Analysis of antidiarrhoeic effect of plants used in popular medicine

People customarily use the extracts of plants known to have antidiarrhoeal effects without any scientific base to explain the action of the extract. For this reason, an investigation was undertaken with a view to determining the efficacy of the effects of the brute aqueous extract (BAE) of the leaves of Psidium guajava (guava), Stachytarpheta cayenensis (bastard vervain), Polygonum punctatum (water. smartweed), Eugenia uniflora (Brazil or Surinam cherry) and Aster squamatus (zé-da-silva) on the intestinal transport of water in rats and on the gastrointestinal propulsion in mice. With the exception of the BAE of S. cayenensis, all other BAE's have increased the absorption of water in one or more intestinal portion in relation to the control group. All tested BAE, except that of P. punctatum, reduced the gastrointestinal propulsion in relation to that of the control group. The results indicate that the BAE of the leaves of P. guajava, S. cayenensis, P. punctatum, E. uniflora and A. squamatus have a potential antidiarrhoeic effect to be confirmed by additional investigations in animals infected with enteropathogenic agents.

Reproductive outcomes in an area adjacent to a petrochemical plant in southern Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate possible adverse reproductive outcomes in an area adjacent to a petrochemical plant in southern Brazil. METHODS: A review of 17,113 birth records of the main hospital of the municipality of Montenegro, southern Brazil, from 1983 to 1998 was carried out. Three groups of cases were selected: (1) newborns with major congenital malformations; (2) newborns with low birth weight (<2,500 g); and (3) stillborns (>500 g). A control was assigned to each case. Controls were the first newborns weighing > or = 2,500 g without malformations and of case-matching sex. Mother's residence during pregnancy was used as an exposure parameter. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-square test or Fisher test, odds ratio, 0.05 significance level, and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: For unadjusted analysis, it was found a correlation between low birth weight and geographical proximity of mother's residence to the petrochemical plant (OR = 1.66; 95% CI = 1.01--2.72) or residence on the way of preferential wind direction (OR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.03--2.56). When other covariates were added in the conditional logistic regression (maternal smoking habits, chronic disease and age), there was no association. CONCLUSIONS: Despite final results were negative, low birth weight could be a good parameter of environmental contamination and should be closely monitored in the studied area.

Fungal and microbial volatile organic compounds exposure assessment in a waste sorting plant

In the management of solid waste, pollutants over a wide range are released with different routes of exposure for workers. The potential for synergism among the pollutants raises concerns about potential adverse health effects, and there are still many uncertainties involved in exposure assessment. In this study, conventional (culture-based) and molecular real-time polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) methodologies were used to assess fungal air contamination in a waste-sorting plant which focused on the presence of three potential pathogenic/toxigenic fungal species: Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, and Stachybotrys chartarum. In addition, microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) were measured by photoionization detection. For all analysis, samplings were performed at five different workstations inside the facilities and also outdoors as a reference. Penicillium sp. were the most common species found at all plant locations. Pathogenic/toxigenic species (A. fumigatus and S. chartarum) were detected at two different workstations by RTPCR but not by culture-based techniques. MVOC concentration indoors ranged between 0 and 8.9 ppm (average 5.3 ± 3.16 ppm). Our results illustrated the advantage of combining both conventional and molecular methodologies in fungal exposure assessment. Together with MVOC analyses in indoor air, data obtained allow for a more precise evaluation of potential health risks associated with bioaerosol exposure. Consequently, with this knowledge, strategies may be developed for effective protection of the workers.

Bilateral semidirect product decompositions of transformation monoids

In this paper we consider the monoid OR(n) of all full transformations on a chain with n elements that preserve or reverse the orientation, as well as its submonoids OD(n) of all order-preserving or order-reversing elements, OP(n) of all orientation-preserving elements and O(n) of all order-preserving elements. By making use of some well known presentations, we show that each of these four monoids is a quotient of a bilateral semidirectproduct of two of its remarkable submonoids.

Nanofiltration for the treatment of coke plant ammoniacal wastewaters

This work addresses the treatment by nanofiltration (NF) of solutions containing NaCN and NH(4)Cl at various pH values. The NF experiments are carried out in a Lab-Unit equipped with NF-270 membranes for model solutions that are surrogates of industrial ammoniacal wastewaters generated in the coke-making processes. The applied pressure is 30 bar. The main objective is the separation of the compounds NaCN and NH(4)Cl and the optimization of this separation as a function of the pH. Membrane performance is highly dependent on solution composition and characteristics, namely on the pH. In fact, the rejection coefficients for the binary model solution containing sodium cyanide are always higher than the rejections coefficients for the ammonium chloride model solution. For ternary solutions (cyanide/ammonium/water) it was observed that for pH values lower than 9 the rejection coefficients to ammonium are well above the ones observed for the cyanides, but for pH values higher than 9.5 there is a drastic decrease in the ammonium rejection coefficients with the increase of the pH. These results take into account the changes that occur in solution, namely, the solute species that are predominant, with the increase of the pH. The fluxes of the model solutions decreased with increased pH. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research on evaluation system of emergency disposal plan for power plant incidents

This paper starts with the analysis of the unusual inherence mechanism, from two aspects: accumulating and human error. We put forward twelve factors affected the decision of the emergency treatment plan in practice and summarized the evaluation index system combining with literature data. Then we screened out eighteen representative indicators by used the FDM expert questionnaire in the first phase. Hereafter, we calculated the weight of evaluation index and sorted them by the FAHP expert questionnaire, and came up with the frame of the evaluation rule by combined with the experience. In the end, the evaluation principles are concluded.

Physical-chemical and mineralogical characterization of fine aggregates from construction and demolition waste recycling plants

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) represents around 31% of all waste produced in the European Union. It is today acknowledged that the consumption of raw materials in the construction industry is a non-sustainable activity. It is thus necessary to reduce this consumption, and the volume of CDW dumped, by using this waste as a source of raw materials for the production of recycled aggregates. One potential use of these aggregates is their incorporation in reinforced concrete as a replacement of natural aggregates. A concrete that incorporates these aggregates and still performs well requires them to be fully characterized so that their behaviour within the concrete can be predicted. Coarse recycled aggregates have been studied quite thoroughly, because they are simpler to reintroduce in the market as a by-product, and so has the performance of concrete made with them. This paper describes the main results of research designed to characterize the physical and chemical properties of fine recycled aggregates for concrete production and their relationship with mineralogical composition and preprocessing. The constraints of the incorporation of fine aggregates in reinforced concrete are discussed. It is shown that, unless a developed processing diagram is used, this application is not feasible. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lipid content and fatty acid profile of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup, 1858) juveniles as affected by feed containing different amounts of plant protein sources

A growth trial with Senegalese Sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup, 1858) juveniles fed with diets containing increasing replacement levels of fishmeal by mixtures of plant protein sources was conducted over 12 weeks. Total fat contents of muscle, liver, viscera, skin, fins and head tissues were determined, as well as fatty acid profiles of muscle and liver (GC-FID analysis). Liver was the preferential local for fat deposition (5.5–10.8% of fat) followed by fins (3.4–6.7% fat). Increasing levels of plant protein in the diets seems to be related to increased levels of total lipids in the liver. Sole muscle is lean (2.4–4.0% fat), with total lipids being similar among treatments. Liver fatty acid profile varied significantly among treatments. Plant protein diets induced increased levels of C16:1 and C18:2 n -6 and a decrease in ARA and EPA levels. Muscle fatty acid profile also evidenced increasing levels of C18:2 n 6, while ARA and DHA remained similar among treatments. Substitution of fishmeal by plant protein is hence possible without major differences on the lipid content and fatty acid profile of the main edible portion of the fish – the muscle.

Selecção do melhor descolorante para a eliminação da cor residual num efluente têxtil

Mestrado em Engenharia Química

Exposure to volatile organic compounds in a composting plant

Some previous studies have suggested that some of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in composting plants may have a toxic effect that can influence, besides surroundings populations, workers from the composting plants. Impact of waste management to the environment and workers is already recognised as an environment and occupational health concerns. Several studies regarding the VOCs and bioaerosols emissions from composting have been conducted all over Europe and also in Asia. However, in Portugal the studies developed are scarce and normally VOCs are not studied and recognized as a risk factor present in this occupational setting. Consudering this, a study was developed in a Portuguese composting plant aiming to clarify if there was VOCs presence in the workplaces.

Aspergillus genera fungal contamination in a Portuguese composting plant

Fungal contamination in composting facilities has been associated with increased respiratory and skin pathologies among compost workers. In this study we aim to characterize the fungal contamination caused by Aspergillus genera within a totally indoor composting plant located in Portugal. Air samples of 50L were collected from 6 sampling sites through an impaction method. Surfaces samples were collected by swabbing the surfaces of the same indoor sites. Pre-treatment and waste screw were the sampling sites of the analyzed composting plant with the highest Aspergillus load in the air. Globally, the genus Aspergillus presented the highest prevalence both in the air from (90.6%), and surfaces from the same sampling sites (60.8%). The results obtained in this study claim the attention to the need of further research regarding the fungal contamination dur to Aspergillus genus in composting plants.