Electricity, hot water and cold water production from biomass. Energetic and economical analysis of the compact system of cogeneration run with woodgas from a small downdraft gasifier

Wood gasification technologies to convert the biomass into fuel gas stand out. on the other hand, producing electrical energy from stationary engine is widely spread, and its application in rural communities where the electrical network doesn't exist is very required. The recovery of exhaust gases (engine) is a possibility that makes the system attractive when compared with the same components used to obtain individual heat such as electric power. This paper presents an energetic alternative to adapt a fixed bed gasifier with a compact cogeneration system in order to cover electrical and thermal demands in a rural area and showing an energy solution for small social communities using renewable fuels. Therefore, an energetic and economical analysis from a cogeneration system producing electric energy, hot and cold water, using wooden gas as fuel from a small-sized gasifier was calculated. The energy balance that includes the energy efficiency (electric generation as well as hot and cold water system; performance coefficient and the heat exchanger, among other items), was calculated. Considering the annual interest rates and the amortization periods, the costs of production of electrical energy, hot and cold water were calculated, taking into account the investment, the operation and the maintenance cost of the equipments. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The benefits of ethanol use for hydrogen production in urban transportation

The purpose of this paper is to describe the benefits of sugar cane ethanol in Brazil, appointing the productivity of this type of fuel based on hectares of plantation, its carbon dioxide cycle and the contribution to reduce the greenhouse effect. In the following step the uses of ethanol for hydrogen production by steam reforming is analyzed and some comparison with natural gas steam reforming is performed. The sugar cane industry in Brazil, in a near future, in the hydrogen era, could be modified according to our purpose, since besides the production of sugar, and ethylic and anhydric alcohol, Brazilian sugar cane industry will also be able to produce biohydrogen.Fuel cells appear like a promising technology for energy generation. Among several technologies in the present, the PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) is the most appropriate for vehicles application, because it combines durability, high power density, high efficiency, good response and it works at relatively low temperatures. Besides that it is easy to turn it on and off and it is able to support present vibration in vehicles. A PEMFC's problem is the need of noble catalysts like platinum. Another problem is that CO needs to be in low concentration, requiring a more clean hydrogen to avoid fuel cell deterioration.One part of this paper was developed in Stockholm, where there are some buses within the CUTE (clean urban transport for Europe) project that has been in operation with FC since January 2004. Another part was developed in Guaratingueta, Brazil. Brazil intends to start up a program of FC buses. As conclusion, this paper shows the economical analysis comparing buses moved by fuel cells using hydrogen by different kinds of production. Electrolyze with wind turbine, natural gas steam reforming and ethanol steam reforming. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

O trabalho docente em psicólogo e o enfrentamento da violência contra crianças e adolescentes: uma experiência teresinense

In this thesis I discuss the role of the psychologist as a university professor and as intellectual from a specific context and also from a specific query. The context is the city of Teresina, capital city of Piauí state, which is peripheral in Brazil s northeast region. The defiance here is to build a critical psychological tradition that will deal with the challenges imposed by the reality of poverty and socio-economic backwardness of the region. The greatest difficulty is the lack of a public institution of learning that carries out instruction, research and extension with commitment to social transformation, and with the production of a psychological knowledge that is able to understand local reality. I take it that the undergraduate course in Psychology at UESPI [State University of Piauí] is the only one in Teresina that can take over such mission. The query is confronting violence against children and adolescents that defies us to ethically and politically commit to solidarity toward fragile human beings in need of adult involvement in order to survive this daily inhumanity. The involvement of psychologists from Teresina in this must result from a social commitment and a technical competence to deal with prevention and therapeutic consideration toward the victims. This dissertation is divided into three parts: the first is a study on the curriculum and the performance of psychologists, which revises the academic output in Brazil and envisages new queries to the theme, such as the role of teaching inside the curriculum, and presents social security (including Medicare) as the privileged field in which Brazilian psychologists perform. The second part contains a study on the concepts of childhood, adolescence and violence, which presents a consideration on the strategies to confront violence against children and adolescents. In the last part I discuss the role of the psychologist as teacher and intellectual in the context undergraduate course in Psychology at UESPI [State University of Piauí] from the commitment to the protection of children and adolescents

O trabalho docente em psicólogo e o enfrentamento da violência contra crianças e adolescentes: uma experiência teresinense

In this thesis I discuss the role of the psychologist as a university professor and as intellectual from a specific context and also from a specific query. The context is the city of Teresina, capital city of Piauí state, which is peripheral in Brazil s northeast region. The defiance here is to build a critical psychological tradition that will deal with the challenges imposed by the reality of poverty and socio-economic backwardness of the region. The greatest difficulty is the lack of a public institution of learning that carries out instruction, research and extension with commitment to social transformation, and with the production of a psychological knowledge that is able to understand local reality. I take it that the undergraduate course in Psychology at UESPI [State University of Piauí] is the only one in Teresina that can take over such mission. The query is confronting violence against children and adolescents that defies us to ethically and politically commit to solidarity toward fragile human beings in need of adult involvement in order to survive this daily inhumanity. The involvement of psychologists from Teresina in this must result from a social commitment and a technical competence to deal with prevention and therapeutic consideration toward the victims. This dissertation is divided into three parts: the first is a study on the curriculum and the performance of psychologists, which revises the academic output in Brazil and envisages new queries to the theme, such as the role of teaching inside the curriculum, and presents social security (including Medicare) as the privileged field in which Brazilian psychologists perform. The second part contains a study on the concepts of childhood, adolescence and violence, which presents a consideration on the strategies to confront violence against children and adolescents. In the last part I discuss the role of the psychologist as teacher and intellectual in the context undergraduate course in Psychology at UESPI [State University of Piauí] from the commitment to the protection of children and adolescents

Participação de moradores no programa de coleta seletiva em três bairros de Natal/RN: explorando determinantes psico-socio-ambientais

The general purpose of the study was the analysis of residents' participation in the program of door-by-door collection of recyclable residuals in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. Even though the conception of such program by municipal managers was basically aimed at providing job opportunities and income for the collectors, the main objective of the investigation was to verify whether residents' participation could be attributed to their environmental commitment. Data collection involved three municipal districts and was performed in three stages, with complementary methodological strategies (observation, questionnaire, and interview), and characterized by selfevaluation, by residents, and hetero-evaluation, by collectors. Social, demographic, situational/contextual, and dispositional data were identified to help in the analysis of residents' adherence to the program. Separating and delivering recyclable residuals was the most frequent type of residents' participation, which demonstrates their low level of appropriation of decisions related to the program, taking part on it as passive agents. Two forms of motivation towards participating in the program were found: environmental and social. Despite the first being more frequent, it was associated to lack of environmental awareness related to the process, which may very well imply a mere reproduction of pro-environmental discourse. Motivation towards social issues was strongly connected to philanthropic forms of help. Knowledge was revealed as na important predictor for participation, as well as social networks, formed by neighbors, relatives and friends. Despite the social emphasis in the design of the program, it is possible to conclude that some residents also perceive its environmental benefits, possibly as consequence of a knowledge originated outside the program. Initiatives of environmental education should be promoted in order to minimize the allegation of lack of knowledge as justification for non-participation. Similarly, actions to put together municipal management and population would be welcome, to promote joint decisions towards sustainable styles of life

Occurrence of consonant production errors in liquid phonemes in children with operated cleft lip and palate

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desenvolvimento territorial e a política nacional de água em Moçambique: o caso do distrito de Chibuto

The development has been a phenomenon in constant discussion today, whose fundamental importance should be to promote the welfare of humanity. Thus, the development becomes an element that adds political, economic, social and environmental values . In Mozambique the development model adopted by the State prioritizes the economic dimension, in this case favoring the growth of capitalist structure production. Thus , the basic conditions for human survival still leaves much to be desired and the Mozambican population in general and the district of Chibuto , in particular , continue to face several difficulties to have access to such conditions, and the lack of potable water is a that most of the problems afflicting this population . The water was always a factor related to the socio-economic development of the population, where great civilizations and major economic marks were always influenced by water availability, and today this feature is present in all sectors of production. In Mozambique, much effort has been made by the government, national and international organizations to enhance and guarantee the supply of potable and drinking water, and despite all this effort, most of the population does not have access to this precious resource. In this sense, this work presents an analysis of the effects of the National Water Policy in the study area, analyzes the shortage of potable water in the district of Chibuto, discusses the design and development contained in the official discourse of the state and, opposes the idea of human development. For such issues that help to understand the phenomenon under study, such as territory, public policy and criticism of hegemonic conception of development are addressed. To make the desired approach, we performed a characterization of the District of Chibuto, addressing the issue of poverty, with a brief discussion of this concept, from different approaches, and analyze the impact of the PARPA (Action Plan for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty) in fighting poverty in Mozambique, and became a description of the scenario of poverty and vulnerability in Chibuto district with the construction of Territorial Human Development Index. Research also brings up a discussion about territory and technicization which describes the senary of the water supply system in the District and territorial dynamics of Chibuto, from the analysis and description of existing structures and other technical objects that structure the territory under study. Thus, it was found that the development should be summarized in the satisfaction of human needs, and should be the cornerstone of the new type of development that is intended for the purpose of triggering urgently actions to overcome or combat bleak misery suffered by the majority of inhabitants of the District of Chibuto

Response surface optimization of D(-)-lactic acid production by Lactobacillus SMI8 using corn steep liquor and yeast autolysate as an alternative nitrogen source

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

Search for associated production of charginos and neutralinos in the trilepton final state using 2.3 fb(-1) of data

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Measurements of single top quark production cross sections and vertical bar V-tb vertical bar in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of the addition of invert sugar on the production of cephalosporin C in a fed-batch bioreactor

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

Sport fishing in Cachoeira de Emas in Mogi-Guaçu River, State of São Paulo, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Land reform in NE Brazil: a stochastic frontier production efficiency evaluation

O objetivo desse artigo é caracterizar as fontes da ineficiência técnica e alocativa em um conjunto de 308 beneficiários de um programa de reforma agrária de mercado, chamado Cédula da Terra;, distribuídos em cinco estados do Nordeste brasileiro. Estudos conduzidos por Buainain et al. (2002) mostraram existem poucas diferenças entre as características de beneficiários deste programa e dos programas tradicionais de reforma agrária por expropriação e que portanto, os resultados obtidos por este trabalho permitem visualizar as dificuldades enfrentadas pelos assentamentos no Brasil. Para medir eficiência, estimou-se uma função de produção potencial segundo a metodologia de Battese e Coelli (1995) e a partir disto, procurou-se explicar as razões da ineficiência (relativa) encontrada. Os resultados apontam para a existência de ineficiência técnica e alocativa que é identificada principalmente nas situações em que a presença de produção para consumo é elevada. Tratase de um resultado que revela a pouca maturidade da maioria dos lotes dos assentados do PCT e a dificuldade de superar as limitações impostas pela condição inicial de formação dos assentamentos de reforma agrária, principalmente na região nordeste do Brasil.

Application of methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris in the field of food industry - A review

Since ancient times, the utilization of yeasts by the man has a great impact on the socio-economic development. After the advent of the technology of recombinant DNA, great advances have occurred due to the acquisition of strains of mutant yeasts in the field of applied research, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae has soon been outstanding as an interesting candidate for the expression of heterologous proteins of biotechnological interest. As the time goes by other alternative systems of expression have been shown because they have advantages over Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Among those new systems, Pichia pastoris is outstanding as methylotrophic yeast capable of growing in a culture medium containing methanol as the only source of carbon and energy. The induction of production of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD, NAD(+): oxido-redutase EC 1.1. 1.8) by Pichia pastoris was accomplished in the medium containing methanol. One of the most important key parameters in Pichia pastoris expression system is the methanol concentration. Bibliographic reviews on the Pichia pastoris production system have shown that the best culture conditions vary according to the strain used and/or kind of heterologous protein desired to be expressed. Therefore, we have sought to develop a system, involving expression of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the yeast Pichia pastoris, for generating sufficient quantities of the enzyme in order to asses its potential value for use in various food bioanalytical determination. Dehydrogenases have been widely used in the enzymatic assays of diverse composites of industrial interest, being enclosed among them glycerol and a number of important bioanalytical applications.

Methodological contributions towards the study of health care production: lessons from a research study on barriers and access in mental health

This article presents methodological contributions and a conceptual innovation for thinking about the production of health care, stemming from a study on access and barriers in mental health carried out in the municipality of Campinas (São Paulo, Brazil). The study used a cartographic approach and, after an initial identification of the most complex cases (on the part of the teams of workers), adopted the users as guides to explore the different levels of production of their lives and to evaluate the possibility of forming a network of existential connections that produce life as a fundamental analyzer of access or barriers to care.