Search results for: developing food
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 8924

Search results for: developing food

7394 Evaluating Aquaculture Farmers Responses to Climate Change and Sustainable Practices in Kenya

Authors: Olalekan Adekola, Margaret Gatonye, Paul Orina

Abstract:

The growing demand for farmed fish by underdeveloped and developing countries as a means of contributing positively towards eradication of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition for their fast growing populations has implications to the environment. Likewise, climate change poses both an immediate and future threat to local fish production with capture fisheries already experiencing a global decline. This not only raises fundamental questions concerning how aquaculture practices affect the environment, but also how ready are aquaculture farmers to adapt to climate related hazards. This paper assesses existing aquaculture practices and approaches to adapting to climate hazards in Kenya, where aquaculture has grown rapidly since the year 2009. The growth has seen rise in aquaculture set ups mainly along rivers and streams, importation of seed and feed and intensification with possible environmental implications. The aquaculture value chain in the context of climate change and their implication for practice is further investigated, and the strategies necessary for an improved implementation of resilient aquaculture system in Kenya is examined. Data for the study are collected from interviews, questionnaires, two workshops and document analysis. Despite acclaimed nutritional benefit of fish consumption in Kenya, poor management of effluents enriched with nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, and suspended solids has implications not just on the ecosystem, goods, and services, but is also potential source of resource-use conflicts especially in downstream communities and operators in the livestock, horticulture, and industrial sectors. The study concluded that aquaculture focuses on future orientation, climate resilient infrastructure, appropriate site selection and invest on biosafety as the key sustainable strategies against climate hazards.

Keywords: aquaculture, resilience, environment, strategies, Kenya

Procedia PDF Downloads 161
7393 Towards Visual Personality Questionnaires Based on Deep Learning and Social Media

Authors: Pau Rodriguez, Jordi Gonzalez, Josep M. Gonfaus, Xavier Roca

Abstract:

Image sharing in social networks has increased exponentially in the past years. Officially, there are 600 million Instagrammers uploading around 100 million photos and videos per day. Consequently, there is a need for developing new tools to understand the content expressed in shared images, which will greatly benefit social media communication and will enable broad and promising applications in education, advertisement, entertainment, and also psychology. Following these trends, our work aims to take advantage of the existing relationship between text and personality, already demonstrated by multiple researchers, so that we can prove that there exists a relationship between images and personality as well. To achieve this goal, we consider that images posted on social networks are typically conditioned on specific words, or hashtags, therefore any relationship between text and personality can also be observed with those posted images. Our proposal makes use of the most recent image understanding models based on neural networks to process the vast amount of data generated by social users to determine those images most correlated with personality traits. The final aim is to train a weakly-supervised image-based model for personality assessment that can be used even when textual data is not available, which is an increasing trend. The procedure is described next: we explore the images directly publicly shared by users based on those accompanying texts or hashtags most strongly related to personality traits as described by the OCEAN model. These images will be used for personality prediction since they have the potential to convey more complex ideas, concepts, and emotions. As a result, the use of images in personality questionnaires will provide a deeper understanding of respondents than through words alone. In other words, from the images posted with specific tags, we train a deep learning model based on neural networks, that learns to extract a personality representation from a picture and use it to automatically find the personality that best explains such a picture. Subsequently, a deep neural network model is learned from thousands of images associated with hashtags correlated to OCEAN traits. We then analyze the network activations to identify those pictures that maximally activate the neurons: the most characteristic visual features per personality trait will thus emerge since the filters of the convolutional layers of the neural model are learned to be optimally activated depending on each personality trait. For example, among the pictures that maximally activate the high Openness trait, we can see pictures of books, the moon, and the sky. For high Conscientiousness, most of the images are photographs of food, especially healthy food. The high Extraversion output is mostly activated by pictures of a lot of people. In high Agreeableness images, we mostly see flower pictures. Lastly, in the Neuroticism trait, we observe that the high score is maximally activated by animal pets like cats or dogs. In summary, despite the huge intra-class and inter-class variabilities of the images associated to each OCEAN traits, we found that there are consistencies between visual patterns of those images whose hashtags are most correlated to each trait.

Keywords: emotions and effects of mood, social impact theory in social psychology, social influence, social structure and social networks

Procedia PDF Downloads 196
7392 The Mechanism of Antimicrobial Activity and Antioxidant Effects of the Essential Oil and the Methanolic Extract of Carum montanum (Coss. et Dur.) Benth. Et Hook. Aerial Parts from Algeria

Authors: Meriem El Kolli, Hocine Laouer, Hayet El Kolli, Salah Akkal

Abstract:

The methanolic extract (ME) of C. montanum obtained by a hydo-alcoholic maceration and its polyphenol content was evaluated by Folin-Ciocalteu method. This extract and C. montanum essential oil were screened for antimicrobial activity against 21 microbial strains by agar diffusion method. MICs of the EO were determined by the broth micro dilution method. The mechanism of action of the EO was determined on the susceptible strains by the time kill assay and the lysis experience. Antioxidant properties were studied by both free DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power techniques. The TPC in the ME showed a high level of 101.50 ± 5.33 mg GAE /mg. B. cereus was the most sensitive strain with MIC of 55.5 µg/ml , then K. pneumoniae (111 µg/ml). A remarkable decrease in a survival rate as well as in the absorbance at 260 nm were recorded, which suggest that the cytoplasm membrane is one of the targets of the EO. Antioxidant effects were concentration dependent and IC50 values were 1.09 ± 0.37 µg/ml for the EO and 65.04 ± 0.00 µg/ml for the ME by DPPH method and a reducing power dose-dependent. In conclusion, C. montanum extracts showed potent which could be exploited in the food industry for food preservation.

Keywords: C. montanum, Apiaceae, essential oils, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, reducing power

Procedia PDF Downloads 237
7391 Appropriate Technology: Revisiting the Movement in Developing Countries for Sustainability

Authors: Jayshree Patnaik, Bhaskar Bhowmick

Abstract:

The economic growth of any nation is steered and dependent on innovation in technology. It can be preferably argued that technology has enhanced the quality of life. Technology is linked both with an economic and a social structure. But there are some parts of the world or communities which are yet to reap the benefits of technological innovation. Business and organizations are now well equipped with cutting-edge innovations that improve the firm performance and provide them with a competitive edge, but rarely does it have a positive impact on any community which is weak and marginalized. In recent times, it is observed that communities are actively handling social or ecological issues with the help of indigenous technologies. Thus, "Appropriate Technology" comes into the discussion, which is quite prevalent in the rural third world. Appropriate technology grew as a movement in the mid-1970s during the energy crisis, but it lost its stance in the following years when people started it to describe it as an inferior technology or dead technology. Basically, there is no such technology which is inferior or sophisticated for a particular region. The relevance of appropriate technology lies in penetrating technology into a larger and weaker section of community where the “Bottom of the pyramid” can pay for technology if they find the price is affordable. This is a theoretical paper which primarily revolves around how appropriate technology has faded and again evolved in both developed and developing countries. The paper will try to focus on the various concepts, history and challenges faced by the appropriate technology over the years. Appropriate technology follows a documented approach but lags in overall design and diffusion. Diffusion of technology into the poorer sections of community remains unanswered until the present time. Appropriate technology is multi-disciplinary in nature; therefore, this openness allows having a varied working model for different problems. Appropriate technology is a friendly technology that seeks to improve the lives of people in a constraint environment by providing an affordable and sustainable solution. Appropriate technology needs to be defined in the era of modern technological advancement for sustainability.

Keywords: appropriate technology, community, developing country, sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 262
7390 Urban Heritage and Its Role in the Tourism Development in Yemen: Case Study of Historic Town of Zabid

Authors: Yasser Alhiagi, Moshalleh Almoraekhi, Sameh Refaat

Abstract:

Urban heritage has an important status in the process of developing the Yemeni tourism sector. Urban heritage in Yemen differs depending on the regions and historical cities such as City of Old Sana'a, Historic Town of Zabid, Shibam Hadhramout, Taiz, and others. Zabid is an old town with a long history, founded in the 9th century. It has been the capital of Yemen from the 13th to the 15th century and played, because of its Islamic university, an important role in the Arab and Muslim world for many centuries. The aim of this research is to promote the built heritage of Historic Town of Zabid and explore the possibilities of visiting the rehabilitated buildings and other heritage attractions through tourism. It examines the nature of the relationship exists between tourism and built heritage. The research is intended to contribute to the strategy development of national tourism for the purpose of protecting, developing, and utilizing cultural heritage. Also, the research depended chiefly on the results of a field work proposed to be carried out at Historic Town of Zabid.

Keywords: historic town of Zabid, strategy, tourism development, urban heritage

Procedia PDF Downloads 324
7389 Levels of Plastic Waste and Fish Landed By Beach Seine Fishers in Coastal Ghana

Authors: Francis Gbogbo, Angelica Ama Essandoh, Wendy Teresa Baffoe, Henry Groos, Charles Mario Boateng, Emmanuel Robert Blankson

Abstract:

Baseline data on plastic landing by fishers and monitoring of this is important in evaluating the success of plastic waste management efforts. This study investigated plastic and fish landed by beach seine fishers in Ghana, together with the rate of plastic deposition on an adjoining beach. Plastic constituted 31.6% of the total catch, and 41.7% of the fish landed by weight. There were significant differences between the average weight of fish (139.58±53.6kg) and plastic (65.73±14.6kg) landed per fishing session and the catch per unit effort of fish (183.4±76.7 kg/day) and plastic (88.4±35.2 kg/day). The mean weight of plastic landed per fishing session was higher than the mean weight of each of the 26 species of fisheries. The rate of plastic deposition on the beach was 8.1±2.5 plastic items per m2 per tidal cycle or 0.35±0.11kg plastic per m2 per tidal cycle, with food packs and tableware dominating the deposited plastic. The results suggested that ongoing water sachets and plastic bottle recycling in Ghana are yielding results and calls for targeted efforts in plastic food packs and tableware management.

Keywords: fishig, landing, plastic waste, intertidal area, fishing effort

Procedia PDF Downloads 91
7388 Examining the Relationship between Concussion and Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Review on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease

Authors: Edward Poluyi, Eghosa Morgan, Charles Poluyi, Chibuikem Ikwuegbuenyi, Grace Imaguezegie

Abstract:

Background: Current epidemiological studies have examined the associations between moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their risks of developing neurodegenerative diseases. Concussion, also known as mild TBI (mTBI), is however quite distinct from moderate or severe TBIs. Only few studies in this burgeoning area have examined concussion—especially repetitive episodes—and neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, no definite relationship has been established between them. Objectives : This review will discuss the available literature linking concussion and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Materials and Methods: Given the complexity of this subject, a realistic review methodology was selected which includes clarifying the scope and developing a theoretical framework, developing a search strategy, selection and appraisal, data extraction, and synthesis. A detailed literature matrix was set out in order to get relevant and recent findings on this topic. Results: Presently, there is no objective clinical test for the diagnosis of concussion because the features are less obvious on physical examination. Absence of an objective test in diagnosing concussion sometimes leads to skepticism when confirming the presence or absence of concussion. Intriguingly, several possible explanations have been proposed in the pathological mechanisms that lead to the development of some neurodegenerative disorders (such as ALS and AD) and concussion but the two major events are deposition of tau proteins (abnormal microtubule proteins) and neuroinflammation, which ranges from glutamate excitotoxicity pathways and inflammatory pathways (which leads to a rise in the metabolic demands of microglia cells and neurons), to mitochondrial function via the oxidative pathways.

Keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, mild traumatic brain injury, neurodegeneration

Procedia PDF Downloads 89
7387 Analysis of Noodle Production Process at Yan Hu Food Manufacturing: Basis for Production Improvement

Authors: Rhadinia Tayag-Relanes, Felina C. Young

Abstract:

This study was conducted to analyze the noodle production process at Yan Hu Food Manufacturing for the basis of production improvement. The study utilized the PDCA approach and record review in the gathering of data for the calendar year 2019 from August to October data of the noodle products miki, canton, and misua. Causal-comparative research was used in this study; it attempts to establish cause-effect relationships among the variables such as descriptive statistics and correlation, both were used to compute the data gathered. The study found that miki, canton, and misua production has different cycle time sets for each production and has different production outputs in every set of its production process and a different number of wastages. The company has not yet established its allowable rejection rate/ wastage; instead, this paper used a 1% wastage limit. The researcher recommended the following: machines used for each process of the noodle product must be consistently maintained and monitored; an assessment of all the production operators by checking their performance statistically based on the output and the machine performance; a root cause analysis for finding the solution must be conducted; and an improvement on the recording system of the input and output of the production process of noodle product should be established to eliminate the poor recording of data.

Keywords: continuous improvement, process, operations, PDCA

Procedia PDF Downloads 72
7386 Effect of Whey Protein Based Edible Coating on the Moisture Loss and Sensory Attributes of Fresh Mutton

Authors: Saba Belgheisi

Abstract:

Food packaging, is an important discipline in the area of food technology, concerns preservation and protection of foods. The objective of this research was to determine of the effect of whey protein based edible coating on the moisture loss and sensory attributes of fresh mutton after 0, 1, 3 and 5 days at 5° C. The moisture content, moisture loss and sensory attributes (juiciness, color and odor) of the coated and uncoated samples were analyzed. The results showed that, moisture content, moisture loss, juiciness and color of the coated and uncoated samples have significant differences (p < 0.05) at the intervals of 0 to 1 and 1 to 3 days of storage. But no significant difference was observed at interval time 3 to 5 days of storage (p > 0.05). Also, there was no significant differences in the odor values of the coated and uncoated samples (p > 0.05). Therefore, the coated samples had consistently more moisture, juiciness and colored values than uncoated samples after 3 days at 5° C. So, whey protein edible coating could enhance product presentation and eliminate the need for placing absorbent pads at the bottom of the trays.

Keywords: coating, whey protein, mutton, moisture, sensory

Procedia PDF Downloads 461
7385 Utilization of Agro-wastes for Biotechnological Production of Edible Mushroom

Authors: Salami Abiodun Olusola, Bankole Faith Ayobami

Abstract:

Agro-wastes are wastes produced from various agricultural activities and include manures, corncob, plant stalks, hulls, leaves, sugarcane bagasse, oil-palm spadix, and rice bran. In farming situation, the agro-waste is often useless and, thus, discarded. Huge quantities of waste resources generated from Nigerian agriculture could be converted to more useful forms of energy, which could contribute to the country’s primary energy needs and reduce problems associated with waste management. Accumulation of agro-wastes may cause health, safety, and environmental concern. However, biotechnological use of agro-waste could enhance food security through its bioconversion to useful renewable energy. Mushrooms are saprophytes which feed by secreting extracellular enzymes, digesting food externally, and absorb the nutrients in net-like hyphae. Therefore, mushrooms could be exploited for bioconversion of the cheap and numerous agro-wastes for providing nutritious food for animals, human and carbon recycling. The study investigated the bioconversion potentials of Pleurotus florida on agro-wastes using a simple and cost-effective biotechnological method. Four agro-wastes; corncobs, oil-palm spadix, corn straw, and sawdust, were composted and used as substrates while the biological efficiency (BE) and the nutritional composition of P. florida grown on the substrates were determined. Pleurotus florida contained 26.28-29.91% protein, 86.90-89.60% moisture, 0.48-0.91% fat, 19.64-22.82% fibre, 31.37-38.17% carbohydrate and 5.18-6.39% ash. The mineral contents ranged from 342-410 mg/100g Calcium, 1009-1133 mg/100g Phosphorus, 17-21 mg/100g Iron, 277-359 mg/100g Sodium, and 2088-2281 mg/100g Potassium. The highest yield and BE were obtained on corncobs (110 g, 55%), followed by oil-palm spadix (76.05 g, 38%), while the least BE was recorded on corn straw substrate (63.12 g, 31.56%). Utilization of the composted substrates yielded nutritional and edible mushrooms. The study presents biotechnological procedure for bioconversion of agro-wastes to edible and nutritious mushroom for efficient agro-wastes’ management, utilization, and recycling.

Keywords: agrowaste, bioconversion, biotechnology, utilization, recycling

Procedia PDF Downloads 78
7384 Activation of Apoptosis in the Midgut Epithelium of Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Exposed to Various Cadmium Concentration

Authors: Magdalena Maria Rost-Roszkowska, Alina Chachulska-Żymełka, Monika Tarnawska, Maria Augustyniak, Alina Kafel, Agnieszka Babczyńska

Abstract:

The digestive system of insects is composed of three distinct regions: fore-, mid- and hingut. The middle region (the midgut) is treated as one of the barriers which protects the organism against any stressors which originate from external environment, e.g. toxic metals. Such factors can activate the cell death in epithelial cells to preserve the entire tissue/organs against the degeneration. Different mechanisms involved in homeostasis maintenance have been described, but the studies of animals under field conditions do not give the opportunity to conclude about potential ability of subsequent generation to inherit the tolerance mechanisms. It is possible only by a multigenerational strain of an animal led under laboratory conditions, exposed to a selected toxic factor, present also in polluted ecosystems. The main purpose of the project was to check if changes, which appear in the midgut epithelium after Cd treatment, can be fixed during the following generations of insects with the special emphasis on apoptosis. As the animal for these studies we chose 5th larval stage of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which is one of pest of many vegetable crops. Animals were divided into some experimental groups: K, Cd, KCd, Cd1, Cd2, Cd3. A control group (K) fed a standard diet, and was conducted for XX generations, a cadmium group (Cd), fed on standard diet supplemented with cadmium (44 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food) for XXX generations. A reference Cd group (KCd) has been initiated: control insects were fed with Cd supplemented diet (44 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food). Experimental groups Cd1, Cd2, Cd3 developed from the control one: 5 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food, 10 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food, 20 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food. We were interested in the activation of apoptosis during following generations in all experimental groups. Therefore, during the 1st year of the experiment, the measurements were done for 6 generations in all experimental group. The intensity and the course of apoptosis have been examined using transmission electron microscope (TEM), confocal microscope and flow cytometry. During apoptosis the cell started to shrink, extracellular spaces appeared between digestive and neighboring cells, the nucleus achieved a lobular shape. Eventually, the apoptotic cells was discharged into the midgut lumen. A quantitative analysis revealed that the number of apoptotic cells depends significantly on the generation, tissue and cadmium concentration in the insect rearing medium. In the following 6 generations, we observed that the percentage of apoptotic cells in the midguts from cadmium-exposed groups decreased gradually according to the following order of strains: Cd1, Cd2, Cd3 and KCd. At the same time, it was still higher than the percentage of apoptotic cells in the same tissues of the insects from the control and multigenerational cadmium strain. The results of our studies suggest that changes caused by cadmium treatment were preserved during 6-generational development of lepidopteran larvae. The study has been financed by the National Science Centre Poland, grant no 2016/21/B/NZ8/00831.

Keywords: cadmium, cell death, digestive system, ultrastructure

Procedia PDF Downloads 214
7383 Exploratory Tests of Crude Bacteriocins from Autochthonous Lactic Acid Bacteria against Food-Borne Pathogens and Spoilage Bacteria

Authors: M. Naimi, M. B. Khaled

Abstract:

The aim of the present work was to test in vitro inhibition of food pathogens and spoilage bacteria by crude bacteriocins from autochthonous lactic acid bacteria. Thirty autochthonous lactic acid bacteria isolated previously, belonging to the genera: Lactobacillus, Carnobacterium, Lactococcus, Vagococcus, Streptococcus, and Pediococcus, have been screened by an agar spot test and a well diffusion assay against Gram-positive and Gram-negative harmful bacteria: Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa under conditions means to reduce lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide effect to select bacteria with high bacteriocinogenic potential. Furthermore, crude bacteriocins semiquantification and heat sensitivity to different temperatures (80, 95, 110°C, and 121°C) were performed. Another exploratory test concerning the response of St. aureus ATCC 6538 to the presence of crude bacteriocins was realized. It has been observed by the agar spot test that fifteen candidates were active toward Gram-positive targets strains. The secondary screening demonstrated an antagonistic activity oriented only against St. aureus ATCC 6538, leading to the selection of five isolates: Lm14, Lm21, Lm23, Lm24, and Lm25 with a larger inhibition zone compared to the others. The ANOVA statistical analysis reveals a small variation of repeatability: Lm21: 0.56%, Lm23: 0%, Lm25: 1.67%, Lm14: 1.88%, Lm24: 2.14%. Conversely, slight variation was reported in terms of inhibition diameters: 9.58± 0.40, 9.83± 0.46, and 10.16± 0.24 8.5 ± 0.40 10 mm for, Lm21, Lm23, Lm25, Lm14and Lm24, indicating that the observed potential showed a heterogeneous distribution (BMS = 0.383, WMS = 0.117). The repeatability coefficient calculated displayed 7.35%. As for the bacteriocins semiquantification, the five samples exhibited production amounts about 4.16 for Lm21, Lm23, Lm25 and 2.08 AU/ml for Lm14, Lm24. Concerning the sensitivity the crude bacteriocins were fully insensitive to heat inactivation, until 121°C, they preserved the same inhibition diameter. As to, kinetic of growth , the µmax showed reductions in pathogens load for Lm21, Lm23, Lm25, Lm14, Lm24 of about 42.92%, 84.12%, 88.55%, 54.95%, 29.97% in the second trails. Inversely, this pathogen growth after five hours displayed differences of 79.45%, 12.64%, 11.82%, 87.88%, 85.66% in the second trails, compared to the control. This study showed potential inhibition to the growth of this food pathogen, suggesting the possibility to improve the hygienic food quality.

Keywords: exploratory test, lactic acid bacteria, crude bacteriocins, spoilage, pathogens

Procedia PDF Downloads 213
7382 Investigation of Processing Conditions on Rheological Features of Emulsion Gels and Oleogels Stabilized by Biopolymers

Authors: M. Sarraf, J. E. Moros, M. C. Sánchez

Abstract:

Oleogels are self-standing systems that are able to trap edible liquid oil into a tridimensional network and also help to use less fat by forming crystallization oleogelators. There are different ways to generate oleogelation and oil structuring, including direct dispersion, structured biphasic systems, oil sorption, and indirect method (emulsion-template). The selection of processing conditions as well as the composition of the oleogels is essential to obtain a stable oleogel with characteristics suitable for its purpose. In this sense, one of the ingredients widely used in food products to produce oleogels and emulsions is polysaccharides. Basil seed gum (BSG), with the scientific name Ocimum basilicum, is a new native polysaccharide with high viscosity and pseudoplastic behavior because of its high molecular weight in the food industry. Also, proteins can stabilize oil in water due to the presence of amino and carboxyl moieties that result in surface activity. Whey proteins are widely used in the food industry due to available, cheap ingredients, nutritional and functional characteristics such as emulsifier and a gelling agent, thickening, and water-binding capacity. In general, the interaction of protein and polysaccharides has a significant effect on the food structures and their stability, like the texture of dairy products, by controlling the interactions in macromolecular systems. Using edible oleogels as oil structuring helps for targeted delivery of a component trapped in a structural network. Therefore, the development of efficient oleogel is essential in the food industry. A complete understanding of the important points, such as the ratio oil phase, processing conditions, and concentrations of biopolymers that affect the formation and stability of the emulsion, can result in crucial information in the production of a suitable oleogel. In this research, the effects of oil concentration and pressure used in the manufacture of the emulsion prior to obtaining the oleogel have been evaluated through the analysis of droplet size and rheological properties of obtained emulsions and oleogels. The results show that the emulsion prepared in the high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) at higher pressure values has smaller droplet sizes and a higher uniformity in the size distribution curve. On the other hand, in relation to the rheological characteristics of the emulsions and oleogels obtained, the predominantly elastic character of the systems must be noted, as they present values of the storage modulus higher than those of losses, also showing an important plateau zone, typical of structured systems. In the same way, if steady-state viscous flow tests have been analyzed on both emulsions and oleogels, the result is that, once again, the pressure used in the homogenizer is an important factor for obtaining emulsions with adequate droplet size and the subsequent oleogel. Thus, various routes for trapping oil inside a biopolymer matrix with adjustable mechanical properties could be applied for the creation of the three-dimensional network in order to the oil absorption and creating oleogel.

Keywords: basil seed gum, particle size, viscoelastic properties, whey protein

Procedia PDF Downloads 66
7381 Speciation and Bioavailability of Heavy Metals in Greenhouse Soils

Authors: Bulent Topcuoglu

Abstract:

Repeated amendments of organic matter and intensive use of fertilizers, metal-enriched chemicals and biocides may cause soil and environmental pollution in greenhouses. Specially, the impact of heavy metal pollution of soils on food metal content and underground water quality has become a public concern. Due to potential toxicity of heavy metals to human life and environment, determining the chemical form of heavy metals in greenhouse soils is an important approach of chemical characterization and can provide useful information on its mobility and bioavailability. A sequential extraction procedure was used to estimate the availability of heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb and Cr) in greenhouse soils of Antalya Aksu. Zn was predominantly associated with Fe-Mn oxide fraction, major portion of Cd associated with carbonate and organic matter fraction, a major portion of (>65 %) Ni and Cr were largely associated with Fe-Mn oxide and residual fractions and Pb was largely associated with organic matter and Fe-Mn oxide fractions. Results of the present study suggest that the mobility and bioavailability of metals probably increase in the following order: Cr < Pb < Ni < Cd < Zn. Among the elements studied, Zn and Cd appeared to be the most readily soluble and potentially bioavailable metals and these metals may carry a potential risk for metal transfer in food chain and contamination to ground water.

Keywords: metal speciation, metal mobility, greenhouse soils, biosystems engineering

Procedia PDF Downloads 417
7380 Finite Element Modeling of Mass Transfer Phenomenon and Optimization of Process Parameters for Drying of Paddy in a Hybrid Solar Dryer

Authors: Aprajeeta Jha, Punyadarshini P. Tripathy

Abstract:

Drying technologies for various food processing operations shares an inevitable linkage with energy, cost and environmental sustainability. Hence, solar drying of food grains has become imperative choice to combat duo challenges of meeting high energy demand for drying and to address climate change scenario. But performance and reliability of solar dryers depend hugely on sunshine period, climatic conditions, therefore, offer a limited control over drying conditions and have lower efficiencies. Solar drying technology, supported by Photovoltaic (PV) power plant and hybrid type solar air collector can potentially overpower the disadvantages of solar dryers. For development of such robust hybrid dryers; to ensure quality and shelf-life of paddy grains the optimization of process parameter becomes extremely critical. Investigation of the moisture distribution profile within the grains becomes necessary in order to avoid over drying or under drying of food grains in hybrid solar dryer. Computational simulations based on finite element modeling can serve as potential tool in providing a better insight of moisture migration during drying process. Hence, present work aims at optimizing the process parameters and to develop a 3-dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) for predicting moisture profile in paddy during solar drying. COMSOL Multiphysics was employed to develop a 3D finite element model for predicting moisture profile. Furthermore, optimization of process parameters (power level, air velocity and moisture content) was done using response surface methodology in design expert software. 3D finite element model (FEM) for predicting moisture migration in single kernel for every time step has been developed and validated with experimental data. The mean absolute error (MAE), mean relative error (MRE) and standard error (SE) were found to be 0.003, 0.0531 and 0.0007, respectively, indicating close agreement of model with experimental results. Furthermore, optimized process parameters for drying paddy were found to be 700 W, 2.75 m/s at 13% (wb) with optimum temperature, milling yield and drying time of 42˚C, 62%, 86 min respectively, having desirability of 0.905. Above optimized conditions can be successfully used to dry paddy in PV integrated solar dryer in order to attain maximum uniformity, quality and yield of product. PV-integrated hybrid solar dryers can be employed as potential and cutting edge drying technology alternative for sustainable energy and food security.

Keywords: finite element modeling, moisture migration, paddy grain, process optimization, PV integrated hybrid solar dryer

Procedia PDF Downloads 150
7379 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Composition and Generation in Nablus City, Palestine

Authors: Issam A. Al-Khatib

Abstract:

In order to achieve a significant reduction of waste amount flowing into landfills, it is important to first understand the composition of the solid municipal waste generated. Hence a detailed analysis of municipal solid waste composition has been conducted in Nablus city. The aim is to provide data on the potential recyclable fractions in the actual waste stream, with a focus on the plastic fraction. Hence, waste-sorting campaigns were conducted on mixed waste containers from five districts in Nablus city. The districts vary in terms of infrastructure and average income. The target is to obtain representative data about the potential quantity and quality of household plastic waste. The study has measured the composition of municipal solid waste collected/ transported by Nablus municipality. The analysis was done by categorizing the samples into eight primary fractions (organic and food waste, paper and cardboard, glass, metals, textiles, plastic, a fine fraction (<10 mm), and others). The study results reveal that the MSW stream in Nablus city has a significant bio- and organic waste fraction (about 68% of the total MSW). The second largest fraction is paper and cardboard (13.6%), followed by plastics (10.1%), textiles (3.2%), glass (1.9%), metals (1.8%), a fine fraction (0.5%), and other waste (0.3%). After this complete and detailed characterization of MSW collected in Nablus and taking into account the content of biodegradable organic matter, the composting could be a solution for the city of Nablus where the surrounding areas of Nablus city have agricultural activities and could be a natural outlet to the compost product. Different waste management options could be practiced in the future in addition to composting, such as energy recovery and recycling, which result in a greater possibility of reducing substantial amounts that are disposed of at landfills.

Keywords: developing countries, composition, management, recyclable, waste.

Procedia PDF Downloads 90
7378 Preparation and Properties of Gelatin-Bamboo Fibres Foams for Packaging Applications

Authors: Luo Guidong, Song Hang, Jim Song, Virginia Martin Torrejon

Abstract:

Due to their excellent properties, polymer packaging foams have become increasingly essential in our current lifestyles. They are cost-effective and lightweight, with excellent mechanical and thermal insulation properties. However, they constitute a major environmental and health concern due to litter generation, ocean pollution, and microplastic contamination of the food chain. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to develop more sustainable alternatives to conventional polymer packaging foams. As a result, biobased and compostable foams are increasingly becoming commercially available, such as starch-based loose-fill or PLA trays. However, there is still a need for bulk manufacturing of bio-foams planks for packaging applications as a viable alternative to their fossil fuel counterparts (i.e., polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyurethane). Gelatin is a promising biopolymer for packaging applications due to its biodegradability, availability, and biocompatibility, but its mechanical properties are poor compared to conventional plastics. However, as widely reported for other biopolymers, such as starch, the mechanical properties of gelatin-based bioplastics can be enhanced by formulation optimization, such as the incorporation of fibres from different crops, such as bamboo. This research aimed to produce gelatin-bamboo fibre foams by mechanical foaming and to study the effect of fibre content on the foams' properties and structure. As a result, foams with virtually no shrinkage, low density (<40 kg/m³), low thermal conductivity (<0.044 W/m•K), and mechanical properties comparable to conventional plastics were produced. Further work should focus on developing formulations suitable for the packaging of water-sensitive products and processing optimization, especially the reduction of the drying time.

Keywords: biobased and compostable foam, sustainable packaging, natural polymer hydrogel, cold chain packaging

Procedia PDF Downloads 105
7377 Production of Medicinal Bio-active Amino Acid Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid In Dairy Sludge Medium

Authors: Farideh Tabatabaee Yazdi, Fereshteh Falah, Alireza Vasiee

Abstract:

Introduction: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid that is widely present in organisms. GABA is a kind of pharmacological and biological component and its application is wide and useful. Several important physiological functions of GABA have been characterized, such as neurotransmission and induction of hypotension. GABA is also a strong secretagogue of insulin from the pancreas and effectively inhibits small airway-derived lung adenocarcinoma and tranquilizer. Many microorganisms can produce GABA, and lactic acid bacteria have been a focus of research in recent years because lactic acid bacteria possess special physiological activities and are generally regarded as safe. Among them, the Lb. Brevis produced the highest amount of GABA. The major factors affecting GABA production have been characterized, including carbon sources and glutamate concentration. The use of food industry waste to produce valuable products such as amino acids seems to be a good way to reduce production costs and prevent the waste of food resources. In a dairy factory, a high volume of sludge is produced from a separator that contains useful compounds such as growth factors, carbon, nitrogen, and organic matter that can be used by different microorganisms such as Lb.brevis as carbon and nitrogen sources. Therefore, it is a good source of GABA production. GABA is primarily formed by the irreversible α-decarboxylation reaction of L-glutamic acid or its salts, catalysed by the GAD enzyme. In the present study, this aim was achieved for the fast-growing of Lb.brevis and producing GABA, using the dairy industry sludge as a suitable growth medium. Lactobacillus Brevis strains obtained from Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC) were used as model strains. In order to prepare dairy sludge as a medium, sterilization should be done at 121 ° C for 15 minutes. Lb. Brevis was inoculated to the sludge media at pH=6 and incubated for 120 hours at 30 ° C. After fermentation, the supernatant solution is centrifuged and then, the GABA produced was analyzed by the Thin Layer chromatography (TLC) method qualitatively and by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method quantitatively. By increasing the percentage of dairy sludge in the culture medium, the amount of GABA increased. Also, evaluated the growth of bacteria in this medium showed the positive effect of dairy sludge on the growth of Lb.brevis, which resulted in the production of more GABA. GABA-producing LAB offers the opportunity of developing naturally fermented health-oriented products. Although some GABA-producing LAB has been isolated to find strains suitable for different fermentations, further screening of various GABA-producing strains from LAB, especially high-yielding strains, is necessary. The production of lactic acid, bacterial gamma-aminobutyric acid, is safe and eco-friendly. The use of dairy industry waste causes enhanced environmental safety. Also provides the possibility of producing valuable compounds such as GABA. In general, dairy sludge is a suitable medium for the growth of Lactic Acid Bacteria and produce this amino acid that can reduce the final cost of it by providing carbon and nitrogen source.

Keywords: GABA, Lactobacillus, HPLC, dairy sludge

Procedia PDF Downloads 144
7376 Development of Cost-Effective Protocol for Preparation of Dehydrated Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) Using Freeze Drying

Authors: Sadhana Sharma, P. K. Nema, Siddhartha Singha

Abstract:

Paneer or Indian cottage cheese is an acid and heat coagulated milk product, highly perishable because of high moisture (58-60 %). Typically paneer is marble to light creamy white in appearance. A good paneer should have cohesive body with slight sponginess or springiness. The texture must be smooth and velvety with close-knit compactness. It should have pleasing mild acidic, slightly sweet and nutty flavour. Consumers today demand simple to prepare, convenient, healthy and natural foods. Dehydrated paneer finds numerous ways to be used. It can be used in curry preparation similar to paneer-in-curry, a delicacy in Indian cuisine. It may be added to granola/ trail mix yielding a high energy snack. If grounded to a powder, it may be used as a cheesy spice mix or used as popcorn seasoning. Dried paneer powder may be added to pizza dough or to a white sauce to turn it into a paneer sauce. Drying of such food hydrogels by conventional methods is associated with several undesirable characteristics including case hardening, longer drying time, poor rehydration ability and fat loss during drying. The present study focuses on developing cost-effective protocol for freeze-drying of paneer. The dehydrated product would be shelf-stable and can be rehydrated to its original state having flavor and texture comparable to the fresh form. Moreover, the final product after rehydration would be more fresh and softer than its frozen counterparts. The developed product would be shelf-stable at room temperature without any addition of preservatives.

Keywords: color, freeze-drying, paneer, texture

Procedia PDF Downloads 160
7375 The Role of Hypothalamus Mediators in Energy Imbalance

Authors: Maftunakhon Latipova, Feruza Khaydarova

Abstract:

Obesity is considered a chronic metabolic disease that occurs at any age. Regulation of body weight in the body is carried out through complex interaction of a complex of interrelated systems that control the body's energy system. Energy imbalance is the cause of obesity and overweight, in which the supply of energy from food exceeds the energy needs of the body. Obesity is closely related to impaired appetite regulation, and a hypothalamus is a key place for neural regulation of food consumption. The nucleus of the hypothalamus is connected and interdependent on receiving, integrating and sending hunger signals to regulate appetite. Purpose of the study: to identify markers of food behavior. Materials and methods: The screening was carried out to identify eating disorders in 200 men and women aged 18 to 35 years with overweight and obesity and to check the effects of Orexin A and Neuropeptide Y markers. A questionnaire and questionnaires were conducted with over 200 people aged 18 to 35 years. Questionnaires were for eating disorders and hidden depression (on the Zang scale). Anthropometry is measured by OT, OB, BMI, Weight, and Height. Based on the results of the collected data, 3 groups were divided: People with obesity, People with overweight, Control Group of Healthy People. Results: Of the 200 analysed persons, 86% had eating disorders. Of these, 60% of eating disorders were associated with childhood. According to the Zang test result: Normal condition was about 37%, mild depressive disorder 20%, moderate depressive disorder 25% and 18% of people suffered from severe depressive disorder without knowing it. One group of people with obesity had eating disorders and moderate and severe depressive disorder, and group 2 was overweight with mild depressive disorder. According to laboratory data, the first group had the lowest concentration of Orexin A and Neuropeptide U in blood serum. Conclusions: Being overweight and obese are the first signal of many diseases, and prevention and detection of these disorders will prevent various diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Obesity etiology is associated with eating disorders and signal transmission of the orexinorghetic system of the hypothalamus.

Keywords: obesity, endocrinology, hypothalamus, overweight

Procedia PDF Downloads 76
7374 A 10 Year Review of the Complications of Ingested and Aspirated Dentures

Authors: Rory Brown, Jessica Daniels, Babatunde Oremule, William Tsang, Sadie Khwaja

Abstract:

Introduction: Dentures are common and are an intervention for both physical and psychological symptoms associated with tooth loss. However, the humble denture can cause morbidity and mortality if swallowed or aspirated. Numerous case reports document complications including hollow viscus perforation, fistula formation and airway compromise. The purpose of this review was to examine the literature documenting cases of swallowed or aspirated dentures over the past ten years to investigate factors that contribute to developing complications. Methods: A Medline literature search was performed to identify cases of denture ingestion or aspiration for over ten years. Data was collected to include patient, appliance and temporal factors that may contribute to developing complications including hollow viscus perforation, fistula formation, abscess, bowel obstruction, necrosis, hemorrhage and airway obstruction. The data was analyzed using observational and inferential statistics in the form of Chi-Squared and Pearson correlation tests. Results: Eighty-five cases of ingested or aspirated dentures were identified from 77 articles published between 1/10/2009 and 31/10/2019. Fourteen articles were excluded because they did not provide sufficient information on individual cases. Complications were documented in 37.6% of patients, and 2 cases resulted in death. There was no significant difference in complication risk based on patient age, hooked appliance, level of impaction, or radiolucency. However, symptoms of greater than 1-day duration are associated with an increased risk of complication (p=0.005). Increased time from ingestion or aspiration to removal is associated with an increased risk of complications, and the p-value remains significant up to and including day 4 (p=0.017). Conclusions: With denture use predicted to rise complications from the denture, ingestion and aspiration may become more frequent. We have demonstrated that increased symptom duration significantly increases the risk of developing complications. Additionally, we established the risk of developing complications is significantly reduced if the denture is removed with four days of aspiration or ingestion. By actively intervening early when presented with a case of swallowed or aspirated dentures, we may be able to reduce the morbidity associated with this unassuming device.

Keywords: aspiration, denture, ingestion, endoscopic foreign, body removal, foreign body impaction

Procedia PDF Downloads 138
7373 Inhibitory Effect of Helichrysum arenarium Essential Oil on the Growth of Food Contaminated Microorganisms

Authors: Ali Mohamadi Sani

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial effect of Helichrysum arenarium L. essential oil in "in-vitro" condition on the growth of seven microbial species including Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Saccharomyces cereviciae, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus using microdilution method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC, MFC) were determined for the essential oil at ten concentrations. Finally, the sensitivity of tested microbes to the essential oil of H. arenarium was investigated. Results showed that Bacillus subtilis (MIC=781.25 and MBC=6250 µg/ml) was more resistance than two other bacterial species. Among the tested yeasts, Saccharomyces cereviciae (MIC=97.65 and MFC=781.25 µg/ml) was more sensitive than Candida albicans, while among the fungal species, growth of Aspergillus parasiticus inhibited at lower concentration of oil than the Aspergillus flavus. The extracted essential oil exhibited the same MIC value in the liquid medium against all fungal strains (48.82 µg/ml), while different activity against A. flavus and A. parasiticus was observed in this medium with MFC values of 6250 and 390.625µg/ml, respectively. The results of the present study indicated that Helichrysum arenarium L essential oil had significant (P<0.05) antimicrobial activity; therefore, it can be used as a natural preservation to increase the shelf life of food products.

Keywords: Helichrysum arenarium, antimicrobial, essential oil, MIC

Procedia PDF Downloads 347
7372 Encapsulation of Satureja khuzestanica Essential Oil in Chitosan Nanoparticles with Enhanced Antifungal Activity

Authors: Amir Amiri, Naghmeh Morakabati

Abstract:

During the recent years the six-fold growth of cancer in Iran has led the production of healthy products to become a challenge in the food industry. Due to the young population in the country, the consumption of fast foods is growing. The chemical cancer-causing preservatives are used to produce these products more than the standard; so using an appropriate alternative seems to be important. On the one hand, the plant essential oils show the high antimicrobial potential against pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and on the other hand they are highly volatile and decomposed under the processing conditions. The study aims to produce the loaded chitosan nanoparticles with different concentrations of savory essential oil to improve the anti-microbial property and increase the resistance of essential oil to oxygen and heat. The encapsulation efficiency was obtained in the range of 32.07% to 39.93% and the particle size distribution of the samples was observed in the range of 159 to 210 nm. The range of Zeta potential was obtained between -11.9 to -23.1 mV. The essential oil loaded in chitosan showed stronger antifungal activity against Rhizopus stolonifer. The results showed that the antioxidant property is directly related to the concentration of loaded essential oil so that the antioxidant property increases by increasing the concentration of essential oil. In general, it seems that the savory essential oil loaded in chitosan particles can be used as a food processor.

Keywords: chitosan, encapsulation, essential oil, nanogel

Procedia PDF Downloads 274
7371 Investigating the Application of Social Sustainability: A Case Study in the Egyptian Retailing Sector

Authors: Lobna Hafez, Eman Elakkad

Abstract:

Sustainability is no longer a choice for firms. To achieve sustainable supply chain, all three dimensions of sustainability should be considered. Unlike the economic and environmental aspects, social sustainability has been rarely given attention. The problem surrounding social sustainability and employees’ welfare in Egypt is complex and remains unsolved. The aim of this study is to qualitatively assess the current level of application of social sustainability in the retailing sector in Egypt through using the social sustainability indicators identified in the literature. The purpose of this investigation is to gain knowledge about the complexity of the system involved. A case study is conducted on one of the largest retailers in Egypt. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with managers and employees to determine the level of application and identify the major obstacles affecting the social sustainability in the retailing context. The work developed gives insights about the details and complexities of the application of social sustainability in developing countries, from the retailing perspective. The outcomes of this study will help managers to understand the enablers of social sustainability and will direct them to methods of sound implementation.

Keywords: developing countries, Egyptian retailing sector, sustainability, social sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 140
7370 Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of Fish Protein Isolate/Fish Skin Gelatin Film Containing Basil Leaf Essential Oil and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Authors: Yasir Ali Arfat

Abstract:

Composite films based on fish protein isolate (FPI) and fish skin gelatin (FSG) blend incorporated with 50 and 100% (w/w, protein) basil leaf essential oil (BEO) in the absence and presence of 3% (w/w, protein) ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONP) were prepared and characterised. Tensile strength (TS) decreased, whilst elongation at break (EAB) increased as BEO level increased (p < 0.05). However, ZnONP addition resulted in higher TS but lower EAB (p < 0.05). The lowest water vapour permeability (WVP) was observed for the film incorporated with 100% BEO and 3% ZnONP (p < 0.05). BEO and ZnONP incorporation decreased transparency of FPI/FSG films (p < 0.05). FTIR spectra indicated that films added with BEO exhibited higher hydrophobicity. Both BEO and ZnONP had a marked impact on thermal stability of the films. Microstructural study revealed that presence of ZnONP prevented bilayer formation of film containing 100% BEO. FPI/FSG films incorporated with 100% BEO, especially in combination with ZnONP, exhibited strong antibacterial activity against food pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and thus could be used as an active food packaging material to ensure safety and to extend the shelf-life of packaged foods.

Keywords: bionanocomposite, fish protein isolate, fish skin gelatin, basil essential oil, ZnO nanoparticles, antimicrobial packaging

Procedia PDF Downloads 471
7369 Development of Closed System for Bacterial CO2 Mitigation

Authors: Somesh Misha, Smita Raghuvanshi, Suresh Gupta

Abstract:

Increasing concentration of green house gases (GHG's), such as CO2 is of major concern and start showing its impact nowadays. The recent studies are focused on developing the continuous system using photoautotrophs for CO2 mitigation and simultaneous production of primary and secondary metabolites as a value addition. The advent of carbon concentrating mechanism had blurred the distinction between autotrophs and heterotrophs and now the paradigm has shifted towards the carbon capture and utilization (CCU) rather than carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). In the present work, a bioreactor was developed utilizing the chemolithotrophic bacterial species using CO2 mitigation and simultaneous value addition. The kinetic modeling was done and the biokinetic parameters are obtained for developing the bioreactor. The bioreactor was developed and studied for its operation and performance in terms of volumetric loading rate, mass loading rate, elimination capacity and removal efficiency. The characterization of effluent from the bioreactor was carried out for the products obtained using the analyzing techniques such as FTIR, GC-MS, and NMR. The developed bioreactor promised an economic, efficient and effective solution for CO2 mitigation and simultaneous value addition.

Keywords: CO2 mitigation, bio-reactor, chemolithotrophic bacterial species, FTIR, GC-MS, NMR

Procedia PDF Downloads 471
7368 Furnishing Ancillary Alternatives for High Speed Corridors and Pedestrian Crossing: Elevated Cycle Track, an Expedient to Urban Space Prototype in New Delhi

Authors: Suneet Jagdev, Hrishabh Amrodia, Siddharth Menon, Abhishek Singh, Mansi Shivhare

Abstract:

Delhi, the National Capital, has undergone a surge in development rate, consequently engendering an unprecedented increase in population. Over the years the city has transformed into a car-centric infrastructure with high-speed corridors, flyovers and fast lanes. A considerable section of the population is hankering to rehabilitate to the good old cycling days, in order to contribute towards a green environment as well as to maintain their physical well-being. Furthermore, an extant section of Delhi’s population relies on cycles as their primary means of commuting in the city. Delhi has the highest number of cyclists and second highest number of pedestrians in the country. However, the tumultuous problems of unregulated traffic, inadequate space on roads, adverse weather conditions stifle them to opt for cycling. Lately, the city has been facing a conglomeration of problems such as haphazard traffic movement, clogged roads, congestion, pollution, accidents, safety issues, etc. In 1957, Delhi’s cyclists accounted for 36 per cent of trips which dropped down to a mere 4 per cent in 2008. The declining rate is due to unsafe roads and lack of proper cycle lanes. Now as the 10 percent of the city has cycle tracks. There is also a lack of public recreational activities in the city. These conundrums incite the need of a covered elevated cycling bridge track to facilitate the safe and smooth cycle commutation in the city which would also serve the purpose of an alternate urban public space over the cycle bridge reducing the cost as well as the space requirement for the same, developing a user–friendly transportation and public interaction system for urban areas in the city. Based on the archival research methodologies, the following research draws information and extracts records from the data accounts of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. as well as the Centre for Science and Environment, India. This research will predominantly focus on developing a prototype design for high speed elevated bicycle lanes based on different road typologies, which can be replicated with minor variations in similar situations, all across the major cities of our country including the proposed smart cities. Furthermore, how these cycling lanes could be utilized for the place making process accommodating cycle parking and renting spaces, public recreational spaces, food courts as well as convenient shopping facilities with appropriate optimization. How to preserve and increase the share of smooth and safe cycling commute cycling for the routine transportation of the urban community of the polluted capital which has been on a steady decline over the past few decades.

Keywords: bicycle track, prototype, road safety, urban spaces

Procedia PDF Downloads 160
7367 Estimating Visitor’s Willingness to Pay for the Conservation Fund: Sustainable Financing Approach in Protected Areas in Ethiopia

Authors: Sintayehu Aynalem Aseres, Raminder Kaur Sira

Abstract:

Increasingly, protected areas have been confronting with inadequate conservation funds that make it tough to antithesis the continuing of annihilation. The problem is even grave in developing countries, where Protected Areas (Pas) are mainly government-administered. Subsequently, it needs a strong effort to toughen the self-financing capability of PAs by ripening alternative sources of sustainable financing for realizing the conservation goals, in particular, to save the remaining natural planet. This study, therefore, designed to estimate visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the additional conservation fees using a contingent valuation method. The effect relationship between WTP and both socio-demographic and non-economic factors was scrutinized by binary logistic regression. The mean WTP of foreign visitors has estimated at US$ 7.4 and for that of domestic visitors at US$1, with annual aggregate revenue of US$29, 200. The WTP was strongly influenced by income, satisfaction, environmental concern and attitude. The study has policy implications for the conservationists and park authorities to estimate the non-use values of PAs for developing market-based conservation instruments.

Keywords: conservation, ecotourism, sustainable financing, willingness to pay, protected areas, bale mountains national park

Procedia PDF Downloads 162
7366 Inhibition of 3-Deoxy-D-Arabino-Heptulosonate 7-Phosphate Synthase from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Using High Throughput Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Studies

Authors: Christy Rosaline, Rathankar Roa, Waheeta Hopper

Abstract:

Persistence of tuberculosis, emergence of multidrug-resistance and extensively drug-resistant forms of the disease, has increased the interest in developing new antitubercular drugs. Developing inhibitors for 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtbDAH7Ps), an enzyme involved in shikimate pathway, gives a selective target for antitubercular agents. MtbDAH7Ps was screened against ZINC database, and shortlisted compounds were subjected to induce fit docking. Prime/Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area calculation was used to validate the binding energy of ligand-protein complex. Molecular Dynamics analysis for of the lead compounds–MtbDAH7Ps complexes showed that the backbone of MtbDAH7Ps in their complexes were stable. These results suggest that the shortlisted lead compounds ZINC04097114, ZINC15163225, ZINC16857013, ZINC06275603, and ZINC05331260 could be developed into novel drug leads to inhibit DAH7Ps in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Keywords: MtbDAH7Ps, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, HTVS, molecular dynamics

Procedia PDF Downloads 179
7365 Impact of Dairy Polysaccharides on Caloric Intake and Postprandial Metabolic Responses in Young Adults

Authors: Muhammad Umair Arshad, Saima Ishtiaq, Ali Imran

Abstract:

Different polysaccharides contribute towards the management of glycemic and satiety and consequently manage the metabolic syndrome. In the present study, we compared the postprandial glycemic and satiety responses of different dietary polysaccharides when added to milk (2% Milk Fat). The objective of this study was to evaluate different polysaccharides against postprandial glucose, appetite responses, and food intake at subsequent meals. In a repeated measures crossover design, 30 females (18–30 years) consumed 250 ml milk with 2% M.F. (control), or milk with carrageenan (2.5 g), guar gum (2.5 g) and alginate (2.5 g), followed by an ad libitum pizza meal after 120 min. Alginate and guar gum addition resulted in lower caloric intake at subsequent pizza meal. The post-treatment (0–120 min) glucose and average appetite were suppressed by alginate and guar gum (p < 0.0001), with a more pronounced effect of guar gum. However, alginate resulted in lower blood glucose (p < 0.0001) compared with control and carrageenan during post-treatment. Alginate and guar gum, added milk, and other beverages would be beneficial in the short-term regulation of postprandial glycemia and satiety.

Keywords: satiety, glycemic control, milk polysaccharides, food intake

Procedia PDF Downloads 69