Abstract Cancer represents the second leading cause of death worldwide, therefore, the search for chemoprotective agents is on the rise. The muscle of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is one of the species analyzed as it has been reported as a source of compounds with antiproliferative activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of shrimp muscle-isolated compounds on cell proliferation and morphology of human cancer cell lines. The muscle underwent a process of extraction and fractionation of compounds; their effect on cell viability assays (MTT) on lung adenocarcinoma (A549), prostate carcinoma (22 Rv-1), invasive breast adenocarcinoma (MDA MB 231), colon carcinoma (HTC 116), cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa) and non-cancerous retinal cells (ARPE-19) was measured. Morphological changes were observed using fluorescence microscopy and chemical structure data was obtained using nuclear magnetic resonance. Fraction named C5 showed the highest antiproliferative activity on HCT-116 and MDA-MB-231, without significantly affecting the control cells. Subfractions C5-3 and C5-4 presented significant antiproliferative potential in MDA-MB-231; this cell line showed morphological changes that could be related to apoptosis, and spectroscopic analysis revealed the presence of b-carotene and eicosapentaenoic acid in C5, nevertheless, further studies are needed to determine the effect of each compound.

El objetivo de este estudio fue adaptar y validar un modelo computacional haciendo uso de la dinámica de fluidos computacional (DFC) para predecir la temperatura y la velocidad del aire en un sistema de distribución de ductos acoplado a un sitema de calefacción que es utilizado en las instalaciones avícola en los países tropicales y subtropicales. La validación del modelo con los datos experimentales fue satisfactoria, presentando valores medios normalizados del error cuadrado NMSE de 0,25 y 0,02 para la temperatura y velocidad del aire respectivamente. Los resultados muestran que el modelo propuesto es adecuado para predecir la velocidad del aire y la temperatura alrededor de este tipo de sistema, y podría ser utilizado para mejorar la eficiencia la distribución de calor en el interior y alrededor de los conductos, usando diferentes velocidades, tipos de materiales y dimensiones.

The objective of this study was to adapt and validate a computer model using the Computational Fluid Dinamics (CFD), in the prediction of temperature and air speed in a duct distribution system coupled to a heating furnace that is used in typical poultry houses in tropical and subtropical countries. The validation of the model with experimental data was satisfactory, presenting normalized mean square error NMSE values of 0.25 and 0.02 for air temperature and air speed, respectively. The results evidenced that the proposed model is adequate for predicting the air speed and temperature for this type of system, and could be used to improve the efficiency of the distribution of heat inside and around air ducts using different air speeds, types of materials and dimensions.

A conversão da energia química da biomassa em outras formas de energia pode ser processada de diversas maneiras. Dentre essas, encontra-se a gaseificação, que utiliza reatores para conversão da biomassa em gás combustível. Para o dimensionamento de um gaseificador e seus constituintes, vários fatores devem ser levados em consideração, desde as características do combustível até as reais necessidades de energia térmica liberada. Especificamente no dimensionamento da grelha, alguns índices servem de referência, como a tensão térmica e a taxa de reação. Este trabalho teve como objetivos determinar a taxa de reação e a tensão térmica de uma grelha plana utilizada em um gaseificador bem como comparar os valores obtidos com aqueles recomendados para o dimensionamento de grelhas em fornalhas. Foi utilizado um gaseificador de biomassa de fluxo concorrente de pequena escala, ao qual foi acoplada uma câmara para combustão do gás produzido. O combustível utilizado foi toretes de eucalipto, em pedaços com diâmetro de 4 a 8 cm e comprimento de 10 a 20 cm. Conclui-se que os índices de taxa de reação e tensão térmica encontrados podem ser utilizados como parâmetros para o dimensionamento de grelhas de gaseificadores de leito fixo.

The conversion of the biomass chemical energy into other energy forms may be processed in several ways. Among them, gasification uses reactors to convert biomass into combustible gas. For dimensioning the gasifier and its parts, several factors should be taken into account, from fuel characteristics to the real needs of the released thermal energy. Specifically to grate dimensioning, indices such as thermal tension and the reaction rate are used as reference. This study was conducted to determine the reaction rate and the thermal tension of a flat grate used in a gasifier, and to compare these values with the recommended dimensions for furnace grates. A small scale downdraft biomass gasifier coupled with a gas combustion chamber was used in the experiment. Eucalyptus firewood logs of 5-8 cm diameter and 10-20 cm length were used as fuel. It was concluded that the calculated indices of thermal tension and reaction rate can be used as parameters for grate design in fixed-bed gasifier.