REDESCRIPTION OF APOSTOLEPIS LONGICAUDATA (SERPENTES: XENODONTINAE) WITH COMMENTS ON ITS HEMIPENIAL MORPHOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY

Apresentamos a redescricao da rara especie de serpent Apostolepis longicaudata Comes in Amaral coin base no exame do holotipo e em comparacoes com tres novos exemplares do Cerrado do Brasil Central. O trabalho inclui dados ineditos sobre a coloracao em vida, morfologia hemipeniana e historia natural. Dois especimes lineados previamente identificados como A. quinquelineata por outros autores sao redeterminados aqui como A. nelsonjorgei, que parece ser a unica especie do genero cujas contagens de subcaudais se sobrepoem as de A. longicaudata.

Natural History of the Lutz`s Frog Cycloramphus lutzorum Heyer, 1983 (Anura: Cycloramphidae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Description of the Advertisement Call, Tadpole, and Karyotype

We describe the advertisement call, tadpole, karyotype, and additional information on the natural history of Cycloramphus lutzorum from southern Brazil. Sonograms were generated from digitally recorded calls. Tadpoles were collected in the field for description in the lab, and an adult was collected for karyotyping. Data on seasonal activity were gathered monthly from November 2005 to November 2007. All tadpoles (N = 21), juveniles (N = 18), and adults (N = 52) were found exclusively in streams. Reproduction, as identified by calling frogs, occurred from July through November. Frogs call all day long, but mostly at dusk, from rock crevices inside the stream edges near the splash zone. The call is short and loud, with 11 pulsed notes, of 491-641 ms, with a dominant frequency of 0.98-1.39 kHz. We describe the exotrophic and semiterrestrial tadpoles, always found in constantly humid vertical rock walls in the stream. Tadpoles of C. lutzorum are recognized by differences in labial tooth row formula, eye diameter, body shape, position of nares, and development of tail. Like congeneric species, the karyotype of C. lutzorum comprises 26 metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes. Cycloramphus lutzorum is restricted to and adapted for living in fast flowing streams, many of which are threatened by deforestation, pollution, and habitat loss. Therefore, we recommend the status of C. lutzorum be changed from its current ""Data Deficient"" to ""Near Threatened (NT)"" in the IUCN species red list.

Analysis and risk estimates to workers of Brazilian granitic industries and sandblasters exposed to respirable crystalline silica and natural radionuclides

Occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica and to radiation emitted by natural radionuclides present both in rocks and sands was studied in the Brazilian extractive process and granite product manufacture. Respirable airborne dust samples were collected in working environments, where workers perform different tasks with distinct commercial granites types, and also in places where sandblasters work with sands from different origins. The free crystalline silica contents were determined using X-ray diffraction of the respirable particulate fraction of each sample. Dust samples from granite cutting and sandblasting ambient had the natural radionuclides concentrations measured by gamma spectrometry. Dust concentrations in the workplaces were quite variable, reaching values up to 10 times higher than the respirable particle mass threshold limit value (TLV) set by the American Conference for Governmental Industrial Hygienists of 3 mg m(-3). Also the free crystalline silica concentrations were high. reaching values up to 48 times the TLV of 0.025 mg m(-3). Additionally, our results suggest that the risk of radiation-induced cancer in the granite or marble industries is negligible. However, the combined exposure to dust, gamma radiation, and radon daughter products could result in the enhancement of lung cancer risks associated to sandblasting activities. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NATURAL TOPOLOGIES ON COLOMBEAU ALGEBRAS

We define intrinsic, natural and metrizable topologies T(Omega), T, T(s,Omega) and T(s) in G(Omega), (K) over bar, G(s)(Omega) and (K) over bar (s) respectively. The topology T(Omega) induces T, T(s,Omega) and T(s). The topologies T(s,Omega) and T(s) coincide with the Scarpalezos sharp topologies.

Extraction of cellulose whiskers from cassava bagasse and their applications as reinforcing agent in natural rubber

In this work cassava bagasse, a by-product of cassava starch industrialization was investigated as a new raw material to extract cellulose whiskers. This by-product is basically constituted of cellulose fibers (17.5 wt%) and residual starch (82 wt%). Therefore, this residue contains both natural fibers and a considerable quantity of starch and this composition suggests the possibility of using cassava bagasse to prepare both starch nanocrystals and cellulose whiskers. In this way, the preparation of cellulose whiskers was investigated employing conditions of sulfuric acid hydrolysis treatment found in the literature. The ensuing materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction experiments. The results showed that high aspect ratio cellulose whiskers were successfully obtained. The reinforcing capability of cellulose whiskers extracted from cassava bagasse was investigated using natural rubber as matrix. High mechanical properties were observed from dynamic mechanical analysis. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling and forecasting long-term natural gas (NG) consumption in Iran, using particle swarm optimization (PSO)

The gradual changes in the world development have brought energy issues back into high profile. An ongoing challenge for countries around the world is to balance the development gains against its effects on the environment. The energy management is the key factor of any sustainable development program. All the aspects of development in agriculture, power generation, social welfare and industry in Iran are crucially related to the energy and its revenue. Forecasting end-use natural gas consumption is an important Factor for efficient system operation and a basis for planning decisions. In this thesis, particle swarm optimization (PSO) used to forecast long run natural gas consumption in Iran. Gas consumption data in Iran for the previous 34 years is used to predict the consumption for the coming years. Four linear and nonlinear models proposed and six factors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Population, National Income (NI), Temperature, Consumer Price Index (CPI) and yearly Natural Gas (NG) demand investigated.

O mercado de gás natural veicular em Curitiba : visão dos taxistas

O tema do presente estudo consiste na análise da demanda do mercado de taxistas de Curitiba frente à possibilidade de utilização de um combustível alternativo menos oneroso e poluente: o Gás Natural Veicular – GNV. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi de analisar o mercado atual do GNV entre os taxistas de Curitiba, verificando a possibilidade de ampliar do uso do GNV por esta frota através de uma pesquisa de mercado. Os dados da pesquisa servirão de subsídios para campanhas de marketing orientadas à ampliação acelerada do uso desta tecnologia. Para tanto, realizou-se uma pesquisa de satisfação para levantar os fatores determinantes para a tomada de decisão dos taxistas de Curitiba de utilizarem ou não um combustível alternativo menos oneroso e poluente como o Gás Natural Veicular – GNV. O estudo visou obter a percepção dos taxistas de Curitiba. Com base nos resultados da pesquisa foi possível estabelecer subsídios para campanhas de marketing orientadas à ampliação acelerada do uso desta tecnologia. Para realização da pesquisa, utilizou-se uma pesquisa exploratória, com entrevistas individuais da cúpula das organizações que trabalham com o Gás Natural, prospectando novos projetos para o futuro e as perspectivas de evolução do mercado de GNV em Curitiba, a qual forneceu subsídios para a pesquisa quantitativa junto aos taxistas da cidade de Curitiba. Constatou-se que somente 36% do público estudado é usuário de gás natural veicular, mas entre os não usuários, 82% já pensou em instalar o kit gás. As principais razões pelas quais os taxistas pesquisados não utilizam o GNV são a perda de espaço no porta-malas e a perda de potência do veículo. Entre os taxistas que utilizam o GNV, no que tange aos atributos relacionados à rede de distribuição, a maior insatisfação refere-se à localização dos postos e a maior satisfação às eventuais filas para abastecimento. Nesses mesmos atributos o que obteve maior índice de importância foi justamente a localização dos postos. Entre os atributos relacionados ao produto, o maior índice de satisfação foi o nível de poluição ambiental e a maior insatisfação espaço para armazenamento, sendo o desempenho do veículo considerado o mais importante. Quanto aos atributos relacionados aos equipamentos, verificou-se a segurança com o maior índice de satisfação e de importância.

Sistema Híbrido de Inferência Baseado em Análise de Componentes Principais e Redes Neurais Artificiais Aplicado a Plantas de Processamento de Gás Natural

Nowadays, where the market competition requires products with better quality and a constant search for cost savings and a better use of raw materials, the research for more efficient control strategies becomes vital. In Natural Gas Processin Units (NGPUs), as in the most chemical processes, the quality control is accomplished through their products composition. However, the chemical composition analysis has a long measurement time, even when performed by instruments such as gas chromatographs. This fact hinders the development of control strategies to provide a better process yield. The natural gas processing is one of the most important activities in the petroleum industry. The main economic product of a NGPU is the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The LPG is ideally composed by propane and butane, however, in practice, its composition has some contaminants, such as ethane and pentane. In this work is proposed an inferential system using neural networks to estimate the ethane and pentane mole fractions in LPG and the propane mole fraction in residual gas. The goal is to provide the values of these estimated variables in every minute using a single multilayer neural network, making it possibly to apply inferential control techniques in order to monitor the LPG quality and to reduce the propane loss in the process. To develop this work a NGPU was simulated in HYSYS R software, composed by two distillation collumns: deethanizer and debutanizer. The inference is performed through the process variables of the PID controllers present in the instrumentation of these columns. To reduce the complexity of the inferential neural network is used the statistical technique of principal component analysis to decrease the number of network inputs, thus forming a hybrid inferential system. It is also proposed in this work a simple strategy to correct the inferential system in real-time, based on measurements of the chromatographs which may exist in process under study

Balanço energético de um forno túnel de cerâmica estrutural convertido de lenha para gás natural

In energy systems, the balance of entrances, exits and losses are fundamental to rationalize the energy consumption, independently of the source (sun, natural gas, wind, water, firewood or oil). This estimate is important so much in the phase of project of the facilities, as in the exploration or operation. In the project phase it indicates the energy needs of the process and the contribution of the energy in the cost of the product and the capacity of storage of the fuel and in the operation phase it allows to evaluate the use of the energy in the process of it burns, showing the weak points that should suffer intervention to improve the efficiency. With this tool, it can be implemented routines of calculation of thermal balances in ovens of it burns of structural ceramic, in way to generate an optimized mathematical model for application in the current and promising structural ceramic brazilian industry. The ceramic oven in study is located in the metropolitan area of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte) and it is a continuous oven of the type wagons tunnel, converted of firewood for natural gas and it produces blocks of red ceramic. The energy balance was applied in the oven tunnel before and after the conversion and made the comparisons of the energy efficiencies (it burns to the firewood and it burns to natural gas), what showed that the gaseous fuel is more efficient when we burn structural ceramic in ovens tunnels. When we burn natural gas, the requested energy is smaller and better used. Tests were accomplished in the burned product that showed the best quality of the burned brick with natural gas. That quality improvement makes possible to accomplish new interventions for the most rational use of the energy in the oven tunnel of the Ceramic in study and in the industries of structural ceramic of the whole Brazil, that need control tools of burning and of quality

State-of-the-art for extrusion and injection moulding FPC: natural Fibre Plastics Composites in Brazil

Environmental and economical concerns are stimulating research of new materials for construction, furniture, packaging and automotive industries. Particularly attractive are the new materials. This paper presents results about the properties of composites of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polypropylene (PP) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with natural fibres. The composites were prepared through the extrusion with natural fibres, in an ratio of 30% by weight. The quality of samples was tested utilising injection moulded samples, according to ASTM standards. Results showed that natural fibres can act as an excellent reinforcing material, resulting in low cost composites and improving economical and ecological interests.

Avaliação e modelagem da absorção de H2S do gás natural em coluna de leito estagnado

Natural gas, although basically composed by light hydrocarbons, also presents contaminant gases in its composition, such as CO2 (carbon dioxide) and H2S (hydrogen sulfide). The H2S, which commonly occurs in oil and gas exploration and production activities, causes damages in oil and natural gas pipelines. Consequently, the removal of hydrogen sulfide gas will result in an important reduction in operating costs. Also, it is essential to consider the better quality of the oil to be processed in the refinery, thus resulting in benefits in economic, environmental and social areas. All this facts demonstrate the need for the development and improvement in hydrogen sulfide scavengers. Currently, the oil industry uses several processes for hydrogen sulfide removal from natural gas. However, these processes produce amine derivatives which can cause damage in distillation towers, can cause clogging of pipelines by formation of insoluble precipitates, and also produce residues with great environmental impact. Therefore, it is of great importance the obtaining of a stable system, in inorganic or organic reaction media, able to remove hydrogen sulfide without formation of by-products that can affect the quality and cost of natural gas processing, transport, and distribution steps. Seeking the study, evaluation and modeling of mass transfer and kinetics of hydrogen removal, in this study it was used an absorption column packed with Raschig rings, where the natural gas, with H2S as contaminant, passed through an aqueous solution of inorganic compounds as stagnant liquid, being this contaminant gas absorbed by the liquid phase. This absorption column was coupled with a H2S detection system, with interface with a computer. The data and the model equations were solved by the least squares method, modified by Levemberg-Marquardt. In this study, in addition to the water, it were used the following solutions: sodium hydroxide, potassium permanganate, ferric chloride, copper sulfate, zinc chloride, potassium chromate, and manganese sulfate, all at low concentrations (»10 ppm). These solutions were used looking for the evaluation of the interference between absorption physical and chemical parameters, or even to get a better mass transfer coefficient, as in mixing reactors and absorption columns operating in counterflow. In this context, the evaluation of H2S removal arises as a valuable procedure for the treatment of natural gas and destination of process by-products. The study of the obtained absorption curves makes possible to determine the mass transfer predominant stage in the involved processes, the mass transfer volumetric coefficients, and the equilibrium concentrations. It was also performed a kinetic study. The obtained results showed that the H2S removal kinetics is greater for NaOH. Considering that the study was performed at low concentrations of chemical reagents, it was possible to check the effect of secondary reactions in the other chemicals, especially in the case of KMnO4, which shows that your by-product, MnO2, acts in H2S absorption process. In addition, CuSO4 and FeCl3 also demonstrated to have good efficiency in H2S removal

Prospective study for the development of emulsion systems containing natural oil products

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeito do Paclobutrazol no controle da diferenciação floral natural do abacaxizeiro cv. Smooth Cayenne

O abacaxizeiro é uma planta de grande importância econômica, porém seu florescimento natural causa sérios problemas, tornando seu manejo difícil devido à desuniformidade de frutos e colheitas, elevando o custo de produção. O objetivo deste trabalho foi manipular o florescimento do abacaxizeiro, contribuindo para uma produção uniforme colocada no mercado, nos meses de menor oferta. Utilizou-se o Paclobutrazol (PBZ) nas concentrações de 100; 150 e 200 mg L-1, em 2; 3 ou 4 aplicações via foliar, em plantas de abacaxi cv. Smooth Cayenne, no município de Presidente Alves-SP. O delineamento empregado foi em blocos ao acaso, com 10 tratamentos e três repetições, com 40 plantas por parcela experimental. No período de 100 a 150 dias após a primeira aplicação dos tratamentos, efetuaram-se as contagens de inflorescências presentes no centro da roseta foliar das plantas. Todos os tratamentos com Paclobutrazol inibiram a diferenciação floral natural do abacaxizeiro, recomendando-se a concentração de 150 mg L-1 em duas aplicações, com início em abril, a intervalo de 15 dias.

Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to screen plant extracts and compounds as natural anthelmintics for veterinary use

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efficacy of homeopathic treatment against natural infection of sheep by gastrointestinal nematodes.

The efficacy of the homeopathic treatment with the Fator Vermes, administered according to the manufacturer's recommendations, was evaluated against gastrointestinal nematodes infections in sheep. The experiment was divided into two phases: in the first phase (January/06/2004 to April/30/2004), the animals of the treated (n=10) and control (n=10) groups were treated individually with conventional anthelmintics to avoid deaths. In the second phase (April/30/2004 to July/06/2004), the sheep from the group that received the Fator Vermes were treated as they had been in the previous phase, while the control group animals were treated with conventional anthelmintics at 14 day intervals. In the first phase of the experiment, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between group means regarding egg counts in feces (EPG), weight gain, or packed cell volume (PCV). Meanwhile, in the second phase, the control group sheep had a significantly higher weight gain, higher PCV values, and lower EPG counts. Infective larvae of Haemonchus spp., Trichostrongylus spp., Cooperia spp., and Oesophagostomum spp. were identified in the fecal cultures. After six months of daily treatment with the Fator Vermes, it was not possible to substantiate the product's benefits in both sheep health and productivity or in the prophylaxis of gastrointestinal nematode infections.