Search results for: food workers

Authors: Sunil M. Gaikwad, Yogesh J. Koli, Gopal A. Raut, Ganesh P. Bhawane

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The present investigation was directed to study the diversity of short-horned grasshoppers from a forested area of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, India, which is spread along the hilly terrain of the Northern Western Ghats. The collection was made during 2013 to 2015, and identified with the help of a reference collection of ZSI, Kolkata, and recent literature and dry preserved. The study resulted in the enumeration of 40 species of short-horned grasshoppers belonging to four families of suborder: Caelifera. The family Acrididae was dominant (27 species) followed by Tetrigidae (eight species), Pyrgomorphidae (four species) and Chorotypidae (one species). The report of 40 species from the forest habitat of the study region highlights the significance of the Western Ghats. Ecologically, short-horned grasshoppers are integral to food chains, being consumed by a wide variety of animals. The observations of the present investigation may prove useful for conservation of the Diversity in Northern Western Ghats.

Keywords: diversity, Kolhapur, northern western Ghats, short-horned grasshoppers

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Authors: Abdulhakeem Sulyman, Olukotun Zainab, Hammed Abdulquadri

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Lipases (triacylglycerol acyl hydrolases) (EC 3.1.1.3) are class of enzymes that catalyses the hydrolysis of triglycerides to glycerol and free fatty acids. They account for up to 10% of the enzyme in the market and have a wide range of applications in biofuel production, detergent formulation, leather processing and in food and feed processing industry. This research was conducted to study the effect of some metal ions on the activity of purified lipase produced by Aspergillus niger cultured on Vitellaria paradoxa shells. Purified lipase in 12.5 mM p-NPL was incubated with different metal ions (Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺ and Mg²⁺). The final concentrations of metal ions investigated were 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 and 1.0 mM. The results obtained from the study showed that Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺ ions increased the activity of lipase up to 3.0, 3.0, 1.0, and 26.0 folds respectively. Lipase activity was partially inhibited by Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ with up to 88.5% and 83.7% loss of activity respectively. Lipase activity was also inhibited by K⁺ with up to 56.7% loss in the activity as compared to in the absence of metal ions. The study concluded that lipase produced by Aspergillus niger cultured on Vitellaria paradoxa shells can be activated by the presence of Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺ and inhibited by Na⁺, K⁺ and Mg²⁺.

Keywords: Aspergillus niger, Vitellaria paradoxa, lipase, metal ions

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Authors: Rezvani Aghdam Ali, Aleemrani Nejad Seyed Mohammad Hossein

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Introduction: Dryed Garlic has plentiful health and medicinal value and is used in industrial food the forms of flakes or powders. Many health and medicinal properties of Garlic are attributed to allicin. This substance is produced enzymatically after crushing. Since temperature affected on enzymatic action, then is important factor on pirovic acid and allicin retention. Materials and Methods: This study investigated the effects of temperature on qualitative characteristics such as color of powder and pirovic acid and alicin retention in a convective hot-air dryer. For this reason, half cloves of Shushtar Garlics (Allium sativum L.) were dried at air temperatures of 50 and 70°C. Results: Results showed that increasing temperature was resulted changing color. Pirovic acid increased when half cloves Garlic were dried at 70°C. Allicin of half cloves also increased with increasing temperature. Conclusions: According to findings of this research, half cloves which dried in 70 degree centigrade can be introduced the best conditions for producing Garlic powder.

Keywords: garlic, drying, pirovic acid, allicin

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Authors: Farid Amidi Fazli

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Replacement of plastics used in the food industry seems to be a serious issue to overcome mainly the environmental problems in recent years. This study investigates the hydrophilicity and permeability properties of starch biopolymer which ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) (0-10%) and nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) (1 -15%) were used to enhance its properties. Starch -EVOH nanocomposites were prepared by casting method in different formulations. NCC production by acid hydrolysis was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Solubility, water vapor permeability, water vapor transmission rate and moisture absorbance were measured on each of the nanocomposites. The results were analyzed by SAS software. The lowest moisture absorbance was measured in pure starch nanocomposite containing 8% NCC. The lowest permeability to water vapor belongs to starch nanocomposite containing 8% NCC and the sample containing 7.8% EVOH and 13% NCC. Also, the lowest solubility was observed in the composite contains the highest amount of EVOH. Applied Process resulted in production of bio films which have good resistance to water vapor permeability and solubility in water. The use of NCC and EVOH leads to reduced moisture absorbance property of the biofilms.

Keywords: starch, EVOH, nanocrystalline cellulose, hydrophilicity

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Authors: Sariah Abang, S. M. Anisuzzaman, Awang Bono, D. Krishnaiah, S. Rasmih

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Biodiesel is a potential renewable energy due to biodegradable and non-toxic. The challenge of its commercialization is associated with high production cost due to its feedstock also useful in various food products. Non-competitive feedstock such as waste cooking oils normally contains a large amount of free fatty acids (FFAs). Large amount of fatty acid degrades the alkaline catalyst in the biodiesel production, thereby decreasing the biodiesel production rate. Generally, biodiesel production processes including esterification and trans-esterification are conducting in a mixed system, in which the hydrodynamic effect on the reaction could not be completely defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of variation rate constant and activation energy on energy consumption of biodiesel production. Usually, the changes of rate constant and activation energy depend on the operating temperature and the degradation of catalyst. By varying the activation energy and kinetic rate constant, the effects can be seen on the energy consumption of biodiesel production. The result showed that the energy consumption of biodiesel is dependent on the changes of rate constant and activation energy. Furthermore, this study was simulated using Aspen HYSYS.

Keywords: methanol, palm oil, simulation, transesterification, triolein

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Authors: D. F. Carigma, E. Cruzado, M. J. Hagos, K. Perater, D. Ramos, R. Navarro, R. Galingan

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Korean culture disseminates rapidly across the globe. The young generation is highly engaged in Korean trends, such as Korean pop music, dramas or movies, fashion, food, and beauty standards. With the use of media, the effects of Korean trends may have resulted in the effects of media on people and society, such as addiction, perceptual influence, psychological effect, time consumption, and impulsive spending. The study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between variable factors affecting the student's academic performance. The proponents used a quantitative approach in the 388 participants at the Technological Institute of the Philippines. This study shows that the Korean trends and the effect of media on people and society correlated to its variable factors. Moreover, this study may help future research in colleges and universities in the Philippines about how the students in higher education who engage in Korean trends affect their behavior and academic performance.

Keywords: academic performance, addiction, effect of media on people and society, Korean trend, perceptual influence, psychological effect

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Authors: Özge Çeliker Tosun, Melda Başer Secer, İsmail Düşmez, Sedat Çapar, İlkay Kozak, Melahat Aktaş, Furkan Can Şimşek, Gökhan Tosun

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Purpose: Portable innovative balance room system with digital game program; It was created to be able to be divided into small areas, such as inside the house, garden, balcony, to enable the person to enter and perform both evaluation and exercise safely, and to ensure that these results can be stored and sent to the therapist live or later when desired. The aim is to compare the effectiveness of the exercise program applied by the elderly within this system and the exercise program implemented under the supervision of a physiotherapist on balance and urinary incontinence symptoms. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in a randomized controlled manner on 63 people with urinary incontinence (mean age: 75.5 years) at Narlıdere Nursing Home Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center. Elderly people participating in the study were divided into 3 groups: 1. Group, an exercise program consisting of pelvic floor muscle training and OTOGA exercises, 2. Group, only pelvic floor muscle training, and 3. Group, pelvic floor muscle training and Otoga exercises in the form of a digital game program in a portable balance room system. (self-administered) for 12 weeks. Pelvic floor distress inventory (PTDE-20) and bladder diary were used to evaluate the incontinance symptoms of the cases. Pelvic floor muscle function was evaluated with superficial EMG. Berg, Fall Effectiveness Scale (FES) and Functional Status Evaluations (Chair Stand Test, Eight (8) Food Up and Go Test, Chair Sit and Reach Test, Two Minutes Step Test) were used to evaluate balance. The existence of differences between groups was analyzed using Krusskal Wallis analysis of variance, and the difference between before and after exercise was analyzed with Wilcoxon tests. Results: After treatment, PTDE-20, daily urinary incontinence and toilet visits values decreased significantly in all three groups (p < 0.001). While there was a statistically significant increase in pelvic floor muscle EMG values in the 2nd and third groups after treatment, there was no change in the other group (2nd Group PFM average EMG before-after: 5.5 (4.15-10.95) - 10.95 (8.68-13.68), P=0.05, 3 Group PFM average EMG before-after: 6.5 (4.28-11.55) - 11.75 (8.67-14.26), p=0.04). While BERG score, Chair Stand Test, Eight (8) Food Up and Go Test, and Two Minutes Step Test values increased in all groups (p<0.05), Fall Effectiveness Scale (FES) values did not change after treatment. Conclusion: Although pelvic floor muscle training combined with balance exercises reduces symptoms, it may not lead to a positive improvement in the functions of the pelvic floor muscles. For this reason, recovery lasts for a short time, and then symptoms may reoccur in the future. However, thanks to the new system, when balance exercises are combined with a game program for the pelvic floor muscles, a double effect can be achieved with a single application and both incontinence and balance problems can be treated in a safe environment where the person can do it himself. But more work needs to be done on this subject. However, thanks to the new system, a double effect can be achieved with a single application, and both incontinence and balance problems can be treated in a safe environment where the person can do it himself. But more work needs to be done on new system

Keywords: fall, urinary incontinance, balance, elderly

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Authors: Nicole Marella G. Tan, Al Joseph R. Molina, Raisa Celine R. Rosete, Soraya Elisse E. Escandor, Blythe N. Ke, Veronica Marie E. Ramos, Apolinario Ericson B. Berberabe, Jose Jonas D. del Rosario, Regina Pascua-Berba, Eileen Liesl A. Cubillan, Winlove P. Mojica

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Emergency risk and health communications play a vital role in any pandemic response. However, the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) lacked a system of information delivery that could effectively fulfill the hospital’s communication needs as a COVID-19 referral hospital. This study aimed to describe the establishment of a communication framework for information dissemination within a tertiary government hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluated the perceived usefulness of its outputs. This is a mixed quantitative-qualitative study with two phases. Phase 1 documented the formation and responsibilities of the Information Education Communication (IEC) Committee. Phase 2 evaluated its output and outcomes through a hospital-wide survey of 528 healthcare workers (HCWs) using a pre-tested questionnaire. In-depth explanations were obtained from five focused group discussions (FGD) amongst various HCW subgroups. Descriptive analysis was done using STATA 16 while qualitative data were synthesized thematically. Communication practices in PGH were loosely structured at the beginning of the pandemic until the establishment of the IEC Committee. The IEC Committee was well-represented by concerned stakeholders. Nine types of infographics tackled different aspects of the hospital’s health operations after thorough inputs from concerned offices. Internal and external feedback mechanisms ensured accurate infographics. Majority of the survey respondents (98.67%) perceived these as useful in their work or daily lives. FGD participants cited the relevance of infographics to their occupations, suggested improvements, and hoped that these efforts would be continued in the future. Sustainability and comprehensive reach were the main concerns in this undertaking. The PGH COVID-19 IEC framework was developed through trial and testing as there were no existing formal structures to communicate health risks and to properly direct the HCWs in the chaotic time of a pandemic. It is a continuously evolving framework which is perceived as useful by HCWs and is hoped to be sustained in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic, health communication, infographics, social media

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Authors: Julia Wicker, Alexander Lang

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The shortage of skilled workers is no longer unique to Europe; Australia now faces similar challenges, particularly in the field of project management. Project managers, essential to the success of a wide range of industries, frequently operate under intense stress and, as a result, may choose to leave their positions before the completion of their projects. This trend poses significant risks to project continuity, budget stability, and the long-term success of organizations. Consequently, it is crucial to explore strategies aimed at improving the retention of project managers, with a specific focus on fostering intrinsic motivation -an essential factor for achieving sustained success and commitment within project-based roles. The aim of this paper is to investigate retention strategies from other industries to identify effective practices that could be adapted to the unique challenges faced by project managers. In particular, the paper draws inspiration from the volunteer sector, an industry also heavily reliant on intrinsic motivation to drive commitment and performance. By examining how the volunteer sector sustains retention through a focus on intrinsic motivation, this paper seeks to highlight potential parallels and offer actionable insights for improving the retention of project managers. The paper includes an overview of the current landscape of retention challenges in project management, highlighting key factors that contribute to early departures and their impacts on organizations. This is followed by an analysis of interviews conducted with both active volunteers and those who have left their roles, leading to the development of a model that categorizes different types of volunteers and explores their behaviours. The model identifies specific reasons for volunteer terminating their assignments and proposes strategies to mitigate these issues. The paper then adapts these volunteer retention strategies to address the challenges faced by project managers, concluding with actionable recommendations for fostering an intrinsically motivated and resilient project management workforce. Ultimately, this research aims to contribute to broader efforts in mitigating skilled workforce shortages by offering sustainable retention strategies.

Keywords: skilled workforce shortages, retention challenges in project management, retention strategies in the volunteering sector, retention strategies for project managers

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Authors: Zahra Khoshnood, Reza Khoshnood

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Pesticides and drugs used in agriculture and veterinary medicine may end up in aquatic environments and bio-accumulate in the food chain, thus causing serious problems for fauna and human health. For determination of the toxic effects of atrazine herbicide on Caspian kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum larvae, the 96-h LC50 of atrazine was measured for newly hatched larvae as 18.53 ppm. Toxicity of atrazine herbicide on Caspian kutum larvae was investigated using concentrations: 9.25 ppm, 4.62 ppm and 2.31 ppm for 7 days. Comparison of the length, weight and condition factor showed that no significant differences between atrazine exposed and control groups. The concentration of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Cl- in whole body of larvae in control and atrazine exposure groups were measured and the results showed that concentrations of all these ions is higher in atrazine exposure group than control group. It is obvious from this study that atrazine negatively affects osmoregulation process and changes ion compositions of the body even at sub-lethal concentration and acute exposure but have no effects on growth parameters of the body.

Keywords: atrazine, caspian kutum, acute toxicity, body ions, lc50

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Authors: Jocelyn Jones, Louise Southalan, Lindey Andrews, Mandy Wilson, Emma Vieira, Jackie Oakley, Dorothy Bagshaw, Alice V. Brown, Patrick Egan, Duc Dau, Lucy Spanswick

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Working with people experiencing homelessness requires careful use of methods that support them to comfortably share their experiences. This is particularly important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the traditional owners of Australia, who have experienced intergenerational and compounding trauma since colonisation. Aboriginal cultures regularly experience research fatigue and distrust in research’s potential for impact. They often view research as an extraction -a process of taking the knowledge that empowers the research team and its institution, rather than benefiting those being researched. Through a partnership between an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation and a university research institute, we conducted a community-driven research project with 70-90 Aboriginal people experiencing homelessness in Perth, Western Australia. The project aimed to listen to and advocate for the voices of those who are experiencing homelessness, guided by the Aboriginal community. In consultation with Aboriginal Elders, we selected methods that are considered culturally safe, including those who would prefer to express their experiences creatively. This led us to run a series of Photovoice workshops -an established method that supports people to share their experiences through photography. This method treats participants as experts and is regularly used with marginalised groups across the world. We detail our experience and lessons in using Photovoice with Aboriginal community members experiencing homelessness. This includes the ways the method needed to be moulded to community needs and driven by their individual choices, such as being dynamic in the length of time participants would spend with us, how we would introduce the method to them, and providing support workers for participants when taking photos. We also discuss lessons in establishing and retaining engagement and how the method was successful in supporting participants to comfortably share their stories. Finally, we outline the insights into homelessness that the method offered, including highlighting the difficulty experienced by participants in transitioning from homelessness to accommodation and the diversity of hopes people who have experienced homelessness have for the future.

Keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, photovoice, homelessness, community-led research

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Authors: Mohamad Ali Yazdani Sadati, Mir Hamed Sayed Hassani, Mahmoud Shakorian, Rezvanollah Kazemi, Bahareh Younes Haghighi

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The efficiency of two rearing environments in culture and effect on growth performance of beluga (Huso huso) were investigated. In accordance two group of three years Huso huso ((Average weight of 9.93±0.305 and 10±0.5Kg) density (0.5 and 25 kg/m2)) with 3 replicate were stocked in two culture environment and reared with formulated diet including protein 43% and energy 22 MJ/ kg for 12 month from 2014.6.19 to 2015.9.10 A.D. In the end of rearing period, indices of Final weight, final biomass, daily growth and body percent weight fish reared in cement tank (20.1±0.6, 2016.66±5.77,0.112±0.00239 and 102.35±1.1kg) were significantly higher than fish reared in pond (17.4±0.4, 1746.66±7.2, 0.082±0.118 and 74.15±4.71 kg), respectively P < 0.05). Food efficiency ratio between two group was not significantly different (P > 0.05). The result of this study indicated that except of primary cost of building concrete tank, Huso huso prebroodstocking in cement tank is better than pond for result of increasing growth rate in culture rearing and more effective management.

Keywords: cement tank, earthen pond, Huso huso, prebroodstocking

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Authors: Muna Al-Tarshi

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The distribution and accumulation dynamics of anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) and microplastic particles in mangrove habitats in the region are poorly understood. The abundance, sorting, and diversity aspects of AMD and microplastics were investigated in three types of mangroves creeks ( Natural mangrove, afforested mangrove, and non-planted). Abundance, concentration, and particles form of microplastics have been illustrated in three substrate in mangrove habitats e.g. sediment, water, and aquatic organisms. Density separation method by using highly saturated solution was implemented to extract the plastic particles from the sediment samples. The average size of particles in each transect was done using image software, and the polymer type was determined via FTIR. There was variability in abundance of microplastics and marine debris between the habitats and within the substrates in the habitats.Biomonitoring program was developed to detect the pollution of microplastics in mangrove habitats in Sultanate of Oman. Sediment dwelling species were the best choice. Testing whether the zooplankton (Artemia) eating the microplastics via FlowCam technique have been studied. The zooplanktons (Artemia) were eating the microplastics as mistaken food.

Keywords: microplastics, marine debris, flowcam, FTIR, polymer, artemia

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Authors: Poonsuck Thatchaopas, Nik Kamariah Nik Mat, Nattakarn Eakuru

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“One College One Product” OCOP business model is launched by the Vocational Education Commission to encourage college students to choose at least one product for business venture. However, the number of successful OCOP projects is still minimal. The objective of this paper is to identify the critical success factors needed to be a successful OCOP business entrepreneur. This study uses qualitative method by interviewing business partners of an OCOP business called Crispy Roti Krua Acheeva Brand (CRKAB). This project was initiated by three female alumni students of the CRKAB. The finding shows that the main critical success factors are self-confidence, creativity or innovativeness, knowledge, skills and perseverance. Additionally, they reiterated that the keys to business success are product quality, perceived price, promotion, branding, new packaging to increase sales and continuous developments. The results implies for a business SME to be successful, the company should have credible partners and effective marketing plan.

Keywords: new entrepreneurship student model, business incubator, food industry, Pattani Province, Thailand

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Authors: Irene H. Maralit

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Warning labels have been found to inform smokers about the health hazards of smoking, encourage smokers to quit, and prevent nonsmokers from starting to smoke. Warning labels on tobacco products are an ideal way of communicating with smokers. Since the intervention is delivered at the time of smoking, nearly all smokers are exposed to warning labels and pack-a-day smokers could be exposed to the warnings more than 7,000 times per year. Given the reach and frequency of exposure, the proponents want to know the effect of warning labels on smoking behavior. Its aims to identify the profile of the smokers associated with its behavioral variables that best describe the users’ perception. The behavioral variables are AVOID, THINK RISK and FORGO. This research study aims to determine if there is significant relationship between the effect of warning labels on cigarette package on Consumer behavior when grouped according to profile variable. The researcher used quota sampling to gather representative data through purposive means to determine the accurate representation of data needed in the study. Furthermore, the data was gathered through the use of a self-constructed questionnaire. The statistical method used were Frequency count, Chi square, multi regression, weighted mean and ANOVA to determine the scale and percentage of the three variables. After the analysis of data, results shows that most of the respondents belongs to age range 22–28 years old with percentage of 25.3%, majority are male with a total number of 134 with percentage of 89.3% and single with total number of 79 and percentage of 52.7%, mostly are high school graduates with total number of 59 and percentage of 39.3, with regards to occupation, skilled workers have the highest frequency of 37 with 24.7%, Majority of the income of the respondents falls under the range of Php 5,001-Php10,000 with 50.7%. And also with regards to the number of sticks consumed per day falls under 6–10 got the highest frequency with 33.3%. The respondents THINK RISK factor got the highest composite mean which is 2.79 with verbal interpretation of agree. It is followed by FORGO with 2.78 composite mean and a verbal interpretation of agree and AVOID variable with composite mean of 2.77 with agree as its verbal interpretation. In terms of significant relationship on the effects of cigarette label to consumer behavior when grouped according to profile variable, sex and occupation found to be significant.

Keywords: consumer behavior, smokers, warning labels, think risk avoid forgo

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Authors: Tsz Ching Jasmine Lam

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Linguistic landscape (LL) can serve as both top-down and bottom-up approaches to understanding language planning policy in various dimensions. It can reflect the language identities, motives and contestations perceived by stakeholders of different decision-making levels. Prior studies adopted the bottom-up approach to investigate the language practice and ideologies reflected by the design and linguistic features observed in the linguistic landscapes in ethnically and linguistically diverse areas, like Medan in Russia and Seoul in Korea. As Hong Kong is also a trilingual city with an inclusive combination of nationalities, this paper is intended to take it as a case study to explore the de facto language ideologies reflected by LL at the micro-level. We would look into the catering industry from a holistic perspective by reviewing the food menus of 66 restaurants located in diversified districts and serving different types of cuisines. This bottom-up LL research reveals that business owners and the public share the language ideologies of perceiving English as a prestigious language, multilingualism and traditional Chinese as a standard character.

Keywords: bottom-up, language ideologies, language planning policy, language policy, language identities, linguistic landscape

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Authors: Noorhaslinda Kulub Abd. Rashid, Zuraini Anang, Bayu Taufiq Possumah, Suriyani Muhamad, Fauziah Abu Hasan, Hairunnizam Wahid

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Reality of Malaysian lives today, especially the households, are not exempted from using a variety of good products and services that are particularly materialistic. In fact, the pace and sophistication of the technology is seen as a major catalyst to the pattern of community life. In facing the challenges of the current economy, the key role to be played by household is managing the pattern of expenditure, income and loan debts regularly and blessed by Allah. Unfortunately, the world today is witnessing the average household could owe solely to meet their needs with existing spending limits. This study aims to measure the ‘Religious Index of Household Expenditure’ (IKM) and analyze how far the religious influence to the pattern of household expenditure based on the 441 Muslim households. The results showed only a 5-item spending, food, housing, transportation, education, and recreation and entertainment that has a significant relationship with IKM. Therefore, Islamic consumer education is a must to establish sustainable consumptions in order to speed up the internalization of sustainable lifestyle among Malaysians.

Keywords: ‘Religious Index of Household Expenditure’ (IKM), income, sustainable consumptions, household expenditure

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Authors: Mangesh Govindrao Acharya

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It’s a matter of regret that rule began by causing social divisions in slave India. Even after independence, gender inequality persisted in Indian society; however, as social consciousness, awareness of governance, and political participation increased, this disparity gradually decreased. Technological advancement played an important role in awakening women. Today, a large number of women are able to address their problems in relevant places. The sense of honour for women in the family has also increased. Education, health, and food are indispensable for a strong society. Society's attitude towards the education of women and girls has become positive. Today, women have set their records in many important places. Women still face many challenges. Health awareness among rural women is a big challenge. Equality between men and women is the biggest social reform campaign implemented in our country. It has been going on endlessly for years, but the expected success does not seem to have been achieved. On the contrary, the issue of equality between men and women keeps coming before society in a new form. An attempt has been made in the present research essay to give an account of India's performance in this regard at the global level.

Keywords: gender sensitization, gender equality, women's dignity, women's safety

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Authors: Yuliani Aisyah, Sri Haryani, Novi Safriani

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Nutmeg oil is one of the essential oils that have the ability as an antibacterial so it potentially uses to inhibit the growth of undesirable microbes in food. However, the essential oil that has low solubility in water, high volatile content, and strong aroma properties is difficult to apply in to foodstuffs. Therefore, the oil-in-water nanoemulsion system was used in this research. Gelatin, lecithin and tween 80 with 10%, 20%, 30% concentrations have been examined for the preparation of nutmeg oil nanoemulsions. The physicochemical properties and stability of nutmeg oil nanoemulsion were analyzed on viscosity, creaming index, emulsifying activity, droplet size, and polydispersity index. The results showed that the type and concentration stabilizer had a significant effect on viscosity, creaming index, droplet size and polydispersity index (P ≤ 0,01). The nanoemulsions stabilized with tween 80 had the best stability because the creaming index value was 0%, the emulsifying activity value was 100%, the droplet size was small (79 nm) and the polydispersity index was low (0.10) compared to the nanoemulsions stabilized with gelatin and lecithin. In brief, Tween 80 is strongly recommended to be used for stabilizing nutmeg oil nanoemulsions.

Keywords: nanoemulsion, nutmeg oil, stabilizer, stability

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Authors: Cansu Kandemir, Marco Franchino

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To attain sustainability goals, the manufacturing industries must assess and improve their processes, adopt the latest technologies, and ensure minimal environmental impact. Ongoing debates claim that the definition of sustainability and its assessment is vague. Companies struggle with understanding which processes they should prioritise and necessitate a methodology to aid decision-making. For that reason, our investigation focused on defining a prioritisation guide to help to manufacture engineers identify areas of a facility to prioritise de-carbonisation efforts based on existing sources of data. The authors at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) worked with a range of major businesses, including Food and Drink (Moy Park), Automotive (Nissan), Aerospace and Defence (BAE, Meggitt, Leonardo, and GKN) and Technology (Accenture and Intellium AI). Collected information has been integrated into a prioritisation guide framework that helps process comparison and decision-making. The framework developed in this study aims to ensure that companies have guidance on where to focus their efforts whilst striving to fulfil their environmental and societal obligations.

Keywords: decision making, sustainability, carbon emissions, manufacturing

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Authors: William Abiodun Duyile

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It is common knowledge that marine food has always been found from the sea, energy can also be found underneath and, to a growing extent; other mineral resources have come from the sea spaces. It is the importance of the sea and the sea lines of communication to littoral nations that has made concepts such as sea power, naval power, etc., significant to them. The study relied on documentary data. The documentary data were sourced from government annual departmental reports, newspapers and correspondence. The secondary sources used were subjected to internal and external criticism for authentication, and then to textual and contextual analyses. The study found that the differential level of seamanship amongst states defined their relationship. It was sea power that gave some states an edge over the others. The study proves that over the ages sea power has been core to the development of States or Empires. The study found that the Nigerian Navy was centre to Nigeria’s conquest of the littoral areas of Biafra, like Bonny, Port-Harcourt, and Calabar; it was also an important turning point of the Nigerian civil war since by it Biafra became landlocked. The research was able to identify succinctly the Nigerian Navy’s contribution to the security and development of the Nigerian State.

Keywords: sea power, naval power, land locked states, warship

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Authors: Z. Khoshnood, L. Khoshnood

Abstract:

Pesticides and drugs used in agriculture and veterinary medicine may end up in aquatic environments and bioaccumulate in the food chain, thus causing serious problems for fauna and human health. For determination of the toxic effects of atrazine herbicide on Caspian kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum larvae, the 96-h LC50 of atrazine was measured for newly hatched larvae as 18.53 ppm. Toxicity of atrazine herbicide on Caspian kutum larvae was investigated using concentrations: 9.25 ppm, 4.62 ppm and 2.31 ppm for 7 days. Comparison of the length, weight, and condition factor showed that no significant differences between atrazine exposed and control groups. The concentration of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cl- in whole body of larvae in control and atrazine exposure groups were measured and the results showed that concentrations of all these ions is higher in atrazine exposure group than control group. It is obvious from this study that atrazine negatively affects osmoregulation process and changes ion compositions of the body even at sublethal concentration and acute exposure but have no effects on growth parameters of the body.

Keywords: atrazine, Caspian Kutum, acute toxicity, body ions, LC50

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Authors: Rajani Vishal, C. P. Mishra

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Background: Self-perception of an individual about own body has a strong influence on their food preference and thereby on their nutritional status. Body image is gaining importance in social theory. Globally, women in particular seem to be favour of one ideal body type (Viz A slim, tall and perfectly proportionate body). Beauty and body image ideals among research scholars can play a significant influence on their own actions. Objectives: 1) To assess perception of study subjects about body image; 2)To analyze the relationship between body image and residential status of study subjects. Material and Method: 176 female research scholars of Banaras Hindu University were selected through multistage sampling. They were interviewed with pre designed and pre-tested proforma about area of residence and perception about body image. Result: As much as 86.4% subjects were happy with the way they looked whereas 83.0% subjects considered themselves as attractive. In case of 13.6%, 27.3%, 31.8%, 14.2% and 13.1% subjects, best-described body shapes were thin, normal, curvy, athletic and overweight, respectively. Area of residence was significantly (p< o.o5) associated with perception of attractiveness and description of body shape. Conclusion: In spite of varied description of body image, majority of subjects had positive perception about their body image.

Keywords: attractiveness, body image, body shape, nutritional status

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Authors: Choy Sonny Yip Hong

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This abstract presents an exploration into the creation of a sustainable bio-polymer compound for additive manufacturing, specifically 3D printing, with a focus on eggshells and polylactide (PLA) polymer. The project initially conducted experiments using a variety of food by-products to create bio-polymers, and promising results were obtained when combining eggshells with PLA polymer. The research journey involved precise measurements, drying of PLA to remove moisture, and the utilization of a filament-making machine to produce 3D printable filaments. The project began with exploratory research and experiments, testing various combinations of food by-products to create bio-polymers. After careful evaluation, it was discovered that eggshells and PLA polymer produced promising results. The initial mixing of the two materials involved heating them just above the melting point. To make the compound 3D printable, the research focused on finding the optimal formulation and production process. The process started with precise measurements of the PLA and eggshell materials. The PLA was placed in a heating oven to remove any absorbed moisture. Handmade testing samples were created to guide the planning for 3D-printed versions. The scrap PLA was recycled and ground into a powdered state. The drying process involved gradual moisture evaporation, which required several hours. The PLA and eggshell materials were then placed into the hopper of a filament-making machine. The machine's four heating elements controlled the temperature of the melted compound mixture, allowing for optimal filament production with accurate and consistent thickness. The filament-making machine extruded the compound, producing filament that could be wound on a wheel. During the testing phase, trials were conducted with different percentages of eggshell in the PLA mixture, including a high percentage (20%). However, poor extrusion results were observed for high eggshell percentage mixtures. Samples were created, and continuous improvement and optimization were pursued to achieve filaments with good performance. To test the 3D printability of the DIY filament, a 3D printer was utilized, set to print the DIY filament smoothly and consistently. Samples were printed and mechanically tested using a universal testing machine to determine their mechanical properties. This testing process allowed for the evaluation of the filament's performance and suitability for additive manufacturing applications. In conclusion, the project explores the creation of a sustainable bio-polymer compound using eggshells and PLA polymer for 3D printing. The research journey involved precise measurements, drying of PLA, and the utilization of a filament-making machine to produce 3D printable filaments. Continuous improvement and optimization were pursued to achieve filaments with good performance. The project's findings contribute to the advancement of additive manufacturing, offering opportunities for design innovation, carbon footprint reduction, supply chain optimization, and collaborative potential. The utilization of eggshell PLA polymer in additive manufacturing has the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing industry, providing a sustainable alternative and enabling the production of intricate and customized products.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, 3D printing, eggshell PLA polymer, design innovation, carbon footprint reduction, supply chain optimization, collaborative potential

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Authors: Chi-Feng Lai, Wen-Chun Liao Liao

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Many people are bothered by sleep difficulties in Taiwan’s society. However, majority of patients get medical treatments without a comprehensive sleep assessment. It is still a big challenge to formulate a comprehensive assessment of sleep difficulties in clinical settings, even though many assessment tools have existed in literature. This study tries to implement reliable and effective ‘comprehensive sleep assessment scales’ in a medical center and to explore differences in sleep-related factors between clinic clients with or without sleep difficulty complaints. The comprehensive sleep assessment (CSA) scales were composed of 5 dimensions: ‘personal factors’, ‘physiological factors’, ‘psychological factors’, ‘social factors’ and ‘environmental factors, and were first evaluated by expert validity and 20 participants with test-retest reliability. The Content Validity Index (CVI) of the CSA was 0.94 and the alpha of the consistency reliability ranged 0.996-1.000. Clients who visited sleep clinic due to sleep difficulties (n=32, 16 males and 16 females, ages 43.66 ±14.214) and gender-and age- matched healthy subjects without sleep difficulties (n=96, 47 males and 49 females, ages 41.99 ±13.69) were randomly recruited at a ratio of 1:3 (with sleep difficulties vs. without sleep difficulties) to compare their sleep and the CSA factors. Results show that all clinic clients with sleep difficulties did have poor sleep quality (PSQI>5) and mild to moderate daytime sleepiness (ESS >11). Personal factors of long working hours (χ2= 10.315, p=0.001), shift workers (χ2= 8.964, p=0.003), night shift (χ2=9.395, p=0.004) and perceived stress (χ2=9.503, p=0.002) were disruptors of sleep difficulties. Physiological factors from physical examination including breathing by mouth, low soft palate, high narrow palate, Edward Angle, tongue hypertrophy, and occlusion of the worn surface were observed in clinic clients. Psychological factors including higher perceived stress (χ2=32.542, p=0.000), anxiety and depression (χ2=32.868, p=0.000); social factors including lack of leisure activities (χ2=39.857, p=0.000), more drinking habits (χ2=1.798, p=0.018), irregular amount and frequency in meals (χ2=5.086, p=0.024), excessive dinner (χ2=21.511, p=0.000), being incapable of getting up on time due to previous poor night sleep (χ2=4.444, p=0.035); and environmental factors including lights (χ2=7.683, p=0.006), noise (χ2=5.086, p=0.024), low or high bedroom temperature (χ2=4.595, p=0.032) were existed in clients. In conclusion, the CSA scales can work as valid and reliable instruments for evaluating sleep-related factors. Findings of this study provide important reference for assessing clinic clients with sleep difficulties.

Keywords: comprehensive sleep assessment, sleep-related factors, sleep difficulties

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Authors: Reshu Chaudhary, R. S. Sengar

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To increase the agricultural production Indian farmer needs to aware of the latest technology i.e. precision farming to maximize the crop yield and minimize the input (fertilizer, pesticide etc.) through monitoring the environmental factors. Biotechnology and information technology have provided lots of opportunities for the development of agriculture. But, still we have to do much more for increasing our agricultural production in order to achieve the target growth of agriculture to secure food, to eliminate poverty and improve living style, to enhance agricultural exports and national income and to improve quality of agricultural products. Nanotechnology can be a great element to satisfy these requirements and to boost the multi-dimensional development of agriculture in order to fulfill the dream of Indian farmers. Nanotechnology is the most rapidly growing area of science and technology with its application in physical science, chemical science, life science, material science and earth science. Nanotechnology is a part of any nation’s future. Research in nanotechnology has extremely high potential to benefit society through application in agricultural sciences. Nanotechnology has greater potential to bring revolution in the agricultural sector.

Keywords: agriculture, biotechnology, crop yield, nanotechnology

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Authors: Ivan M. Taremwa, Scholastic Ashaba, Harriet O. Adrama, Carlrona Ayebazibwe, Daniel Omoding, Imelda Kemeza, Jane Yatuha, Thadeus Turuho, Noni E. MacDonald, Robert Hilliard

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Background: The burden of malaria in Uganda remains unacceptably high, especially among children and pregnant women. To prevent malaria related complications, household possession and use of Insecticide Treated mosquito Nets (ITNs) has become a common practice in the country. Despite the availability of ITNs, the number of malaria cases has not gone down. We sought to explore knowledge, attitude, and behaviour towards the use of ITNs as a nightly malaria prevention strategy among pregnant women and children under five years of age in rural southwest Uganda. Materials and Methods: This was a community based, descriptive cross-sectional study, in which households with children under 5 years, and/or pregnant women were enrolled. We used a structured questionnaire to collect data on participants’ understanding of the causes, signs and symptoms of malaria; use of ITNs to prevent malaria; attitudes and behaviours towards the use of ITNs. We also conducted key informant interviews (KIIs) to get in-depth understanding of responses from the participants. We analysed quantitative data using STATA version 12. Qualitative findings from the KIIs were transcribed and translated, and manually analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: Of the 369 households enrolled, 98.6% (N=363) households had children under five. Most participants (41.2%, N=152) were in the 21-30 years of age category (mean age; 32.2). 98.6% (N=362) of the respondents considered ITNs a key malaria prevention strategy. The ITN possession rate was 84.0% (N=310), of these, 67.0% (N=205) consistently used them. 39% of the respondents did not have a positive attitude towards ITNs, as they considered more the perceived effects of ITNs. Conclusions: Although 84.0% of the respondents possessed ITNs, many were not consistently using them. There is need to engage all stakeholders (including cultural leaders, community health workers, religious leaders and the government) in the malaria prevention campaigns using ITNs through: a) government’s concerted effort to ensure universal access of good quality ITNs, b) end-user directed education to correct false beliefs and misinformation, c) telling the ITN success stories to improve on the usage.

Keywords: ITNs use, malaria, pregnant women, rural Uganda

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Authors: I. O. Nascimento, J. T. Manzi

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The drying process is an important operation in the chemical industry and it is widely used in the food, grain industry and fertilizer industry. However, for demanding a considerable consumption of energy, such a process requires a deep energetic analysis in order to reduce operating costs. This paper deals with thermodynamic optimization applied to rotary dryers based on the entropy production minimization, aiming at to reduce the energy consumption. To do this, the mass, energy and entropy balance was used for developing a relationship that represents the rate of entropy production. The use of the Second Law of Thermodynamics is essential because it takes into account constraints of nature. Since the entropy production rate is minimized, optimals conditions of operations can be established and the process can obtain a substantial gain in energy saving. The minimization strategy had been led using classical methods such as Lagrange multipliers and implemented in the MATLAB platform. As expected, the preliminary results reveal a significant energy saving by the application of the optimal parameters found by the procedure of the entropy minimization It is important to say that this method has shown easy implementation and low cost.

Keywords: thermodynamic optimization, drying, entropy minimization, modeling dryers

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Authors: Yung-Chen Hsu, Juan Hernandez, W. T. Evert Ting, Dawit Gizachew

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Mycotoxin contamination of foods and feeds poses a high risk for human and animal health. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a ubiquitous mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi. It exhibits nephrotoxicity, teratogenicity, mutagenicity, and immunotoxicity in both humans and animals. OTA has been detected in foods such as cereals, coffee, grapes, cocoa, wine, and spices. Consumption of food contaminated with OTA has been linked to kidney and liver diseases. Niger (Guizotia abyssinica) is an oil seed that is used for extracting cooking oil in countries like Ethiopia and India. The seed cake (a byproduct from oil extraction) is also used as dairy cattle feed in Ethiopia. It is also exported to North America and Europe to be used mainly as bird feed. To our knowledge, there have been no studies on the growth and production of OTA on niger seeds. In this study, the environment conditions that support OTA production including effects of water activity, temperature, and incubation time on growth and OTA production by A. fresenii and A. sulphureus were investigated.

Keywords: mycotoxin, ochratoxin A, aspergillus, niger seed

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Authors: Hafez Abdo, Rob Ackrill

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Renewable energy (RE) promotion in the UK relies on multiple policy instruments, which are required to overcome the path dependency pressures favouring fossil fuels. These instruments include targeted funding schemes and economy-wide instruments embedded in the tax code. The resulting complexity of incentives raises important questions around the coherence and effectiveness of these instruments for RE generation. This complexity is exacerbated by UK RE policy being nested within EU policy in a multi-level governance (MLG) setting. To gain analytical traction on such complexity, this study will analyse policies promoting the on-farm generation of energy for heat and power, from farm and food waste, via anaerobic digestion. Utilising both primary and secondary data, it seeks to address a particular lacuna in the academic literature. Via a localised, in-depth investigation into the complexity of policy instruments promoting RE, this study will help our theoretical understanding of the challenges that MLG and path dependency pressures present to policymakers of multi-dimensional policies.

Keywords: anaerobic digestion, energy, green, policy, renewable, tax, UK

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