scholarly journals Design of a New Fermented Beverage from Medicinal Plants and Organic Sugarcane Molasses via Lactic Fermentation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 6089
Author(s):  
Hamza Gadhoumi ◽  
Maria Gullo ◽  
Luciana De Vero ◽  
Enriqueta Martinez-Rojas ◽  
Moufida Saidani Tounsi ◽  
...  

Functional beverages obtained using medicinal plants and fermented with lactic acid bacteria are gaining much interest from the scientific community, driven by the growing demand for food and beverages with beneficial properties. In this work, three different batches of medicinal plants and organic sugarcane molasses, named FB-lc, FB-sp and FB-lcsp, were prepared and fermented by using Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 43121, Bifidobacterium breve B632 and a mix of both strains’ culture, respectively. The three fermented beverages revealed a high level of polyphenols (expressed as gallic acid equivalent), ranging from 182.50 to 315.62 µg/mL. The highest content of flavonoids (152.13 µg quercetin equivalent/mL) and tannins (93.602 µg catechin equivalent/mL) was detected in FB-lcsp trial. The IR spectroscopy analysis showed a decrease in sugar (pyranose forms, D-glucopyranose and rhamnosides). In addition, the aromatic compounds of the fermented beverages, detected by GC-MS headspace analysis, showed twenty-four interesting volatile compounds, which could give positive aroma attributes to the flavor of the beverages. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the beverage obtained by the mix culture strains. Accordingly, the production of these beverages can be further investigated for considering their well-being effects on human health.

Author(s):  
Orshanska Marіana

The purpose of the article is to determine the nature, characteristics and keyproblems of the main types of economic and legal instruments for the realizationof foreign direct investment (FDI). the methodological basis of the study is asystematic approach to the processing and compilation of statistics and indicators,as well as methods for their comparison, analysis and synthesis and a method offorecasting decisions on the use of investment potential to increase the attractivenessand volume of FDI attraction. The scientific novelty of the research lies in theanalysis of greenfield and brownfield strategies as the main forms of FDIimplementation, the disclosure of the content and interpretation of data on thereal state of FDI attraction, the search for opportunities to improve the investmentclimate and effective mechanisms for attracting foreign investors. conclusions. Itis confirmed that the investment attractiveness and rating of the country in theinternational market are the main factors for attracting investors. Inaccessibleinfrastructure, inefficient judicial system, high level of corruption and imperfectlegislation are the main obstacles that need to be overcome in order to attractforeign investors’ funds, providing a full package of assistance and support ateach stage of the implementation of investment projects. Greenfield and brownfield(M&A) are the most effective forms of FDI in order to achieve high growth ratesof the domestic economy, improve the level of population well-being andinternationally enter Ukraine. An analysis of the statistics on the effectiveness ofinnovative enterprise development projects, the characteristics of economic andlegal instruments indicate the gradual improvement of the investment climate andthe promotion of FDI inflows into the region’s economy through the implementationof greenfield and brownfield strategies. Examples of effective implementation ofthese strategies in the creation of new enterprises, companies of foreignrepresentation, which are expanding their capacity and entering new domesticmarkets are given. Examples of the brownfield strategy have been analyzed torestart existing and high-quality structural and organizational changes in inefficiententerprises, which have given impetus to improving the economic environment,investment attractiveness of the economy of the region and the country as a whole.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-36
Author(s):  
Vera Todorova

The aim of the current study is to look for theoretically and empirically grounded proof for the correlation between aspirations – extrinsic and intrinsic- determining the motivation – and the psychological wellbeing of adolescents in 11th grade. Materialistic orientation is expressed in the preferences of extrinsic goals such as fame, wealth and image, while the intrinsic aspirations are related to preferences of aspirations for personal growth, personal relationships and community contribution. High level of psychological wellbeing is measured through the six elements from K. Ryff’s definition: self-acceptance, positive interaction with others, autonomy, managing of environment, meaning and personal growth. The research includes a group of 50 students in two Bulgarian high schools.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adem T. Can ◽  
Daniel F. Hermens ◽  
Megan Dutton ◽  
Cyrana C. Gallay ◽  
Emma Jensen ◽  
...  

AbstractRecently, low-dose ketamine has been proposed as a rapid-acting treatment option for suicidality. The majority of studies to date have utilised intravenous (IV) ketamine, however, this route of administration has limitations. On the other hand, oral ketamine can be administered in a range of settings, which is important in treating suicidality, although studies as to safety and feasibility are lacking. n = 32 adults (aged 22–72 years; 53% female) with chronic suicidal thoughts participated in the Oral Ketamine Trial on Suicidality (OKTOS), an open-label trial of sub-anaesthetic doses of oral ketamine over 6 weeks. Participants commenced with 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine, which was titrated to a maximum 3.0 mg/kg. Follow-up assessments occurred at 4 weeks after the final dose. The primary outcome measure was the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS) and secondary measures included scales for suicidality and depressive symptoms, and measures of functioning and well-being. Mean BSS scores significantly reduced from a high level of suicidal ideation at the pre-ketamine (week 0) timepoint to below the clinical threshold at the post-ketamine (week 6) timepoint. The proportion of participants that achieved clinical improvement within the first 6 weeks was 69%, whereas 50% achieved a significant improvement by the follow-up (week 10) timepoint. Six weeks of oral ketamine treatment in participants with chronic suicidality led to significant reduction in suicidal ideation. The response observed in this study is consistent with IV ketamine trials, suggesting that oral administration is a feasible and tolerable alternative treatment for chronic suicidality.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (S1) ◽  
pp. 123-123
Author(s):  
Ken Schwartz ◽  
Robert Madan ◽  
Anna Berall ◽  
Marsha Natadira ◽  
Anna Santiago

Background:Responsive behaviours in dementia are associated with poor outcomes for the person with dementia (PWD) and caregiver burnout. Family caregivers need a variety of tools to manage responsive behaviours. The Baycrest Quick-Response Caregiver Tool was developed to provide caregivers with a tool that can be used in real time. In this study, the feasibility, impact, and effectiveness of this new tool were studied in family caregivers and health care providers (HCP) using quantitative and qualitative measures.Methods:Family caregivers were recruited and were asked to complete a pre-survey before being sent the link to the educational tool. One month after the telephone survey, caregivers were sent an online post-survey to gather their feedback on the tool and the impact of the tool on caregiver well -being. Healthcare providers were also recruited and reviewed the tool through an online feedback survey. The feasibility, impact, and effectiveness of the tool were assessed using quantitative and qualitative measures.Results:Caregivers had a moderate degree of and reported a high level of competence - these scores were maintained throughout the study. Caregivers reported that tool positively impacted their compassion towards the person with dementia (PWD), and that their interactions with improved. 100% of HCP who completed the feedback survey would recommend the tool to other HCP and to caregivers of PWD. The caregivers and HCP provided specific suggestions for improvement.Conclusions:The Baycrest Quick-Response Caregiver Tool was found to be feasible and helpful. It provides caregivers and HCP with an additional approach for responsive behaviours.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1634-1640
Author(s):  
Javad Jafari ◽  
Asra Nassehi ◽  
Mohammadali Zareez ◽  
Seydamalek Dadkhah ◽  
Najmeh Saberi ◽  
...  

Background: Among all aspects of nursing care, the spiritual one is the issue that has received little attention. Having spiritual wellbeing (SWB) is a necessity to provide appropriate spiritual care. In addition to, the Emotional intelligence (EI) is one of the most important factors in social and professional success and is essential for effective nursing practice. Therefore, aim of study was evaluating the Relationship between SWB and EI among nursing students. Methods: The sample of this descriptive-analytic study consisted of 136 nursing students studying at Bam University of Medical Sciences selected by convenience sampling method. The Bradberry and Greaves 28-item EI scale, Palutzian and Ellison SWB Scale were used to assess the total score of EI and SWB. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test and one-way ANOVA with SPSS v18. Results: The mean score of SWB and EI were 97.1±11.56 and 123.4 + 123.6, respectively. The mean score dimensions of SWB include (religious wellbeing 47.9±6.6, existential wellbeing 49.1±5.7) and dimensions EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management were 27.2 3 3.2, 36.2 2 5.4, 25.1 + 3.5 and 35.1 + 4.5, respectively. The majority of students have reported moderate level SWB and high level of emotional intelligence. The factors influencing their level of SWB were academic semester and age (p<0.05). Conclusion: Although the level of students' EI and SWB were at a desirable level in this study, due to the nature of nursing and the interaction between nurses and patients, providing a suitable learning environment for the development of EI is essential. Therefore, it is suggested that nursing policymakers should develop appropriate educational programs for nurses and provide curriculum for students to promote their knowledge and skills. Keywords: spiritual, religious, wellbeing, existential, nursing, emotional intelligence


Author(s):  
Olivier Wurtz

PurposeExpatriation is known to be stressful. The purpose of this paper is to examine stress as an antecedent of substance use (SU) during expatriation and related effects on expatriates’ work adjustment. Moreover, the study sheds light on individual-level moderators (i.e. gender and prior international experience) and organizational-level moderators (i.e. organizational social support) that might condition the stress–SU link.Design/methodology/approachThis work adopts a quantitative survey approach. It is based on two studies, one of 205 expatriates and one of 96 expatriate–supervisor dyads. The data were collected through personal networks and with the help of multinational companies.FindingsThis research shows that stress at a medium- to high-level increases SU among male expatriates, but not among female expatriates. Expatriates with substantial prior international experience were identified as being more prone to react to stress by resorting to SU. It also provides evidence that SU to aid coping harms professional adjustment. Moreover, some implications relating to professional adjustment are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsSU was self-reported; this may have deterred users from accurately reporting their consumption levels. Moreover, convenience samples have been used. Preventive actions limiting SU, such as well-being programs, could be sponsored by local human resource managers in order to limit this phenomenon.Originality/valueThis work is one of the first to analyze SU among expatriates. It shows that some expatriates are more at risk than others of resorting to such use to cope with the hardships of expatriation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-486
Author(s):  
Laura Peutere ◽  
Antti Saloniemi ◽  
Simo Aho ◽  
Jouko Nätti ◽  
Tapio Nummi

The connection between high-involvement management (HIM), entailing heavy employee involvement, and employee well-being is a controversial and widely discussed topic. Clarifying how job satisfaction and stress are connected to HIM and job control (the control employees have over their work), this study is based on data from two Finnish sources: an employer survey investigating the extent of HIM within an organisation, and employee assessments of job control, stress and job satisfaction. Logistic regression models were used as the study method. In contrast to previous Finnish studies, our findings show that HIM seems hardly to benefit employee well-being. Especially in the public sector, the correlation between extensive HIM and employee well-being turned out to be negative. However, HIM in the private sector was positively related to job satisfaction. As expected, a high level of job control was regularly associated with greater well-being.


Author(s):  
Maria Kaczmarek ◽  
Sylwia Trambacz-Oleszak

Higher stress reactivity during adolescence is a vulnerability marker of exposure to various environmental stressors. This study aimed to investigate the association between a high level of perceived stress experienced by adolescents and stressful stimuli induced from school environment, peer, and parental relationships. The data used were from a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in a stratified sample of 1846 adolescents (13–18 years) in the Wielkopolska province, Poland. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. Perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The association of a high level of perceived stress with school-induced exposures was determined using multivariate logistic regression after adjusting for gender, age, height and weight status and interpersonal relationships (STATISTICA 13.1). It was found that girls were over three times more likely than boys to experience a high level of perceived stress. Moreover, girls appeared to be more vulnerable than boys to school-related stressors and weight status, while boys to stressors that can arise from interpersonal relationships. School environment was the only predictor factor of high perceived stress level with a large effect size in both boys (OR = 4.45; 95% CI: 3.11–6.36) and girls (OR = 6.22; 95% CI: 4.18–7.59). Given the findings of the present study, preventive programs are critical to mitigate the effect of stress from school on adolescents’ health and well-being.


Author(s):  
Alyona Vavilova

The article is devoted to the study of student's coping strategies influence on the level of their subjective well-being in conditions of distance learning. It was found that student's coping strategies have an impact on the level of their psychological comfort. Using regression analysis it was revealed that the variability of student's life well-being is determined by the following coping strategies: positive self-esteem; responsibility; planning; escape and self-control. It was developed the typology of students in the conditions of distance education, which includes such indicators of dominant coping strategies: the level of psychological comfort, dominant coping and measure of stress tolerance. According to the certain typology, three types of students were defined: 1) adaptive type (high indicators of well-being, high indicators of tolerance to stress, dominant strategies “self-esteem”, “responsibility” and “planning” ); 2) maladaptive type (low indicators of well-being, low indicators of tolerance to stress, dominant coping “escape”); 3) average adaptive type (average indicators of well-being, average indicators of tolerance to stress; dominant strategies “responsibility”, “self-control”, low indicators of coping “positive self-esteem”). The results of the study indicate that students who are best adapted to distance learning and have a high level of psychological comfort tend to evaluate themselves positively, treat work responsibly, plan their studies and have an average level of self-control.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Bizuayehu Dengechi Dachachi ◽  
Nigatuwa Worku Woyessa ◽  
Fisseha Mikre Weldmeskel

This study examined the level of psychological well-being between the Ethnic Minority group, commonly called “Manjo,” and the majority group called “Gomero.” Psychological well-being questionnaires were administered to a sample of 298 (independent sample from both groups). The findings demonstrated that the non-Manjo (Gomero) Ethnic group possessed a considerably high level of psychological well-being. Statistical differences were found in participants’ psychological well-being across Ethnic groups. According to the results, participants from the Manjo Ethnic Minority group had a lower level of psychological well-being (M = 211.27, SD = 17.51) compared to the majority (Gomero). A statistically significant variation in psychological well-being (theoretically embodied across a broad spectrum of measurement units) among the two independent study groups was reflected. 


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