Ignis fatuus, a luminous phenomenon witnessed over the centuries by observers around the world, is no longer seen in modern times, suggesting that it is extinct. An explanation for this disappearance can be found in the description of ignis fatuus as a cool flame of methane. Unlike a conventional flame, which generates large amounts of heat, ignis fatuus is a flame that glows without heat through a chemiluminescence process. Its characteristic bluish color is due to the emission of excited formaldehyde, which is formed in the slow combustion of methane. It is generally accepted that the phenomenon is a spontaneous combustion of swamp gas in contact with the oxygen in air, but an analysis of the energies involved in the cool flame process indicates that the phenomenon is not spontaneous in nature. Experiments carried out in the 19th century show torches being used to ignite ignis fatuus. The abandonment of fire in favor of night lighting may hold the secret to this mystery of ignis fatuus’s extinction. world times extinct methane formaldehyde air nature th fatuuss s extinction

A heparina tem sido utilizada no tratamento dos acidentes botrópicos em algumas regiões do Brasil, porém, os dados encontrados na literatura são inconclusivos sobre sua eficácia. Os venenos de Bothrops atrox e de B. erythromelas foram caracterizados segundo suas atividades biológicas. A capacidade da heparina em neutralizar estas atividades foi testada com as doses de 3 e 6UI de forma isolada e associada ao soro Antibotrópico (SAB). Verificou-se que a heparina nas doses de 3 e 6UI, não foi eficaz em neutralizar a atividade desfibrinante e edematogênica do veneno de B. atrox e as ações hemorrágica e coagulante dos dois venenos. A heparina diminuiu a eficácia do soro SAB na neutralização das atividades hemorrágica e edematogênica do veneno de B. atrox. Contudo, a heparina na dose de 6UI foi capaz de neutralizar a atividade edematogênica do veneno de B. erythromelas e aumentar a eficácia do soro SAB. A heparina neutralizou ainda a atividade fosfolipásica A2 dos venenos de B. atrox (14,3%) e de B. erythromelas (28,0%). Para o veneno de B. erythromelas, o tratamento associado de heparina e soro SAB, foi mais eficaz na neutralização da atividade letal.

Heparin, in some regions of Brazil has been used in the treatment of bothropic accidents, but the data found in the literature are inconclusive about its effectiveness. The venoms of Bothrops atrox and of B. erythromelas were characterized according to their biological activities. The capacity of heparin in neutralizing these activities was tested with doses of 3 and 6 IU in isolated form and associated to Antibothropic Serum (ABS). It was verified that heparin, in doses of 3 and 6 IU, was not effective in neutralizing the desfibrinating and edema-forming activities of B. atrox venom and the hemorrhagic and coagulant actions of both venoms. Heparin diminished the effectiveness of the ABS in the neutralization of the hemorrhagic and edema-forming activities of the B. atrox venom. However, heparin in the 6 IU dose was capable of neutralize the edema-forming of the B. erythromelas and increase the effectiveness of the ABS. Heparin also neutralized the phospholipasic A2 activity of B. atrox (14.3%) and B. erythromelas (28.0%) venoms. For B. erythromelas venom, the associated treatment, heparin and ABS, was more effective in the neutralization of its lethal activity.