Viabilidade técnica e econômica da substituição de fontes convencionais de energia por biogás em assentamento rural do Estado de São Paulo.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a viabilidade econômica da implantação de dois biodigestores com uso de dejetos animais em área do Assentamento de Trabalhadores Rurais no município de Itaberá - SP, no ano de 2005; um deles para o fornecimento de energia para os domicílios e outro para as atividades produtivas. Foram avaliados os benefícios referentes ao fornecimento de energia elétrica e térmica, a partir do biogás, para cinco domicílios da agrovila do assentamento e para as atividades produtivas, comparativamente aos custos de construção e operação para produção de biogás. Os resultados mostraram a viabilidade econômica da produção de gás em ambos os biodigestores. Foram gerados benefícios no valor de R$3.698,00 por ano e R$ 9.080,57 por ano, nos biodigestores para os domicílios e produção, respectivamente; bem como o equivalente a R$1.478,28 por ano referentes à produção de biofertilizante. O custo anual do processo é de R$ 1.218,50 em cada biodigestor. O prazo de recuperação do investimento é de 2,5 anos e 11 meses, para a produção de biogás nos domicílios e na produção, respectivamente. Os resultados podem ser utilizados para subsidiar políticas públicas direcionadas ao aproveitamento de biomassa para a produção de energia a baixos custos no segmento da agricultura familiar

Nutrição de tithonia diversifolia e atributos do solo adubado com biofertilizante em sistema irrigado

The fertilization with biofertilizer associated with the use of irrigation favors nutrient uptake by plants and soil chemical properties; however, these effects are little studied in Tithonia diversifolia in semiarid regions. This study evaluated the effect of doses of bovine biofertilizer and irrigation on accumulation of nutrients in the leaves of Tithonia diversifolia plants and on soil chemical attributes. The study was carried out from December 3, 2014 to November 28, 2015, and arranged in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme, consisting of five doses of bovine biofertilizer (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 m3 ha-1), combined with and without irrigation. The experiment was set in a randomized block design, using three replicates. Irrigation promoted increased accumulation of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu and B in leaves of Tithonia diversifolia in the first cutting. However, the high bicarbonate concentration in the irrigation water and the occurrence of rainfall during the second crop increased the accumulation of Cu in the leaves of Tithonia diversifolia under rainfed condition, compared with irrigated plants. The increase in biofertilizer doses contributed to the increment of base saturation and the contents of organic matter, P and K in soil201110081013Associada ao uso de irrigação, a adubação com biofertilizante favorece a absorção de nutrientes pelas plantas e as propriedades químicas dos solos, porém tais efeitos são pouco estudados no cultivo de Tithonia diversifolia em regiões semiáridas. Avaliaram-se os efeitos de doses de biofertilizante bovino e da irrigação no acúmulo foliar de nutrientes em plantas de Tithonia diversifolia e nos atributos químicos do solo. O estudo foi conduzido entre 3 de dezembro de 2014 e 28 de novembro de 2015 e distribuído em esquema fatorial 5 x 2, consistindo de cinco doses de biofertilizante bovino (0, 40, 80, 120 e 160 m3 ha-1), combinado com e sem irrigação. O delineamento estatístico do experimento foi em blocos casualizados com três repetições. A irrigação promoveu aumento no acúmulo de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu e B em folhas de Tithonia diversifolia no primeiro corte; entretanto, a alta concentração de bicarbonato na água de irrigação e a presença de chuvas durante o segundo cultivo aumentaram o acúmulo de Cu nas folhas de Tithonia diversifolia em sequeiro quando comparado às plantas irrigadas. O aumento das doses de biofertilizante contribuiu para o incremento da saturação por base e do teor de matéria orgânica, P e K no sol

Biochar from different residues on soil properties and common bean production

The production of biochar from organic residues promises to be an interesting strategy for the management of organic waste. To assess the effect of biochar on soil properties and the production and nutrition of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), three simultaneous experiments were conducted in a greenhouse with different biochar from organic residues (rice husk, sawdust, and sorghum silage) used as filtration material for swine biofertilizer. In each experiment the treatments consisted of five different biochar concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 L m−3), arranged in a completely randomized design, with four repetitions. In the experiments, the use of biochar increased soil pH, cation exchange capacity, nutrient availability in the soil, and nutrient accumulation in grains. The biochar concentrations corresponding to the maximum production of grain dry matter of bean plants were 100, 68, and 71 L m−3 for biochar from rice husk filter (BRHF), biochar from sawdust filter (BSF), and biochar from sorghum silage filter (BSSF), respectively

SISTEMA PRODUTIVO SUINÍCOLA: ABORDAGENS BIOLÓGICA, DE PROCESSOS, SISTÊMICA E LOGÍSTICA

The survey and knowledge of a production process, both by systemic perspective and logistics, can contribute significantly to management and consequently increase productivity and reduce costs. Based on a literature review and through the use of a systemic and logistic approach, the paper identifies the processes, inputs, outputs, activities and flows that are part of pig production and thus contributes to its economic, social and environmental development. Through a systemic approach of swine production, it is verified that the distance between the production site and the plantation of grain for swine feed supply influence economic and ecologic aspects. Hence, production sites near the plantation of grain provide competitive advantages. Based on this argument, a tendency for the migration of Brazilian swine production from the south region to the new frontier of MAPITOBA agriculture is verified. To mitigate the negative effects caused by this migration, technological, administrative and political measures have to be taken.O conhecimento das atividades, processos, bem como do fluxo de insumos, produtos e informações podem basear o gerenciamento de um sistema produtivo, ocasionando assim vantagens competitivas, redução de custos e previsões de ações futuras. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar - fundamentado na literatura e através de enfoques biológico, produtivo, sistêmico e logístico - os processos, entradas, saídas, atividades e fluxos que fazem parte da produção suinícola, a fim de contribuir para o seu desenvolvimento econômico, social e ambiental. Através de uma visão sistêmica da produção suinícola, verificou-se que a distância entre as granjas e a região fornecedora de ração influencia fortemente aspectos econômicos e ambientais. Assim, granjas localizadas próximas às plantações de grãos apresentam vantagens competitivas. Baseado neste argumento verificou-se uma tendência migratória da suinocultura brasileira, da região sul para a nova fronteira agrícola MAPITOBA. A fim de mitigar os efeitos negativos ocasionados por esta migração, medidas tecnológicas, administrativas e políticas devem ser tomadas

Differential sensitivities to lactate transport inhibitors of breast cancer cell lines

This is linked to the online version of the paper at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/ERC-13-0132.The tumour microenvironment is known to be acidic due to high glycolytic rates of tumour cells. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) play a role in extracellular acidification, which is widely known to be involved in tumour progression. Recently, we have described the upregulation of MCT1 in breast carcinomas and its association with poor prognostic variables. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effect of lactate transport inhibition in human breast cancer cell lines. The effects of a-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate, quercetin and lonidamine on cell viability, metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were assessed in a panel of different breast cancer cell lines. MCT1, MCT4 and CD147 were differently expressed among the breast cancer cell lines and, as expected, different sensitivities were observed for the three inhibitors. Interestingly, in the most sensitive cell lines, lactate transport inhibition induced a decrease in cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as an increase in cell death. Results were validated by silencing MCT1 expression using siRNA. The results obtained here support targeting of lactate transport as a strategy to treat breast cancer, with a special emphasis on the basal-like subtype, which so far does not have a specific molecular therapy.This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) grant ref. PTDC/SAU-FCF/104347/2008, under the scope of ‘Programa Operacional Temático Factores de Competitividade’ (COMPETE) of ‘Quadro Comunitário de Apoio III’ and co-financed by the Fundo Europeu De Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER)

Big Data to Knowledge Analytics Reveals the Zika Virus Epidemic as Only One of Multiple Factors Contributing to a Year-Over-Year 28-Fold Increase in Microcephaly Incidence

During the 2015–2016 Zika Virus (ZIKV) epidemic in Brazil, the geographical distributions of ZIKV infection and microcephaly outbreaks did not align. This raised doubts about the virus as the single cause of the microcephaly outbreak and led to research hypotheses of alternative explanatory factors, such as environmental variables and factors, agrochemical use, or immunizations. We investigated context and the intermediate and structural determinants of health inequalities, as well as social environment factors, to determine their interaction with ZIKV-positive- and ZIKV-negative-related microcephaly. The results revealed the identification of 382 associations among 382 nonredundant variables of Zika surveillance, including multiple determinants of environmental public health factors and variables obtained from 5565 municipalities in Brazil. This study compared those factors and variables directly associated with microcephaly incidence positive to ZIKV and those associated with microcephaly incidence negative to ZIKV, respectively, and mapped them in case and control subnetworks. The subnetworks of factors and variables associated with low birth weight and birthweight where birth incidence served as an additional control were also mapped. Non-significant differences in factors and variables were observed, as were weights of associations between microcephaly incidence, both positive and negative to ZIKV, which revealed diagnostic inaccuracies that translated to the underestimation of the scope of the ZIKV outbreak. A detailed analysis of the patterns of association does not support a finding that vaccinations contributed to microcephaly, but it does raise concerns about the use of agrochemicals as a potential factor in the observed neurotoxicity arising from the presence of heavy metals in the environment and microcephaly not associated with ZIKV. Summary: A comparative network inferential analysis of the patterns of variables and factors associated with Zika virus infections in Brazil during 2015–2016 coinciding with a microcephaly epidemic identified multiple contributing determinants. This study advances our understanding of the cumulative interactive effects of exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors in the built, natural, physical, and social environments on adverse pregnancy and health outcomes in vulnerable populations

Nota Científica - Potencial fitotóxico do biofertilizante da casca de pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Comb.)

A casca do fruto do pequi representa 80% do seu conteúdo total, sendo geralmente descartada. O uso desse resíduo para a produção de biofertilizante surge como alternativa para o seu aproveitamento. Contudo, a casca do pequi é rica em compostos alelopáticos, o que pode restringir sua aplicação nos campos agrícolas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar se o biofertilizante proveniente da casca dos frutos de pequi pode causar efeitos fitotóxicos e, ou interferir no crescimento de plantas de pepino (Cucumis sativus L.). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, no esquema fatorial 5 x 2 (doses x pH) com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos corresponderam às doses de biofertilizante por litro de substrato: 0 (controle), 10, 20, 40 e 80 mL, com e sem correção do pH do efluente. As doses de biofertilizante não influenciaram o crescimento e produção da massa fresca e seca da parte aérea e massa fresca das raízes, porém, levaram a um aumento linear de massa seca das raízes do pepino. A correção do pH do bioferilizante favoreceu somente o crescimento inicial em altura do pepino. A acidez do biofertilizante não influenciou o acúmulo de massa fresca e seca dessa planta. O biofertilizante da casca do pequi não causou fitotoxicidade as plantas de pepino, independente da dose. Provavelmente, o processo de fermentação para obtenção do biofertilizante é suficiente para degradar ou tornar possíveis compostos tóxicos indisponíveis. Isso sugere que esse biofertilizante pode ser utilizado em cultivos comerciais. Todavia, em decorrência da baixa disponibilidade de nutrientes, o biofertilizante da casca de pequi contribui pouco para o crescimento da planta

Biochar as a soil conditioner for common bean plants

Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced during organic waste pyrolysis. In this context, two experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of biochar produced from rice husks and cattle manure on soil fertility and common bean production, as well as to identify the optimal dose of cattle manure biochar to be applied. The first experiment (Experiment I) was conducted according to a completely randomized design (factorial scheme 2 × 2 × 2 + 1) with six replicates: two types of biochar (cattle manure biochar and rice husk biochar), with and without acidity correction [addition of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate (PA) in a proportion of 4:1 (Ca:Mg) to raise the soil base saturation to 60%], with or without the addition of 120 mg dm-3 of phosphorus (P) as ammonium phosphate, and a control treatment (without biochar, acidity correction, and P). Based on the results of Experiment I, a second experiment was conducted according to a completely randomized design, with five treatments (doses of biochar from cattle manure) and four replications. Rice husk biochar, as a conditioner of soil chemical properties, had less prominent effects than cattle manure biochar. Cattle manure biochar functioned as a corrective for soil acidity and a source of nutrients (mainly phosphorus). The dose corresponding to 5.46% of the soil volume led to the maximum grain production by common bean plants