Identification of the Kombucha consumer profile in Fortaleza-CE

Made from the fermentation of sweetened tea from the Camellia sinensis herb by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts, Kombucha has been gaining ground in the Brazilian and international scene for its benefits and its possible ability to assist in human well-being. This fermented beverage has shown significant growth in the beverage market and, because of this, the present work aimed to carry out a data survey on the set of behavioral characteristics of kombucha consumers in the city of Fortaleza-CE and metropolitan region and the relationship of these individuals with the drink; as well as identifying the attributes that influence the purchase decision and prospecting the population's acceptability for fermented beverages such as kombucha. To carry out the research, the Google forms platform was used, and these forms were distributed through social networks following the snowball technique. XLSTAT software, Maxdiff test and Excel were used for data analysis. Thus, it was found that most kombucha consumers are women, young people, with an income between 1 and 4 minimum salary, single, with higher education and residents of the noblest areas of the city. The attributes that were considered decisive for the purchase decision were: health benefits, probiotic, flavor, increase immunity, contain no chemical additives and high antioxidant content. In this way, it is expected that this study will contribute with a direction to kombucha producers for the elaboration of new products directed to a specific public.Made from the fermentation of sweetened tea from the Camellia sinensis herb by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts, Kombucha has been gaining ground in the Brazilian and international scene for its benefits and its possible ability to assist in human well-being. This fermented beverage has shown significant growth in the beverage market and, because of this, the present work aimed to carry out a data survey on the set of behavioral characteristics of kombucha consumers in the city of Fortaleza-CE and metropolitan region and the relationship of these individuals with the drink; as well as identifying the attributes that influence the purchase decision and prospecting the population's acceptability for fermented beverages such as kombucha. To carry out the research, the Google forms platform was used, and these forms were distributed through social networks following the snowball technique. XLSTAT software, Maxdiff test and Excel were used for data analysis. Thus, it was found that most kombucha consumers are women, young people, with an income between 1 and 4 minimum salary, single, with higher education and residents of the noblest areas of the city. The attributes that were considered decisive for the purchase decision were: health benefits, probiotic, flavor, increase immunity, contain no chemical additives and high antioxidant content. In this way, it is expected that this study will contribute with a direction to kombucha producers for the elaboration of new products directed to a specific public

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Preparation of Powdered Lemon Juice Prebiotic dehydrated spouted bed dryer

Dentre os vÃrios alimentos que fazem parte do grupo dos funcionais, os alimentos prebiÃticos tem um destaque importante por auxiliarem no bom funcionamento do intestino. A sÃntese de oligossacarÃdeos com propriedades prebiÃticas pode ser realizada aproveitando os aÃÃcares presentes nos sucos de frutas. PorÃm, os sucos necessitam de tÃcnicas de preservaÃÃo que garantam a sua estabilidade. A secagem de sucos em leito de jorro tem se mostrado uma alternativa viÃvel para elaboraÃÃo de suco em pÃ. Entretanto, a aplicaÃÃo desse processo em alimentos ricos em aÃÃcares pode ser complicada devido à baixa temperatura de transiÃÃo vÃtrea destes compostos, que contribui para a obtenÃÃo de pÃs higroscÃpicos e aglomerados. Diante disso, o objetivo desse trabalho foi desenvolver um suco prebiÃtico de limÃo e posteriormente desidratÃ-lo em secador de leito de jorro, elaborando um suco em pà prebiÃtico de limÃo. O suco de limÃo foi inicialmente caracterizado e os oligossacarÃdeos prebiÃticos foram obtidos atravÃs da sÃntese enzimÃtica com a dextrana-sacarase. Essa enzima consome os aÃÃcares presentes no suco (sacarose, glicose e frutose) para produzir dextrana e oligossacarÃdeos prebiÃticos. A fim de verificar as melhores condiÃÃes para a obtenÃÃo dos oligossacarÃdeos, foi realizado um planejamento experimental com 11 pontos variando as concentraÃÃes de sacarose e aÃÃcar redutor (glicose e frutose). O suco prebiÃtico de limÃo foi desidratado em leito de jorro nas temperaturas de 60ÂC (10, 15 e 20% - p/p de maltodextrina) e 70ÂC (10, 15% - p/p de maltodextrina). Os pÃs obtidos foram avaliados em relaÃÃo ao rendimento do processo, umidade, Atividade de Ãgua, tempo de reconstituiÃÃo, higroscopicidade e grau de caking. Posteriormente o suco em pà foi reconstituÃdo e caracterizado fÃsico-quimicamente. A sÃntese dos oligossacarÃdeos foi favorecida pela combinaÃÃo do aumento das concentraÃÃes de sacarose (75 g/L) e de aÃÃcar redutor (75 g/L). Utilizando 10% (p/p) de maltodextrina nÃo foi possÃvel coletar pÃ. Observou-se que maiores concentraÃÃes desse agente diminuem a higroscopicidade e a aglomeraÃÃo dos pÃs. O pà escolhido para a reconstituiÃÃo foi desidratado a 70ÂC com 15% (p/p) de maltodextrina, tendo em vista que esse pà apresentou maior rendimento e menor atividade de Ãgua. A comparaÃÃo das caracterÃsticas fÃsico-quÃmicas do suco de limÃo, do suco prebiÃtico e do suco reconstituÃdo, evidencia que a secagem em leito de jorro praticamente nÃo altera as caracterÃsticas originais do suco de limÃo, comprovando que esse mÃtodo de secagem pode ser empregado para obtenÃÃo de suco prebiÃtico de limÃo em pÃ, garantido um produto de alta estabilidade e com suas propriedades conservadas.Among the various foods called functional foods, prebiotics are important substances for the proper functioning of the intestine. The synthesis of oligosaccharides with prebiotic properties can be realized taking advantage of the sugars present in the fruit juice. However, the juices require preservation techniques to ensure its stability. Drying in spouted bed has been shown to be a viable alternative for the preparation of powdered juices. However, the application of this process on foods rich in sugars can be complicated due to the low glass transition temperature of these compounds, which contributes to obtain hygroscopic powders and agglomerates. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a prebiotic lemon juice dehydrated in spouted bed, producing a prebiotic powdered. Lemon juice was initially characterized and prebiotic oligosaccharides were obtained by enzymatic synthesis with dextran sucrase. This enzyme consumes the sugars present in the juice (sucrose, glucose and fructose) to produce dextran and prebiotic oligosaccharides. In order to determine the best conditions for obtaining oligosaccharides, an experimental design was carried out with 11 points changing the concentrations of sucrose and reducing sugar (glucose and fructose). The prebiotic lemon juice was dehydrated in a spouted bed at temperatures of 60  C (10, 15 and 20% - w/w maltodextrin) and 70 ÂC (10% 15 - w/w maltodextrin). The following parameters of the powders were evaluated: yield, moisture, water activity, reconstitution time, degree of hygroscopicity and caking. The juice powder was also reconstituted and physicochemically characterized. The synthesis of oligosaccharides was enhanced by the combination of high concentrations of sucrose (75 g/ L) and reducing sugar (75 g/L). Using 10% (w/w) of maltodextrin it was not possible to collect dust from the spouted bed. At higher the concentration of maltodextrin the lower hygroscopicity and agglomeration of powders were obtained. The powder chosen for reconstitution was dehydrated at 70  C with 15% (w/w) of maltodextrin because this powder presented higher yield and lower water activity. The comparison between lemon juice and the reconstituted prebiotic juice showed that the drying process in spouted bed did not change the properties of the raw material, attesting that this method can be used to obtain prebiotic lemon juice powder with good stability and quality

ATLANTIC ANTS: a data set of ants in Atlantic Forests of South America

International audienc

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data