scholarly journals Vermicomposting—Facts, Benefits and Knowledge Gaps

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1952
Author(s):  
Ana Vuković ◽  
Mirna Velki ◽  
Sandra Ečimović ◽  
Rosemary Vuković ◽  
Ivna Štolfa Čamagajevac ◽  
...  

Industrialization and urbanization have led to an increased accumulation of waste materials that are transformed into a nutrient-rich and high-quality product called vermicompost by the vermicomposting process. Vermicomposting is an ecofriendly and economically favorable biotechnological process that involves the interaction of earthworms and microorganisms. Due to the importance of this process and its great potential in dealing with the consequences of waste accumulation, this review aims to provide key insights as well as highlight knowledge gaps. It is emphasized that there is a great challenge in understanding and clarifying the mechanisms involved in the vermicomposting process. The optimization of the factors affecting the possible application of vermicompost is crucial for obtaining the final product. Information on the composition of bacterial communities, amount of vermicompost, effect on heavy metal content, plant pathogens, diseases and organic waste selection is here recognized as currently the most important issues to be addressed. By answering these knowledge gaps, it is possible to enable wider utilization of vermicompost products.

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (10) ◽  
pp. 1959-1974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenlong Zhu ◽  
Ruzhen Yan ◽  
Zhihui Ding

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of product information on impulse purchases in a cross-border electronic commerce (CBEC) setting from the perspective of cue stimulation.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes a research model of impulse purchases in CBEC based on the cue utilization theory and Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model. The research model was tested using covariance-based structural equation modelling. Data were collected from the consumers of a popular CBEC platform in China.FindingsA high-quality product description has a significant positive effect on concentration but not on curiosity and autotelic experience. A high-quality product display has a significant positive effect on concentration, curiosity and autotelic experience. High-quality product content has a significant positive effect on curiosity and autotelic experience but not on concentration. Curiosity and autotelic experience both have a significant positive effect on impulse purchases; however, concentration has no such effect on an impulse purchase. Curiosity and autotelic experience have a full mediation effect between product display and impulse purchases and between product content and impulse purchases, respectively.Originality/valueThis study integrates the S-O-R model and cue utilization theory to construct a theoretical model of product information-flow experience-impulse purchases. According to the model, we can understand how product information influences consumers' impulse purchases in CBEC.


2005 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Verrier ◽  
M. Tixier-Boichard ◽  
R. Bernigaud ◽  
M. Naves

SummaryTwo cases of livestock production involving French local breeds are analysed. The first shows how a high quality product under AOC (Protected Designation of Origin — PDO) has been defined for the Bresse chicken breed, formely kept by fancy breeders. The second shows the role of the local cattle breeds Abondance and Tarentaise in both the use of mountain areas and the development of PDO products. How to consider such values in a public policy dealing with farm animal genetic resources is discussed.


Author(s):  
Kai Shi ◽  
Huayi Zheng ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Gang Bao

This article described a novel pneumatic soft joint used to make articulated soft fingers. This soft joint was designed by improving the basic structure of the fast pneumatic network. The joint was made of high modulus E630 silicon, which can increase the reverse exhaust speed through its high structural elasticity. Aramid fabric was used to restrain the non-working direction of joints to reduce ineffective expansion, thereby reducing air consumption. The kinematics and statics model of the joint was established by the piecewise constant curvature (PCC) method, and the model was proved to be effective. The silicone staging pouring process was used in the manufacture of joints and fingers, which can achieve high-quality product rates. A soft finger actuator composed of three soft joints was designed and manufactured, whose length was 1.3 times the human finger. The finger can nimbly achieve the target motion, and the gripping force of the fingertip can reach 7.1N. The articulated soft finger actuator has applications in soft dextrous hands and soft gripper.


2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 511-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marília Oetterer ◽  
Sérgio Daniel Perujo ◽  
Cláudio Rosa Gallo ◽  
Lia Ferraz de Arruda ◽  
Ricardo Borghesi ◽  
...  

Anchovies are traditional fish preserves, prepared from fermented fish of the engraulidae family, mainly in European countries. In Brazil, sardines (Sardinella brasiliensis) are an alternative fish for preparing these types of preserves, provided that the preservation process results in a high quality product. In this research, sardines were prepared for preservation and physicochemical, microbiological and sensory analyses were carried out during the preservation process. Whole or eviscerated sardines, with or without condiments/preservatives and with 20% of salt (w/w) were used. Sardines were analyzed fresh, and at 1, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days along the preservation process. The use of whole sardines, with or without condiments/preservatives, presented best results, with increased non-proteic nitrogen in the dry matter, higher levels of total volatile bases and higher contents of lactic acid and sodium chloride. The higher acidity observed in the whole sardine treatments resulted in better control of halophylic mesophilic microorganisms, which were kept under 1.4 x 10³ CFU g-1 in both treatments. Total coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus reached 21 and 3.0 x 10² CFU g-1, respectively. Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp were not present in the fresh sardines or in any of the four treatments, indicating that the concentration of salt used was appropriate to maintain the product under adequate microbiological control. Both whole or eviscerated sardines under the conditions of this experiment were appropriate in terms of the microbiological safety of the preserves. Treatments using whole fish, either with or without condiments/preservatives, also presented better sensorial properties such as color, flavor, taste and texture, as compared to the eviscerated fish treatments. Whole sardines produced good quality, anchovy-type preserves, which can be used for consumption and marketing purposes.


1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 493-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Lay ◽  
Y. Y. Li ◽  
T. Noike ◽  
J. Endo ◽  
S. Ishimoto

A simple model developed from the Gompertz equation was used to describe the cumulative methane production curve in the batch culture. By using this model, three key parameters, namely methane production rate, potential and lagphase time, in a cumulative methane production curve were exactly estimated based on the experimental data. The results indicate that each gram of dry organic waste of a sludge cake, meat, carrot, rice, potato and cabbage had a methane production potential of 450, 424, 269, 214, 203 and 96 mL, respectively. The methanogenic activity of these digesters decreased with a decrease in the moisture content. The moisture content threshold limit, at which the methanogenic activity dropped to zero, was found to be 56.6% for the sludge cake, but greater than 80% for meat, carrot and cabbage. In the high-solids sludge digestion, the relative methanogenic activity dropped from 100% to 53% when the moisture content decreased from 96% to 90%. The rate of methane production at moisture contents of 90% to 96% functioned in a pH range between 6.6 and 7.8, but optimally at pH 6.8, and the process may fail if the pH was lower than 6.1 or higher than 8.3. On the other hand, the methanogenic activity was dependent on the level of ammonium, NH4+, but not free ammonia, NH3, indicating that the NH4+ was the more significant factor rather than the NH3 in affecting the methanogenic activity of a well-acclimatized bacterial system. In the wide pH range of 6.5 to 8.5, the methanogenic activity decreased with the increase in the NH4+; dropped 10% at the NH4+-N concentration of 1670-3720 mg·L−1, 50% at 4090-5550 mg·L−1 and dropped to zero at 5880-6600 mg·L−1. However, the lagphase time was dependent on the NH3 level, but not on NH4+, and when NH3-N was higher than 500 mg·L−1, a notable shock was observed. This suggests that the NH3 level was the more sensitive factor than the NH4+ level for an unacclimatized bacterial system.


Author(s):  
D Zielke ◽  
R Liebe

Abstract The presence of stems in cut tobacco is detrimental to cigarette quality, resulting in problems during production particularly on today's high-speed makers. Incomplete threshing and the use of unthreshed semi-Oriental tobaccos can increase the stem content in the cut tobacco considerably. The percentage of stems present in cut tobacco was investigated by HauniMaschinenbau AG specifically for semi-Oriental tobacco. Their findings show that not all stems present in the strips or lamina after cutting are classified as “objectionable”. However, the percentage of objectionable stems in the cut tobacco is not inconsiderable and depends on the thickness of the stems present. Reducing the objectionable stem contingent in cut tobacco is therefore a crucial concern of many cigarette manufacturers who set great store on ensuring high-quality product. HauniMaschinenbau AG offers a cut tobacco separator which has been specially designed for this purpose and also used as a cooler. A corresponding model is available in the HauniMaschinenbau AG pilot plant in Hamburg for tests using the customers’ own tobacco.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 50-55
Author(s):  
S.V. Borisova ◽  
◽  
N.U. Mukhametchina ◽  
G.S. Sagdeeva ◽  
◽  
...  

The results of the study of the influence of various concentrations of the complex bakery improver «Unipan Total» on the properties of semi-finished products and quality indicators of bakery products are presented. Bakery products were produced using the unpaired method according to a unified recipe for Dniprovskaya buns. To obtain a high-quality product, prototypes were prepared from wheat bakery flour of the highest grade with the addition of the «Unipan Total» improver at a concentration of 0,5 to 8% to the flour weight, control ones without the improver. Organoleptic and physicochemical indicators of the quality of wheat bread samples were determined by conventional methods.


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