Maria Teresa Mendes Ribeiro Borges

Rapid Assessment of Habitat Diversity Along the Araras Stream, Brazil

Agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization are some of the anthropogenic activities that constantly generate negative impacts on natural environments. Part of this degradation directly affects aquatic systems. This study aimed to evaluate the visual characteristics of the Araras Stream, located in the municipality of Araras, São Paulo state, Brazil. Data was collected at six different assessment sites along the river in both rural and urban areas. The evaluation used a Rapid Habitat Diversity Assessment (RHDA) protocol composed of 22 parameters, which define levels of preservation of ecological conditions. According to this protocol, the 32 Km-long study transect along the Araras Stream was rated as impacted (39.6 points). A separate assessment by transects showed that only Transect 1 presented a natural level of preservation (71.8 points). Transects located in the urban area contributed the most to impacts on the aquatic environment. The RHDA protocol proved to be an important tool to evaluate and monitor aquatic environments.

LABTECA: EXPERIÊNCIA LÚDICA EM UMLABORATÓRIO 3D DE QUÍMICA

Este trabalho apresenta LabTecA, um jogo educacional que esta sendo desenvolvido com o intuito de proporcionar ao aluno/jogador vivencias em um laboratorio virtual de Quimica Analitica em 3D. O projeto visa promover experiencias ludicas de aprendizagem, por meio de um ambiente virtual onde o jogador pode explorar o uso dos objetos do laboratorio virtual (equipamentos, vidrarias, reagentes) para realizar experimentos virtuais que sao propostos ao longo do jogo. Dessa forma, o jogador tem a oportunidade de vivenciar praticas de laboratorio de quimica, muitas vezes inacessiveis, sobretudo no contexto da Educacao a Distância, considerando que grande parte dos estudantes possui dificuldades de acesso as instalacoes das universidades e mesmo dos polos de apoio presencial. Como resultado de todo processo de design e desenvolvimento de LabTecA, um prototipo da primeira fase do jogo foi desenvolvido e validado por uma professora especialista da area de Quimica Analitica.

Effect of the spontaneous fermentation and the ageing on the chemo-sensory quality of Brazilian organic cachaça

This study verified the effect of the spontaneous fermentation/natural ferment (NF) on the chemo-sensory quality of cachaca, comparing to the commercial ferment (CF). The effect of ageing (maturation) was also analysed in the beverage. Microbiological analysis (plating on selective media for total/wild yeast and bacteria counting) and physico-chemical analysis (pH, acidity and soluble solids) were performed in the samples of the must and the ferment collected during three cycles of fermentation in a semi-industrial scale. Samples of cachaca were stored in 5-L oak containers for 45 days, subsequently analyzing the physico-chemical characteristics (pH, acidity, alcohol content, copper and secondary compounds) and sensory acceptability (aroma, flavour, colour, body and global impression). The fermentation with NF showed higher number of wild yeasts; however there was no difference in the number of bacteria comparing to CF. An intense acidification occurred during the preparation of NF, which was also observed in the initial cycles of fermentation, but decreased afterwards. Greater alterations in cachaca composition were found to be more exclusively related to the maturation than to the type of ferment, except for the acidity. However, there was a significant loss of aroma, flavour and global impression after maturation but only in cachaca produced with the CF. The results revealed a strong interaction between ferment and maturation of the beverage, suggesting that substances produced by the microorganisms from different inocula during fermentation reacted differently with the wood components of the barrels influencing the sensory attributes.