Pectin and SDS as auxiliary flocculants for complementary treatment of textile wastewater by electrocoagulation

Mauro Cosme de Carvalho Góes,Marcos Paulo Ribeiro Garcez,Andréa Roberta Ferreira Siqueira,Thiago Palhares Farias,Claudemir Gomes de Santana,Jonas de Jesus Gomes da Costa Neto,Cicero Wellington Brito B 한국화학공학회 2021 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.38 No.8

Textile wastewaters currently remain as one of the major sources of environmental pollution. In addition to the presence of several recalcitrant species, the volume of the effluent to be treated is usually quite high, due to the excessive consumption of water in this kind of processing. To avoid all the negative impacts associated with the discharge of these untreated effluents, effective remediation techniques should be applied. Although there are currently several methods available, due to complexity and volume of the wastewater, combined technologies can provide better efficiency, lower cost and less time consumption. In this work, electrocoagulation (EC) combined with the conventional flocculation process was studied for the removal of methylene blue dye (MB) in aqueous medium. Under specific EC conditions (4 pairs of electrodes, 2.5 cm spacing, electrolysis time of 203min, pHinitial 4, 32 V, 1.5 A) it was possible to remove 63% of the dye. Combining EC with conventional flocculation, a notable reduction in electrolysisrequired time (203 to 60 min), dye (99.8%), color (100%) and turbidity (99.2%) was observed.

Improvement in metabolic parameters in obese subjects after 16 weeks on a Brazilian-staple calorie-restricted diet

Teresa H. M. da Costa,Caio E. G. Reis,Fabio V. P. da Silva,Luiz A. Casulari 한국영양학회 2014 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol.8 No.4

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The standard pattern of Brazilian food consumption is based on the combination of rice and beans served together in the main meals. This study assessed the effects of Brazilian-staple calorie-restricted (BS-diet) dietary advice, with brown rice and beans, on metabolic parameters, body composition, and food intake in overweight/obese subjects. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Twentyseven subjects were randomly assigned to a conventional-type calorie-restricted diet (CT-diet) (n= 13) or a BS-diet (n = 14). Glucose metabolism, lipid profile, anthropometric and body composition parameters, and food intake were measured before and after 16 weeks. Paired t-tests/Wilcoxon tests were used for comparison of differences from baseline and unpaired t-tests/Mann-Whitney tests were used for comparison of differences between the groups. RESULTS: After16 weeks, both groups showed reductions in weight and waist circumference (P < 0.02), and the BS-diet group showed a decrease in body fat (P = 0.0001), and significant improvement in glucose metabolism (fasting plasma glucose, glucose and insulin areas under the curve, Cederholm index, and HOMA2-%β) (P ≤ 0.04) and lipid profile (cholesterol, triacylglycerol, LDL-c, VLDL-c, and cholesterol/HDL-c ratio) (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, the BS-diet group showed significant improvement in HOMA2-%β, compared to the CT-diet group (P = 0.03). The BS-diet group also showed a significant reduction in energy, lipids, carbohydrate, and cholesterol intake (P ≤ 0.04) and an increase in fiber intake (P ≤ 0.001), while the CT-diet group showed a significant reduction in intake of energy, macronutrients, PUFA, and cholesterol (P ≤ 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the benefits of the BS-diet on metabolic parameters in obese subjects.

Formation of mesostructured titania thin films using isopropoxide precursors

G.Q.M. Lu,I. Kartini,P. Meredith,Diniz da Costa,J. D. Riches 한국물리학회 2004 Current Applied Physics Vol.4 No.2-4

Mesostructured titania thin lms were prepared by an evaporation-induced self-assembly process. The highly acidic sol pre-cursors contained titanium(IV) tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) as a titanium source, a tri-block copolymer Pluronic P123 as a template,and acetylacetonate and HCl as hydrolysis inhibitors. Characteristics of the resultant titania thin lms were studied using X-raydiraction (XRD) analysis, N2-adsorption/desorption analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD and TEMinvestigations on the as-synthesised lms revealed the appearance of cubic-like, pseudohexagonal, and lamellar mesophases;depending on the amount of water in the sols of lm precursors. Template removal by a calcination process yields high surface area(320360 m2/g) mesoporous materials with crystalline anatase frameworks. Water content also inuences the degree of anatasecrystallinity of the calcined lms. Higher water content resulted in improved anatase crystallinity. These nanostructured materialsare of interest for photocatalysts, photoelectrochemical solar cells and other photonic devices.

Genetics components of rice root architecture and carbon isotopic fractionation parameters: a tracer for breeding in a water-saving irrigation management

Brito Giovani G.,Concenço Germani,Costa Vladimir E.,Fagundes Paulo Ricardo R.,da Silva-Filho João Luis,Parfitt José Maria B.,Magalhães Ariano,Silva Giovana T.,Jardim Thaís M.,Luccas Nathália Furtado,S 한국작물학회 2022 Journal of crop science and biotechnology Vol.25 No.1

Phenotyping is the major bottleneck in the efort to develop varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L.) suitable for growing under a water-saving irrigation management, such as alternate wetting and drying irrigation techniques (AWD). To analyze if the genotypic variability for carbon isotope discrimination (CID) in rice leaves could be used as a relatively high-throughput tracer to early select superior genotypes highlighting improved root architecture traits when submitted to AWD, a set of twenty varieties grown under semi-natural conditions were submitted to two water irrigation regimes, continuous fooding (CF) and AWD cycles. Coefcients of genetic variance (π2g) obtained for root architecture, micro-morphological and physiological traits were signifcant for all of them regardless of the adopted irrigation system, except to mean root diameter. The three signifcant principal components (PCs) with eigenvalue>1, explain most of the total variation across cycles and water regimes. For most of analyzed traits, the values of heritability coefcients were higher regardless of adopted irrigation management and trait category; for CID, the magnitudes of broad heritability at an individual level (greater than 0.80) were similar in the two irrigation techniques, evidencing that the success of the selection is independent of irrigation management. The higher CID values after three AWD cycles are associated with varieties with higher total root length and volume. To our knowledge, this is the frst study demonstrating the potential application of CID as a tracer to select root architecture traits in rice when water-saving irrigation management is of concern

Synthesis, morphology and electrochemical applications of iron oxide based nanocomposites

Letti, Camila J.,Costa, Karla A.G.,Gross, Marcos A.,Paterno, Leonardo G.,Pereira-da-Silva, Marcelo A.,Morais, Paulo C.,Soler, Maria A.G. Techno-Press 2017 Advances in nano research Vol.5 No.3

The development of hybrid systems comprising nanoparticles and polymers is an opening pathway for engineering nanocomposites exhibiting outstanding mechanical, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. Among inorganic counterpart, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) exhibit high magnetization, controllable surface chemistry, spintronic properties, and biological compatibility. These characteristics enable them as a platform for biomedical applications and building blocks for bottom-up approaches, such as the layer-by-layer (LbL). In this regard, the present study is addressed to investigate IONP synthesised through co-precipitation route (average diameter around 7 nm), with either positive or negative surface charges, LbL assembled with sodium sulfonated polystyrene (PSS) or polyaniline (PANI). The surface and internal morphologies, and electrochemical properties of these nanocomposites were probed with atomic force microscopy, UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and electrochemical measurements. The nanocomposites display a globular morphology with IONP densely packed while surface dressed by polyelectrolytes. The investigation of the effect of thermal annealing (300 up to $600^{\circ}C$) on the oxidation process of IONP assembled with PSS was performed using Raman spectroscopy. Our findings showed that PSS protects IONP from oxidation/phase transformation to hematite up to $400^{\circ}C$. The electrochemical performance of nanocomposite comprising IONP and PANI were investigated in $0.5mol{\times}L^{-1}$ $Na_2SO_4$ electrolyte solution by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. Our findings indicate this structure as promising candidate for potential application as electrodes for supercapacitors.

Comparative analysis of turbulence models in hydraulic jumps

Lobosco, Raquel J.,da Fonseca, David O.,Jannuzzia, Graziella M.F.,Costa, Necesio G. Techno-Press 2019 Coupled systems mechanics Vol.8 No.4

A numerical simulation of the incompressible multiphase hydraulic jump flow was performed to compare the interface prediction through the use of the three RANS turbulence models: $k-{\varepsilon}$, $RNGk-{\varepsilon}$ and SST $k-{\omega}$. A three dimensional no submerged hydraulic jump and a two dimensional submerged hydraulic jump were modeled. Both the geometry and the mesh were created using the open source Gmsh code. The project's geometry consists of a rectangular channel with length and height differences between the two dimensional and three dimensional simulations. Uniform hexahedral cells were used for the mesh. Three refining meshes were constructed to allow to verify simulation convergence. The Volume of Fluid (abbr. VOF) method was used for treatment of the air-water surface. The turbulence models were evaluated in three distinct set up configurations to provide a greater accuracy in the flow representation. In the two-dimensional analysis of a submerged hydraulic jump simulation, the turbulence model RNG RNG $k-{\varepsilon}$ provided a better interface adjust with the experimental results than the model $k-{\varepsilon}$ and SST $k-{\omega}$. In the three-dimensional simulation of a no-submerged hydraulic jump the k-# showed better results than the SST $k-{\omega}$ and RNG $k-{\varepsilon}$ capturing the height and length of the ledge with a better fit with the experimental results.

Increased Cytokine and Nitric Oxide Levels in Serum of Dogs Experimentally Infected with Rangelia vitalii

Francine C. Paim,Aleksandro S. Da Silva,Carlos Breno V. Paim,Raqueli T. Franca,Marcio M. Costa,Marta M. M. F. Duarte,Manuela B. Sangoi,Rafael N. Moresco,Silvia G. Monteiro,Sonia Terezinha A. Lopes 대한기생충학열대의학회 2013 The Korean Journal of Parasitology Vol.51 No.1

This study aimed to measure the levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and nitrite/nitrate (NOx) in serum of dogs experimentally infected with Rangelia vitalii. Twelve female mongrel dogs were divided into 2 groups; group A (uninfected controls) composed by healthy dogs (n=5) and group B consisting of dogs inoculated with R. vitalii (n=7). Animals were monitored by blood smear examinations, which showed intraerythrocytic forms of the parasite on day 5 post-infection (PI). Blood samples were collected through the jugular vein on days 0, 10, and 20 PI to determine the serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and NOx. Cytokines were assessed by ELISA quantitative sandwich technique, and NOx was measured by the modified Griess method. Cytokine levels (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6) were increased (P<0.01) in serum of infected animals. Serum levels of NOx were also increased on days 10 PI (P<0.01) and 20 PI (P<0.05) in infected animals. Therefore, the infection with R. vitalii causes an increase in proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide content. These alterations may be associated with host immune protection against the parasite.

Collagen Hydrolysate Intake Increases Skin Collagen Expression and Suppresses Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Activity

Vivian Zague,Vanessa de Freitas,Marina da Costa Rosa,Geórgia Álvares de Castro,Ruy G. Jaeger,Gláucia M. Machado-Santelli 한국식품영양과학회 2011 Journal of medicinal food Vol.14 No.6

The effect of daily ingestion of collagen hydrolysate (CH) on skin extracellular matrix proteins was investigated. Four-week-old male Wistar rats were fed a modified AIN-93 diet containing 12% casein as the reference group or CH as the treatment group. A control group was established in which animals were fed a non–protein-modified AIN-93 diet. The diets were administered continuously for 4 weeks when six fresh skin samples from each group were assembled and subjected to extraction of protein. Type I and IV collagens were studied by immunoblot, and activities of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and 9 were assessed by zymography. The relative amount of type I and IV collagens was significantly (P < .05) increased after CH intake compared with the reference diet group (casein). Moreover, CH uptake significantly decreased both proenzyme and active forms of MMP2 compared with casein and control groups (P < .05). In contrast, CH ingestion did not influence on MMP9 activity. These results suggest that CH may reduce aging-related changes of the extracellular matrix by stimulating anabolic processes in skin tissue.

HST Photometry of Stellar Populations in the Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies NGC 185 and NGC 205

Myung Gyoon Lee,Sang Chul Kim,D. Geisler,A. Sarajedini,T. Armandroff,G. Da Costa 한국천문학회 1999 天文學會報 Vol.24 No.1

Cinnamon: an aromatic condiment applicable to chronic kidney disease

Moreira Laís de Souza Gouveia,Brum Isabela de Souza da Costa,de Vargas Reis Drielly C. M.,Trugilho Liana,Chermut Tuany R.,Esgalhado Marta,Cardozo Ludmila F. M. F.,Stenvinkel Peter,Shiels Paul G.,Mafra 대한신장학회 2023 Kidney Research and Clinical Practice Vol.42 No.1

Cinnamon, a member of the Lauraceae family, has been widely used as a spice and traditional herbal medicine for centuries and hasshown beneficial effects in cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. However, its effectiveness as a therapeutic intervention forchronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unproven. The bioactive compounds within cinnamon, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamicacid, and cinnamate, can mitigate oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperglycemia, gut dysbiosis, and dyslipidemia, which are commoncomplications in patients with CKD. In this narrative review, we assess the mechanisms by which cinnamon may alleviate complicationsobserved in CKD and the possible role of this spice as an additional nutritional strategy for this patient group.