Water Adsorption of Particleboard and Flakeboard

The amount of water adsorption (WA) determines the dimensional stability of particleboard and flakeboard. Regression models showed that WA is a function of relative humidity, resin type, and board specific gravity, as well as the thickness and slenderness ratio of the wood furnish. Those factors explained 95% of all variation in WA

Influence of pork liver drying on ferrochelatase activity for zinc protoporphyrin formation

Pork liver contains an endogenous enzyme, ferrochelatase (FeCH), which catalyses the formation of zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a natural pigment of great interest for the meat industry. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of pork liver drying (from −10 to 70 °C), as a stabilisation method, on the FeCH activity (EA) and the apparent concentration (ECapp). Drying temperatures close to room conditions (from 10 to 20 °C) allowed to preserve well the ECapp, while the EA was slightly lower (−15.2%) than in raw liver. However, when drying was conducted at extreme conditions (−10 and 70 °C), the lowest values of ECapp and EA were manifested. Therefore, the drying process at moderate temperatures close to room conditions (10 - 20 °C) was considered to be an effective method for FeCH preservation since it was possible to stabilise the liver and the loss of FeCH activity was minimised.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A remote engineering solution for automating a roller hearth kiln

Remote engineering (also known as online engineering) may be defined as a combination of control engineering and telematics. In this area, specific activities require computacional skills in order to develop projects where electrical devives are monitored and / or controlled, in an intercative way, through a distributed network (e.g. Intranet or Internet). In our specific case, we will be dealing with an industrial plant. Within the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of activities related to remote engineering, which may be connected to the phenomenon of the large extension experienced by the Internet (e.g. bandwith, number of users, development tools, etc.). This increase opens new and future possibilities to the implementation of advance teleworking (or e-working) positions. In this paper we present the architecture for a remote application, accessible through the Internet, able to monitor and control a roller hearth kiln, used in a ceramics industry for firing materials. The proposed architecture is based on a micro web server, whose main function is to monitor and control the firing process, by reading the data from a series of temperature sensors and by controlling a series of electronic valves and servo motors. This solution is also intended to be a low-cost alternative to other potential solutions. The temperature readings are obtained through K-type thermopairs and the gas flow is controlled through electrovalves. As the firing process should not be stopped before its complete end, the system is equipped with a safety device for that specific purpose. For better understanding the system to be automated and its operation we decided to develop a scale model (100:1) and experiment on it the devised solution, based on a Micro Web Server

Response of root explants to in vitro cultivation of marketable garlic cultivars

Garlic cultivars are sexually sterile under standard growth conditions, with direct implications for commercial production costs as well as breeding programs. Garlic is propagated commercially via bulblets, which facilitates disease transmission and virus load accumulation over vegetative generations. Tissue culture produces virus-free clones that are more productive, while keeping the desired traits of the cultivar. Consequently, this technique allows studies of garlic genetics as well as guarantees genetic conservation of varieties. We aimed at analyzing the in vitroregeneration of eight marketable cultivars of garlic using root segments as explants. For each genotype, bulblet-derived explants were isolated and introduced into MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D and 2-iP. Calli were transferred to MS medium supplemented with 8.8 mM BAP and 0.1 mM NAA (regeneration medium A), or with 4.6 mM kinetin alone (regeneration medium B). The calli were then evaluated for regeneration frequency after sixty days of in vitro cultivation. The noble cultivar \u27Jonas\u27 presented the highest rates of plant regeneration among the cultivars tested. The medium A, which contained auxin and cytokinin, induced the highest regeneration rates of all cultivars. The process described herein is simple, reproducible and can potentially be used as a tool in molecular breeding strategies for other marketable cultivars and genotypes of garlic

Predictive Factors Of One-year Mortality In A Cohort Of Patients Undergoing Urgent-start Hemodialysis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 10-15% of adult population worldwide. Incident patients on hemodialysis, mainly those on urgent-start dialysis at the emergency room, have a high mortality risk, which may reflect the absence of nephrology care. A lack of data exists regarding the influence of Baseline factors on the mortality of these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of this population and identify risk factors that contribute to their mortality. Patients and methods We studied 424 patients who were admitted to our service between 01/2006 and 12/2012 and were followed for 1 year. We analyzed vascular access, risk factors linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mineral and bone disease associated with CKD (CKD-MBD), and clinical events that occurred during the follow-up period. Factors that influenced patient survival were evaluated by Cox regression analysis. Results The patient mean age was 50 18 years, and 58.7% of them were male. Hypertension was the main cause of primary CKD (31.8%). Major risk factors were smoking (19.6%), dyslipidemia (48.8%), and CVD (41%). Upon admission, most patients had no vascular access for hemodialysis (89.4%). Biochemical results showed that most patients were anemic with high C-reactive protein levels, hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, elevated parathyroid hormone and decreased 25-hydroxy vitamin D. At the end of one year, 60 patients died (14.1%). These patients were significantly older, had a lower percentage of arteriovenous fistula in one year, and low levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Conclusions The combined evaluation of clinical and biochemical parameters and risk factors revealed that the mortality in urgent-start dialysis is associated with older age and low levels of vitamin D deficiency. A lack of a permanent hemodialysis access after one year was also a risk factor for mortality in this population.121Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [2010/03867-7]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Na língua da mãe a língua dos assassinos: a tensão poética em Paul Celan

A tensão entre a Muttersprache (língua materna) e a Mördersprache (língua dos assassinos) no interior da língua alemã confere forma à poesia de Paul Celan. Como, então, é possível trapacear a língua em meio à tensão insolúvel desse campo, no qual a memória afetiva não pode ser restaurada sem a prenhez da morte? Essa é uma questão abordada no artigo, que ainda procura apreender como a negatividade da barbárie reduz a linguagem e qualquer possibilidade de intercâmbio entre as línguas a um balbucio que demarca a língua em direção às suas cicatrizes e dores irreparáveis, uma vez que a herança linguística originada do seio materno também suporta a tradição que germina a barbárie