Aditivos na ensilagem do capim-elefante. II. Qualidade das silagens amostradas por dois métodos

Silages of Pennisetum purpureum Schum. cv. Guaçu prepared with 0, 8, 16 and 24% of ground ear com with husks, wheat bran and saccharin, dry weight of additive/wet weight of green chop basis. The experimental design was a randomized blocks one in split-plot; the plots were the additives and levels, and the sub-plots the sampling methods. The material was ensiled using plastic vessels in middle of which holed pvc pipes (3 inches diameter) were put. These pipes (one per vessel) had the same length as the height of the vessels, and were filled at the same time and compacted the same way as the vessels. The first method of sampling used the material ensiled inside the pvc pipe, which was lifted out from the vessel at the moment of the silo opening. The other sampling method, normaly used in digestibility trials, consisted of samples composed by daily sub-samples collected in the vessels. The pvc sampling method was more efficient because it sampled a profile of the whole silage. All of the silages showed high percentages of lactic acid and low percentages or even absence of butyric acid, though in all silages high ammoniacal-N percentages were detected.

Occupational exposure to paint solvents and particulate material in car repair shops

Aims: We evaluated solvents and total particulates exposures in auto body repair shops together with a search of painter's related complaints. Methods: 26 painters exposures were evaluated by pumped personal sampling; solvents were retained in charcoal sorbent tubes and the particulates in PVC filters. Painter's personal habits and their work characteristics were obtained through a questionnaire, applied in a private interview. For the symptoms the Q16 questionnaire was used, added of questions about complaints during the painting. Results: High exposures were detected during spray painting. For solvents, the TLV-STEL adjusted for the mixtures was surpassed in six evaluations. However, as repaint is a short-term operation, it makes the average concentrations weighed for the work shift lower than the TLV-TWA adjusted for the mixtures. Total particulate concentrations had surpassed the TLV-TWA in four of the evaluations. Symptoms frequency in the Q16 questionnaire was higher for painters than for the controls (Mann-Whitney test U=193; p=0.008), and they showed positive correlations with the age (Spearman r=0.354, t=1.85, p=0.076), the number of years in the profession (Spearman r=0.433, t=2.35, p=0.027) and the alcoholic beverage consumption (Spearman r=0.457, t=2.516, p=0.019). Conclusions: The painting work done at car repair shops can result in high solvent and particulate exposures, although they are short-term operations. Their acute and chronic effects for the painters do not have been clearly evidenced in the present study, continuing deserving multidisciplinary attention.

As rochas intrusivas da Formação Serra Geral na Porção leste da Bacia do Paraná no Estado de São Paulo: Aspectos petrográficos e geoquímicos - Resultados preliminares

The purpose of this paper is to present preliminary aspects of the petrography and chemistry of intrusive rocks (sills and dykes) from the eastern portion of the Parana Basin in the State of Säo Paulo. Data from 80 samples of the region show a subaphyric and subophitic nature and have plagioclase (25-50%), augite (3-39%), pigeonite (0-10%) and magnetite (4-20%) as an essential minerals. Apatite and quartz are present as accessory minerals. The geochemical data of intrusive rocks show a basic to intermediate composition (48% < SiO 2 < 56%) and a high Ti nature (TiO 2 > 2%). Based on the minor and trace composition of the intrusive rocks, two different magma types were recognized, named Paranapanema and Pitanga. The spatial distribution of these magma types is not alleatory in the studied region. The intrusive rocks of Pitanga magma type are displayed in the Campinas-Paulinia region, while the Paranapanema magma type cover a large region above that one, between Rio Claro and Cajuru. Furthermore, the chemical composition of the lava flows of the Serra Geral Formation, sampled in this work, reveals a magma of Urubici type. So, the intrusive rocks of the eastern portion of the of State Säo Paulo are not the extension of the lava flows, or they aren't a portions which don't reach the surface.

Respiratory and storage behavior of fresh cut 'Tommy Atkins' mango

The respiratory and storage behavior of fresh cut 'Tommy Atkins' mango, naturally ripened (NR) or with use of ethylene (RE), were studied. Fruits were selected, washed and disinfected (200 mgCl.L-1) and stored for 12 hours at 10°C. After this period, they were processed under hygienic conditions at 10°C, packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays or in styrofoam trays wrapped with stretchable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film and stored for up to 15 days at 3°C. The products were evaluated regarding the evolution of internal atmosphere in the packing (O2 and CO 2), development of weight, appearance, shelf life and consumer acceptability. The respiratory rate was measured before and after processing every two hours. The yield of 'Tommy Atkins' mango to produce fresh cut product was 48.09±0.95%. Increase of the respiration rate of both mango samples was verified one hour after the preparation (NR = 17.75 mL CO 2.kg-1.h-1; RE = 28.29 mL CO 2.kg-1.h-1), followed by stabilization at 3.76 and 8.07 mL CO2/kg.h, respectively. The percentage of O2 in packages was stable in all treatments, 15-20% in PVC trays, 18-20% in PET tray. The percentage of CO2 was steady around 1.5-2.5%. The products lost fresh mass during the storage, from 0.06% to 0.30% for PET trays and from 0.15% to 1.61% for trays covered with PVC. The appearance was considered appropriate for commercialization until the 13th day, whereas product from mangoes ripened with application of ethylene was for 11 days, presenting browning in the external surface. The naturally ripened mango presented the best flavor and consumer preference in relation to the mango ripened with application of ethylene for 11 days of storage. The control of hygienic conditions during the production and storage was good and with safety for until 10 days.

Minimally processed guava Fruits (Psidium guaiava L.)

'Paluma' guavas, after internal quality evaluation using magnetic resonance tomography, were used to produce fresh-cut product. Fruits were peeled or not, cut in halves and seed removed, and they were packaged in polystyrene trays covered with PVC film or in a PET container with a lid. These packages were stored for 12 days at 5°C, 10°C and ambient temperature (22.6°C). Tomography evaluation verified that impacts produced internal bruising with loss of cellular integrity and liquefication of the placenta tissues. Compression was more evident on the pericarp and cutting promoted superficial deformation. Storage temperature affected the weight loss, with fruit packaged in the polystyrene tray having a greater weight loss. The peeling did not influence weight loss. Product stored at 5°C and 10°C for 8 days had low microbial growth (<103 UFC.g-1) and no coliforms. Rapid spoilage and a short shelf life (3-4 days) occurred when the product was stored at ambient temperature. Peeling reduced ascorbic acid concentration and total soluble solids. Use of calcium to protect fresh-cut products was not efficient. Calcium absorption capacity of 'Pedro Sato' guava was tested using 45Ca. Fruits treated with 2% CaCl2, with or without the radioisotope, were divided in four layers (epicarp, mesocarp, endocarp and seed) and analyzed for the total and 45Ca calcium. It was observed that the applied calcium remained in superficial layers of45fruits, which was confirmed by autoradiography. Internal layers did not contain 45Ca, indicating that calcium was not distributed into different parts of the fruit.

Área foliar e evapotranspiração de callas cultivadas em substrato em função do nível freático

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of five different water levels on the crop development of Calla. The crop parameters evaluated were leaf area and evapotranspiration. The study was conducted in glass greenhouse with 50% of sunlight reduction. The plants were grown in PVC pots with 150 mm diameter, which were filled with substrate. The plant tubers weighed from 10 g to 12 g. The pots were placed within containers, under water level constant automatically.. The table water levels used were 10, 17, 24, 31 and 38 cm. Nine evaluations during the growth cycle checked the growth development. The evaporation varied from 26.89 to 46.14 L.plant-1 for 38 and 10 cm water levels, respectively and leaf area per plant showed 1011.6 to 2016.3 for the same levels. The substrate water was more available in the treatment 24 cm, with more restrictions in the upper and lower treatments. There was positive correlation between leaf area and evapotranspiration at the final of the culture.

Efeito da calagem e sulfato de amônio no algodão. I - Transporte de cátions e ânions no solo

Applying lime on the soil surface in soils managed under no-tillage has caused an excess of basic cations in the most superficial layers of the soil profile. On the other hand, subsoil acidity is considered a constraint to the development of deep plant roots. The objective of this study was to evaluate Ca 2+, Mg 2+, NO 3- and SO 4 2- leaching in the soil profile as affected by liming and top dressing nitrogen fertilization in cotton, grown with straw cover on the soil surface. Cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum) were grown for 60 days in PVC columns filled with a Distroferric Red Latosol (sand loam Rhodic Oxisol) with liming applied over the straw on the soil surface, incorporated liming 0-20 cm deep, or without liming. Nitrogen was applied at rates of 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha -1 as ammonium sulfate. The PVC columns were set up in layers of 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-30 cm, totaling 15.71 dm 3. The ammonium sulfate application caused intense leaching of SO 4 2- in the soil, irrespective of the lime application method. Liming increased the concentration of NO 3 in the 0-20 cm soil layer, whereas the correction of the soil acidity did not affect the NO 3- concentration in the 30-50 cm soil layer. The influence of ammonium sulfate on Ca 2+ leaching below 20 cm was only observed in the soil with incorporated lime. Nitrogen application resulted in extensive Mg 2+ leaching from the soil, regardless of the lime application method. In the soil layer below 30 cm, SO 4 2- presented a higher correlation than NO 3- in the formation of ionic pairs with Ca 2+ and Mg 2+.

Corn root length density and root diameter as affected by soil compaction and soil water content

Negative effects of soil compaction have been recognized as one of the problems restricting the root system and consequently impairing yields, especially in the Southern Coastal Plain of the USA. Simulations of the root restricting layers in green house studies are necessary for the development of mechanism which alleviates soil compaction problems in these soils. The selection of three distinct bulk densities based on the standard proctor test is also an important factor to determine which bulk density restricts the root layer. The experiment was conducted to assess the root length density and root diameter of the corn (Zea mays L.) crop as a function of bulk density and water stress, characterized by the soil density (1.2; 1.4, and 1.6 g cm -3), and two levels of the water content, approximately (70 and 90% field capacity). The statistical design adopted was completely randomized design, with four replicates in a factorial pattern of (3 × 2). The PVC tubes were superimposed with an internal diameter of 20 cm with a height of 40 cm (the upper tube 20 cm, compacted and inferior tube 10 cm), the hardpan with different levels of soil compaction were located between 20 and 30 cm of the depth of the pot. Results showed that: the main effects of subsoil mechanical impedance were observed on the top layer indicating that the plants had to penetrate beyond the favorable soil conditions before root growth was affected from 3.16; 2.41 to 1.37 cm cm -3 (P<0.005). There was a significant difference at the hardpan layer for the two levels of water and 90% field capacity reduced the root growth from 0.91 to 0.60 cm cm -3 (P<0.005). The root length density and root diameter were affected by increasing soil bulk density from 1.2 to 1.6 g cm -3 which caused penetration resistance to increase to 1.4 MPa. Soil water content of 70% field capacity furnished better root growth in all the layers studied. The increase in root length density resulted in increased root volume. It can also be concluded that the effect of soil compaction impaired the root diameter mostly at the hardpan layer. Soil temperature had detrimental effect on the root growth mostly with higher bulk densities.

Development of a new TDR probe for determining soil water content and dry density

A few traditional methods for determining water content in the field are either inaccurate or time consuming. As an alternative, the time domain reflectometry (TDR) technology has been used in the determination of the soil water content for geotechnical applications. This paper presents the preliminary results on the development of a new TDR probe for determining soil water content and dry density at different depths. This new probe is intended to be pushed into the ground using piezocone equipment. Different from the standard TDR probes with straight rods, the new probe consists of two parallel copper stripes coiled around a PVC-steel core. The probe diameter is the same as the standard 10 cm2 piezocone diameter. Through laboratory calibrations, it is possible to establish expressions relating the soil apparent dielectric constant and the bulk electrical conductivity with the gravimetric water content and the dry density. Copyright ASCE 2007.

O uso da serragem no processo de minicompostagem

In this work used four cylindrical PVC (polyvinyl chloride) mini compost bins, they all had the same size and were identical, with 40 cm diameter and 75 cm length, they also were opened on both sides. Each mini compost bean received 35,5 kg of solid organic wastes, which were previously crushed and 6 kg of sawdust. It was evaluated during the composting process the C/N analyses, temperature measurement, humidity and pH. Results showed that the use of sawdust as a source of high carbon inputs on the mini compost beans and using low quantities of organic solid wastes reached temperatures as high as 65° C, keeping on the thermophilic phase for almost 6 days. After 18 days the environmental temperature was reached, the organic wastes were then laid to reach full maturity for 55 more days. The C/N ratio was initially around 30/1 and after 73 days it was around 12/1.

Fatigue resistance of bovine teeth restored with resin-bonded fiber posts: Effect of post surface conditioning

This study evaluated the effect of post surface conditioning on the fatigue resistance of bovine teeth restored with resin-bonded fiber-reinforced composite (FRC). Root canals of 20 single-rooted bovine teeth (16 mm long) were prepared to 12 mm using a preparation drill of a double-tapered fiber post system. Using acrylic resin, each specimen was embedded (up to 3.0 mm from the cervical part of the specimen) in a PVC cylinder and allocated into one of two groups (n = 10) based on the post surface conditioning method: acid etching plus silanization or tribochemical silica coating (30 μm SiOx + silanization). The root canal dentin was etched (H2PO3 for 30 seconds), rinsed, and dried. A multi-step adhesive system was applied to the root dentin and the fiber posts were cemented with resin cement. The specimens were submitted to one million fatigue cycles. After fatigue testing, a score was given based on the number of fatigue cycles until fracture. All of the specimens were resistant to fatigue. No fracture of the root or the post and no loss of retention of the post were observed. The methodology and the results of this study indicate that tribochemical silica coating and acid etching performed equally well when dynamic mechanical loading was used.

Aspectos biológicos de Dione juno juno (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) em genótipos de maracujazeiro

It was studied the effect of passion fruit genotypes on Dione juno juno (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) development. The experiment was carried out in a laboratory, under controlled conditions (temperature: 26 ± 1° C, RH = 60 ± 10% and photophase of 14 hours). Newly-hatched larvae were fed with leaves from different passion fruit genotypes: Passiflora edulis Sims., P. alata Dryand., P. serrato-digitata L., P. edulis f. flavicarpa Deg. ('Sul Brasil'), P. edulis f. flavicarpa, P. edulis f. flavicarpa ('Maguary FB-100') and P. foetida L. Fifty larvae from eggs collected in the field were used per genotype. Larvae were kept on passion fruits branches inside PVC tubes until pupation. Daily observations were performed and branches were replaced whenever necessary. The following parameters were evaluated: duration and viability of larval and pupal phases, larval and pupal weight and adult longevity. The experiment was arranged in randomized blocks design with seven treatments and ten replications. Data were subjected to an ANOVA and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% of probability. The least adequate genotypes for D. juno juno development were P. alata, P. serrato-digitata and P. foetida, showing a high level of antibiosis, while P. edulis, P. edulis f. flavicarpa, 'Maguary FB-100' and 'Sul Brasil' were the most suitable.

Evaluation of blood compatibility of plasma deposited heparin-like films and SF6 plasma treated surfaces

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Análise de crescimento em clones de eucalipto submetidos a estresse hídrico

The aim of this study was to evaluate Eucaliptus grandis genotypes (Clones 105 and 433) in relation to drought tolerance, through growth plant analysis. Black PVC pots with 10 liter volume were used for cultivate plants in polyethilene greenhouse oriented east/west. Completely randonmized design with four treatments was used: two clones and two minimum soil water potentials (- 0.03 and -1,5 MPa) and sixteen replicates. Pots were weighed daily in order to evaluate water content and characteristic soli water curve was determined. Plant development was obtained each 15 days from planting until 60 days through total dry matter (DM), leaf area index (LAI), leaf area ratio (LAR), net assimilative ratio (NAR), specific leaf area (SLA), relative growth ratio (RGR) and absolute growth ratio (AGR). Results showed that clone 105 presented less sensibility to water deficit, which qualify it as genetic material for use under dry soil conditons. On the other hand, both clones had similar behavior with no water restrictions.

Use of modified atmosphere to extend shelf life of fresh-cut carambola (Averrhoa carambola L. cv. Fwang Tung)

Fresh-cut fruit products, including carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) have limited marketability due to cut surface browning attributed to oxidation of phenolic compounds by enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO). The objective of this study was to evaluate postharvest changes of carambola slices in three different packagings. Carambola fruit (cv. Fwang Tung) were picked from the orchard of Estação Experimental de Citricultura de Bebedouro at mature-green stage. Fruit were washed, dipped in NaOCl solution (200 mg.L -1 for 5 minutes), and stored overnight at 10°C. Fruit were manually sliced into pieces of approximately 1 cm. Slices were rinsed with NaOCl solution at 20 mg.L-1, drained for 3 minutes, and packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays (Neoform N94); polystyrene trays covered with PVC 0.017 mm (Vitafilm - Goodyear); and vacuum sealed polyolefin bags (PLO, Cryovac PD900). The packages were stored at 6.8°C and 90%RH for 12 days and samples taken every 4 days. PET trays and PVC film did not significantly modify internal atmosphere and the high water permeability of PVC led to more rapid slice desiccation. PPO activity was lower when slices were packaged in PLO vacuum sealed bags, which reduced discolouration and led to better appearance maintenance for up to 12 days.