K.A. Marques, C.E Celli, J.H. Passoni, D. Teixeira, E. Bachiega, E.S. Vidal, W.M. Carvalho, M.L. Aguiar and J.R. Coury
The monitoring of respirable particulate matter (PM10) and of total carbon percentage (mass basis) in the atmosphere of São Carlos (SP) was performed in the period between…
Abstract
The monitoring of respirable particulate matter (PM10) and of total carbon percentage (mass basis) in the atmosphere of São Carlos (SP) was performed in the period between September 1997 and January 2000. São Carlos, located in the central region of the state of São Paulo, has a population of close to 180,000 inhabitants and about 500 industrial establishments of medium to small size, mainly dealing with metallurgy, textiles, food and ceramics. The equipment used for air monitoring was a high volume sampler (GVS‐GRASEBY/GMW) equipped with a one‐stage inertial separator for a 10μm particle cut diameter. The PM10 concentration was determined by gravimetry and the total carbon concentration by the Ströheim method. The results show a well defined seasonal dependence of both the PM10 and of the total carbon concentration. Higher concentrations of PM10 and carbon were observed in autumn and winter, which also coincided with low relative humidity and precipitation. The measured trends were compared with the PM10 data from the city of São Paulo in the same period and showed similar seasonal dependence. However, in relative terms, the PM10 concentration in São Carlos showed stronger seasonal dependence than in São Paulo.
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Elaine Schornobay-Lui, Eduardo Carlos Alexandrina, Mônica Lopes Aguiar, Werner Siegfried Hanisch, Edinalda Moreira Corrêa and Nivaldo Aparecido Corrêa
There has been a growing concern about air quality because in recent years, industrial and vehicle emissions have resulted in unsatisfactory human health conditions. There is an…
Abstract
Purpose
There has been a growing concern about air quality because in recent years, industrial and vehicle emissions have resulted in unsatisfactory human health conditions. There is an urgent need for the measurements and estimations of particulate pollutants levels, especially in urban areas. As a contribution to this issue, the purpose of this paper is to use data from measured concentrations of particulate matter and meteorological conditions for the predictions of PM10.
Design/methodology/approach
The procedure included daily data collection of current PM10 concentrations for the city of São Carlos-SP, Brazil. These data series enabled to use an estimator based on artificial neural networks. Data sets were collected using the high-volume sampler equipment (VFA-MP10) in the period ranging from 1997 to 2006 and from 2014 to 2015. The predictive models were created using statistics from meteorological data. The models were developed using two neural network architectures, namely, perceptron multilayer (MLP) and non-linear autoregressive exogenous (NARX) inputs network.
Findings
It was observed that, over time, there was a decrease in the PM10 concentration rates. This is due to the implementation of more strict environmental laws and the development of less polluting technologies. The model NARX that used as input layer the climatic variables and the PM10 of the previous day presented the highest average absolute error. However, the NARX model presented the fastest convergence compared with the MLP network.
Originality/value
The presentation of a given PM10 concentration of the previous day improved the performance of the predictive models. This paper brings contributions with the NARX model applications.
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Adrielle Borges de Almeida, Anna Karoline Carmo Silva, Ariadne Ribeiro Lodete, Mariana Buranelo Egea, Mayra Conceição Peixoto Martins Lima and Fabiano Guimarães Silva
The purpose of this study was to evaluate six different fruits from the Cerrado as to their chemical and bioactive properties.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate six different fruits from the Cerrado as to their chemical and bioactive properties.
Design/methodology/approach
Six different fruits from the Cerrado (araticum, baru, jatoba-do-cerrado, lobeira, macauba and pequi) were characterized regarding moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, carotenoids, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activities.
Findings
The highest flavonoid content, which was found in araticum pulp, was significantly different from the ones of other fruit pulps. The carotenoid content of pequi pulp was 12-fold the one of lobeira pulp. The vitamin C content of baru pulp was five-fold the Reference Daily Intake (RDI). In relation to the antioxidant activity, araticum (5.7 µM/g) and jatoba (5.2 µM/g) pulps exhibited the highest values (p < 0.01). Both baru and araticum pulps were capable of capturing the radical with mean percentage of discoloration of 68.7 and 67.4%, respectively (p < 0.01).
Originality/value
Native fruits of the Cerrado have been poorly described in the literature, even though they are highly consumed in the region. Publicizing their nutritional characteristics can increase the commercial value of these fruits, which have been traditionally devalued. In addition, knowledge of new sources of nutrients contributes to their use by pharmaceutical and food industries.
Marcelo Caetano de Oliveira, Paula Nogueira Curi, Rafael Pio, Daniela da Hora Farias, Marcio Roberto Rigote, Maria Cecília Evangelista Vasconcelos Schiassi, Moacir Pasqual and Vanessa Rios de Souza
The native species from western Mato Grosso do Sul provide fruits with unique sensory characteristics and high nutrient concentrations. Tropical fruit consumption is increasing…
Abstract
Purpose
The native species from western Mato Grosso do Sul provide fruits with unique sensory characteristics and high nutrient concentrations. Tropical fruit consumption is increasing due to the growing recognition of the nutritional value. These fruits play important roles through the marketing of their products and nutritionally through their consumption. All fruits are edible and are used in the food industry and well sensory accepted. The purpose of this paper is to verify the physicochemical characteristics, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in fruits collected in the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes from western Mato Grosso do Sul.
Design/methodology/approach
The fruits of baru, bocaiuva, jatobá, jenipapo and pequi were collected. To characterize them, longitudinal diameter, transverse diameter, total soluble solids, acidity, pH, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, antioxidant capacity, total sugar, glucose and macro and micronutrient contents analysis were performed in triplicate.
Findings
Jatobá presented the highest values of vitamin C. For phenolics, baru and jatobá stood out; bocaiuva presented the highest results for sugars, while jatobá was superior for glucose. The fruits with the highest antioxidant capacity, DPPH, were pequi and baru, while via ABTS the jatobá was the highest. Baru presented higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc and iron. The bocaiuva presented the highest results for potassium and sulfur, the jatobá calcium and manganese. Jenipapo stood out with its boron content. Magnesium presented superior results in the baru, jenipapo and bocaiuva. The results reinforce the diversity of physicochemical characteristics.
Originality/value
The increase of the flow of available information, together with the growth of multicultural influences, the search for wholesome diet and the diversity of flavors and colors make these fruits important regional development tools. Their characteristics encompass national and international exploration potential that arouse consumer interest and contribute to the pursuit of innovations. In addition, the native species mentioned above provide fruits with unique sensory characteristics. Their consumption is increasing in the markets due to the growing recognition of their nutritional value. Therefore, these fruits play important roles, economically, through the marketing of their products and nutritionally through their consumption.
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Mariana Crivelari Da Cunha, Patrícia da Silva Machado, Ana Beatriz Silva Araújo, Elisângela Elena Nunes Carvalho and Eduardo Valério de Barros Vilas Boas
The potential of the Cerrado fruit could be explored by development of new products, such as jellies that can be used to add value to the fruit, as well as to preserve this biome…
Abstract
Purpose
The potential of the Cerrado fruit could be explored by development of new products, such as jellies that can be used to add value to the fruit, as well as to preserve this biome. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of processing, the glass packaging type and storage time on the quality of jelly, prepared from reconstituted murici pulp, over 12 months of storage.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a completely randomized design (CRD) in factorial 2 × 5, with two types of glass packaging (transparent and amber) and five storage periods (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months), with four replications and the experimental parcel consisting of 80 g of jelly (two bottles of 40 g). The quality of jelly was monitored through 12 months using physicochemical (proximal composition, color, soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH), microbiological (coliforms at 35 °C and 45 °C, filamentous fungi and Salmonella sp) and sensory analyses (sensory acceptance and purchase intent).
Findings
The pulp processing effectively affected the physicochemical and nutritional composition (proximal composition, soluble solids and color). It was found that only the storage time significantly influenced (p < 0.05) jelly quality, considering the variables analyzed, except the soluble solids, ash, dietary fiber and sensory texture attributes. However, the glass packaging factor (transparent and amber) did not result in significant changes in those variables. Moreover, the pulp processing allows a seasonal fruit with a short harvest period and short post-harvest life to be available to consumers as a new product throughout the year.
Originality/value
Based on the present study, the native Cerrado fruit such as murici [Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Rich] is appreciated for its pleasant peculiarities such as color, aroma and taste; however, it is underutilized as food for lack of information and studies. Although the fruit does not have widespread use as food, it is necessary to make the population aware about its importance, not only as a source of nutrients, but also for its functional and sensory potential. Therefore, the production of murici jelly can increase consumption of the fruit, besides being a way to add value and extend the shelf life and sensory acceptance of the product prepared.