Showing papers by "Universal Forest Products published in 2019"

Evaluation of methylene blue removal by plasma activated palygorskites

Abstract: Clay minerals with fibrous morphology, such as palygorskite, have been applied as adsorbents to remove pollutants from the environment and reduce toxic compounds, such as dye, in aquatic media. Although natural palygorskite has good dye removal performance, chemical modification can improve its adsorption sites and desired properties. In this study, palygorskite was activated in H2/N2 plasma flow for 2, 4, and 6 h to produce new adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB). The solids were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to dispersive energy X-ray spectrometry and nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements. The plasma technique induced structural defects in the palygorskite by the removal of coordinated and zeolitic water molecules, which altered the palygorskite’s specific surface area and pore volume. The adsorption capacity of the activated plasma samples for the removal of MB increased from 35.66 in the natural palygorskite to 54.17 mg g−1 in the activated samples.

High loads of nano-hydroxyapatite/graphene nanoribbon composites guided bone regeneration using an osteoporotic animal model.

Abstract: Background It has been difficult to find bioactive compounds that can optimize bone repair therapy and adequate osseointegration for people with osteoporosis. The nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp)/carbon nanotubes with graphene oxides, termed graphene nanoribbons (GNR) composites have emerged as promising materials/scaffolds for bone regeneration due to their bioactivity and osseointegration properties. Herein, we evaluated the action of nHAp/GNR composites (nHAp/GNR) to promote bone regeneration using an osteoporotic model. Materials and methods First, three different nHAp/GNR (1, 2, and 3 wt% of GNR) were produced and characterized. For in vivo analyses, 36 Wistar rats (var. albinus, weighing 250-300 g, Comissao de Etica no Uso de Animais [CEUA] n.002/17) were used. Prior to implantation, osteoporosis was induced by oophorectomy in female rats. After 45 days, a tibial fracture was inflicted using a 3.0-mm Quest trephine drill. Then, the animals were separated into six sample groups at two different time periods of 21 and 45 days. The lesions were filled with 3 mg of one of the above samples using a curette. After 21 or 45 days of implantation, the animals were euthanized for analysis. Histological, biochemical, and radiographic analyses (DIGORA method) were performed. The data were evaluated through ANOVA, Tukey test, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test with statistical significance at P Results Both nHAp and GNR exhibited osteoconductive activity. However, the nHAp/GNR exhibited regenerative activity proportional to their concentration, following the order of 3% >2% >1% wt. Conclusion Therefore, it can be inferred that all analyzed nanoparticles promoted bone regeneration in osteoporotic rats independent of analyzed time.

Semiconductor supported by palygorskite and layered double hydroxides clays to dye discoloration in solution by a photocatalytic process

Abstract: The present study aimed to synthesize photocatalytic materials using palygorskite (PAL) clays and a layered double hydroxide (LDH) calcined as support for titanium dioxide (TiO2) as an alternative for dye decontamination in aqueous media. The material was synthesized from the co-precipitation of LDH-Mg-Al in PAL and the TiO2 was incorporated using a sol-gel method. The materials were calcined at 400 °C for 2 h for formation of anatase phase of TiO2. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy, Specific surface area, and Photoluminescence, which proved the incorporation of TiO2 anatase in the materials, this being responsible for the photocatalytic properties. The photocatalytic activity was measured by monitoring the discoloration of the eosin yellow (EY) dye. The LDH material calcined with TiO2 (CLDHT-400) showed a discoloration rate of 99.08%. The materials made from PAL with TiO2 (PALT-400) and PAL-LDH with TiO2 (PAL-CLDH-T-400) presented discoloration rates of 75.36% and 73.19%, respectively. For all the materials, an efficient photocatalytic was proven even in the process of recycling the photocatalysts with loss of capacity of less than 7.0%, proving that the titanium dioxide remains stable in the structure of the clays. The possible photodegradation mechanism was propused based on the properties of CLDHT-400, scavenger study and the photoproducts.

Copper nanoparticles stabilized with cashew gum: Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity against 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cell line.

Abstract: Copper nanoparticles stabilized with cashew (CG-CuNPs) were synthesized by reduction reaction using ascorbic acid and sodium borohydride, using the cashew gum (CG) as a natural polymer stabilizer. ...

Development of a low-cost electrochemical sensor based on babassu mesocarp (Orbignya phalerata) immobilized on a flexible gold electrode for applications in sensors for 5-fluorouracil chemotherapeutics.

Abstract: There are increasing concerns regarding the risks arising from the contamination of manipulators of antineoplastic drugs promoted by occupational exposure or even in the dosage of drugs. The present work proposes the use of an electrochemical sensor based on a biopolymer extracted from the babassu coconut (Orbignya phalerata) for the determination of an antineoplastic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) drug as an alternative for the monitoring of these drugs. In order to reduce the cost of this sensor, a flexible gold electrode (FEAu) is proposed. The surface modification of FEAu was performed with the deposition of a casting film of the biopolymer extracted from the babassu mesocarp (BM) and modified with phthalic anhydride (BMPA). The electrochemical activity of the modified electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and its morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The FEAu/BMPA showed a high sensitivity (8.8 μA/μmol/L) and low limit of detection (0.34 μmol/L) for the 5-FU drug in an acid medium. Electrochemical sensors developed from the babassu mesocarp may be a viable alternative for the monitoring of the 5-FU antineoplastic in pharmaceutical formulations, because in addition to being sensitive to this drug, they are constructed of a natural polymer, renewable, and abundant in nature.

Hybrid Systems Based on Talc and Chitosan for Controlled Drug Release.

Abstract: Inorganic matrices and biopolymers have been widely used in pharmaceutical fields. They show properties such as biocompatibility, incorporation capacity, and controlled drug release, which can become more attractive if they are combined to form hybrid materials. This work proposes the synthesis of new drug delivery systems (DDS) based on magnesium phyllosilicate (Talc) obtained by the sol-gel route method, the biopolymer chitosan (Ch), and the inorganic-organic hybrid formed between this matrix (Talc + Ch), obtained using glutaraldehyde as a crosslink agent, and to study their incorporation/release capacity of amiloride as a model drug. The systems were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Therma analysis TG/DTG, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) that supported the DDS's formation. The hybrid showed a better drug incorporation capacity compared to the precursors, with a loading of 55.74, 49.53, and 4.71 mg g-1 for Talc + Ch, Talc, and Ch, respectively. The release assays were performed on a Hanson Research SR-8 Plus dissolver using apparatus I (basket), set to guarantee the sink conditions. The in vitro release tests showed a prolongation of the release rates of this drug for at least 4 h. This result proposes that the systems implies the slow and gradual release of the active substance, favoring the maintenance of the plasma concentration within a therapeutic window.

Photodegradation study of TiO2 and ZnO in suspension using miniaturized tests

Abstract: Miniaturization has been a trend in the instrumentation of chemical analyzes. The interest in miniaturization stems from the perceived benefits of faster, easier, less expensive and less wasteful analyzes than the tradition analyses. Thus, this work proposes a miniaturization of photocatalytic tests using a microplate reader for the analysis of several results, using only microliters of solution. The present work investigates the heterogeneous photocatalysis of the eosin yellow, acid yellow 73 and basic yellow 2 dyes, in the presence of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) catalysts, under irradiation in the visible light and ultraviolet light. Dye degradation was evaluated using a microplate reader (Elisa Polaris®), a photometric device that performs colorimetric readings in the 0-3 absorbance (ABS) range at wavelengths of 405, 450, 492 and 630 nm. The kinetic study was performed using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood law. It was verified that the degradation rates were higher than 90% over a period of 120 minutes for all the studied systems, especially the system composed of acid yellow dye 73 and the ZnO catalyst, which reached a degradation of 96.23% in 120 minutes.

Medicinal flora cultivated in backyards of a community in Northeast Brazil

Abstract: Background: Medicinal plants represent the oldest form used by humanity in the prevention and/or cure of their illnesses. They have low cost, are culturally widespread and can be cultivated in backyards. Methods: The objective was to know which medicinal plants are used and grown in homegardens, as well as its indication and the parts used by the residents of the Lagoa da Prata Community, in the municipality of Parnaiba, Piaui. 174 people were interviewed, a total of 91 homegardens. Data were collected for direct data collection, structured interview, guided tours, photographic records, interview recordings, field journal annotations, Value of Use (VU) and Relative Importance (RI). Results: The survey recorded 30 plants, distributed in 19 families The species with higher VU were Gossypium hirsutum L. (1.28), Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants (1.12) e Ocimum gratissimum L. (1.12). Conclusions: This way, it was observed that the interviewees cultivated a variety of plant species used to treat a large number of diseases.

Understanding Urea Encapsulation in Different Clay Minerals as a Possible System for Ruminant Nutrition.

Abstract: Considering the challenges of urea administration due to the high ureolytic activity of the rumen and the importance of its use, as well as taking into account the relevance of sustainably exploiting the technological potential of biodiversity, this research studies the encapsulation of urea in different clay minerals (palygorskite (Pal), sepiolite (Sep), and Veegum® (V)) as an alternative for use as nonprotein nitrogen (NNP) sources. A method of incorporation was developed in which the encapsulation of urea was proven by X-ray diffraction; fibrous materials, Pal and Sep had similar characteristics due to the decrease in the relative plane intensity (011), suggesting a decrease in the order of their stacking due to the presence of urea on the surface or inside channels. By contrast, V showed a 7.74° reflection shift, suggesting an increase in basal spacing from 11.45 A in V to 14.88 A in the sample after urea encapsulation. By thermogravimetry, it was observed that the presence of urea did not change the mass-loss profiles but only increased the percentage of loss in respective events, indicating urea incorporation in the clay minerals. These results provide a promising alternative for administering NNP sources in the ruminant diet.

Práticas geoconservacionistas como ferramentas para o ensino de Geografia Física

Abstract: Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar e analisar práticas conservacionistas que possam ser aplicadas ao ensino de Geografia Física, em face da aproximação desta com o estudo da geodiversidade. A Geoconservação tem por finalidade valorizar e conservar a geodiversidade, definida como os elementos abióticos, interações e sistemas decorrentes das paisagens, dentre as quais se encontram os aspectos estudados pela Geografia Física. No sentido de se conservar a natureza, preocupação social recorrente, os processos educativos se apresentam como mola propulsora desta tarefa. Para desenvolvimento do trabalho foi empregada a pesquisa bibliográfica a partir de Chizotti (2011), Oliveira (2013) e Prodanov e Freitas (2013). A compatibilização entre Geoconservação e o ensino de Geografia Física estabelece-se principalmente a partir da análise da paisagem e de seus componentes fisiográficos, através de diversas práticas geoconservacionistas dentre elas aulas de campo, visitas orientadas a museus, oficinas, cursos e minicursos e trilhas interpretativas. Ainda tem-se muito que avançar neste campo, pois as pesquisas reconhecem o valor educativo da geodiversidade, em sua maioria indicando-a como recurso para a compreensão da dinâmica do ambiente natural, e construir um conhecimento sobre os componentes abióticos das paisagens necessitando, assim, ampliar os estudos nesta perspectiva, principalmente no ensino da Geografia Física.

Explorando a química de produtos naturais e propriedades biológicas do gênero Mimosa Linnaeus (FABACEAE-MIMOSOIDADE)

Abstract: O genero Mimosa Linnaeus, pertencente a familia Fabaceae, compreende cerca de 540 especies distribuidas na regiao Neotropical, principalmente na America do Sul e Mexico. Devido a elevada adaptacao climatica, especies desse genero sao onipresentes em diversos biomas. A presente revisao descreve a compilacao dos registros da quimica de produtos naturais e propriedades biologicas do genero Mimosa L.. O levantamento quimico mostrou a biodiversidade de metabolitos, representado por 19 especies e 199 substâncias, com predominância de flavonoides das classes de flavonas e flavonois. Quanto as atividades biologicas, a avaliacao de extratos, fracoes e substâncias isoladas de diferentes partes de especie de Mimosa L. mostrou elevada potencialidade para aplicacoes antioxidantes, provavelmente em funcao da presenca de flavonoides e acidos fenolicos. Diante disso, os registros dos produtos naturais e atividades biologicas sao importantes para o acesso ao conhecimento da biodiversidade de especies de genero Mimosa L.

Fatores que impactam na qualidade do planejamento orçamentário dos municípios do estado de São Paul

Abstract: O orçamento é um documento central da política governamental, mostrando quais objetivos serão priorizados no ano seguinte e no médio prazo. Este trabalho explora os fatores que influenciam a qualidade do planejamento orçamentário. A pesquisa quantitativa foi baseada no IEGM (Índice de Efetividade da Gestão Municipal) criado pelo TCESP (Tribunal de Contas do Estado de São Paulo) que mede a efetividade do planejamento nos 644 municípios do estado de São Paulo. Constatou-se que quanto maior o município, pior a qualidade de seu planejamento orçamentário. Já o orçamento per capita tem efeito positivo na qualidade do planejamento. Não foi encontrada associação entre a qualidade do planejamento e os seguintes fatores apontados pela literatura: iniciativas de transparência, existência de equipe de planejamento e controle interno formalmente instituído no município. Esses dados apontam para novas descobertas não previstas pela literatura e que ajudam a explicar o sucesso do planejamento orçamentário.

Subprodutos do babaçu (Orbignya sp)como novos materiais adsortivos: uma revisão

Abstract: O Babacu (Orbignya sp) e uma planta lignocelulosica, disponivel em larga escala no norte-nordeste do Brasil, que vem despontado como uma boa fonte de biomateriais, sendo utilizados em varios estudos como adsorventes. Diante disso, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um estudo prospectivo do uso de subprodutos do babacu (endocarpo, mesocarpo, epicarpo e carvao ativado) como um material com excelentes propriedades adsortivas, em potencial, para moleculas inorgânicas e orgânicas.O estudo foi realizado atraves de uma revisao de literatura (artigos e patentes), no intervalo temporal de julho de 2015 a fevereiro de 2018. As bases de dados utilizadas foram: Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial do Brasil, World Intellectual Property Organization, European Patent Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office e Patentes publicas da America latina e Espanha, para busca de patentes; e Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science e Scientific Electronic Library Online, para os artigos. A partir da analise criteriosa do levantamento bibliografico foram selecionados 18 artigos cientificos e 1 patente, sobre o tema. Dentre os quais o mesocarpo, epicarpo (naturais e modificados) e o carvao ativado do babacu foram substratos de adsorcao bastante eficientes. Onde os resultados foram satisfatorios, de modo que o babacu desponta como um bom adsorvente e de baixo custo, sendo assim um biomaterial de qualidade e acessivel. Palavras-chave: Adsorcao, Babacu, Descontaminacao, Meio ambiente.

The Parents’ Cultural Care Towards Promoting Child Development / O Cuidado Cultural dos Pais na Promoção do Desenvolvimento Infantil

Abstract: Objetivo: compreender como os pais promovem o desenvolvimento infantil as criancas menores de cinco anos no contexto familiar, estabelecendo cuidados de enfermagem a luz da teoria de Madeleine Leininger. Metodos: estudo de natureza descritiva exploratoria, qualitativa, desenvolvida com maes ou pais de criancas menores de cinco anos de idade, cadastradas na estrategia Saude da Familia de Picos – Piaui. A investigacao cumpriu os principios eticos da Resolucao no 466/12. Resultados: os pais como os primeiros educadores a ter contato com o universo infantil, demonstraram preocupacao no cuidado com o processo de desenvolvimento motor, da linguagem e mental, destaca-se a necessidade de orientacoes seguras dos profissionais enfermeiros, respeitando sua contribuicao cultural. Conclusao: percebe-se que dever ser mais explorado pelos enfermeiros o desempenho esperado para cada idade da crianca no que se refere aos marcos do desenvolvimento infantil, respeitando o cuidado cultural dos genitores.

Avaliação do perfil dos fatores de risco para Acidente Vascular Cerebral: estudo observacional

Abstract: INTRODUCTION : There is a significant increase in the incidence of stroke (AVC) cases, due to the increase in longevity, with age being one of the factors most relevant to the development of the disease. OBJECTIVE: To identify the profile of risk factors that predisposes the appearance of stroke in visitors of a park in Teresina-PI. MATERIALS AND METHODS : This is an observational cross-sectional study carried out with 117 people attending a park located in Teresina-PI, stipulating the following inclusion criteria: being 18 years or older; sign the Free and Informed Consent Form and attend the activities of this recreational space. Data were collected through a questionnaire with 18 closed objective questions about risk factors predisposing to the onset of stroke including information on the knowledge of these factors and also, weight, height, age, Body Mass Index (BMI) and Pressure Arterial (PA) of the participants. RESULTS : The study showed a profile of people aged 18 to 30 years, female with normal BMI, which prevails risk factors such as stress (49%), sedentarism (44%), sex (43%), consumption of alcohol consumption (40%), dyslipidemia (12%), obesity (10%), hypertension (8%), heart disease (6%), diabetes (3%) and smoking (2%). CONCLUSION : We observed a profile of people with ages ranging from 18 to 30 years, female and with normal BMI presenting modifiable vascular risk factors that may be associated with poor habits and lack of information related to these health problems. Thus, preventive measures are necessary in order to promote or intensify health promotion aimed at information, monitoring and control of these factors, providing the general population with a healthy aging.

Rede Neural Convolucional para o Diagnóstico de Leucemia

Abstract: A leucemia e um tipo de câncer que afeta a producao de celulas san- guineas na medula ossea o que dificulta a coagulacao do sangue e o combate a infeccoes. Nesse trabalho propomos um metodo para o diagnostico automatico de leucemia utilizando Redes Neurais Convolucionais (CNNs). Nos utilizamos CNNs pre-treinadas e tecnicas de transferencia de aprendizagem na constru- cao do metodo proposto. Empregamos a tecnica Deeply Fine Tuning Modi- fied (DFTM) combinada com operacoes de aumento de dados para refinar um modelo pre-treinado. Para treinar e testar o metodo proposto, utilizamos um conjunto de 2304 imagens de 14 bases diferentes. O metodo proposto atingiu acuracia de 98,84% e quando comparado com outros trabalhos, observamos maior robustez e consistencia nos resultados. Ao final, concluimos que o ajuste fino e mais robusto a classificacao de imagens heterogeneas quando comparado com a extracao de caracteristicas atraves de CNNs.

Characterization of children and teenagers with ostomies in a health service

Abstract: Objective: To characterize the socioeconomic and clinical profi le of children and adolescents with ostomies attended at a public reference hospital in children’s health in the state of Piaui, Brazil. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study of 55 children/adolescents with at least one ostomy. Results: There was a predominance of males, brown, mean age of 4.1 years. The main causes for the confection of the stoma were congenital malformations, especially the anomaly. Regarding the organic system, the gastrointestinal was the most aff ected and the colostomy was the most frequent. The majority of participants with elimination ostomies did not use collecting equipment. With regard to the complications of the stoma, the accidental release of the gastrostomy tube was the most common, followed by stomatal bleeding. Dermatitis was the most common skin complication. Conclusion: The realization of this study made it possible to know the socio-demographic profi le of children and teenagers with ostomies and to promote refl ections about nursing care to improve the assistance provided to these clients.

Geotecnologias aplicadas à caracterização da temperatura da superfície na cidade de teresina (pi)

Abstract: Considerando as caracteristicas tropicais do Brasil, muitos trabalhos tem sido desenvolvidos centrando-se no elemento climatico temperatura, que e o primeiro a receber alteracoes decorrentes da urbanizacao. Nessa perspectiva, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivo geral analisar a relacao entre a cobertura do solo e a temperatura de superficie em Teresina (PI). Os procedimentos metodologicos incluiram o uso de imagens de satelite e tecnicas de geoprocessamento, com a intencao de caracterizar a superficie da cidade, e relaciona-la a expressao espaco-temporal de seu campo termico. Para isso, foi contemplado um intervalo de 30 anos, outubro de 1985 e outubro de 2015, com comparacao de imagens de satelite referentes a esses dois anos. Por meio do processamento das imagens de satelite foram produzidos mapas de uso e cobertura do solo e mapas de temperatura da superficie, para os anos considerados. Ao final do trabalho, foi possivel verificar a relacao entre os valores mais altos de temperatura de superficie com as areas mais intensamente transformadas pela acao humana, mediante o processo de urbanizacao.

Redes Neurais Artificiais na estimação de variáveis biométricas de mudas de espécies florestais produzidas em diferentes substratos

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the stem growth in diameter and height as well as the production of total dry matter from seedlings of Myracrodruon urundeuva, Jacaranda brasiliana and Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia . Concurrently, an Artificial Neural Network (RNA) of Multilayer Perceptron type that would be able to estimate the H and the MST of the seedlings of the studied species was developed. The seedlings were cultivated in a protected environment with 50% shade. Thus, the treatments were considered with five proportions of the organic material (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80% v/v) in the final substrate composition (desertified area soil). At 120 days after sowing, the seedlings were collected to determine the biometric variables. The MLP network was used with help of the Levenberg-Marquardat training algorithm. The variables used as input of the MLP for height and dry mass estimation of the seedlings were: stem diameter, minimum, medium and maximum diameter of stem; and species and sources of organic residues (cattle manure, goat manure and rice straw), totaling ten entries. The hyperbolic tangent activation function was conducted. As a result, a 80:20% ratio (bovine manure and/or goat manure: soil from the degraded area) is recommended to be used in the growing substrate for seedling growth. The addition of bovine manure and goat manure doses influenced the Jacaranda brasiliana DC, with the linear effect increasing with the estimated value of 2.66 mm plant -1 . For H, the addition of bovine and goat manure influenced the growth of Myracrodruon urundeuva seedlings. The MST production of seedlings from the three species was also distributed as a function of the increasing proportions of organic residues incorporated into the culture substrate. The use of the Artificial Neural Network of Multilayer Perceptron type was efficient for the estimation of the height and total dry mass of the species studied.

Synthesis of catalyst composed of palygorskita-TiO2 and silver nanoparticles for the development of assays antioxidant based on the generation of reactive oxygen species

Abstract: The great interest in compounds that present antioxidant capacity has generating the urgent need for analytical methods that could determine the antioxidant potential of these sources. A method based on generation of reactive oxygen species in water from catalyst composed of palygorskita-TiO2 and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs/TiO2-PAL) was developed and applied to antioxidant assays. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using silver nitrate solution, sodium borohydride reducing agent and Caraia gum as stabilizing agent. Incorporation of AgNPs into the previously synthesized TiO2-PAL was performed. The catalyst AgNPs/TiO2-PAL was characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The catalyst AgNPs/TiO2-PAL were used to perform an antioxidant activity method which consisted in monitoring the discoloration of acid yellow 73 dye (AY73) in the presence of gallic acid antioxidant comparing to the dye discoloration in the absence of the antioxidant. A microplate reader was used to measure the discoloration of the aqueous solutions of AY73, irradiated by UV light for 60 min. The effect of reactive oxygen species generated by AgNPs/TiO2-PAL based in photocatalytic kinetics of AY73 dye was investigated. The oxidation of AY73 dye by photocatalysis in the system with AgNPs/TiO2-PAL catalysts was carried out mainly by the participation of O 2 ·− , HO· and 1O2 species, in this order of importance. The results showed that the synthesis of the AgNPs/TiO2-PAL catalyst was successfully carried out and the application of this material in the development of an innovative methodology for the determination of antioxidant activity was extremely promising.

Performance and Resource Consumption Analysis of Elastic Systems on Public Clouds

Abstract: Service providers may build elastic systems on public clouds. The public cloud may offer economies of scale, but there are some considerations to take into account. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) providers charge their customers by the use of virtual machines (VMs), and wrong deployment decisions may lead to financial losses. This paper proposes an approach for estimating systems’ performance, use of VM instances and its related costs on a public cloud. This work proposes a Stochastic Petri Net (SPN)-based formal modeling strategy to represent elastic systems deployed on a public cloud and a cost model to predict the use of VM instances. The approach enables designers to plan and tune elastic architectures based on Mean Response Time (MRT) estimation. Using our strategy it is possible to estimate the impact of each deployment configuration on the evaluated metrics. Our modeling strategy considers reactive scaling policies. The model represents a remote infrastructure for supporting external users requests. By combining different instance types, simultaneous jobs per VM instance, stepsizes and scaling thresholds, it is possible to offer different response times for each deployment configuration. One case study was performed to evaluate the approach. Our approach has proven to be feasible and it highlights the most effective scenarios to minimize MRT and reduce costs.

Índice de aridez na Zona da Mata no Estado de Pernambuco - Brasil

Abstract: A economia agropecuaria da Zona da Mata e composta principalmente pela plantacao de cana-de-acucar, tendo a regiao engenhos e usinas. Ultimamente a regiao vem se destacando devido ao crescimento no numero de industrias alimenticias e automotiva. O estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a variabilidade dos indices de umidade e aridez atraves das analises estatisticas para as cidades que compoem a Zona da Mata do estado de Pernambuco. Os dados gerados poderao subsidiar decisoes na area para o melhoramento dos solos com susceptibilidades elevadas. Na analise do comportamento climatico foram utilizados dados de precipitacao, media climatologica, do banco de dados da Superintendencia do Desenvolvimento do Nordeste (SUDENE, 1990) e da Agencia de tempo e clima do Estado de Pernambuco (APAC). A estimativa da temperatura media do ar foi realizada com uso do software denominado “Estima_T” (Cavalcanti et al., 1994, 2006), desenvolvido pelo Nucleo de Meteorologia Aplicada da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), atraves da estimativa das series de temperatura media mensal do ar de alguns postos meteorologicos, devido a ausencia de dados. Foram encontrados os niveis de susceptibilidade a desertificacao, alta e muito alta. Nota-se que o indice de aridez nao exerce grande influencia na determinacao da ocorrencia de areas desertificadas para a area de estudo, levando-se em consideracao os valores de temperatura e precipitacao, podendo ser a acao antropica um dos fatores importantes na desertificacao.

Análise do componente arbóreo em uma área de ecótono Cerrado-Caatinga no sul do Piauí, Brasil

Abstract: Objetivou-se nesse estudo conhecer a diversidade floristica e a fitossociologia em uma area de ecotono Cerrado-Caatinga no Sul do Piaui. Para amostragem do componente arboreo foram alocadas aleatoriamente 20 parcelas de 400 m 2 (20 × 20 m). Nas parcelas foram mensurados todos os individuos vivos com circunferencia a altura do peito (CAP) ≥ 6 cm. Avaliou-se os parâmetros fitossociologicos da estrutura horizontal e a diversidade floristica das especies atraves do indice de diversidade de Shannon (H’). Foram amostrados 2.080 individuos distribuidos em 43 especies e 15 familias. O indice de diversidade (H’) encontrado foi de 2,77 nats.ind -1 . As familias mais representativas em numero de especies foram Fabaceae (19), Myrtaceae (3) e Combretaceae (3). As especies mais representativas foram Combretum anfractuosum , Cenostigma macrophyllun , Terminalia actinophylla , Brosimum longifolium e Hymenaea eriogyne que juntas representaram 54,71% dos individuos. A distribuicao diametrica mostrou que a maioria dos individuos se encontram nas menores classes diametricas, o padrao J invertido e um indicativo de que as especies estao se regenerando. Todas as especies, independente do seu tamanho populacional, contribuem para a diversidade e desenvolvimento da comunidade. O numero de individuos e a diversidade de especies mostram que o fragmento se encontra em bom estado de conservacao.