Argamassas térmicas sustentáveis: O contributo dos materiais de mudança de fase

As argamassas com incorporação de materiais de mudança de fase (PCM) possuem a capacidade de regular a temperatura no interior dos edifícios, contribuindo desta forma para o aumento do nível de conforto e diminuindo o recurso a equipamentos de climatização. Este estudo teve como principal objetivo o desenvolvimento de argamassas com integração de microcápsulas de PCM, devendo estas apresentar um compromisso entre a sua aparência estética, características físicas e mecânicas.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Use of phase change materials microcapsules in aerial lime and gypsum mortars

Presently, the concerns related to the buildings energy consumption are greater, emerging in this way the need to incorporate materials in the construction products which aim the improvement of the energetic efficiency of buildings. Therefore, the application of phase change materials appears as a possible solution in an attempt to solve, or at least minimize, the massive energetic consumption related with buildings. This analysis aims the understanding of the influence of microcapsules of phase change materials (PCM) on lime and gypsum mortars, which should present a compromise between workability, mechanical resistance and aesthetical appearance.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Fully Automated Production of [68Ga]GaFAPI-46 with Gallium-68 from Cyclotron Using Liquid Targets

68Ga-based radiopharmaceuticals are routinely used for PET imaging of multiple types of tumors. Gallium-68 is commonly obtained from 68Ge/68Ga generators, which are limited in the quantity of activity produced. Alternatively, gallium-68 can easily be produced on a cyclotron using liquid targets. In this study, we optimized the GMP production of [68Ga]GaFAPI-46 using gallium-68 produced via a standard medical cyclotron using liquid targets. Starting from the published synthesis and quality control procedures described for other 68Ga-based radiopharmaceuticals, we have validated the synthesis process and the analytical methods to test the quality parameters of the final product to be used for routine clinical studies. [68Ga]GaFAPI-46 was successfully produced with high radiochemical purity and yield using an IBA Synthera® Extension module. Gallium chloride was produced on a medical cyclotron using a liquid target with activity of 4.31 ± 0.36 GBq at the end of purification (EOP). Analytical methods were established and validated, meeting Ph. Eur. standards. Full GMP production was also validated in three consecutive batches, producing 2.50 ± 0.46 GBq of [68Ga]GaFAPI-46 at the end of synthesis (EOS), with 98.94 ± 0.72% radiochemical purity measured via radio-HPLC. Quality was maintained for up to 3 h after the EOS. Production of [68Ga]GaFAPI-46 was performed and validated using a standard medical cyclotron with liquid targets. The quality control parameters (e.g., sterility, purity, and residual solvents) conformed to Ph. Eur. and a shelf life of 3 h was established. The activity of [68Ga]GaFAPI-46 produced was substantially higher than the one obtained with generators, enabling a better response to the clinical need for this radiopharmaceutical

Automated Purification of Radiometals Produced by Liquid Targets

An automated process for the production and purification of radiometals produced by irradiating liquid targets in a medical cyclotron, using a commercially available module, has been developed. The method is suitable for the production and purification of radiometals such as 68Ga, 64Cu and 61Cu through irradiation of liquid targets and is important for producing high specific activity radioisotopes with a substantial reduction in processing time and cost when compared with the solid target approach. The “liquid target” process also eliminates the need for pre- and post-irradiation target preparation and simplifies the transfer of irradiated material from target to hotcell. A 68GaCl3 solution can be obtained in about 35 min with an average yield of 73.9 ± 6.7% in less than 10 mL of volume. 64CuCl2 solutions can be obtained with an average yield of 81.2 ± 7.8% in about 1 h of processing time. A dedicated single-use disposable kit is used on a commercial IBA Synthera® extension module