Novas alternativas de remoção de enxofre do óleo diesel utilizando tensoativos e microemulsões

The diesel combustion form sulfur oxides that can be discharged into the atmosphere as particulates and primary pollutants, SO2and SO3, causing great damage to the environment and to human health. These products can be transformed into acids in the combustion chamber, causing damage to the engines. The worldwide concern with a clean and healthy environment has led to more restrictive laws and regulations regulating the emission levels of pollutants in the air, establishing sulfur levels increasingly low on fuels. The conventional methods for sulfur removal from diesel are expensive and do not produce a zero-level sulfur fuel. This work aims to develop new methods of removing sulfur from commercial diesel using surfactants and microemulsion systems. Its main purpose is to create new technologies and add economic viability to the process. First, a preliminary study using as extracting agent a Winsor I microemulsion system with dodecyl ammonium chloride (DDACl) and nonyl phenol ethoxylated (RNX95) as surfactant was performed to choose the surfactant. The RNX95 was chosen to be used as surfactant in microemulsioned systems for adsorbent surface modification and as an extracting agent in liquid-liquid extraction. Vermiculite was evaluated as adsorbent. The microemulsion systems applied for vermiculite surface modification were composed by RNX95 (surfactant), n-butanol (cosurfactant), n-hexane (oil phase), and different aqueous phases, including: distilled water (aqueous phase),20ppm CaCl2solution, and 1500ppm CaCl2solution. Batch and column adsorption tests were carried out to estimate the ability of vermiculite to adsorb sulfur from diesel. It was used in the experiments a commercial diesel fuel with 1,233ppm initial sulfur concentration. The batch experiments were performed according to a factorial design (23). Two experimental sets were accomplished: the first one applying 1:2 vermiculite to diesel ratio and the second one using 1:5 vermiculite to diesel ratio. It was evaluated the effects of temperature (25°C and 60°C), concentration of CaCl2in the aqueous phase (20ppm and 1500ppm), and vermiculite granule size (65 and 100 mesh). The experimental response was the ability of vermiculite to adsorb sulfur. The best results for both 1:5 and 1:2 ratios were obtained using 60°C, 1500ppm CaCl2solution, and 65 mesh. The best adsorption capacities for 1:5 ratio and for 1:2 ratio were 4.24 mg sulfur/g adsorbent and 2.87 mg sulfur/g adsorbent, respectively. It was verified that the most significant factor was the concentration of the CaCl2 solution. Liquid-liquid extraction experiments were performed in two and six steps using the same surfactant to diesel ratio. It was obtained 46.8% sulfur removal in two-step experiment and 73.15% in six-step one. An alternative study, for comparison purposes, was made using bentonite and diatomite asadsorbents. The batch experiments were done using microemulsion systems with the same aqueous phases evaluated in vermiculite study and also 20ppm and 1500 ppm BaCl2 solutions. For bentonite, the best adsorption capacity was 7.53mg sulfur/g adsorbent with distilled water as aqueous phase of the microemulsion system and for diatomite the best result was 17.04 mg sulfur/g adsorbent using a 20ppm CaCl2solution. The accomplishment of this study allowed us to conclude that, among the alternatives tested, the adsorption process using adsorbents modified by microemulsion systems was considered the best process for sulfur removal from diesel fuel. The optimization and scale upof the process constitutes a viable alternative to achieve the needs of the market

Uso urbano não potável de água de lagoas do sistema de drenagem de Natal

The detention and infiltration ponds of urban drainage system has function to protect the population from undesirable effects of floods. In general these ponds are not completly used and it potential is wasted. As it are disseminated at different places at cities it can reduce costs with water transport and permit water preservation of best quality. Some it utilities includes use in green areas irrigation, industrial among than cooling towers and boiler, soil compaction, cleaning urban road, pisciculture and fire fighting system. The quality these water is influenced by anauthorized sewage in the drainage system. This study was performed in six detention and infiltration ponds at drainage system of Natal, which aim was to verify the non-portable use these ponds on urban environment. As indirect aim would to incentive the water utilization these ponds as a water source to another uses in urban environment. These ponds represents the characteristics of detention and infiltration of Natal city and consequently of Brazil. As the water quality, the ponds presents following characteristics: three has apparently good quality, other showed intermediate condition and two had water polluted. Were performed twenty sample in each ponds and the following parameters assessed: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, electrical conductivity, coliform thermotolerant, ammonia, organic nitrogen, TKN, nitrate, total phosphorus and alkalinity, bicarbonate, chloride, total hardness, calcium and magnesium hardness, total solids, TSS, TDS, COD and SAR°. To utilization on pisciculture we recommend use in ponds which presents the best quality. Only one pond presented higher pollutants and it not being appropriated for use in cooling tower. The content of solids suspension restricted the water use in all ponds in boilers. As water use in soil compaction, cleaning urban road and fire fighting system the water from these ponds are not appropriated. However, the recommended limits from literature are to domestic sewage, due to this, the parameters are restrictive to diminish the sanitary risk that could be offered with it utilization. The infiltration velocity of water these assessed ponds restrict a moderato use, however the effects are potentiated only in soil less sandy, which not occur in Natal. It is recommend the unrestricted irrigation utilization in ponds with best quality of water, and a restricted irrigation to ponds with worst quality of water. As load of pollutants, it is recommended a complementary treatment in those ponds whit higher load to diminish sanitary risks. In only one pond was found one helminth eggs and due to the convention formula of results, it was found for all ponds less than 1 helminth/liter eggs.

Anti-hypertensive drugs have different effects on ventricular hypertrophy regression

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

Food restriction and refeeding induces changes in lipid pathways and fat deposition in the adipose and hepatic tissues in rats with diet-induced obesity

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Structural modeling and mutational analysis of yeast eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A reveal new critical residues and reinforce its involvement in protein synthesis

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a protein that is highly conserved and essential for cell viability. This factor is the only protein known to contain the unique and essential amino acid residue hypusine. This work focused on the structural and functional characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF5A. The tertiary structure of yeast eIF5A was modeled based on the structure of its Leishmania mexicana homologue and this model was used to predict the structural localization of new site-directed and randomly generated mutations. Most of the 40 new mutants exhibited phenotypes that resulted from eIF-5A protein-folding defects. Our data provided evidence that the C-terminal alpha-helix present in yeast eIF5A is an essential structural element, whereas the eIF5A N-terminal 10 amino acid extension not present in archaeal eIF5A homologs, is not. Moreover, the mutants containing substitutions at or in the vicinity of the hypusine modification site displayed nonviable or temperature-sensitive phenotypes and were defective in hypusine modification. Interestingly, two of the temperature-sensitive strains produced stable mutant eIF5A proteins - eIF5A(K56A) and eIF5A(Q22H,L93F)- and showed defects in protein synthesis at the restrictive temperature. Our data revealed important structural features of eIF5A that are required for its vital role in cell viability and underscored an essential function of eIF5A in the translation step of gene expression.

Setor escuro do universo: uma análise termodinâmica

Significant observational effort has been directed to unveiling the nature of the so-called dark energy. However, given the large number of theoretical possibilities, it is possible that this a task cannot be based only on observational data. In this thesis we investigate the dark energy via a thermodynamics approach, i.e., we discuss some thermodynamic properties of this energy component assuming a general time-dependent equation-of-state (EoS) parameter w(a) = w0 + waf(a), where w0 and wa are constants and f(a) may assume different forms. We show that very restrictive bounds can be placed on the w0 - wa space when current observational data are combined with the thermodynamic constraints derived. Moreover, we include a non-zero chemical potential μ and a varying EoS parameter of the type ω(a) = ω0 + F(a), therefore more general, in this thermodynamical description. We derive generalized expressions for the entropy density and chemical potential, noting that the dark energy temperature T and μ evolve in the same way in the course of the cosmic expansion. The positiveness of entropy S is used to impose thermodynamic bounds on the EoS parameter ω(a). In particular, we find that a phantom-like behavior ω(a) < −1 is allowed only when the chemical potential is a negative quantity (μ < 0). Thermodynamically speaking, a complete treatment has been proposed, when we address the interaction between matter and energy dark

Ánálise da capacidade funcional e da distribuição regional da ventilação pulmonar em pacientes com doença de chagas

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac and pulmonary manifestations of the Chagas disease (CD) affect between 20-30% of the infected subjects. The chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) has some peculiarities such as arrhythmias and, especially heart failure (HF) and is potentially lethal due to left ventricular dysfunction. How respiratory disorders, patients get progressive loss of functional capacity, which contributes to a poor quality of life related to disease. Measurements of lung volume by the movement of the chest wall surface are an alternative evaluation of lung function and kinematics of complex thoracoabdominal for these patients. OBJECTIVE: evaluate the kinematics of the thoracoabdominal complex through the regional pulmonary volumes and to correlate with functional evaluation of the cardiorrespiratory system in patients with Chagas disease at rest. MATERIALS AND METHODS: a cross-section study with 42 subjects had been divided in 3 groups, 15 composed for patients with CCC, 12 patients with HF of different etiologies and 15 healthful presented control group. An optoelectronic plethysmography (POE), Minnesota questionnaire, six minute walk test, spirometer and manovacuometer was used. RESULTS: It was observed in the 6MWT where group CRL presented greater distance 464,93±44,63m versus Group HF with 399,58± 32,1m (p=0,005) and group CCC 404±68,24m (p=0,015), both the groups presented difference statistics with regard to Group CRL. In the manovacuometer 54,59±19,98; of the group CCC and 42,11±13,52 of group IC found group CRL presented 81,31±15,25 of the predicted versus, presenting in relation to group CRL. In the POE it observed a major contribution in abdominal compartment in patients with IC if compared like CCC and control groups. On the basis of the questionnaire of quality of life of Minessota, verified a low one groups CCC and IC 43,2±15,2 and 44,4±13,1, respectively (p<0,05) when compared with the control group (19,6±17,31). CONCLUSION: it seems that the patients with CCC possess same functional and respiratory characteristics, observed for the POE, 6MWT, manovacuometer and spirometer to the patients of group HF, being able to consider similar interventions for this complementary group as therapeutical of this neglected disease

Comportamento do camarão de água doce macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) em cultivos misto e monossexo

Understanding the behavioral activities of freshwater shrimp in captivity is of paramount importance for the appropriate management of the species. In Brazil, the shrimp Macrobrachium rosenbergii is currently the most widely used species in the freshwater shrimp culture due to its high potential for cultivation and good market acceptance. Thus, the present study aimed to describe and characterize the behavioral activities of M. rosenbergii in monosex and in mixed (male and female) (manuscript 1, 2 and 3) populations and the growth performance of this species in restrictive feeding conditions and in different feeding management (manuscript 4 and 5, respectively) . Juvenile and adult shrimps were collected from ponds of the Aquaculture Station - Unidade Especializada em Ciências Agrárias - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Macaíba/RN and then transferred to the Laboratório de Estudos do Comportamento do Camarão LECC (Laboratory for Shrimp Behavioral Studies) of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). For each treatment , eight aquaria of 250 L (50 cm x 50 cm x 100 cm) were used in a closed recirculating water system with artificial lighting, constant aeration , continuous filtration through a biochemical and biological filter (canister filter), and fine sand as substrate . The water quality was monitored daily. The lab consisted of two rooms with artificial lighting system , controlled by a timer with dark / light cycle of 12:12 h . In manuscript 1, the behavioral categories of the species were presented through an ethogram, which described 31 behaviors, subdivided into general and agonistic behaviors. Manuscript 2 compared the behavioral profile of shrimps in male and in female monosex and mixed populations over 24 hours in laboratory. In three types (mixed, male monosex and female monosex) of populations during the light and dark phases of the 24 hour cycle, the shrimps showed higher occurrence of cleaning behavior. Manuscript 3 examined the influence of the color of the shelter on the frequency of its use and behavioral activities of shrimp in mixed, in male monosex and in female monosex populations over 24 hours. We observed that the shrimp M. rosenbergii burrow more frequently during the light phase in male monosex and mixed populations; they also tend to choose the black shelters. Female monosex populations tend to use red and orange shelters. In manuscript 4, we evaluated in laboratory the behavioral activities and growth performance of juvenile shrimps under food restriction. We observed that a mild food restriction may be used since there is no loss concerning the growth of the animals; feeding management on alternate days , compared to daily management can be financially productive both reducing labor costs and reducing the amount of feed used . Manuscript 5 evaluated the behavior of shrimps in monosex and in mixed populations, as well as the latency of reach the food according to feed offer (tray or food dispersal) . Our results indicate that animals adjust to both types of feed offer food dispersal as much as tray, but they spend more time to reach the feed when it is offered in trays (feeders). Comparing culture types (mixed, male monosex and female monosex), the latency to reach the food was lower for female monosex population. The data obtained in this study demonstrate the importance of identifying different pressures and environmental stimuli on the behavioral responses of this species. This knowledge would support management improvement to optimize the levels of animals‟ welfare, resulting in a better zootecnical performance

Ergonomics work analysis applied to dentistry - a Brazilian case study

This paper presents the Ergonomic Work Analysis method in a Brazilian Dentist's office. Through the study, the constraints and the strategies in avoiding them were identified. It was found that dentists hardly use the position most indicated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Federation Dentaire Internacionale (FDI) for both the patient and the dentist, which is respectively supine and 9 o'clock, due to the limited space and layout. Five types of treatments performed by the professional have been studied. The frequency and duration of actions in these treatments were accounted for and the standard positions adopted were identified. The AET was found to be a very suitable method to grasp the dentist's activity and build a point of view of the profession, which is characterized as: stressful, perfectionist and restrictive. Time management is presented as an important strategy to control the tension arising from performing the treatments.

Efeito residual da escória de siderurgia como corretivo de acidez do solo na soqueira de cana-de-açúcar

A escória de siderurgia, como material corretivo e efeito residual prolongado, pode beneficiar culturas de ciclo longo, a exemplo da cana-de-açúcar, minimizando a queda de produção ao longo do ciclo produtivo. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar diferentes níveis de saturação por bases, utilizando, como corretivo do solo, a escória de siderurgia, comparando-a com calcário calcítico, nas alterações de alguns atributos químicos do solo, bem como na resposta da soqueira da cana-de-açúcar. Para isto, realizou-se um experimento com a variedade SP 80-1842, durante o terceiro e o quarto corte, nos anos agrícolas 2000/01 e 2001/02. Os tratamentos, dispostos em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial com quatro repetições, constaram de duas fontes de corretivos, calcário calcítico e escória de siderurgia, e quatro níveis de correção, estimados pelo método da saturação por bases (V %): testemunha (sem correção) e com correção para V % de 50; 75 e 100, tendo sido tais corretivos aplicados na época do plantio da cana-de-açúcar. O calcário calcítico e a escória de siderurgia promoveram efeito residual benéfico, após 48 meses da aplicação, na correção da acidez do solo e na elevação do valor da saturação por bases; a maior dose de calcário causou efeito depressivo no perfilhamento, no número de colmos industrializáveis e na produção da cana-de-açúcar, fato não observado com uso da escória de siderurgia; a aplicação da escória de siderurgia e do calcário, em pré-plantio, promoveu efeito residual positivo na produção da soqueira de cana-de-açúcar.

Possible New Syndrome: Left Ventricular Noncompaction, Partial Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, and Developmental Delay in a Brazilian Child

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Clinical and pathological assessment of 82 patients with cardiovascular diseases undergoing autopsy at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu from 1988 to 1993

OBJECTIVE: To evaluated the clinical diagnostic, efficiency for basic death causes in patients dying of circulatory disease and de relative frequency of those diseases. METHODS: Analysis of medical record data of 82 patients, ages from 16 to 84 years old (68 over 40 years old), whose died of circulatory disease and had undergone necropsy in the period from 1988 to 1993 years in the University Hospital of Medicine Faculty of Botucatu-UNESP, Br. RESULTS: The functional class of patients were III or IV, in 78%, and 81.7% needed urgent hospitalization. By the clinical judgment the death were by ischemic heart disease in 32 (21 acute myocardial infarction), Chagas'disease in 12, valvopathy in 11, cardiomyopathy in 7, heart failure with no specification of cardiopathy in 11 and other causes in 9. At the necropsy the death cause was ischemic heart disease in 34 patients, valvopathy in 10, Chagas'disease in 10, cardiomyopathy in 5, and heart failure with no specification of cardiopathy in 2.The concordance taxes were in thhe same order: 94,6%, 90,0%, 83.3%, 71.4% and 28.5%. CONCLUSION: There was a great efficiency of clinical diagnosis for death cause in a general university hospital. The ischemic heart disease were the main causes of death.

Miocardiopatia diabética

A miocardiopatia diabética é uma doença do músculo cardíaco causada pelo diabetes mellitus e não relacionada às patologias vascular e valvular ou à hipertensão arterial sistêmica. Observações experimentais e clínicas têm demonstrado hipertrofia, necrose, apoptose e aumento do tecido intersticial miocárdico. Acredita-se que a miocardiopatia diabética seja decorrente de anormalidades metabólicas como hiperlipidemia, hiperinsulinemia e hiperglicemia, e de alterações do metabolismo cardíaco. Tais alterações podem causar aumento do estresse oxidativo, fibrose intersticial, perda celular e comprometimento do trânsito intracelular de íons e da homeostase do cálcio. Clinicamente, é possível a detecção de disfunção diastólica assintomática na fase inicial. No momento em que surgem os sinais e sintomas de insuficiência cardíaca, observamos disfunção diastólica isolada, sendo que o comprometimento da função sistólica, habitualmente, é tardio. O tratamento da miocardiopatia diabética com insuficiência cardíaca não difere das miocardiopatias de outras etiologias e deve seguir as diretrizes de acordo com o comprometimento da função ventricular, se diastólica isolada ou diastólica e sistólica.

Comércio internacional e meio ambiente: estímulo à produção sustentável ou mero protecionismo comercial a posição do Brasil em dois casos de litígio

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1994 as a result of the Uruguay Round, and has as its principal aim advocate for the maintenance of free trade between nations. The preamble of its Constitutive Agreement specifically cites as an institution the goal of achieving sustainable development and the pursuit of protecting and preserving the environment, bringing into the sphere of world trade the idea that concern for the environmental cause is not restricted only the group of environmentalists, but rather has entered the economic landscape in a way not only ideological, but also pragmatic. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1947, part of the GATT 1994, contains a device that allows the adoption of trade restrictive measures, provided that such measures aimed at protecting the environment - Article XX. The Settlement Body (DSB) is part of the WTO and acts in dissolving disputes between the countries motivated by trade. It examines two cases where countries have imposed restrictive trade measures with environmental justification. The first case was closed in 1996, with award of damages given to Brazil, on the breakdown of U.S. environmental legislation imposed on imported gasoline from Brazil - and the second, begun in 2005 and closed in 2007, coming out victorious again Brazil is on the import ban on retreaded tires to Brazil. The objective is to answer the question: how the environment is treated in the midst of trade discussions - which is aimed at its protection or its use with economic objectives in disguise? For the preparation of this work, extensive documentary research was undertaken with the virtual site of the WTO to review the entire production of legal cases and subsequent analysis of the key issue for the work, and literature of authors who have studied the tense relationship between trade international environment. The first case, it could be seen that the political movement performed by the U.S. with the aim of achieving acceptable standards of air quality was an institutional effort to ensure the quality of air, and thus would be inappropriate to say that the regulation of gasoline was merely a disguised trade barrier.However, a careful analysis of the implementation and operation of gasoline regulation may reveal intentions disguised trade and U.S. environmental argument did not hold. The weight of this environment was relegated, since there were clearly outside interests to the environmental cause. The second case, it was realized that, despite clear attempts by the EC to promote ecological dumping, send when brought to Brazil, supposedly a country with weaker environmental structure on surveillance, a residue that, pursuant to internal policies, as could not be sent to their own landfills, the Brazilian discourse remained focused on the environmental cause, and this sort there was the existence of disguised trade barriers, but of importance, at least a priori, the discussion of foreign forces on the environment environment because there is no way to legally justify the reversal of the total understanding of the first judging body, the sight of all the arguments presented by Brazil and the nonsubmission of new facts upon appeal. Still, quite heartening to reflect on the role of trade liberalization on the environment in general, because, while they do not reach a definitive conclusion will reveal positions in both directions, both for and against, the that only adds to the discussions and makes this a very fertile topic for future research

Insuficiência cardíaca com fração de ejeção normal

A insuficiência cardíaca com fração de ejeção normal (ICFEN) é uma síndrome complexa que vem sendo largamente estudada, desde a última década. É causada por disfunção ventricular diastólica evidenciada por métodos complementares, como estudo hemodinâmico ou ecocardiograma, na presença de fração de ejeção preservada. Acomete preferencialmente indivíduos mais idosos e com comorbidades, como hipertensão arterial sistêmica, insuficiência coronariana e obesidade. Os mecanismos fisiopatológicos são complexos e multifatoriais, envolvendo a rigidez passiva do miocárdio, a geometria ventricular, a força de contenção do pericárdio e a interação entre os ventrículos. Os objetivos principais do tratamento são reduzir a congestão venosa pulmonar, a frequência cardíaca e controlar as comorbidades. Ainda não há evidências fortes de que o uso de medicações específicas, como inibidores de enzima de conversão ou betabloqueadores, interfiram na mortalidade. Os fatores de pior prognóstico incluem a idade avançada, presença de disfunção renal, diabete, classe funcional III e IV (NYHA) e estágio avançado de disfunção diastólica, com padrão restritivo ao enchimento ventricular. Outro aspecto que vem ganhando espaço na literatura é o questionamento do papel da disfunção sistólica nos quadros de ICFEN. Todos esses aspectos são abordados detalhadamente na presente revisão.