Readymade garments (RMG) industry of Bangladesh are lesser revealed to sustainable outlines that originating avoidance related with standard health and safety provisions, labor rights, women safety, child labor, pollution, waste disposal and ground water depletion. Recently there are also several safety hazards by way of fire incidents and building collapses which caused death and injury of thousand or garment workers at Bangladesh. Actually a suitable sustainable development scheme for this industry includes the insights of proper employee involvement based upon what is known (knowledge) and done (behavior). So the study aims to investigate the relationship between knowledge and behavior which reflects the complication between what is in fact known and what is done in case of sustainable issues. The study has used both questionnaire survey and interview procedures on 10 BGMEA registered factories of Chittagong to recognize the connection between knowledge and behavior. The target populace of the study has been limited only to the white collar employees. However, the study identified that employee knowledge and behavior of sustainable development contains a moderate, positive relationship (r=.315, n=150, p
This intended paper was done to give an early overview of the expected quality attributes of pineapple-mango juice blend treated with ultraviolet irradiation (UV-C) and thermal pasteurisation. Josapine pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) and Chokanan mango (Mangifera indica L.) is the popular tropical fruits in Malaysia with unique taste and constant availability. The blend of pineapple-mango juice predicted to have good overall quality attributes as proved by prior studies on orange-pineapple, lemon-melon, pineapple-carrot-orange and carrot-apple-banana juice blends. Conventional thermal pasteurisation widely implemented in juice industry but resulted in massive quality degradation. Thus, research on the non-thermal technology of UV-C widely studied to overcome such drawbacks of thermal pasteurisation. Effect of UV-C and thermal pasteurisation on pineapple-mango juice blend will be evaluated in terms of physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, turbidity and colour), antioxidant (ascorbic acid, total phenolics content and total antioxidant DPPH assay) and microbiological properties. UV-C treated pineapple-mango juice blend believed to have better retention of heat sensitive ascorbic acid and other quality compared heat pasteurised juice with minimal distinctive characteristic compared to fresh juice.
Naturally, plant habitats are exposed to several potential effects of biotic and different abiotic environmental challenges. Several types of micro-organisms namely; bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes, mites, insects, mammals and other herbivorous animals are found in large amounts in all ecosystems, which lead to considerable reduction in crop productivity. These organisms are agents carrying different diseases that can damage the plants through the secretion of toxic-microbial poisons that can penetrate in the plant tissues. Toxins are injurious substances that act on plant protoplast to influence disease development. In response to the stress effect, plants defend themselves by bearing some substances such as phytoalexins. Production of phytoalexins is one of the complex mechanisms through which plants exhibit disease resistance. Several findings specifically on phytoalexins have widen the understanding in the fields of plant biochemistry and molecular biology. However, this review reports the interaction of toxins and phytoalexins in plant-pathogen cycle, research progress on the association of phytoalexins with plant disease resistance as well as the role of the phytoalexins in plant disease control.
The objectives of this review are to determine the types of indices to use, to assess the current sediment quality index (SQI) of a mangrove forest and to select the appropriate index to describe the mangrove sediment quality index. Amongst the many indices considered in this review are the enrichment factors (EFs), the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), the pollution load index (PLI), the marine sediment pollution index (MSPI) and sediment quality index (SQI). The different indices give diverse perspectives of the status of mangrove sediment quality. This review also highlights the appropriate parameters that need to be used in assessing sediment quality, such as the physical, chemical and biological properties. As the comparison review, the sediment quality can be utilized for Mangrove quality index (MQI) development like to assess the heavy metal, complete laboratory parameters and a classification following the Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines ISQG, PCA and HACA. For the heavy metal content of sediment, the suggested parameters are Pb, Zn, Cu, Co and Mn. Lastly, for the indices, the enrichment factor (EFs), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollution load index (PLI) and marine sediment pollution index (MPSI) are used in develop SQI on mangrove forest.
Waterbirds serve as an important bio-indicator of ecosystem changes and have been used widely throughout the world. This is because they exhibit conspicuous and meaningful responses to the changes of the environment around them. Other qualities that make them a good bio-indicator are also highlighted. Thus, important information on their biology and ecology are essential to make informed decisions. This is crucial in order to better conserve them and their habitats. Currently they are facing new challenges that arise from continuous development throughout the world. In addition, many endangered species continue to declines and could be extinct if they are not protected and conserved. The development of artificial habitat such as wetlands to compensate natural habitat loss could be an alternative. However, detailed information on the waterbirds and their interactions with the new environment are needed in order to do so. It is further highlighted that few researches have been conducted and focused on the waterbirds particularly in Malaysia. Thus, we encourage more local young scientists to take up this challenge and equip themselves with the right knowledge and necessary skills as well as to remain relevant with the international research standards. Proper planning, funding and focus should also be considered by the government and local authorities to maximize the impact of the country’s conservation effort.
Stingless bee is a diverse group of highly eusocial bees (meliponines) comprising the Meliponini subfamily of the Apidae family. Throughout the tropics, various kinds of stingless bee have been reared by beekeepers for their products (honey, propolis and bee bread) and pollination services for fruits and vegetables. This meliponiculture in logs or hives is considered safe due to the bee’s inability to sting, with the latter being more preferable for monitoring and managing the colonies and harvesting the products. The source of stingless bee colonies is depending on efficient hunting of feral colonies, which might affect the ecosystem. Following to the growing trend of bee rearing in Malaysia, mainly due to the smart branding strategy of the government through research institutes and universities, e.g. Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Universiti Sains Malaysia, it is crucial to increase the number of honey-producing hives by colony splitting. The basis of colony splitting includes provision oviposition (POP), swarming and antennation. Colony splitting is necessary due to deforestation, to expand income generation and for entomological study purposes. A more advanced approach in colony splitting is to prepare and rear the virgin queen bee in vitro, resulting in more queens per one single colony. With the advancement in stingless bee rearing techniques, people may apply the colony splitting strategy to maximise stingless bee products and enhance crop production.
Unemployment and poverty are seriously issue of concern globally, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Unemployment and poverty among university graduates in Nigeria, the trends on rising every year, major corporations are cutting down jobs and graduates who were interested to work can’t seem to find a job. However, entrepreneurship and business formation have been recognised around the World as a remedy for unemployment and pivotal for economies to grow. Therefore, promotion of entrepreneurial activity becomes the most top priority on the government agenda. Despite the unique role played by entrepreneurship to the economy as a whole and to the person that established business, in Nigeria, the rate of university graduates in entrepreneurship is far below expected. This led to many research efforts on factors that are having an effect on student’s entrepreneurial intentions. This review paper proposed the intention to be an entrepreneur can be explained by Ajzen, (1991) theory of planned behaviour, institutional, and core self-evaluation theories. Psychological (self-efficacy, risk-taking propensity, locus of control, innovativeness, need for achievement) and institutional (university environment, government support programmes) factors will have an effect on attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control. Consequently, the study predicted the entrepreneurial intentions of the Nigerian university students.
Small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) act as a promoter of economic development of the developed and under developed nations. Developing countries like Nigeria that, require sustainable economic growth and development must pay attention to the SMEs sectors in order to reduce unemployment, poverty and improve the standard leaving of its society. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, SMEs have underperformed despite that, 90% of the Nigerian businesses are small scales but their contribution to the Nigerian GDP is below 10%. The main reason for this low contribution of SMEs to Nigerian GDP could be attribute to poor funding, lack of management expertise and lack of access to modern technology among others, with proper finance the SMEs can acquire modern technology and employed qualified staff. Thus, this paper focuses on crowdfunding as financial option for Nigerian SMEs. However, the paper is a conceptual framework.
Swiftlet
s
are small insectivorous birds which breed throughout Southeast Asia and
the South Pacific.
Among many swiftle
t species, only a few are notable to produce edible bird’s
nest
s
(EBN) from the secreted saliva during breeding seasons.
The taxonomy of swiftlet
s
remains one of the most controversial in the avian species due to the high similarity in
morphological charac
teristics among the species. Over the last few decades, researchers have
studied the taxonomy of swiftlet
s
based on the morphological
trade
, behavior, and genetic
traits
.
However, despite all the efforts,
the
swiftlet taxonomy remains unsolved.
The
EBN is one of
the
most expensive animal products
and frequently being referred
to
as the “
Caviar of the East
”.
The
EBN market value varies from
US
$1000.00 to
US
$10,000.00 per kilogram depend
ing
on
its grade, shape, type and origin.
Hence, bird’s nest harve
sting is considered a lucrative industry
in many countries in Southeast Asia.
However,
the
industry faced several challenges over the
decades such as the authenticity of the EBN, the quality assurance and the depletion of swiftlet
population. Furthermore,
there is limited scientific evidence regarding EBN’s medical benefits
as
claimed by manufacturers. This paper reviews the taxonomy of swiftlet
s
, its morphological
characteristics, the challenges currently encountered by the industry, and finally the
compos
ition and medical benefits of EBN.
Branching channel flow refers to any side water withdrawals from rivers or main channels.
Branching channels have wide application in many practical projects, such as irrigation and drainage
network systems, water and waste water treatment plants, and many water resources projects. In the
last decades, extensive theoretical and experimental investigations of the branching open channels
have been carried out to understand the characteristics of this branching flow, varying from case
studies to theoretical and experimental investigations. The objectives of this paper are to review and
summarise the relevant literatures regarding branching channel flow. These literatures were reviewed
based on flow characteristics, physical characteristics, and modeling of the branching flow.
Investigations of the flow into branching channel show that the branching discharge depends on many
interlinked parameters. It increases with the decreasing of the main channel flow velocity and Froude
number at the upstream of the branch channel junction. Also it increases with the increasing of the
branch channel bed slope. In subcritical flow, water depth in the branch channel is always lower than
the main channel water depth. The flow diversion to the branch channel leads to an increase of water
depth at the downstream of the main channel. From the review, it is important to highlight that most
of the study concentrated on flow characteristics in a right angle branch channel with a rigid boundary.
Investigations on different branching angles with movable bed have still to be explored.
Brucella melitensis is one of the major zoonotic pathogens worldwide with enormous
economic losses as well as considerable human morbidity in endemic areas. The global burden of its
incidence in both human and animal populations remains significantly at an alarming rate. The impact
of the disease is even multidimensional in nature and not always well understood and significantly
complicating effective policy response. The pathogenesis is complex and governed by several factors
working together in synergistic manner. The evolutionarily developed diverse evasion strategy to avoid
the host’s innate and adaptive immunity is further worsening the situation. Until recently,
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) remains the major virulent factor of B. melitensis and responsible for the
mechanism by which the pathogen causes its deleterious effects. Mechanisms presiding to the
colonization of the pregnant uterus in different animal species are still largely unknown. Information
related to the epidemiology and immunopathophysiology is still scarce in the database and control
programs are rarely implemented. Therapy is based on wide spectrum antibiotics with mysterious
outcome. The pre-existing vaccines appear not promising. Thus, understating the biological behaviour
of the disease becomes a fundamental issue. In this review, we highlight various key aspects of the
disease with special reference to the epidemiology and the immunopathophysiology of the disease in
sheep goat populations.