Characteristics of cocoa butter and chocolates obtained from cocoa varieties grown in Bahia, Brazil

Due to the attack of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) plants by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa which caused witches’ broom disease in the state of Bahia, Brazil, resistant clonal material with elevated productivity and superior physical characteristics has been selected for use in the genetic improvement program and by the cocoa producers themselves. The present study aimed to characterize the cocoa butter and chocolates produced from nine cacao varieties and also from the Amelonado cacao produced in the same region (denominated as Common), with a view to quality improvement. The cocoa butter was characterized for its solid fat content and triacylglycerol composition, and the chocolates for their moisture and protein contents, maximum particle diameter, pH value, acidity, rheological properties and instrumental texture, as well as a sensory test for acceptability with 50 consumers. A relationship was found between the triacylglycerol composition and solid fat curves of the cocoa butters and the instrumental texture of the chocolates, the highest values for the latter parameter being observed for the varieties with greater amounts of symmetrical triacylglycerols and greater solid fat contents at the temperatures evaluated. From a sensory point of view, it was shown that overall acceptance and buying intention were mainly determined by the attributes of “astringency,” “bitterness,” “acidity” and “chocolate flavor.” It was also shown that chocolates produced from varieties descendent from the Trinitario group were differentiated from those descendent from the Forastero group, showing the preference of consumers for these materials and the possibility of a gain in quality in the genetic improvement of cacao by including varieties descended from the Trinitario and Criollo groups in the crossing programs, associating disease resistance with product quality.     

Do rituals serve as a brake on innovation in staple food cropping in Timor-Leste?

Ritual practices from Christian and older animist belief systems persist across Timor-Leste (T-L). Significant events such as deaths and marriages include elements from both beliefs, and resources to conduct the associated ceremonies can affect agricultural production. In addition, ceremonies based on family lineage groups - lisan - are conducted for numerous purposes, with many related to food production and consumption. To investigate such rituals from a food security perspective, interviews on ritual practices were conducted in a longitudinal study among 18 households in four municipalities in 2006–2007 and among 56 respondents in three municipalities in 2015. Time and resources dedicated to ritual practices varied significantly across respondents, localities and crops. Despite extensive rural poverty, almost all communities dedicated significant resources and time to conduct ceremonies, particularly for maize and rice. Importantly, innovation in cropping was not stifled by rituals. Rituals reinforce social networks that have already been found to be important to food security, so in a broad sense rituals may even contribute to crop production. There was wide overlap between the composition of lineage lisan and mutual labour groups, which can be critical in T-L where, with limited availability of farm mechanization, the household unit of labour is insufficient for some agricultural tasks. A reallocation of resources from rituals to other objectives such as education and home maintenance is now gradually occurring. Looking ahead, respondents indicated that, while rituals could become less elaborate, continuance of the traditions was essential. Agricultural rituals contribute to the social capital needed for crop production and food security in T-L.     

Effect of operational parameters of mini-direct methanol fuel cells operating at ambient temperature

There is currently increased interest in small-size direct methanol fuel cells for portable applications. This work presents results of the influence of operational parameters on the performance of a mini-direct methanol fuel cell. The effects of methanol concentration, Pt load, membrane thickness and PTFE content in the cathode diffusion layer on the performance were studied. Two anodic materials were prepared, PtRu 75:25 at.% and PtRu 90:10 at.%, as nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon, while for the cathodes Pt/C E-TEK catalysts were used. The materials were characterized physically by EDX and DRX and electrochemically in a half-cell. The results with single cells showed better performances with cells operating with 3 mg Pt cm^?2, 5 mol l^?1 methanol solution, Nafion^® 112 membrane and with 30 wt.% PTFE in the cathode diffusion layer deposited on only one face of the electrode support.     

Effect of drying and storage time on the physico-chemical properties of mango leathers

Fruit leathers are made by drying a very thin layer of fruit puree to obtain a chewy product. The objective of this work was to minimise the drying time required to produce mango leathers with no preservatives and no sugar added, and to evaluate their acceptance and storage stability. Mango puree was spread on Petri dishes and oven‐dried according to a central composite design with two independent variables: drying temperature (60–80 °C) and puree load (0.4–0.6 g cm^?2). The minimum drying time (120 min) resulted from drying a puree load of 0.5 g cm^?2 at 80 °C. The product was well accepted, especially in terms of flavour. The mango leathers were packed in polypropylene buckets and stored at 25 °C. The combination between low water activity (0.62) and low pH (3.8) allowed the product to be microbiologically stable for at least 6 months, without the need for chemical preservatives.     

Water Retention Curve and Particle Breakage of Aggregates Recycled from Demolition Waste

CDW （construction and demolition wastes） present a high amount of aggregate chips covered with mortar. This results in high absorption of water with a direct impact in particle breakage or disaggregation. It is supposed that intra particle suction plays an important role in this phenomenon. However, WRCs （water retention curves） of CDW are not well understood. In this work, the WRCs of dynamically compacted specimens of aggregates recycled from the demolition of the National Stadium in Brasilia are studied. The objective of this study is to obtain WRCs of the recycled materials by using the pressure plate and filter paper methods. The breaking effect during compaction is quantified from the grain size distribution curves. The particle breakage during compaction increases when the energy is augmented. The results from the WRCs were incorporated into a pore size capillary model to predict pore size distribution.     

Liquid–liquid equilibria of ternary mixtures of methanol + MEG + n-C5, ethanol + MEG + n-C5, and n-butanol + MEG + n-C5

New liquid–liquid equilibrium data of ternary systems of mono ethylene glycol + n-pentane + methanol, mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) + n-pentane + ethanol, and mono ethylene glycol + n-pentane + n-butanol from 283.15 to 293 K are presented in this work. Binodal curves were obtained by the cloud point titration method. Tie-line compositions were obtained through density and sound velocity measurements of phases in equilibrium. Results show that the solubility increases with temperature in all systems and decreases as the alcohol chain increases. The relative solubility data indicate that the alcohols are more soluble in MEG than in n-C5. The obtained experimental data were successfully correlated using the CPA and the PC-SAFT equation with appropriate binary interaction parameters.     

Optimization of green extraction of high-value components from Eugenia uniflora leaves: Thermal stability and in-vitro biological activity

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) were evaluated as a sustainable route to obtain bioactive compounds from Eugenia uniflora L. leaves (EUL). Completely randomized experimental designs determined the process conditions. The DES composed of cholinium chloride as hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and lactic acid, glycerol, or 1,2-propanediol as hydrogen bond donor (HBD) showed the best extraction capacity. The better conditions were 150 min, 65°C, and a solid:liquid ratio of 1:30. The major constituents of the extracts, quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were naringin and caffeic acid. Moreover, the DES promoted a preservative effect on the EUL extracts against thermal treatments. All extracts exhibited high antioxidant and antiglycation activities and iron-chelating potential. Moreover, when lactic acid was the HBD, the extracts showed considerable antibacterial activity. Therefore, it was effectively proposed as an effective and green route to obtain extracts with potential applications in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.     

Measurement invariance of neuropsychological tests in diverse older persons.

Objective: Comparability of meaning of neuropsychological test results across ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups is important for clinicians challenged with assessing increasing numbers of older ethnic minorities. We examined the dimensional structure of a neuropsychological test battery in linguistically and demographically diverse older adults. Method: The Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales (SENAS), developed to provide psychometrically sound measures of cognition for multiethnic and multilingual applications, was administered to a community dwelling sample of 760 Whites, 443 African Americans, 451 English-speaking Hispanics, and 882 Spanish-speaking Hispanics. Cognitive function spanned a broad range from normal to mildly impaired to demented. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine equivalence of the dimensional structure for the SENAS across the groups defined by language and ethnicity. Results: Covariance among 16 SENAS tests was best explained by five cognitive dimensions corresponding to episodic memory, semantic memory/language, spatial ability, attention/working memory, and verbal fluency. Multiple Group confirmatory factor analysis supported a common dimensional structure in the diverse groups. Measures of episodic memory showed the most compelling evidence of measurement equivalence across groups. Measurement equivalence was observed for most but not all measures of semantic memory/language and spatial ability. Measures of attention/working memory defined a common dimension in the different groups, but results suggest that scores are not strictly comparable across groups. Conclusions: These results support the applicability of the SENAS for use with multiethnic and bilingual older adults, and more broadly, provide evidence of similar dimensions of cognition in the groups represented in the study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)