Repositório RCAAP

Population growth and urban expansion have provoked the cultural rootlessness of rural migrants, poverty increase, ecological problems caused by the impermeability of the soil and by atmosphere, water and sound pollution, besides the reduction of the vegetable covering. The rapid expansion of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo and Campinas has generated socio-environmental impacts, which have been worsened by an inappropriate vision of the environmental issues by the urban managers. The aim of this work has been to analyze the urbanization taking into account the environmental and social aspects of the economic growth , making it possible to suggest actions to avoid the cultural rupture of the population, by means of an urban planning directed to the soil occupation and to the rational use of the soil, as well as the worry with tree planting in the streets and the creation of green areas as a tool for environmental education to contribute to the practicing of citizenship for the transformation of our society in a sustainable one.

Streptococcus agalactiae has great medical importance in infections associated with severe neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is the most frequent bacterium isolated from the tables of septicemia, pneumonia and neonatal meningitis. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anal and vaginal colonization of S. agalactiae in pregnant women at different gestational ages. We evaluated the incidence of colonization by S. agalactiae in 129 pregnant women of any age. Two samples of secretion were collected for culture: a perianal swab and a vaginal swab. Each of the two swabs were inoculated in test tubes containing Todd-Hewitt broth and subcultured on blood agar. After a period of 24 to 48 hours, the colonies suggestive of S. agalactiae were submitted to morfotintorial analysis and to biochemical tests for identification. Among 129 women studied, 3 (2.33%) have tested positive for Streptococcus agalactiae and 126 (97.67%) were negative. The results presented in this work are inferior to the data from other studies, however, the methodology used was compatible with most authors. Even so this rate is considered a relevant value taking into account the importance of Streptococcus agalactiae infections in pregnant women and newborns, emphasizing the importance of encouraging the culture of vaginal and anal secretion for the detection of Streptococcus agalactiae in surveys of prenatal care.

Considering the emergence of the field of Science, Technology and Society, this paper presents a review of two books published by Pedro e João Editores: Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade: perspectivas multidisciplinares, organized by Valdemir Miotello and Wanda Aparecida Machado Hoffmann, and Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade: enfoques teóricos e aplicados, organized by Cidoval Morais de Souza and Maria Cristina Piumbato Innocentini Hayashi, that discuss theoretical and practical researches and case studies from different fields of knowledge, and contribute to build an open and multidisciplinary speech about the social dimensions of scientific and technological development and its influences on contemporary world.

Editorial

Aquatic fauna can be used as good indicators of the integrity of an aquatic environment. Because of some characteristics such as easiness of sampling and identification at family level and low general cost, the aquatic macroinvertebrates have been used as aquatic bioindicators, mainly in lotic environments. The present study had as main objective to analyze the macroinvertebrates of the Pinheirinho stream, located in the Basalto Park, with the purpose of investigating the conservation of the area. The macroinvertebrates were collected using a D-frame aquatic net (250 µm), including riffle and pools areas, during 5 minutes, as recommended by Fontoura (1985). Samples were taken to the laboratory, washed through a sieve with 0.21mm of mesh, selected on illuminated trays and fixed with 70% alcohol. The taxonomic identification was achieved at family level based on the available published data. In general, the results point to the necessity of environmental education in the Park, especially in its adjacent areas.

This paper discusses the application of electroflocculation using alternating current following the lines of the new Brazilian environmental policy in relation to which attention must be given to the management of production water, one of the main waste generated during the process of exploration and production in the petroleum industry , which is increasing in volume as they operate the existing wells and new wells are drilled. It is a literature review of the evolution of global environmental policy, naming a few events that marked the change of world thought in relation to global environmental problems, demonstrating the evolution of the Brazilian Environmental Policy and a history of the laws of disposal of wastewaters. It is also discussed the framework of the wastewater in receiving bodies of water produced in the environmental legislation due to new environmental laws and resolutions aimed at minimization and quality improvement in the oil fields. The examination of this type of industrial exploitation of water resources, especially off-shore platforms, requires the integration of environmental policy states, including the resolutions of the Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente.

The goal of this investigation was to simulate the water quality of São Simão stream, in different sceneries, using the QUAL2K model to subsidize the technical-economical and environmental analysis of possible alternatives to wastewater treatment in the city. The alternatives were analyzed using an interactive matrix originally developed; it was constituted of evaluation criteria and their weights, essentially linked to the reality of the place. After the model was calibrated, simulations of different sceneries were carried out, showing the need of the implantation of alternatives that reach at least 75% of efficiency to attend the current legislation. Finally, the result shows that the UASB treatment system was the most applicable to the reality of the town.

This article relates a work that was carried out between the end of the 1960's and the beginning of the 1970's, by the Chair of Fluid Mechanics (precursor of the Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento of the Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos – Universidade de São Paulo), with the objective of foreseeing the water flow rate at Tunnel 2 of the Cantareira Water Project for the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo. An original test using air circulation was carried out in the tunnel. Methods and techniques were developed in order to verify the flow rate and check its size, to guarantee 33 m3 /s of flow. The documents produced by the authors of the test were surveyed, organized chronologically and analyzed, seeking to infer the theoretical influences that had guided the methodologies, to describe the techniques and technologies and to analyze, in accordance with the document registers, the execution and the results reached by the tests.

Cryptococcocus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are closely related pathogenic fungi that cause pneumonia and meningitis in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. Both species are found in the environment, and are acquired via inhalation, leading to an initial pulmonary infection. We evaluated 48 air samples and 32 samples of pigeon excreta from June to August, 2007. The presence of capsule was examined with Indian ink preparation. They were also tested for urease and phenoloxidase enzymes. Cryptococcus neoformans was recovered from pigeon excreta in 3.1%. The results suggest that climatic conditions can affect the occurrence of the yeast in different environmental sources.

Considering the use of public parks as a source of leisure for the population, who maintain an intense and direct contact with the ground, which is a potential source of contamination by different causative agents of mycosis, the purpose of the research was to identify genera of keratinophilic geophilic fungi in the soil of squares in Jaboticabal-SP. 60 soil samples from 15 public squares, and 4 samples of each square were selected and collected. To isolate the soil fungi, we used the method of Vanbreuseghem (1952), modified by Machado (1977). Later the fungi were cultivated in Petri dishes containing Sabouraud Agar added to chloramphenicol, and were incubated at room temperature for about ten days. The grown colonies were isolated in test tubes to obtain pure culture. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses of isolated colonies were made and they were identified at a gender level with the aid of an identification guide. From 60 soil samples collected, 39 were positive for keratinophilic fungi, of which 90 fungic colonies were isolated, being identified the genera Penicillium spp. Fonsecaea spp., Rhizopus spp., Microsporum spp., Fusarium spp., Phialophora spp., Aspergillus spp., Acremonium spp., Nigrospora spp., Trichoderma spp., Bipolaris spp., Aureobasidium spp., Curvularia spp., Mucor spp. and Mycelia sterilia. The results allowed us to conclude that these soils represent a diverse microflora capable of degrading keratin substrates, allowing an assessment of the epidemiological potential represented by the soil in the squares of the city of Jaboticabal-SP.

Macrophytes have different morphological structural complexities, offering to animals the availability of various niches. These plants are also an important substrate for the development of periphyton, which has a high nutritional value and is one of the main foods of aquatic invertebrates, mainly Naididae. This study aimed at examinining the diversity of Oligochaeta community in macrophytes belonging to genus Egeria sp. and Salvinia sp., in lagoons of Ribeirão das Anhumas dam. These macrophytes have distinct three-dimensional characteristics and different habits, being Egeria fixed submerged and Salvinia free floating. The collections of macrophytes were carried out between the months of August 2012 and April 2013. Samples of 100g (wet weight) of each genus were taken from plant biomass and the removal of the plants from the environment was made with the aid of a sieve with 0.21 mm mesh. Considering the two macrophytes analyzed, Egeria sp. was the one that presented greater diversity, richness and abundance in relation to Salvinia sp. These results demonstrate that macrophytes are important for the establishment of oligochaetes, mainly providing protection and food, and possibly the morphology and habit of the plants are the most influential factors in the association of oligofauna with these plants.

In therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to treat mild conditions and severe musculoskeletal disorders. However, some effects may occur due to their use, such as agranulocytosis, leukopenia and aplastic anemia. Objectives: to evaluate the effect of some NSAIDs on leukocyte production; to evaluate possible modification of the granules of neutrophils and to compare the total leukocyte count, by using manual and automated methods. 42 samples of whole blood of female rats, Wistar race, were analyzed in this experiment. The animals ingested solutions of diclofenac (DC), dipyrone (DP) and naproxen (NX), in two concentrations: the therapeutic plasma and another ten times more concentrated, for 5 days. We performed differential counts on stained smear and leukocytes were counted using manual methods with the Neubauer counting chamber and automated method (Coulter T-890). The comparison between the methods presented no significant differences in any analyzed group. Regarding to the overall number of leukocytes, no significant changes between the groups were observed. Regarding to the differential count we observed a significant increase in the number of atypical lymphocytes found in the group treated with diluted DP. This study demonstrated that dipyrone: 1) served as a toxic agent due to lymphocyte activation and the large number of neutrophils with nuclear pyknosis; 2) the Coulter T-890 can be used for total leukocyte count of animals; 3 ) other anti-inflammatory drugs studied did not cause abnormalities.

The nitrite and nitrate salts in excess are harmful to health. This work aimed at evaluating the quality of the Tuscan sausages from several producers, commercialized in the region of Franca-SP, Brazil, through the analytic quantitative method of spectrophotometry. In parallel, an evaluation of the level of knowledge of the region's producers about the risks of the abusive use of the additive was done. The nitrite levels were analyzed in six samples of Tuscan sausage, numerically classified as: I, II, II, IV, V and VI, collected in different supermarkets. The method was based on the nitrite reaction with sulphanilic acid and -naphthol with formation of a colored compound. It was verified that the samples I, II and III presented a higher nitrite concentration than the one allowed by legislation (150 mg/kg). The questionnaire applied to three of the six producers, revealed that two of them did not know the legislation, did not do nitrite concentration analysis and only one declared that he did not know the harm that this additive could cause if indiscriminately used. The results showed that 50% of the samples were in disagreement with the legislation, thus, preventive measures must be taken such as quality control for industries and health monitoring of the food involved.

The State of Sao Paulo, as well as several other Brazilian states, has suffered an intense process of devastation of its natural heritage, resulting in the loss of about 80% of its native vegetation, with consequences for its fauna. The main objective of the research was to survey data and information on relevant scientific studies, completed or not, involving the issue of biodiversity in the region of UGRHI – Tietê-Jacaré (SP). Therefore, consultations were held in the databases of the Biota-Fapesp, in the Ministry of Environment, in the Environmental Secretary of Sao Paulo and in municipal sites. Among the results, we can point out the mapping of research institutions and their work done on biodiversity in the region, besides quantitative data on the remaining natural vegetation and an inventory of protected areas and other specially protected areas existing in the UGRHI. The integration of data and information contained in this work can serve as subsidies to the creation and implementation of public policies for conservation and preservation of biodiversity, which may, in turn, stimulate the relationship between local governments, the Watershed Committee Tietê-Jacaré and academic institutions.

The present text approaches the limitations of special protection of natural resources in the agricultural properties represented by Legal Forest Reserves (LFR), from their origin to the form they are being tutored now. Their relationships and differentiations are established. Forms for the recompositions and use of LFR are approached. Finally, the arguments of the environmentalists and ruralists are pointed out for the improvement of the institute and its applicability, presenting forms of putting in practice the desirable sustainable development

The city of São Roque do Canaã (ES) stands out in the production of ceramic objects, but this activity has caused negative environmental impacts in the riparian forest of Santa Maria do Rio Doce river. So, this research had as aim to study the floristic composition of the riparian forest in areas of clay extraction in the city of São Roque do Canaã (ES) to help in the revegetation with native species. The studied area has changed a lot because of mining activities, which can be demonstrated by the shortage of the number of species found in the floristic survey. In spite of observing the presence of several species, pioneer and e initial secondary species, it was observed that the mineral exploration has caused the loss of the superficial layer of the soil, rich in organic material, leading to a reduction of the ecosystem productive capacity.

This paper examines the potential of Physical Education discipline in the process of school inclusion of students from the lower working classes in a peripherical elementary school EMEF Ricardo C. C. Monteiro, popularly known as CAIC Vale do Sol, because of its location in the section of the city of Araraquara, SP, named as Vale do Sol ( Sun Valley). The data, obtained from interviews with people of the institution, confirmed the importance of the discipline Physical Education and of the Project SEMEAR as strategies for maintaining the continuity of the students' presence at school and the positive consequences of this inclusion. Considering the sociological character of this research, the studies of Pierre Bourdieu and followers offered the categories of sociological analysis which ensured the necessary support to verify the restructuring of the primary habitus of the students acquired in their families in a habitus cultivated in school, to assure the acceptance of symbolic codes imposed by the educational institution and legitimized by society. We can conclude that Physical Education as a compulsory subject in school curriculum plays a key role in this educational institution and especially to those families belonging to this class fraction that consciously or unconsciously ascribe to it (Physical Education) the continuity of the school trajectory of their children, making possible a better quality of life.

This article presents a revision of the abstracts of The XX Brazilian Meeting of Fertility of the Soil and Nutrition of Plants, realizado in Piracicaba-São Paulo. The agronomic use of residues pressuposes a diverse number of applications such as their use in: animal feeding, substrate for fermentations, organic or organo-mineral fertilizer manufacture, soil coverages in different creations and substitutes of raw material for the agroindustrial or similar activities. However, the objective of this presentation is restricted to the aspects of the use of residues in the soil, understanding the aspects related to the characterization of these residues, the benefits or inconveniences of the application to the soil and the parameters that must be observed when the intention is to give this destination to the residues. In this way, this subject can be divided in two basic aspects: the residues and the soils. Concerning the residues, the main factors that affect their application to the soil are: chemical composition, physical characteristics, sanitary aspects, generated amount and regimen of release. In relation to soil, we must consider all those characteristics which are responsible for the capacity of the soil in deactivating and stabilizing the residues, through physical chemical and biological mechanisms. It is in this general framework that we intend to approach some specific aspects which are considered more important for the use of residues in soil.

Identifying the distribution and levels of pesticides in ambient air can contribute to a better knowledge of the risk associated with these compounds to human health. Taking into account the necessity of efficiently measuring pesticides in this matrix, this article briefly discusses the methods employed, including both active and passive air sampling, pesticides analysis, as well as the procedures that have been implemented for method validation. Although analytical efforts to obtain reliable results have been demonstrated in the literature, further attempts are required to improve the sampling procedures and analytical methods for determining pesticides in ambient air.

Humic substances (HS) are heterogeneous molecular aggregates, which have no defined structure and constitute the principal fraction of natural organic matter. They can act as complexation agents, due to their high density of functional groups, and therefore directly influence the transport, accumulation, bioavailability and toxicity of different substances. Metals are important environmental pollutants, since they are widely used during human activities, and following release are not either chemically or biologically degraded. Treatment of acute poisoning in humans caused by potentially toxic metals has employed complexation agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or -aminoacids. However, some limitations of these materials such as the lack of selectivity of EDTA and the high cost of -aminoacids have provided the incentive for a search for alternatives. Previous studies of the properties of HS indicate their possible use as an alternative to these chelanting agents.