Design Point and Parametric Stud

In this thesis, a design point of a micro two-spool turboprop engine is made as well as its parametric study. The calculation for a design point is based on performance equations for a two-spool turboprop engine which will later be used to obtain the study as a function of the altitude, air mass flow and turbine inlet temperature compressor total pressure ratio and flight speed. The design point is made by assuming some variables due to the lack of information available for an engine. Afterwards, a parametric analysis is made to understand the behavior of ESFC, TSFC, PSFC, EPW and Fnet varying the altitude, airflow, pressure ratio, turbine inlet temperature and flight speed.Nesta tese foram realizados um ponto de projeto e um estudo paramétrico de um micro motor turboélice de dois veios. O cálculo para o ponto de projeto é baseado nas equações de desempenho de um motor turboélice de dois veios que, posteriormente, será usado para obter o estudo em função da altitude, caudal de ar admitido, razão de pressões total do compressor, temperatura de entrada na turbina e velocidade de voo. O ponto de projeto é definido assumindo algumas variáveis devido à falta de informações disponíveis para um motor. Posteriormente, é realizada uma análise paramétrica para entender o comportamento da ESFC, TSFC, PSFC, EPW e Fnet, variando a altitude, o caudal de ar, a razão de pressões do compressor, a temperatura de entrada da turbina e a velocidade de voo

Utilization of sensors and SMS technology to remotely maintain the level of dissolved oxygen, salinity and temperature of fishponds

Due to the occurrence of fish kills in various fish producing areas in our country, millions of pesos and opportunities for the Filipino people had been put into waste. Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) collaborated with the Central Luzon Association of Small-scale Aquaculture to devise strategies to address the said problem and prevent further losses. More often than not, a fish kill can be attributed to the low level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water, decrease or increase in salinity and sudden increase in temperature, which usually occur after heavy rainfall, flooding or high tide, or high levels of ammonia due to decomposing organic matter and high temperature during summer. For these reasons, BPSU researchers tested the use of radio frequencies and installed sensors in different areas of the fishpond at various depths to remotely monitor the levels of DO, salinity and temperature of the water. Once these reach critical levels, the installed system which comes with a specific program, will send an alarm through radio frequencies via Short Messaging Services (SMS) technology on the cellular/mobile phone of the caretaker or the fishpond operator. Upon receiving the alarm, caretakers were able to adjust the levels of dissolved oxygen, salinity and temperature of the water by remotely switching on the air compressor or the electric water pump using their cellular/ mobile phone, thus preventing losses due to fish kills

Micronucleus frequency in children exposed to biomass burning in the Brazilian Legal Amazon region: a control case study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Amazon represents an area of 61% of Brazilian territory and is undergoing major changes resulting from disorderly economic development, especially the advance of agribusiness. Composition of the atmosphere is controlled by several natural and anthropogenic processes, and emission from biomass burning is one with the major impact on human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate genotoxic potential of air pollutants generated by biomass burning through micronucleus assay in exfoliated buccal cells of schoolchildren in the Brazilian Amazon region.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was conducted during the dry seasons in two regions of the Brazilian Amazon. The assay was carried out on buccal epithelial cells of 574 schoolchildren between 6-16 years old.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results show a significant difference between micronucleus frequencies in children exposed to biomass burning compared to those in a control area.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrated that in situ biomonitoring using a sensitive and low cost assay (buccal micronucleus assay) may be an important tool for monitoring air quality in remote regions. It is difficult to attribute the increase in micronuclei frequency observed in our study to any specific toxic element integrated in the particulate matters. However, the contribution of the present study lies in the evidence that increased exposure to fine particulate matter generates an increased micronuclei frequency in oral epithelial cells of schoolchildren.</p

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Bauhinia monandra leaf lectin

A galactose-specific lectin from Bauhinia monandra leaves (BmoLL) have been purified through ammonium sulphate fractionation followed by guar gel affinity chromatography column. This study aimed to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity of pure BmoLL in mice. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by 1% carrageenan-induced inflammation in mice treated with BmoLL. Acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing and hot plate methods evaluated antinociceptive activity. BmoLL significantly inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw edema by 47% (30 mg/kg) and 60.5% (60 mg/kg); acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, 100 mg/kg) showed inhibition of 70.5%, in comparison to controls. Leukocyte migration, an immune response to the inflammation process, was significantly reduced in presence of BmoLL; in mice treated with \ASA\ the decrease in leukocyte migration was similar to 15 mg/kg of the lectin. BmoLL at doses of 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg significantly reduced the number of animal contortions by 43.1, 50.1 and 71.3%, respectively.BmoLL leukocyte migration was significantly reduced; in mice treated with \ASA\ the decrease in leukocyte migration was similar to 15 mg/kg of the lectin. BmoLL at doses of 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg significantly reduced the number of animal contortions by 43.1, 50.1 and 71.3%, respectively. The lectin (30 and 60 mg/kg) showed a significant effect in the hot plate assay. BmoLL anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects were dose-dependent. The search for new and natural compounds, with minimal side effects, to control pain and inflammation, is constantly increasing. BmoLL has great potential as a natural anti-inflamatory product that can be explored for pharmacological purposes.The authors express their gratitude to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnol ogico (CNPq), for research grants and fellowships (VLML and LCBBC). Also, the Fundaç~ao de Amparo a Ci^encia e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE), and Coordenaç~ao de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) are acknowledged for financial support. In addition, we are grateful to Grant SFRH/ BPD/37349/2007 from the Foundation for Science and Technology and POPH/FSE, awarded to AFSS

Produtividade de cultivares de alface em função da idade de colheita no semiárido Potiguar, Brasil

No Nordeste brasileiro, o cultivo da alface restringe-se a pequenas áreas, com a utilização de cultivares pouco adaptadas às condições climáticas da região, dessa forma, ocorre o florescimento precoce e baixa produtividade. Diante disso, a pesquisa foi realizada objetivando-se avaliar as respostas agronômicas de cultivares de alface em função da idade de colheita, quando cultivadas em condições semiáridas. O experimento foi conduzido em campo, entre os meses de outubro de 2013 e janeiro de 2014, em Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, arranjados em parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições. As parcelas consistiram em cinco idades de colheita (20, 25, 30, 35 e 40 dias após o transplantio – DAT), enquanto as subparcelas corresponderam a seis cultivares de alface dos grupos: Lisa (Babá de Verão, Lívia e Aurélia) e Crespa (Jullie, Elba e Maravilha 4 Estações). Foram avaliadas as características: altura e diâmetro de plantas, número de folhas por planta, produtividades total e comercial, e massa seca da parte aérea. A cultivar Babá de Verão é a mais produtiva dentre as cultivares de alface do grupo Lisa e a Jullie dentre as Crespas. A cultivar de alface Aurélia, do grupo Lisa, é a menos produtiva em relação as demais estudadas. A idade de colheita ideal à máxima produtividade comercial foi aos 30 DAT para todas as cultivares de alface

Genotoxic potential generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Legal Amazon by Tradescantia micronucleus bioassay: a toxicity assessment study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Brazilian Amazon has suffered impacts from non-sustainable economic development, especially owing to the expansion of agricultural commodities into forest areas. The Tangará da Serra region, located in the southern of the Legal Amazon, is characterized by non-mechanized sugar cane production. In addition, it lies on the dispersion path of the pollution plume generated by biomass burning. The aim of this study was to assess the genotoxic potential of the atmosphere in the Tangará da Serra region, using <it>Tradescantia pallida </it>as <it>in situ </it>bioindicator.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was conducted during the dry and rainy seasons, where the plants were exposed to two types of exposure, active and passive.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results showed that in all the sampling seasons, irrespective of exposure type, there was an increase in micronucleus frequency, compared to control and that it was statistically significant in the dry season. A strong and significant relationship was also observed between the increase in micronucleus incidence and the rise in fine particulate matter, and hospital morbidity from respiratory diseases in children.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Based on the results, we demonstrated that pollutants generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Amazon can induce genetic damage in test plants that was more prominent during dry season, and correlated with the level of particulates and elevated respiratory morbidity.</p

Emissions generated by sugarcane burning promote genotoxicity in rural workers: a case study in Barretos, Brazil

Background: To determine the possible genotoxic effect of exposure to the smoke generated by biomass burning on workers involved in manual sugar cane harvesting. Methods: The frequency of micronuclei in exfoliated buccal cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined in sugarcane workers in the Barretos region of Brazil, during the harvest season and compared to a control population, comprised of administrative employees of Barretos Cancer Hospital. Results: The frequency of micronuclei was higher in the sugar cane workers. The mean frequency in blood lymphocytes (micronuclei/1000 cells) in the test group was 8.22 versus 1.27 in the control group. The same effect was observed when exfoliated buccal cells were considered (22.75 and 9.70 micronuclei/1000 cells for sugar cane workers and controls, respectively). Conclusion: Exposure to emissions produced by the burning of sugar cane during harvesting induces genomic instability in workers, indicating the necessity of adopting more advanced techniques of harvesting sugar cane to preserve human health.We thank the Researcher Support Center of Barretos Cancer Hospital, especially the statistician Zanardo C. for assisting in the statistical analysis. We thank Oliveira R. for technical support, and we acknowledge financial support from FAPESP Proc. 2010/10192-6

Efeitos corrosivos encontrados em materiais magnéticos empregados em ortodontia.

O emprego de ligas magnéticas permitiu a criação de novas opções em terapias odontológicas, especialmente na Ortodontia, onde a sua utilização já é bastante difundida. A inovação no emprego dos magnetos veio com a introdução de novas ligas magnéticas à base dos elementos terras raras pertencentes à família dos lantanídeos, como as ligas de samário-cobalto (SmCo5) e neodímio-ferro-boro (Nd2Fe14B). Magnetos fabricados com as ligas acima são 20 vezes mais fortes que os magnetos de alumínio-níquel-cobalto. Entretanto, a liga de Nd2Fe14B embora seja três vezes mais forte que SmCo5 é 240 vezes mais susceptível a corrosão em meio bucal. No presente trabalho realizou-se a caracterização estrutural, morfológica e magnética da liga magnética de Nd2Fe14B para emprego ortodôntico e analisou-se as forças magnéticas e os campo magnéticos além do comportamento corrosivo dos magnetos. Para simular o meio bucal e realizar os teste corrosivos os 16 magnetos revestidos em ouro prata (por deposição eletrolítica) foram imersos em uma solução de ácido lático a 1% por um período de 70 dias e os valores de seus campos magnéticos aferidos semanalmente por uma sonda Hall. O elemento Fe liberado na solução ácida foi dosado semanalmente através da espectroscopia de absorção atômica. As amostras magnéticas corroídas foram submetidas às microanálises por meio de MEV e microssonda eletrônica (EDS) nos períodos de 14, 21 e 70 dias (final dos experimentos). Ao final do experimento, foram submetidas à análise de difração de raios X. Foram empregados os testes estatísticos t e ANOVA para verificar diferenças entre as médias dos campos magnéticos de ambos os grupos magnéticos e correlacionar o processo de corrosão dos magnetos com o tempo de experimento respectivamente. A caracterização inicial do material foi feita através de difratometria de raios X, análise térmica (TG/DTA), microscopia eletrônica de varredura e microssonda eletrônica (EDS e WDS). Para as medidas de forças magnéticas, foram empregados magnetos dispostos atrativos e repulsivamente, uma balança de precisão e um aparelho traçador de alturas. Na realização das medidas da variação do campo magnético, foram empregados magnetos em configuração atrativa: um magneto foi posicionado em uma haste vertical fixa e um segundo adaptado a um posicionador x,y e dependência angular. As medidas foram feitas com emprego de uma sonda Hall. Os resultados iniciais das microanálises evidenciaram um magneto constituído predominantemente pela fase Nd2Fe14B, revestidos em Au, Ag, Cu e Ni em 3 camadas. As forças geradas pelos magnetos em ambas as configurações, mostraram-se compatíveis para geração de movimentos ortodônticos preferencialmente à curtas distâncias e baixos ângulos entre os magnetos. As amostras magnéticas de ambos os grupos sofreram corrosões evidenciadas pelo aumento da liberação do elemento Fe e confirmadas pela análise de DRX. A formação de novas fases não ferromagnéticas propiciou uma decaimento das medidas dos campos magnéticos. O teste t mostrou que as diferenças entre as médias de decaimento não foram significativas 0,7333 mV para os de ouro e 0,6803 mV para os de prata. Ocorreu uma diminuição significativa do campo magnético em função do tempo em que os magnetos de ouro e prata estiveram imersos na solução de ácido lático (F= 46,91, gl= 9; p0,001).There was a difference of magnets in manufacturing view point (via powder metallurgy) and/or in the coating process via electrolytic deposition. Thus, for the application of this material in buccal means, with mechanical efficiency and effective biocompatibility, it is recommended that it must be hermetically sealed