RESUMO A crescente competição por água de boa qualidade está forçando o uso de águas salinas para irrigação em diversas áreas ao redor do mundo. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência de diferentes condutividades elétricas na água de irrigação sobre os aspectos produtivos do milho. O estudo foi conduzido em campo, no período de agosto a dezembro de 2017, na Fazenda experimental da Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (UNILAB), Redenção, CE, Brasil. O delineamento utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso, com cinco níveis de salinidade da água de irrigação (1,0; 2,0; 3,0; 4,0 e 5,0 dS m-1) e quatro repetições. As variáveis avaliadas foram: massa da espiga com palha e sem palha, comprimento e diâmetro da espiga sem palha, massa do sabugo, massa de 1000 grãos e a produtividade. O aumento da concentração dos sais na água de irrigação reduziu a massa da espiga com palha e sem palha, massa do sabugo, massa de 1000 grãos e a produtividade. O comprimento e o diâmetro da espiga não foram influenciados pelo aumento da salinidade da água.

ABSTRACT The growing competition for good-quality water is forcing the use of saline water for irrigation in several areas around the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different electrical conductivities of irrigation water on the maize production aspects. The study was conducted in the field from August to December 2017 at the Experimental Farm of the Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (UNILAB), Redenção, CE, Brazil. A randomized complete block design with five irrigation water salinity (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 dS m-1) and four repetitions was used. The evaluated variables were: unhusked and husked ear weights, husked ear length and diameter, cob weight, 1000-grain weight and yield. The increase of salt concentration in irrigation water reduced the unhusked and husked ear weights, cob weight, 1000-grain weight and yield. Ear length and diameter were not influenced by the increase in water salinity.

During biodiesel storage, chemical reactions may occur, producing sludges. The aim of this study was to characterize the chemical and microbial composition of the sludge found in a biodiesel storage tank. The material was collected in a biodiesel production plant. The sludge chemical characterization was performed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS), gas chromatography (GC), and the microbial investigation used culture-dependent techniques. The deteriogenic potential of the native microbial community was evaluated using the sludge as a microbial inoculum in a 60 day experiment. The microbial growth, biodiesel degradation, pH alterations, and the detection of esters in the aqueous phase were evaluated. The chemical analysis indicated the sludge composition as fatty acids esters and metallic ions; sterols glycosides were not detected. Seven bacteria and five fungi species were obtained from the sludge. The microbial growth analysis indicated that the native community does not have high biodiesel deteriogenic capacity.

RESUMO: Strongyloides spp. são helmintos que podem parasitar o intestino de diversas espécies animais. Quatro espécies desse gênero têm sido descritas em felinos domésticos: S. felis, S. planiceps, S. stercoralis e S. tumefaciens. Trabalhos sobre o parasitismo por estrongiloides em gatos domésticos no Brasil são escassos. O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever os aspectos patológicos do parasitismo por Strongyloides spp. em dois gatos da região amazônica, no estado do Pará. Estes apresentavam numerosos nódulos esbranquiçados no intestino grosso, medindo cerca de 0,2 centímetros de diâmetro, que na microscopia eram constituídos por projeções do epitélio hiperplásico da mucosa para submucosa, formando túbulos contendo várias fêmeas adultas, ovos e larvas com morfologia compatível com a de Strongyloides spp. e margeados por larvas e remanescentes do aglomerado linfoide. As alterações histológicas foram compatíveis com as descritas no parasitismo por S. tumefaciens.

ABSTRACT: Strongyloides spp. are intestinal parasites that affect several animal species. Four species of the genus have been reported in domestic cats: S. felis, S. planiceps, S.stercoralis and S. tumefaciens . Reports describing infection by these nematodes in domestic cats in Brazil are scarce. This study aimed to describe the pathological features of Strongyloides spp. parasitism in two cats in the Amazon region, state of Pará, Brazil. During the necropsy of the two cats, numerous whitish nodules approximately 0.2cm in diameter were observed in the wall of the large intestine. The nodules were conspicuous in the colonic mucosa and exhibited a punctate aperture facing the center of the lumen. Microscopically, these nodules were formed by projections of the mucosal epithelium into the submucosa, which formed tubules lined with a single layer of columnar epithelium, with high cellularity and rare goblet cells, characterizing epithelial hyperplasia of the crypts. Adult nematodes and eggs observed in the lumen of the tubules were morphologically compatible with Strongyloides spp. Numerous larvae were also observed in the interstitium adjacent to the nodule. A mild lymphocytic infiltrate was observed neighboring the hyperplastic nodules. The histological changes are consistent with those described for S. tumefaciens infection.

In this study, the percentage content of free steroid in oils, fats and biodiesel was analyzed. For this, the saponification reaction on a microscale was used, and this procedure for extraction of unsaponifiable fraction was studied in several experimental steps. After the process of saponification, the unsaponifiable fraction was analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector, where all steroids present in each oil, fat and biodiesel were identified and their contents determined and compared to their respective biodiesel. A reduction in unsaponifiable fraction of each oil and fat and its biodiesel was noted, as well as a reduction in the content of free steroids. The results showed that, compared to the sedimentation problem of steroids in biodiesel, some raw materials, such as chicken fat and babassu oil may be promising because they have low content and high reduction percentages of steroids when converted to biodiesel.

O estudo sobre os esteróides livres e sua utilização na caracterização de óleos é interessante já que sua distribuição é diferente para cada óleo. Embora vários trabalhos mostrem a análise desses esteróides em óleos, um trabalho mais abrangente mostrando a presença de esteróides menos abundantes ainda é limitado. Os esteróides foram extraídos a partir da matéria insaponificável usando reação de saponificação em microescala. Após a extração os esteróides foram caracterizados por cromatografia gasosa (GC) utilizando os detectores por ionização de chama (FID) e espectrometria de massas (MS). Todos os picos cromatográficos presentes nos óleos que poderiam ser de esteróides livres foram caracterizados e quantificados. Os resultados evidenciaram grande diversidade de tipos e teores de esteróides livres. Os óleos de milho e moringa apresentaram maiores teores de esteróides em relação aos outros óleos analisados. Os óleos de babaçu, palmiste e canola foram os que apresentaram os menores teores.

The study of free steroids and their use in oil characterization is interesting because the distribution of these steroids varies from one oil to another. Although several papers analyze the most abundant steroids in oils, studies including less common steroids are scarce. Free steroids were extracted from unsaponifiable fraction using the saponification reaction adapted micro-scale. After extraction, steroids were characterized by gas chromatography (GC) using flame ionization (FID) and mass spectrometry (MS) detectors. All chromatographic peaks in the oils that could belong to free steroids were characterized and quantified. Results evidenced great diversity in types and levels of free steroids. Corn and moringa oils had higher levels of steroids than the other oils analyzed. Babassu, palm kernel and canola oils had the lowest steroid levels.

Com objetivo de avaliar os efeitos do silício na suscetibilidade de Spodoptera frugiperda ao inseticida lufenuron e no desenvolvimento de plantas de milho, foram realizados dois experimentos, sendo um em laboratório e outro em campo. Os tratamentos consistiram de aplicações de ácido silícico associado ou não a diferentes doses do inseticida lufenuron. No experimento conduzido no laboratório, utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 2 x 5 (com e sem silício x doses de lufenuron), com cinco repetições. Já o experimento em campo foi em blocos ao acaso, com seis tratamentos, em esquema fatorial 2 x 3 (com e sem silício x doses de lufenuron) e quatro repetições. Avaliou-se, em laboratório, a mortalidade da lagarta-do-cartucho, tanto às 24h e 48h antes da aplicação do inseticida, quanto depois da aplicação. Danos ocasionados pela lagarta e as características agronômicas das plantas de milho foram avaliados no experimento de campo. Os resultados demonstraram que o silício interagiu positivamente com o inseticida lufenuron no controle de S. frugiperda, em plantas de milho, possibilitando uma redução da dose do inseticida e o fortalecimento da estrutura da planta por aumentar o diâmetro do caule.

With the objective of evaluating the effects of silicon in the efficiency of the insecticide lufenuron on the control of Spodoptera frugiperda and on the development of corn plants, two experiments were conducted, one being in laboratory and the other in the field. The treatments consisted of applications of silicic acid associated or not with different rates of the insecticide lufenuron. In the laboratory-conducted experiment, the completely randomized design in 2 x 3 factorial scheme (with or without silicon x rates of lufenuron) with five replicates was utilized, but the field experiment was in randomized blocks with six treatments in 2 x 3 factorial scheme (with and without silicon x dosages of lufenuron) and five replicates. In laboratory, the mortality of fall armyworm, both at 24 and 48h before the application of the insecticide and after application, was evaluated. The damages caused by the larvae and the agronomic characteristics of corn plants were also evaluate in the field. The results showed that silicon interacted positively with the insecticide lufenuron in the control of S. frugiperda, enabling a reduction of the insecticide dosage and it strengthened the plant structure for increasing the stem diameter.