Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

In this study, the drying kinetics of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) was investigated in a laboratory tunnel dryer at air temperatures of 50, 60, and 70 °C and velocities of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 m/s. Noni showed only a falling drying rate period. Further, a non-linear regression procedure was used to determine the characteristic drying curve. The experimental drying data of noni were employed to fit thin-layer models. Under the evaluated experimental conditions, the Page model provided the best representation of thin-layer drying characteristics of noni. The effective moisture diffusivity ranged from 1.77 × 10-7 to 3.33 × 10-7 m2/s. The activation energy was found to be 3.34 kJ/mol.

In this work, the drying kinetics of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) was studied considering the shrinkage effect. The experimental data were obtained using three different temperatures (40, 60, and 80 °C). For the determination of shrinkage, two cutting orientations were employed. The volumetric and thickness shrinkage was evaluated by direct measurement. The shrinkage showed two periods during drying and had a considerable effect on the drying rate. An equation that relates the changes in the drying area as a function of the moisture content was determined. During drying, ginger showed only a falling rate period and exhibited a characteristic drying curve.

The study of protein stability is currently an essential process for the development of vaccine products that contain these as an active ingredient. This work was carried out at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of Camagüey, where the Technological Development area is currently working on the design of a vaccine against ticks. The objective of this work was to determine the inactivation time of the protein Bm86 carrying the peptide P0, applying accelerated studies of heat stress in order to predict the stability of the vaccine against ticks, based on the Arrhenius equation. Different studies were also carried out to analyze the possible inactivation pathways of the Bm86 protein. The results obtained indicated that at a storage temperature between 2 °C and 8 °C, the protein, as an active pharmaceutical ingredient, has a predictive duration time of approximately 2.5 years before 10% of it is inactivated.

In this article, a model project of a 300 KW gasifier that uses agricultural residues to generate electricity in the department of León, Nicaragua, was integral evaluated. An integral evaluation model was used to assess the project, which included a financial evaluation indicating profitability through the net present value and the internal rate of return; the economic evaluation through the net economic present value and the economic internal rate resulted in the same profitable. Also, the socioeconomic benefits of the project and the environmental impacts in the form of greenhouse gas emissions were evaluated. Therefore, it is determined that for the assumptions considered in this study, the electricity generation activity using agricultural waste gasification is Integrally profitable.

A model for simulating the drying of paddy (Oryza sativa L.) in a continuous fluidised bed dryer was employed. Equipment and material models were applied to describe the process. The equipment model was based on the differential equations obtained by applying mass and energy balances to each element of the dryer. In the case of the material model, mass and heat transfer rates in a single isolated particle were considered. Simulation results were verified by comparison with experimental data from the literature. There was a very good agreement between experimental data and simulation. The effects of gas temperature and velocity, particle diameter, dry solid flow, and solid temperature on the drying process were studied. It was found that the changes in gas velocity, dry solids flow, and solid temperature had essentially no effect on the drying process.

Material structure is a crucial part of the design of any product where the intention is to dissipate loads and lighten material. Because some structures today are increasingly complex in geometry and internal structure, it becomes impossible to opt for traditional methods to manufacture them. In this sense, additive manufacturing enables the creation of complex structures with intricate geometries. As manufacturers seek to optimize material properties and performance in a variety of stress conditions, bio-inspired engineering looks at nature for solving the most complex human challenges. By imitating nature’s patterns and shapes, we can optimize fracture resistance, energy absorption, and toughness in materials. In this work, we employ voronoi tessellation patterns and computer-aided design software to design an algorithm for the creation of irregular porous structures, similar to those found in nature (e.g., trabecular bone). This algorithm is scalable and applicable to any product that needs to comply with lightweight requirements and outstanding mechanical properties. Herein, the authors perform static compression tests to determine mechanical properties. The results indicated that the mechanical properties depend directly on the microstructural characteristics of the porous structure itself. Besides, surface area and porosity are the principal parameters to be controlled. Finally, the algorithm has a wide range of engineering applications in the automotive and aerospace industries.

The objective of the article is to analyze the degree of use of performance indicators associated with the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard considering different strategic goals in the context of agro-industrial companies. Samples of rural companies located in the State of Pernambuco have been investigated considering the adoption of strategic goals associated with innovation, improvement and continuity, carrying out the use of 48 performance indicators, classified from four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard. The data was collected through surveys structured from a questionnaire. Two different statistical techniques were used to analyze the results: descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The results obtained demonstrate the identification of traits regarding the group of performance indicators that have obtained high percentages of use in the three strategic goals tested. It was observed that the companies that adopt strategic goals regarding continuity, presented declared standards of use that are lower than those presented by companies that adopt strategic innovation and improvement goals. No statistically significant discrepancies were found regarding the intensity of use of the indicators of the Balanced Scorecard perspectives when the joint analysis of internal balance considering each of the strategic goals.

Because psychoactive substance use is a topic that has received worldwide attention, this area has added several scientific outcomes. It is essential to conduct a comprehensive analysis comprising as many studies as are available to summarize the separate studies and provide an overall view of how the research field has been evolving over the last few decades. This paper performs a bibliometric analysis using a large dataset of published papers from 2000 to 2021. The study examined 1022 publications from those 20 years. About 79% used statistical analyses, and machine learning techniques were utilized by almost 21%. It is worth mentioning that the publications related to statistical analysis were grouped in the following way: multivariate or univariate statistical analysis (52.4%), Bayesian analysis (21.7%), and spatial analysis (50.5%). There were several key points regarding the overall results of the research. Results illustrated that publications had grown significantly during the last two decades. The majority of the publications come from the United States. In addition, the most prolific authors and journals were identified. Over the last decade, due to advanced technological methods, more research has been focused on enhancing and designing Bayesian techniques for using psychoactive substances.

The study aims to establish the regimes and parameters of extraction of bioactive substances from raw plant materials by means of extraction with reduced atmospheric pressure for the purpose of manufacturing non-alcoholic functional syrups. The work is performed by leading specialists of the Kemerovo State University using conventional methods. Preparation of the extracts involves aqueous alcoholic treatment of the crushed mass of raw plant materials selected according to the functional parameters. Extraction is performed in a Soxhlet extractor with an advanced liquid ring vacuum pump. The extraction process is monitored by changes in the content of terpenoids in the extract obtained and the mass fraction of dry matter. As a result, the study establishes the parameters and regimes for carrying out and intensifying the extraction of terpenoids and dry matter from fennel, anise, caraway, and dill: pressure – 0.2 MPa, extraction temperature – 50°С, duration of the process – 45 min, solvent – 40 % aqueous alcoholic solution, raw material particle size – 2-3 mm. These process conditions guarantee the highest degree of extraction of terpenoids and dry matter from raw materials, as well as reduce the time and economic costs.