Sustainable urban energy planning: The case study of a tropical city

The urbanization of modern societies has imposed to the planners and decision-makers a more precise attention to facts not considered before. Several aspects, such as the energy availability and the deleterious effect of pollution on the populations, must be considered in the policy decisions of cities urbanization. The current paradigm presents centralized power stations supplying a city, and a combination of technologies may compose the energy mix of a country, such as thermal power plants, hydroelectric plants, wind systems and solar-based systems, with their corresponding emission pattern. A goal programming multi-objective optimization model is presented for the electric expansion analysis of a tropical city, and also a case study for the city of Guaratinguetá, Brazil, considering a particular wind and solar radiation patterns established according to actual data and modeled via the time series analysis method. Scenarios are proposed and the results of single environmental objective, single economic objective and goal programming multi-objective modeling are discussed. The consequences of each dispatch decision, which considers pollutant emission exportation to the neighborhood or the need of supplementing electricity by purchasing it from the public electric power grid, are discussed. The results revealed energetic dispatch for the alternatives studied and the optimum environmental and economic solution was obtained. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Can overharvesting of a non-timber-forest-product change the regeneration dynamics of a tropical rainforest? The case study of Euterpe edulis

The exploitation of non-timber forest products is often considered a low-impact activity in tropical forests. However, assessments of the impacts of such activity are mostly focused on the harvested species and not on the plant community, thus limiting our understanding for establishing forest management recommendations. We investigated the consequences of Euterpe edulis palm heart harvesting on the seed rain in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. We compared the density of E. edulis individuals, as well as the density of E. edulis seeds, and the density, richness and functional composition of seed rain of the whole plant community, before and after palm heart harvesting in a 10 ha permanent plot. This assessment was carried out in preserved (typical old-growth Atlantic rainforest) and in disturbed (more open habitat dominated by the native bamboo Guadua tagoara) forest patches. Palm harvesting reduced the E. edulis population from 202.16 to 25.67 ind/ha and its seed rain density from 0.362 to 0.3 seeds/m2 and from 2.395 to 0.15 seeds/m2 in preserved and disturbed forest patches, respectively. Seed density of light-dependent climbers, pioneer trees, bamboo and animal-dispersed seeds increased after palm harvesting, especially in the disturbed forest patches, where palm harvesting was more intense and may have changed the light regime of the understory. On the other hand, species richness of the plant community declined by half. We observed a remarkable decline in the number of animal-dispersed species, especially for those with large seeds, suggesting that the activity of seed dispersers, including many species attracted by E. edulis fruits, was reduced. Therefore, harvesting of E. edulis palm heart may change the regeneration dynamics of the Atlantic rainforest, both due to shifts in forest structure, mediated by the removal of individuals from the forest canopy, and in community functioning, mediated by the interference on the activity of seed dispersers. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measuring the information society in the Caribbean: an assessment of the capabilities of statistical offices in CDCC member states

Includes bibliography

Urban management in medium-sized cities: final report of the case study Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Includes bibliography

Correlates of above-average cognitive performance among older adults: the SABE study

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

Bioanalytical methods for the metalloproteomics study of bovine longissimus thoracis muscle tissue with different grades of meat tenderness in the Nellore breed (Bos indicus)

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

Geoelectrical mapping of contamination in the cemeteries: the case study in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo/Brazil

This paper presents the results of electrical resistivity methods in the area delineation that was potentially contaminated by liquefaction products, which are also called putrefactive liquids in Vila Rezende municipal cemetery, Piracicaba, So Paulo, Brazil. The results indicate a depth of water table between 3.1 and 5.1 m, with two groundwater direction flows, one to the SW and another to the SE. Due to the contamination plumes, which have the same groundwater direction flow, as well the conductive anomalies observed in the geoelectric sections, the contamination suspicions in the area were confirmed. The probable plume to the SE extends beyond the limits of the cemetery. The location of the conductive anomalies and the probable contamination plumes showed that the contamination is linked with the depth of the water table and the burial time. Mapping using the geostatistical method of ordinary kriging applied to the work drew structural characteristics of the regional phenomenon and spatial behavior of the electrical resistivity data, resulting in continued surfaces. Thus, this method has proved to be an important tool for mapping contamination plumes in cemeteries.

Research Training Program: Duke University and Brazilian Society of Cardiology

Background: Research coaching program focuses on the development of abilities and scientific reasoning. For health professionals, it may be useful to increase both the number and quality of projects and manuscripts. Objective: To evaluate the initial results and implementation methodology of the Research and Innovation Coaching Program of the Research on Research group of Duke University in the Brazilian Society of Cardiology. Methods: The program works on two bases: training and coaching. Training is done online and addresses contents on research ideas, literature search, scientific writing and statistics. After training, coaching favors the establishment of a collaboration between researchers and centers by means of a network of contacts. The present study describes the implementation and initial results in reference to the years 2011-2012. Results: In 2011, 24 centers received training, which consisted of online meetings, study and practice of the contents addressed. In January 2012, a new format was implemented with the objective of reaching more researchers. In six months, 52 researchers were allocated. In all, 20 manuscripts were published and 49 more were written and await submission and/or publication. Additionally, five research funding proposals have been elaborated. Conclusion: The number of manuscripts and funding proposals achieved the objectives initially proposed. However, the main results of this type of initiative should be measured in the long term, because the consolidation of the national production of high-quality research is a virtuous cycle that feeds itself back and expands over time. (Arq Bras Cardiol 2012;99(6):1075-1081)

Evaluation of the detection and quantification limits in electroanalysis using two popular methods: application in the case study of paraquat determination

In this work, the reduction reaction of paraquat herbicide was used to obtain analytical signals using electrochemical techniques of differential pulse voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and multiple square wave voltammetry. Analytes were prepared with laboratory purified water and natural water samples (from Mogi-Guacu River, SP). The electrochemical techniques were applied to 1.0 mol L-1 Na2SO4 solutions, at pH 5.5, and containing different concentrations of paraquat, in the range of 1 to 10 mu mol L-1, using a gold ultramicroelectrode. 5 replicate experiments were conducted and in each the mean value for peak currents obtained -0.70 V vs. Ag/AgCl yielded excellent linear relationships with pesticide concentrations. The slope values for the calibration plots (method sensitivity) were 4.06 x 10(-3), 1.07 x 10(-2) and 2.95 x 10(-2) A mol(-1) L for purified water by differential pulse voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and multiple square wave voltammetry, respectively. For river water samples, the slope values were 2.60 x 10(-3), 1.06 x 10(-2) and 3.35 x 10(-2) A mol(-1) L, respectively, showing a small interference from the natural matrix components in paraquat determinations. The detection limits for paraquat determinations were calculated by two distinct methodologies, i.e., as proposed by IUPAC and a statistical method. The values obtained with multiple square waves voltammetry were 0.002 and 0.12 mu mol L-1, respectively, for pure water electrolytes. The detection limit from IUPAC recommendations, when inserted in the calibration curve equation, an analytical signal (oxidation current) is smaller than the one experimentally observed for the blank solution under the same experimental conditions. This is inconsistent with the definition of detection limit, thus the IUPAC methodology requires further discussion. The same conclusion can be drawn by the analyses of detection limits obtained with the other techniques studied.

Highlights of the XXI annual meeting of the Brazilian Society of Protozoology, the XXXII annual meeting on Basic Research in Chagas' disease & an international symposium on vesicle trafficking in parasitic Protozoa – 7 to 9 November 2005, Caxambu, Minas Gerais, Brazil

This report focuses on the 2005 Annual meeting held in Caxambu, Minas Gerais, Brazil that was convened and organized by the Brazilian Society of Protozoology http://www.sbpz.org.br/. This is an annual event and details of these meetings can be found on the Society's website. Within the space available it has been impossible to cover all the important and fascinating contributions and what is presented are our personal views of the meetings scientific highlights and new developments. The contents undoubtedly reflect each author's scientific interests and expertise. Fuller details of the round tables, seminars and posters can be consulted on line at http://www.sbpz.org.br/livroderesumos2005.php.