Synthesis of Polypropylene and Curauá Fiber Composites: Towards High Performance and Low Price Materials

Jose Jonathan Rubio Arias,Juliana Lunz,Bruno De Paula Amantes,Maria De Fátima Vieira Marques 한국섬유공학회 2020 Fibers and polymers Vol.21 No.6

The surface of Curauá (Ananas Erectifolius) fibers was successfully modified, characterized and applied asreinforcement on polypropylene composites through two different techniques: in situ polymerization and melt mixture. Thebest results in terms of mechanical performance were obtained for composites prepared through melt mixture technique withfibers submitted to moderate hydrolysis conditions (H2SO4 10 %, 1 h, 40 ºC, Ultrasound 30 min) and further acetylation withthe incorporation of compatibilizing agent PPMA as well as for the fiber with further silanization without PPMA. Thosefibers caused more than 100 % of elastic module improvement with respect to pristine polymer. Glass transition temperaturealso was increased with the incorporation of A. Erectifolius fibers as well as degradation temperature. Scanning electronmicroscopy permitted to verify that most of the mechanical properties is lost because of high ratio of empty spaces (mainly inthe case of in situ composites).

Solanum paniculatum L. Leaf and Fruit Extracts: Assessment of Modulation of Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity by Micronucleus Test in Mice

Pabline Marinho Vieira,Jose Realino Paula,Lee Chen-Chen 한국식품영양과학회 2010 Journal of medicinal food Vol.13 No.6

Solanum paniculatum L. is a plant species widespread throughout tropical America, especially in the Brazilian Savanna region. It is used in Brazil for culinary purposes and in folk medicine to treat liver and gastric dysfunctions, as well as hangovers. Previous studies with S. paniculatum ethanolic leaf extract (ELE) or ethanolic fruit extract (EFE) demonstrated that they have no genotoxic activity meant either in the micronucleus test in mice or in the phage induction SOS Inductest in bacterial strains; however, cytotoxicity was demonstrated in both tests. Because of the spread use of this plant as a therapeutic resource and food, the present study aimed at evaluating the modulator effects of S. paniculatum ELE or EFE against mitomycin C (MMC) using the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test. This short-term test was used to detect the acute effects of responsive erythropoiesis after 24- and 48-hour exposure periods. Swiss-Webster mice were orally treated with three different concentrations (100, 200, or 300mg/kg) of ELE or EFE simultaneously with a single dose of MMC (4mg/kg i.p.). Antigenotoxicity was evaluated using the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCEs), whereas anticytotoxicity was assessed by the polychromatic/normochromatic erythrocyte ratio. Our results demonstrated that neither the ELE nor EFE of S. paniculatum protected cells against the cytotoxic action of MMC. Nevertheless, the present study showed the antimutagenic effect of ELE after a 24-hour treatment (reduction in the frequencies of MNPCEs after a 48-hour treatment with ELE can be due to toxicity) and no antimutagenic action of the EFE treatment against the aneugenic and/or clastogenic activities of MMC.

Etiology of genetic muscle disorders induced by mutations in fast and slow skeletal MyBP-C paralogs

Song Taejeong,Landim-Vieira Maicon,Ozdemir Mustafa,Gott Caroline,Kanisicak Onur,Pinto Jose Renato,Sadayappan Sakthivel 생화학분자생물학회 2023 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.55 No.-

Skeletal muscle, a highly complex muscle type in the eukaryotic system, is characterized by different muscle subtypes and functions associated with specific myosin isoforms. As a result, skeletal muscle is the target of numerous diseases, including distal arthrogryposes (DAs). Clinically, DAs are a distinct disorder characterized by variation in the presence of contractures in two or more distal limb joints without neurological issues. DAs are inherited, and up to 40% of patients with this condition have mutations in genes that encode sarcomeric protein, including myosin heavy chains, troponins, and tropomyosin, as well as myosin binding protein-C (MYBPC). Our research group and others are actively studying the specific role of MYBPC in skeletal muscles. The MYBPC family of proteins plays a critical role in the contraction of striated muscles. More specifically, three paralogs of the MYBPC gene exist, and these are named after their predominant expression in slow-skeletal, fast-skeletal, and cardiac muscle as sMyBP-C, fMyBP-C, and cMyBP-C, respectively, and encoded by the MYBPC1, MYBPC2, and MYBPC3 genes, respectively. Although the physiology of various types of skeletal muscle diseases is well defined, the molecular mechanism underlying the pathological regulation of DAs remains to be elucidated. In this review article, we aim to highlight recent discoveries involving the role of skeletal muscle-specific sMyBP-C and fMyBP-C as well as their expression profile, localization in the sarcomere, and potential role(s) in regulating muscle contractility. Thus, this review provides an overall summary of MYBPC skeletal paralogs, their potential roles in skeletal muscle function, and future research directions.

The Rationalization of Port Logistics Activities: A Study at Port of Santos (Brazil)

Guilherme Bergmann Borges VIEIRA,Francisco José KLIEMANN NETO,Jose Luis Duarte RIBEIRO 국제이네비해양경제학회 2015 International Journal of e-Navigation and Maritime Vol.2 No.1

This paper presents a study of the port logistics activities at the port of Santos (Brazil). The study follows a qualitative approach and it is based on in-depth interviews with some key actors from Santos port logistics chain. Based on these interviews, the main dysfunctions and improvement opportunities associated to the container port logistics processes at Santos were identified. The results show that the main dysfunctions are related to the existing information flows. Due to this, a new information flow related to the studied port is proposed and some probable results of the implementation are identified. The findings contribute both to the studied port and to the academic community, as the number of studies addressing port logistics activities is still limited.

Impedance-based health monitoring and mechanical testing of structures

Lizeth Vargas Palomino,Valder Steffen Jr.,Jose dos Reis Vieira de Moura Jr.,Karina Mayumi Tsuruta,Domingos Alves Rade 국제구조공학회 2011 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.7 No.1

The mechanical properties obtained from mechanical tests, such as tensile, buckling, impact and fatigue tests, are largely applied to several materials and are used today for preliminary studies for the investigation of a desired element in a structure and prediction of its behavior in use. This contribution focus on two widely used different tests: tensile and fatigue tests. Small PZT (Lead Titanate Zirconate) patches are bonded on the surface of test samples for impedance-based health monitoring purposes. Together with these two tests, the electromechanical impedance technique was performed by using aluminum test samples similar to those used in the aeronautical industry. The results obtained both from tensile and fatigue tests were compared with the impedance signatures. Finally, statistical meta-models were built to investigate the possibility of determining the state of the structure from the impedance signatures.

Long-term Bias of Internal Markers in Sheep and Goat Digestion Trials

De Carvalho, Gleidson Giordano Pinto,Garcia, Rasmo,Vieira Pires, Aureliano Jose,Silva, Roberio Rodrigues,Detmann, Edenio,Oliveira, Ronaldo Lopes,Ribeiro, Leandro Sampaio Oliveira Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2013 Animal Bioscience Vol.26 No.1

Two digestion trials, one with sheep and another with goats, were conducted to evaluate the long-term bias (LTB) of the indigestible dry matter (iDM), indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF) and indigestible acid detergent fiber (iADF) internal markers. The study used eight Santa In$\hat{e}$s castrated male sheep (average body weight of 16.6 kg) distributed in two $4{\times}4$ Latin squares and eight Saanen castrated male goats (average body weight of 22.6 kg) distributed in two $4{\times}4$ Latin squares. The experiments were conducted simultaneously, and the animals were housed in 1.2 $m^2$ individual pens with wood-battened floors equipped with individual feeders and drinkers. The animals received isonitrogenous diets that were offered ad libitum and contained 14% crude protein and 70% sugar cane (with 0, 0.75, 1.5 or 2.25% CaO, in natural matter percentage), corrected with 1% urea and 30% concentrate. The experiment consisted of four experimental periods of 14 d each, with the feed, leftovers and feces sampled on the last four days of each period. The marker concentrations in the feed, leftovers and fecal samples were estimated by an in situ ruminal incubation procedure with a duration 240 h. The relationship between the intake and excretion of the markers was obtained by adjusting a simple linear regression model, independently from the treatment (diets) fixed effects and Latin squares. For both the sheep and goats, a complete recovery of the iDM and iNDF markers was observed (p>0.05), indicating the absence of LTB for these markers. However, the iADF was not completely recovered, exhibiting an LTB of -9.12% (p<0.05) in the sheep evaluation and -3.02% (p<0.05) in the goat evaluation.

Impedance-based health monitoring and mechanical testing of structures

Palomino, Lizeth Vargas,de Moura, Jose Dos Reis Vieira Jr.,Tsuruta, Karina Mayumi,Rade, Domingos Alves,Steffen, Valder Jr. Techno-Press 2011 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.7 No.1

The mechanical properties obtained from mechanical tests, such as tensile, buckling, impact and fatigue tests, are largely applied to several materials and are used today for preliminary studies for the investigation of a desired element in a structure and prediction of its behavior in use. This contribution focus on two widely used different tests: tensile and fatigue tests. Small PZT (Lead Titanate Zirconate) patches are bonded on the surface of test samples for impedance-based health monitoring purposes. Together with these two tests, the electromechanical impedance technique was performed by using aluminum test samples similar to those used in the aeronautical industry. The results obtained both from tensile and fatigue tests were compared with the impedance signatures. Finally, statistical meta-models were built to investigate the possibility of determining the state of the structure from the impedance signatures.

Nutritional efficiency of feed restricted F1 Holstein/Zebu cows during the middle third of lactation

Santana, Pedro Felipe,Junior, Vicente Ribeiro Rocha,Ruas, Jose Reinaldo Mendes,Moncao, Flavio Pinto,Borges, Luana Alcantara,Sousa, Thais Eleonora Santos,Silva, Fredson Vieira e,Rabelo, Walber de Olive Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2020 Animal Bioscience Vol.33 No.2

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of quantitative feed restriction on nutrient intake and digestibility, nitrogen balance, efficiency and feeding behavior, and productive performance in F1 Holstein/Zebu cows during the middle third of their lactation. Methods: Sixty F1 Holstein/Zebu cows with 111.5±11.75 days of lactation and an initial body weight (BW) of 499±30 kg (mean±standard error of the mean) were used. The experimental design was completely randomized with the following diet levels of feed restriction: 3.39%, 2.75%, 2.50%, 2.25%, and 2.00% of BW, with 12 replications for each level. The experiment lasted for 63 days, of which each period lasted 21 days with the first 16 days for diet adaptation followed by 5 days for collection of data and samples. Results: For each 1% of BW diet restriction, there was a decrease in dry matter intake of 5.26 kg/d (p<0.01). There was no difference in daily milk production (p = 0.09) under the restriction levels of 3.39% to 2.0% of BW. When corrected for 3.5% fat, milk production declined (p = 0.05) 3.46 kg/d for each percentage unit of feed restriction. Conclusion: Restricting the feed supply for F1 Holstein/Zebu cows in the middle third of their lactation period altered nutrient intake, nitrogen balance and ingestive behavior but did not affect milk production or feed efficiency. However, considering the observed BW loss and decrease in milk production corrected for 3.5% fat, restriction of no less than 2.5% BW is recommended.

Ingestive Behavior and Nitrogen Balance of Confined Santa Ines Lambs Fed Diets Containing Soybean Hulls

Bastos, Milena Patricia Viana,Carvalho, Gleidson Giordano Pinto De,Pires, Aureliano Jose Vieira,Silva, Roberio Rodrigues,Filho, Antonio Eustaquio,Santos, Edileusa De Jesus Dos,Chagas, Daiane Maria Tri Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2014 Animal Bioscience Vol.27 No.1

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of substituting corn with soybean hulls on the ingestive behavior and nitrogen balance of Santa Ines lambs. A total of 25 lambs with an initial body weight of $20{\pm}2$ kg at approximately six months of age, sheltered individually in stalls ($1.10m{\times}1.0m$), considering an entirely casual experimental delineation. Soybean hulls were substituted for corn at 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 g/kg of dry matter (DM). The time spent feeding, ruminating, masticating, and resting was not affected by the substitution of corn with soybean hulls. In fact, the feeding efficiency in g DM/h and the rumination efficiency in g DM/bolus increased linearly with soybean hull substitution in the feed. Although the nitrogen balance was not altered by the use of soybean hulls as a substitute for corn in the diets of Santa Ines lambs, the N ingested and N digested expressed in g/d, N retained as a percentage of that ingested, and N retained as a percentage of that digested displayed quadratic behavior. In conclusion, corn can be substituted with soybean hulls up to 1,000 g/kg of dry matter in the concentrate, without changing the ingestive behavior and nitrogen balance.

Definition of a Methodology for an Expedited Assessment of Slope Instability on Volcanic Terrains

( Ana Maria Malheiro ),( Luis Teixeira ),( Paulo Amaral ),( Filipe Marques ),( Jose Vieira ),( Leticia Moniz ) 대한지질공학회 2019 대한지질공학회 학술발표회논문집 Vol.2019 No.2

A project called MACASTAB (co-financed by the Interreg Mac 2014-20 program) is being developed, by a group of technicians from the Canarias, Azores, Madeira and Cabo Verde archipelagos. This project aims to prepare a methodological guide for the natural risk management produced by the instability of volcanic slopes and talus in Macaronesia archipelagos. One of its tasks is the development of charts that can be applied in the referred archipelagos in order to do an expeditious evaluation of slope stability. Given the specificities of the geology of the Azores and Madeira islands, the charts were supported by limit equilibrium analysis methods (e.g. Morgenstern-Price) applied to slopes whose constitution is predominantly formed by soils (an unusual situation in other archipelagos that are in the project). Results of shear strength parameters obtained for volcanic soils on both archipelagos by triaxial compression tests and direct shear tests are presented. Empirical correlation between friction angle and particle size distribution was found with a coefficient of adjustment of 93%. That correlation shows a relationship between the angle of internal friction of a given material and the percentage of gravel and sand. For the preparation of these charts, several stability analyzes were performed with different scenarios (slope gradient and heights, and shear strength parameters), in order to determine the safety factor of slopes in a simple and fast way in the field.