Chitosan/mangiferin particles for Cr(VI) reduction and removal

AbstractIn this work, chitosan/mangiferin particles (CMP) were prepared by spray-drying technique and characterized by SEM, DLS, FTIR, HPLC–UV and adsorption studies to investigate a possible application as a preventive material in cases of human and animal contamination with Cr(VI). CMP presented sizes ranging from nano to micrometers. Chitosan and mangiferin (MA) presence in the powder was confirmed by FTIR and MA quantification (136μg/mg) was performed using a calibration curve prepared by HPLC–UV. Adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) onto CMP was compared with chitosan and investigated in a batch system by considering the effects of various parameters like contact time, initial concentration of adsorbent and pH. Cr(VI) removal is pH dependent and it was found to be maximum at pH 5.0. The results showed that CMP has a potential application as a preventive material in cases of human or animal contamination with Cr(VI)

Os diagnósticos sobre paz e segurança no Brasil: uma análise comparativa das bases de dados sobre violência e conflitos

Given the emergence of new threats to peace, this article intends to map the manifestation of violence and potential conflicts in Brazil. Therefore, the perspectives of five international institutions which produce studies aimed at conflict prevention and diagnosis were analysed, intending to fill an existent gap in Brazilian literature examining peace and security.Ante o surgimento de novas ameaças à paz, este artigo visa a mapear a manifestação de violência e potenciais conflitos no Brasil. Para tal, analisaram-se as perspectivas de cinco entidades internacionais que produzem estudos voltados para prevenção e diagnóstico de conflitos, pretendendo-se preencher uma lacuna existente na literatura brasileira que examina paz e segurança. Tal comparação nos permite ter um cenário mais claro dos caminhos a serem percorridos pela sociedade e instituições brasileiras rumo a construção de uma sociedade mais pacífica. Adicionalmente, o caso nos permite ver a relevância de cada instituição e suas peculiaridades na compreensão da paz e do conflito em distintas regiões do globo.

Efeitos do Tipo de Abate na Produção de Carne Bovina

O rebanho bovino nacional tem aumentado nos últimos anos, sendo necessário conhecer os processos de abate para a produção de carne e métodos para a qualidade da carne

Bird-spiders (Arachnida, Mygalomorphae) as perceived by the inhabitants of the village of Pedra Branca, Bahia State, Brazil

This paper deals with the conceptions, knowledge and attitudes of the inhabitants of the county of Pedra Branca, Bahia State, on mygalomorph spiders locally known as 'caranguejeiras' (bird-spiders). It is launched here a new filed within ethnozoology: ethnoarachnology, which is defined as the transdisciplinary study of the relationships between human beings and bird-spiders. Data were collected from February to June 2005 by means of open-ended interviews carried out with 30 individuals, which ages ranged from 13 to 86 years old. It was recorded some traditional knowledge regarding the following items: taxonomy, biology, habitat, ecology, seasonality, and behavior. Results show that bird-spiders are classified as "insects". The most commented aspect of the interaction between bird-spiders and inhabitants of Pedra Branca is related to their dangerousness, since they said these spiders are very venomous and can cause health problems. In general, the traditional zoological knowledge of Pedra Branca's inhabitants concerning these spiders is coherent with the academic knowledge

CONTROLE DE ORIENTAÇÃO E VELOCIDADE DE CADEIRA DE RODAS POR VISÃO COMPUTACIONAL

This work proposes a computer vision system for wheelchair control based on facial coordinates and head position estimation. This work comprises the design of a low-cost motorized wheelchair, which aims to promote independence and quality of life for people who have motor difficulties to manipulate a joystick. The tests performed on the built prototype resulted in an accuracy of 87.78%, an precision of 90.00% and a sensitivity of 87.70%. Tests performed in the motorized wheelchair resulted in an average accuracy of 94.69%, average precision of 91.04% and average sensitivity of 89.38%.Este trabalho propõe um sistema de visão computacional para controle de cadeira de rodas com base em coordenadas faciais e estimativa da posição da cabeça. Este trabalho compõe o projeto de uma cadeira de rodas motorizada de baixo custo, que tem como objetivo promover independência e qualidade de vida a pessoas que possuem dificuldades motoras para manipular um joystick. Os testes realizados no protótipo construído resultaram em uma acurácia de 87,78%, a precisão de 90,00% e uma sensibilidade de 87,70%. Os testes realizados na cadeira de rodas motorizada resultaram em uma acurácia média de 94,69%, precisão média de 91,04% e sensibilidade média de 89,38%

An update of the Worldwide Integrated Assessment (WIA) on systemic insecticides. Part 2: impacts on organisms and ecosystems

New information on the lethal and sublethal effects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on organisms is presented in this review, complementing the previous WIA in 2015. The high toxicity of these systemic insecticides to invertebrates has been confirmed and expanded to include more species and compounds. Most of the recent research has focused on bees and the sublethal and ecological impacts these insecticides have on pollinators. Toxic effects on other invertebrate taxa also covered predatory and parasitoid natural enemies and aquatic arthropods. Little, while not much new information has been gathered on soil organisms. The impact on marine coastal ecosystems is still largely uncharted. The chronic lethality of neonicotinoids to insects and crustaceans, and the strengthened evidence that these chemicals also impair the immune system and reproduction, highlights the dangers of this particular insecticidal classneonicotinoids and fipronil. , withContinued large scale – mostly prophylactic – use of these persistent organochlorine pesticides has the potential to greatly decreasecompletely eliminate populations of arthropods in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Sublethal effects on fish, reptiles, frogs, birds and mammals are also reported, showing a better understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity of these insecticides in vertebrates, and their deleterious impacts on growth, reproduction and neurobehaviour of most of the species tested. This review concludes with a summary of impacts on the ecosystem services and functioning, particularly on pollination, soil biota and aquatic invertebrate communities, thus reinforcing the previous WIA conclusions (van der Sluijs et al. 2015)

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio