Efeito de concentração espermática e período de incubação oócitoespermatozóides na fecundação in vitro em bovinos da raça Gir

Avaliou-se o efeito de concentrações espermáticas e períodos de incubação na fecundação in vitro com sêmen de touros Gir (Bos indicus). Oócitos maturados in vitro foram fecundados com sêmen de dois touros, nas concentrações de 1, 2 ou 4x10(6) espermatozóides/mL, por 12 ou 18 horas, e avaliada a taxa de fecundação e polispermia. Posteriormente, foi avaliada a taxa de clivagem com 72 horas e de blastocisto no oitavo dia pósfecundação. Um segundo experimento verificou o efeito de 1, 2 e 4x10(6) espermatozóides/mL por 18 horas, utilizando sêmen de três touros separadamente, bem como o efeito de 12 e 18 horas de incubação, na concentração de 1 a 2x10(6) espermatozóides/mL. Observou-se maior (P<0,05) polispermia na concentração de 4x10(6) espermatozóides/mL e que a associação dessa concentração com 18 horas aumentou a taxa de clivagem (P<0,05). No segundo experimento, o aumento do período de incubação melhorou (P<0,05) a taxa de clivagem para um dos touros e, quando comparados entre si, os animais produziram taxa de clivagem e de blastocistos diferentes (P<0,05) em uma mesma concentração ou período de incubação. Os resultados revelaram que a polispermia é o principal efeito do aumento da concentração espermática e que a eficiência entre touros na fecundação in vitro é dependente da concentração e período de incubação.

Síntese do anti-helmíntico praziquantel,a partir da glicina

This paper deals mainly with the synthesis of praziquantel, a powerful anti-helminthic used against schistosomiasis, an endemic disease which infest millions of people around the world.

Frequência de anticorpos para paratuberculose em bovinos no semiarido paraíbano

A paratuberculose é uma doença importante em bovinos na Paraíba, tendo sido diagnosticados, pelo Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, cinco focos da doença nos últimos quatro anos. Neste trabalho objetivou-se realizar um estudo sorológico em rebanhos com e sem histórico da doença para estimar a frequência da infecção por Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) em diferentes regiões do semiárido Paraibano. Utilizando o teste de ELISA pesquisou-se a frequência de animais soropositivos contra Map em duas fazendas onde tinha sido diagnosticada a doença, encontrando-se 72,22% (13/18) e 68,75% (11/16), respectivamente de bovinos sorologicamente positivos. Amostras de soro de 486 bovinos de 36 fazendas sem histórico da doença de diferentes regiões da Paraíba (sertão, cariri e agreste), também foram examinados por ELISA. A frequência de animais soropositivos foi de 10,08±1,07% (49/486). Foram encontrados animais positivos em 21 (58.33%) das 36 fazendas estudadas. Os resultados sugerem que o agente da paratuberculose está disseminado em bovinos na Paraíba e que são necessárias medidas de controle para diminuir a frequência de casos clínicos e subclínicos da doença.

A customização no atendimento como fator de fidelização do cliente às lojas de decoração de alto estilo

This study investigates how far customization in attendance act as clients faithfulness factor in top style interior design stores in Great Vitoria. After relative economic stability was reached with ¿Plano Real¿, customers could visualize better their money and consequently gave it more value. When clients acquire a product and demand high quality attendance they consider much beyond price. They want something new. Something that surprise. They are not satisfied only with what is best. They want the utmost. Do what is best is no longer a competitive advantage. It is now just a duty. Emphasizes application of custom-made attendance according to client specific needs as a competitive advantage-key to be pursued by companies. Analyses using extensive literature review including the world wide web source, the problem main theoretical fundaments. An intentional sample was used and interviews with closed questions were carried out with 230 clients and 18 store managers, to collect directly involved agents impressions. Conclusions show a mature customer, highly educated with good income and that demand exclusive treatment. In majority the study shows that customized attendance creates client faithfulness to top style interior design stores provided that price and product quality are adequate. Knowledge acquired with this study on attendance customization can give important contributions to top style interior design segment giving stores stimulus in the adoption of this distinctive competence facing growing global competitive market.

Subcultura tuning: a identidade estendida na personalidade de automóveis

The admiration of people for automobiles has been known and revealed for many years all over the world. Being through academic studies, proprietor declaration and admirers, the automobile is an object of desire, admiration, love, passion, dream, pride and accomplishment which, with all of this, promotes various types of feelings with the identification, discrimination, expression and the projection of identity. This research was based on the theories about consumers¿ behaviors, self-concept and extended self. It'll be approached in a qualitative and exploratory way the personal behavior of the consumers who personalizes their automobile, the consumer Tuning. The Objective of this project is to explore how the ¿Tuners¿ use a personalized car to construct their social identity. Supplementary, was explored which factors commence and initiated the extension process of self-automobile and also, how they connect with their object and why this relationship is establish this way. Seven people were interviewed of the male sex between 19 and 33 years old, living in the stated of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, during the period of September and October of the year 2007. The results observed were that the cars, like objects, can literally broaden its owner¿s personality. The creation process, sustentation and nutrition of the ¿Self¿ through the car can be observed in the personalization of their own cars, with this, using like the middle and end. It was also observed that the begin of the personalization phenomenon of automobiles in Brazil is began, mainly, in the 21 century with the diffuser of the culture, the cinema, evince even more, processes that already existent in the extension of the personalized cars. Observing that a personalized automobile tents to be in a free way, like a distance, when possible, from intransigence of models or imposition of the ways to be accomplished. Definitively, stories like: ¿My car is just a useful way to travel which I use only when necessary¿ will not be found in this research.

Relação entre a actividade física e inactividade física, envolvimento físico, comportamentos alimentares e percentagem de massa gorda: um estudo comparativo entre duas amostras da R.A.M. e da R.A.A.

Os padrões baixos de Actividade Física (AF), com aumento de tempo em actividades sedentárias (ActSed), num envolvimento natural (EnvN) desafiador e um elevado consumo de alimentos processados (AliPro) e de bebidas açucaradas (BeAçu), são factores responsáveis pelo aumento da obesidade nos jovens. Este trabalho tem por objectivo caracterizar os alunos do 7º ano de escolaridade, de duas escolas: Região Autónoma da Madeira (R.A.M.) e outra nos Açores (R.A.A.), bem como estudar as relações entre as variáveis AFg, ActSed, EnvN, o consumo dos AliPro e de BeAçu, e os indicadores de adiposidade. O total da amostra consistiu em 337 alunos (164 rapazes e 173 raparigas), sendo 123 da escola da R.A.A. e 214 da escola da R.A.M., ambas de um meio medianamente urbano. Os participantes preencheram questionários acerca da AF (Crocker, Bailey, Faulkner, Kowalski & McGrath, 1997), percepção de envolvimento físico (Evenson et al., 2006), ActSed e consumo alimentar (Wilson, Magarey & Mastersson, 2008). Foi efectuada a avaliação ao nível do peso, altura e pregas de adiposidade tricipital e geminal (Cooper, 2007). A %MG foi calculada segundo a fórmula de Slaughter et al.(1988) e os participantes classificados segundo as categorias de Lohman (1987). Os alunos reportaram resultados baixos nos níveis de AF, e em média um dispêndio de 3 horas por dia em ActSed. Cada participante afirma consumir aproximadamente 3 AliPro e 1 BeAçu por dia. No parâmetro da %MG, os resultados de ambas as escolas foram considerados alarmantes. Foram encontradas diferenças não significativas, entre as duas escolas, nos parâmetros de AF, ActSed, consumo de AliPro e BeAçu, EnvN e %MG (p> 0,05). Correlações moderadas entre as ActSed e o consumo de BeAçu; e fracas entre o EnvN, BeAçu e AliPro, e AliPro com o IMC e %MG. Em suma, ocorrem necessidades de hábitos de AF para a prevenção da obesidade.

Aptidão física associada à saúde e fatores psicossociais: diferenças entre praticantes de ginástica rítmica, desportos colectivos e não praticantes do sexo feminino, dos 9 aos 15 anos

Esta dissertação contempla dois estudos e possui como objetivos: (1) estudar a relação entre a participação desportiva, aptidão física (AptF), atividade física (AF) e sedentarismo e (2) determinar a influência do apoio parental, dos pares e da autoeficácia nos níveis de AF geral e organizada. Participaram em ambos os estudos 240 raparigas, com idades entre os 9 e 15 anos, 71 praticantes de ginástica rítmica (GR), 87 de desportos coletivos (DC) e 82 não praticantes (NP). As participantes foram avaliadas na altura, peso, perímetro da cintura e pregas de adiposidade tricipital e geminal. A AptF foi avaliada através da bateria de teste FitnessGram (Cooper Institute, 2010). A AF (Crocker et al., 1997), atividades sedentárias (ASed), a maturação sexual (Tanner, 1962), o apoio parental e dos pares (Prochaska et al., 2002) e a autoeficácia (Motl et al., 2000) foram avaliados através de questionários. Principais resultados: (1) independentemente do grupo de participação desportiva constataram-se reduzidos níveis de AF e de AptF; as ginastas apresentam níveis de AptF e de AF mais elevados comparativamente às NP (p<0,05) e praticantes de DC (p>0,05), não se registando diferenças nas ASed (p>0,05). (2) Verificou-se diferenças no apoio social (parental e dos pares) e na autoeficácia, entre as NP com as praticantes de DC (p<0,05) e com as praticantes de GR (p<0,05). As ginastas reportaram, em média, níveis mais elevados de apoio social (parental e dos pares) e de autoeficácia. Através da regressão linear múltipla, constata-se que níveis mais elevados de apoio parental e dos pares estão associados a níveis de AF mais elevados (p>0,05), sendo que 9,8% da variabilidade dos níveis de AF é explicado pelo apoio parental e 4,1% pelo apoio dos pares. Este trabalho reforça a necessidade de elaboração de programas de intervenção que potencializem a AF, e que devem contemplar estratégias de apoio social e promoção da autoeficácia.

Cinemática de partículas em fluidos de viscosidade variável com o tempo e sua aplicação na construção de poços de petróleo: avaliação durante paradas operacionais

The new oil reservoirs discoveries in onshore and ultra deep water offshore fields and complex trajectories require the optimization of procedures to reduce the stops operation during the well drilling, especially because the platforms and equipment high cost, and risks which are inherent to the operation. Among the most important aspects stands out the drilling fluids project and their behavior against different situations that may occur during the process. By means of sedimentation experiments, a correlation has been validated to determe the sedimentation particles velocity in variable viscosity fluids over time, applying the correction due to effective viscosity that is a shear rate and time function. The viscosity evolution over time was obtained by carrying out rheologic tests using a fixed shear rate, small enough to not interfere in the fluid gelling process. With the sedimentation particles velocity and the fluid viscosity over time equations an iterative procedure was proposed to determine the particles displacement over time. These equations were implemented in a case study to simulate the cuttings sedimentation generated in the oil well drilling during stops operation, especially in the connections and tripping, allowing the drilling fluid project in order to maintain the cuttings in suspension, avoiding risks, such as stuck pipe and in more drastic conditions, the loss of the well

Um sistema de visão para navegação robusta de uma plataforma robótica semi-autônoma

Large efforts have been maden by the scientific community on tasks involving locomotion of mobile robots. To execute this kind of task, we must develop to the robot the ability of navigation through the environment in a safe way, that is, without collisions with the objects. In order to perform this, it is necessary to implement strategies that makes possible to detect obstacles. In this work, we deal with this problem by proposing a system that is able to collect sensory information and to estimate the possibility for obstacles to occur in the mobile robot path. Stereo cameras positioned in parallel to each other in a structure coupled to the robot are employed as the main sensory device, making possible the generation of a disparity map. Code optimizations and a strategy for data reduction and abstraction are applied to the images, resulting in a substantial gain in the execution time. This makes possible to the high level decision processes to execute obstacle deviation in real time. This system can be employed in situations where the robot is remotely operated, as well as in situations where it depends only on itself to generate trajectories (the autonomous case)

Aperfeiçoamento no projeto de um protótipo de misturador-decantador à inversão de fases visando aplicação na indústria do petróleo

In the oil industry the mixture oil/water occurs in the operations of production, transportation and refining, as well as during the use of its derivatives. The amount of water produced associated with the oil varies and can reach values of 90% in volume in the case of mature phase of the production fields. The present work deals with the development of new design of the Mixer Settler based on Phase Inversion (MDIF) in a laboratory scale. We envisage this application in industrial scale so the phases of project, construction and operation are considered. The modifications most significant, in comparison with the original prototype, include the materials of construction and the substitution of the equipment used in the mixing stage of the process. It was tested the viability of substitution of the original system of mechanical mixing by a static mixer. A statistical treatment by means of an experimental design of composed central type was used in order to evaluate the behavior of the main variables of the separation process as function of the efficiency of separation for the new device. This procedure is useful to delimit an optimal region of operation with the equipment. The variables of process considered on the experimental design were: oil concentration in the feeding water (mg/L); Total volumetric flow rate (L/h); Ratio organic/water on volumetric basis (O/A). The separation efficiency is calculated by comparison of the content of oil and greases in the inlet and outlet of the equipment. For determination of TOG (Total Oil and Grease), the method used was based in the absorption of radiation in the infra-red region. The equipment used for these determinations was InfraCal® TOG/TPH Model HATR-T2 of the Wilks Enterprise, Incorporation. It´s important to stand out that this method of measure has being used by PETROBRAS S.A. Results of global efficiency of separation oil/water varied from 75.3 to 97.7% for contaminated waters containing up to 1664,1 mg/L of oil. By means of tests carried out with a real sample of contaminated water supplied by PETROBRAS we have got an effluent specified in terms of the legal standards required for discharging. Thus, the new design of equipment constitutes a real alternative for the conventional systems of treatment of produced water in the oil industry

Estudo da hidrodinâmica de um novo separador líquido-líquido: aplicação ao sistema óleo-bruto/água produzida

This work aims to use a different hydrodynamic condition applied to a new design of mixer-settler on treating wastewater produced by petroleum industry, called MDIF (Misturador-Decantador à Inversão de Fases/ Mixer-Settler based on Phase Inversion MSPI). The use of this different hydrodynamic behaviour is possible due to vertical disposition of the device and the principle of Phase Inversion that controls the MDIF, providing the generation (creation) of a cascade of drops, into an organic layer, that works as micro-decanters, thus making possible the formation of a bed of non-coalesced drops, called Bed Formation . The use of this new hydrodynamics condition allows to increase the residence time of the oil carrier drops, into an organic layer, and the device can treat a greater volume of wastewater. In view of to get this condition it is necessary to operate at high throughput (58,6 m3.m-2.h-1). By results, the condition of Bed Formation is the best one to be used when MSPI operates with throughput up to 58,6 m3.m-2.h-1. The results using the condition of Bed Formation show that increasing the height of the bed of non-coalesced drops and/or decreasing the volumetric ratio (O/A) an increase of the separation efficiency is detected

Planejamento experimental aplicada a um novo separador líquido-líquido utilizado no tratamento de águas residuais contaminadas com petróleo

The present work had as objective to apply an experimental planning aiming at to improve the efficiency of separation of a new type of mixer-settler applied to treat waste water contaminated with oil. An unity in scale of laboratory, was installed in the Post-graduation Program of Chemical Engineering of UFRN. It was constructed in partnership with Petrobras S.A. This called device Misturador-Decantador a Inversão de Fases (MDIF) , possess features of conventional mixer-settler and spray column type. The equipment is composed of three main parts: mixing chamber; chamber of decantation and chamber of separation. The efficiency of separation is evaluated analyzing the oil concentrations in water in the feed and the output of the device. For the analysis one used the gravimetric method of oil and greases analysis (TOG). The system in study is a water of formation emulsified with oil. The used extractant is a mixture of Turpentine spirit hydro-carbons, supplied for Petrobras. It was applied, for otimization of the efficiency of separation of the equipment, an experimental planning of the composite central type, having as factorial portion fractionary factorial planning 2 5-2, with the magnifying of the type star and five replications in the central point. In this work, the following independents variables were studied: contents of oil in the feed of the device; volumetric ratio (O/A); total flowrate ; agitation in the mixing chamber and height of the organic bed. Minimum and maximum limits for the studied variables had been fixed according previous works. The analysis of variance for the equation of the empirical model, revealed statistically significant and useful results for predictions ends. The variance analysis also presented the distribution of the error as a normal distribution and was observed that as the dispersions do not depend on the levels of the factors, the independence assumption can be verified. The variation around the average is explained by 98.98%, or either, equal to the maximum value, being the smoothing of the model in relation to the experimental points of 0,98981. The results present a strong interaction between the variable oil contents in the feed and agitation in the mixing chamber, having great and positive influence in the separation efficiency. Another variable that presented a great positive influence was the height of the organic bed. The best results of separation efficiency had been obtained for high flowrates when associates the high oil concentrations and high agitation. The results of the present work had shown excellent agreement with the results carried out through previous works with the mixer-settler of phase inversion

Controle feedback de nível baseado em sensor de imagem aplicado ao equipamento misturador-decantador à inversão de fases (MDIF®)

The treatment of wastewaters contaminated with oil is of great practical interest and it is fundamental in environmental issues. A relevant process, which has been studied on continuous treatment of contaminated water with oil, is the equipment denominated MDIF® (a mixer-settler based on phase inversion). An important variable during the operation of MDIF® is the water-solvent interface level in the separation section. The control of this level is essential both to avoid the dragging of the solvent during the water removal and improve the extraction efficiency of the oil by the solvent. The measurement of oil-water interface level (in line) is still a hard task. There are few sensors able to measure oil-water interface level in a reliable way. In the case of lab scale systems, there are no interface sensors with compatible dimensions. The objective of this work was to implement a level control system to the organic solvent/water interface level on the equipment MDIF®. The detection of the interface level is based on the acquisition and treatment of images obtained dynamically through a standard camera (webcam). The control strategy was developed to operate in feedback mode, where the level measure obtained by image detection is compared to the desired level and an action is taken on a control valve according to an implemented PID law. A control and data acquisition program was developed in Fortran to accomplish the following tasks: image acquisition; water-solvent interface identification; to perform decisions and send control signals; and to record data in files. Some experimental runs in open-loop were carried out using the MDIF® and random pulse disturbances were applied on the input variable (water outlet flow). The responses of interface level permitted the process identification by transfer models. From these models, the parameters for a PID controller were tuned by direct synthesis and tests in closed-loop were performed. Preliminary results for the feedback loop demonstrated that the sensor and the control strategy developed in this work were suitable for the control of organic solvent-water interface level

Caracterização morfológica e microestrutural da perovskita BaCexPr1-xO3 sintetizada a partir do método de complexação combinando EDTA/Citrato

In this study, binary perovskite (BaCexO3) were doped with praseodymium (Pr) to obtainment of the ternary material BaCexPr1-xO3. This material was synthesized by the complexation method combining EDTA/Citrate with the stoichiometric ratio of the element Praseodymium ranging from x = 0.1 to x = 0.9 in order to determine the influence of this rare earth element on the morphology and microstructure of the final powder. At first the material was synthesized based on the route proposed by literature (Santos, 2010), and then characterized by SEM and XRD, besides being refined by the Rietveld method. In the material that had lowest residual parameter, S, and lowest average size of crystal, pH variation of synthesis solution was made in order to identify the influence of this parameter on the morphology and microscopy of the final powder. The results show that addition of praseodymium did not directly influence the crystallographic and lattice parameters, keeping even the same orthorhombic structure of the binary material BaCexO3, according to Yamanaka et al (2003). Material type BaCe0,2Pr0,8O3 had lowest residual parameter (S=1.4) and lowest average size of crystallite (26.4 nm), being used as reference in the pH variation of synthesis solution for 9, 7, 5 and 3, respectively. Variation of this parameter showed that when the synthesis solution pH was decreased to below 11, there was an increase in the average size of crystals, for pH 9, about 58.3%, for pH 7 (30.3 %), for pH 2 (2.3%) and for pH 3 (42%), indicating that the value initially used and quoted by Santos (2010) was the most coherent

Caracterização de água produzida na indústria de petróleo para fins de descarte e otimização do processo de separação óleo/água

The oil industry has several segments that can impact the environment. Among these, produced water which has been highlight in the environmental problem because of the great volume generated and its toxic composition. Those waters are the major source of waste in the oil industry. The composition of the produced water is strongly dependent on the production field. A good example is the wastewater produced on a Petrobras operating unit of Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará (UO-RNCE). A single effluent treatment station (ETS) of this unit receives effluent from 48 wells (onshore and offshore), which leads a large fluctuations in the water quality that can become a complicating factor for future treatment processes. The present work aims to realize a diagnosis of a sample of produced water from the OU - RNCE in compliance to certain physical and physico-chemical parameters (chloride concentration, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, TOG (oil & grease), nitrate concentration, turbidity, salinity and temperature). The analysis of the effluent is accomplished by means of a MP TROLL 9500 Multiparameter probe, a TOG/TPH Infracal from Wilks Enterprise Corp. - Model HATR - T (TOG) and a MD-31 condutivimeter of Digimed. Results were analyzed by univariated and multivariated analysis (principal component analysis) associated statistical control charts. The multivariate analysis showed a negative correlation between dissolved oxygen and turbidity (-0.55) and positive correlations between salinity and chloride (1), conductivity, chloride and salinity (0.70). Multivariated analysis showed there are seven principal components which can explain the variability of the parameters. The variables, salinity, conductivity and chloride were the most important variables, with, higher sampling variance. Statistical control charts have helped to establish a general trend between the physical and chemical evaluated parameters