Abstract This study evaluated the effect of increasing the nutritional plane in finishing diets on meat quality traits of culled adult goats. Forty-one crossbred does were divided into four groups: baseline diet formulated to meet 100% of the nutritional requirements (BD); BD + 30% (BD30); + 60% (BD60); + 90% (BD90) of the nutritional level of BD. The goats received the experimental diets for 28 days. The protein profile of the longissimus lumborum muscle was evaluated using 1D SDS–PAGE and mass spectrometry. Cholesterol and albumin concentrations were highest in the BD group. There were no alterations in loin proximate composition or tissue composition. However, there was a significant reduction in the PUFA content in groups BD60 and BD90 compared with the group fed the baseline diet. Of 37 protein bands identified, 35 showed lower intensities in group BD90 than in BD and 22 bands showed lesser expression in groups BD60 and BD90 than in BD. The multivariate model identified 14 band proteins involved in group-diet segregation. Therefore, increasing the nutrient supply for finishing goats did not have marked positive effects on carcass. A lower expression of these proteins can have a profound impact on the qualitative aspects of the meat product.

Abstract Melamine is a key compound used as a clarifying agent for waste lubricating oil primarily due to its excellent adsorbent properties. Moreover, considerable interest exists for the further modification of melamine in order to provide a remediation agent with improved clarification capacity. In this study, hexamethylolmelamine was prepared using a solution of formaldehyde, which provided an agent capable of incorporation into a silicate polymer framework. Subsequently, the resultant monomer was added to a solution of silicate to produce the melamine-silica polymer. The melamine and melamine-silica polymer were characterized using the techniques of XRD, FTIR, SSA and thermal analysis to confirm structural and morphological characteristics. These characterizations indicated that the increase in the surface area of the 0.315 m2/g to melamine to 26.71 m2/g of melamine-silica suggests the effective introduction of silanols groups to hexamethylolmelamine and, therefore, corresponds to thehigh performance in relation to melamine as clarifying of waste lubricant oil.

Abstract Vegetable fibers are widely used as reinforcement in the production of composites. In this work, the photodegradative potential of polymer composites containing babassu fiber was characterized and evaluated. The fibers were extracted manually and immersed in a 10% NaOH solution (Mercerization). After drying, they were crushed and incorporated into the low-density polyethylene matrix in proportions of 5%, 10%, and 20% of the total mass of the composite. The composites were subjected to Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis (showed the incorporation of fibers into the polymeric matrix), Infrared Spectroscopy (the presence of fiber was observed with peaks at 3200-3600 cm-1, and 1596 cm-1-1036 cm-1), Mechanical Tests (with 20% fiber, there is a 44% decrease in tension, 48% in strain and 12% in Young's modulus) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (inicial fiber degradation starts between 220-337 °C, and matrix degradation between 333-550 °C). The composites were subjected to degradation processes by solar radiation and under artificial UV-B. Samples of oxy-biodegradable plastic bags were also degraded under the same degradation conditions of the composites. These results show that the materials used in the research, besides presenting an excellent degree of compatibilization, also reveal an improvement in the photodegradation potential of composites.