Preparation of jet engine range fuel from biomass pyrolysis oil through hydrogenation and its comparison with aviation kerosene

The Bio-oil was produced from the pyrolysis of agricultural wastes (Eucalyptus sawdust) and discarded soybean frying oil. The temperature of the pyrolysis system was initiated at 28°C and increased to 850°C. Atmospheric distillation of crude bio-oil was performed and a fraction at a temperature range 160–240°C (pyrolysis oil) was separated and subjected to GC-MS, ¹H-NMR, TGA and FTIR analysis to identify the different properties and compounds present in pyrolysis oil. It was noticed that there was an abundance of oxygen and nitrogen containing compounds as well as other reactive species in pyrolysis oil. To reduce the amount of these species, the pyrolysis oil was subjected to hydrogenation in the presence of NiMo as a catalyst. After hydrogenation, the atmospheric distillation of hydrogenated bio-oil was performed and another fraction at temperature range 160–240°C (hydrogenated bio-oil) was separated and analyzed by the same techniques. It was noticed that during hydrogenation, more than 60% oxygenated and other reactive species were converted into hydrocarbons. Hydrogenated bio-oil showed very similar physico-chemical properties such as distillation curve, density, viscosity, freezing point, flash point, the presence of hydrocarbons and enthalpy of combustion as aviation kerosene also known as QAV-1.     

Gastroenteric Viruses Detection in a Drinking Water Distribution-to-Consumption System in a Low-Income Community in Rio de Janeiro

Food and Environmental Virology - The availability of drinking water is one of the main determinants of quality of life, disease prevention and the promotion of health. Viruses are important agents...     

Hepatitis A Virus,Hepatitis E Virus,and Rotavirus in Foods of Animal Origin Traded at the Borders of Brazil,Argentina, and Uruguay

The aim of this study was to investigate hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis E (HEV), and rotavirus (RV) in fresh and processed meat traded on the border of Brazil with Argentina and Uruguay. In total, 159 samples of raw and processed foods of animal origin were collected in Paso de los Libres, Argentina (n?=?53 raw meat, n?=?24 processed meat) and Rivera, Uruguay (n?=?55 raw meat, n?=?18 processed meat), or were seized by the Brazilian International Agricultural Surveillance System—VIGIAGRO (Brazil–Argentina border) (n?=?8 raw meat, n?=?1 bush meat). All samples were tested for the presence of HAV, HEV, and RV genomes. HAV genes were detected in 18.23% of samples and RV genes in 23.89%. No HEV-positive samples were detected. HAV was also detected in two of the VIGIAGRO samples. Processed meats from Argentina and Uruguay had a higher rate of HAV and RV than raw meat (P?>?0.05). The median HAV in the Argentinian and Uruguayan samples was 6.9?×?10⁴ and 3.5?×?10³ copies/g, respectively. The presence of RV viral genes in raw meats from Argentina was significant, and this was not observed in processed meats. The presence of HAV and RV genes in a significant portion of products from Argentina and Uruguay is a potential source of human infection. This also indicates precarious conditions of acquisition, processing, and manipulation, which could be improved by improved regulation of food across borders.     

Floral colour change in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Byrsonima variabilis</Emphasis> (Malpighiaceae) as a visual cue for pollen but not oil foraging by oil-collecting bees

Pollinators search for multiple flora resources throughout their life cycle. Most studies, however, only assess how bees discriminate floral cues in the context of nectar foraging. In the present study, we sought to elucidate whether oil-collecting bees discriminate flowers of Byrsonima variabilis (Malpighiaceae) with petals of different colours when foraging for pollen or oil. As the colour of the standard petal changes during anthesis, we characterised the spectral reflectance patterns of flowers throughout anthesis and modelled chromatic perceptual space to determine how these colour patterns are perceived by bees. Through the quantification of flower pollen in the different phases, we found that the colour of the standard petal is an honest cue of the presence of pollen. Centridine bees preferentially visited flowers with a yellow (bee’s green) colour when searching for pollen, but indiscriminately visited flowers with different petal colours when searching for floral oil. We suggest that standard petals, in the species studied and others of the genus, like nectar guides, act as pollen guides, which oil-collecting females use to detect pollen-rich flowers. Moreover, they use different floral clues during foraging for different resources in the same host plant.     

Use of sugarcane filter cake and nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium fertilization in the process of bioremediation of soil contaminated with diesel

This study evaluated the use of sugarcane filter cake and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilization in the bioremediation of a soil contaminated with diesel fuel using a completely randomized design. Five treatments (uncontaminated soil, T1; soil contaminated with diesel, T2; soil contaminated with diesel and treated with 15 % (wt) filter cake, T3; soil contaminated with diesel and treated with NPK fertilizer, T4; and soil contaminated with diesel and treated with 15 % (wt) filter cake and NPK fertilizer, T5) and four evaluation periods (1, 60, 120, and 180 days after the beginning of the experiment) were used according to a 4?×?5 factorial design to analyze CO₂ release. The variables total organic carbon (TOC) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) remaining in the soil were analyzed using a 5?×?2 factorial design, with the same treatments described above and two evaluation periods (1 and 180 days after the beginning of the experiment). In T3 and T5, CO₂ release was significantly higher, compared with the other treatments. Significant TPH removal was observed on day 180, when percent removal values were 61.9, 70.1, 68.2, and 75.9 in treatments T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively, compared with the initial value (T1).     

The influence of axle position and the use of accessories on the activity of upper limb muscles during manual wheelchair propulsion

Introduction. Wheelchair configuration is an important factor influencing the ergonomics of the user–device interface and, from a biomechanical point of view, small changes in chair setup may have a positive influence on the demand on the upper limbs during manual propulsion. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the position of the rear wheels’ axle and the use of accessories on the activity of upper limb muscles during manual wheelchair propulsion. Methods. Electromyography signals of the biceps, triceps, anterior deltoids and pectoralis major were collected for 11 able-bodied subjects in a wheelchair propulsion protocol with four different wheelchair configurations (differing in axle position and the use of accessories) on a straightforward sprint and a slalom course. Results. With accessories, moving the axle forward led to a decrease in the activity of all muscles in both the straightforward sprint (significant differences in triceps, anterior deltoids and biceps) and the slalom course (significant difference in anterior deltoids and biceps). However, when propelling the chair without accessories, no difference was found related to axle position. Conclusion. Changes in wheelchair configuration can influence the ergonomics of manual wheelchair propulsion. Reducing the biomechanical loads may benefit users’ mobility, independence and social participation.     

Foraging behavior and habitat use by the Southern Giant Petrel on the Patagonian Shelf

We explored the at-sea behavior and marine habitat use of the Southern Giant Petrel breeding in Patagonia, Argentina by means of satellite telemetry. Adult breeders showed a wide distribution over the Patagonian Shelf, using 74% of its surface. The maximum distance traveled from the colonies was 683 km, but on average birds moved no more than 200 km further away from their colony. Important marine areas were located in the shelf break, middle shelf and coastal waters. Areas of activity by sex overlap between 35 and 94%. Females foraged primarily away from the coast and males mainly on coastal areas. Both sexes were capable of flying up to 4,000 km but most of the foraging trips were of less than 200 km. Our results emphasize the importance of the Patagonian Shelf as foraging habitat for pelagic seabirds and contribute to international efforts to identify and protect a network of marine sites.     

Composition analysis of dental solid waste in Brazil

When developing proper waste management strategies, it is essential to characterize the volume and composition of solid waste. The aim of this work was to evaluate the composition of dental waste produced by three dental health services in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Two universities, one public and one private, and one public dental health service were selected. Waste collection took place from March to November 2007. During this period, three samples were collected from each dental health service. The total amount of dental waste produced in one day of dental work was manually separated into three categories: infectious and potentially infectious waste, accounting for 24.3% of the total waste; non-infectious waste, accounting for 48.1%; and domestic-type waste, accounting for 27.6% (percentages are for mean weights of solid waste). Our results showed that most of the waste considered as biomedical may be misclassified, consequently making the infectious waste amount appear much larger. In addition, our results suggest that the best waste minimization method is recycling, and they help to define an appropriate waste management system in all three of the dental health services involved in this study.     

An empirical model of sediment deposition processes in Lake Kerkini, Central Macedonia Greece

The deposition processes in Kerkini Reservoir, since 1933, are examined in this paper. Built on the course of River Strymonas at the plain of Serres for anti-flooding control, it was gradually developed as a multipurpose reservoir for irrigation and a very important international wetland protected by the Ramsar Treaty. The deposition into Lake Kerkini is caused by the high rates of sediment transport by River Strymonas from the Bulgarian, Serbian and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia territory drainage basin of Kerkini of 11,600 km². The life expectancy of the original reservoir was approximately 40 years. The sediment transport and the deposition volumes and rates were high during the first stages of Kerkini operation due to deforestations and stockbreeding activities against forested and agricultural areas in southwestern Bulgaria before World War II, which intensify erosion and deposition phenomena in Kerkini’s catchment. They were gradually reduced due to the anti-erosion hydraulic works, extended reforestations mainly in the period 1962–1977, and the natural processes of Strymonas–Kerkini hydrosystem to attain its equilibrium. Based on six systematic bottom surveys of the reservoir from 1933 to 1991, two empirical formulas of the total deposition volume (ΣV _s) and the deposition rates (ΔΣV _s/ΔΣt) through time (Σt) were developed. The results have been compared with other catchments of the broader Balkan area concerning the erosion, sediment yield, sediment deposition volumes, and rates, and it was found in accordance with the measured data. The obtained empirical model was used to estimate the life expectancy of the new rebuilt reservoir of Kerkini in 1984; in the case of natural processes, these do not change dramatically in the transboundary Lake Kerkini catchment. The deposition processes of Kerkini were the major causes of its development into an internationally important wetland and biotope. Kerkini offers development opportunities for scientific research, environmental education, ecotourism, and recreation activities.