution was isotropic in deep soil layers and kriged maps showed fine root clumping. A considerable volume of soil was explored by fine roots in eucalypt plantations on deep tropical soils, which might prevent water and nutrient losses by deep drainage after canopy closure and contribute to maximizing resource uses.

Short periods of food restriction do not affect growth, survival or muscle development on pacu larvae

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Projeto e construção de uma célula de carga acoplada a uma grampeadeira

Due to greater productivity in the auto industry and the high competition in the current market, employees are required to perform repeated movements and often, with short intervals of rest. This daily exposure causes muscle tension and overloads occasional, thus creating problems and psychosocial stress. Currently companies are concerned with the welfare of the employee, where the main focus is product quality and life of the worker, thus justifying such a study. Therefore , this technical work to assist the master's thesis of graduate student Daniel Rodriguez , was developed with the objective is to analyze , develop, design and construct a coupled to a load cell device simulating a stitcher to be used in an industry the posts stapling upholstery of seats . Are the stages of design and construction detailed in this work and its positive results in relation to the technical part of the study