Olive oil from organic agriculture and integrated production – quality parameters evaluation

Os olivais da Beira Baixa têm mostrado aptidão para evoluir para sistemas de agricultura sustentável, capazes de valorizar o ecossistema agrário, a sua biodiversidade, os seus produtos e o rendimento dos olivicultores, de que são exemplo os olivais em modo de produção biológico e em produção integrada. Neste trabalho efectuou-se o acompanhamento de olivais em modo de produção biológico e produção integrada, situados na Beira Baixa. A análise química das características dos azeites da cultivar Galega vulgar não revelou diferenças importantes entre os dois modos de produção, classificando-os na categoria “Azeite virgem extra”. Os resultados preliminares de um primeiro ano de ensaio revelaram que em ambos os sistemas de produção se obtiveram azeites com elevados padrões de qualidade

Sensory evaluation of virgin olive oils from organic agriculture and integrated production

In the present work four olive groves were selected: two in organic agriculture and two in integrated production. Olives were handpicked at two ripening stages and processed by a low-scale mill with a working capacity of 0.05 tons h-1. Differences between olive oils were evaluated through a sensory quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) for positive attributes; moreover, some chemical parameters that could be related with bitterness, like phenol content and the specific absorbance at 225 nm (K225), were determined as well. Some analyses were also conducted with an Alpha MOS electronic nose system, FOX 2000

Effect of modified atmosphere on polyphenols during storage of pasteurised strawberry purees

The minimum loss of processed fruit nutritional quality must been guaranteed during storage and the atmosphere can be a limiting step. Strawberry pur ees flushed with gas mixtures: 10 kPa O2 þ 90 kPa N2, 100 kPa N2 and air (78 kPa N2 þ 21 kPa O2 þ 0.03 kPa CO2) were stored for 90 days at 4 and 23 C and revealed no effect in total antioxidant activity and in total phenolic content. The compounds (þ)-catechin, ( )-epicatechin and quercetin-3-rutinoside were not affected by the atmospheres for both temperatures and ellagic acid was the exception within strawberry phytochemicals, where its concentration was higher for samples stored in air. Total anthocyanin content was better preserved when strawberry pur ee was stored in 100 kPa N2 at 4 and 23 C, at which temperatures their levels decreased 24 and 77%, respectively. At 4 C cyanidin-3- glucoside presented no significant differences between atmospheres. Pelargonidin-3-glucoside and pelargonidin-3-rutinoside decreased both 27% for 100 kPa N2 and 45% for 10 kPa O2 and air. All the individual anthocyanins were not affected by the atmospheres when stored at 23 ºC.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Water quality on small ruminants’ dairy farms in Castelo Branco region

The importance of providing quality water for cleaning milking machines and other equipment is perhaps one of the most overlooked factors in ensuring milk quality on most dairy farms. Water for cleaning in the dairy barn is used for different situations, including for the process of milking, which requires cleaning and disinfection of the milking equipment, the milking parlour, and the milk cooling tank. Many factors on dairy farms can contribute to contamination of the raw milk, and one of the major factors responsible for this contamination is the water used to clean the milking and storage equipment.This work was financially supported by QRural Research Unit/IPCB and CERNAS-IPCB (UIDB/00681/2020, FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Seropositivity of Coxiella burnetii in wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Portugal

Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic microorganism that infects a wide range of wild and domestic species, causing the disease Q fever, frequently involving ticks as vectors. To better understand the occurrence of C. burnetii infection in wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), an epidemiological study was conducted in the Centre region of Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quality of cherry ‘Sweetheart’ from different regions of Portugal and Spain (Cova da Beira, Portalegre and Valle del Jerte).

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) ‘Sweetheart’ were harvested at different production regions from Portugal (Cova da Beira and Portalegre) and Spain (Valle de Jerte). Cherries were harvested at their commercial maturation according to the empirical knowledge of external color corresponding to good quality. Fruits were stored and evaluated in order to study their quality on the harvest day and during a period of 21 days, at cold storage (1 ºC, 95% RH). The sweet cherry ‘Sweetheart’ is a well known variety and a highly appreciated one but fruits present a short shelf life. On the other hand the effect of different “terroir” on cherry characteristics should be known and clarified. Fruits from day 0, considered without storage, were kept at 20ºC and analyzed. Every weak, 3 replicas were randomly picked up and 10 fruits from each one were submitted to several analyses after fruit temperature stabilized at 20ºC. Several quality parameters were evaluated: external color (L*, a*, b*), texture, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and the ratio between soluble solid contents (SSC) and tritratable acidity (TA). Fruits from different orchards and locations were significantly different according to these parameters. Fruits from Cova da Beira were less firm comparing with other two regions, Valle de Jerte and Portalegre, which may indicate a higher maturation rate at harvest in those fruits. This is in accordance with SSC/titratable acidity rate suggesting a late harvest in Cova da Beira comparing with other two orchards, however fruits from Cova da Beira exhibit a poor color at harvest. These results clearly showed a lower correlation between SSC and firmness considering fruits origin

Herschel observations of EXtra-Ordinary Sources (HEXOS): detecting spiral arm clouds by CH absorption lines

We have observed CH absorption lines (J = 3/2, N = 1 ← J = 1/2, N = 1) against the continuum source Sgr B2(M) using the Herschel/HIFI instrument. With the high spectral resolution and wide velocity coverage provided by HIFI, 31 CH absorption features with different radial velocities and line widths are detected and identified. The narrower line width and lower column density clouds show “spiral arm” cloud characteristics, while the absorption component with the broadest line width and highest column density corresponds to the gas from the Sgr B2 envelope. The observations show that each “spiral arm” harbors multiple velocity components, indicating that the clouds are not uniform and that they have internal structure. This line-of-sight through almost the entire Galaxy offers unique possibilities to study the basic chemistry of simple molecules in diffuse clouds, as a variety of different cloud classes are sampled simultaneously. We find that the linear relationship between CH and H2 column densities found at lower AV by UV observations does not continue into the range of higher visual extinction. There, the curve flattens, which probably means that CH is depleted in the denser cores of these clouds

Coping with university test anxiety by a stress Inoculation Program: Clinical Case

Introducción: Partiendo de la definición del constructo ansiedad ante los exámenes que realiza Spielberger y de la diferenciación de Wolpe entre problemas de ansiedad racional y problemas de ansiedad irracional se ha aplicado un programa basado en Inoculación de Estrés. Objetivo: Disminuir la ansiedad ante los exámenes que manifestaba una estudiante de Enfermería de la Universidad de Salamanca. Método: Se trata de un estudio cuasi-experimental de caso único con diseño AB sin retirada del tratamiento. Resultados: Se le administraron diferentes cuestionarios para evaluar la ansiedad ante los exámenes rasgo y estado, la ansiedad ante temas no tratados y los hábitos de estudio en situación de pre y post tratamiento. Conclusiones: El programa de intervención ha resultado eficaz para reducir la sintomatología ansiosa ante los exámenes, manifestado tanto a nivel cualitativo por la paciente como a nivel cuantitativo recogido por los distintos cuestionarios.Introduction: Considering the definition of the construct test anxiety carried out by Spielberger and the Wolpe differentiation between rational anxiety problems and problems of irrational anxiety, it has been applied a stress inoculation program. Objective: Reduce test anxiety manifested by a nursing student at the University of Salamanca. Method: This is a single case experimental study with design AB without discontinuation of treatment. Results: Different questionnaires were administered to evaluate the state-trait test anxiety, anxiety over untreated themes and study habits in pre-post treatment situations. Conclusions: The intervention program has been effective in reducing test anxiety symptomatology, both, qualitatively expressed by the patient and quantitatively collected by individual questionnaires

Impact of high pressure on starch properties: a review

Large amounts of different starches are produced worldwide since starch is widely used as a functional component in prepared foods and is one of the most important sources of energy for humans. However, in its native form starch does not have properties suitable for processing due to low thermal stability and high retrogradation. To promote and enhance these and other properties, starch is modified by chemical, physical, or enzymatic processes. Treatments such as high-pressure processing can be used to break/change non-covalent chemical linkages in and between starch molecules in order for starch to have the desired properties. The use of pressure can increase starch swelling and solubility depending on the temperature. Higher pressure levels can disrupt the starch granule morphology, induce the starch gelatinization and the granules birefringence can consequently decrease. Pressure can also alter significantly the thermal properties of starch, as well as its pasting properties, the dynamic oscillation and steady flow behavior of starch, and the amount of resistant/fast/slow digestible starch. The use of pressure can also delay/decrease starch retrogradation and change starch polymorphism from type A or C to type B. However, the change of these properties is always dependent on the pressure level, solvent type and treatment time used, but also from the starch type and origin. This paper revises the effect of high pressure on starch properties in order to improve their quality to obtain the desired properties that can promote human health.N/