Morphology, molecular phylogeny and biomass evaluation of Desmodesmus abundans (Scenedesmaceae-Chlorophyceae) from Brazil

Abstract The biotechnological potential of microalgae has been the target of a range of research aimed at using its potential to produce macromolecules with high added value. Particular focus has been given to biofuels' production, such as biohydrogen, biodiesel, and bioethanol from lipids and carbohydrates extracted from microalgal biomass. Bioprospecting and accurate identification of microalgae from the environment are important in the search for strains with better performance. Methodologies that combine morphology and molecular techniques allow more precise knowledge of species. Thereby, this work aimed to identify the new strain LGMM0013 collected at Iraí Reservoir, located in Paraná state, Brazil, and to evaluate the production of biomass, carbohydrates, and lipids from this new microalgal strain. Based on morphology and phylogenetic tree from internal transcribed spacer (ITS), strain LGMM0013 was identified as Desmodesmus abundans. D. abundans accumulated 1500 mg L-1 of dried biomass after 22 days of cultivation in autotrophic conditions, 50% higher than Tetradesmus obliquus (LGMM0001) (Scenedesmaceae-Chlorophyceae), usually grown in photobioreactors located at NPDEAS at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) to produce biomass. Analysis of the D. abundans biomass from showed an accumulation of 673.39 mg L-1 of carbohydrates, 130% higher than T. obliquus (LGMM0001). Lipid production was 259.7 mg L-1, equivalent to that of T. obliquus. Nitrogen deprivation increased the production of biomass and carbohydrates in D. abundans LGMM0013, indicating this new strain greater biomass production capacity.

A thermodynamic model to predict the thermal response of living beings during pneumoperitoneum procedures

In this work, hypothermia associated with pneumoperitoneum procedures is studied. A thermodynamic model is developed to allow for the computational simulation of the thermal body response to pneumoperitoneum procedures, which are required by laparoscopic surgery. The numerical results predict the body temperature decay (or loss of energy) in time when the pneumoperitoneum procedures is conducted in patient. The influence of several operating parameters (e.g. inlet air mass flow rate and temperature) on the resulting hypothermia level is analysed. Therefore, the model allows the identification of parameters that have to be controlled to minimize the loss of energy, and consequently, the hypothermia level due to pneumoperitoneum procedures.

BIODIESEL FROM MICROALGAE: THE EFFECT OF FUEL PROPERTIES ON POLLUTANT EMISSIONS

Recently, biofuels have been presented as a viable alternative for the main challenges of the energy industry: the depleting supplies of petroleum and the global warming due to greenhouse effect. Biofuels may be produced from several different feedstocks, such as sugarcane, animal fat, oil crops or even microalgae. Replacing conventional petroleum sourced fuels with biofuels may significantly reduce global greenhouse effect gases emission when considering the life cycle of such fuels. Even with this advantage, biofuels present new challenges concerning the engine adaptation and the pollutant emissions. In this context, this paper aims to clarify the relation between fuel properties of microalgae biodiesel and pollutant emissions, studying which properties are desirable in these new fuels to guarantee engine operation without degradation of performance in comparison to conventional diesel.

Utilization of temperature distribution in expiratory speaking flow as a new parameter for speech production analysis

A new instrument with potential use for speech production analysis is utilized in this study to measure the temperature and velocity of the expiratory speaking flow outside the oral cavity. From a physical point of view, the temperature patterns of individuals with healthy voices are expected to be different from individuals with breathy voices, since their air flow patterns are different: during breathy speech production, the glottis does not close completely, and the leakage of warm air through the glottis increases the extent of the hotter-than-ambient temperature field outside the oral cavity. The instrument is a pipe through which the tested individual breathes out while producing a sustained vowel. A tap water heat exchanger keeps the pipe wall at a temperature level considerably lower than the body temperature. The temperature gradient along the pipe centreline is measured and related to the average air velocity at the oral cavity. The measurements were performed in 30 male and 30 female subjects without vocal complaints. The objective of this initial investigation was to evaluate the possibility of establishing patterns of normality for the temperature distribution outside the oral cavity in expiratory speaking flow. In the experiments, all the temperature measurements increased as the expiratory air flow of the individual increased during speech production, therefore the instrument results agree with the physical behavior predicted by fluid mechanics and heat transfer principles. The collected data allowed for the construction of charts with two distinct normalized temperature distributions outside the oral cavity, for male and female individuals, respectively. These charts have the potential for future utilization in a follow-up study for comparison with similar measurements obtained with individuals with vocal fold pathologies, aiming to eventually produce a reliable new instrument for early detection of vocal problems through a non-invasive procedure.