Mathematical modeling for drying flint corn in a thin layer

O objetivo deste trabalho foi ajustar os coeficientes de seis modelos matemáticos e identificar aquele que melhor representa a secagem de grãos de milho “flint” em camada delgada. Para isso, desenvolveu-se uma coluna de secagem para a obtenção dos dados experimentais. Nove testes foram realizados para cada modelo, tendo-se utilizado as velocidades de 0,5, 1,0 e 1,5 m s-1 a 40, 50 e 60°C, respectivamente, para o ar de secagem. Testaram‑se os modelos de Lewis, Page, Thompson, Overhults, Brooker e Midilli para camada delgada. Todos os modelos ajustados representam o fenômeno da secagem do milho “flint” a 5% de probabilidade (teste χ2). Após ajustados, os modelos de Page, Midilli e Overhults são os melhores para a secagem de milho “flint”, com coeficiente de determinação igual a 1,000 para todos os testes e erros inferiores a 1,0%. Para as condições de secagem deste trabalho, o parâmetro n do modelo de Page não depende da velocidade e da temperatura do ar de secagem, enquanto o parâmetro k depende apenas da temperatura do ar, o que é confirmado pela análise de variância. O modelo de Page ajustado pode ser usado com precisão na predição da secagem de milho “flint” em camada delgada.The objective of this work was to adjust the coefficients of six mathematical models and to identify the one that best represents the drying of flint corn grains in a thin layer. For this purpose, a drying column was developed to obtain experimental data. Nine tests were performed for each model, using the velocities of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m s-1 at 40, 50, and 60°C, respectively, for drying air. The thin-layer drying models of Lewis, Page, Thompson, Overhults, Brooker, and Midilli were tested. All adjusted models represent the phenomenon of flint corn drying at 5% probability (χ2 test). After adjusted, the models of Page, Midilli, and Overhults are the best ones for drying corn, with a coefficient of determination equal to 1.000 for all tests and errors lower than 1.0%. For the drying conditions of this work, the n parameter of the model of Page does not depend on the velocity and temperature of drying air, while the k parameter depends only on air temperature, which is confirmed by the analysis of variance. The adjusted model of Page can be used with precision for the prediction of thin-layer flint corn drying

Delimitação das áreas de preservação permanente no município de Monte Azul/MG

This paper aims to identify the hilltop permanent preservation areas and marginal bands of Monte Azul/MG watercourses the based on #12.651/12 (BRASIL, 2012) Federal Law. This city choice was made based upon the delimitation inexistence of such areas by the municipal government. The methodology used to conduct the identification of hilltop PPA was based on the paper developed by Cortizo (2007) identifying the highest depression quota, characterized by the location of the base of the hill; the preservation areas in watercourses were identified through the creation of a 30 meters water resources buffer made available by the Ecological Zoning of the State of Minas Gerais (ZEE, 2013). The results of the delineation of permanent preservation areas on hilltops and in watercourses bands in the city of Monte Azul/MG corresponds to an area of 73,87 km², being the PPA along the watercourses responsible for 6,92% and the hilltop permanent preservation areas with 0,51% of the whole city area.O presente trabalho tem como objetivo identificar as áreas de preservação permanente em topos de morro e nas faixas marginais dos cursos hídricos do município de Monte Azul/MG embasadas pela Lei Federal de nº 12.651/12 (BRASIL, 2012). A escolha deste município partiu do princípio da inexistência de tais áreas delimitadas por parte do poder público municipal. A metodologia utilizada para realização da identificação das APP em topos de morro baseou-se no estudo desenvolvido por Cortizo (2007) identificando a cota de maior depressão, caracterizada pela localização da base do morro, já as áreas de preservação em cursos hídricos foram identificadas por meio da criação de um Buffer de 30 metros nos recursos hídricos disponibilizados pelo Zoneamento Ecológico do Estado de Minas Gerais (ZEE, 2013).  Os resultados da delimitação das áreas de preservação permanente em topos de morro e nas faixas marginais de cursos d’água no município de Monte Azul/MG correspondem a uma área de 73,87 Km2, sendo as APP ao longo dos cursos hídricos responsáveis por 6,92% e as áreas de preservação em topos de morro com 0,51% de toda a área do município

Validação do modelo matemático de secagem de grãos de milho em leito fixo utilizando CFD / Validation of the mathematical model of corn grain drying in fixed bed using CFD

A Fluidodinâmica computacional (CFD) foi usada para simular o comportamento de secagem de um secador de milho de leito fixo bidimensional. O modelo matemático foi validado por meio da comparação com dados experimentais presentes na literatura e foi resolvido com o software ANSYS Fluent 18.0. A ferramenta adicional User-Defined Function (UDF), escrita em linguagem C, foi utilizada para customizar o software, permitindo inserir um modelo de secagem mais completo. O erro relativo percentual (ER%) entre os resultados numéricos e experimentais para o modelo unidimensional variou entre 5,44% e 12,46% demonstrando uma boa predição do comportamento da secagem do leito de grãos de milho. Para o modelo bidimensional, o valor máximo para desvio padrão relativo percentual (DPR%) entre a simulação numérica do modelo proposto e as simulações apresentadas por França et al. (1994) e Souza (1996) foi de 9,39%, também demonstrando uma boa prediçã

Geoquímica fluvial e balanço de denudação em Tinguaítos de Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais

A Bacia do Córrego da Ariranha, Caldeira Vulcânica de Poços de Caldas, é formada por rochas alcalinas tinguaítos (fonólitos intrusivos). Como não há estudos associados à evolução do relevo em regiões com esse tipo de rocha, o presente trabalho visou à avaliação do balanço de denudação nessa bacia hidrográfica. Para isso, foram realizadas coletas e avaliados os seguintes parâmetros durante um ano hidrológico: vazão (m3/s), precipitação (mm), pH, condutividade elétrica (μS/cm), oxigênio dissolvido (mg/L), sólidos totais dissolvidos (STD) e em suspensão (STS) (mg/L). A média para vazão e temperatura foi de 0,12 m3/s e 20,80ºC, respectivamente. Os valores de pH situaram-se próximos à neutralidade (6,4), a condutividade elétrica variou entre 30 e 78 μS/cm e as concentrações de oxigênio dissolvido, entre 5,4 e 7,9 mg/L. Um total de 15,5 t/km2/ano de material dissolvido foi transportado pelas águas superficiais e um aporte atmosférico de 6,0 t/km2/ano, obtendo-se um fluxo anual de material removido pela alteração química das rochas alcalinas tinguaítos de 9,5 t/km2/ano com uma taxa de alteração de 3,6 m/Ma. Quanto ao material suspenso, aproximadamente 9,9 t/km2/ano foram transportadas pelas drenagens, com um aporte pluvial de 1,2 t/km2/ano. Isso indica um fluxo anual de material removido associado à denudação dos solos da bacia de 8,7 t/km2/ano ou aproximadamente 200 mil anos para alterar 1 metro de solo nas condições climáticas atuais. The Ariranha Stream basin, Poços de Caldas Volcanic Caldera, Brazil, is formed by tinguaite alkaline rocks (intrusive phonolites). There are not studies on relief evolution in regions with this type of rock, so the present work aimed to evaluate the denudate balance in this hydrographic basin. For this purpose, the following parameters were collected and evaluated during one hydrological year: flow rate (m3/s), precipitation (mm), pH, electrical conductivity (μS/cm), dissolved oxygen (mg/L), total dissolved and suspended solids (mg/L). Flow rate and temperature averages were 0.12 m3/s and 20.80ºC, respectively. The pH values were close to neutrality (6.4); the electrical conductivity varied from 30 to 78 μS/cm; and the dissolved oxygen concentrations from 5.4 to 7.9 mg/L. The total of 15.5 t/km2/year of dissolved material were transported by surface waters, and the atmospheric input was of 6.0 t/km2/year, obtaining an annual removed material by the tinguaite alkaline rocks chemical alteration of 9.5 t/km2/year with weathering rate of 3.6 m/Myr. Regarding the suspended material, approximately 9.9 t/km2/year were transported by drainage, with an atmospheric input of 1.2 t/km2/year. It indicates annual flow of 8.7 t/km2 of removed material associated with the basin soils denudation, or approximately 200 thousand years to change 1 soil meter in the current climatic conditions

Scientific Production of Patient’s Electronic Health Record in Online Journals from Brazilian scenario

The study aims to analyse the scientific production about patient’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) available in online journals from 2006 to 2015. This is an integrative review. The search was conducted in the Virtual Health Library and Portal Capes, considering only studies in Portuguese. The sample consisted of 17 articles. It was observed that from 2011 to 2012 is the period with the highest number of publications about the investigated issue. The majority of papers were published in journals in the area of computer science and the most common modality of publication was original article. It was found that scientific productions involving Electronic Health Record discussed about its importance and implementation in health services, as well as perceptions of health professionals about its utilization. The research evidenced the relevance of EHR in health services, emphasizing necessity for improved regulations of ethical and legal issues and creation of legal provision to concede judicial validity in Brazil

12,500+ and counting: biodiversity of the Brazilian Pampa

Knowledge on biodiversity is fundamental for conservation strategies. The Brazilian Pampa region, located in subtropical southern Brazil, is neglected in terms of conservation, and knowledge of its biodiversity is fragmented. We aim to answer the question: how many, and which, species occur in the Brazilian Pampa? In a collaborative effort, we built species lists for plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi that occur in the Brazilian Pampa. We included information on distribution patterns, main habitat types, and conservation status. Our study resulted in referenced lists totaling 12,503 species (12,854 taxa, when considering infraspecific taxonomic categories [or units]). Vascular plants amount to 3,642 species (including 165 Pteridophytes), while algae have 2,046 species (2,378 taxa) and bryophytes 316 species (318 taxa). Fungi (incl. lichenized fungi) contains 1,141 species (1,144 taxa). Animals total 5,358 species (5,372 taxa). Among the latter, vertebrates comprise 1,136 species, while invertebrates are represented by 4,222 species. Our data indicate that, according to current knowledge, the Pampa holds approximately 9% of the Brazilian biodiversity in an area of little more than 2% of Brazil’s total land The proportion of species restricted to the Brazilian Pampa is low (with few groups as exceptions), as it is part of a larger grassland ecoregion and in a transitional climatic setting. Our study yielded considerably higher species numbers than previously known for many species groups; for some, it provides the first published compilation. Further efforts are needed to increase knowledge in the Pampa and other regions of Brazil. Considering the strategic importance of biodiversity and its conservation, appropriate government policies are needed to fund studies on biodiversity, create accessible and constantly updated biodiversity databases, and consider biodiversity in school curricula and other outreach activitie

Effect of High vs Low Doses of Chloroquine Diphosphate as Adjunctive Therapy for Patients Hospitalized With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

There is no specific antiviral therapy recommended for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In vitro studies indicate that the antiviral effect of chloroquine diphosphate (CQ) requires a high concentration of the drug.To evaluate the safety and efficacy of 2 CQ dosages in patients with severe COVID-19. This parallel, double-masked, randomized, phase IIb clinical trial with 81 adult patients who were hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was conducted from March 23 to April 5, 2020, at a tertiary care facility in Manaus, Brazilian Amazon. - Patients were allocated to receive high-dosage CQ (ie, 600 mg CQ twice daily for 10 days) or low-dosage CQ (ie, 450 mg twice daily on day 1 and once daily for 4 days). - Label: Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcome was reduction in lethality by at least 50% in the high-dosage group compared with the low-dosage group. Data presented here refer primarily to safety and lethality outcomes during treatment on day 13. Secondary end points included participant clinical status, laboratory examinations, and electrocardiogram results. Outcomes will be presented to day 28. Viral respiratory secretion RNA detection was performed on days 0 and 4. Out of a predefined sample size of 440 patients, 81 were enrolled (41 [50.6%] to high-dosage group and 40 [49.4%] to low-dosage group). Enrolled patients had a mean (SD) age of 51.1 (13.9) years, and most (60 [75.3%]) were men. Older age (mean [SD] age, 54.7 [13.7] years vs 47.4 [13.3] years) and more heart disease (5 of 28 [17.9%] vs 0) were seen in the high-dose group. Viral RNA was detected in 31 of 40 (77.5%) and 31 of 41 (75.6%) patients in the low-dosage and high-dosage groups, respectively. Lethality until day 13 was 39.0% in the high-dosage group (16 of 41) and 15.0% in the low-dosage group (6 of 40). The high-dosage group presented more instance of QTc interval greater than 500 milliseconds (7 of 37 [18.9%]) compared with the low-dosage group (4 of 36 [11.1%]). Respiratory secretion at day 4 was negative in only 6 of 27 patients (22.2%). - Label: Conclusions and Relevance The preliminary findings of this study suggest that the higher CQ dosage should not be recommended for critically ill patients with COVID-19 because of its potential safety hazards, especially when taken concurrently with azithromycin and oseltamivir. These findings cannot be extrapolated to patients with nonsevere COVID-19