USE OF THE LINEAR LIGHT SENSOR ILX554 IN OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY

USE OF THE LINEAR LIGHT SENSOR ILX554 IN OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY. This technical note describes the construction of a low-cost optical detector. This device is composed by a high-sensitive linear light sensor (model ILX554) and a microcontroller. The performance or the detector was demonstrated by the detection of emission and Raman spectra of the several atomic systems and the results reproduce those found in the literature

Estudo prévio de uma unidade industrial para produção de vinagrete sólido

Este trabalho consiste num estudo prévio tendo em vista o projeto de uma unidade industrial para a produção de vinagrete sólido. O produto em causa, o vinagrete sólido, assume-se como inovador, colocando-se como uma alternativa fácil para o tempero de saladas e potenciando novos sabores agradáveis ao paladar que cativem o consumidor. O trabalho inclui o estudo do processo, com descrição das etapas de preparação, os balanços mássicos, a descrição das peças de equipamento, a implantação fabril e uma breve estimativa do investimento necessário

ENLACE: A Combination of Layer-Based Architecture and Wireless Communication for Emotion Monitoring in Healthcare

Owing to the increase in the number of people with disabilities, as a result of either accidents or old age, there has been an increase in research studies in the area of ubiquitous computing and the Internet of Things. They are aimed at monitoring health, in an efficient and easily accessible way, as a means of managing and improving the quality of life of this section of the public. It also involves adopting a Health Homes policy based on the Internet of Things and applied in smart home environments. This is aimed at providing connectivity between the patients and their surroundings and includes mechanisms for helping the diagnosis and prevention of accidents and/or diseases. Monitoring gives rise to an opportunity to exploit the way computational systems can help to determine the real-time emotional state of patients. This is necessary because there are some limitations to traditional methods of health monitoring, for example, establishing the behavior of the user’s routine and issuing alerts and warnings to family members and/or medical staff about any abnormal event or signs of the onset of depression. This article discusses how a layer-based architecture can be used to detect emotional factors to assist in healthcare and the prevention of accidents within the context of Smart Home Health. The results show that this process-based architecture allows a load distribution with a better service that takes into account the complexity of each algorithm and the processing power of each layer of the architecture to provide a prompt response when there is a need for some intervention in the emotional state of the user

Forest disturbance and growth processes are reflected in the geographical distribution of large canopy gaps across the Brazilian Amazon

Canopy gaps are openings in the forest canopy resulting from branch fall and tree mortality events. The geographical distribution of large canopy gaps may reflect underlying variation in mortality and growth processes. However, a lack of data at the appropriate scale has limited our ability to study this relationship until now. We detected canopy gaps using a unique LiDAR dataset consisting of 650 transects randomly distributed across 2500 km(2) of the Brazilian Amazon. We characterized the size distribution of canopy gaps using a power law and we explore the variation in the exponent, alpha. We evaluated how the alpha varies across the Amazon, in response to disturbance by humans and natural environmental processes that influence tree mortality rates. We observed that South-eastern forests contained a higher proportion of large gaps than North-western, which is consistent with recent work showing greater tree mortality rates in the Southeast than the Northwest. Regions characterized by strong wind gust speeds, frequent lightning and greater water shortage also had a high proportion of large gaps, indicating that geographical variation in alpha is a reflection of underlying disturbance processes. Forests on fertile soils were also found to contain a high proportion of large gaps, in part because trees grow tall on these sites and create large gaps when they fall; thus, canopy gap analysis picked up differences in growth as well as mortality processes. Finally, we found that human-modified forests had a higher proportion of large gaps than intact forests, as we would expect given that these forests have been disturbed. Synthesis. The proportion of large gaps in the forest canopy varied substantially over the Brazilian Amazon. We have shown that the trends can be explained by geographical variation in disturbance and growth. The frequency of extreme weather events is predicted to increase under climate change, and changes could lead to greater forest disturbance, which should be detectable as an increased proportion of large gaps in intact forests.Peer reviewe

Land use still matters after deforestation

Careful management of deforested Amazonian land cannot replace, but must complement, efforts to preserve the rainforest. Sustainable agricultural practices that promote diverse uses can help minimise climate and environmental impacts.Peer reviewe

Erythropoietin reduces the expression of myostatin in mdx dystrophic mice

Erythropoietin (EPO) has been well characterized as a renal glycoprotein hormone regulating red blood cell production by inhibiting apoptosis of erythrocyte progenitors in hematopoietic tissues. EPO exerts regulatory effects in cardiac and skeletal muscles. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a lethal degenerative disorder of skeletal and cardiac muscle. in this study, we tested the possible therapeutic beneficial effect of recombinant EPO (rhEPO) in dystrophic muscles in mdx mice. Total strength was measured using a force transducer coupled to a computer. Gene expression for myostatin, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was determined by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. Myostatin expression was significantly decreased in quadriceps from mdx mice treated with rhEPO (rhEPO = 0.60 +/- 0.11, control= 1.07 +/- 0.11). On the other hand, rhEPO had no significant effect on the expression of TGF-beta 1 (rhEPO = 0.95 +/- 0.14, control= 1.05 +/- 0.16) and TNF-alpha (rhEPO = 0.73 +/- 0.20, control= 1.01 +/- 0.09). These results may help to clarify some of the direct actions of EPO on skeletal muscle.Fac Med ABC, BR-09060650 Santo Andre, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, BR-05508 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Ciencias Quim Ambientais & Farmaceut, Diadema, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Ciencias Quim Ambientais & Farmaceut, Diadema, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Effect of postemergence herbicides on agronomics characteristics of soybean cv. Emgopa 316

Conduziu-se um ensaio na fazenda Bela Vista, município de Serranópolis-GO, objetivando avaliar os efeitos de latifolicidas aplicados em pós-emergência, sobre algumas características agronômicas da soja cv. Emgopa 316, com ciclo de maturação precoce. Os tratamentos testados foram: lactofen (168 g/ha), chlorimuron-ethyl (15 g/ha) + óleo mineral (0,2 v/v), fomesafen (250 g/ha) + óleo mineral (0,2 v/v), imazethapyr (100 g/ha) + óleo mineral (0,2% v/v), chlorimuronethyl+ lactofen (12,5+96 g/ha), chlorimuron-ethyl+fomesafen (12,5+ 150 g/ha), chlorirnuron-ethyl+imazethapyr (12,5+50 g/ha), imazethapyr+lactofen (50+96 g/ha), imazethapyr+fomesafen (50+ 150 g/ha), além da testemunha. Os herbicidas, nas doses estudadas, provocaram injúrias às plantas de soja cv. Emgopa 316, com maior intensidade nos tratamentos contendo lactofen, porém não intluenciaram na altura das plantas aos 15,30 e 45 DAT e na colheita da soja. Também não afetaram a altura de inserção da primeira vagem, densidade de plantas, número de vagens/planta, peso de 1000 sementes e nem o rendimento de grãos. A mistura imazethapyr+fomesafen (50+ 150 g/ha) proporcionou o maior número de entrenós, porém, não diferiu estatisticamente dos demais tratamentos, exceto para lactofen (168 g/ha), que proporcionou o menor número de entrenós. O herbicida lactofen isolado ou em combinação com chlorimuron-ethyl ou com imazethapyr, pode se utilizado em soja cv. Emgopa 316, com ciclo de maturação precoce, apresentando resultados semelhantes ao fomesafen isolado ou em mistura com chlorimuron-ethyl ou imazethapyr.  A experiment was carried out at the Bela Vista Farm, in Serranópolis, State ofGoiás, with the objective to evaluate the effects of postemergence herbicides on agronomic characteristcs of soybean cv. Emgopa 316, with premature maturation cycle. Treatments consisted oflactofen (168 glha), chlorimuron-ethyl (15 glha) + mineral oil (0.2 v/v), fomesafen (250 g/ha) + mineral oil (0.2 v/v), imazethapyr (100 g/ha), chlorimuron-ethyl+lactofen (12.5+96 g/ha), chlorimuronethyl+ fomesafen (12.5+ 150 g/ha), chlorirnuron-ethyl+imazethapyr (12.5+50 g/ha), imazethapyr+lactofen (50+96 g/ha), imazethapyr+fomesafen (50+ 150 g/ha), and a handweeded control. The studied herbicide doses caused some injury to soybean, with more intensity in the treatments with lactofen. However, they did not significantly intluence the height of plants at 15, 30 and 45 days after treatments and at soybean harvest. The herbicides also did not significantly affect insertion height of the first pod, final stand, number of podslplant, weight of 1000 seeds and grain production. Imazethapyr+fomesafen (50+ 150 g/ha) gave the best result in number of internodes, but it did not differ statistically from the other treatments, except for lactofen (168 g/ha), that proportioned the lowest number of internodes. Lactofen isolated or combined with chlorimuron-ethyl or with imazethapyr can be used in soybean cv. Emgopa 316, showing results similar to fomesafen isolated or in mixture with chlorimuron-ethyl or imazethapyr

Analysis of energy transfer processes in 'Yb POT. 3+'-'Tb POT. 3+' co-doped, low-silica calcium aluminosilicate glasses

Energy transfer processes in Yb3+-Tb3+ co-doped, low-silica calcium aluminosilicate glasses were analyzed. Luminescence and time-resolved measurements were used to study upconversion processes, such as Yb-Tb cooperative sensitization, Yb-Yb cooperative luminescence, and Yb-Tb cross relaxation. The quantum cross relaxation efficiency was evaluated as a function on the Yb3+ concentration, and the maximum estimated value was approximately 51%. In addition, the intensity of the upconversion luminescence from the Tb3+:5D4 level decreased by two orders of magnitude comparing the value at room temperature with that at 123 K. As a consequence, Yb-Yb cooperative luminescence around 500 nm became comparable with the intensity of upconversion from the Tb3+:5D4 level. Furthermore, a dependence of the upconversion kinetics luminescence on temperature was observed. The upconversion rise time was constant and equal to 65 μs for temperatures between 296 to 473 K and decreased from 65 to 19 μs, without variation in the decay part, when the temperature was lowered from 296 to 123 K. These results were explained by a phonon-assisted cooperative sensitization process for the population of the Tb3+:5D4 level.CAPESINCT-INAM