Perception and use of fat claims on food labels and consumer behaviour towards food products with fat claims: A Nottingham case study

Literature in consumer behaviour toward food and nutrition shows a lack of researches penetrating the perception and use of fat claims on the label of food products and consumer behaviour toward such product categories in the setting of real world. This study provides an insight into these issues based on questionnaires and observations in Nottingham city. The results indicate a genuine interest in the information of fat content on the package along with an overall good understanding of the healthiness of the products with such claims, though the understanding varies across product categories. The use of fat claims when shopping is relatively promising, and the degree of use is found to be compatible with the level of healthiness of product. Observed consumer behaviour does not stay in line with what is reported in questionnaires, revealing an over-reporting issue. In real setting, consumers prefer regular or full fat products to lighter versions. Socio-demographic factors are examined, figuring out a prevalence of women in the interest and use of fat claims. Other demographic factors do not seem to carry any causal effects. This study highlights the need for enhancing consumer understanding and use of health-related claims

Uma pesquisa-ação de 3 anos em uma universidade vietnamita: Alunos como cogeradores de conteúdo das aulas

In the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution with unlimited technological advancement and innovation, how can educators innovate their teaching and facilitate their students in their learning process, so that students can accumulate required skills and achieve the set learning outcomes of each course they take? In order to find out the answer, the authors have revised some literature concerning BYOD trend, active learning strategies, flipped classroom and learner-generated content as the theoretical base for their study. Action research has been conducted at a Vietnamese university with the participation of English-majored students in Theory of English Translation and Interpreting classes from 3 different intakes. The findings include students’ positive perception towards the content-generation practices. Some achievements and challenges in the teaching and learning process have also been reported. This paper also recommends further studies so that the practice could be utilized to the best outcomes.En el contexto de la Cuarta Revolución Industrial con un avance tecnológico e innovación ilimitados, ¿cómo pueden los educadores innovar su enseñanza y facilitar a sus estudiantes su proceso de aprendizaje, para que los estudiantes puedan acumular las habilidades requeridas y lograr los resultados de aprendizaje establecidos en cada curso que toman? Para encontrar la respuesta, los autores han revisado cierta literatura sobre la tendencia BYOD, las estrategias de aprendizaje activo, el aula invertida y el contenido generado por el alumno como base teórica para su estudio. Se llevó a cabo una investigación de acción en una universidad vietnamita con la participación de estudiantes con especialización en inglés en clases de Teoría de la traducción e interpretación en inglés de 3 tomas diferentes. Los hallazgos incluyen la percepción positiva de los estudiantes hacia las prácticas de generación de contenidos. También se reportan algunos logros y desafíos en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Este documento también recomienda más estudios para que la práctica pueda utilizarse con los mejores resultados.No contexto da 4ª Revolução Industrial, com avanço tecnológico e inovação ilimitados, como os educadores podem inovar seu ensino e facilitar seus alunos em seu processo de aprendizagem, para que os alunos possam acumular as habilidades necessárias e alcançar os resultados de aprendizagem definidos de cada curso que fazem? Para encontrar a resposta, os autores revisaram alguma literatura sobre a tendência BYOD, estratégias de aprendizagem ativa, sala de aula invertida e conteúdo gerado pelo aluno como base teórica para seu estudo. Uma pesquisa-ação foi realizada em uma universidade vietnamita com a participação de alunos formados em inglês nas aulas de Teoria da Tradução e Interpretação do Inglês de 3 diferentes entradas. Os resultados incluem a percepção positiva dos alunos em relação às práticas de geração de conteúdo. Algumas conquistas e desafios no processo de ensino e aprendizagem também foram relatados. Este artigo também recomenda mais estudos para que a prática possa ser utilizada para os melhores resultados

Performance Investigation of High-Speed Train OFDM Systems under the Geometry-Based Channel Model

The high-speed of train (HST) in combination with the high carrier frequency of HST systems leads to the severe inter carrier interference (ICI) in the HST orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (HST-OFDM) systems. To avoid the complexity in OFDM receiver design for ICI eliminations, the OFDM system parameters such as symbol duration, signal bandwidth, and the number of subcarriers should be chosen appropriately. This paper aims to propose a process of HST-OFDM system performance investigation to determine these parameters in order to enhance spectral efficiency and meet a given quality-of-service (QoS) level. The signal-to-­interference-­plus-­noise ratio (SINR) has been used as a figure of merit to analyze the system performance instead of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as most of recent research studies. Firstly, using the non-stationary geometry-based stochastic HST channel model, the SINR of each subcarrier has been derived for different speeds of the train, signal bandwidths, and number of subcarriers. Consequently, the system capacity has been formulated as the sum of all the single channel capacity from each sub-carrier. The constraints on designing HST-OFDM system parameters have been thoughtfully analyzed using the obtained expressions of SINR and capacity. Finally, by analyzing the numerical results, the system parameters can be found for the design of HST-OFDM systems under different speeds of train. The proposed process can be used to provide hints to predict performance of HST communication systems before doing further high cost implementations as hardware designs

Professional development for ESL lecturers – a struggle to integrate ICT into teaching

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) plays a crucial role in our daily life. In fact, students are considered digital citizens and have become accustomed to being always connected to their devices and the Internet. Given the importance ICT plays in our lives, education institutions nowadays have a duty to incorporate ICT into teaching and learning in order to better prepare students for 21st Century skills and careers. Although certain technological equipment may be available in classrooms, there are several external and internal factors that affect the proper implementation of ICT in classrooms. In preparing students to be career-ready, ICT integration is imperative. This paper will discuss factors affecting ESL lecturers’ professional development in terms of ICT application in the classroom. A total of 61 lecturers from 12 non-English-majored universities in Vietnam voluntarily completed this quantitative study’s survey questionnaire. The findings show that although ESL lecturers are aware of the significance of some factors affecting ICT implementation in classrooms, they are struggling to learn, to adapt, and to integrate ICT into their classrooms

Professional development for ESL lecturers – a struggle to integrate ICT into teaching

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) plays a crucial role in our daily life. In fact, students are considered digital citizens and have become accustomed to being always connected to their devices and the Internet. Given the importance ICT plays in our lives, education institutions nowadays have a duty to incorporate ICT into teaching and learning in order to better prepare students for 21st Century skills and careers. Although certain technological equipment may be available in classrooms, there are several external and internal factors that affect the proper implementation of ICT in classrooms. In preparing students to be career-ready, ICT integration is imperative. This paper will discuss factors affecting ESL lecturers’ professional development in terms of ICT application in the classroom. A total of 61 lecturers from 12 non-English-majored universities in Vietnam voluntarily completed this quantitative study’s survey questionnaire. The findings show that although ESL lecturers are aware of the significance of some factors affecting ICT implementation in classrooms, they are struggling to learn, to adapt, and to integrate ICT into their classrooms

The ribosomal transcription units of Haplorchis pumilio and H. taichui and the use of 28S rDNA sequences for phylogenetic identification of common heterophyids in Vietnam

Background: Heterophyidiasis is now a major public health threat in many tropical countries. Species in the trematode family Heterophyidae infecting humans include Centrocestus formosanus, Haplorchis pumilio, H. taichui, H. yokogawai, Procerovum varium and Stellantchasmus falcatus. For molecular phylogenetic and systematic studies on trematodes, we need more prospective markers for taxonomic identification and classification. This study provides near-complete ribosomal transcription units (rTU) from Haplorchis pumilio and H. taichui and demonstrates the use of 28S rDNA sequences for identification and phylogenetic analysis. Results: The near-complete ribosomal transcription units (rTU), consisting of 18S, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2 and 28S rRNA genes and spacers, from H. pumilio and H. taichui from human hosts in Vietnam, were determined and annotated. Sequence analysis revealed tandem repetitive elements in ITS1 in H. pumilio and in ITS2 in H. taichui. A phylogenetic tree inferred from 28S rDNA sequences of 40 trematode strains/species, including 14 Vietnamese heterophyid individuals, clearly confirmed the status of each of the Vietnamese species: Centrocestus formosanus, Haplorchis pumilio, H. taichui, H. yokogawai, Procerovum varium and Stellantchasmus falcatus. However, the family Heterophyidae was clearly not monophyletic, with some genera apparently allied with other families within the superfamily Opisthorchioidea (i. e. Cryptogonimidae and Opisthorchiidae). These families and their constituent genera require substantial re-evaluation using a combination of morphological and molecular data. Our new molecular data will assist in such studies. Conclusions: The 28S rDNA sequences are conserved among individuals within a species but varied between genera. Based on analysis of 40 28S rDNA sequences representing 19 species in the superfamily Opisthorchioidea and an outgroup taxon (Alaria alata, family Diplostomidae), six common human pathogenic heterophyids were identified and clearly resolved. The phylogenetic tree inferred from these sequences again confirmed anomalies in molecular placement of some members of the family Heterophyidae and demonstrates the need for reappraisal of the entire superfamily Opisthorchioidea. The new sequences provided here supplement those already available in public databases and add to the array of molecular tools that can be used for the diagnosis of heterophyid species in human and animal infections

Sustainability assessment of coastal ecosystems: DPSIR analysis for beaches at the Northeast Coast of Vietnam

The Northeastern coastal zone of Vietnam possesses high biodiversity and rich ecosystems like coral reefs, seagrasses, beaches and mangroves. It also includes the Ha Long Bay Natural Heritage site (UNESCO 1994) and the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve (MAB/UNESCO 2004) as well as hosts the Economic Development Triangle (Hai Phong-Ha Noi-Quang Ninh) established by the Government of Vietnam. As one of the coastal ecosystems, sandy beach ecosystems attracted more attention during recent decades because of their essential role for human welfare and in environmental protection. A few studies concentrated on sustainable management of sandy beach based on environmental and ecological protection and enhance the beach quality for recreational use. The DPSIR (Driving force Pressure State Impact Response) framework describes the logical interaction among systems and finds out the cause and consequence of social-economic development activities to the environment and resources. In this study, the DPSIR was applied on the sandy beaches in the Northeastern coast of Vietnam to reveal the main environmental problems on sandy beaches including the decline of the natural landscape around the beaches and the degradation of the environment. It also pointed out that tourism development in association with urbanization and sea reclamation is the main driving forces for environmental degradation of the sandy beaches. Therefore, local authorities of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh should take into account several main responses to policies on inter-province coordination and managerial measures with a wider scope, which integrate socio-economic and physical factors, proximity, accessibility, and neighborhood to manage healthy coastal ecosystems and sandy beaches in particular. An integrated coastal management program for the Northeastern coast of Vietnam needs to be developed and carried out to follow the laws of Vietnam as well as to meet local urgent requirements

Review of Literature of Faculty Motivation for Doing Research in Universities

Faculty research in the universities plays a very important role in the education and development of every country in the world. The purpose of this research is to review studies in this field, different approaches in studies, and fundamental theories used for studies. The results obtained from the literature review show that many scholars have conducted researches on the determinants influencing the faculty productivity to do research. Most of studies apply the theories of working motivation. However, not many scholars conduct research on the faculty motivation to do research. The final result of this research provides follow-up suggestions for studies of the motivation for conducting research on the side of lecturers, thereby guiding managers to enhance faculty motivation to do research. Keywords: Motivation, productivity, research, lecturer/faculty. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-20-10 Publication date:July 31st 201

CAUSE-EFFECT RELATIONS AND OPTIMIZATION OF TABLET CONTAINING EUCOMMIA ULMOIDES AND GARDENIA JASMINOIDES SPRAY-DRIED EXTRACTS

Objective: The E. ulmoides and G. jasminoides (EG) tablets containing 67 mg E. ulmoides spray-dried extract (ESE) and 173 mg G. jasminoides spray-dried extract (GSE) were prepared by employing the direct compression method. Due to the poor flowability and compressibility of the two spray-dried extracts, various excipients were added at different ratios so that the blends can be compressed into tablets with the required standards. This study aimed at the cause-effect relations and optimization of the EG tablet formulation.Methods: Different diluents including dibasic calcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA), silicified microcrystalline cellulose (SMCC), spray-dried lactose (SDL) and the active ingredients (blend of ESE and GSE at the ratio of 67:173, w/w) were separately investigated their own physical properties. The binary mixtures of the active ingredients with different ratios of DCPA, SMCC, and SDL were evaluated their flowability. D-optimal design based on three independent variables (% DCPA, % croscarmellose sodium (CCS) and % SMCC) was applied to evaluate the cause-effect relations and optimize the EG tablet formulation. The weight variation, disintegration time, hardness and friability were investigated as four dependent variables.Results: The flowability of the powders was found to be affected by the particle size distribution, particle shape and density. The three diluents could significantly improve the flowability of the active ingredients. All independent variables had significant effects on the dependent variables. An increase in % SMCC reduced the weight variation, hardness and increased the friability of tablets. Disintegration time was found to be in the negative relations with % CCS. The tablet hardness was in positive relations with % DCPA. The optimized EG tablet formulation composed of 9 % DCPA (w/w), 35 % SMCC (w/w), and 14 % CCS (w/w) of the excipient blend. The weight variation, disintegration time, hardness and friability of the optimized EG tablets were found to be 1.8 %, 11.7 min, 61.4 N, and 0.5 %, respectively.Conclusion: The ESE and GSE could be formulated into tablet by using direct compression method. The cause-effect relations and optimization of EG tablet formulation were studied and reported for the first time

Effects of guava (Psidium guajava L.) and bhumi amla (Phyllanthus amarus Chum et Thonn) extracts on haematological parameters and oxidative stress of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) fingerlings exposed to high-temperature stress

Effects of guava (Psidium guajava L.) and bhumi amla (Phyllanthus amarus Chum et Thonn) on haematology and thermal stress mitigation of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) were investigated. In a 42-day trial, fish were administered 4 diets as control (without extract), 0.2% P. guajava (Pg0.2), 0.5% P. amarus (Pa0.5), and a mixture of Pg0.2 and Pa0.5 (Mix). Fish were then subjected to temperatures of 27°C, 31°C, and 35°C for another 42 days. Haematological parameters were highest at 35°C, but these parameters were not significantly different from values recorded at 31°C on day 14 post-temperature challenge. The Pg0.2 diet modified red blood cells, haematocrit, and haemoglobin (p<0.05). The lowest glucose concentration was recorded in Pg0.2 (57.4±1.34 mg/100 mL) and Mix (58.9±1.87 mg/100 mL) groups after 14 days of thermal exposure. Glucose concentration surged on the third-day post-temperature challenge, then declined, and was maintained at 35°C until the end of the experiment which was not significant if compared to those at 27°C. Pg0.2 and Mix diets significantly reduced lipid peroxidation and enhanced catalase in gill and liver after 42 days. In the case average water temperature in the Mekong Delta remains below 35°C, the feeding diets for P. hypophthalmus administered Pg0.2 or..