Study of mass loss and elemental analysis of pine wood pellets in a small-scale reactor

Studying the thermal decomposition of wood pellets is an important subject in order to understand the behavior of wood pellets during the combustion process. In fact, wood pellets have become an important fuel used in boiler combustion. The objective of this study is to investigate the mass loss and elemental analysis of pine wood pellets at various times and temperatures. Commercial pellets with a diameter of 6 mm were used. The experiment was conducted in the laboratory of the Engineering University of Minho. The pellets were burned in a small reactor of 1.36 kW with a maximum temperature range of 1150 °C. The data were observed at different temperatures: 264, 351, 444, 541, 650, and 734 °C, and at time intervals of 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, 600, 900, 1200, and 3600 s. The results of the experiment revealed that the reaction rate increases with the temperature, and the higher the combustion temperature applied, the higher the mass loss of all substances observed. The remaining mass, as fixed carbon and ash or unburned substances, is about 3%. The residence time and temperature influence the species concentration of wood pellets.This work has been supported by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units, MEtRICs Project Scope: UIDB/04077/2020; Lelis Gonzaga Fraga was supported through a PhD Grant by Fundo de Desenvolvimento Capital Humano of the Government of Timor Leste

Identification of the major active ingredients in illegal pesticide seized by Brazilian Federal Police and quantification of metsulfuron-methyl and tebuconazole

A compilação de relatórios forenses de agrotóxicos, objetos de apreensões pela Polícia Federal no Brasil, mostrou que metsulfurom-metílico, imidacloprido, fipronil, tebuconazol, clorimurom-etílico e glifosato são os principais ingredientes ativos (IA) importados ilegalmente. Apesar destes IA não estarem entre os agrotóxicos mais comercializados no país, o alto preço das formulações correspondentes legalmente registradas pode estimular esta atividade ilegal. Com base neste estudo, amostras de agrotóxicos contrabandeados apreendidos contendo tebuconazol e metsulfurom-metílico foram analisadas quantitativamente utilizando cromatografia a gás e líquida, respectivamente. Tebuconazol, em apresentações líquidas e sólidas, apresentou concentrações concordantes com as informações dos rótulos, enquanto que a maioria das amostras de metsulfurom-metílico, rotuladas como 600 g kg-1, apresentaram concentrações mais baixas nas análises químicas (média de 337,0 g kg-1 + 2,0).The compilation of forensic reports from pesticides seized by the Federal Police in Brazil showed that metsulfuron-methyl, imidacloprid, fipronil, tebuconazole, clorimuron-ether and glyphosate were the dominant active ingredients (AI) illegally imported. Despite these AI were not among the most traded pesticides in Brazil, high prices of corresponding legal formulations may stimulate this illegal activity. Based on this study, smuggled pesticides containing tebuconazole and metsulfuron-methyl were seized and quantitatively analyzed using gas and liquid chromatography, respectively. Tebuconazole results, in liquid and solid presentations, were in accordance with the information on the label, while most metsulfuron-methyl samples, labeled as 600 g kg-1, showed lower concentrations in chemical analysis (mean of 337.0 g kg-1 + 2.0)

Effects of Ibuprofen intake in muscle damage, body temperature and muscle power in Paralympic powerlifting athletes

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of ingesting ibuprofen on post-workout recovery of muscle damage, body temperature and muscle power indicators in Paralympic powerlifting athletes. The study was carried out with eight Paralympic powerlifting athletes (aged 27.0 ± 5.3 years and 79.9 ± 25.5 kg of body mass) competing at the national level, with a minimum training experience of 12 months, who all submitted to two experimental conditions: Ibuprofen (2 × 00 mg) and control. The maximal isometric force of the upper limbs and rate of force development, thermography, and serum biochemical analyzes of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were measured before, after, 24 h after and 48 h after the intervention. Maximal isometric force only decreased in the placebo condition, which increased back to baseline levels, while no substantial decline in baseline force was seen in the ibuprofen condition, although no effect for exercise condition was detected. After the exercise, the rate of force development decreased significantly for both conditions and did not exceed baseline levels again after 48 h. Muscle temperature decreased significantly at 48-h post-exercise in the placebo condition, when compared with the previous day of measurement; and deltoid muscle temperature at 48-h post-exercise was higher with the ibuprofen condition. Although the results indicate some positive effects of ibuprofen use, they do not enable a clear statement regarding its positive effects on muscle function and muscle damage. Ibuprofen seems to have caused a delay in the anti-inflammatory response following exercise.publishedVersio

A gente é um passador de informação: práticas educativas de agentes de combate a endemias no serviço de controle de zoonoses em Belo Horizonte, MG

As zoonoses ocupam importante lugar entre as causas de adoecimento no Brasil. A revisão histórica das diretrizes dos programas governamentais de controle destas enfermidades revela avanços, mas a sua operacionalização no âmbito estadual e municipal depende de fatores socioambientais, institucionais e epidemiológicos. Esta pesquisa objetiva analisar as práticas educativas desenvolvidas por agentes de combate a endemias (ACEs), a partir de um estudo de caso numa região de Belo Horizonte, MG. A investigação envolveu análise documental, dois meses de observação participante da rotina de trabalho dos agentes e entrevistas com 16 ACEs e dois coordenadores do serviço. A região apresentou diversos elementos ambientais, socioeconômicos e culturais associados à ocorrência de zoonoses, mas tais fatores não foram considerados nas orientações dos ACEs aos moradores. Nas ações educativas, predomina a transmissão de informações técnico-científicas relacionadas ao controle de focos, criadouros de vetores e reservatórios de zoonoses; os saberes e a lógica popular não são valorizados. Apesar da centralidade do papel educativo dos ACEs no discurso institucional, as atividades educativas dos agentes são limitadas diante das lacunas na formação profissional, na estrutura organizacional do serviço e no modelo de gerenciamento, pautado em indicadores quantitativos de produtividade. Para compreender a resistência da população ao discurso técnico-científico e incrementar as atividades educativas dos ACEs, é preciso mudar a organização do serviço e desenvolver cursos de formação dos ACEs, centrados na multideterminação do processo saúde-doença, na importância do contexto socioeconômico e ambiental no controle das zoonoses e na educação participativa.Zoonoses have an important place among illnesses causes in Brazil. A historical review of governmental programs guidelines to control such diseases reveals advances, but their implementation at the municipal and state level depends on socio-environmental factors and on institutional and epidemiological characteristics. This research aims to analyze the educational practices developed by agents that fight endemic diseases (ACE) through a case study in one of Belo Horizonte’s burroughs, MG. The research involved documental analysis, two months of observation of ACE work and interviews with 16 ACE and two coordinators of the service. The region presented several environmental, socioeconomics and cultural elements associated with the occurrence of zoonoses, but these factors were not considered by ACE. The educational activities’ developed by them were based on the transmission of technical-scientific information related to the control of zoonoses’ vectors and reservoirs ; the knowledge of the population was not valued. In spite of the central place attributed to ACE’s educational activities in the institutional discourse, those actions are limited by gaps in their training process and by the organizational structure of the service and management model, based on quantitative indicators of productivity. In order to understand the resistance of the population to technical-scientific discourse and to improve ACE’s educational activities it is necessary to review the service organization and to develop a training process for them based on the multiple determinations of health-disease process, on the importance of environmental and socioeconomic contexts in zoonoses control and on participatory education

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Urinary Biomarkers in Bladder Cancer: Where Do We Stand and Potential Role of Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane vesicles released by all cells and involved in intercellular communication. Importantly, EVs cargo includes nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins constantly transferred between different cell types, contributing to autocrine and paracrine signaling. In recent years, they have been shown to play vital roles, not only in normal biological functions, but also in pathological conditions, such as cancer. In the multistep process of cancer progression, EVs act at different levels, from stimulation of neoplastic transformation, proliferation, promotion of angiogenesis, migration, invasion, and formation of metastatic niches in distant organs, to immune escape and therapy resistance. Moreover, as products of their parental cells, reflecting their genetic signatures and phenotypes, EVs hold great promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Importantly, their potential to overcome the current limitations or the present diagnostic procedures has created interest in bladder cancer (BCa). Indeed, cystoscopy is an invasive and costly technique, whereas cytology has poor sensitivity for early staged and low-grade disease. Several urine-based biomarkers for BCa were found to overcome these limitations. Here, we review their potential advantages and downfalls. In addition, recent literature on the potential of EVs to improve BCa management was reviewed and discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio