Efficacy of Fluorecare SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Test Kit for SARS-CoV-2 detection in nasopharyngeal samples of 121 individuals working in a manufacturing company

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of the Fluorecare SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Test Kit, a rapid immunochromatographic assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Moreover, we sought to point out the strategy adopted by a local company to lift the lockdown without leading to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, by performing a precise and timely health surveillance. Methods The rapid Fluorecare SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Test was performed immediately after sampling following the manufacturer’s instructions. RT-PCRs were performed within 24 hours of specimen collection. A total amount of 253 nasopharyngeal samples from 121 individuals were collected between March 16 and April 2, 2021 and tested. Results Of 253 nasopharyngeal samples, 11 (9.1%) were positive and 242 (90.9%) were negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR assays. The rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test’s mean sensitivity and specificity were 84,6% (95% CI, 54.6–98.1%) and 100% (95% CI, 98.6–100%), respectively. Two false negative test results were obtained from samples with high RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct). Conclusion Our study suggested that Fluorecare SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Test can be introduced into daily diagnostic practice, as its mean sensitivity and specificity follow the standards recommended by WHO and IFCC Task Force. In addition, we underlined how the strategy adopted by a local company to risk assessment and health surveillance was appropriate for infection containment. This real-life scenario gave us the possibility to experience potential approaches aimed to preserve public health and work activities.

Metamodernism and Language: Pandemic Era Advertising

In cultural theory, metamodernism becomes a new cultural paradigm of the twenty-first century, epistemologically with (post) modernism, ontologically between (post) modernism, and historically beyond (post) modernism. It appears in the context of political changes following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the environment of digital progress, but also in periods of financial and ecological crises. Rather than simple “zeitgeist”, metamodernism as an arriving cultural paradigm is to be understood more as a “structure of feelings” or sentiment so pervasive that it becomes structural. Metamodernism is symbolically presented by the dual nature of God’s messenger Eros, who operates between the worlds of mortals and immortals. Another metaphor to illustrate metamodernism is a pendulum that constantly fluctuates between opposites such as modern hope and postmodern melancholy, empathy and apathy or enthusiasm and irony. This paper examines Italian advertisements during the largest contemporary health crisis, the SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak. The semiotic textual analysis is performed on the audio-visual commercials of well known companies, such as Vodafone and Barilla. In addition to this, several print advertisements of a local company for funeral services Taffo are considered. Different metamodern characteristics are recognised in all examined texts. In already confirmed pandemic narratives (such as “the celebration of being Italian and patriotic solidarity”, “the juxtapositioning of the “inside” and the “outside”, and the “humanization of technology at the service of human affections and emotions''), now the metamodern characteristics, as a new structure of feeling that brings hope, continuous oscillations between contrasted polls and a certain quirkiness, are being identified. The most relevant morphosyntactic, lexical and semantic traits of the Italian language in pandemic advertising are being compared with the same language tools in postmodern Italian advertising. Finally, different stylistic and pragmatic, rhetorical and semiotic tools are being interpreted and analysed, defining more closely the unique characteristics of “metamodern” pandemic advertising.

Product Development Based Sensory Evaluation and Physicochemical Characterization of Cashew Apple Bagasse Jam and Technology Transfer to Community

Jam type product was successfully developed using cashew apple bagasse from cashew apple juice manufacturing. Proximate analysis of cashew apple bagasse was carried out including soluble and insoluble fiber content. Cashew apple juice was added to 3 different ratios to produce jam type products and their sensory quality was evaluated; 5 percentage cashew apple juice content in Jam product was favored in all sensory parameters. Physicochemical properties of the jam product were analyzed including proximate composition, dietary fiber content, color, viscosity, pH and water activity. The optimum condition to produce cashew apple bagasse prototype was transferred to staffs of local company of Cashewy Phuket Cooperation Limited, Thailand through hands-on training for description and demonstration jam production. The assessment of before and after training was statistically significant at the 0.05 level of significance. The overall evaluation score of technology transfer has obtained the level of most satisfied with the mean score of 4.59. HIGHLIGHTS Residue cashew crude was developed as cashew crude jam The addition of cashew juice was evaluated satisfaction based on sensory test The developed cashew crude jam was investigated physicochemical properties This product was applied to community for technology transfer GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Thai premier’s political strategy will be flexible

Significance The government parliamentary bloc is led by the Phalang Pracharat Party, formed to support Prayut’s transition from junta leader to civilian premier. While dampening speculation about an early general election, Prayut apologised for the brief suspension of the country’s recently commenced COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, which was due mainly to slow local production of jabs. Impacts Factionalism within Phalang Pracharat will intensify, exacerbating government instability. Prayut will say little about the crisis in Myanmar, to avoid comparisons between the recent coup there and his own seizure of power in 2014. Controversy over the local company making AstraZeneca shots could complicate Thai-UK relations.

PREDICTION OF INCOMING ORDERS USING THE LONG SHORT-TERM MEMORY METHOD AT PT. XYZ

Currently the need for domestic packaging paper continues to increase, driven by the level of consumer awareness about sustainable packaging. PT XYZ is a local company engaged in the Corrugated Cardboard Box (KKG) industry. So far, the problems in fulfilling incoming orders every month are not optimal with an average of about 30% inaccuracy. This is because the orders that enter cannot be predicted. As an effort to win market competition in packaging paper, PT. XYZ must improve the fulfillment of incoming orders by predicting incoming orders using the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) method. The aim of this research is to provide a predictive model for incoming orders in accordance with the needs of order fulfillment to be applied to production planning. So that order fulfillment can be on time. The method used in predicting incoming orders is the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) method using weighting evaluations with the lowest Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Augmented Dickey-Fuller test (ADF). The test results of the LSTM method with parameter sizes of Batch: 1 Epochs: 5000 Neurons: 1 show that the RMSE for MDM products is 8.767582 and 0.287924, LNR products are 10.623984 and 0.466621, WTP products are 1.636849 and 0.361515 lower than the size of the fit parameters for other LSTM models, and the ADF Statistic value for MDM products -6.137597, LNR -6.753697, WTP -4.872927

“Wholly an Australian Industry”? Establishing British Multinational Manufacture at the Bryant & May Empire Works, 1909–1914

The Bryant & May company is well known for its operations in Britain. Historians have paid less attention to the actions of the company overseas. The opening of a new Australian subsidiary factory in 1909 marked an early venture in multinational manufacturing within the British Empire. This article uses business records and newspapers from both the British and Australian archives to examine the day-to-day operations of this multinational, with a particular focus on the human dimension of the interactions between London and Melbourne. The Bryant & May case study reveals the evolving, sometimes tense, relationship between the “home” and “subsidiary” branches in the context of British imperialism and Australian federation in the years preceding World War I. Business, personal, and imperial relationships intertwined. While business historians have developed theoretical frameworks to understand why companies embark on multinational operations, work remains to be done on the longer-term operations of companies in particular political, social, and cultural contexts. We examine the building of the Empire Works match factory in Melbourne, the nature of transnational management, labor relations, and key production challenges up to the Interstate Commission of 1914. We reveal how Melbourne managers, sometimes against the inclinations of the London directors, were prepared to drive a hard bargain with local politicians and workers. Bryant & May successfully, and sometimes controversially, gained competitive advantage as a “local” company with access to preferential tariffs. This placed the firm in an ideal position to prosper when international trade was disrupted during World War I.

Analysis of the Logistics Process of Waste Transport in the City of Pila (The Case Study From Poland)

The aim of the article is to analyze the logistics process of waste transport in the city of Piła and the proposal for its optimization. For this purpose, the concept of waste and related issues were characterized and a waste transport company in the city of Piła was discussed. The problems encountered in waste logistics were depicted. In the research part, with the use of a survey among city residents, functioning of the current logistics chain was verified. The questions of the survey focus on the logistics activities carried out during the collection of waste from the city. The study was conducted in an open manner, while maintaining anonymity for the respondents. The questions included in the survey make it possible to illustrate the residents´ awareness of waste segregation, the method of displaying waste, the residents’ opinion on the regularity of waste collection by a local company providing these services. In the second part of the study, the effectiveness of waste collection in the city center in single-family houses was observed in the period from March, 2019 to October, 2020. On the basis of the conducted research, it can be concluded that the operating system for collecting waste from city residents is good but not ideal, as in most cities in Poland.

Pricing of Medical Instrument Products for Domestic Production through Investment Feasibility Analysis

Pricing products is an important factor to penetrate the Indonesian market successfully. Since Indonesia’s medical device products market has more than 90% import, local production companies must be competitive in price. The current pricing approach relies on the cost of sold goods, profit margin, and cost. Hence, a new pricing model is needed. The price from the new model must be better than the current price from the conventional pricing approach. The research aimed to formulate a pricing model for local medical device products that the market could accept and provide a framework model in local production pricing using investment feasibility analysis. The research used mathematical models, engineering economics, and pricing frameworks to optimize product prices from a local company (PT Enesser Mitra Berkah). The studied object was the domestic production of Anesthesia A8500. The research has several findings. First, the Break-Even Point (BEP) (X2) is an alternative standpoint to determine the price in a local production investment for medical device products. Second, the production company can consider the market price (X3). The research develops a simple mathematical model of X3 > Y2 = X2 + Ct > X1 (Y2 = new price, X1= cost of sold goods, Ct = profit and cost). The result provides the pricing framework model as a new approach for developing a medical device product price when the company initiates new local production.

An Analysis of Cultural Elements in Selected Festive Advertisements

Cultural knowledge and understanding are fundamental in a multiracial society like Malaysia. One of the ways to foster a good relationship between people of different cultural backgrounds can be achieved through the use of media. One of the means of such a message that could be disseminated to the public is through festive advertisements. Previous studies have shown that the portrayal of culture in ads is a pivotal element that should be considered by all advertisers in producing festive advertisements. This study aims to explore whether the content of festive advertisements in Malaysia portray and deliver messages that could potentially assist in fostering a good relationship between races in Malaysia. A quantitative content analysis was done on ten festive ads. These ads were selected based on pre-determined criteria – 1) ads have to be produced by a local company, 2) uploaded on YouTube, and 3) related to the festive season. For this research, a festive ad is defined as advertisements related to festivals celebrated by the Malaysian community. Research results revealed that the majority of the selected festive ads for this study portrayed positive values that could assist in fostering good relations among people of different cultural backgrounds. The element of togetherness has been used across different festive ads to intensify the need for cross-cultural understanding, especially during festive seasons. Keywords: Festive advertisements, content analysis, cultural elements, Malaysia.

An Analysis of Cultural Elements in Selected Festive Advertisements

Cultural knowledge and understanding are fundamental in a multiracial society like Malaysia. One of the ways to foster a good relationship between people of different cultural backgrounds can be achieved through the use of media. One of the means of such a message that could be disseminated to the public is through festive advertisements. Previous studies have shown that the portrayal of culture in ads is a pivotal element that should be considered by all advertisers in producing festive advertisements. This study aims to explore whether the content of festive advertisements in Malaysia portray and deliver messages that could potentially assist in fostering a good relationship between races in Malaysia. A quantitative content analysis was done on ten festive ads. These ads were selected based on pre-determined criteria – 1) ads have to be produced by a local company, 2) uploaded on YouTube, and 3) related to the festive season. For this research, a festive ad is defined as advertisements related to festivals celebrated by the Malaysian community. Research results revealed that the majority of the selected festive ads for this study portrayed positive values that could assist in fostering good relations among people of different cultural backgrounds. The element of togetherness has been used across different festive ads to intensify the need for cross-cultural understanding, especially during festive seasons. Keywords: Festive advertisements, content analysis, cultural elements, Malaysia.