Optimization of extraction techniques for processing and utilization of Cyperus Dichrostachus A. Rich Plant as fiber

The Textile industry is an important contributor to the GDP of countries worldwide. Both natural and synthetic fibers are the main raw materials for this sector. Environmental concerns, depletion of non-renewable resources, the high price of oil and limited oil reserves with consumer demand is driving research into cheap, biodegradable, sustainable, renewable and abundantly available green materials. Natural fibers are of the good substitute sources for swapping synthetic fibers and reinforcing polymer matrices because of their contributions in maintaining of ecology, nature of disposal, low energy requirement for processing and sustainability. The current research emphases on evaluating and determining the best extraction methods to process and treat cyperus Dichrostachus A.Rich plant in order to make the fiber suitable for variety of applications. Cyperus Dichrostachus A.Rich plant was treated with two conditions (cold and warm conditions) using statistically planned tests. Process conditions were optimised using central composite design methodology with the experimental design. Under optimised conditions, the strength and fiber yield of CDA fibers were significantly compared. The strength and fiber yield of the fiber was at maximized with optimized conditions and use for valorisation applications.

Aptamer-Based Lateral Flow Assays: Current Trends in Clinical Diagnostic Rapid Tests

The lateral flow assay (LFA) is an extensively used paper-based platform for the rapid and on-site detection of different analytes. The method is user-friendly with no need for sophisticated operation and only includes adding sample. Generally, antibodies are employed as the biorecognition elements in the LFA. However, antibodies possess several disadvantages including poor stability, high batch-to-batch variation, long development time, high price and need for ethical approval and cold chain. Because of these limitations, aptamers screened by an in vitro process can be a good alternative to antibodies as biorecognition molecules in the LFA. In recent years, aptamer-based LFAs have been investigated for the detection of different analytes in point-of-care diagnostics. In this review, we summarize the applications of aptamer technology in LFAs in clinical diagnostic rapid tests for the detection of biomarkers, microbial analytes, hormones and antibiotics. Performance, advantages and drawbacks of the developed assays are also discussed.

Validity of the Fisher Community Knowledge-Based Economic Valuation of the Local Ecosystem for Oyster Farming: A Case Study in Japan

The importance of local knowledge as a relevant information resource for ecosystem conditions has recently been the focus of sustainable ecosystem management. However, the accuracy of economic evaluation based on local knowledge regarding ecosystems has not yet been discussed, despite most activities in human society, including ecological conservation, being monetarily mediated. This study reports the correspondence between the economic value estimated by the fisher community and the analyzed environmental factors in the marine areas sectioned for oyster farming in Japan. At the study site, community-agreed usage fees for the area sections showed a gradient from the inner to the outer part of the bay. Our numerical modeling showed that the gradient of the economic value correlated with oyster feeding efficiency, indicating that a better location for feeding was empirically evaluated at a high price by the local fisher community. This suggests that the economic evaluation based on the local knowledge was biologically reasonable and could be a reliable information source for the aim of the area use in the study site.

Impact of High-Speed Rail on Social Equity—Insights from a Stated Preference Survey in Vietnam

This study investigated the impact of high-speed rail (HSR) on social equity, utilizing information from a stated preference survey conducted in Vietnam. Social equity was examined across the population of four cities representing the northern, central, and southern areas of Vietnam. In general, the high price of HSR is one of the barriers to using HSR over inter-city buses and conventional trains. Low-income groups (less than VND 6 million per month) have 4.894 and 4.725 times the likelihoods, compared to higher income groups, of retaining the use of an inter-city bus or conventional train, respectively, after introducing HSR. Our findings reveal the fact that social inequity may occur, with the low-income group being especially vulnerable, due to the existence of HSR in the future. Furthermore, our results indicate that the interest of people towards inter-city buses and conventional trains varied among the four cities before and after the presence of HSR. More specifically, low-income groups in Vinh and Nha Trang were observed to have a higher feeling of staying away from HSR, as they prefer to use inter-city buses. The findings of this study suggest that planners and policymakers need to consider various components of HSR ticket planning, in order to achieve sustainable evolution of the passenger rail system.

Intellectual property rights and its implications for the pharmaceutical industry in Iraq under accession to the World Trade Organization

The main risks arising from the WTO Agreement are the inequality and lack of competitiveness of most pharmaceutical goods, as well as the fact that Iraq is a net importer of medicines that are at the core of consumer needs, The subject matter of the Convention on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights and its implications for the pharmaceutical industry, in particular, coinciding with the situation of financial and administrative corruption, all of which has resulted in drug fraud in the Iraqi market and its impact on public health. The control of medical technology, the persistence of the technological gap and its effects on high price levels, and the fact that domestic drug producers are obliged to obtain production licenses from global companies in the light of limited access to pharmaceutical research and development. The research aims at the impact of economic liberalization within the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its negative effects on consumers by highlighting the economic and social effects on consumption by raising prices and monopolies and restricting the volume of consumer demand because of the loss of the competitive advantage of pharmaceutical goods. Iraq's unwillingness to accede to the International Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the deterioration of the pharmaceutical industry meant increased dependence on the outside, increased trade deficits, higher price levels, and its adverse effects on consumers. Iraq finds it difficult for developed countries to use their intellectual rights as well as restrict industrial and agricultural work because production and production methods are now subject to their intellectual property protection law, which prevents any possible industrial development. The most significant potential short-term impact of TRIPS is the decline in drug production, which continues to be protected. The great challenge for drug producers is the need to

Applicability of Cost-Effective GNSS Sensors for Crustal Deformation Studies

The geodetic monitoring of the continuous crustal deformation in a particular region has traditionally been the prerogative of the scientific communities capable of affording high-price geodetic-class instruments to track the tiny movements of tectonic plates without losing precision. However, GNSS technology has been continuously and rapidly growing, and in the last years, new cost-efficient instruments have entered the mass market, gaining the attention of the scientific community for potentially being high-performing alternative solutions. In this study, we match in parallel a dual-frequency low-cost receiver with two high-price geodetic instruments, all connected to the same geodetic antenna. We select North-East Italy as testing area, and we process the data together with the observations coming from a network of GNSS permanent stations operating in this region. We show that mm-order precision can be achieved by cost-effective GNSS receivers, while the results in terms of time series are largely comparable to those obtained using high-price geodetic receivers.

Non-radioactive scandium oxide receiving out of uranium ISR solutions

The task of the research was to study and determine an effective method for the preparation of non-radioactive scandium compounds from uranium In-Situ Recovery (ISR) solutions. The widespread use of scandium is restrained by the high price due to its small production volumes, low content in the raw materials (scandium is a scattered element and does not form its own deposits), as well as the complexity of technological schemes for its extraction. Scandium receiving out of uranium reverses ISR solutions technological scheme was experimental tested, including sorption on MTS 9580 (Purolite’s production) ion exchanger with recurrent ballast impurities desorption and receiving concentrate that contains scandium. New radiation cleaning technological sequencing based on different solubility of radioactive elements and scandium in carbonate solutions, that accompanied by insoluble macro components complex formation, that contains in deactivated scandium concentrate and allows to get scandium oxide with desired component maintenance more than 94 % and less than 0,3 kilobecquerels/kg specific activity level was developed. The developed technology is based on the ability to form soluble carbonate complexes of scandium and radioactive elements, while the main macro components of the concentrate - ferrum, aluminum, calcium, silicon and others under the conditions of carbonation of the concentrate are inert or form insoluble compounds. Optimal radioactive impurity removing from concentrate conditions and scandium leaching from deactivated residue of scandium and macro impurity were studied and identified in laboratory conditions and during pilot tests.

Sustainable feed resources for optimizing broiler performance in tropical countries

Soybean meal and grain corn are feedstuffs that normally used as the main ingredients in poultry feeds as a source of protein and energy in tropical countries. The availability of these feedstuffs for broiler nutrition nowadays is becoming more competitive. Thus, food security, especially in the developing countries, would be susceptible. Currently, efforts are being made to use alternative feedstuffs as a sustainable feed resources to substitute portion of soybean meal and grain corn in poultry diets due to their high price since both of the raw material were imported. In Malaysia, usage of PKC is common in ruminant diets, but limited in the non-ruminant diets especially in poultry diets due to the high fiber content of PKC. Several works have been conducted to increase the nutritional contents of PKC as one of the measures to reduce and/or eliminate the constraints of utilizing PKC in poultry diets. The method used to achieve this target is either through physical, chemical, biological or combination of these treatments. This paper discusses the use of PKC as the sustainable feed resources that can be incorporated in the poultry feeds. Hence, emphasis should be given to improve nutritional values of PKC in order to reduce feeding cost of poultry.

Impact analysis of coffee production in reducing poverty in Aceh Tengah

The plantation is a strategic sector in poverty alleviation. In the Aceh Tengah district, coffee is one of the leading plantation commodities that can increase the pace of the regional economy. Gayo coffee has a distinctive aroma and has a high price. Although generally, the people there are active in producing coffee, there are still poor people. It is necessary to analyse the impact of coffee production in reducing poverty in farming communities in Aceh Tengah district. This study uses a probit regression analysis method to see the characteristics of coffee farmers with significantly different non-coffee farmers. It then uses a Propensity Score Matching (PMS) analysis to see the impact of coffee production in reducing poverty farming communities in Aceh Tengah district. This study indicates that the characteristics significantly differ between coffee farmers and non-coffee farmers are age, education, access to food, eating little food, and assets having a motorbike. The per capita consumption of coffee farmers is not higher than that of non-coffee farmers, but the holdings of coffee farmers are more than those of non-coffee farmers.

Kajian Dugaan Praktik Kartel PT Garuda Indonesia, Tbk Mempengaruhi Pergerakan Harga Saham di BEI

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the alleged cartel practices carried out by the airline PT Garuda Indonesia, Tbk, namely by the increasingly high price of airline tickets and how their impact on the stock price movement itself. This practice is not permitted in Indonesia and almost all countries in the world, but this becomes very dilemmatic in the current aviation business if the ticket price is not raised the company will bear substantial losses but on the other hand consumers are very disadvantaged and can sacrifice the country's economy if countries that depend heavily on air transportation such as Indonesia. Considering that PT Garuda Indonesia, Tbk is a state-owned company of the Republic of Indonesia which has been listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange under the GIAA stock code, whether news of alleged cartel practices by GIAA could affect the public investors in the capital market in making a decision to make a selling or buying transaction on GIAA shares.Keywords: cartel practices, garuda indonesia, capital markets