The Dynamic Hedging Effectiveness for Soybean Farmers of Mato Grosso with Futures Contracts of BM&F

Paper presented in the VII PENSA CONFERENCE, November/2009, FEA/USP, São Paulo, Brazil.Dynamic hedge, effectiveness, soybeans, Mato Grosso, Agribusiness, Marketing,

Assessment of metal exposure (uranium and copper) in fatty acids and carbohydrates profiles of Calamoceras marsupus larvae (Trichoptera) and Alnus glutinosa

Physiological changes were explored in fatty acids (FA) and carbohydrate (CHO) composition in the shredder Calamoceras marsupus larvae (Trichoptera) and leaf litter (C. marsupus food) exposed to copper and uranium under natural and experimental conditions. We measured FA and CHO content in leaf litter and larvae specimens from reference and impacted streams, and exposed for 5 weeks to four realistic environmental concentrations of copper (35 μg L−1 and 70 μg L−1) and uranium (25 μg L−1 and 50 μg L−1). Regarding FA, (1) leaf litter had a reduced polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) content in metal treatments, s (14 to 33% of total FA), compared to natural conditions (≥39% of total FA). Leaf litter exposed to uranium also differed in saturated FA (SFA) composition, with lower values in natural conditions and higher values under low uranium concentrations. (2) C. marsupus had/showed low PUFA content under Cu and U exposure, particularly in high uranium concentrations. Detritivores also decreased in PUFA under exposure to both metals, particularly in high uranium concentrations. On the other hand, (1) microorganisms of the biofilm colonizing leaf litter differed in CHO composition between natural (impacted and reference) and experimental conditions, with glucose and galactose being consistently the most abundant sugars, found in different amounts under copper or uranium exposure; (2) CHO of detritivores showed similar high galactose and fucose concentrations in contaminated streams and high copper treatments, whereas low copper treatment showed distinct CHO profiles, with higher mannose, glucose, arabinose, and fucose concentrations. Our study provides evidence of metal exposure effects on FA and CHO contents at different trophic levels, which might alter the quality of food flow in trophic websFil: Tagliaferro, Marina Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Rocha, Carolina. Universidad de Coimbra. Facultad de Ciencias E Tecnología. Departamento de Ciencias Da Vida; PortugalFil: Marques, Joao Carlos. Universidad de Coimbra. Facultad de Ciencias E Tecnología. Departamento de Ciencias Da Vida; Portugal. Marine And Environmental Sciences Centre; PortugalFil: Goncalves, Ana Marta. Universidad de Coimbra. Facultad de Ciencias E Tecnología. Departamento de Ciencias Da Vida; Portugal. Marine And Environmental Sciences Centre; PortugalVIII Congreso Argentino de la Sociedad de Toxicología y Química AmbientalMar del PlataArgentinaSociedad de Toxicología y Química Ambienta

The organosolv fractionation of cork components

Extractive-free cork from Quercus suber L. was submitted to organosolv fractionation and the effects of different process variables, such as ethanol/water ratio, temperature, time and the presence of acidic or alkaline catalysts, were studied. The variation of the relative proportions of extracted components, as a function of the processing conditions, could thus be established. Whereas the addition of 0.1 M acetic acid only increased the yield of extracted materials from about 15 to 23%, the use of sodium hydroxide, at the same concentration, produced a jump to 76%. In the case of the alkaline organosolv fractiona tion, an increase in process temperature, time and catalyst concentration led to an increase in the extraction yield, although in some cases this increase did not follow a sustained trend, as in the case of reaction time. Increasing the ethanol/water ratio led to a higher selectivity in favour of suberin extraction. Residual cork from different organosolv processes was characterised by FTIR and 13C solid-state NMR. The latter technique provided some valuable information about both process selectivity and cork morphology, particularly with respect to the positioning of suberin macromolecules in the cell wall.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Matrix Assisted Formation of Ferrihydrite Nanoparticles in a Siloxane/Poly(Oxyethylene) Nanohybrid

Matrix-assisted formation of ferrihydrite, an iron oxide hydroxide analogue of the protein ferritin-core, in a sol-gel derived organic-inorganic hybrid is reported. The hybrid network (named di-ureasil) is composed of poly(oxyethylene) chains of different average polymer molecular weights grafted to siloxane domains by means of urea cross-linkages and accommodates ferrihydrite nanoparticles. Magnetic measurements, Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveal that the controlled modification of the polymer molecular weight allows the fine-tuning of the ability of the hybrid matrix to assist and promote iron coordination at the organic-inorganic interface and subsequent nucleation and growth of the ferrihydrite nanoparticles whose core size (2-4 nm) is tuned by the amount of iron incorporated. The polymer chain length, its arrangement and crystallinity, are key factors on the anchoring and formation of the ferrihydrite particles.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures. To be published in J. Mater. Che

From handcrafting to a certified and ergonomic collaborative workstation: the digital transformation process

As manufacturing enters an era of mass customization, new technological solutions with more versatility and flexibility are brought to the industry. Collaborative robots, or COBOTs, can now safely work near humans, a key advantage that enables highly-flexible production and opens the possibility to tackle the incidence of occupational health problems. Although the advantages of collaborative robotic manufacturing have been extensively praised, adapting a manual production workstation to integrate robotic technology is far from being a linear and easy process. In this work, we explore this delicate balance between the ergonomic, production, and safety requirements in the design of a new collaborative cell. We explain the different steps of this digital transformation process and the thought process behind human-robot task allocation to maximize the collaborative robot efficiency while improving the work conditions. This work describes the development of a certified and production-ready collaborative workstation based on ergonomic criteria. Results show a significant reduction in the global ergonomic risk score associated with the workers' actions and postures and an increase in production quotas, compared to the previous manual process.This work was supported by NORTE-06-3559-FSE-000018, integrated into the invitation NORTE-59-2018-41, aiming to hire highly-qualified human resources, co-financed by the Regional Operational Programme of the North 2020, thematic area of Competitiveness and Employment, through the European Social Fund (ESF)

Modulatory effect of diphenyl diselenide in Carioca High- and Low-conditioned Freezing rats

AbstractDiphenyl diselenide ([PhSe]2)is an organoselenium compound that has interesting pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, glutathione peroxidase-mimetic, and neuroprotective effects. The objective of the present study was to investigate the possible modulatory effect of (PhSe)2 in 17th-generation Carioca high-and low-conditioned freezing (CHF and CLF) rats, an animal model of generalized anxiety disorders. (PhSe)2 was administered at three doses (10, 50, and 100mg/kg) in CHF and CLF rats, and their anxiety-like profiles (conditioned freezing patterns) were measured before and 30min after treatment. A significant difference was found in freezing scores between CHF and CLF animals before treatment (t70=12.50, p<0.001). Treatment with (PhSe)2 at 10 and 50mg/kg decreased freezing in CHF rats but significantly increased freezing at 100mg/kg. (PhSe)2 increased freezing in CLF animals at 50 and 100mg/kg (p<0.01). These results indicate that (PhSe)2 exerts both anxiolytic- and anxiogenic-like effects in bi-directional rat lines. Distinct genetic profiles of the CHF and CLF lines may influence biochemical functions and lead to differential responses to aversive situations and various drugs like (PhSe)2

Contribución para la caracterización bioclimática del Norte de Portugal. La transición florística atlántico-mediterránea.

Contribución para la caracterización bioclimática del norte de Portugal. La transición florística atlántico-mediterránea. Este trabajo se incluye en la serie de trabajos ya iniciados por Crespí et al. (2001), con el objetivo de contribuir al conocimiento bioclimático del Norte de Portugal, a través de la información florística presente. En este sentido, y para proceder a una posible cartografia de las áreas biogeográficas naturales desde una perspectiva termopluviométrica, son ahora introducidos 39 nuevos táxones para la relación ya existente. Los táxones analizados en esta aportación son: Anthemis triumfetti f. flosculosa, Arnica montana subsp. atlantica, Aster aragonensis, Carduus bourgeanus, Carduus carpetanus, Carduus platypus subsp. platypus, Carduus platypus var. granatensis, Carduus pycnocephalus, Centaurea cyanus, Centaurea geresensi, Centaurea herminii subsp. herminii, Centaurea langeana, Centaurea rivularis, Centaurea triumfetti subsp. lingulata, Leucanthemopsis pallida subsp.flaveola, Leucanthemopsis pallida subsp. pulverulenta, Leuzea rhaponticoides, Phalacrocarpum hoffmannseggii, Santolina rosmarinifolia, Santolina semidentata, Arbutus unedo, Cistus ladanifer, Cistus laurifolius, Cistus populifolius, Cistus psilosepalus, Cistus salvifolius, Erica arborea, Erica australis, Erica ciliaris, Erica cinerea, Erica lusitanica, Erica scoparia, Erica tetralix, Erica umbellata, Halimium lasianthum subsp alyssoides, Halimium lasianthum subsp lasianthum, Halimium ocymoides, Halimium umbellatum subsp umbellatum, Halimium umbellatum subsp. viscosum. De modo a poder alcanzar los objetivos propuestos, se procede a la aplicación de una rutina programática multivariada, basada en un sistema de información geográfico (SIG), a partir del cual cada uno de los táxones estudiados es georeferenciado sobre cartografía ambiental (confeccionada y publicada por el Instituto para a Conservação da Natureza, del Ministerio del Ambiente portugués), comparándola después con las caracterizaciones fitoclimáticas de Franco (1994) y de Costa et al. (1998). Los resultados obtenidos confirman no sólo un acusado efecto gradual de transición entre el área de influencia bioclimática atlántica y la mediterránea, como además la existencia de una tendencia de comportamiento fitoclimático intermedio, no considerada hasta el momento en las caracterizaciones bioclimáticas ya publicadas.Approach on the climatic characterization for Northern of Portugal. The atlanticmediterranean floristic transition. Thirty-nine specific and infraspecific taxa with different occurrences in the continental portuguese area are referred in the present work. In the light of these behaviours, the climatic and geomorphological variability of the North of Portugal has been important environmental factors to explain the floristic diversity in this part of the country. In this case, the taxa analysed are: Anthemis triumfetti f. flosculosa, Arnica montana subsp. atlantica, Aster aragonensis, Carduus bourgeanus, Carduus carpetanus, Carduus platypus subsp. platypus, Carduus platypus var.granatensis, Carduus pycnocephalus, Centaurea cyanus, Centaurea geresensi, Centaurea herminii subsp. herminii, Centaurea langeana, Centaurea rivularis, Centaurea triumfetti subsp. lingulata, Leucanthemopsis pallida subsp. flaveola, Leucanthemopsis pallida subsp. pulverulenta, Leuzea rhaponticoides, Phalacrocarpum hoffmannseggii, Santolina rosmarinifolia, Santolina semidentata, Arbutus unedo, Cistus ladanifer, Cistus laurifolius, Cistus populifolius, Cistus psilosepalus, Cistus salvifolius, Erica arborea, Erica australis, Erica ciliaris, Erica cinerea, Erica lusitanica, Erica scoparia, Erica tetralix, Erica umbellata, Halimium lasianthum subsp alyssoides, Halimium lasianthum subsp lasianthum, Halimium ocymoides, Halimium umbellatum subsp umbellatum, Halimium umbellatum subsp. viscosum. Because of the appropriate management of the floristic richness, a multivariate statistic routine is applied on a Geographical Informatic System (GIS) the chorological, geomorphological and climatic characterization for each one are described in this paper. The geological substrate and the altitudinal classes are focused for the geomorphological approach, as well as two biogeographic classifications are used to correlate the occurrence of the taxa and their bioclimatic preferences. In the light of this analytical scheme, every taxa is geo-referenced upon an environmental cartography (elaborated by the Instituto para a Conservação da Natureza), compared with the Franco´s (1994) and Costa´s et al. (1998) phytoclimatic characterizations. The results obtained are pointing out the floristic progressive differentiation between the atlantic bioclimatic influence and the mediterranean one, as well as the existence of an intermediate bioclimatic tendency which had never been considered so far

Crystal structure, topology, tiling and photoluminescence properties of 4d-4f hetero-metal organic frameworks based on 3,5-pyrazoledicaboxylate

Reaction of lanthanide oxides, cadmium acetate and 3,5-pyrazoledicarboxylic acid under hydrothermal conditions afforded five new isostructural 4d-4f hetero-metal organic frameworks, [Cd(3)Ln(pdc)(3)(H2O)] {H(3)pdc = 3,5-pyrazoledicarboxylic acid, Ln = La (1), Pr (2), Nd (3), Sm (4) and Eu (5)}. All compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The compounds feature a very interesting 3D structure built up from a secondary building unit, [Cd(12)Ln(8)(pdc)(6)], and possess a new topology type and complicated unique tiling. The solid state photoluminescence properties of compounds 3-5 were investigated at room temperature

A sigmoidal fit for pressure-volume curves of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients on mechanical ventilation: clinical implications

OBJECTIVE: Respiratory pressure-volume curves fitted to exponential equations have been used to assess disease severity and prognosis in spontaneously breathing patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Sigmoidal equations have been used to fit pressure-volume curves for mechanically ventilated patients but not for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients. We compared a sigmoidal model and an exponential model to fit pressure-volume curves from mechanically ventilated patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. METHODS: Six idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients and five controls underwent inflation pressure-volume curves using the constant-flow technique during general anesthesia prior to open lung biopsy or thymectomy. We identified the lower and upper inflection points and fit the curves with an exponential equation, V = A-B.e-k.P, and a sigmoid equation, V = a+b/(1+e-(P-c)/d). RESULTS: The mean lower inflection point for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients was significantly higher (10.5 ± 5.7 cm H2O) than that of controls (3.6 ± 2.4 cm H2O). The sigmoidal equation fit the pressure-volume curves of the fibrotic and control patients well, but the exponential equation fit the data well only when points below 50% of the inspiratory capacity were excluded. CONCLUSION: The elevated lower inflection point and the sigmoidal shape of the pressure-volume curves suggest that respiratory system compliance is decreased close to end-expiratory lung volume in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients under general anesthesia and mechanical ventilation. The sigmoidal fit was superior to the exponential fit for inflation pressure-volume curves of anesthetized patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and could be useful for guiding mechanical ventilation during general anesthesia in this condition