Portuguese and Brazilian children understanding the inverse relation between quantities: the case of fractions

This study compares Portuguese and Brazilian fourth-graders (n=84) understanding of the inverse relation between quantities when fractions are presented in quotient and part-whole interpretations. It addresses three questions: 1) How do children understand this inverse relation in quotient interpretations of fractions? 2) How do children understand this inverse relation in part-whole interpretation of fractions? 3) Are there differences in performance between Brazilian and Portuguese children concerning these issues? A survey by questionnaire was applied and 16 part-whole and quotient problems were analyzed. Results indicate that quotient interpretation promotes more the understanding of this inverse relation; Portuguese and Brazilian children perform differently when solving the fraction problems.CIEC - Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança, IE, UMinho (UI 317 da FCT), PortugalFundos Nacionais através da FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) e cofinanciado pelo Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) através do COMPETE 2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) com a referência POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007562info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sensory analysis and consumers studies of açai beverage after thermal, chlorine and ozone treatments of the fruits.

Açai is a fruit of the Amazon region consumed as beverage, pulp, and other products, being exported to many countries because of its peculiar characteristic flavor and antioxidant power potential. For Açai there is still a need for improving sanitizing processes, making it more effective, reducing the microbiological contamination without affecting either the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of final product. Thermal (blanching at 80 and 90C) and nonthermal treatments (150 mg/L-1 chlorination and 4 mg/L-1 aqueous ozonation) were applied to fruits in order to evaluated their anthocyanins content and also processed beverages for coloring, sensory characteristics, and their purchase intentions. Ozonated fruits exhibited less anthocyanins content and beverage originated from this process showed higher color difference from the traditional beverage. Consumers could not distinguish among beverages processed thermally and sanitized by chlorination. Beverage from blanched fruits in both temperatures obtained good notes and positive purchase intention

Melhoramento mutacional do amendoim

A study was initiated to improve the peanut variety Tatu (Arachis hypogaea L., ssp. fastigiata Waldron, var. fastigiata), through induction of mutations for increased pod number per plant and better pod filling, using a chemical mutagen sodium azide (NaN3). The treatment with sodium azide at a concentration of 3mM was found to be the most efficient as well as effective for induction of desirable mutants. Among the ten productive mutants selected with varying degrees of improvement over the parent for the characters mentioned above, three of them Dwarf, Sd-HP and V3 consistently maintained their superiority in yield at significant levels over a period of three seasons including conditions of low rainfall. The mutants Dwarf and Sd-HP demonstrated improvement in pod number per plant, seed number per pod, shelling percentage and harvest index in the M4 generation and superior yield levels. Use of these mutants in peanut breeding is discussed.Foi iniciado um estudo visando melhorar a variedade Tatu de amendoim (Arachis hypogae L., ssp. fastigiata Waldron, var. fastigiata) através da indução de mutações para maior número e melhor enchimento de vagens, utilizando o mutagênico químico azida de sódio (NaN3). O tratamento na concentração de 3mM foi mais eficiente e efetivo em indução de mutantes desejáveis. Dos dez mutantes com vários graus de melhoramento para as características estudadas, como Anã, Sd-HP e V3, mantiveram, coerentemente, a superioridade em produção durante três estações, inclusive nas condições de pouca chuva. Na geração M4, os mutantes Anã e Sd-HP mostraram ganhos em número de vagens por planta, número de sementes por vagem, proporção de sementes por vagem e índice de colheita, além de altos níveis da produção. O presente trabalho trata sobre o aproveitamento destes mutantes em melhoramento genético do amendoim

Aceitação sensorial da bebida açaí batido após tratamento térmico dos frutos.

O açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) é uma fruta nativa da floresta amazônica tendo seu consumo mundial impulsionado devido à presença de antocianinas e sua capacidade antioxidante (1,2). O mercado consumidor interno regional amazônico, bastante tradicional e peculiar, tem preferência pelo produto processado sem qualquer tratamento térmico e para consumo imediato (3). No Brasil, este tipo de bebida tem sido relacionado a casos crescentes de doença de Chagas (4), devido à contaminação dos frutos pelo protozoário Trypanosoma cruzi (5), agente causal da doença, podendo ser inativado pelo tratamento térmico por branqueamento dos frutos a 80 °C por 10s. Entretanto, o fruto de açaí também apresenta elevada carga microbiana patogênica que quando não tratada adequadamente é repassada para o produto final (6). Outra importante fonte de contaminação microbiológica da bebida é a água utilizada durante todas as operações de processamento, pois mais de 50% dos municípios localizados na região amazônica brasileira não realizam a cloração simples da água (7). Um aspecto importante a ser considerado é que o tipo de processamento, mesmo melhorando a qualidade microbiológica, não pode interferir no perfil qualitativo sensorial do produto e influenciar na aceitabilidade pelo consumidor tradicional de açaí batido. Neste sentido, este trabalho propôs estudar o impacto sensorial de alternativas térmicas eficazes como tratamentos de sanitização de frutos de açaí, que fossem factíveis de implementação para o processador artesanal, e que seu produto fosse aceitável para o consumidor tradicional

Distribution of soft bottom sediments in the Portuguese Continental Shelf

This work presents a simplified map of the spatial distribution of surficial sediments and rock outcrops along the Portuguese continental shelf in ArcGIS format. Nearly 500 samples of soft bottom shelf sediments were collected in the scope of several research projects and analyzed for grain-size. Based on the raw grain-size data, the samples were classified according to a modified version of the Folk classification system and used to create a new sediment distribution map and develop an easy-to-use GIS interface

A broad scale seabed substrate map of the Portuguese coast

The MeshAtlantic project aimed to generate a broad-scale habitat map for the shelf and coastal area of the Atlantic Area. Till 2012, a detailed seabed substrate map of the Portuguese coast, which covers a great extension of the Western Iberian coast, was not known

A Bottom Sediment Distribution Map for the Portuguese Continental Shelf in ArcGis Format: Mapa da Distribuição de Sedimentos Superficiais da Plataforma Continental Portuguesa em Formato ArcGis

This work presents a simplified map of the spatial distribution of surficial sediments and rock outcrops along the Portuguese continental shelf in ArcGIS format. Preliminary map preparation involved scanning, georeferencing and digitizing of pre-existing base maps from the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute and harmonization with other published and non-published cartographic information. Samples of soft bottom shelf sediments from nearly 500 sites, collected in the scope of the MeshAtlantic, RENSUB and ACOSHELF projects, were analyzed for grain-size and total organic matter. Grain-size analysis was performed using dry and wet sieving. The procedure includes chemical destruction of organic matter with H2O2, chemical dispersion with tetra-sodium pyrophosphate, separation of the mud fraction by wet sieving and dry sieving of both sand and gravel fractions. Raw grain-size data were expressed as weight percentages and classified according to a modified version of the Folk classification system. Grain size data for the whole set of samples were used to create a new sediment distribution map and develop an easy-to-use GIS interface, that will be available in the MeshAtlantic website, as part of a global broadscale habitat map for the Atlantic Area. Overall, the bottom sediment distribution patterns show that: (a) the coarser deposits occur mainly in the inner and mid-shelf of the northwestern sector of the Portuguese shelf, to the south of the Nazaré and Setúbal canyons, and are sparsely represented in the southern shelf; (b) sand banks dominate in the near shore shelf, but can sporadically be found at greater depths; (c) muddy sands characterize the deeper shelf; (d) patches of sandy mud and mud reflecting a less energetic hydrodynamic regime cover a large sector of the southern shelf and areas located off the mouths of major rivers in the western shelf; (e) mixed sediments are residual; (f) rock outcrops are unevenly distributed throughout the entire shelf

Desenvolvimento de produto desidrata do prebiótico a partir de mamão.

Os prebióticos são ingredientes nutricionais, não digeríveis, que beneficiam o organismo, estimulando, seletivamente, o crescimento e a atividade de uma ou mais espécies de bactérias benéficas intestinais, melhorando a saúde do seu hospedeir