Spray Drying of Pequi Pulp: Process Performance and Physicochemical and Nutritional Properties of the Powdered Pulp

The objective of this work was to optimize the spray drying of pequi pulp using maltodextrin as carrier agent and Tween 80 as surfactant agent. A central composite rotatable design was used to evaluate the influence of inlet air temperature (140 to 200°C), maltodextrin (15 to 30%) and surfactant (0 to 5%) concentration on the process performance and physicochemical and nutritional properties of the dried powdered pulp. The dependent variables were process yield (27.4 - 51.7%), outlet air temperature (106.5 - 135°C), energetic efficiency (29.9 - 44.8%), moisture content (0.25 - 1.43%), water activity (0.09 to 0.21), hygroscopicity (9.1 - 12.1 g adsorbed moisture/100g dry matter), vitamin C content (129.8 - 303.0 mg/g solids pequi) and total carotenoids content (8.2 - 94.9 mg carotenoids/g solids pequi). The spray drying of pequi pulp was optimized for maximum vitamin C and total carotenoids content using response surface methodology, which were attained at 152°C, surfactant concentration of 1% and maltodextrin concentration of 18%. The characterization of the pequi pulp powder obtained at the optimized condition evaluating the particles sizes, bulk density and porosity. The morphology showed spherical and smooth particles with several sizes.

Agreement of Medical Directors for Indirect Medical Oversight on Prehospital Care

PURPOSE: The medical director is a core factor in maintaining high quality emergency medical services. This study was conducted to evaluate the agreement of medical oversight for prehospital emergency care between medical directors. METHODS: Two medical directors assessed the same 119 rescue run sheets with 28 cases of cardiac arrest, 12 cases of withhold or interruption of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and 22 cases of severe trauma. The assessment for prehospital evaluation of patients, treatment and medical direction was compared between the two medical directors, RESULTS: The use of an automated external defibrillator in cardiac arrest that was assessed as appropriate was 17/28, 22/28, respectively. In assessing for withhold or interruption of CPR, one medical director assessed as all appropriate for checking for pulse, respiration, and mental status regardless of recording on a 119 rescue runsheet, but the other medical director as inappropriate if there are no records on the runsheet. The assessment for airway treatment, aid for circulation, appropriateness of treatment for trauma, and appropriateness of medical direction in severe trauma differed between the two medical directors. CONCLUSION: Some differences were found in assessing the prehospital care between medical directors. A quality program for improving agreement between medical directors is necessary and the protocol for prehospital care should be modified according to the local situation.

Determinaçäo das isitermas de sorçäo e propriedades físicas de canola (Brassica napus) / Determination of sortion isotherms and physical properties of canola (Brassica napus) seeds

Este trabalho teve por objetivos determinar experimentalmente as curvas de equilíbrio higroscópico (adsorçäo e dessorçäo) de canola (Barssica napus) a 32C e correlacionar os dados obtidos aos modelos matemáticos de BET, GAB, Halsey, Oswin e Peleg; e determinar as seguintes propriedades físicas: pesos específicos real e aparente, porosidade, ângulo de talude e coeficiente de atrito. As determinaçöes realizadas com canola, variedade PFB2 da EMBRAPA do Rio Grande do Sul, com 7,4 por cento de umidadeem base seca,apresentavam os seguintes resultados quanto às propriedades físicas: peso específico aparente: 649kg/m3, peso específico real:1,082kg/m3 porosidade: 40,03 por cento ângulo de talude: 25,5; coeficiente de atrito sobre superfície de inox: 0,2531. O melhor modelo de ajuste para isorterma de canola foi o modelo de Peleg com erro médio de 1,96 por cento para absorçäo e 0,18 por cento para dessorçäo.

Curvas de equilíbrio higroscópico de três genótipos de gräo-de-bico (Cicer arietinum, L) / Sorption equilibrium moisture contents of three genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum, L.)

A equaçäo de BET foi utilizada no ajuste de curvas de equilíbrio higroscópico de adsorçäo de dessorçäo de 3 genótipos de gräo-de-bico (Cicer arietinum, L): o cultivar IAC-Marrocos e as linhagens Sonora e IAC-Sonora-FE. As umidades de equilíbrio foram obtidas em condiçöes ambientais controladas, pelo método estático, com umidade relativa de equilíbrio variando de 10 a 90 por cento com intervalo de 10 por cento (utilizando-se soluçäo de ácido sulfúrico) e temperatura de 25 + ou - 2 graus centígrados. O ajuste das curvas e a obtençäo das constantes da equaçäo de BET foram realizados por meio de regressäo näo linear, utilizando-se o procedimento PROC.NLIN do SAS, para os dados experimentais de equilíbrio nas condiçöes de 10 a 80 por cento de UR. Os dados experimentais correspondentes à umidade relativa de 90 por cento näo foram considerados, pois as amostras apresentaram alteraçöes visuais de causa desconhecida. A equaçäo de BET mostrou-se adequada para o ajuste das isotermas de sorçäo dos 3 genótipos de gräos-de-bico, sendo que, para todas as curvas, o melhor ajuste foi obtido para seis camadas polimoleculares (n=6). De acordo com os parâmetros de BET estimados para n=6, os menores valores de teor de umidade da monocamada molecular correspondem às curvas de dessorçäo, ao passo que as menores energias de sorçäo corresponderam às curvas de adsorçäo, para os 3 genótipos analisados