Effect of thickness of polyethylene packaging and temperature on quality of solar-dried oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju)

Pleurotus sajor-caju is evaluated as an edible fungi with high nutritional and medicinal value, but fresh mushrooms are easily damaged after harvest due to many reasons. Drying methods can be taken to maintain mushroom quality, reduce losses and prolong postharvest storage time. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of polyethylene (PE) packaging thickness (91.70 µm; 81.30 µm and 53.50 µm), temperature (28 oC-30 oC and 3 oC-5 oC) (with air humidity of 60-62% and 76-78% respectively), to the quality of oyster mushrooms dried by solar energy, during storage. During the storage period, the total sugar and protein contents of all treatments decreased. Besides, the colour (through the difference in lightness and darkness (?L) value) and firmness of the solar-dried oyster mushrooms also decreased, so, oyster mushrooms were darkened and softened. After 6 months, the lowest protein, total sugar and lipid loss was found in PE packaging of 91.70 µm thickness at storage temperature of 3 oC-5 oC. In addition, the water activity of dried mushrooms was lower (less than 0.7), so it ensures microbiological safety

Magnetic anomalies in the spin chain system, Sr3_3Cu1−x_{1-x}Znx_xIrO6_6

We report the results of ac and dc magnetization (M) and heat-capacity (C) measurements on the solid solution, Sr$_3$Cu$_{1-x}$Zn$_x$IrO$_6$. While the Zn end member is known to form in a rhombohedral pseudo one-dimensional K$_4$CdCl$_6$ structure with an antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of (T$_N$ =) 19 K, the Cu end member has been reported to form in a monoclinically distorted form with a Curie temperature of (T$_C$ =) 19 K. The magnetism of the Zn compound is found to be robust to synthetic conditions and is broadly consistent with the behavior known in the literature. However, we find a lower magnetic ordering temperature (T$_o$) for our Cu compound (~ 13 K), thereby suggesting that T$_o$ is sensitive to synthetic conditions. The Cu sample appears to be in a spin-glass-like state at low temperatures, judged by a frequency dependence of ac magnetic susceptibility and a broadening of the C anomaly at the onset of magnetic ordering, in sharp contrast to earlier proposals. Small applications of magnetic field, however, drive this system to ferromagnetism as inferred from the M data. Small substitutions for Cu/Zn (x = 0.75 or 0.25) significantly depress magnetic ordering; in other words, T$_o$ varies non-monotonically with x (T$_o$ ~ 6, 3 and 4 K for x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.67 respectively). The plot of inverse susceptibility versus temperature is non-linear in the paramagnetic state as if correlations within (or among) the magnetic chains continuously vary with temperature. The results establishComment: 7 pages, 7 figures, Revte

Magnetic frustration in a stoichiometric spin-chain compound, Ca3_3CoIrO6_6

The temperature dependent ac and dc magnetization and heat capacity data of Ca$_3$CoIrO$_6$, a spin-chain compound crystallizing in a K$_4$CdCl$_6$-derived rhombohedral structure, show the features due to magnetic ordering of a frustrated-type below about 30 K, however without exhibiting the signatures of the so-called "partially disordered antiferromagnetic structure" encountered in the isostructural compounds, Ca$_3$Co$_2$O$_6$ and Ca$_3$CoRhO$_6$. This class of compounds thus provides a variety for probing the consequences of magnetic frustration due to topological reasons in stoichiometric spin-chain materials, presumably arising from subtle differences in the interchain and intrachain magnetic coupling strengths. This compound presents additional interesting situations in the sense that, ac susceptibility exhibits a large frequency dependence in the vicinity of 30 K uncharacteristic of conventional spin-glasses, with this frustrated magnetic state being robust to the application of external magnetic fields.Comment: Physical Review (Rapid Communications), in pres

Program Management Integrated with Data and Decision Sciences

Program management (PM) complexity depends on the budget size and program types. In general, the program types can be classified into three categories, namely, defense, commercial, and civilian types. This chapter presents and discusses an approach for integrating the PM discipline areas with emerging data science and decision science1 (DDS) for any program type. Additionally, we describe the key PM areas and present a corresponding generalized model consists of a list of multiple PM discipline areas that can be tailored for any program types. To demonstrate the PM-DDS integration approach, we focus on three key PM areas and corresponding PM discipline areas related to schedule, cost, and risk management. These three discipline areas are analyzed to identify appropriate program elements that can be enhanced using existing DDS technology enablers (TEs). We also propose a flexible PM-DSS integration framework by leveraging existing machine learning operations (MLOps) framework. The proposed integration framework is expected to allow for enhancing the program planning and execution by reducing the program risk using a wide range of DDS TEs, including big data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, and artificial intelligent

Effectiveness of cervical pessary compared to cervical cerclage with or without vaginal progesterone for the prevention of preterm birth in women with twin pregnancies and a short cervix : Study protocol for a two-by-two factorial randomised clinical trial

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Systematic risk at the industry level: A case study of Australia

The cornerstone of the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) lies with its beta. The question of whether or not beta is dead has attracted great attention from academics and practitioners in the last 50 years or so, and the debate is still ongoing. Many empirical studies have been conducted to test the validity of beta within the framework of CAPM. However, it is a claim of this paper that beta at the industry level has been largely ignored in the current literature. This study is conducted to examine if beta, proxied for a systematic risk, should be considered valid in the application of the CAPM at the industry level for Australia using daily data on 2200 stocks listed on the Australian Securities Exchange from January 2007 to 31 December 2016. Various portfolio formations are utilized in this paper. General economic conditions such as interest rate, inflation, and GDP are examples of systematic risk. Findings from this study indicate that the selection of portfolio construction, estimation technique, and news about economic conditions significantly affects the view whether or not beta should be considered as a valid measure of systematic risk

Encouraging Dialogue around Social Issues with Latinx Students Through Literature Discussion and Culturally Relevant Literature

This teacher research study examines literature discussions with fourth and fifth grade Latinx students about books that reflect Latinx experiences. For this study, the following questions are explored (1) What social issues do students discuss in literature groups? (2) How do literary response strategies influence student dialogue? And (3) How does my theoretical frame influence my decision making as a teacher? Theories that informed the construction of the literature discussions and the decision making occurring throughout the study are examined closely. The theories intertwine and bridge education and students’ experiences as a resource in learning more about the educational setting. In this study, the discussions of students and the literature response strategies are explored as the data is analyzed to examine the student discussions around issues of immigration, family separation, borders, and so much more. The findings in this study indicate that the experiences of Latinx students are integral to the educational setting and an education that invites who they are enhances their learning experiences. Latinx students are eager for learning opportunities that invite their voices and stories. It is through the construction and assessment of the educational setting that educators can promote culturally responsive, relevant, and sustaining teaching experiences that go beyond the classroom setting. Latinx students build relationships with each other and their teachers as they engage in discussions that allow them to share and learn with each other. This study is a reminder of the crucial role teachers play in creating such powerful spaces and the value that Latinx students bring into the classroom when invited to discuss, engage, and create powerful learning experiences

Long range magnetic ordering in a spin-chain compound, Ca3_3CuMnO6_6, with multiple bond distances

The results of ac and dc magnetization and heat capacity measurements as a function of temperature (T = 1.8 to 300 K) are reported for a quasi-one-dimensional compound, Ca$_3$CuMnO$_6$, crystallizing in a triclinically distorted K$_4$CdCl$_6$-type structure. The results reveal that this compound undergoes antiferromagnetic ordering close to 5.5 K. In addition, there is another magnetic transition below 3.6 K. Existence of two long-range magnetic transitions is uncommon among quasi-one-dimensional systems. It is interesting to note that both the magnetic transitions are of long-range type, instead of spin-glass type, in spite of the fact that the Cu-O and Mn-O bond distances are multiplied due to this crystallographic distortion. In view of this, this compound could serve as a nice example for studying "order-in-disorder" phenomena.Comment: Physical Review (in press

FACTORS AFFECTING ECOTOURISM LOYALTY WITH THE MODERATING ROLE OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE - EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE IN VIETNAM

Today, ecotourism has become more common and attractive for tourists who love to explore nature and experience the cultural heritage. In the 4.0 age of technology, social networking not only helps visitors find suitable destinations to visit easily but also provides visitors with a place to leave comments or reviews after the trips. This study aims to qualify the relationships between electronic-worth-of-mouth (eWOM), social influence (SI), destination image (DI), tourist satisfaction (SAT), and ecotourism loyalty (EL). The study applied the PLS-SEM model to estimate 499 observations at ecotourism sites in Vietnam as empirical evidence. The research results show that all the factors in the research model have positive and significant effects on EL. In particular, DI and SAT, directly and indirectly, affect EL; while eWOM and SI only have direct effects on EL. Additionally, it was found that the effect of eWOM on EL increased with the moderating role of SI

Some properties of the Alday-Maldacena minimum

The Alday-Maldacena solution, relevant to the n=4 gluon amplitude in N=4 SYM at strong coupling, was recently identified as a minimum of the regularized action in the moduli space of solutions of the AdS_5 sigma-model equations of motion. Analogous solutions of the Nambu-Goto equations for the n=4 case are presented and shown to form (modulo the reparametrization group) an equally large but different moduli space, with the Alday-Maldacena solution at the intersection of the sigma-model and Nambu-Goto moduli spaces. We comment upon the possible form of the regularized action for n=5. A function of moduli parameters z_a is written, whose minimum reproduces the BDDK one-loop five-gluon amplitude. This function may thus be considered as some kind of Legendre transform of the BDDK formula and has its own value independently of the Alday-Maldacena approach.Comment: 10 page