Changes in abiotic characteristics of water in the Paranapanema River and three lateral lagoons at mouth zone of the Jurumirim Reservoir during the flood period, São Paulo, Brazil

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

Preliminary data on the feeding habits of the freshwater stingrays Potamotrygon falkneri and Potamotrygon motoro (Potamotrygonidae) from the Upper Paraná River basin, Brazil

As raias da família Potamotrygonidae representam um grupo singular da ictiofauna Neotropical. Apesar de serem antigos os relatos sobre o grupo, ainda são muitas as questões que permanecem sem resposta, sobretudo no que diz respeito à biologia das espécies que ocorrem na Bacia do Paraná-Paraguai. No presente trabalho foi analisada a dieta de Potamotrygon falkneri e Potamotrygon motoro, capturadas no Alto Rio Paraná, a jusante da Usina Hidrelétrica Engenheiro Souza Dias (UHE Jupiá). As duas espécies de raias apresentaram dieta diversificada, ingerindo 14 itens, entre moluscos, crustáceos, insetos e peixes, porém com predominância de insetos aquáticos em diversidade e abundância. Somente um indivíduo de cada espécie ingeriu peixe. Potamotrygon motoro consumiu principalmente Ephemeroptera, enquanto P. falkneri, principalmente Mollusca, Hemiptera e Trichoptera. Os dados aparentemente indicam uma dieta mais especializada de P. motoro, com maior consumo de Ephemeroptera (Baetidae), e uma dieta mais generalizada de P. falkneri. A análise dos indivíduos capturados em três micro-hábitats, que diferem quanto ao tipo de substrato e presença de vegetação marginal, sugere diferenças nos tipos de alimentos consumidos.

Diet of fishes in Passa Cinco stream, Corumbataí River sub-basin, São Paulo state, Brazil

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

Population structure, feeding and reproductive aspects of Serrapinnus heterodon (Characidae, Cheirodontinae) in a Mogi Guaçu reservoir (SP), upper Paraná River basin

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The invertebrate colonization during decomposition of Eichhornia azurea kunth in a lateral lake in the mouth zone of Paranapanema River into Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil)

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

Phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon contents of macrophytes in lakes lateral to a tropical river (Paranapanema River, São Paulo, Brazil)

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

Chemical characterization of a dye processing plant effluent - Identification of the mutagenic components

This work shows the chemical characterization of a dye processing plant effluent that was contributing to the mutagenicity previously detected in the Cristais river, São Paulo, Brazil, that had an impact on the quality of the related drinking water. The mutagenic dyes Disperse Blue 373, Disperse Orange 37 and Disperse Violet 93, components of a Black Dye Commercial Product (BDCP) frequently used by the facility, were detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The blue and orange dyes were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC/DAD) in a raw and treated effluent samples and their contribution to the mutagenicity was calculated based on the potency of each dye for the Salmonella YG1041. In the presence of S9 the Disperse Blue 373 accounted for 2.3% of the mutagenic activity of the raw and 71.5% of the treated effluent. In the absence of S9 the Disperse Blue 373 accounted for 1.3% of the mutagenic activity of the raw and 1.5% of the treated effluent. For the Disperse Orange 37, in the presence of S9, it contributed for 0.5% of the mutagenicity of the raw and 6% of the treated effluent. In the absence of S9; 11.5% and 4.4% of the raw and treated effluent mutagenicity, respectively. The contribution of the Disperse Violet 93 was not evaluated because this compound could not be quantified by HPLC/DAD. Mutagenic and/or carcinogenic aromatic amines were also preliminary detected using gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry in both raw and treated and are probably accounting for part of the observed mutagenicity. The effluent treatment applied by the industry does not seem to remove completely the multagenic compounds. The Salmomella/microsome assay coupled with TLC analysis seems to be an important tool to monitor the efficiency of azo dye processing plant effluent treatments. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor for Material Treatment

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

Soil humus characteristics in virgin and cleared areas of the paraná river basin in Brazil

A study of the characteristics and distribution of the soil humus fractions in representative ecosystems of central Brazil was carried out with special emphasis on the comparison between the soils under virgin vegetation-Cerrado-and those subjected to cultivation. In spite of the contrasted vegetation and cultural practices in the sites studied, the soil humus showed analogous characteristics: there was a negligible amount of plant residues, the humic and fulvic acids amounted to approximately 70% of the total organic carbon, and about 40% of these humic substances were in extremely stable association with the soil mineral fraction, the HCl-HF treatment being required for their extraction. The stability of such organo-mineral complexes increased slightly in the cultured sites. The study of the humic acid fraction showed increased oxidation and aromaticity in most of the cultivated sites: the lowest values for the IR alkyl vibrations and H/C atomic ratios and the highest ones for the optical density at 465 nm were observed in sites transformed into orchards, whereas the above changes were small in those used as pasture. The 14C NMR spectra confirmed that the proportion of polyalkyl structures decreased in the humic acids of soils subjected to cultivation, as opposed to that of carboxyl groups. In spite of the high stability inferred for the organic matter throughout the wide area examined, the samples from the original Cerrado as well as from those transformed into pastures showed, in laboratory conditions, higher mineralization rates than those from the sites subjected to cultivation. This is partly attributed to the decreased proportions of extractable humic substances in the latter. © 1992.

Natural infection by Paramphistomoidea Stiles and Goldberger, 1910 trematodes in wild Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus Illiger, 1815) from Sérgio Mottas's hydroelectric power station flooding area.

Studies on helminthfauna of marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus Illiger, 1815 are rare, although helminthic diseases are an important cause of mortality in these animals. Fifteen male and female adult marsh deer from Sergio Motta's hydroelectric power station flooding area at Paraná River which died during the capture and quarantine procedures, between 1998 and 1999, were necropsied. Three trematodes species, Paramphistomum cervi, Balanorchis anastrofus and Zygocotyle lunatum, all belonging to superfamily Paramphistomoidea, were identified. The obtained trematodes were identified, counted and their respectives descriptors of infection were determined. All necropsied animals were infected by helminths. Paramphistomum cervi was the most prevalent species, while Zygocotyle lunatum was found in only one animal.

Some reflections on the future of the water quality of the corumbataí River basin, São Paulo state, Brazil

The waters of Corumbataí River in the middle and eastern part of São Paulo State, Brazil, are extensively used for human consumption; their water quality has been modified mainly due to increasing pressure caused by population growth, accompanied by a more accentuated industrial development for the whole São Paulo State in the early 1970s. The Corumbataí River basin has, over time, received significant emissions of municipal waste products and discharges of wastewater, sludge, sewage, sanitary and industrial effluents, but the first effluent treatment plant at Rio Claro city was only inaugurated at the end of the 1990s. Data on river water quality from two widely spaced locations in the Corumbataí River basin are reported in this paper; they indicate the need for continuous initiatives and efforts by decision makers in order to improve and preserve the water quality in the basin for the 21st century. Copyright © 2007 IAHS Press.

Pathological and molecular analysis of Turkey coronavirus replication in captive wild Turkey embryos (broad-breasted bronze breeder)

The degree of genetic and pathologic variation exhibited by a turkey Coronavirus (TCoV) strain was investigated after nine serial passages in 25-day-old turkey embryos obtained from wild broad-breasted bronze breeders. In spite of spleen, liver, kidneys, cloacal bursa and thymus have been collected and analysed, the main histopathological changes were only documented in the intestine sections. Microscopic lesions were characterized as mild enteritis, low degree of enterocyte vacuolization and detachment of the intestinal villous after five consecutive passages and were considered absent in the last passages. Genealogic analysis based on S1 and S2 DNA sequences suggested that Brazilian isolate might be considered as originated from TCoV strains circulating in the United States, as 100% identity with TCoV-Gl strain. Although S1 S2 sequences from each passage revealed no significant point mutations, and no correlation could be speculate between S2 nucleotide changes and pathologic features in infected embryos. This is the first demonstration of wild turkey embryos as a model for TCoV isolation and propagation.

The need of subsidy for the implementation of photovoltaic solar energy as supporting of decentralized electrical power generation in Brazil

The growing demand for electrical power and the limited capital invested to provide this power is forcing countries like Brazil to search for new alternatives for electrical power generation. The purpose of this paper is to present a technical and economic study on a 15 kW solar plant installed in an isolated community, highlighting the importance of the need for financial subsidy from the government. It evaluates the importance of parameters such as the annual interest rate, specific investment, the marginal cost of expanding the electrical power supply and the government subsidy on amortization time of capital invested. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the microbial diversity of denitrifying bacteria in batch reactor

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

On the parameters of performance of combined refrigeration and power plants

Combined Refrigeration and Power (CRP) plants generate power and refrigerate a thermal load simultaneously from the same fuel. The overall efficiency is a parameter based on the first law generally used to quantify the fuel saving, in the sense that a plant that has greater overall efficiency saves more fuel than others to generate the same useful energy. However, the literature shows that the overall efficiency and other parameters of performance are defined in several different ways. This heterogeneity is not desirable when considering a coherent and universally accepted parameter of performance based on the first law. In this work, some parameters found in the literature are critically analyzed in order to indicate the most proper one. The indicated parameter is then formally analyzed in order to verify its mathematical consistency. The primary energy rate is considered the most well-suited parameter based on the first law to characterize the performance of a CRP plant. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and IIR.