ASSESSORAMENTO DE PROJETOS COM NECESSIDADE DE COLETA DE DADOS AUTOMATIZADOS

A estatística é uma ferramenta importante para a tomada de decisão em diversas áreas porém, para se obter resultados confiáveis, é necessário um conjunto de dados consistente para as análises. Neste ponto, a coleta de dados pode ser um limitador para o andamento de muitos projetos. Desta forma, este trabalho teve por objetivo, apresentar os resultados obtidos por meio do assessoramento a projetos no processo de automatização da coleta de dados. Após a desenvolvimento do datalogger utilizando plataforma Arduíno, foi realizado reuniões com os responsáveis pelos projetos a serem atendido para definição do delineamento experimental, do cronograma e das ações que seriam realizada pelos membros. Com a diversidade de projetos atendidos, pode-se fortalecer os três pilares da Universidade Federal, Ensino – Pesquisa – Extensão, ou seja, foram atendidos projetos de TCC, Iniciação Científica, Extensão, Pesquisa, Mestrado, Industria e Disciplinas de Graduação. Os membro que trabalharam no projeto tiveram a oportunidade de conhecer o sistema de automatização no processo de coleta de dados utilizando plataforma open source, adquirir alguns soft skills, como comunicação efetiva e liderança e, publicar os resultado em artigo de periódicos, artigos em anais de eventos e capitulo de livros

Validation of leaf cover analysis software (LCAS) to monitor lettuce cultivated with organic fertiliser

Composting and vermicomposting are techniques used to stabilise organic waste and produce nutrient-rich fertilisers. Experiments that analyse cultures and different fertilisers applied to soil require a heavy workload and time to monitor plant development. Thus, alternative methods to facilitate this monitoring need to be created. The aim of this paper was to assess the development of lettuce cultivated with eight types of fertilisers derived from composting and vermicomposting, and to compare the traditional data collection method with leaf cover analysis software (“LCAS”). The assessed items were growth, diameter, number of leaves, fresh mass, dry mass, and leaf cover obtained using the software. Overall, the lettuce cultivars that received organic fertiliser developed better than the witness, especially in relation to treatments containing ash, such as the C4 compost (Mud, Ash and Pruning litter) and V2 vermicompost (Mud, Ash and Coffee husk). LCAS proved to be an effective tool to monitor the growth of lettuce cultivars in comparison with the traditional method since statistically the pattern of behaviour of the treatments was similar for plant cover, diameter, length, and fresh and dry masses

Determination of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid for assessing the quality tap water using SPE and HPLC

The use of pesticides in agriculture is one of the current problems that may result in contamination of both ground and surface water and groundwater. Considering the environmental importance and the increasing use of herbicides in Maringá region, in the present work methods for extraction and determination of glyphosate (GLYP) and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) using solid phase extraction (SPE) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were developed. For SPE, anion exchange resin was used and elution was done with hydrochloric acid 50.0 mmol L-1, achieving recovery rates of 82.5-116.2% and 67.1-104.0% for AMPA and GLYP, respectively. For HPLC determination the analytes were derivatized and injected in the HPLC with a C18 column and using mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer 0.20 mol L-1 at pH 3.0 and acetonitrile (85:15); the monitoring was done at 240 nm. The analysis was performed in 8 min with the same limit of detection and limit of quantification for AMPA and GLYP of 0.09 and 0.20 mg L-1, respectively. The methods were applied to analysis of public water supply samples and concentrations from 2.1 up to 2.9 µg L-1 for AMPA and from 2.3 up to 3.3 µg L-1 for glyphosate were found. 

Determination of trans-resveratrol in <i>Solanum americanum</i> Mill. by HPLC

<p><i>Solanum americanum</i> Mill. is a plant that belongs to the Solanaceae family, its respective ripe fruit is dark purple. Ripe <i>S. americanum</i> Mill<i>.</i> fruits were submitted to physicochemical characterisation, and their <i>trans</i>-resveratrol contents were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Such determination was executed with fruits at different stages of ripeness and freeze-stored fruits as well. <i>In natura</i> ripe fruit pulp and peel presented average <i>trans</i>-resveratrol amounts of 1.07 and 0.7960 μg <i>per</i> gram of sample, respectively. These amounts are significantly higher when compared to freeze-stored fruit (0.1353 μg of <i>trans</i>-resveratrol <i>per</i> gram of sample) and to other berries. All ripe fruits showed significant amounts of total anthocyanins and total antioxidants. Thus, for the first time, <i>trans</i>-resveratrol has been identified and quantified in <i>S. americanum</i> Mill<i>.</i> fruit samples.</p

A Prompt, Tough and Eco-Friendly (PTOCO) System for Mini-Scale Extraction of Samples for Antioxidant Capacity Assays

<div><p>The compound extraction is an important step before analyzing composition of samples with antioxidant capacity. Several extraction conditions can be employed (temperature, polarity of solvent and extraction time, for example), and the chosen variables exert great influence upon final results. Thus, in order to execute an efficient extraction, it is needed to manage them with rigor. In this work, a new device was designed and tested. The Prompt, TOugh and eCO-friendly (PTOCO) system is the first equipment in mini-scale that allows a good control of antioxidants extraction conditions. It is a simple and cheap device that only needs small amounts of sample and solvent to obtain sufficient volumes of extract for application in routine analytical methods. Twenty experiments from an experimental design were executed using only 0.5 g of oregano and 60 mL of water. The total antioxidant capacity assays, as well as the mass spectra, confirmed the extraction efficiency.</p></div