Efeito da temperatura e taxa de cisalhamento nas propriedades de escoamento da polpa de Cupuaçu (T. grandiflorum Schum) integral

O comportamento reológico da polpa de cupuaçu integral foi determinado na faixa de temperatura de 10 a 60ºC. Os efeitos da temperatura e da taxa de deformação foram avaliados por meio de testes em cisalhamento estacionário. As análises reológicas foram conduzidas num reômetro Thermo Haake RheoStress 1. Os reogramas foram descritos pelos modelos reológicos de Ostwald-de-Waelle e o de Herschel-Bulkley. As curvas de escoamento mais bem ajustadas pelo modelo de Ostwald-de-Waelle. O produto apresentou comportamento pseudoplástico, e o índice de comportamento de fluxo (n) decresceu com o aumento da temperatura. O efeito da temperatura sobre a viscosidade aparente foi descrita por uma equação tipo Arrhenius e discutida em termos de energia de ativação. Essa energia aumentou com o aumento da taxa de deformação, sendo obtidos valores na faixa de 1 a 2 kcal/gmol.

Production costs and fruit yield profitability in the initial harvest of custard apple trees

The aim of this study was to estimate the production cost and economic indicators associated with the production and sales of fruits from 20 custard apple progenies during the initial five harvests, in order to identify the harvest season from which custard apple exploitation becomes profitable, as well as the most promising progenies from an economic point of view. The fruit yield data upon which the present work was based were obtained during the period from 2001 to 2005, in an experiment that evaluated 20 custard apple half-sibling progenies, under sprinkler irrigation. The progenies were evaluated in a random block design with five replicates and plots consisting of four plants each. The exploitation of custard apple progenies only showed to be a profitable agribusiness after the fourth year. Before that, only A3 and A4 progenies in the second year, and P3 and P11 in the third year provided profitable incomes. Considering the methodological assumptions imposed concerning the time period analysis and the prices as of July 2007, the most important profitability indicators (operating profit, return index and equilibrium price) evidenced that the A4 progeny is the most recommended, although other progenies are also highlighted, such as FJ1 and FJ2. As already discussed, the progenies showing the highest average yields of five harvests are not always the most economically recommendable ones.

Soil nutrient availability and its impact on fruit quality of Tahiti acid lime

The Tahiti acid lime in Brazil is mostly grown in the São Paulo State. The value of this crop production ranks among the ten most important fruits in the country. The Brazilian exports of Tahiti limes have increased in the last years with a corresponding increased demand for superior quality of fresh fruits, which is affected by mineral nutrients. Therefore, this study evaluated nutrient soil availability and its influence on nutritional status of trees based on the determination of leaf and fruit nutrient concentrations, fruit characteristics, and post harvest quality. Eleven commercial groves with trees older than 4-yr and differently managed were studied. Plots with six trees in each grove were sampled for soil (0-20 cm depth layer), leaf and fruit analyses with three replicates. Correlation coefficients were pair wised established for all variables. The results showed that N leaf concentration was well correlated with green color of fruit peel as measured by a color index (r = -0.71**), and which was optimum with Leaf-N around 22 g kg-1. Leaf-Ca was inversely correlated with fruit water loss after 14-day interval from harvest (r = -0.54*) demonstrating that Ca plays an important role in Tahiti fruit shelf-life. Data also suggested that increased fruit K concentration correlated with increased fruit water losses during storage (r >0.58*).

Gas exchanges in peach palms as a function of the spad chlorophyll meter readings

The close relationship between the chlorophyll-meters readings and the total chlorophyll and nitrogen contents in leaves, has allowed their evaluation both in annual and perennial species. Besides, some physiological events such as the CO2 assimilation have also been estimated by chlorophyll meters. This work was carried out aiming to evaluate the gas exchanges of peach palms as a function of the chlorophyll SPAD-Meter readings. Three year-old peach palms from Yurimaguas, Peru were studied in Ubatuba, SP, Brazil, spaced 2 x 1 m in area under a natural gradient of organic matter which allowed four plots to be considered, according to the peach palms leaves colors, from light yellow to dark green. The SPAD readings and the stomatal frequency of leaflets were evaluated. The photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD, μmol m-2 s-1), the leaf temperature (Tleaf, ºC), the CO2 assimilation (A, μmol m-2 s-1), the stomatal conductance (g s, mol m-2 s-1), the transpiration (E, mmol m-2 s-1) and the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci, μmol mol-1) were evaluated with a portable infrared gas analyzer (LCA-4, ADC BioScientific Ltd., Great Amwell, U.K.). A linear increase in the CO2 assimilation as a function of the SPAD readings (y = -0.34 + 0.19x, R² = 0.99), indicates that they can be a rapid and cheap complementary method to evaluate in peach palms some important physiological events, such as CO2 assimilation.

Leaf nutritional levels in peach and nectarine grown in subtropical climate

The study evaluated the leaf nutritional levels of peach and nectarine trees under subtropical climate in order to improve the fertilization practices. The experiment was carried out in São Paulo state University, Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. The experimental design consisted of subdivided plots, in which plots corresponded to cultivars and subplots to the leaf sample periods. The evaluated peach cultivars were: Marli, Turmalina, Precocinho, Jubileu, Cascata 968, Cascata 848, CP 951C, CP 9553CYN, and Tropic Beauty, and that of nectarine was 'Sun Blaze'. The sample periods were: after harvest, plants in vegetative period; dormancy; beginning of flowering and fruiting (standard sample). Results indicated significant variations in the levels of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn for the sampling period and in N, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe and Mn levels for the cultivars.

Strawberry yield submitted to different root pruning intensities of transplants

This study aimed to evaluate the growth of plants and the precocity of strawberry production under different root pruning intensities at planting time. Bare roots plants with 12 millimeters crown diameter produced in nurseries from the Patagonia region, Argentina were used. The planting was carried out on May 12th 2010 into experimental plots with non-fumigated soil. The treatments consisted of three cultivars (Camarosa, Florida Festival and Camino Real) and three pruning intensities (1/3, 2/3 and no pruning) on the total root length of the plants. The experimental design used was a randomized block design in a 3x3 factorial arrangement with three replications and 12 plants per plot and density of 11.1 plants m-2. Mature fruits were harvested from July 15th to December 14th 2010 and the production of fresh fruit was determined. There was no significative interaction between cultivars and pruning intensity. 'Camarosa' and 'Florida Festival' plants showed precocity and had the most abundant and heavier fruits during the precocity period. The different root pruning intensities did not affect the assessed variables. It was concluded that, in order to facilitate strawberry planting of the cultivars Camarosa, Florida Festival and Camino Real root pruning is possible, with no damages on plant growth and development, precocity and early fruit production.

Avaliação da influência da temperatura e do tratamento enzimático no comportamento reológico do suco de abacaxi pérola (Ananas Comosus L. merr.)

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o comportamento reológico do suco de abacaxi- pérola natural e tratado com enzimas pectinolíticas. As condições de tratamento enzimático foram otimizadas através de um planejamento experimental do tipo fatorial completo 2k, com três repetições do ponto central. Na avaliação do comportamento reológico foram utilizadas duas amostras submetidas a peneiramento (N e D), analisadas em quatro diferentes temperaturas (10; 25; 50 e 65 °C). As análises reológicas foram realizadas utilizando um viscosímetro de cilindros concêntricos Brookfield e os dados experimentais foram ajustados ao modelo de Mizrahi-Berk. A relação entre temperatura e viscosidade aparente foi descrita por uma equação tipo Arrhenius. A otimização da atividade enzimática indicou, através da análise de variância e da metodologia de superfície de resposta, que as variáveis temperatura e tempo de tratamento exerceram efeito estatisticamente significativo (p<0,05) sobre a concentração de pectina presente na amostra. O modelo utilizado mostrou-se adequado para descrever o comportamento reológico dos sucos de acordo com os parâmetros R², χ² e Bf. Os baixos valores obtidos para o índice de comportamento indicaram um comportamento pseudoplástico (n<1). A temperatura exerceu influência sobre a tensão de cisalhamento e a viscosidade aparente dos sucos analisados, sendo os menores valores observados nas amostras analisadas a 65 °C. A equação tipo Arrhenius descreveu de modo satisfatório o efeito da temperatura sobre a viscosidade aparente. Os valores da energia de ativação (Eat) foram de 4,54 Kcal.g.mol-1 e 4,89 Kcal.g.mol-1, respectivamente, para as amostras do suco de abacaxi natural e despectinizado, aumentando com o tratamento enzimático. A atividade enzimática proporcionou uma redução nos valores dos parâmetros de comportamento reológico das amostras, bem como na viscosidade aparente, em todas as temperaturas utilizadas, sendo o maior percentual de redução observado a 65 °C (41,66%).

Mating disruption with low density diffusers for the management of oriental fruit moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in apple orchards under subtropical climate in southern Brazil

The oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta Busck, and fruit flies, Anastrepha fraterculus L., are the important apple pests under Subtropical climate in Southern Brazil, and control is normally accomplished with insecticides. An alternative strategy for the control of G. molesta is mating disruption, through the use of pheromones. Mating disruption strategies using a low density of dispensers (20) per hectare were tested in comparison with conventional pesticides for control of G. molesta in commercial Gala apple orchards in Fraiburgo, SC, for a period of five years. The average field efficiency period of mating disruption formulation over five years was 113 days. In this period the mating interruption index on mating disruption plots was 84.8% over five years. Damage to Gala apples by oriental moth larvae was low (<0.1%) in mating disruption plots but did not differ from conventional plots, except in the third year. The use of mating disruption allowed for an average reduction of 5.2 insecticide treatments per year in Gala orchards during field efficiency period. It was necessary to apply 1.0 and 1.2 applications of insecticide to control of G. molesta and A. fraterculus, respectively. Mating disruption with a low density of diffusers proved to be an effective alternative to conventional methods for control of G. molesta in Gala apple orchards in subtropical climate in southern Brazil.

PROPRIEDADES REOLÓGICAS DO SUCO DE BURITI (Mauritia flexuosa)

RESUMO O conhecimento do comportamento reológico de sucos de frutas tropicais é muito importante para a indústria de alimentos, uma vez que permite estabelecer condições de processamento e projetos de equipamentos relacionados à transferência de calor e massa bem como as operações unitárias envolvidas em todo o processo de obtenção. Este trabalho estudou o comportamento reológico do suco de buriti (Mauritia flexuosa). Os dados reológicos foram obtidos através de um viscosímetro rotacional com geometria de cilindros concêntricos (Brookfield, modelo DV II+). Os ensaios foram realizados em seis diferentes temperaturas (10; 20; 30; 40; 50 e 60ºC), e os resultados experimentais foram ajustados pelos modelos Lei da Potência e Mizrahi-Berk. O suco de buriti apresentou comportamento não newtoniano nas seis temperaturas. Na quantificação da viscosidade aparente (?ap), os parâmetros reológicos (K e n) foram obtidos através do ajuste do modelo Lei da Potência, que se mostrou bastante adequado na predição do comportamento reológico do suco, com coeficientes de determinação r2 > 0,99 para cinco das seis temperaturas investigadas. O produto apresentou comportamento pseudoplástico (n<1), e o índice de comportamento de fluxo decresceu com o aumento da temperatura. O efeito da temperatura sobre a viscosidade aparente foi descrita pela equação de Arrhenius e discutida em termos de energia de ativação (Ea), e os valores da Ea variaram de 2,84 a 3,0 kcal/gmol para a faixa da taxa de deformação utilizada.

Multidetector-row computed tomography in the preoperative diagnosis of intestinal complications caused by clinically unsuspected ingested dietary foreign bodies: a case series emphasizing the use of volume rendering techniques

Objective The present study was aimed at describing a case series where a preoperative diagnosis of intestinal complications secondary to accidentally ingested dietary foreign bodies was made by multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT), with emphasis on complementary findings yielded by volume rendering techniques (VRT) and curved multiplanar reconstructions (MPR). Materials and Methods The authors retrospectively assessed five patients with surgically confirmed intestinal complications (perforation and /or obstruction) secondary to unsuspected ingested dietary foreign bodies, consecutively assisted in their institution between 2010 and 2012. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological data were analyzed. VRT and curved MPR were subsequently performed. Results Preoperative diagnosis of intestinal complications was originally performed in all cases. In one case the presence of a foreign body was not initially identified as the causal factor, and the use of complementary techniques facilitated its retrospective identification. In all cases these tools allowed a better depiction of the entire foreign bodies on a single image section, contributing to the assessment of their morphology. Conclusion Although the use of complementary techniques has not had a direct impact on diagnostic performance in most cases of this series, they may provide a better depiction of foreign bodies' morphology on a single image section.

O ensino de aspectos históricos e filosóficos da Química e as teorias ácido-base do século XX

In this paper, an overview about philosophy of science, the concept of "theory" and some characteristics of a"good"theory (1- ordination and explanation of the facts, 2- proposal of problems, and 3- simplicity and funcionality) are initialy introduced. Following, some historical landmarks of acidity and basicity and a summary of the main acid-base theories of the XX century (Arrhenius, solvent systems, protonic, electronic, Lux, Usanovich and ionotropic) are presented. Historical and conceptual relations between these theories are discussed and the three characteristics of a "good" theory are applied. The results showed that the protonic and eletronic theories are the "best". Some discussion of the implications to chemical education are presented too.

Considerações sobre a eletrogeração de peróxido de hidrogênio

This paper presents some results that may be used as previous considerations to a hydrogen peroxide electrogeneration process design. A kinetic study of oxygen dissolution in aqueous solution is carried out and rate constants for oxygen dissolution are calculated. Voltammetric experiments on vitreous carbon cathode shown that the low saturation concentration drives the oxygen reduction process to a mass transfer controlled process which exhibits low values of limiting currents. Results have shown that the hydrogen peroxide formation and its decomposition to water are separated by 400 mV on the vitreous carbon surface. Diffusion coefficients for oxygen and hydrogen peroxide are calculated using data taken from Levich and Tafel plots. In a series of bulk electrolysis experiments hydrogen peroxide was electrogenerated at several potential values, and concentration profiles as a function of the electrical charged passed were obtained. Data shown that, since limiting current plateaus are poorly defined onto reticulated vitreous carbon, cathodic efficiency may be a good criterion for choosing the potential value in which hydrogen peroxide electrogeneration should be carried out.

Determination of the HMX and RDX content in synthesized energetic material by HPLC, FT-MIR, and FT-NIR spectroscopies

A new method has been developed for determining the content of mixtures of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), the HMX/RDX ratio, in explosive compositions by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), in the regions MIR (mid infrared) and NIR (near infrared) with reference values obtained by chromatographic analysis (HPLC). Plots of relative MIR (A917 / A783) or NIR absorbance values (A4412 / A4317) versus HMX/RDX ratio determined by HPLC analysis revealed good linear relationships.

Estudos Cinéticos da aquação do trans-[Co(en)2Cl2]Cl

The trans-dichlorobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) chloride was synthesized in an undergraduate laboratory and its aquation reaction was carried out at different temperatures. This reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetics and the rate constants, determined at 25, 35, 45, 55 and 70 º C, are 1.44 x 10-3; 5.14 x 10-3; 1.48 x 10-2; 4.21 x 10-2 and 2.21 x 10-1 s-1, respectively. The activation energy is 93.99 ± 2.88 kJ mol-1.

Reconhecimento de padrões por métodos não supervisionados: explorando procedimentos quimiométricos para tratamento de dados analíticos

An activity for introducing hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) during the Instrumental Analytical Chemistry course is presented. The posed problem involves the discrimination of mineral water samples according to their geographical origin. Thirty-seven samples of 9 different brands were considered and the results from the determination of Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba were taken into account. Non-supervised methods for pattern recognition were explored to construct a dendrogram, score and loading plots. The devised activity can be adopted for introducing Chemometrics devoted to data handling, stressing its importance in the context of modern Analytical Chemistry.