ABSTRACT In order to estimate the response of biometric variables in different irrigation depths in radish crop, as well as their relations in the development of the crop, a fuzzy mathematical analysis was carried out from irrigation with depths of different percentages of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc), using Gaussian pertinence functions for the input variable and triangular for the biometric output variables. Validations were performed using neural network models, smoothing splines and polynomial regression. The relation among the biometric variables was measured applying the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed that the fuzzy modeling presented superiority in the crop development estimate over the quadratic polynomial regression model, neural network and smoothing splines, because it achieved an average reduction of errors among the biometric variables, of 7.8% 94.6% and 9.2% for the RMSE in the respective models, as well as a better adjustment of the data with average R2 of the variables. The modeling with neural network showed inadequate agronomic behavior in data representation. Regarding biometric variables, the length and diameter of the tuberous root are inversely correlated, and the fresh phytomass of the tuberous root is correlated only with the fresh phytomass of the root.

ABSTRACT The productivity of a crop is related to the water demand inserted in its development. The measurement of water and its optimization directly influences the final costs of crop production for agricultural producers. In this sense, the objective of this study is evaluating the fuzzy modeling in estimating the productivity of the radish crop (fresh phytomass of the tuberous root) affected by different irrigation depths (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, and 125%), based on evapotranspiration of the crop (ETc). To measure the results, two fuzzy systems (with triangular and Gaussian membership functions respectively) and a polynomial regression model were developed to perform model validation comparisons. The fuzzy modeling showed a better fit of the data compared to the polynomial regression model, with reduced errors (RMSE with values 6.3 and 6.9 in the fuzzy models versus 8.8 in the regression model) and higher correlation coefficient (0.54 and 0.5 fuzzy versus 0.1 regression). The triangular fuzzy model estimated the best crop yield (31.9 g of fresh phytomass) when using a 100% ETc depth. Also, the curve generated by the fuzzy model accurately represents all the productivity averages in each depth, in addition to this model presenting the smallest errors (compared to the triangular model and the regression model) and the highest R2. However, the Gaussian fuzzy model proved to be more efficient in representing the agronomic reality, as it does not have peaks and valleys, and it is a smooth model in both growth and degrowth.

RESUMO O Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC) pode ser utilizado por pecuaristas para auxiliar na determinação do momento da avaliação de ganho corporal do animal. No entanto, o cálculo desse índice não revela imediatamente se o animal está apto ao abate ou se necessita de cuidados especiais para recuperação. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver um software utilizando a lógica fuzzy para a comparação da massa corporal de bovinos entre si e identificação dos grupos para abate, e dos que necessitam de alimentação mais intensa, utilizando-se das variáveis “massa” e “altura”, e a saída IMCFuzzy. Para a elaboração do software, utilizou-se de um sistema fuzzy com aplicações em um rebanho de 147 vacas nelore, localizado em Santa Rita do Pardo-MS, e um banco de dados gerado pelo software Matlab.

ABSTRACT The Body Mass Index (BMI) can be used by farmers to help determine the time of evaluation of the body mass gain of the animal. However, the calculation of this index does not reveal immediately whether the animal is ready for slaughter or if it needs special care fattening. The aim of this study was to develop a software using the Fuzzy Logic to compare the bovine body mass among themselves and identify the groups for slaughter and those that requires more intensive feeding, using "mass" and "height" variables, and the output Fuzzy BMI. For the development of the software, it was used a fuzzy system with applications in a herd of 147 Nellore cows, located in a city of Santa Rita do Pardo city – Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) state, in Brazil, and a database generated by Matlab software.

Abstract Verapamil is a chiral drug that is marketed in its racemic form, but because of the pharmacological effects due to molecule’s chirality, one of the enantiomers is more potent, and the other exhibits different activities of therapeutic interest. The preparative separation of the verapamil enantiomers was performed using a continuous Varicol unit operated on a scale of 1 g/day. Amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) functioned as the stationary phase, and n-hexane/isopropanol/ethanol mixtures were used as the mobile phase. Diethylamine was used as the additive. The enantiomeric purities were 93.0% for S-(-)-verapamil and 92.0% for R-(+)-verapamil in the raffinate and extract streams, respectively. The unit provided productivities of 0.18 kg of raffinate per day per kg of adsorbent and 0.20 kg of extract per day per kg of adsorbent when using a feed concentration of 12.5 g L-1.

A lógica fuzzy admite infinitos valores lógicos intermediários entre o falso e o verdadeiro. Com esse princípio, foi elaborado neste trabalho um sistema baseado em regras fuzzy, que indicam o índice de massa corporal de animais ruminantes com objetivo de obter o melhor momento para o abate. O sistema fuzzy desenvolvido teve como entradas as variáveis massa e altura, e a saída um novo índice de massa corporal, denominado Índice de Massa Corporal Fuzzy (IMC Fuzzy), que poderá servir como um sistema de detecção do momento de abate de bovinos, comparando-os entre si através das variáveis linguísticas )Muito BaixaM, ,BaixaB, ,MédiaM, ,AltaA e Muito AltaM. Para a demonstração e aplicação da utilização deste sistema fuzzy, foi feita uma análise de 147 vacas da raça Nelore, determinando os valores do IMC Fuzzy para cada animal e indicando a situação de massa corpórea de todo o rebanho. A validação realizada do sistema foi baseado em uma análise estatística, utilizando o coeficiente de correlação de Pearson 0,923, representando alta correlação positiva e indicando que o método proposto está adequado. Desta forma, o presente método possibilita a avaliação do rebanho, comparando cada animal do rebanho com seus pares do grupo, fornecendo desta forma um método quantitativo de tomada de decisão para o pecuarista. Também é possível concluir que o presente trabalho estabeleceu um método computacional baseado na lógica fuzzy capaz de imitar parte do raciocínio humano e interpretar o índice de massa corporal de qualquer tipo de espécie bovina e em qualquer região do País.

The fuzzy logic admits infinite intermediate logical values between false and true. With this principle, it developed in this study a system based on fuzzy rules, which indicates the body mass index of ruminant animals in order to obtain the best time to slaughter. The controller developed has as input the variables weight and height, and as output a new body mass index, called Fuzzy Body Mass Index (Fuzzy BMI), which may serve as a detection system at the time of livestock slaughtering, comparing one another by the linguistic variables "Very Low", "Low", "Average ", "High" and "Very High". For demonstrating the use application of this fuzzy system, an analysis was made with 147 Nellore beeves to determine Fuzzy BMI values for each animal and indicate the location of body mass of any herd. The performance validation of the system was based on a statistical analysis using the Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.923, representing a high positive correlation, indicating that the proposed method is appropriate. Thus, this method allows the evaluation of the herd comparing each animal within the group, thus providing a quantitative method of farmer decision. It was concluded that this study established a computational method based on fuzzy logic that mimics part of human reasoning and interprets the body mass index of any bovine species and in any region of the country.

An experimental and theoretical study is presented for the fractionation of L-Tryptophan (Trp) from L-phenylalanine (Phe) and L-tyrosine (Tyr). A Simulated-Moving Bed (SMB) with four-column system was tested, and the results are presented as effluent histories of the raffinate and extract ports. L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine were recovered as major products in the raffinate, while L-Tryptophan was recovered at the extract. To simulate the L-Tryptophan separation, a general rate model was used to represent the mass transfer phenomena that occur in each individual column of the SMB, for each solute present in the multicomponent system. A hybrid method was used to solve the model. An analytic solution was used for the intra-particle concentration, and was correlated to the liquid bed concentration by Duhamel's theorem. The results from simulation are compared with the experimental data presented in this work.

In this communication, the method proposed by Cremasco et al. (2003) is applied to predict single and low concentration pulse chromatography. In previous work, a general rate model was presented to describe the breakthrough curve, where a hybrid solution was proposed for the linear adsorption. The liquid phase concentration inside the particle was found analytically and related with the bed liquid phase through Duhamel's Theorem, while the bulk-phase equation was solved by a numerical method. In this paper, this method is applied to describe pulse chromatography of solutes that present linear adsorption isotherms. The simulated results of pulse chromatography are compared with experimental ones for aromatic amino acid experiments from literature.

A laboratory-scale simulated moving bed (SMB) was designed and tested for the separation of paclitaxel, a powerful anti-cancer agent known as Taxol@, from impurities of a plant tissue culture (PTC) broth. The innovative strategy of a pseudo-binary model, where mixtures A and B were treated as single solutes A and B, was used in the linear standing wave analysis to fix the SMB operating parameters for a multicomponent and complex system. Linear standing wave design was used to specify the zone flow rates and the switching time for the laboratory-scale SMB unit, with two steps of separation. The SMB consists of four packed columns, where each column is 12.5 cm in length and 1.5 cm in diameter. Two sequential separation steps were used to recover paclitaxel from a small feed batch (less than one liter). Placlitaxel was recovered from the complex plant tissue culture broth in 82% yield and 72% purity.

In this paper, a new resolution method for the dynamic simulation of a simulated moving bed is presented. A general rate model for each solute and each column is presented for the case of a linear isotherm. A hybrid resolution is developed, in which an analytical solution is used for the solid stationary phase, while the mobile fluid phase concentrations are obtained by numerical resolution. It is illustrated, through a numerical study, that the resolution method is robust. The method is validated by comparison with previously published experimental results. It is also shown that these numerical simulations are obtained much faster than those based on the physical separation process, allowing the use of this resolution method for on-line applications and process control.

Piper hispidinervium C.DC (Piperaceae) is popularly known as long pepper. It grows in degraded areas of natural fields in the state of Acre, Brazil. Its leaves are 3 to 4 % essential oil rich in safrole, within the range of 90 to 94 %. In the chemical industry, safrole is an important raw material, mainly due to two of its derivatives: heliotropin, which is widely used as a fragrance and flavoring agent, and piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a vital ingredient of pyrethroid insecticides. Natural pyrethrum in particular would not be an economical insecticide without the synergistic effect of PBO; therefore, its industrial future is linked to the continued availability of PBO. As a fragrance, safrole has many applications in household products such as floor waxes, polishes, soaps, detergents and cleaning agents. In this work, leaves were dried in a fixed-bed dryer using different drying-air temperatures (35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 ºC) and drying times (900, 2700 and 3600 seconds). Essential oil was extracted by cohobation (meaning that the condensed water that comes out of the flask is recycled) from both raw and dried leaves. The essential oil yield and safrole content are susceptible to rapid loss of moisture by Piper hispidinervium C. DC leaves. It was observed that the essential oil yield increased twice after the drying process. However, safrole content decreased about 20 percent when temperature was above 50 ºC and drying times were more than 2700 minutes.

Pastelike materials are encountered in many technological processes in chemical, pharmaceutical, foodstuff and natural product industries. The most important factor in the drying of this type of materials is the nature of the moisture bonding that occurs. Because of the different characteristics of pastes, it is impossible to recommend a universal type of dryer for all of these materials. Some of the dryers available provide only indirect contact with the drying agent (heat) and also maintain constant moisture with a system of rotating paddles. We evaluated the performance of this type by studying the dryer kinetics curves for ground coffee under a variety of operational conditions of moisture load of material, temperature of the heating plate, intensity of the mechanical mixing of the moisture material, and initial moisture. The effects of these parameters (except for moisture) were studied using a 2³ factorial design. According the analyses of the kinetics drying curves, was observed that the increase in the temperature of the plate and rotation as well as the decrease in the load facilitates more effective removal of moisture. In statistical analysis was determined that the load of the material and the heating plate temperature influence the final moisture content of the material and plate temperature modifies the final temperature of the solid. Also, was suggested linear models from the factorial design to describe the process of drying coffee grounds satisfactorily.