Potencial das áreas disponíveis ao cultivo de biomassa para produção de energia, nas Microrregiões Sulriograndenses de Cerro Largo, Santa Rosa e Santo Ângelo.

Despite a kind of euphoria represented by the biomass farming to energy and its transformation into biofuels, it must weigh up the suitability and the convenience of the conversion of arable land and the new agricultural frontiers in areas intended for agroenergy, not only in economic and agronomic terms, but also considering the commitments of environmental and social sustainability. In this scenario, the agroenergy planning has a great importance for the tropical developing countries, like Brazil. Thus, this article aims to present an objective and semiautomatic method, based on geotechnologies, which could be applied to a given region of interest to return the available areas with potential to energy crops. As a result, is presented a map of three micro regions of Rio Grande do Sul state (Brazil), where this approach was tested, for identifying and quantifying the territories at different levels of agroenergetic potential

Psychometric evaluation of the SF-36 (v.2) questionnaire in a probability sample of Brazilian households: results of the survey Pesquisa Dimensões Sociais das Desigualdades (PDSD), Brazil, 2008

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Brazil, despite the growing use of SF-36 in different research environments, most of the psychometric evaluation of the translated questionnaire was from studies with samples of patients. The purpose of this paper is to examine if the Brazilian version of SF-36 satisfies scaling assumptions, reliability and validity required for valid interpretation of the SF-36 summated ratings scales in the general population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>12,423 individuals and their spouses living in 8,048 households were selected from a stratified sample of all permanent households along the country to be interviewed using the Brazilian SF-36 (version 2). Psychometric tests were performed to evaluate the scaling assumptions based on IQOLA methodology.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data quality was satisfactory with questionnaire completion rate of 100%. The ordering of the item means within scales clustered as hypothesized. All item-scale correlations exceeded the suggested criteria for reliability with success rate of 100% and low floor and ceiling effects. All scales reached the criteria for group comparison and factor analysis identified two principal components that jointly accounted for 67.5% of the total variance. Role emotional and vitality were strongly correlated with physical and mental components, respectively, while social functioning was moderately correlated with both components. Role physical and mental health scales were, respectively, the most valid measures of the physical and mental health component. In the comparisons between groups that differed by the presence or absence of depression, subjects who reported having the disease had lower mean scores in all scales and mental health scale discriminated best between the two groups. Among those healthy and with one, two or three and more chronic illness, the average scores were inverted related to the number of diseases. Body pain, general health and vitality were the most discriminating scales between healthy and diseased groups. Higher scores were associated with individuals of male sex, age below 40 years old and high schooling.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The Brazilian version of SF-36 performed well and the findings suggested that it is a reliable and valid measure of health related quality of life among the general population as well as a promising measure for research on health inequalities in Brazil.</p

Efeitos da adubação orgânica e da época de colheita na qualidade da matéria-prima e nos rendimentos agrícola e de açúcar mascavo artesanal de duas cultivares de cana-de-açúcar (cana-planta).

Conduziu-se este trabalho com o objetivo de estudar os efeitos de três sistemas de adubação (30 t. ha-1 de esterco de curral, 3,5 t.ha-1 de esterco de galinha e adubação química - 120 kg.ha-1 de P2O5 e de K2O no plantio + 60 kg.ha-1 de N em cobertura) e três épocas de colheita da cana (julho, agosto e setembro de 2003), na qualidade da matéria-prima e nos rendimentos de colmos e de açúcar mascavo de duas cultivares de cana-de-açúcar (SP79-1011 e RB72454). O experimento foi instalado em área do Alambique JM, Perdões, MG. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial (2 x 3 x 3), com três repetições. Não houve efeito dos fertilizantes nos rendimentos de colmos e de açúcar mascavo das cultivares estudadas. Verificou-se efeito de épocas de colheita no rendimento de colmos, com destaque para os meses de agosto e setembro. No entanto, para rendimento de açúcar mascavo nenhuma diferença foi observada. Assim, nas condições deste trabalho, é viável a substituição da adubação química pela orgânica (esterco de curral ou de galinha), sem perdas na qualidade da matéria-prima e nos rendimentos de colmos e de açúcar mascavo artesanal, sendo que os meses de agosto e setembro foram os que proporcionaram matéria-prima de melhor qualidade e maiores rendimentos de colmos

Handgrip strength and its dialysis determinants in hemodialysis patients

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate muscle function (MF) of patients on hemodialysis (HD) and to investigate the dialysis determinants of maximal voluntary handgrip strength (HGS).MethodsForty-three patients on HD (25 men, six diabetics, 54.5 ± 12.2 y of age, 62.2 ± 51.4 mo on dialysis) were studied. HGS was measured three times with a mechanical dynamometer (Jamar) before and after HD sessions on the non-fistula side and the highest value was used for analysis. HGS values lower than the 10th percentile of an age-, gender-, and region-specific reference were considered MF loss. Biochemical and dialysis variables (ultrafiltration, interdialytic body weight gain, urea clearance, urea before and after HD, systolic and diastolic blood pressures before and after HD, and difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressures) were also examined.ResultsThe HGS values before and after HD values were significantly higher in men but were not statistically different before and after the HD sessions (29.8 ± 10.3 and 30.2 ± 9.9 kg for men, 14.1 ± 7.0 and 14.5 ± 6.3 kg for women). MF loss was observed in 24 patients (55.8%), 12 women and 12 men. Dialysis variables were not different between patients with and without MF loss and did not correlate with HGS measured before or after an HD session.ConclusionsPatients using HD presented a high prevalence of MF loss as assessed by HGS, and it was not influenced by dialysis variables. HGS may be used as a reliable nutritional marker in HD, measured before or after HD sessions

Comprehensive study of reaction mechanisms for the Be9+Sm144 system at near- and sub-barrier energies

The delayed x-ray detection technique was used to measure complete and incomplete fusion cross sections for the $^{9}\mathrm{Be}+^{144}\mathrm{Sm}$ reaction at sub- and near-barrier energies. Elastic and inelastic scattering for this system were also measured. Reaction cross sections were derived and the transfer cross sections of one neutron were calculated. The suppression of complete fusion above the barrier, of the order of 10%, is attributed to $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ breakup and is considerably smaller than the value of 30% found for the $^{9}\mathrm{Be}+^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ system