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1 – 8 of 8Igor Gomes Vidigal, Mariana Pereira de Melo, Adriano Francisco Siqueira, Domingos Sávio Giordani, Érica Leonor Romão, Eduardo Ferro dos Santos and Ana Lucia Gabas Ferreira
This study aims to describe a bibliometric analysis of recent articles addressing the applications of e- noses with particular emphasis on those dealing with fuel-related…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to describe a bibliometric analysis of recent articles addressing the applications of e- noses with particular emphasis on those dealing with fuel-related products. Documents covering the general area of e-nose research and published between 1975 and 2021 were retrieved from the Web of Science database, and peer-reviewed articles were selected and appraised according to specific descriptors and criteria.
Design/methodology/approach
Analyses were performed by mapping the knowledge domain using the software tools VOSviewer and RStudio. It was possible to identify the countries, research organizations, authors and disciplines that were most prolific in the area, together with the most cited articles and the most frequent keywords. A total of 3,921 articles published in peer-reviewed journals were initially retrieved but only 47 (1.19%) described fuel-related e-nose applications with original articles published in indexed journals. However, this number was reduced to 38 (0.96%) articles strictly related to the target subject.
Findings
Rigorous appraisal of these documents yielded 22 articles that could be classified into two groups, those aimed at predicting the values of key parameters and those dealing with the discrimination of samples. Most of these 22 selected articles (68.2%) were published between 2017 and 2021, but little evidence was apparent of international collaboration between researchers and institutions currently working on this topic. The strategy of switching energy systems away from fossil fuels towards low-carbon renewable technologies that has been adopted by many countries will generate substantial research opportunities in the prediction, discrimination and quantification of volatiles in biofuels using e-nose.
Research limitations/implications
It is important to highlight that the greatest difficulty in using the e-nose is the interpretation of the data generated by the equipment; most studies have so far used the maximum value of the electrical resistance signal of each e-nose sensor as the only data provided by this sensor; however, from 2019 onwards, some works began to consider the entire electrical resistance curve as a data source, extracting more information from it.
Originality/value
This study opens a new and promising way for the effective use of e-nose as a fuel analysis instrument, as low-cost sensors can be developed for use with the new data analysis methodology, enabling the production of portable, cheaper and more reliable equipment.
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Barbara de Lima Voss, David Bernard Carter and Bruno Meirelles Salotti
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in…
Abstract
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.
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Thiago Duarte Pimentel, Mariana Pereira Chaves Pimentel, Marcela Costa Bifano de Oliveira and Dominic Lapointe
This chapter aims to analyse how tourism has oscillated from a wicked problem and a geopolitical strategy tool in Brazilian federal tourism public tourism policies (PTP) over the…
Abstract
This chapter aims to analyse how tourism has oscillated from a wicked problem and a geopolitical strategy tool in Brazilian federal tourism public tourism policies (PTP) over the past century (spanning from 1921 to 2022). Recently tourism has garnered significant relevance, emerging as an alternative avenue for development within the constraints and resource limitations faced by the National States. The empirical study collected secondary data from the government official press, encompassing records from the Senate, the House of Representatives, as well as the executive and judiciary branches. Considering this timeframe, a corpus comprising more than 31,000 documents TNAs (‘Tourism Normative Acts’) was meticulously gathered and systematically analysed. Our analytical framework integrates classical geopolitics, with a primary focus on State actors and the nation-building process, and the public policy approach, which is focussed on the degrees of wickedness. Our findings show that (a) the number of international tourists as well as the number of NAT have increased in a considerable way recently, but we cannot directly connect both; (b) three are the periods (1970–1980, 1990–2000, and 2002–2016) in which we can see a tourism geopolitical strategy has been more explicitly and effectively mobilized, and it is not necessarily reflected in the number of NAT, but in the actions generated in each period; and (c) the wicked degree of the tourism policies seem to be reduced according to the more explicit geopolitical strategy is. Despite, the importance tourism has reached, the support system underpinning this endeavour remains deficient, notably in terms of material and financial resources essential for its efficacious execution.
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Heloísa Alves de Figueiredo Sousa, Josemar Gonçalves de Oliveira Filho, Mariana Buranelo Egea, Edilsa Rosa da Silva, Dirceu Macagnan, Marcio Pires and José Peixoto
Banana is an important tropical fruit with high demand in the market. The ripe fruits are less resistant to transport making logistics difficult. Moreover, as a climacteric fruit…
Abstract
Purpose
Banana is an important tropical fruit with high demand in the market. The ripe fruits are less resistant to transport making logistics difficult. Moreover, as a climacteric fruit, it has a short post-harvest shelf life. Edible coatings/films, including active substances, have been used as an alternative for preserving fruits and vegetables during post-harvest period. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incorporating clove essential oil on the properties of cassava starch films and their effect on the post-harvest quality of different banana varieties.
Design/methodology/approach
Cassava starch films incorporating clove essential oil were developed and the films were characterized with respect to moisture, thickness, solubility, water vapor permeability (WVP), biodegradability, color and in vitro antifungal activity. Cultivars such as Prata-Anã, Grand Nine, BRS Tropical and BRS Conquista were coated with cassava starch, cassava starch film with clove essential oil (CSEO) and polyvinyl polychloride (PVC). The quality of fruits was monitored during eight storage days using mass loss, total soluble solids content (TSS) and titratable acidity (TTA).
Findings
Incorporation of clove essential oil significantly increased film thickness, reduced moisture content, solubility and WVP (p < 0.05) and did not affect the biodegradability and color of the films. The essential oil incorporated films showed antifungal activity against the fungi Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum musae, but not against the yeast Saccharomyces bourladii. CSEO and PVC coating were more efficient in reducing the mass loss, SS content and TTA of the coated fruits in all varieties studied. Both CSEO and PVC coatings improve the quality attributes such as TSS and TTA and reduced mass loss, of the banana varieties such as Prata-Anã, Grand Nine, BRS Tropical and BRS Conquista during storage.
Originality/value
The active film with essential oil showed antifungal activity and essential oil can be incorporated into other food systems. This study approaches a new possibility of film coating with essential oil for a banana that showed minimum weight loss and satisfactory quality and increased shelf life. This film coating demonstrates biodegradable characteristics that could be eco-friendly and sustainable to consumers.
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Cyntia Meireles Martins, Susana Carla Farias Pereira, Marcia Regina Santiago Scarpin, Maciel M. Queiroz and Mariana da Silva Cavalcante
This research analyses the impact of customers and government regulations on the implementation of socio-environmental practices in certifying organic agricultural products. It…
Abstract
Purpose
This research analyses the impact of customers and government regulations on the implementation of socio-environmental practices in certifying organic agricultural products. It explores the dyad’s relationship between the focal company and its suppliers in the application of socio-environmental practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a quantitative methodology through a survey approach, with a sample of 206 agro-extractivists from the acai berry supply chain. The data are evaluated using regression analysis.
Findings
The main results reveal that customer pressure positively influences the implementation of social and environmental practices, but suggest a non-significant relationship between government regulations and the impact on environmental practices implementation. Social and environmental practices are positively related to operational performance. A moderating effect of organic certification is found in the relationship between customer pressure and the application of environmental practices.
Originality/value
The main contributions are exploring the use of socio-environmental practices in an emerging economy and organic certification as a moderating variable, revealing an “institutional void” that may hamper the enforcement of government regulations.
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Crystyane Ferreira Bernardino, Joseane Viola Debortoli, Washington Gonçalo Rodrigues Veloso, Adriana Gontijo Nunes and Lilian Bambirra de Assis
The puropose of this study is to analyze the functioning of the triple helix interaction in Minas Gerais, through the case study of the Minas Gerais State Research Support…
Abstract
Purpose
The puropose of this study is to analyze the functioning of the triple helix interaction in Minas Gerais, through the case study of the Minas Gerais State Research Support Foundation (Fapemig).
Design/methodology/approach
The information was collected from the Activity Reports published by Fapemig. Quantitative methods were used for structural analysis and data tabulation of the researched and qualitative programs for a procedural and documentary analysis of projects promoted by Fapemig between the years 2009 and 2018.
Findings
The Fapemig showed itself to be a fundamental agent for innovation and the development of interactions between the state, universities and companies in Minas Gerais, through the creation of programs, offered in public notices, financing them and creating a space of consensus among the agents.
Originality/value
There is few research on triple helix interaction for the state of Minas Gerais; most research on this topic is concentrated in some regions of the country, and the present work contributes to fill this research gap, besides demonstrating, in a case study, applications of recent and still little-explored concepts of the literature on triple helix.
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Carolyn J. Cordery, David Hay and Sione Taufa
The purpose of this paper is to report a study of public accountability within the political and economic structures that characterise Pacific nations. The authors examine audit…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report a study of public accountability within the political and economic structures that characterise Pacific nations. The authors examine audit quality with respect to Pacific Island nations’ governmental reporting to investigate ways to improve accountability in a region that is economically and environmentally challenged.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors examine whether audit quality in Pacific Island nations is associated with the practical arrangements of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), taking into account external factors. The “practical arrangements” include the independence of a SAI (regarding its staffing and funding) and also the requirement for it to report to the Executive. The financial setting in each jurisdiction has been seen to impact the quality of financial reporting and auditing. The authors examine mediating factors such as income, political stability and education that may also impact audit quality. This study uses publicly available databases as well as jurisdictional annual reports and the associated audit opinions and management letters (where available). Jurisdictional reports on public financial management were also analysed.
Findings
The authors find that public sector audit quality is low in many Pacific countries, concluding that public accountability is impaired. While the authors recommend changes to the practical arrangements that can improve audit quality, the mediating factors also impact audit quality. They argue that a renewed focus on financial capability could enhance public accountability in these nations, but there are limiting factors that are difficult to overcome.
Practical implications
There are problems in providing accountability for public sector activities in Pacific nations. The authors suggest that improvements to the appointment and funding of SAIs to enhance their independence will help to reduce these issues.
Originality/value
The authors present a framework for analysing SAIs’ practical arrangements and audit quality that includes variables that may mediate the effects of these practical arrangements. They apply the model to 20 Pacific jurisdictions, showing that the practical arrangements of a SAI directly impact audit quality. Nevertheless, there are instances where audit quality is poor despite good practical arrangements, implying that mediating factors also play a substantial role in determining audit quality of a SAI.
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Farnaz Khatami, Mohammad Shariati and Asiyeh Motezarre
One of the major challenges in practicing family medicine residents (FMRs) is the choice of an appropriate pattern in training health centers (THCs) to provide high-quality health…
Abstract
Purpose
One of the major challenges in practicing family medicine residents (FMRs) is the choice of an appropriate pattern in training health centers (THCs) to provide high-quality health services to patients. This study aimed to design an efficient residency training model in Iranian healthcare centers.
Design/methodology/approach
A four-phase qualitative study with the nominal group technique was carried out in 2018–2019. The required standards of THCs and superior educational practices were initially extracted from the review literature. After collecting and presenting the key findings to the experts' panel, the required training standards and the optimal strategic model to educate FMRs in THCs were prioritized by a nine-point rating system for the well-structured terms of indigenous resources.
Findings
Twenty-two educational standards for FMRs in THCs were finalized after reviewing the literature and taking an opinion poll of experts. The highest assessment scores belonged to sufficient numbers of referrals for common health issues and the existence of satisfactory educational and recreational facilities in THCs. The problem-based (PBL), task-based (TBL) and context-based (CBL) learning models were better strategies than guided-discovery learning (GDL) and small group teaching (SGT) ones to train FMRs in THCs. Also, PBL and SGT models were rated as the best and worst advanced medical education methods to empower FMRs.
Originality/value
Due to different resources available in THCs and training centers, different factors and infrastructures should be considered to meet the required standards in building the integrative training model for FMRs in THCs.
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