Comunidades zooplanctônicas como bioindicadoras da qualidade da água de quatro reservatórios da região semi-árida do Rio Grande do Norte

The response of zooplankton assemblages to variations in the water quality of four man-made lakes, caused by eutrophication and siltation, was investigated by means of canonical correspondence analysis. Monte Carlo simulations using the CCA eingenvalues as test statistics revealed that changes in zooplankton species composition along the environmental gradients of trophic state and abiogenic turbidity were highly significant. The species Brachionus calyciflorus, Thermocyclops sp. and Argyrodiaptomus sp. were good indicators of eutrophic conditions while the species Brachionus dolabratus, Keratella tropica and Hexarthra sp. were good indicators of high turbidity due to suspended sediments. The rotifer genus Brachionus was the most species-rich taxon, comprising five species which were associated with different environmental conditions. Therefore, we tested whether this genus alone could potentially be a better biological indicator of these environmental gradients than the entire zooplankton assemblages or any other random set of five species. The ordination results show that the five Brachionus species alone did not explain better the observed pattern of environmental variation than most random sets of five species. Therefore, this genus could not be selected as a target taxon for more intensive environmental monitoring as has been previously suggested by Attayde and Bozelli (1998). Overall, our results show that changes in the water quality of man-made lakes in a tropical semi-arid region have significant effects on the structure of zooplankton assemblages that can potentially affect the functioning of these ecosystems

Efeito inseticida de vicilinas isoladas de sementes de erythrina velutina em condições de semi-campo para moscas das frutas (ceratitis capitata)

Chitin-binding vicilins from legume seeds (Erythrina velutina. Canavalia ensiformes and Phaseolus vulgares) were isolated by ammonium sulfate followed by affinity chromatography on a chitin column. Effect of these vicilins on female adults of Ceratitis capitata was examined by bioassay and in a semi-field assay model. Mechanism of action of the vicilins was determined by in vivo digestibility and chitin affinity. Among the tested vicilins, E. velutina when added to diet caused strong effect on mortality at 10% dose. This insecticidal property was tested in a semi-field assay which showed the same effect observed in laboratory conditions, where doses of 10% and 15% were lethal to female adults of C. capitata. These deleterious effects were not only associated to the binding to chitin structures present in peritrophic membrane, but principally to its low digestibility in the C. capitata digestive tract. This fact was confirmed because chiting binding proteins as WGA and the other tested vicilins were not toxic to female adults of C. capitata due susceptibility of these proteins to digestive enzymes of the insects. By other side EvV was more resistant to digestive enzymes, causing deleterious effects on female adults of C. capitata. These results showed that EvV may be part of the pest management programs or an alternative in plant improvement program in the population control of this fruticulture pest

Formulação e caracterização de matérias-primas para revestimento cerâmico Semi-Poroso com adição de chamote de telhas

The ceramics industry in Piauí is nowadays with 55 industries where 11 are in Teresina which is the mainstream of the state, producing 55 million shingles; in which 10 % is of this production is wasted being sometimes thrown on the margins of rivers, roads and highways provoking an environmental degradation. The main goal of this work is to verify the potential of producing semi porous ceramic using grog of shingles, on the first part of this work bodies-of-proof were produced from a basic formula of an industry, doping it with 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 20 % in mass and in the second part of this work some bodies-of-proof were produced from a formula where one raw material was substituted by 50 % of grog and another substituting it all by grog, bodies-of-proof made of a basic formula previously announced was used for experiment control.The grog and the raw materials were characterized by: particle size analysis , thermal differential analysis, X ray diffraction , X ray fluorescence, an thermal gravimetric analysis and rational analyses. The bodies-of-proof were sintetisized in an industrial oven obeying the normal cycle adopted by an industry, with peak temperatures of 1135 oC and a fast burning cycle of 25 minutes having as energetic fuel liquefied petroleum gas . The pieces that were obtained by this were submersed in rehearsed physics of: water absorption of, apparent specific mass, apparent porosity, lineal retraction, rupture tension to the flexural and dilatometry; mineralogical analysis for X ray diffraction; and microstructural for electronic microscope of sweeping. For all the formulas with addition of grog, superior priorities to the requested by the requirements for semi porous and for the formula to F2-2,5 superior priorities to standard formulas which justifies the incorporation of the shingles in mass for the semi porous ceramic

Arthropoda de solo em um ecossistema semi-árido da região neotropical: composição, variabilidade temporal e estratificação

Caatinga is an important laboratory for studies about arthropods adaptations and aclimatations because its precipitation is highly variable in time. We studied the effects of time variability over the composition of Arthropods in a caatinga area. The study was carried out at a preservation area on Almas Farm, São José dos Cordeiros, Paraíba. Samples were collected in two 100 m long parallel transects, separated for a 30 m distance, in a dense tree dominated caatinga area, between August 2007 and July 2008. Samples were collected in each transect every 10 m. Ten soil samples were taken from each transect, both at 0-5 cm (A) and 5-10 cm (B) depth, resulting in 40 samples each month. The Berlese funnel method was used for fauna extraction. We registered 26 orders and the arthropods density in the soil ranged from 3237 to 22774 individuals.m-2 from January 2007 to March 2008, respectively. There was no difference between layers A and B regarding orders abundance and richness. The groups recorded include groups with few records or that had no records in the Caatinga region yet as Pauropoda, Psocoptera, Thysanoptera, Protura and Araneae. Acari was the most abundant group, with 66,7% of the total number of individuals. Soil Arthropods presented a positive correlation with soil moisture, vegetal cover, precipitation and real evapotranspiration. Increases in fauna richness and abundance were registered in February, a month after the beginning of the rainy season. A periodic rain events in arid and semiarid ecosystems triggers physiological responses in edafic organisms, like arthropods. Edafic arthropods respond to time variability in the Caatinga biome. This fauna variation has to be considered in studies of this ecosystem, because the variation of Arthropods composition in soil can affect the dynamics of the food web through time

Relações de poder, fragmentação e gestão do território no semi-árido nordestinho: um outro olhar sobre o Cariri paraibano

This study aims to analize the Cariri Paraibano territory, as a product of relations of power that were being established along its historic process of territory formation. In this process, the fragmentation and the territory management are fundamental elements to socioterritorial reality comprehension. The theoretical-conceptual basis is based on notions of territory, region, power and territory management, which are articulated to the opinions and empiric confirmations origined from interviews made with several social actions. They also were made photographical records and researches on books, newspapers and magazines, as well on other information sources related to the object of studying. Obtained data confirm the pressuposement on which the relations of dominations and the used methods by the power s owners in the region created a little fruitful political practice and little adequate to the process of active participation of the local population on the territory management, even being on disagreement with the new political-institutional mechanisms, which take to political-administrative more democratic and participative in the country

O regime constitucional da contribuição de intervenção do domínio econômico aplicável ao setor de combustíveis

The performance of the State in the economic area is only legitimized when to be given in virtue of the protection of the principles established constitutionally. Thus, the economic intervention of the State prioritizes the formation of a joust economic order and in this context, it fulfills to us to define, to the long one of this work, the contours of the intervention of the State in the economic domain in the presence of the Federal Constitution of the Republic of 05 of October of 1988, and, more specifically, in the petroliferous economic sector by means of the interventive contribution instituted after the Constitutional amendment 33/2001, with Law 10.336/2001. With the creation of this institute, in Brazil, emerged innumerable quarrels concerning its constitutional legitimacy, directing uncurling of the research to the study of the state intervention through this contribution and its constitutional limits, in the purpose to demonstrate the parameters for its institution and application. In this way, the interventive contribution in the fuel sector (CIDE-Combustíveis) shows itself as an intervention instrument on the economic domain, acting in way to finance the indirect performance of the State, specially in what concerns to the promotion of the principle of sustainable development principle. Therefore, CIDE-Combustíveis is an able instrument to concretizes the mentioned constitutional principle. Thus, the division of its incomes promotes the consolidation of the principle of the cooperative federalism. In this direction, from premises of the environmental tax law, this intends to demonstrate the utility and constitutionality of this exaction tax, primordially with regard to the realization of the basic right to the balanced environment

Políticas públicas para o turismo e desenvolvimento local: reflexões a partir dos "caminhos de fé" no semi-árido potiguar

This study analyzes the event of the Feast of Our Lady of Grace, located in the municipality of Florania / RN as a tourism product, inserted in a process of transformation of a sacred place, in principle determined by religious motives, in a destination "tourist-religious". We seek to understand to what extent state intervention, with policies aimed at boosting the tourism sector as well as the interactions among key actors in the space, are able to modify and streamline the city of Florania, particularly Feast of Our Lady of Grace. The methodology also includes the review of the literature using the deductive method the application of questionnaires to the pilgrims, tourists and pilgrims totaling 150 questionnaires. Along with the economic agents of the municipality, 36 questionnaires were administered according to the model adopted by REDESIST. Complement this research interviews with key Officials of the Municipal Government and the Church. Despite the recognition by the actors of the importance of tourism to the economy of the city of Florania, encouraging the development of the sector is still lagging, some worked and policies / programs listed actually pass by the "Paths of Faith" of Florania. Concerning the Feast of Our Lady of Grace, the bottlenecks reported by researchers and economic agents are very partially affected by the policies / programs and when this occurs, the effort seems to be only reactive, resulting from the pressures experienced by the municipal government (mayor)

A precarização do trabalho do enfermeiro na estratégia saúde da família: contribuição ao debate

This study makes an analysis of the work of nurse of the, uncovering the meaning of work and of precarious work for the nurse. aims to analyze the forms of precariousness of work of the nurse of Family Health Strategy the municipality of Pau dos Ferros-RN, Brazil. This is a qualitative study with analysis of the categories that emerged from search through dialog with the authors studied in theoretical framework of the sense of human work, the world of work actual and the precariousness of work in health. Used if the methodology of thematic oral history and semi-structured interview as an instrument for data collection and information. Participated 07 nurses of. There was predominance of females, with civil state married, with age between 29 and 47 years, inserted as nurses in Family Health Strategy 1 to 9 years. All referred satisfaction with work. Emerged 02 main meanings of work, whichever the design of work as a source of human and practical transforming of reality, with the sense of perform an action by the individual facilitator and suffers change. Include the precarious work not only as the absence of links labor and social protection, unlike the thought of the Ministry of Health, similar to the design of the study, the precariousness understood yet as the absence of participation of workers in the spaces work management and running of the work and the absence of structural conditions and infra-structural where the work process takes place. evidenced the totality of nurses inserted in Family Health Strategy by public tender. Refer have labor rights guaranteed. Don´t include under which legal arrangements are governed. The researched reality does not have a policy desprecarização nursing work of Family Health Strategy. Concluded the municipality presents progress and setbacks for the precariousness of work of the nurse of Family Health Strategy. The collective work in health is a challenge in researched reality and the policy of desprecarização of the work of the management of education and work was not evidenced. Despite the implementation of the public tender these professionals have a degree of precariousness of work, with the accumulation gradient of responsibilities, some lack of working conditions in structural aspects, infra-structural and means and instruments

Técnicas de simplificação de redes e otimização multiobjetivo para análise de variações de tensão em regime permanente provocadas por parques eólicos integrados ao sistema elétrico

This study presents a description of the development model of a representation of simplified grid applied in hybrid load flow for calculation of the voltage variations in a steady-state caused by the wind farm on power system. Also, it proposes an optimal load-flow able to control power factor on connection bar and to minimize the loss. The analysis process on system, led by the wind producer, it has as base given technician supplied by the grid. So, the propose model to the simplification of the grid that allows the necessity of some knowledge only about the data referring the internal network, that is, the part of the network that interests in the analysis. In this way, it is intended to supply forms for the auxiliary in the systematization of the relations between the sector agents. The model for simplified network proposed identifies the internal network, external network and the buses of boulders from a study of vulnerability of the network, attributing them floating liquid powers attributing slack models. It was opted to apply the presented model in Newton-Raphson and a hybrid load flow, composed by The Gauss-Seidel method Zbarra and Summation Power. Finally, presents the results obtained to a developed computational environment of SCILAB and FORTRAN, with their respective analysis and conclusion, comparing them with the ANAREDE

Um sistema de visão para navegação robusta de uma plataforma robótica semi-autônoma

Large efforts have been maden by the scientific community on tasks involving locomotion of mobile robots. To execute this kind of task, we must develop to the robot the ability of navigation through the environment in a safe way, that is, without collisions with the objects. In order to perform this, it is necessary to implement strategies that makes possible to detect obstacles. In this work, we deal with this problem by proposing a system that is able to collect sensory information and to estimate the possibility for obstacles to occur in the mobile robot path. Stereo cameras positioned in parallel to each other in a structure coupled to the robot are employed as the main sensory device, making possible the generation of a disparity map. Code optimizations and a strategy for data reduction and abstraction are applied to the images, resulting in a substantial gain in the execution time. This makes possible to the high level decision processes to execute obstacle deviation in real time. This system can be employed in situations where the robot is remotely operated, as well as in situations where it depends only on itself to generate trajectories (the autonomous case)

Simulador computacional do comportamento em regime de poços de petróleo equipados com gas-lift contínuo

Amongst the results of the AutPoc Project - Automation of Wells, established between UFRN and Petrobras with the support of the CNPq, FINEP, CTPETRO, FUNPEC, was developed a simulator for equipped wells of oil with the method of rise for continuous gas-lift. The gas-lift is a method of rise sufficiently used in production offshore (sea production), and its basic concept is to inject gas in the deep one of the producing well of oil transform it less dense in order to facilitate its displacement since the reservoir until the surface. Based in the use of tables and equations that condense the biggest number of information on characteristics of the reservoir, the well and the valves of gas injection, it is allowed, through successive interpolations, to simulate representative curves of the physical behavior of the existing characteristic variable. With a simulator that approaches a computer of real the physical conditions of an oil well is possible to analyze peculiar behaviors with very bigger speeds, since the constants of time of the system in question well are raised e, moreover, to optimize costs with assays in field. The simulator presents great versatility, with prominance the analysis of the influence of parameters, as the static pressure, relation gas-liquid, pressure in the head of the well, BSW (Relation Basic Sediments and Water) in curves of request in deep of the well and the attainment of the curve of performance of the well where it can be simulated rules of control and otimization. In moving the rules of control, the simulator allows the use in two ways of simulation: the application of the control saw software simulated enclosed in the proper simulator, as well as the use of external controllers. This implies that the simulator can be used as tool of validation of control algorithms. Through the potentialities above cited, of course one another powerful application for the simulator appears: the didactic use of the tool. It will be possible to use it in formation courses and recycling of engineers

Construção e avaliação térmica de um fogão solar tipo caixa

The present work presents a contribution in the study of modelings of transference of heat for foods submitted to the experimental tests in the considered solar oven, where the best modeling for the beefburger of chicken in study was evaluated, comparing the results, considering this food as a half-infinite(1er object considered model) and,after that, considered the chicken beefburger as a plain plate in transient regimen in two distinct conditions: not considering and another model considering the contribution of the generation term, through the Criterion of Pomerantsev. The Sun, beyond life source, is the origin of all the energy forms that the man comes using during its history and can be the reply for the question of the energy supplying in the future, a time that learns to use to advantage in rational way the light that this star constantly special tax on our planet. Shining more than the 5 billion years, it is calculated that the Sun still in them will privilege for others 6 billion years, or either, it is only in the half of its existence and will launch on the Earth, only in this year, 4000 times more energy that we will consume. Front to this reality, would be irrational not to search, by all means technical possible, to use to advantage this clean, ecological and gratuitous power plant. In this dissertation evaluate the performance of solar cooker of the type box. Laboratory of Solar Energy of the Federal University of the Great River of North - UFRN was constructed by the group (LES) a model of solar stove of the type box and was tested its viability technique, considering modeling foods submitted when baking in the solar oven, the cooker has main characteristic the easiness of manufacture and assembly, the low cost (was used material accessible composition to the low income communities) and simplicity in the mechanism of movement of the archetype for incidence of the direct solar light. They had been proposals modeling for calculations of food the minimum baking time, considering the following models of transference of heat in the transient state: object the halfinfinite, plain plate and the model of the sphere to study the necessary temperature for the it bakes of bread (considering spherical geometry). After evaluate the models of transmission of heat will be foods submitted you the processes of to it bakes of, the times gotten for the modeling with the experimental times of it bakes in the solar oven had been compared, demonstrating the modeling that more good that it portraies the accuracies of the results of the model

Funcionalidade dos extratos fenólicos obtidos pelo cultivo semi-sólido de resíduos de abacaxi (Ananas comusus L.) e goiaba (Psidium guajava L.)

Solid substrate cultivation (SSC) has become an efficient alternative towards rational use of agro industrial wastes and production of value-added products, mainly in developing countries. This work presents the production and functional application results of phenolic extracts obtained by solid substrate cultivation of pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) and guava (Psidium guajava L.) residues associated to soy flour and bioprocessed by Rhizopus oligosporus fungus. Two experimental groups were tested: (1) 9g of fruit residue and 1g of soy flour (A9 or G9); (2) 5g of fruit residue and 5g of soy flour (A5 or G5). After SSC, 100ml of distilled water was added to each Erlenmeyer flask containing 10g of bioprocessed material in order to obtain the phenolic extracts. Samples were taken every two days for total phenolic concentration (TPC) and antioxidant capacity evaluation by DPPH test during 12-day cultivation. The 2-day and 10-d ay extracts were selected and concentrated by ebullition until 1/10 of original volume was reached. After that, both non-concentrated and concentrated extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica and a-amylase inhibitory capacity. It was observed an inverse relationship between total phenolic concentration (TPC) and antioxidant capacity during the cultivation. Besides that, the concentrated pineapple samples after two days were able to inhibit both pathogens tested, especially S. aureus. Guava concentrated extracts after 2 days showed expressive inhibition against S. enterica, but negative results against S. aureus growth. When it comes to a-amylase inhibition, A9 extracts after 2 days, both concentrated or not, completely inhibited enzyme activity. Similar behavior was observed for G9 samples, but only for concentrated samples. It was shown that concentration by ebullition positively affected the enzymatic inhibition of G9 and A9 samples, but on the other side, decreased antiamylase activity of A5 and G5 samples

Modelagem e simulação da solubilização da parafina em tubos circulares e em regime laminar

O óleo produzido nos novos campos de petróleo está cada vez mais parafínico e viscoso, com isso, à medida que o óleo é escoado, parafinas são depositadas sobre as paredes internas do tubo, e ao longo do tempo, tendem a reduzir drasticamente a área transversal ao escoamento. Visando estudar o processo de solubilização da parafina em dutos, esse trabalho objetiva desenvolver modelos matemáticos que represente o processo, com base nos fenômenos envolvidos no mesmo tais como transferência de massa, transferência de energia e equilíbrio sólido-líquido, implementando-os em um ambiente de desenvolvimento VBA (Visual Basic) for Excel ®. O presente trabalho foi realizado em quatro etapas: i) modelagem dos fenômenos de transferência de calor e massa, ii) modelagem da rotina dos coeficientes de atividade através do modelo UNIFAC e modelagem do sistema de equilíbrio sólido-líquido; iii) modelagem matemática do processo de solubilização e cálculo da espessura da parafina ao longo do tempo; iv) implementação dos modelos em um ambiente de desenvolvimento VBA for Excel® e criação de um simulador com uma interface gráfica, para simular o processo de solubilização da parafina depositada em dutos e sua otimização. O simulador conseguiu produzir soluções bastante adequadas, mantendo continuidade das equações diferenciáveis do balanço de energia e de massa, com uma interpretação física viável, sem a presença de dissipação de oscilações nos perfis de temperatura e massa. Além disso, esse simulador visa permitir a simulação nas diversas condições de escoamento, bem como compreender a importância das variáveis (vazão, temperatura de entrada, temperatura externa, cadeia carbônica do solvente). Através dos resultados foram possíveis verificar os perfis de temperatura, fração molar e o de solubilização

Produção de enzimas por fungos em fermentação semi-sólida utilizando bagaço de coco e pedúnculo de caju como substratos

The production of enzymes by microorganisms using organic residues is important and it can be associated with several applications such as food and chemical industries and so on. The objective of this work is the production of CMCase, Xylanase, Avicelase and FPase enzymes by solid state fermentation (SSF) using as substrates: bagasse of coconut and dried cashew stem. The microorganisms employed are Penicillium chrysogenum and an isolated fungus from the coconut bark (Aspergillus fumigatus). Through the factorial design methodology and response surface analysis it was possible to study the influence of the humidity and pH. For Penicillium chrysogenum and the isolated fungus, the coconut bagasse was used as culture medium. In another fermentation, it was used the mixture of coconut bagasse and cashew stem. Fermentations were conducted using only the coconut bagasse as substrate in cultures with Penicillium chrysogenum fungus and the isolated one. A mixture with 50% of coconut and 50% of cashew stem was employed only for Penicillium chrysogenum fungus, the cultivation conditions were: 120 hours at 30 °C in BOD, changing humidity and pH values. In order to check the influence of the variables: humidity and pH, a 2 2 factorial experimental design was developed, and then two factors with two levels for each factor and three repetitions at the central point. The levels of the independent variables used in ascending order (-1, 0, +1), to humidity, 66%, 70.5% and 75% and pH 3, 5 and 7, respectively. The software STATISTICA TM (version 7.0, StatSoft, Inc.) was used to calculate the main effects of the variables and their interactions. The response surface methodology was used to optimize the conditions of the SSF. A chemical and a physic-chemical characterization of the coconut bagasse have determined the composition of cellulose (%) = 39.09; Hemicellulose (%) = 23.80, Total Lignin (%) = 36.22 and Pectin (%) = 1.64. To the characterization of cashew stem, the values were cellulose (g) = 15.91 Hemicellulose (%) = 16.77, Total Lignin (%) = 30.04 and Pectin (%) = 15.24. The results indicate the potential of the materials as substrate for semisolid fermentation enzyme production. The two microorganisms used are presented as good producers of cellulases. The results showed the potential of the fungus in the production of CMCase enzyme, with a maximum of 0.282 UI/mL and the Avicelase enzyme the maximum value ranged from 0.018 to 0.020 UI/ mL, using only coconut bagasse as substrate. The Penicillium chrysogenum fungus has showed the best results for CMCase = 0.294 UI/mL, FPase = 0.058 UI/mL, Avicelase = 0.010 UI/mL and Xylanase = 0.644 UI/ mL enzyme, using coconut bagasse and cashew stem as substrates. The Penicllium chrysogenum fungus showed enzymatic activities using only the coconut as substrate for CMCase = 0.233 UI/mL, FPase = 0.031 to 0.032 UI/ mL, Avicelase = 0.018 to 0.020 UI/mL and Xylanase = 0.735 UI/ mL. Thus, it can be concluded that the used organisms and substrates have offered potential for enzyme production processes in a semi-solid cultivation