INFLUENCE OF WHEELED TYPES OF A Skidder ON PRODUCTIVITY AND COST OF THE FOREST HARVESTING

AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different wheel types of a skidder on productivity and cost of Pinus taeda L. wood extraction. The study was conducted in a forestry company located in the municipality of Mandirituba, Paraná state, Brazil. The technical and cost analyses included a time and motion study of the wood extraction activity. The productivity, operative efficiency, energy consumption and the production and operational costs were determined for the machines with different wheel types: SDP - skidder with rubber tires; SD2 – skidder with tracks on the two front tires; and SD4 – skidder with tracks on the four tires. Results showed that the activity that demanded most time in the operational cycle was the maneuvering of the machines to pick up more than one tree, resulting in lost of productivity and need of improvement in the operational planning. The skidder equipped only with rubber tires showed higher productivity and lower production cost in the longest extraction distances, caused by the higher operating speed of the machine.Keywords: Timber extraction; wheel types; operating efficiency. ResumoInfluência dos rodados de um skidder na produtividade e no custo da extração florestal. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a influência de diferentes tipos de rodados de um skidder na produtividade e no custo da extração de madeira de Pinus taeda L. O estudo foi conduzido em uma empresa florestal localizada no município de Mandirituba, estado do Paraná, Brasil. As análises técnica e de custo englobaram um estudo de tempos e movimentos da operação de extração florestal. Foi determinado a produtividade, eficiência operacional, rendimento energético e custos operacionais e de produção das máquinas equipadas com diferentes tipos de rodados: SDP – skidder com rodados de pneus; SD2 – skidder com pneus dianteiros recobertos com semiesteiras e SD4 – skidder com os quatro pneus recobertos com semiesteiras. Os resultados mostraram que a atividade que demandou o maior tempo do ciclo operacional foram as manobras realizadas pelas máquinas para apanhar mais de uma árvore, ocasionando perda de produtividade e necessidade de melhoria no planejamento operacional. O skidder equipado somente com rodados de pneus apresentou maior produtividade e menor custo de produção nas maiores distâncias de extração, ocasionado pela maior velocidade operacional da máquina.Palavras-chave: Extração florestal; tipos de rodados; eficiência operacional.AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different wheel types of a skidder on productivity and cost of Pinus taeda L. wood extraction. The study was conducted in a forestry company located in the municipality of Mandirituba, Paraná state, Brazil. The technical and cost analyses included a time and motion study of the wood extraction activity. The productivity, operative efficiency, energy consumption and the production and operational costs were determined for the machines with different wheel types: SDP - skidder with rubber tires; SD2 – skidder with tracks on the two front tires; and SD4 – skidder with tracks on the four tires. Results showed that the activity that demanded most time in the operational cycle was the maneuvering of the machines to pick up more than one tree, resulting in lost of productivity and need of improvement in the operational planning. The skidder equipped only with rubber tires showed higher productivity and lower production cost in the longest extraction distances, caused by the higher operating speed of the machine.Keywords: Timber extraction; wheel types; operating efficiency

Smart Cities Initiative: how to foster a quick transition towards local sustainable energy systems

The European Commission has recently launched the Smart Cities Initiative to demonstrate and disseminate how to foster a quick transition towards local sustainable energy systems. Within this initiative, the three main challenges faced by pioneering cities, are to reduce or modify the demand for energy services, to improve the uptake of energy efficient technologies and to improve the uptake of renewables in the urban environment. We find that enough resources will need to be provided to a significant number of pioneering cities, and propose that the initiative would allocate these resources through project competition, rewarding innovation, ambition and performance, which have been ingredients of success at Member State level.Smart Cities; sustainable local energy systems; city authority incentives; EU energy policy

Production of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) by Bifidobacterium lactis using whey as a substrate

The objective of this work was to evaluate the production of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) by Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis in whey supplemented with yeast extract, inulin, Tween 80 or L-cysteine. Cell growth, acidification, glucose and lactose consumption as well as BLIS production were measured during fermentations carried out in shake flasks. The best additive for both cell growth and BLIS production was shown to be yeast extract, which gave the highest concentrations of biomass (9.9 log CFU/mL) and BLIS (800 AU/mL). In a bench-scale fermenter, B. lactis growth and BLIS production were between 6 and 25 % higher than in flasks depending on the conditions assayed

Effects of aleurone supplementation on glucose-insulin metabolism and gut microbiome in untrained healthy horses

Aleurone, a layer of the bran fraction, is deemed to be responsible for the positive health effects associated with the consumption of whole-grain products. Studies on rodents, pigs, and humans report beneficial effects of aleurone in five main areas: the reduction of oxidative stress, immunomodulatory effects, modulation of energy management, digestive health, and the storage of vitamins and minerals. Our study is the first aleurone supplementation study performed in horses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an increase in the dose levels of aleurone on the postprandial glucose-insulin metabolism and the gut microbiome in untrained healthy horses. Seven adult Standardbred horses were supplemented with four different dose levels of aleurone (50, 100, 200, and 400 g/day for 1 week) by using a Latin square model with a 1-week wash out in between doses. On day 7 of each supplementation week, postprandial blood glucose-insulin was measured and fecal samples were collected. 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing was performed and QIIME2 software was used for microbiome analysis. Microbial community function was assessed by using the predictive metagenome analysis tool Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) and using the Metacyc database of metabolic pathways. The relative abundancies of a pathway were analyzed by using analysis of composition of microbiomes (ANCOM) in R. There was a significant dose-dependent increase in the postprandial time to peak of glucose (p = 0.030), a significant delay in the time to peak of insulin (p = 0.025), and a significant decrease in both the insulin peak level (p = 0.049) and insulin area under the curve (AUC) (p = 0.019) with increasing dose levels of aleurone, with a consideration of 200 g being the lowest significant dose. Alpha diversity and beta diversity of the fecal microbiome showed no significant changes. Aleurone significantly decreased the relative abundance of the genera Roseburia, Shuttleworthia, Anaerostipes, Faecalibacter, and Succinovibrionaceae. The most pronounced changes in the relative abundance at phyla level were seen in Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia (downregulation) and Bacteroidetes and Spirochaetes (upregulation). The PICRUSt analysis shows that aleurone induces a downregulation of the degradation of L-glutamate and taurine and an upregulation of the three consecutive pathways of the phospholipid membrane synthesis of the Archaea domain. The results of this study suggest a multimodal effect of aleurone on glucose-insulin metabolism, which is most likely to be caused by its effect on feed texture and subsequent digestive processing; and a synergistic effect of individual aleurone components on the glucose-insulin metabolism and microbiome composition and function

MAPEAMENTO DO SERVIÇO ECOSSISTÊMICO DE SEQUESTRO DE CARBONO PRESTADO PELA COBERTURA FLORESTAL DO PARQUE ESTADUAL MATA DO PAU-FERRO E SUA ZONA DE AMORTECIMENTO, AREIA, PARAÍBA

The ecosystem service of carbon sequestration provided by the forest cover describes the process of capturing atmospheric carbon and its incorporation into plant biomass through photosynthesis. The mapping of this service in conservation units is of fundamental importance to highlight the contribution of protected areas to human well-being. In this sense, the present study aims to map the ecosystem service of carbon sequestration provided by the native forest vegetation of the Pau-Ferro State Park and the Buffer Zone in the municipality of Areia, in the state of Paraíba. For this, the CO2flux index was used, which results from the integration between the NDVI and sPRI indices. The carbon sequestration capacities mapped by the index range from not relevant to high, with low capacity predominant in the zone, while medium capacity is majority in the Conservation Unit. The information generated through the techniques used reinforces the contribution of space in carbon cycling, functioning as a sink. On the other hand, vegetation degradation can increase emission rates and turn the area into a source. In this sense, the importance of protected forest areas for maintaining carbon sequestration and storage is highlighted.  El servicio ecosistémico de secuestro de carbón prestado por la cubierta forestal describe el proceso de captura del carbón atmosférico y su incorporación en la biomasa vegetal por medio de la fotosíntesis. El mapeo de ese servicio en unidades de conservación es de fundamental importancia para evidenciar la contribución de las áreas protegidas para el bienestar humano. En ese sentido, el presente estudio tiene el objetivo de mapear el servicio ecosistémico de secuestro de carbón prestado por la vegetación forestal nativa del Parque Estatal Mata do Pau-Ferro y de la Zona de Amortiguador en el municipio de Areia, en el estado de Paraíba. Para eso, ha sido utilizado en índice CO2flux, que resulta de la integración entre los índices NDVI y sPRI. Las capacidades de secuestro de carbón mapeadas por el índice varían de no relevantes a alta, con la baja capacidad predominante en la zona, mientras la capacidad media es mayoritaria en la Unidad de Conservación. Las informaciones generadas a través de técnicas empleadas refuerzan la contribución del espacio en el ciclo del carbón, funcionando como sumidero. Por otro lado, la degradación de la vegetación puede elevar las tasas de emisión y transformar el área en una fuente. En ese sentido, se subraya la importancia de áreas forestales protegidas para el mantenimiento del secuestro y almacenamiento de carbón.                O serviço ecossistêmico de sequestro de carbono prestado pela cobertura florestal descreve o processo de captura do carbono atmosférico e sua incorporação na biomassa vegetal por meio da fotossíntese. O mapeamento desse serviço em unidades de conservação é de fundamental importância para evidenciar a contribuição das áreas protegidas para o bem-estar humano. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo tem como objetivo mapear o serviço ecossistêmico de sequestro de carbono prestado pela vegetação florestal nativa do Parque Estadual Mata do Pau-Ferro e da Zona de Amortecimento no município de Areia, no estado da Paraíba. Para isso, foi utilizado o índice CO2flux, que resulta da integração entre os índices NDVI e sPRI. As capacidades de sequestro de carbono, mapeadas pelo índice, variam de não relevante a alta, com a capacidade baixa predominante na zona, enquanto a capacidade média é majoritária na Unidade de Conservação. As informações geradas por meio das técnicas empregadas reforçam a contribuição do espaço na ciclagem do carbono, funcionando como sumidouro. Por outro lado, a degradação da vegetação pode elevar as taxas de emissão e transformar a área em uma fonte. Nesse sentido, destaca-se a importância de áreas protegidas florestais para a manutenção do sequestro e armazenamento de carbono.

INFLUÊNCIA DO VOLUME DAS ÁRVORES NO DESEMPENHO DO PROCESSADOR FLORESTAL HARVESTER EM POVOAMENTO DE EUCALIPTO

Objetivou-se avaliar a influência do volume das árvores no desempenho operacional do processador florestal harvester em um sistema de árvores inteiras. O estudo foi realizado em povoamento de Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex. Mainden com 84 meses, submetido ao corte raso e localizado em Telêmaco Borba, Paraná, Brasil. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de estudo de tempos e movimentos para determinar os tempos do ciclo operacional, as disponibilidades mecânica e técnica, a eficiência operacional, a produtividade e os custos de produção. O efeito do volume das árvores na produtividade e nos custos de produção foi avaliado por meio de análise de regressão. Com os resultados obtidos, foi possível verificar que o elemento processamento consumiu 74% do tempo total efetivo do ciclo operacional. As disponibilidades mecânica e técnica foram de 80,8 e 79,5%, respectivamente, com uma eficiência operacional de 60,5%. A produtividade média foi de 49,1 m³ he-1, com custo médio de produção de R$ 5,45 m-3. Para a estimativa da produtividade e dos custos de produção, ambos em função do volume das árvores, o polinômio de terceiro grau foi o modelo ajustado, gerando equações com coeficiente de determinação de 0,24 e 0,23, respectivamente. Com isso, mostrou-se que o desempenho operacional da máquina é influenciado diretamente pelo volume das árvores, sendo a produtividade crescente e os custos decrescentes, à medida que há aumento do volume da árvore até aproximadamente 0,6 m³, após este valor, o aumento do volume proporciona efeito inverso no desempenho operacional do harvester

Densification and mechanical properties of sintered Al2 O3 -Y3 Al5 O12 ceramic composite

In this work, Al2 O3 -Y3 Al5 O12 ceramic composites were developed with different proportions of Al2 O3 -Y2 O3 , which were mixed and compacted at different pressures of 40MPa to 100MPa, being consequently sintered at 1600º C-2h. The sintered samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction presenting α−Al2 O3 and Y3 Al5 O12 as crystalline phases. Samples with relative densities ranging from 78 to 80% and 87 to 91% were obtained depending on the composition and the compaction pressure used. The hardness values obtained were of 1010 to 1080HV and 370- 470HV, for mixes Al2 O3 -Y2 O3 having the composition with levels of 20 and 36.5wt.%, respectively

Keratocystic odontogenic tumour: An experience in the northeast of Brazil

Introduction. Keratocystic odontogenic tumours raise particular interest, because of their high recurrence rate and association with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Objective. To analyze the clinical and histopathological features of all cases diagnosed as keratocystic odontogenic tumour in a Brazilian population. Methods. A total of 64 keratocystic odontogenic tumours, arising in forty-six patients, were evaluated using the following parameters: association with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, gender, age at first diagnosis, race, anatomical location, symptoms, radiographic features, history of recurrence, association with teeth, and treatment. Results. Keratocystic odontogenic tumours were more frequent among women than men (1:0.84). The mean patient age was 31.5 years (SD: ±16.6). Ten tumours (16.4%) involved the maxilla and 51 (83.6%) the mandible. Swelling (n=12; 46.1%), followed by pain and swelling (n=4; 15.3%), were most common clinical manifestations. A unilocular radiotransparency with well-defined margins was the main radiographic finding (n=29; 87.8%). A significant association was observed between the multilocular radiographic pattern and recurrence (p<0.05, Fisher’s Test). Sixty-one (95.3%) tumours were treated by surgical enucleation followed by bone curettage, and the recurrence rate was 13% (n=6). This study showed that the keratocystic odontogenic tumours relapsed within a mean period of 25-36 months. Conclusion. Despite the results of this study being similar to previous reports found in the literature, it provides an important insight about keratocystic odontogenic tumours in a Brazilian population

O tempo integral na política estadual de Educação do Ceará

The association between education and temporal organization is a topic that has long been the subject of important discussions. In the state school system in Ceará, there is a recent trajectory of full-time secondary education. The Secretariat of Education (SEDUC) has made use of several efforts, whose objective would be to improve the quality of education and teaching with the construction of full time in high school. The objective is to expand educational opportunities, diversifying the offer. In this sense, Law No. 16,287 institutes the full-time high school policy within the scope of the Ceará State Education Network. The proposal would be the structuring of a high school that contemplates all young people and their different life projects. In this direction, each school builds its own full-time project, based on a broad debate with the school community, and in a special way, with students.A associação entre educação e organização temporal é tema que há tempos traz importantes discussões. Na rede estadual de ensino do Ceará, há uma trajetória recente da oferta de ensino médio em tempo integral. A Secretaria de Educação (SEDUC) tem lançado mão de vários esforços, cujo objetivo seria a melhoria da qualidade da educação e do ensino com a construção do tempo integral no ensino médio. O objetivo é ampliar as oportunidades educacionais, diversificando a oferta. Nesse sentido, a Lei n°16.287 Institui a Política de Ensino Médio em Tempo Integral no âmbito da Rede Estadual de Ensino do Ceará. A proposta seria a estruturação de uma escola de ensino médio que contemple a todos os jovens e seus diferentes projetos de vida. Nessa direção, cada escola constrói seu próprio projeto de tempo integral, a partir de um amplo debate com a comunidade escolar, e de modo especial, com os estudantes