Biodigestão anaeróbia de dejetos de bovinos leiteiros submetidos a diferentes tempos de retenção hidráulica

Utilizando-se biodigestores contínuos, abastecidos com dejetos de bovinos leiteiros e operados sob três tempos de retenção hidráulica, avaliou-se o efeito do processo de digestão anaeróbia sobre o número de microrganismos indicadores de poluição fecal, sobre a ocorrência de ovos e larvas de helmintos parasitas de ruminantes, analisando-se também os teores de sólidos totais e voláteis do afluente e dos efluentes, bem como a produção e a qualidade do biogás produzido. Verificou-se que vinte dias de retenção hidráulica foram suficientes para reduzir significativamente o número de microorganismos indicadores de poluição fecal e a quantidade de ovos de helmintos parasitas de ruminantes. Os resultados obtidos nas análises de sólidos totais e voláteis, bem como a produção de biogás (m³/dia), permitem concluir que o biodigestor modelo Chinês operado com 20 dias de tempo de retenção hidráulica, apresentou mais eficiência. Vale ressaltar que vinte dias de retenção foram insuficientes para impedir a sobrevivência de larvas de helmintos parasitas de ruminantes.

Redução de Bactérias Indicadoras de Poluição Fecal em Estrume de Aves de Postura Tratados por Biodigestão Anaeróbia

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

Processamento da cana-de-açúcar: efeitos sobre a digestibilidade, o consumo e a taxa de passagem

O objetivo neste trabalho foi estudar o efeito do tratamento alcalino da cana-de-açúcar com hidróxido de sódio (1,5 a 50% de NaOH) sobre a digestibilidade total e o consumo de matéria seca das dietas experimentais e as taxas de passagem das canas-de-açúcar. Foram utilizados quatro bovinos mestiços (Zebu x Holandês) alimentados com canas-de-açúcar in natura, hidrolisada, hidrolisada fenada e hidrolisada ensilada como fontes volumosas, constituindo 70% das dietas. O tratamento alcalino foi mais eficiente na fração fibra, proporcionando aumentos de pelo menos 45% na digestibilidade. Os aumentos de 25,0 e 16,7% no consumo das dietas contendo as cana-de-açúcar hidrolisada (1,5% PV) e hidrolisada fenada (1,4% PV) provavelmente foram influenciados pela maior digestibilidade da fibra. Os valores estimados de taxa de passagem ruminal no ceco-cólon e o tempo de retenção em cada compartimento não diferiram entre as cana-de-açúcar in natura, hidrolisada e hidrolisada fenada. Entretanto, para a cana-de-açúcar hidrolisada ensilada, observaram-se as menores taxas (1,5 e 7,4%/h) e o maior tempo de retenção (71,4 horas). Concluiu-se que o tratamento alcalino com hidróxido de sódio, com ou sem fenação, melhorou a digestão da fibra da cana-de-açúcar no trato digestivo total e proporcionou acréscimo do consumo de matéria seca da cana-de-açúcar hidrolisada, sem afetar a taxa de passagem. Entretanto, a posterior ensilagem pode não trazer esses benefícios.

Germination and early growth of soybean, dry bean and turnip grown under Digitaria horizontalis straw

The study aimed to evaluate the possible inhibitory effects of different concentrations of crabgrass (Digitaria horizontalis Willd.) dry mass incorporated to the soil over the germination and early growth of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merril.), dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and turnip (Raphanus raphanistrum L.). The experimental design adopted was completely random, with four replications where, each one was consisted of a 2.5 L capacity pot. Dry mass of crabgrass at equivalent amounts of 0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10 t ha(-1) were incorporated into the soil. Crops seedling emergence was checked daily, and germination, speed germination index, mean germination time, relative frequency and synchronization index of germination were computed at the final of 10 days. The height and dry mass of plants were evaluated at 35 days after sowing. The incorporation to the soil of D. horizontalis dry mass caused significant reduction of the height and dry weight of soybean, dry bean and turnip, but were not observed consistent influence over the germination of these species.

Remoção de nitrogênio em biofiltros aerado e anóxico, com alto índice de vazios e sem remoção de lodo

The improper disposal of nitrogen in receiving water courses causes problems such as toxicity to living beings through the consumption of oxygen to meet the nitrogen demand, eutrophication and nitrate contamination of aquifers. For this reason it is often necessary to be carried out complementary treatment of wastewater to eliminate or reduce the concentration of this compound in the wastewater. The objective of this study is to evaluate the biological removal of nitrogen compounds using submerged aerated and anoxic filters as post-treatment of an anaerobic system, with low cost and innovative technology, which in previous studies has shown high removal efficiency of organic matter and great potential biological nitrogen compounds removal. The simple design with perforated hoses for air distribution and filling with plastic parts proved to be very efficient in relation to organic matter removal and nitrification. The system presented, in the best stage, efficiency in converting ammonia to nitrate by 71%, and produced a final effluent concentration below 10 mg / L of NH3-N. In addition, carbon concentration was removed by 77%, producing final effluent with 24 mg/L COD. However, denitrification in anoxic filter was not effective even with the addition of an external carbon source. There was a reduction of up to 56% of nitrogen caused by the process of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). The high voids space presented by this type of support material coupled with direct aeration of the sludge, allows the respiration of biomass retained between the endogenous phase, increased cell retention time and sludge retention capacity, producing a final effluent with turbidity less than 5 UT and total suspended solids around 5.0 mg/L

A influência da poluição difusa e do regime hidrológico peculiar do semiárido na qualidade da água de um reservatório tropical

In semiarid region of northeast Brazil, the majority of reservoirs used for public supply has suffered degradation of water quality affected by diffuse pollution from agricultural and livestock areas of the watershed and by hydrologic regime peculiar to the region, characterized by a rainy season with higher volumes stored in reservoirs and a dry season with a reduction in water level due to high evaporation and increase of eutrophication. The Dourado reservoir, located in Currais Novos city, semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte state, is one example of a water supply reservoir that can have degradation of water quality and impracticability of their use, due to the high external input of nutrients from non-point sources of watershed during the rainy season and increasing of eutrophication due to decrease the stored volume during the dry period. This study aimed to investigate and quantify diffuse pollution and the hydrologic regime of semiarid region in order to establish standards regarding the water quality of Dourado reservoir. The study period was between the months of May 2011 to March 2012. The diffuse pollution was quantified in terms of watershed from the mass balance of phosphorus in the reservoir, as in relation to areas under different types of land use within the riparian zone of the reservoir from the assessment of soil chemical properties and losses of phosphorus in each area. The influence of hydrological regime on water quality of the reservoir was evaluated from the monthly monitoring of the morphometric, meteorological and limnological features throughout the study period. The results showed that the reservoir has received a high load of phosphorus coming from the drainage basin and presents itself as a system able to retain some of that load tributary, giving an upward trend of the eutrophication process. Diffuse pollution by nutrients from areas under different types of land use within the riparian zone of the reservoir was higher in areas under the influence of livestock, being this area considered a potential diffuse source of nutrients to the reservoir. Regarding the water regime during the rainy season the reservoir was characterized by high concentrations of nutrients and small algal biomass, while in the dry season the reduction of volume and increase of the water retention time of the reservoir, contributing to the excessive growth algal biomass, favoring an increase in eutrophication and deterioration of water quality. In synthesis the water quality of Dourado reservoir is directed by diffuse pollution coming from the drainage basin and the hydrological regime of the peculiar semiarid region, where the rainy season is characterized by high input of allochthonous compounds from the tributaries and erosion of the soil in the reservoir riparian zone, and the dry season characterized by reducing the storage volume due to high evaporation, high residence time of water and consequent degradation of water quality due to the increase of eutrophication process

O efeito do regime hidrológico do semiárido na composição de espécies durante dominância de cianobactérias em um reservatório tropical

The potentially toxic cyanobacterial blooms in water bodies are spread across the globe, resulting in the loss of water quality and adverse effects on human health. In arid and semiarid regions, the hydrologic regime characterized by an annual cycle of drought and rain, change the volume and the retention time of the reservoir. Such changes affect the limnological characteristics and causing changes in composition and biomass community of cyanobacteria. The reservoir Cruzeta (Zmax = 8.7 m) is a eutrophic water supply source located in the semiarid tropical (Northeast Brazil). Raised the hypothesis that the hydrological regime of semi-arid tropical is a determining factor in the availability of resources in eutrophic water sources, which influences the composition of dominant species of cyanobacteria. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in biomass and species composition of cyanobacteria for two annual hydrological cycles and evaluate factors drivers. The study was divided into five distinct periods (dry 2010, rain 2011, dry 2011, rain 2012, dry 2012). The dominant group found in all periods was Cyanobacteria (99% of total biomass), which contributed to the low diversity. The filamentous species Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii was present at both points in almost every study. The colonial species Microcystis panniformis and Sphaerocavum brasiliensis dominated only in periods with lower volumes of water. The diatoms contribute more to the biomass during the period of severe drought. The point near the dam (P1) had phytoplankton biomass larger than the point near the tributary (P2). The dominant species of colonial cyanobacteria lasted until the overflow in P1, and P2 this dominance was until the first rains. The redundancy analysis indicated that physical factors such as light availability and water level were the main factors driving the seasonal succession of phytoplankton. The composition of phytoplankton in spring was alternated by species of filamentous cyanobacteria in conditions of poor stability of the water column, such as Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, and colonial species under conditions of high stability of the water column, such as Microcystis panniformis and Sphaerocavum brasiliensis. The extremes of torrential rains and severe droughts, governed by the hydrological regime of the semi-arid region led to the availability of resources in the watershed, directing the spatial and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton in the reservoir Cruzeta

Development of a Validated Stability-Indicating LC Assay and Stress Degradation Studies of Linezolid in Tablets

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

Off line extraction of phenol from human urine sample with isoamyl alcohol and determination by HPLC

This method has been developed for extraction and determination of phenol in a urine sample by high performance liquid chromatography.After acid hydrolysis, the free phenol was extracted with isoamyl alcohol solvent, followed by back extraction with 0.5 mol.L-1 sodium hydroxide solution and analyzed by an isocratic HPLC Varian System, equipped with reverse-phase column (MicroPak-C-18). The mobile phase was acetonitrile in 0.01 mol.L-1 hydrochloric acid solution, (20:80 v/v), and at a now-rate of 1.0 mL.min-1. The chromatogram was monitored at 220 nm in room temperature. The identification was based on retention time and the quantification was performed by automatic peak-area determination, corrected for the external standards method.The recovery was higher than 99.5 % for phenol and reproducibility of method was shown to be 2.3% standard deviation and 5.6% coefficient of variance (n=20). The limit detection was 0.05 mgL(-1) and a range of 0.05 to 20.0 mgL(-1) of phenol for linearity.

Avaliação da remoção de matéria orgânica carbonácea e nitrogenada de águas residuárias em biorreator de membranas

O presente trabalho objetivou a avaliação da remoção de matéria orgânica carbonácea e nitrogenada, bem como a determinação do fluxo crítico, em biorreator de membranas, com zona pré-anóxica, tratando águas residuárias industriais da produção de aminoácidos. O reator foi operado sob carga orgânica volumétrica de 1,91 kg.DQO.m-3.d-1 e 0,18 kg.NTK.m-3.d-1; a recirculação do reator aeróbio para o reator anóxico foi de quatro vezes a vazão afluente. O reator apresentou médias de remoção de DQO, NTK e NT de 97, 98 e 92%, respectivamente. O sistema de ultrafiltração foi testado em vários fluxos entre 25 e 37 L.m-2.h-1 e determinou-se o fluxo crítico de 28 L.m-2.h-1 quando operado com 11,4 g.L-1 de SST e 35 dias de tempo de retenção celular. Os resultados mostraram que houve viabilidade técnica no uso de biorreator de membranas para remoção de matéria orgânica de águas residuárias industriais da produção de aminoácidos.

Modeling the dielectric response of lanthanum modified lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric ceramics-an approach to the phase transitions in relaxor ferroelectrics

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

A total laparoscopic technique for endovascular thoracic stent graft deployment

Background: Limitations of endovascular thoracic aneurym treatment include small, tortuous, or severely calcified iliac Back, arteries. We present our experience with a total laparoscopic access to deploy thoracic endografts.Methods. A total laparoscopic left retrocolic approach was used in all cases. A Dacron conduit was laparoscopically sutured to either the iliac artery or to the aorta directly. The endograft was inserted through this conduit. After graft deployment, the Dacron prosthesis was tunneled to the groin and anastomosed with the femoral artery.Results. The laparoscopic procedure could successfully be performed in 11 patients. In six cases, the aorta was used as all access and in five patients, the iliac arteries were preferred. In one of these cases, the right iliac artery, was used for deployment of the endograft. After successful aorto- or ileo-femoral bypass grafting, all patients had an improvement of their ankle brachial index postoperatively. The mean operative time was almost four hours, including laparoscopy, laparoscopic anastomosis, endograft deployment, and femoral artery anastomosis or profundaplasty.Conclusion: Totally laparoscopic assisted graft implantation in aorta or iliac arteries provides a safe and effective access for the endovascular delivery system. However, further evaluation and long follow-up are necessary to ensure the potential advantages of this technique. It is a less invasive option to overcome access-related problems with thoracic endograft deployment, giving the patient the advantage of a totally minimal invasive procedure. (J Vasc Surg 2010;51:504-8.)

Enteric coated magnetic HPMC capsules evaluated in human gastrointestinal tract by AC biosusceptometry

Purpose. To employ the AC Biosusceptometry (ACB) technique to evaluate in vitro and in vivo characteristics of enteric coated magnetic hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) capsules and to image the disintegration process.Materials and Methods. HPMC capsules filled with ferrite (MnFe2O4) and coated with Eudragit (R) were evaluated using USP XXII method and administered to fasted volunteers. Single and multisensor ACB systems were used to characterize the gastrointestinal (GI) motility and to determine gastric residence time (GRT), small intestinal transit time (SITT) and orocaecal transit time (OCTT). Mean disintegration time (t (50)) was quantified from 50% increase of pixels in the imaging area.Results. In vitro and in vivo performance of the magnetic HPMC capsules as well as the disintegration process were monitored using ACB systems. The mean disintegration time (t (50)) calculated for in vitro was 25 +/- 5 min and for in vivo was 13 +/- 5 min. In vivo also were determined mean values for GRT (55 +/- 19 min), SITT (185 +/- 82 min) and OCTT (240 +/- 88 min).Conclusions. AC Biosusceptometry is a non-invasive technique originally proposed to monitoring pharmaceutical dosage forms orally administered and to image the disintegration process.

Identificação de indivíduos vulneráveis no entorno de um hospital universitário: conectando vulnerabilidade, solidariedade e saúde

No entorno de um hospital universitário do interior do estado de São Paulo há pessoas dormindo, se alimentando ou descansando nos gramados e arredores, permanecendo nestes locais durante horas. Este estudo objetivou identificar e caracterizar indivíduos vulneráveis em área externa deste hospital, oferecendo ajuda. A coleta dos dados foi realizada no período de novembro de 2007 a outubro de 2008, semanalmente, em dias e horários sorteados. Identificaram-se pessoas que permaneciam nesses locais, sendo entrevistados 52 sujeitos. Esses indivíduos são, predominantemente, do sexo feminino (67,3%), brancos (51,9%), casados (59,6%), com escolaridade de até quatro anos de estudo (44,2%) e sem profissão definida (84,6%). A maioria aguardava o horário do ônibus da prefeitura de seu município de origem; o tempo médio de espera foi de aproximadamente 90 minutos e grande parte dos sujeitos apresentou necessidades durante os períodos de espera. Foi oferecida ajuda a 15 pessoas que referiram necessidades no momento da entrevista. Concluiu-se que esses indivíduos se encontram em situação de vulnerabilidade individual, social e programática, destacando-se a vulnerabilidade sócio-econômica, apresentam capacidade de autodeterminação reduzida, submetendo-se a condições desfavoráveis por dependerem dos serviços públicos.

Retroperitoneoscopic renal biopsy in children

OBJECTIVE: We present our experience in a series of 17 consecutive pediatric patients submitted to retroperitoneal laparoscopic renal biopsy. MATERIALS and METHODS: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic renal biopsy (LRB) was performed in 5 boys and 12 girls. Mean age was 8.1 years and age range from 2 to 12. Two or three trocars were used to expose the inferior pole of the kidney, remove enough cortical parenchymal specimen and fulgurate the biopsy site. Assessment included surgical time, estimated blood loss, hospitalization period, analgesia requirements, complications and number of glomeruli present in the specimen. RESULTS: LRB was successfully performed in all 15 patients (88%). In two cases, LRB was not possible to be performed. One patient was converted to a transperitoneal laparoscopy due to tear in the peritoneum. The other patient had had previous abdominal surgery and, during retroperitoneal balloon dilation, the peritoneum was opened and the open biopsy was performed. A third patient had postoperatively a perirenal hematoma, which was solved spontaneously. Complication rate was 17.6% (3/17 cases). Mean operative time was 65 minutes, while mean estimated blood loss was 52 mL, mean hospital stay was 2.2 days and mean analgesic requirement was 100 mg of tramadol. The mean number of glomeruli present in the specimen was 60. CONCLUSION: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic renal biopsy in children is a simple, safe. Bleeding is still the most common complication. However, direct vision usually allows a safe control of this drawback. In our institution, laparoscopic approach is the chosen procedure in pediatric patients older than one - year - old.