Mixed Brazilian Cerrado fruits preserves without added sugar: the effect of bodying agents

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (9) ◽  
pp. 1969-1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taísa Rezende Teixeira Farias ◽  
Maria Cecília Evangelista Vasconcelos Schiassi ◽  
Patrícia Aparecida Pimenta Pereira ◽  
Vanessa Rios de Souza ◽  
Amanda Maria Teixeira Lago ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the bodying agents (erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol and polydextrose) and their mixtures on the preparation of mixed Brazilian Cerrado fruit preserves (marolo, soursop and sweet passion fruit). Design/methodology/approach The simplex mixture design was used for product optimization and the preserves evaluated by physical, physicochemical and sensory properties. The research data were analyzed using regression equations on SAS University and exploratory analysis by principal component analysis and parallel factors techniques on Sensomaker software. Findings The results show that erythritol and polydextrose bodying agents should not be used as pure components because they provoked changes in the properties of the final product and negatively influenced the sensory attributes. While the high concentrations of xylitol and sorbitol provided better sensorial acceptance, being considered, therefore, good substitutes for sucrose. Practical implications This research has shown it is feasible to use bodying agents in the preparation of mixed Brazilian Cerrado fruit preserves without added sugar. Social implications The development of mixed preserves could increase population access to the Brazilian Cerrado fruits. In addition, sugar-free preserves are a viable alternative for adding value to the product and satisfy all the consumers. Originality/value The combination of properties of two or more fruits and use of bodying agents can improve sensory, physical and physicochemical characteristics of the final product. However, there are technological challenges to evaluate in the preparation of mixed Brazilian Cerrado fruit preserves without added sugar.

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 1108-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos M. Jardón

Purpose Subsistence small businesses (SSBs) do not seek the maximum benefit; they only seek a benefit that enough satisfies their basic needs. In consequence, a dual behaviour of companies is expected and possibly the competitiveness of these companies is different. The purpose of this paper is to study the dual behaviour of SSBs and the differences about their competitive advantages. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained by conducting surveys with owners and managers of wood processing companies located in a region of Misiones (Argentina). The results were checked by interviews in 2012 and 2015. The research uses principal component analysis and K-means to classify the different behaviour and MANOVA analysis to study the relationships. Findings The findings suggest two types of SSBs and show that competitive advantages are different into two groups of companies. Research limitations/implications The data used refer to a certain period of time, with interviews in next periods. Sample is in a particular region and sector and generalisations should be done carefully. The variables are measured with subjective questions. Practical implications The findings suggest instruments to change the strategy of unsatisfied SSBs to grow. Social implications The growth of SSBs is very important in poorest areas. The paper suggest governments’ politics that facilitate a stable environment for improving competitiveness of SSBs. Originality/value SSBs are very important in developing countries, but they are not sufficiently studied. The research shows the importance of satisfying principle in the competitiveness of subsistence entrepreneurs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Finn Rieken ◽  
Thomas Boehm ◽  
Mareike Heinzen ◽  
Mirko Meboldt

Purpose Corporates have recently invested in company-owned makerspaces with the goal to skim the potential of makerspaces as innovation driver. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the first framework describing elements and the innovation-related impact on users of corporate makerspaces (CMSs). Design/methodology/approach The CMS framework is based on a critical review of 116 scientific articles on makerspaces and the embedding of the review findings into the corporate context. Findings A prototyping infrastructure, a community infrastructure and facilitators are proposed to be key elements of CMSs. Further, CMSs are suggested to have an impact on ideation, concept iteration during the innovation process and collaboration of its users. Research limitations/implications The framework on CMSs is based on a critical review of makerspace literature and not on empirical research data. Practical implications This paper sheds light on key elements and the expected innovation-related impact of a CMS on the users and thus contains useful information for corporate innovation management on how to plan, build and implement a CMS. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first review of makerspace literature with focus on their elements and innovation-related impact. Additionally, the review provides the first academic definition of the growing phenomenon of CMSs and describes elements and the innovation-related impact of CMSs on its users in companies, which paves the way for further research on CMSs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Soldić Frleta ◽  
Dora Smolčić Jurdana

Purpose The purpose of this study is to detect the differences in satisfaction levels with regard to different elements of the city tourism offering during the season and off-season. Furthermore, the aim is to find out what factors determine the satisfaction of season and off-season tourists. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on the results of a survey conducted during 2016 in Opatija and Rijeka (Croatia). The analyses were conducted on a sample of 1,249 respondents. Data analysis included principal component analyses, ANOVA and series of regression analyses. Findings Results confirmed that there is a significant difference in overall satisfaction, as well as in all five satisfaction dimensions, between tourists visiting the cities during the season and those visiting in the pre- and post-season. In addition, simple regression analyses revealed that tourists staying in those cities during the peak season expressed a statistically significant higher level of satisfaction than those visiting in the pre- and post-season. However, no statistically significant difference was found in overall satisfaction and in four out of five satisfaction dimensions, between pre- and post-season tourists. Practical implications The findings have relevant implications for destination managers in their further decisions aimed at developing a more satisfactory tourism offering in the season and off-season. Originality/value The main contribution of this paper lies in the connection between tourist satisfaction and the season of their visit, as previous studies have rarely considered the season when analysing tourist satisfaction with the destination offering.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Succurro ◽  
Giuseppe Arcuri ◽  
Giuseppina Damiana Costanzo

Purpose Starting from a series of financial ratios analysis, this paper aims to build up two indices which take into account both the firm’s debt level and its sustainability to investigate if and to what extent the proposed indices are able to correctly predict firms’ financial bankruptcy probabilities. Design/methodology/approach The research implements a statistical approach (tandem analysis) based on both an original use of principal component analysis (PCA) and logit model. Findings The econometric results are compared with those of the popular Altman Z-score for different lengths of the reference period and with more recent classifiers. The empirical evidence would suggest a good performance of the proposed indices which, therefore, could be used as early warning signals of bankruptcy. Practical implications The potential application of the model is in the spirit of predicting bankruptcy and aiding companies’ evaluation with respect to going-concern considerations, among others, as the early detection of financial distress facilitates the use of rehabilitation measures. Originality/value The construction of the indebtedness indices is based on an original use of Robust PCA for skewed data.


2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (10) ◽  
pp. 2334-2348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cecília Evangelista Vasconcelos Schiassi ◽  
Amanda Maria Teixeira Lago ◽  
Vanessa Rios de Souza ◽  
Juliana dos Santos Meles ◽  
Jaime Vilela de Resende ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to optimize a mixed juice made from Brazilian Cerrado fruits (cagaita, mangaba and marolo). Design/methodology/approach The juices were evaluated by rheological, physical, physicochemical, nutritional and sensory acceptance analyses. The mixture design is a widely used tool for product optimization, allowing the determination of factors, combinations and levels that provide best responses. Findings The results show that using mangaba pulp negatively contributed to juice acceptance, but resulted in the highest ascorbic acid content. The treatments produced using cagaita and marolo pulps presented a greater acceptance by consumers, and contributed to higher antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds content. The juice prepared with a mixture of equivalent quantities of the three fruits had the highest β-carotene and lycopene contents. Practical implications This research has shown that different fruit combinations can improve sensory and nutritional characteristics, adding value to the final product. Social implications The processing of mixed juices could increase population access to the nutrients present in Brazilian Cerrado fruits, given that they are seasonal and perishable fruits. Originality/value In recent years, there has been an increase in the development of new food products based on Cerrado native fruits, however information on the chemical and nutritional characteristics, rheological behavior, and sensory attributes of the derivative products are still limited, resulting in a lack of scientific investments in this area. In addition, it is necessary to optimize the developed products to offer the consumer a unique product, combining the characteristics of two or more fruits, which adds value to the final product.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 1784-1817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubhangini Rajput ◽  
Surya Prakash Singh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify, analyze and model Internet of Things (IoT) enablers essential for the success of Industry 4.0. Design/methodology/approach IoT enablers for Industry 4.0 are identified from literature and inferable discussions with industry experts. Three different techniques namely, principal component analysis (PCA), interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) are applied to model IoT enablers. In addition to this, DEMATEL is also applied under two different situations representing the behavioral characteristic of experts involved. These are termed as optimistic (maximum) and pessimistic (minimum). Findings The integrated approach of PCA-ISM-DEMATEL shows that IoT ecosystem and IoT Big Data are the most influential or driving IoT enablers. These two enablers have been identified as the pillars for Industry 4.0. On the other side, IoT interchangeability, consumer IoT, IoT robustness and IoT interface and network capability have also been identified as the most dependent enablers for Industry 4.0. Practical implications The findings enable the industry practitioners to select the most appropriate driving enablers for an effective implementation of Industry 4.0. Originality/value The integrated approach-based hierarchical model and cause-effect relationship among IoT enablers are proposed which is a novel initiative for Industry 4.0. Moreover, two different variants of DEMATEL namely, pessimistic and optimistic are applied first time.


2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Woodard

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief and necessarily partial overview of the design, motivation, and use of the Ag-Analytics platform (ag-analytics.org), focussing on integration and warehousing of publicly available research data for broad communities of researchers, including those in the area of agricultural finance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper walks the reader through an overview of the layout and utilization of the Ag-Analytics platform, including a few example applications of some of the tools and web API’s. Findings – Much of the data researchers routinely use in agricultural and environmental finance and related fields are often – strictly speaking – publicly available; however the form in which they are distributed leads to great inefficiencies in data sourcing and processing which can be greatly improved. The goal of the Ag-Analytics open data/open source platform is to help researchers centralize and share in such efforts. Development of systems for disseminating, documenting, and automating the processing of such data can lead to more transparency in research, better routes for validation, and a more robust research community. Practical implications – Some of the tools and methods are discussed, as well as practical issues in data sourcing and automation for research. A few high level introductory examples and applications are illustrated. Originality/value – Development and adoption of such systems and data resources remains seriously lacking in social science research, particularly in the economics, natural resource, environmental, and agricultural finance spheres. This brief provides an overview of one such system which should be of value to researchers in this field and many others.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Truc Huong Nguyen

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on measuring financial inclusion (FI) level for the developing countries.Design/methodology/approachBy using a two-stage principal component analysis method, we construct a composite FI index to measure the degree of FI. Data are collected through secondary sources including World Bank and IMF reports for the period 2012–2018.FindingsWe have built an overall FI index which is considered as a comprehensive measure of FI, a useful tool for policymaking and policy evaluation. Comparison with other studies shows that our FI index corroborates with them.Practical implicationsBuilding a good FI measurement method is important for developing countries. It helps to assess and compare the level of FI of each country and between countries together, made easily and accurately.Originality/valueThis study emphasizes the important role of FI in the economy. From there, an FI solution is integrated into the construction and calculation of its impact on other factors. This will help policymakers to take effective measures to increase FI levels to achieve sustainable economic growth.


2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Poitras

PurposeMediators' impartiality and empathy are two classical factors in the parties' trust in mediators. However, mediators are often torn between being impartial and being empathetic. The aim of this paper is to explore this empirically.Design/methodology/approachThis study empirically tests the strategic use of caucus to improve the interaction between impartiality and empathy by splitting them into two phases: impartiality in joint sessions and empathy in caucus.FindingsThe strategy did create significant synergy between impartiality and empathy with the main impact of reducing the time needed to reach an agreement.Research limitations/implicationsAll research data come from workplace mediation and from the same organization. Although it can be reasonably postulated that the results can be generalized to other mediation settings, this remains to be proven.Practical implicationsWhen mediators use the trust caucus strategy, impartiality and empathy work better together and parties put more weight on empathy than on impartiality. While the use of the trust caucus does not increase the likelihood of reaching agreement, it does significantly decrease the time needed to conclude an agreement.Originality/valueThe study uses a quasi‐experimental design to test its hypothesis. Furthermore, the study uses real mediation cases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Cavagnaro ◽  
Simona Staffieri ◽  
Albert Postma

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the tourism experience of millennials by connecting their value orientations to the meaning that they give to travel. In doing so, it also aims at discovering profiles of young tourists that can be targeted both now and in the future by tourism organisations. Design/methodology/approach A survey based on validated scales reached 423 Dutch millennials. An integrated multidimensional research strategy has been applied where models that reduce the gathered data to fewer components (principal component analyses) were followed by a cluster analysis. Findings Ten value orientations (Schwartz, 1994) and four travel meanings have been identified. By combining these ten value orientations and four meanings, nine clusters have been identified representing groups of millennial tourists with different needs. For example, while two clusters fit into the popular description of young travellers seeking only unpretentious enjoyment, millennials represented in two other clusters are strongly motivated by self-transcending values, distance themselves from the travel meaning escapism and relaxation and will therefore not positively respond to a merely hedonic travel offer. Research limitations/implications Replication of this research is recommended in other national contexts, possibly using a longitudinal approach. Practical implications The nine clusters should be approached with a dedicated travel offer. In particular, at least two clusters of millennials may be successfully approached with a sustainable tourism offer. Originality/value The combination of value orientations and travel meanings portrays a detailed and realistic picture of the tourism experience looked for by millennials.


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