Effect of three larval diets on the development of the armyworm, Spodoptera latifascia Walker, 1856 (Noctuidae, Lepidoptera)

Some biological effects of feeding larvae of the armyworm Spodoptera latifascia with leaves of three plant species (cotton, soybean and lettuce) have been studied. Some indicative measurements were utilized to determine the host suitability of these three plant species. Cotton leaves (Gossypium hirsutum) were found to be better than soybean (Glycine max) for the development and growth of this insect. Lettuce leaves (Lactuca sativa) were incapable of sustaining this insect. Moreover, the stress of the latter diet was associated with a latent microbial disease, a mixed infection caused by Vairimorpha sp. and a nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV). Cotton leaves can be recommended as a suitable diet for mass rearing of this insect species. Due to recent outbreks of S. latifascia observed in the States of São Paulo, Santa Catarina and Paraná and because of the frequent applications of wide spectrum chemical insecticides, it can be expected that this insect will soon become one of the important pests threatening cotton and other economic plantations in Brazil.17718

Aplicações de técnicas de análise de imagem em microbiologia ambiental

São evidenciadas algumas aplicações da análise de imagem em microbiologia ambiental, nomeadamente: o reconhecimento e identificação automática de algumas espécies de protozoários presentes em estações de tratamento de águas residuais; o estudo da influência de três tóxicos na mobilidade do protozoário ciliado Tetrahymena pyriformis em meio líquido; a correlação entre actividade metanogénica, velocidade de sedimentação e parâmetros morfológicos de agregados microbianos em digestores anaeróbios; e finalmente o estudo da correlação entre as actividades metanogénicas acetoclástica e hidrogenofílica e a fluorescência de um consórcio de microrganismos de um digestor anaeróbio. Procura-se assim demonstrar a utilidade das técnicas de análise de imagem na monitorização quer de processos de tratamento de águas resíduais quer da própria qualidade ambiental.Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia. Instituto de Cooperação Científica e Tecnológica Internacional (ICCTI).Embaixada de França em Portugal

Morphological characterisation of microbial aggregates by image analysis

A program, was accomplished in MATLAB, that allows the morphological characterisation of particles with special emphasis to microbial aggregates. After automatic identification and isolation of different particles in a real image, the program determines several fractal dimensions as the mass dimension, the surface dimension, the area versus perimeter dimension, and the area vs. Feret diameter. The values of many other parameters are also provided, such as: convexity, compactness, roundness, as well as the 0th, 1st, and 2nd moments, whether the 0th moment is the area or the volume of the particle. The program also displays the particle size distribution. The program is easy to operate and all the steps that need decisions from the user are displayed in menus and buttons. As an example of application, the morphological characterisation of different microbial aggregates present in anaerobic wastewater treatment systems has been performed

Aplicações de técnicas de processamento e análise de imagem em processos biotecnológicos

Neste trabalho, são apresentados quatro estudos utilizando técnicas de processamento e análise de imagem e de estatística multivariável para monitorizar processos aeróbios e anaeróbios de tratamento de águas residuais. Num primeiro caso visando a caracterização de lamas activadas de uma estação de tratamento de águas residuais (ETAR) foram examinados o conteúdo e morfologia de agregados e bactérias filamentosas. O segundo teve por objectivo a identificação dos protozoários e metazoários através da sua caracterização morfológica e tratamento dos dados por técnicas de estatística multivariável. Relativamente aos processos anaeróbios foi, num primeiro estudo, monitorizado o processo de granulação de um reactor granulado de leito expandido (EGSB), através do estudo das mudanças morfológicas dos agregados microbianos. Finalmente, foi também estudado um processo de desgranulação dos agregados microbianos anaeróbios devido a alimentação com oleato, novamente pela determinação das mudanças morfológicas dos agregados microbianos

Image analysis methodology to study the evolution of chromium penetration in chromium tannage

The chrome tanning process is the main method employed to improve the hide stabilization, and chrome tanning in organic solvent medium has been tried by some authors, namely for ovine skins, but the process is not yet clear and fully understood. In recent years the application of image analysis methodologies to bioreactors is widely growing mainly on biomass and materials characterization. In the present work, the use of image analysis was employed to examine chromium penetration during bovine hide tannage in the presence of terpentine. Results showed that the overall chromium penetration rate was considerably faster in the first two minutes, becoming then much slower and linear until completion. Furthermore in the initial stages of penetration the chromium diffused much faster on the flesh that on the grain side of the hide. A second study performed on the flesh side only allowed to determine the chromium flux in the hide.Monteiro Ribas Indústrias

Morphological characterisation of biomass in wastewater treatment using partial least squares

A wastewater treatment plant was followed in order to determine the biomass morphological properties and relate them with other measures as the Total Suspended Solids (TSS) or Sludge Volume Index (SVI). Image analysis was used to provide morphological data, which was subsequently treated by Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results showed very good correlations between observed and model predicted TSS but, considerably lower for SVI

Experimental determination of the non-extensive entropic parameter qq

We show how to extract the $q$ parameter from experimental data, considering an inhomogeneous magnetic system composed by many Maxwell-Boltzmann homogeneous parts, which after integration over the whole system recover the Tsallis non-extensivity. Analyzing the cluster distribution of La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ manganite, obtained through scanning tunnelling spectroscopy, we measure the $q$ parameter and predict the bulk magnetization with good accuracy. The connection between the Griffiths phase and non-extensivity is also considered. We conclude that the entropic parameter embodies information about the dynamics, the key role to describe complex systems.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Análisis de imagen para la cuantificación de cambios morfológicos en biomasa granular, inducidos por la presencia de nitrato en reactores EGSB

Cuatro reactores EGSB (R1-R4) fueron operados a velocidades de carga orgánica de 10 kgCOD/(m³.d), tiempos de retención hidráulicos de 3.6 h, velocidades superficiales de 10 m/h y diferentes concentraciones de nitrato a la entrada, 0, 20, 60 y 100 mgN-NO3-/L en R1, R2, R3 and R4, respectivamente. Después de 20 días de operación continua, la biomasa granular fue caracterizada en términos de: (i) morfología por análisis de imagen cuantitativo; (ii) actividad metanogénica específica en presencia de acetato, butirato, propionato, etanol y una mezcla gaseosa de H2CO2; velocidad de sedimentación. El parámetro LfA, definido como el cuociente entre la longitud total de filamentos y el área total proyectada, fue determinado y se observó que es suficientemente sensible para la cuantificación de diferencias morfológicas inducidas por la presencia de nitrato. Aunque el crecimiento de estructuras filamentosas en la superficie de los gránulos fue evidente, no hubo una disminución notable en la velocidad de sedimentación de los gránulos, probablemente porque durante el período de operación los gránulos crecieron en tamaño. En el reactor R4 se observó un mayor washout que en R1, R2 y R3.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT