A forensic international market survey of condom lubricants and personal hygiene products using ATR-FTIR coupled to chemometrics

Personal hygiene products are used on a daily basis by many people. Many are comparable to the Trojan horse. On the outside, they appear to be harmless. They are contained in attractive bottles and they rely on misleading ads to attract consumers. However, these products may contain potentially harmful chemicals and many people are unaware of how individuals, societies and environments are affected in the various stages of the life cycle of many personal hygiene products. Our STSE issue deals with an everyday product that falls under the Trojan horse analogy–lotion. We are concerned that our peers and other young adults are purchasing lotions without the knowledge of how they came to stand on the shelves of a store. We conducted a correlation study between gender and popular lotion brands among teenagers and the reasons behind their choices. We came to the conclusion that more females than males were interested in popular lotion brands due to enticing features that targets mainly feminine interests (e.g. scent is an aspect of lotion that more females than males consider when purchasing the brand). For our actions, we prepared an educational mind-map on our issue and a video compilation where we interviewed female students on their reactions to various lotion brand commercials. Our actions are meant to inform the public about the controversies surrounding our issue and the techniques companies use to gain the attention of potential consumers.

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Determinants of Brazilian Exports by Levels of Technological Intensity: A Gravity Model Analysis Using the PPML Estimator

Journal of Business and Economics ◽

10.15341/jbe(2155-7950)/09.10.2019/007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 861-879

Author(s):

Edson Roberto Vieira ◽

◽

Daniel Henrique Alves Reis ◽

Keyword(s):

International Market ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Gravity Models ◽

Transport Costs ◽

Consumer Market ◽

Technology Products ◽

The Us ◽

Trading Partners ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Technological Intensity

The objective of this study is to analyze the determinants of Brazilian exports by levels of technological intensity in the period 2000-2015. Gravity models were estimated for total of the exports and for each type of exports by levels of technological intensity, using the PPML-estimator. The study indicates that there is a process of concentration of Brazilian exports in low technology and medium-low technology products, at the same period in which China's share of total Brazilian shipments abroad grew. Estimates of empirical gravity models have shown that the income and size of the consumer market of Brazil’s trading partners seem to have the greatest positive influence on the Brazilian exports. Indications of this study are that the Brazil should continue to diversify its trading partners to minimize the impacts of a possible reduction of the economic growth of large trading partners (such as China and the US) on its exports and increase its exports of products with greater technological intensity. The results also highlight the need for Brazil to make greater efforts to increase its competitiveness in the international market to reduce the negative impacts of transport costs on the final prices of products exported by the country.

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Good Personal Hygiene: A Fight against the Spread of Infectious Diseases

MOJ Public Health ◽

10.15406/mojph.2015.02.00019 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Ofure Odigwe

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Personal Hygiene

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An Estimation of Endogenous Formaldehyde Exposure due to Consumption of Indonesian Opah Fish (Lampris guttatus) in Three Major Export Destination Countries

SQUALEN Bulletin of Marine and Fisheries Postharvest and Biotechnology ◽

10.15578/squalen.v14i1.369 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Umi Anissah ◽

Ajeng Kurniasari Putri ◽

Giri Rohmad Barokah

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Health Risks ◽

Health Problem ◽

International Market ◽

Formaldehyde Content ◽

Export Volume ◽

Formaldehyde Exposure ◽

Export Destination ◽

Export Product ◽

Over Time

The demand for Indonesian opah fish as an export product is increasing in the international market. Three countries (Malaysia, Mauritius, and Taiwan) recorded as the leading export destination of Indonesian opah fish. However, as the fish kept in a frozen state during export transportation, the endogenous formaldehyde may increase over time. This research presented the health risk assessment of population in the leading export destination countries that consumed opah fish from Indonesia. The study aimed to reveal the most potential export destination country that may accept an increasing volume of opah fish supply from Indonesia. The potency was determined from current export volume, the amount of endogenous formaldehyde content, and fish consumption at each country. The data were calculated with @Risk®7.0 software. The results showed opah fish consumed by Malaysian can be categorized as safe. Increasing the number of opah fish imported by Malaysian as much as six times, 12 times, 18 times, 27 and 36 times relatively does not cause health risks related to the presence of its endogenous formaldehyde. Moreover, opah fish consumed by Taiwanese is also safe, but with increasing the number of consumptions by more than 26 times is suspected to be potentially causing a health problem. However, opah fish consumed in Mauritius was categorized as unsafe and potentially caused health risks. Based on these results, Indonesia may consider to increase the opah fish export to Malaysia and Taiwan in the future.

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