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.

DENSITY ESTIMATES of THE BLACK-FRONTED PIPING GUAN IN THE BRAZILIAN ATLANTIC RAINFOREST

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

Automatic estimation of crowd density using texture

This paper considers the role of automatic estimation of crowd density and its importance for the automatic monitoring of areas where crowds are expected to be present. A new technique is proposed which is able to estimate densities ranging from very low to very high concentration of people, which is a difficult problem because in a crowd only parts of people's body appear. The new technique is based on the differences of texture patterns of the images of crowds. Images of low density crowds tend to present coarse textures, while images of dense crowds tend to present fine textures. The image pixels are classified in different texture classes and statistics of such classes are used to estimate the number of people. The texture classification and the estimation of people density are carried out by means of self organising neural networks. Results obtained respectively to the estimation of the number of people in a specific area of Liverpool Street Railway Station in London (UK) are presented. (C) 1998 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comportamento pós-colheita de caquis cv. Fuyu, através da atmosfera modificada passiva e da adsorção de etileno, armazenados sob refrigeração

O trabalho foi realizado no Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia Agroindustrial, da UFPel/Pelotas, com o objetivo de avaliar a utilização de embalagens de polietileno de baixa densidade (PEBD) e do adsorvedor de etileno em caquis cv. Fuyu. Na safra de 2000-2001, os frutos foram armazenados a granel, em embalagens de PEBD de 0,022 mm contendo doze e 40 frutos e em embalagens de PEBD de 0,033 mm contendo doze frutos, sendo que apenas metade das embalagens possuía o sachê adsorvedor de etileno. de acordo com as variáveis analisadas (distúrbios fisiológicos, concentração/produção de CO2 e etileno), os frutos acondicionados nas embalagens de 0,022 mm contendo doze frutos, com e sem o adsorvedor, apresentavam-se em estádio menos avançado de amadurecimento e com qualidade superior aos demais tratamentos. Já na safra de 2001 - 2002, sob os mesmos parâmetros avaliados no ano anterior, foram testados o armazenamento a granel e o armazenamento em embalagens de PEBD de 0,022 mm, contendo doze, dezoito e 24 frutos, também com e sem a utilização de sachê adsorvedor de etileno. Após 90 dias de armazenamento refrigerado (AR), mais os cinco dias de simulação de comercialização, os frutos acondicionados nas embalagens de 0,022 mm, contendo doze e dezoito frutos, independentemente do sistema de adsorção de etileno, apresentaram os melhores resultados em todas as variáveis testadas.

Armazenamento refrigerado de banana 'Prata Anã' proveniente de cachos com 16, 18 e 20 semanas

Conduziu-se este trabalho, com o objetivo de verificar a influência da temperatura de refrigeração e idade do cacho sobre a conservação e qualidade pós-colheita da banana 'Prata Anã', produzida no Norte de Minas Gerais, visando a exportação. Utilizaram-se frutos de bananeira 'Prata Anã' provenientes do município de Nova Porteirinha, MG. A colheita foi realizada na 16ª, 18ª e 20ª semanas após a emissão floral. Dos cachos colhidos, utilizou-se às segundas pencas, separadas em buquês com 5 frutos, lavados e pesados (18 kg). em seguida, os frutos foram revestidos com embalagens de polietileno de baixa densidade, com 50m de espessura, sob vácuo parcial, acondicionados em caixas de papelão e distribuídos em paletes. Depois de embalados e paletizados, os frutos foram transportados para a EPAMIG/CTNM, onde foram armazenados em câmaras de refrigeração (10 e 12ºC) e umidade relativa de 95%, por um período de 35 dias, sendo analisados antes e após a refrigeração. O armazenamento de bananas 'Prata Anã', provenientes de cachos com 16, 18 e 20 semanas, por 35 dias a temperaturas de 10 e 12ºC, não promoveu chilling nos frutos. A temperatura de 10ºC foi mais eficaz em prevenir a evolução da coloração da casca de bananas provenientes de cachos com 18 semanas, que à temperatura de 12ºC, enquanto as temperaturas de 10 e 12ºC foram igualmente eficientes na contenção da mudança de cor de bananas provenientes de cachos com 16 semanas. Frutos provenientes de cachos com 20 semanas amadureceram desuniformemente, ao longo do armazenamento refrigerado.

Recycling potential of urban solid waste destined for sanitary landfills: the case of Indaiatuba, SP, Brazil

The urban solid waste of the city of Indaiatuba (pop. 175 000), located in the state of São Paulo, was characterized, focusing on the recycling potential. For this purpose, collected waste was subdivided into 27 items, classified by mass and volume. About 90% of this waste was found to be potentially recyclable and only 10% requiring landfilling. The compostable organic matter, in the form of food and garden waste, both with high moisture content (51 and 41%, respectively), represents 54% in mass and 21% in volume. The most common type of plastic in this waste is high density polyethylene, whose estimated disposal is about 5000 kg day(-1). A socio-economic analysis of the waste generation indicates that low-income neighbourhoods discard relatively less packaging and more food waste, shoes and construction debris than middle and high income ones, which may be due to low purchasing power and schooling. Our findings indicate that more aluminium and uncoloured polyethylene terephthalate is discarded in the warmest months of the year, probably due to a greater consumption of canned and bottled drinks.

Estimation of crowd density using image processing

Human beings perceive images through their properties, like colour, shape, size, and texture. Texture is a fertile source of information about the physical environment. Images of low density crowds tend to present coarse textures, while images of dense crowds tend to present fine textures. This paper describes a new technique for automatic estimation of crowd density, which is a part of the problem of automatic crowd monitoring, using texture information based on grey-level transition probabilities on digitised images. Crowd density feature vectors are extracted from such images and used by a self organising neural network which is responsible for the crowd density estimation. Results obtained respectively to the estimation of the number of people in a specific area of Liverpool Street Railway Station in London (UK) are presented.

Long-term orange juice consumption is associated with low LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B in normal and moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects

Abstract. Background: This study investigated the hypothesis that long-term orange juice consumption (≥ 12 months) was associated with low risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adult men and women with normal and moderately high cholesterol blood levels. Methods. The sample consisted of 103 men (18-66 y) and 26 women (18-65 y); all were employees of an orange juice factory with daily access to free orange juice. The results showed that 41% of the individuals consumed 2 cups (480 mL) of orange juice per day for at least twelve months, while 59% of the volunteers are non-consumers of orange juice. Results: Orange juice consumers with normal serum lipid levels had significantly lower total cholesterol (-11%, p <0.001), LDL-cholesterol (-18%, p < 0.001), apolipoprotein B (apo B) (-12%, p < 0.01) and LDL/HDL ratio (-12%, p < 0.04) in comparison to non-consumers, as did the consumers with moderate hypercholesterolemia: lower total cholesterol (-5%, p <0.02), LDL-cholesterol (-12%, p <0.03), apolipoprotein B (-12%, p <0.01) and LDL/HDL ratio (-16%, p <0.05) in comparison the non-consumers counterparts. Serum levels of homocysteine, HDL- cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-1, body composition and the dietary intake of food energy and macronutrients did not differ among orange juice consumers and non-consumers, but vitamin C and folate intake was higher in orange juice consumers. Conclusion: Long-term orange juice consumers had lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apo B and LDL/HDL ratio and an improvement of folate and vitamin C in their diet. © 2013 Aptekmann and Cesar; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Caracterização do saldo de radiação em ambiente protegido e a campo de seus efeitos sobre as necessidades hídricas do cravo-de-defunto (Tagetes sp.)

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) - FCA

Saldo de radiação obtido através de medida e estimativa por três modelos e a sua relação com o desenvolvimento da cultura de cravo-de-defunto (Tagetes sp.)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estimativa da evapotranspiração da cultura do Tagetes patula pelo método da razão de Bowen, em ambiente protegido e a campo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comportamento térmico, mecânico e morfológico dos compósitos de polietileno de alta densidade reforçados com fibras de celulose do bagaço de cana de açucar

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effect of nutritional density and season on the performance of young rabbit does before the first mating

The objective was to evaluate the effect of nutritional density and season on the performance of young rabbit does before the first mating. Forty-eight females from the Botucatu Genetic Group were used in each season (warm or cool), starting at the age of 70 days, housed in groups of four per cage up to 119 days, and reared individually from 120 to 140 days of age. The high-density diet was formulated to contain, on a 90% DM basis, 18.4% CP, 16.5% ADF and 2,500 kcal DE kg-1; whereas the low-density diet was formulated to contain 14.7% CP, 24% ADF and 2,000 kcal DE kg-1. The experiment was conducted according to a 2x2 factorial design (two diets x two seasons) with repeated measures (weeks). The high-density diet promoted lower feed intake, higher final weight, and higher daily weight gain, adjusted for constant intake. But these facts alone do not warrant using a high-density diet for growing rabbit does, because it could have a negative impact during the reproductive phase. In the warm season, there was a reduction in feed intake and an improvement in feed efficiency. Along time, however, the mean body weight of does was similar in the two seasons.

Effects of high and low volume of strength training on muscle strength, muscle volume and lipid profile in postmenopausal women

Changes in lipid profile are considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially in postmenopausal woman who have been associated with age-related loss of muscle mass. The beneficial role of aerobic exercise in the prevention of CVD has been well documented. However, the effect of strength training has not been established. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes of lipoprotein levels after 12 weeks of different volumes of strength training and its correlation with strength and muscle volume in postmenopausal women. The participants were randomized into three groups: low volume (LVST; n = 12, 1 set) and high volume of strength training (HVST; n = 11, 3 sets), or control group (n = 12). Training groups performed 12 weeks of supervised strength exercises, 15 maximum repetitions, five times a week, 20 minutes for LVST and 40 minutes for HVST for each training session. Measurements included body composition, strength and muscle volume, as well as blood analysis (glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein) pre- and post-training. The HVST and LVST improved the one-repetition maximum knee extension strength (p < 0.001), maximal dynamic strength (p < 0.001), and muscle volume (p = 0.048). Post-training triglyceride was lower in HVST when compared to LVST and the control group (p = 0.047). Even though they present the same neuromuscular and morphological adaptations in postmenopausal women, the HVST is more effective than LVST in improving the lipid profile of postmenopausal woman, and can be considered as an ideal program of intervention to reverse changes in lipid metabolism commonly found in this group. Copyright (C) 2014, The Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasma lipases and lipid transfer proteins increase phospholipid but not free cholesterol transfer from lipid emulsion to high density lipoproteins.

Abstract Background Plasma lipases and lipid transfer proteins are involved in the generation and speciation of high density lipoproteins. In this study we have examined the influence of plasma lipases and lipid transfer protein activities on the transfer of free cholesterol (FC) and phospholipids (PL) from lipid emulsion to human, rat and mouse lipoproteins. The effect of the lipases was verified by incubation of labeled (3H-FC,14C-PL) triglyceride rich emulsion with human plasma (control, post-heparin and post-heparin plus lipase inhibitor), rat plasma (control and post-heparin) and by the injection of the labeled lipid emulsion into control and heparinized functionally hepatectomized rats. Results In vitro, the lipase enriched plasma stimulated significantly the transfer of 14C-PL from emulsion to high density lipoprotein (p<0.001) but did not modify the transfer of 3H-FC. In hepatectomized rats, heparin stimulation of intravascular lipolysis increased the plasma removal of 14C-PL and the amount of 14C-PL found in the low density lipoprotein density fraction but not in the high density lipoprotein density fraction. The in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that free cholesterol and phospholipids were transferred from lipid emulsion to plasma lipoproteins independently from each other. The incubation of human plasma, control and control plus monoclonal antibody anti-cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), with 14C-PL emulsion showed that CETP increases 14C-PL transfer to human HDL, since its partial inhibition by the anti-CETP antibody reduced significantly the 14C-PL transfer (p<0.05). However, comparing the nontransgenic (no CETP activity) with the CETP transgenic mouse plasma, no effect of CETP on the 14C-PL distribution in mice lipoproteins was observed. Conclusions It is concluded that: 1-intravascular lipases stimulate phospholipid transfer protein mediated phospholipid transfer, but not free cholesterol, from triglyceride rich particles to human high density lipoproteins and rat low density lipoproteins and high density lipoproteins; 2-free cholesterol and phospholipids are transferred from triglyceride rich particles to plasma lipoproteins by distinct mechanisms, and 3 - CETP also contributes to phospholipid transfer activity in human plasma but not in transgenic mice plasma, a species which has high levels of the specific phospholipid transfer protein activity.