Life cycle assessment of rainwater harvesting systems for Brazilian semi‐arid households

We assess and compare energy intensities in different setups of Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RHWS), in households located in Brazilian semi‐arid. Life cycle assessment was applied to verify the cumulative energy demand (CED) of systems with different catchment areas and reservoir volumes. The contribution of each component to the energy intensity was considered, as well the feedstock energy of the materials in final waste disposal. None of the evaluated systems were able to meet the total demand for water in a household due production limitations such as catchment area and precipitation. In all RWHS evaluated, the energy intensity was lower than municipality. Larger catchment areas increase productivity and reduce the energy intensity of the systems. Differently, increasing reservoir volume initially reduces energy intensity and reaches an optimal point around 1000–2500 L capacity. The construction phase had more intensity than the use phase.     

Maintenance of meiotic arrest in bovine oocytes using the S-enantiomer of roscovitine: effects on maturation, fertilization and subsequent embryo development in vitro

The overall objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the S-enantiomer of roscovitine (inhibitor of p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase) to maintain bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage for extended times after removal from antral follicles without compromising subsequent maturation, fertilization and embryo development. Oocytes were cultured in 0, 12.5, 25 or 50 micromol/l S-roscovitine for 24 h. Hoechst staining showed that 50 micromol/l S-roscovitine maintained >90% of oocytes at the GV stage and inhibited gonadotropin-induced cumulus expansion. Fewer oocytes underwent nuclear maturation after in vitro maturation (Hoechst staining) when cultured in 50 micromol/l S-roscovitine for 66 versus 21 or 42 h. Zona pellucida (ZP) hardening (pronase resistance), cortical granule types (lens culinaris agglutinin-fluorescein isothiocyanate), nuclear maturation and fertilization with frozen-thawed spermatozoa (Hoechst staining) were assessed after culture of oocytes in 50 micromol/l S-roscovitine for 0, 24 or 48 h. Neither ZP hardening, nor nuclear maturation nor fertilization were altered by roscovitine culture for 48 h. A higher proportion of oocytes had a type III cortical granule pattern (premature translocation to the oolemma) after roscovitine culture for 48 h. However, embryo development was not compromised as cleavage, development to 8-16 cell and blastocyst stages were at least comparable in control and roscovitine-treated oocytes. In conclusion, the studies have shown that S-roscovitine reversibly maintained bovine oocytes at the GV stage for 48 h. However, maintenance of oocytes in static culture for 48 h was not sufficient to improve development above non-treated controls.     

Does stimulant medication improve the peer status of hyperactive children?

Although stimulants improve the social behaviors of hyperactive children, analogous changes in peer status have not been previously demonstrated. We compared peer appraisals of hyperactive boys (N?=?25) after placebo, 0.3 mg/kg, and 0.6 mg/kg methylphenidate (Ritalin). With the higher dose generally producing stronger effects, methylphenidate enhanced social standing, increasing nominations of hyperactive boys as best friends, cooperative, and fun to be with. These medication-related improvements, although important, did not normalize peer appraisals, and there was interindividual variability in medication response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Positive affect facilitates creative problem solving.

Four experiments indicated that positive affect, induced by means of seeing a few minutes of a comedy film or by means of receiving a small bag of candy, improved performance on two tasks that are generally regarded as requiring creative ingenuity: Duncker's (1945) candle task and M. T. Mednick, S. A. Mednick, and E. V. Mednick's (1964) Remote Associates Test. One condition in which negative affect was induced and two in which subjects engaged in physical exercise (intended to represent affectless arousal) failed to produce comparable improvements in creative performance. The influence of positive affect on creativity was discussed in terms of a broader theory of the impact of positive affect on cognitive organization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Higher Lipophilic Index Indicates Higher Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Postmenopausal Women

Fatty acids (FAs) are essential components of cell membranes and play an integral role in membrane fluidity. The lipophilic index [LI, defined as the sum of the products between FA levels and melting points (°C), divided by the total amount of FA: \({\text{LI}} = \frac{{\mathop \sum \nolimits_{k} [{\text{fatty acid}} \times {\text{melting point}}]}}{{\mathop \sum \nolimits_{k} {\text{fatty acid}} }}\)] is thought to reflect membrane and lipoprotein fluidity and may be associated with the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Therefore, we examined the associations of dietary and plasma phospholipid (PL) LI with CHD risk among postmenopausal women. We determined dietary LI for the cohort with completed baseline food frequency questionnaires and free of prevalent cardiovascular diseases in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) observational study (N = 85,563). We additionally determined plasma PL LI in a matched case-control study (N = 2428) nested within the WHI observational cohort study. Cox proportional hazard regression and multivariable conditional logistic regression were used to calculate HRs/ORs for CHD risk between quartiles of LI after adjusting for potential sources of confounding and selection bias. Higher dietary LI in the cohort study and plasma PL LI in the case-control study were significantly associated with increased risk of CHD: HR = 1.18 (95% CI 1.07–1.31, P for trend <0.01) and OR = 1.76 (95% CI 1.33–2.33, P for trend <0.01) comparing extreme quartiles and adjusting for potential confounders. These associations still persisted after adjusting for the polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio. Our study indicated that higher LI based on either dietary or plasma measurements, representing higher FA lipophilicity, was associated with elevated risk of CHD among postmenopausal women.     

Comparative study of PEO and PVA hydrogels for removal of methylene blue dye from wastewater

In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) hydrogels were synthesized and evaluated as adsorbent for dye removal from wastewater using methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution as probe. PEO samples were photochemically prepared by varying irradiation time (1–16 h), while PVA samples were synthetized with different concentration of glutaraldehyde (GA) (0.03–0.48%). The obtained hydrogels were obtained through the analysis of a swelling test, scanning electron microscopy, and adsorption studies. PEO hydrogels adsorption capacity was dependent on the irradiation time, while the PVA hydrogel adsorption capacity reduces with GA concentration. Both hydrogels demonstrated a Langmuir isotherm adsorption model at the equilibrium and pseudo‐second order kinetic fits properly. pH studies showed that when pH reaches 12, the adsorbed MB amount is close to 8 and 2 times higher than pH = 2 both hydrogels. Photochemical preparation of hydrogels shows an easier way of tuning their properties in order to maximize dye removal. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45043.     

Accumulation and apparent recovery of N,P and K after the incorporation of gliricidia and manure in intercropping during the cultivation of corn–cowpea–cotton

Fertilization with manure is widely adopted by farmers in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil, although the quantity of available manure is limited. Thus, among other alternatives, gliricidia has been used as an additional source of organic fertilizer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accumulation and apparent recovery of N, P and K after using different forms of gliricidia and manure application in the intercropping of corn, cowpea and cotton in three crop cycles in the semi-arid northeast region of Brazil. The following treatments were used: gliricidia incorporated into the soil before planting; gliricidia spread on the surface of the soil at 45 days after planting; manure and gliricidia incorporated into the soil before planting; manure incorporated into the soil before planting and gliricidia spread on the surface of the soil at 45 days after planting; manure incorporated into the soil before planting; and no addition of organic fertilizer (control). Accumulations followed the same pattern as biomass production but differed greatly from the concentrations. Low apparent recoveries were obtained in the first and second cycles, and high apparent recoveries were obtained in the third cycle. The nutrient balances indicated that the incorporation of gliricidia before planting or spread on the surface does not meet crop needs. The incorporation of manure as well as manure and gliricidia when applied on the surface, were able to meet growth needs and maintain soil fertility.     

Optimization of Praseodymium-Doped Cerium Pigment Synthesis Temperature

The development of red pigments is of great interest to the ceramic industry. Pr(IV) stabilization in a CeO₂ matrix yields materials with a red color. In this study, the traditional ceramic method involving solid-state reaction was used to prepare pigments in the system Ce_{1− x} Pr _x O_2−δ (0.005 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) from mixtures of rare-earth oxides. The chemical stability of these pigments was then determined in some industrial glazes. The glazing tests indicate that the powder samples calcined at 1200° and1300°C are unstable, whereas those calcined at 1400° and 1500°C are stable. These findings are related to the nonformation of a solid solution, to which the pigmenting power is attributed, in calcinations at temperatures below 1400°C.     

Use of pyrolyzed oil shale as filler in poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) with different vinyl acetate contents

Pyrolyzed oil shale (POS) obtained from the pyrolysis of bituminous rock was used as filler in poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) (EVA). The effects of the VA content of EVA and the particle size of POS on the mechanical properties were investigated. The composites were prepared in a rotor mixer at 180°C with a concentration of POS of up to 30 wt %. The stress–strain plots of the compression‐molded composites are similar to the EVA (18% VA content) behavior for low concentrations (1–5 wt %) of POS with a particle size lower than 270 mesh. It was observed that decreasing the POS particle size and increasing the VA content of EVA produced better compatibility between the polymer and filler. The mechanical properties, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical analysis also demonstrated the compatibility between EVA and POS under the increase of the VA content in the EVA. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1544–1555, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10494     

The influence of online product presentation videos on persuasion and purchase channel preference: The role of imagery fluency and need for touch

The lack of physical contact between products and consumer represents a key characteristic of online environments that can influence consumer’s purchase behavior. In an effort to offer a close experience with the product, websites usually present vivid information in order to convince consumers about the goodness of their products. Vivid information is likely to prompt different aspects of the purchase process, like reduced feelings of uncertainty or a higher need for physical information. The goal of this research is twofold: first, we analyze how the presence and type of vivid information, in the form of product presentation videos (PPVs), affects consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward the product. Furthermore, we examine how the perceived ease of imagining the product evoked by vivid information mediates these effects. Second, we propose that individual differences, related to the consumer’s need of touching products, determine the impact of vivid information on the preferences toward the purchase channel (online or offline). The results of an experiment, which manipulated the presence and the style of PPVs, support the importance of vivid information in order to favor consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions, as well as to influence the relative preference for the purchase channel. Additionally, message and consumer characteristics are found as important factors that affect these relationships.