Sustainable practices in a higher education institution: an approach to implementation difficulties in the Garanhuns academic unit of the Federal rural University of Pernambuco

Higher Education Public Institutions can be understood as major consumers of goods and services, in the case of Brazil. To lessen the negative impacts of their activities, these entities have a primary role in the dissemination and implementation of sustainable ideas in their administrative routines. Thus, this study investigated the main difficulties faced by public actors in adopting sustainable practices in their administrative routines. The case study methodology was used as methodological strategy, and the research was classified as descriptive, applied in nature and of qualitative approach. The unit of analysis chosen was the Garanhuns Academic Unit of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UAG/UFRPE).For data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 servants representatives of strategic sectors of UAG/UFRPE. The data collected through the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that the main difficulties in adopting sustainable practices in the workplace were administrative, budgetary and cultural, with the most critical obstacles being the lack of knowledge and training factors on sustainable actions and the scarcity of effective institutional policies. From these results, it is concluded that it is necessary to overcome these difficulties to implement effective sustainable management in the Unit

Bioactivity of Licaria puchury-major essential oil against Aedes aegypti, Tetranychus urticae and Cerataphis lataniae

The present study was carried out to evaluate an alternative controlling agent for greenhouse pests and the yellow fever mosquito larvae. The potential bioactivity of Licaria puchury-major (Mart.) Kosterm. (“puxuri”) was evaluated here against three most common pests in tropical and subtropical countries: Aedes aegypti Linn. Larvae, Tetranychus urticae Koch. mites and Cerataphis lataniae Boisd. aphids. The essential oil from seeds was analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The major compounds were safrole (38.8%) and eucalyptol (21.7%). Phenylpropanes (51.7%) was the main group of compounds and oxygenated monoterpenes represented 28.8% of the total oil. The essential oil has shown no inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the tested concentrations. However, potential antioxidant activities were evaluated by different methods [DPPH: LD50 = (27.8 ± 1.0) µg/.mL; ABTS: (977.3 ± 25.2) µM TEs/g (Trolox Equivalents); FRAP: (548.2 ± 29.0) µM Fe(II)/g]. A significant larvicidal potential for 24 h of exposure was observed with LD50 = 98.9 µg/mL, being an indicative that the larval mortality may occur by ingestion or contact due to the no inhibition against AChE. Volatile phase effects were evaluated against T. urticae Koch. and C. lataniae Boisd. and LD50 were found about 30.8 and 13.5 µg/mL, respectively. These results are consistent with an octopaminergic effect, since some phenylpropanoids (such as Safrole, identified as the major compound in this work) can block octopamine, a multi-functional, naturally occurring biogenic amine. Then, this study clearly illustrated the efficacy of the investigated seeds, which encourages the development of a new potential natural controlling agent against these common pests due to the abundance of these seeds in the Amazon region and to the high essential oil yield. © 2018 ACG Publications. All rights reserved

Labor relations as an indicator of social responsibility in the perception of employees at the Serra Talhada academic unit of the Federal rural University of Pernambuco

The emergence of the concept of sustainable development and social and environmental responsibility in organizations has evolved over time, from a view focused on the economic and legal aspects to a new stance of organizations that includes responsibility in labor relations or the social aspect. In this context of change, both private and public organizations have made efforts to contemplate labor relations in their daily practices and in the decisionmaking process. Public institutions, and within them, Higher Education Institutions (HEI),play a fundamental role in this aspect as a driving force in changing proactive behaviors in relation to their collaborators, in addition to having a training role externally, citizens or future entrepreneurs who have a more humane background and are committed to the quality of life in the work place. In this sense, this study aims to investigate the social responsibility practices contemplated in the management of the Serra Talhada Academic Unit of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UAST/UFRPE), from management and operational practices related to labor relations, besides knowing the perception of the servers about suchpractices. The research adopted a qualitative and quantitative approach and is configured forbeing applied and descriptive in nature. For data collection, questionnaires were used. As a result, it was possible to highlight the concern with the issue of labor relations by the institution since it is formally inserted in it’s management, even if in an embryonic way. However, the perception of the staff differs as to the institutional position regarding socialissues, especially regarding labor relations, suggesting the need for better dissemination of existing actions in UAST

Enhancing Bioactive Compound Bioaccessibility in <i>Tapirira guianensis</i> Juices through Ultrasound-Assisted Applications

This study evaluated the chemical profile and bioactive compounds in Tapirira guianensis juice samples under high-intensity ultrasound (US) effects. T. guianensis juices were produced and processed using the US with varying ultrasound energy (0, 0.9, 1.8, 2.7, and 3.6 kJ·cm−3) for 10 min. The treated juices were evaluated for total acidity, color, pH, total phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, carotenoids, antioxidant capacity, in vitro digestibility, as well as quantification of bioactive compounds by HPLC-DAD. The hydromethanolic extract obtained from T. guianensis exhibited the presence of two major categories of polyphenols, specifically galloylquinic acids and flavonols. Overall, US technology was responsible for inducing some negative changes, such as carotenoid degradation, but also some positive changes in the chemical profile of the beverages, such as increased phenolic content, improved antioxidant capacity, and increased anthocyanin content. However, the beneficial effects were prominent, thus opening opportunities to develop new functional beverages using this fruit with limited scientific studies

Extraction and Modification of Cellulose Microfibers Derived from Biomass of the Amazon <i>Ochroma pyramidale</i> Fruit

Microfibers are important to several areas of human lifestyle, and the knowledge about their physicochemical characteristics allows for proposing new technological applications. The in natura microfiber of Ochroma pyramidale fruit (IN sample) and its extracted pulp (PU sample) were evaluated by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetry and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG/dTG and DSC). Microfibers were composed mainly of (68 ± 1)% holocellulose, (35.8 ± 0.1)% cellulose, (32 ± 3)% lignin and (3.7 ± 0.3)% extractives. The XRD pattern of the PU sample revealed that the mercerization process resulted in the change of the cellulose crystal structure from Iα type (triclinic) to type II (monoclinic). The SEM technique showed that the IN sample presented regular cylindrical/hollow-shaped wire-like microfibers with diameters ranging from 5 µm to 25 µm. However, the mercerization process changed their natural morphology. A significant change in the FTIR spectra after the removal of hemicellulose and lignin components was observed: weak bands at 1739 cm−1 (C=O stretching of lignin and hemicellulose fractions), 1463 cm−1 (CH3 of lignin) and 1246 cm−1 (C-O of lignin) were still observed in the PU sample, indicating that the lignin was not completely removed due to the natural difficulty of isolating pure cellulose. The TG/dTG and DSC evaluation revealed a temperature increase of the second thermal event (starting at 235 °C) in the PU sample, which was assigned to the cellulose and residual hemicellulose degradation. Then, this work aimed to disseminate and characterize a microfiber with unusual characteristics still little explored by the scientific community, as well as its cellulosic pulp, providing information that may be useful in its application in different industries, enabling the positive development of new biocompatible, renewable and sustainable materials

PANI&ndash;WO3&middot;2H2O Nanocomposite: Phase Interaction and Evaluation of Electronic Properties by Combined Experimental Techniques and Ab-Initio Calculation

The development of conjugated polymer-based nanocomposites by adding metallic particles into the polymerization medium allows the proposition of novel materials presenting improved electrical and optical properties. Polyaniline Emeraldine-salt form (ES&ndash;PANI) has been extensively studied due to its controllable electrical conductivity and oxidation states. On the other hand, tungsten oxide (WO3) and its di-hydrated phases, such as WO3&middot;2H2O, have been reported as important materials in photocatalysis and sensors. Herein, the WO3&middot;2H2O phase was directly obtained during the in-situ polymerization of aniline hydrochloride from metallic tungsten (W), allowing the formation of hybrid nanocomposites based on its full oxidation into WO3&middot;2H2O. The developed ES&ndash;PANI&ndash;WO3&middot;2H2O nanocomposites were successfully characterized using experimental techniques combined with Density Functional Theory (DFT). The formation of WO3&middot;2H2O was clearly verified after two hours of synthesis (PW2 nanocomposite), allowing the confirmation of purely physical interaction between matrix and reinforcement. As a result, increased electrical conductivity was verified in the PW2 nanocomposite: the DFT calculations revealed a charge transfer from the p-orbitals of the polymeric phase to the d-orbitals of the oxide phase, resulting in higher conductivity when compared to the pure ES&ndash;PANI

Poly(o-methoxyaniline) Chain Degradation Based on a Heat Treatment (HT) Process: Combined Experimental and Theoretical Evaluation

Poly(o-methoxyaniline) emeraldine-salt form (ES-POMA) was chemically synthesized using hydrochloric acid and subjected to a heat treatment (HT) process for 1 h at 100 &deg;C (TT100) and 200 &deg;C (TT200). The HT process promoted a progressive decrease in crystallinity. The Le Bail method revealed a decomposition from tetrameric to trimeric-folded chains after the HT process. The unheated POMA-ES presented a globular vesicular morphology with varied micrometric sizes. The heat treatment promoted a reduction in these globular structures, increasing the non-crystalline phase. The boundary length (S) and connectivity/Euler feature (&chi;) parameters were calculated from the SEM images, revealing that ES-POMA presented a wide distribution of heights. The TT100 and TT200 presented a narrow boundary distribution, suggesting smoother surfaces with smaller height variations. The UV-VIS analysis revealed that the transition at 343 nm (nonlocal &pi; &rarr; &pi;*) was more intense in the TT200 due to the electronic delocalization, which resulted from the reduced polymer chain caused by the HT process. In addition to the loss of conjugation, counter ion withdrawal reduced the ion-chain interaction, decreasing the local electron density. This result shows the influence of the chlorine counter ions on the peaks position related to the HOMO &rarr; LUMO transition, since the &pi; &rarr; polaron transition occurs due to the creation of the energy states due to the presence of counter ions. Finally, the electrical conductivity decreased after the HT process from 1.4 &times; 10&minus;4 S.cm&minus;1 to 2.4 &times; 10&minus;6 S.cm&minus;1 as result of the polymer deprotonation/degradation. Thus, this paper proposed a systematic evaluation of the POMA molecular structure and crystallite size and shape after heat treatment

Encapsulation of Amazonian Blueberry juices: Evaluation of bioactive compounds and stability

Bioactive compounds of Clidemia japurensis and Clidemia hirta juices were encapsulated in maltodextrin (MD) of different dextrose equivalents (DE – MD10, MD20 AND MD30). Microparticles containing the encapsulated juices were obtained by freeze-drying process. The stability of the encapsulated bioactive compounds was evaluated under different relative humidity (22 and 77%) at 25 °C by DPPH and ABTS methods. Twelve bioactive compounds were identified by UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and classified as organic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins. The juices presented good antioxidant properties [DPPH value of 943 ± 15 (C. japurensis) and 994 ± 14 μM TE (C. hirta); ABTS value of 1119 ± 24 (C. japurensis) and 1273 ± 18 μM TE (C. hirta)]. Encapsulation Efficiency (EE) ranged from 97.0 to 99.8% (DPPH) and from 87.8 to 99.1% (ABTS). The encapsulated juices did not present activity water (AW) values that could favor microbial growth. The powdered juices prepared using lower DE carrier resulted in better retention and stability of the bioactive compounds due to the low water adsorption According to the ABTS results, the bioactive compounds of C. hirta and C. japurensis encapsulated in MD10 carrier and stored at RH = 22% presented half-life time around 45 and 37 days, respectively. These results represent an interesting possibility of application in food industry. © 202

<i>Hibiscus acetosella</i>: An Unconventional Alternative Edible Flower Rich in Bioactive Compounds

The interest in the consumption of edible flowers has increased since they represent a rich source of bioactive compounds, which are significantly beneficial to human health. The objective of this research was to access the bioactive compounds and antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of unconventional alternative edible flowers of Hibiscus acetosella Welw. Ex Hiern. The edible flowers presented pH value of 2.8 ± 0.00, soluble solids content of 3.4 ± 0.0 °Brix, high moisture content of about 91.8 ± 0.3%, carbohydrates (6.9 ± 1.2%), lipids (0.90 ± 0.17%), ashes (0.4 ± 0.0%), and not detectable protein. The evaluation of the scavenging activity of free radicals, such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), of the flower extract was better than the results observed for other edible flowers (507.8 ± 2.7 μM TE and 783.9 ± 30.8 μM TE, respectively) as well as the total phenolic composition (TPC) value (568.8 ± 0.8 mg GAE/g). These flowers are rich in organic acids and phenolic compounds, mainly myricetin, and quercetin derivatives, kaempferol, and anthocyanins. The extract showed no cytotoxicity for the cell lineages used, suggesting that the extract has no directly harmful effects to cells. The important bioactive compound identified in this study makes this flower especially relevant in the healthy food area due to its nutraceutical potential without showing cytotoxicity