Analytical procedures for cadmium determination in facial make-up samples by graphite furnace AAS

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

Green Manufacturing: Relationship between Adoption of Green Operational Practices and Green Performance of Brazilian ISO 9001-Certified Firms

The present work aims at analyzing how the adoption of a proactive environmental management via green operational practices (GOPs) correlates to the Green Performance (GrP) of a given set of ISO 9001-certified firms in Brazil. To this end, we elaborated a conceptual framework about environmental management, GOPs, and GrP Such theoretical foundation supported the development of empirical research through quantitative analysis. For the analysis, 75 questionnaires were collected from ISO 9001 certified companies. Data was analyzed by with statistical tools such as descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results demonstrate that the adoption of GOPs, in fact, exerts a positive impact on the GrP of the firms. This work contributes to a better understanding of green manufacturing in Brazil's industrial sector

Evaluation of glucose biosensors based on Prussian Blue and lyophilised, crystalline and cross-linked glucose oxidases (CLEC (R))

Glucose biosensors based on lyophilised, crystalline and cross-linked glucose oxidase (GOx, CLEC(R)) and commercially available lyophilised GOx immobilised on top of glassy carbon electrodes modified with electrodeposited Prussian Blue are critically compared. Two procedures were carried out for preparing the biosensors: (1) deposition of one layer of adsorbed GOx dissolved in an aqueous solution followed by deposition of two layers of low molecular weight Nafion(R) dissolved in 90% ethanol, and (2) deposition of two layers of a mixture of GOx with Nafion dissolved in 90% ethanol. The performance of the biosensors was evaluated in terms of linear response range for hydrogen peroxide and glucose, detection limit, and susceptibility to some common interfering species (ascorbic acid, acetaminophen and uric acid). The operational stability of the biosensors was evaluated by applying a steady potential of -50 mV versus Ag/AgCl to the glucose biosensor and injecting standard solutions of hydrogen peroxide and glucose (50 muM and 1.0 mM, respectively, in phosphate buffer) for at least 5 h in a flow-injection system. Scanning electron microscopy was used for visualisation of the Prussian Blue redox catalyst and in the presence of the different GOx preparations on the electrode surface. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Interaction between the septal area and the subfornical organ in the control of water intake induced by thirst-eliciting procedures

Rats bearing lesions in the septal area followed by lesions in the subfornical organ were submitted to various thirst-eliciting procedures. The rats with hyperdipsia induced by lesions of the septal area drank more water than either during the control period or after lesion of the subfornical organ under the same thirst-eliciting or angiotensin-liberating stimuli (polyethyleneglycol, isoproterenol, water deprivation and ligation of the inferior vena cava). The overdrinking elicited by lesions in the septal area was blocked after lesion of the subfornical organ. Neither hypovolemia, nor hypotension or water deprivation could elicit increased water intake in animals whose subfornical organ had been destroyed. Animals with lesions in the subfornical organ showed decreased water intake after cellular dehydration. The results obtained suggest that the subfornical organ acts as a more important structure than the septal area in the regulation of water intake elicited by angiotensin, with two opposite effects: a direct one facilitating water intake, and an indirect one inhibiting the septal area. The septal area has an inhibitory effect on the subfornical organ and on water intake. © 1980.

Painful procedures and analgesia in the NICU: what has changed in the medical perception and practice in a ten-year period?

To compare the use of analgesia versus neonatologists' perception regarding analgesic use in painful procedures in the years 2001, 2006, and 2011. This was a prospective cohort study of all newborns admitted to four university neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) during one month in 2001, 2006, and 2011. The frequency of analgesic prescription for painful procedures was evaluated. Of the 202 neonatologists, 188 answered a questionnaire giving their opinion on the intensity of pain during lumbar puncture (LP), tracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation (MV), and postoperative period (PO) using a 10-cm visual analogic scale (VAS; pain >3cm). For LP, 12% (2001), 43% (2006), and 36% (2011) were performed using analgesia. Among the neonatologists, 40-50% reported VAS >3 for LP in all study periods. For intubation, 30% received analgesia in the study periods, and 35% (2001), 55% (2006), and 73% (2011) of the neonatologists reported VAS >3 and would prescribe analgesia for this procedure. As for MV, 45% (2001), 64% (2006), and 48% (2011) of patient-days were under analgesia; 56% (2001), 57% (2006), and 26% (2011) of neonatologists reported VAS >3 and said they would use analgesia during MV. For the first three PO days, 37% (2001), 78% (2006), and 89% (2011) of the patients received analgesia and more than 90% of neonatologists reported VAS >3 for major surgeries. Despite an increase in the medical perception of neonatal pain and in analgesic use during painful procedures, the gap between clinical practice and neonatologist perception of analgesia need did not change during the ten-year period.

Effect of antioxidants during bovine in vitro fertilization procedures on spermatozoa and embryo development

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Life cycle assessment applied to municipal solid waste management: a case study

This study analyzes the environmental performance of the Municipal Solid Waste Management System (MSWMS) of Piedade, São Paulo, from a systemic perspective. A life cycle assessment (LCA) technique was applied according to an attributional approach to evaluate both the current operational situation and different prospective scenarios, which were devised based on the application of targets for recycling dry and wet waste suggested by the pre-draft version of the Brazilian Plan for Solid Waste. The life cycle impact assessment method EcoIndicator 99, in association with normalization and weighting procedures, was used to conduct the analysis. It was observed that the adoption of goals of 30%, 50% and 70% for recovering of the recyclable dry waste, resulted in improvement of the environmental performance of the waste management system under analysis, respectively of 10%, 15% and 20%. It was also possible to detect an evolution in the order of 54% in reducing impacts resulting from the adoption of targets for composting. LCA proved to be effective for the evaluation of the environmental performance of MSWMS-Piedade. However, for future evaluations, the attributional approach should be replaced by the methodological practice of substitution to enable the avoided burdens to be considered in estimations of the environmental performance municipal solid waste management systems.

Operational and environmental assessment on the use of charcoal in iron ore sinter production

A study was carried out into the use of charcoal as a supplementary fuel in the iron-ore sintering process. The primary fuel was coke breeze and anthracite with 0, 10, 25, 50 and 100% replacement of the energy input with charcoal to produce sinter. This was achieved by considering the carbon content of each fuel and its corresponding participation on fuel blending, in order to have the same carbon input in each test run. An extensive analysis of the environmental impact was carried out regarding the atmospheric pollutants characterization (dust, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, total hydrocarbons, and dioxins and furans). Experimental results indicate that fuel blending where 50% of the heat input was provided by charcoal may be comparable with those using 100% coke, under normal sintering conditions, and may result in a 50% reduction on greenhouse gas emission. It was also observed that while dust, methane and hydrocarbons emissions increased, the total dioxins and furans, expressed as polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/furans, decreased approximately 50% when compared with operation with 100% coke.

Formação Continuada em Serviço para professores da educação infantil sobre o brincar

Pós-graduação em Educação - FFC

O problema de corte de estoque com uso e venda de retalhos: uma proposta de otimização para a sustentabilidade ambiental

Pós-graduação em Engenharia de Produção - FEB

Avaliação dos riscos assistenciais relacionados ao uso de equipamentos hospitalares na unidade de terapia intensiva de adultos de um hospital público da cidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Pós-graduação em Bases Gerais da Cirurgia - FMB

Análise do potencial do sensor OLI (Operational Land Imager) a bordo do Landsat-8 em estimar a concentração de sólidos totais em suspensão no reservatório de Barra Bonita

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A paisagem cultural do Sítio Arqueológico Piracanjuba, Piraju, SP

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

Evaluation of operational SSM/I ice-concentration algorithms

The United States National Ice Center (NIC) provides weekly ice analyses of the Arctic and Antarctic using information from ice reconnaissance, ship reports and high-resolution satellite imagery. In cloud-covered areas and regions lacking imagery, the higher-resolution sources are augmented by ice concentrations derived from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSMII) passive-microwave imagery. However, the SSMII-derived ice concentrations are limited by low resolution and uncertainties in thin-ice regions. Ongoing research at NIC is attempting to improve the utility of these SSMII products for operational sea-ice analyses. The refinements of operational algorithms may also aid future scientific studies. Here we discuss an evaluation of the standard operational ice-concentration algorithm, Cal/Val, with a possible alternative, a modified NASA Team algorithm. The modified algorithm compares favorably with CallVal and is a substantial improvement over the standard NASA Team algorithm in thin-ice regions that are of particular interest to operational activities.

Comparison of Two Roadside Survey Procedures for Dwarf Mistletoes on the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho

Two roadside surveys were conducted for dwarf mistletoes parasitizing lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir on the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho. One survey used variable-radius plots located less than 150 m from roads. The 2nd survey used variable-radius plots established at 200-m intervals along 1600-m transects run perpendicular to the same roads. Estimates of the incidence (percentage of trees infected and percentage of plots infested) and severity (average dwarf mistletoe rating) for both lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoes were not significantly different for the 2 survey methods. These findings are further evidence that roadside-plot surveys and transect-plot surveys conducted away from roads provide similar estimates of the incidence of dwarf mistletoes for large forested areas.