Desenvolvimento de metodologias alternativas para quantificação de micronutrientes em produtos de nutrição infantil

As farinhas infantis, alimentos que se destinam a recém-nascidos e crianças até à idade pré-escolar, devem satisfazer todas as necessidades nutricionais que se verificam durante o período de crescimento e desenvolvimentos físico e mental desta faixa etária. Desta forma, são frequentemente adicionadas prémisturas de vitaminas e minerais durante a sua produção (fortificação), de maneira a que a quantidade adicionada e a composição do produto final sejam concordantes com a legislação comunitária em vigor. A implementação, na linha de produção, de métodos alternativos de análise “amigos do ambiente” e passíveis de obter resultados rápidos acerca da composição nutricional dos produtos alimentares, mesmo antes destes serem embalados, permite reduções de tempo, custos e um melhor controlo do processo de produção. A espectroscopia FT-NIR e a espectroscopia de XRF são técnicas que permitem a quantificação de micronutrientes e possuem características fundamentais ao controlo rápido de processos. Neste trabalho foram desenvolvidos modelos de calibração para quantificação de zinco, por espectroscopia de XRF, em três receitas de pré-misturas de vitaminas e minerais. Construíram-se dois modelos de calibração, um com um R2 de 0,990 e um SEC de 26,624 mg/100g e outro com um R2 de 0,927 e um SEC de 18,838 mg/100g. Estes resultados indicam que os modelos de calibração construídos são adequados e podem ser usados na determinação rápida do teor de zinco em pré-misturas de vitaminas e minerais. Foram também verificadas as rectas de calibração existentes para quantificação de cálcio e ferro por espectroscopia de XRF e quantificação de vitamina C por espectroscopia FT-NIR para aplicação nas novas receitas de pré-misturas de vitaminas e minerais.

Increasing value add in white collar work using lean methods

The efficient indirect office work brings competitive advantage for companies in a rapidly changing business environment. The direct work methods in factory floors have been developed already for decades, but the office work is an area where the potential to improve the value add has not been studied and utilized systematically so far. The first objective of the thesis work is to find useful method for identifying and managing value add using literature. The usefulness of the method is validated in the case company`s environment. The second objective of the work is to understand what kind of effort is required to create more efficient target setting for the white collar employees. The operative level targets should be linked more tightly to the company strategy. Lean methods are selected as a tool for the improvement, since they are widely used in all kinds of industries and they are already familiar in other functions in the case company. Based on the literature review, suitable improvement methods are selected. The core of the lean is to identify the value add of a customer and eliminate the waste. Also visual control, cross functional work team, flow office and continuous improvement are used. The methods are tested in one production line and the results and feedback indicate that methods are useful in the studied environment.

Augmented-Reality Application for a Seru-type Manufacturing as Lean as Possible

Part 13: Virtual Reality and Simulation

Avaliação da incorporação combinada dos resíduos de cascalho de perfuração de poço de petróleo e de polimento do porcelanato em cerâmica vermelha

Among the industries, those that produce ceramic porcelain for use in construction industry and oil, during the exploration and production period, play an important role in the production of waste. Much research has been carried out both by academia and the productive sector, sometimes reintroducing them in the same production line that generated them, sometimes in areas unrelated to their generation, as in the production of concrete and mortar for the construction, for example, but each one in an isolated way. In this research, the aim is to study the combined incorporation of the waste drill cuttings of oil well and the residue of the polishing of porcelain, generated in the final stage of finishing of this product in a clay matrix, for the production of red pottery, specifically bricks, ceramic blocks and tiles. The clay comes from the municipality of São Gonçalo, RN, the drilling waste is from the Natal basin, in Rio Grande do Norte, and the residue of the polishing proceeds from a ceramic porcelain of the State of Paraíba. For this purpose, we used a mixture of a plastic clay with a non-plastic, in a ratio of 50% each, settling formulations with the addition of these two residues in this clay matrix. In the formulations, both residues were incorporated with a minimum percentage of 2.5% and maximum of 12.5%, varying from 2.5% each, in each formulation, which the sum of the waste be no more than 15%. It should be noted that the residue of the polishing of ceramic porcelain is a IIa class (not inert). The materials were characterized by XRF, XRD, TG, DTA, laser granulometry and the plasticity index. The technological properties of water absorption, apparent porosity, linear shrinkage of burning, flexural tensile strength and bulk density were evaluated after the sintering of the pieces to 850 °C, 950 °C and 1050 °C, with a burning time of 3 hr, 3 hr and 30 minutes, and 3 hr and 50 minutes, respectively, with a heating rate of 10 °C/minute, for all formulations and landing of 30 minutes. To better understand the influence of each residue and temperature on the evaluated properties, we used the factorial planning and its surfaces of response for the interpretation of the results. It was found that the temperature has no statistical significance at a 95% of reliability level in flexural tensile strength and that it decreases the water absorption and the porosity, but increases the shrinkage and the bulk density. The results showed the feasibility of the desired incorporation, but adjusting the temperature to each product and formulation, and that the temperatures of 850 °C and 950 °C were the one that responded to the largest number of formulations

Perfil logístico de Volkswagen desde la producción

Este análisis muestra detalladamente la línea de producción de la planta de Volkswagen, ubicada en México en el estado de Puebla. Se describe la capacidad operativa utilizada para satisfacer la demanda de la planta de producción de automóviles más grande de Latinoamérica, siendo clave para mantenerse en el mercado con estándares de calidad altos y contribuir al desarrollo de la economía del país. Asimismo, a nivel regional, esta planta se abastece de proveedores estratégicos ubicados en una zona cercana, ayudando a disminuir costos de transporte de piezas y tiempos de respuesta. Inicialmente se realiza una breve descripción del entorno económico de la empresa a nivel regional y del sector a nivel global para hacer énfasis en lo competitivo que es el mercado de la producción de automóviles. Posteriormente se describe la finalidad que tiene esta misión empresarial soportada por la Universidad del Rosario, donde se afianzan conocimientos importantes sobre un mercado de talla mundial. El siguiente aspecto es un diagnóstico de la empresa, donde se dan a conocer las marcas que hacen parte del grupo Volkswagen y la situación financiera que refleja la marca desde el 2012, revelando los ingresos obtenidos durante el período 2012-2014, gastos operacionales y factores que no se destacan positivamente como un flujo de caja negativo para el 2014. Posteriormente se plasman los conceptos teóricos necesarios para que el lector comprenda las variables inmersas en una planta de producción, destacando la teoría de colas y el diseño del layout de la empresa. Finalmente, se da una descripción detallada del proceso de producción en esta planta, donde se muestra la línea de producción, el ensamble y la importancia de un sistema operativo interno que depende principalmente de una alta inversión de tecnología e ingeniería que permite obtener un mayor beneficio en cada etapa del proceso.

Plan de Negocios Bloompack

Bloompack nace a partir de la desaparición de una empresa que se dedicaba a la fabricación y comercialización de empaques para flores en el municipio de Cajicá, Cundinamarca y en la cual me desempeñaba como Jefe de Producción. Es decir, mi labor era recibir los pedidos que hacían las fincas floricultoras y responder por que la línea de producción elaborara la cantidad necesaria de empaques para cumplir con éstos. La producción se dará por fuente propia, se estableció la infraestructura necesaria para la elaboración de los empaques. Se adquirió la máquina para la elaboración de los empaques, una maquina que sella el plástico que se va a usar-polipropileno biorientado-y deja el empaque formado. De igual forma se adquirió media tonelada de plástico para atender los pedidos iniciales de los clientes. El establecimiento de la infraestructura de Bloompack significó una inversión inicial de $10’700.000.

Book Review: "Below the Line: Producers and Production Studies in the New Television Economy by Vicki Mayer", Duke University Press, 2012

Vicki Mayer’s book is unusual in that, despite its title, it is not about television producers at all, or at least not in the sense that scholars and the television industry itself have traditionally understood the role. Rather than referring to those in creative, managerial or financial control, or those with substantial intellectual input into a program, Mayer uses the term in a deliberately broad sense to mean, essentially, anyone ‘whose labor, however small, contributes to [television] production’ (179).

A computational study of heat transfer, soot production and transport in an acetylene-air laminar diffusion flame in the field of a line vortex

The present work involves a computational study of soot formation and transport in case of a laminar acetylene diffusion flame perturbed by a co nvecting line vortex. The topology of the soot contours (as in an earlier experimental work [4]) have been investigated. More soot was produced when vortex was introduced from the air si de in comparison to a fuel side vortex. Also the soot topography was more diffused in case of the air side vortex. The computational model was found to be in good agreement with the ex perimental work [4]. The computational simulation enabled a study of the various parameters affecting soot transport. Temperatures were found to be higher in case of air side vortex as compared to a fuel side vortex. In case of the fuel side vortex, abundance of fuel in the vort ex core resulted in stoichiometrically rich combustion in the vortex core, and more discrete so ot topography. Overall soot production too was low. In case of the air side vortex abundan ce of air in the core resulted in higher temperatures and more soot yield. Statistical techniques like probability density fun ction, correlation coefficient and conditional probability function were introduced to explain the transient dependence of soot yield and transport on various parameters like temperature, a cetylene concentration.

A computational study of flame dynamics on soot production and transport for an acetylene-air laminar diffusion flame in the field of a convecting line vortex

The present work involves a computational study of soot formation and transport in case of a laminar acetylene diffusion flame perturbed by a convecting line vortex. The topology of the soot contours (as in an earlier experimental work [4]) have been investigated. More soot was produced when vortex was introduced from the air side in comparison to a fuel side vortex. Also the soot topography was more diffused in case of the air side vortex. The computational model was found to be in good agreement with the experimental work [4]. The computational simulation enabled a study of the various parameters affecting soot transport. Temperatures were found to be higher in case of air side vortex as compared to a fuel side vortex. In case of the fuel side vortex, abundance of fuel in the vort ex core resulted in stoichiometrically rich combustion in the vortex core, and more discrete soot topography. Overall soot production too was low. In case of the air side vortex abundance of air in the core resulted in higher temperatures and more soot yield. Statistical techniques like probability density function, correlation coefficient and conditional probability function were introduced to explain the transient dependence of soot yield and transport on various parameters like temperature, a cetylene concentration.

Establishment of a normal medakafish spermatogonial cell line capable of sperm production in vitro

Spermatogonia are the male germ stem cells that continuously produce sperm for the next generation. Spermatogenesis is a complicated process that proceeds through mitotic phase of stem cell renewal and differentiation, meiotic phase, and postmeiotic phase of spermiogenesis. Full recapitulation of spermatogenesis in vitro has been impossible, as generation of normal spermatogonial stem cell lines without immortalization and production of motile sperm from these cells after long-term culture have not been achieved. Here we report the derivation of a normal spermatogonial cell line from a mature medakafish testis without immortalization. After 140 passages during 2 years of culture, this cell line retains stable but growth factor-dependent proliferation, a diploid karyotype, and the phenotype and gene expression pattern of spermatogonial stem cells. Furthermore, we show that this cell line can undergo meiosis and spermiogenesis to generate motile sperm. Therefore, the ability of continuous proliferation and sperm production in culture is an intrinsic property of medaka spermatogonial stem cells, and immortalization apparently is not necessary to derive male germ cell cultures. Our findings and cell line will offer a unique opportunity to study and recapitulate spermatogenesis in vitro and to develop approaches for germ-line transmission.

Activated protein C inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production in the THP-1 monocytic cell line

Activated protein C (APC) protects against sepsis in animal models and inhibits the lipopolysacharide (LPS)-induced elaboration of proinflammatory cytokines from monocytes. The molecular mechanism responsible for this property is unknown. We assessed the effect of APC on LPS-induced tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production and on the activation of the central proinflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in a THP-1 cell line. Cells were preincubated with varying concentrations of APC (200 microg/ml, 100 microg/ml and 20 microg/ml) before addition of LPS (100 ng/ml and 10 microg/ml). APC inhibited LPS-induced production of TNF-alpha both in the presence and absence of fetal calf serum (FCS), although the effect was less marked with 10% FCS. APC also inhibited LPS-induced activation of NF-kappaB, with APC (200 microg/ml) abolishing the effect of LPS (100 ng/ml). The ability of APC to inhibit LPS-induced translocation of NF-kappaB is likely to be a significant event given the critical role of the latter in the host inflammatory response.

Production and on-line comprehension of definite articles and clitic pronouns by Greek sequential bilingual children and monolingual children with specific language impairment

The present study compared production and on-line comprehension of definite articles and third person direct object clitic pronouns in Greek-speaking typically developing, sequential bilingual (L2-TD) children and monolingual children with specific language impairment (L1-SLI). Twenty Turkish Greek L2-TD children, 16 Greek L1-SLI children, and 31 L1-TD Greek children participated in a production task examining definite articles and clitic pronouns and, in an on-line comprehension task, involving grammatical sentences with definite articles and clitics and sentences with grammatical violations induced by omitted articles and clitics. The results showed that the L2-TD children were sensitive to the grammatical violations despite low production. In contrast, the children with SLI were not sensitive to clitic omission in the on-line task, despite high production. These results support a dissociation between production and on-line comprehension in L2 children and for impaired grammatical representations and lack of automaticity in children with SLI. They also suggest that on-line comprehension tasks may complement production tasks by differentiating between the language profiles of L2-TD children and children with SLI.

Production and on-line comprehension of definiteness in English and Dutch by monolingual and sequential bilingual children

The present article examines production and on-line processing of definite articles in Turkish-speaking sequential bilingual children acquiring English and Dutch as second languages (L2) in the UK and in the Netherlands, respectively. Thirty-nine 6–8-year-old L2 children and 48 monolingual (L1) age-matched children participated in two separate studies examining the production of definite articles in English and Dutch in conditions manipulating semantic context, that is, the anaphoric and the bridging contexts. Sensitivity to article omission was examined in the same groups of children using an on-line processing task involving article use in the same semantic contexts as in the production task. The results indicate that both L2 children and L1 controls are less accurate when definiteness is established by keeping track of the discourse referents (anaphoric) than when it is established via world knowledge (bridging). Moreover, despite variable production, all groups of children were sensitive to the omission of definite articles in the on-line comprehension task. This suggests that the errors of omission are not due to the lack of abstract syntactic representations, but could result from processes implicated in the spell-out of definite articles. The findings are in line with the idea that variable production in child L2 learners does not necessarily indicate lack of abstract representations (Haznedar and Schwartz, 1997).

Evaluation of serum- and animal protein-free media for the production of infectious bronchitis virus (M41) strain in a continuous cell line

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)