Partisan Federalism and Subnational Governments' International Engagements: Insights from India

This article situates the international activities of subnational governments in India within the broader political economy of federalism. It argues that the nature and the extent of subnational states’ engagements in international affairs are a function of the partisan political relationship the state incumbents have with the national incumbents. The article takes a mixed methods approach. An analysis of 1,153 episodes of international engagements of India’s states from 1996 to 2017 reveals that shifts in foreign policy engagement of selected state governments primarily reflect alterations in the subnational incumbents’ political affiliation with the Union government. Several qualitative case studies shed light on how the central government’s inclusion of subnational governments’ perspectives and representatives in foreign affairs is highly partisan and profoundly political. Therefore, the Indian case reveals how subnational diplomatic interactions merge domestic and international politics

Essential Oils As Additives In Active Food Packaging

Food packaging can be considered as a passive barrier that protects food from environmental factors such as ultraviolet light, oxygen, water vapour, pressure and heat. It also prolongs the shelf-life of food by protecting from chemical and microbiological contaminants and enables foods to be transported and stored safely. Active packaging (AP) provides the opportunity for interaction between the external environment and food, resulting in extended shelf-life of food. Chemoactive packaging has an impact on the chemical composition of the food product. The application of natural additive such as essential oils in active packaging can be used in the forms of films and coatings. It has been observed that, AP helps to maintain temperature, moisture level and microbial and quality control of the food. This review article provides an overview of the active packaging incorporated with essential oils, concerns and challenges in industry, and the effect of essential oil on the packaging microstructure, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties

Development of Essential Oil Incorporated Active Film Based on Biodegradable Blends of Poly (Lactide)/Poly (Butylene Adipate‑co‑Terephthalate) for Food Packaging Application

Active packaging improves food safety and quality with the incorporation of certain additives such as antimicrobial agents. The PLA/PBAT films were prepared with two essential oils—eucalyptus oil and cinnamon oil of various concentrations (1%, 5%, and 10% w/w) and characterized their optical and mechanical properties, surface hydrophobicity, chemical composition, and antimicrobial activity. Cinnamon oil composite films were observed as thicker films (88.88 µm) than the eucalyptus oil films (54.46 µm). The highest UV-blocking properties were observed in cinnamon oil films. However, transparency and tensile properties of the cinnamon oil films decreases as the concentration increases. The tensile strength of the eucalyptus oil film decreased by 17%, while for cinnamon by 42%. The cinnamon oil (10% w/w) film showed ≈ 5% higher biofilm inhibition than eucalyptus oil (10% w/w). The PLA/PBAT–cinnamon oil films with potent antimicrobial and UV-blocking properties can be used in food packaging to improve the quality and increase the shelf-life of foods

Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Biodegradable Active Packaging Enriched with Clove and Thyme Essential Oil for Food Packaging Application

Bioactive packaging contains natural antimicrobial agents, which inhibit the growth of microorganisms and increase the food shelf life. Solvent casting method was used to prepare the Poly (lactide)-Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PLA-PBAT) film incorporated with the thyme oil and clove oil in various concentrations (1 wt%, 5 wt% and 10 wt%). The clove oil composite films depicted less green and more yellow as compared to thyme oil composite films. Clove oil composite film has shown an 80% increase in the UV blocking efficiency. The tensile strength (TS) of thyme oil and clove oil composite film decreases from 1.35 MPs (control film) to 0.96 MPa and 0.79, respectively. A complete killing of S. aureus that is a reduction from 6.5 log CFU/mL to 0 log CFU/mL was observed on the 10 wt% clove oil incorporated composite film. Clove oil and thyme oil composite film had inhibited E. coli biofilm by 93.43% and 82.30%, respectively. Clove oil composite film had exhibited UV blocking properties, strong antimicrobial activity and has high potential to be used as an active food packagin

An Investigation of Flight Deck Data Link in the Terminal Area

The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and Europe's Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) concepts require an increased use of trajectory-based operations, including extensive strategic air traffic control clearances. The clearances are lengthy and complex, which necessitate data link communications to allow for message permanence and integration into the autoflight systems (i.e., autoload capability). This paper examines the use of flight deck data link communications for strategic and tactical clearance usage in the terminal area. A human-in-the-loop simulation was conducted using a high-fidelity flight deck simulator, with ten commercial flight crews as participants. Data were collected from six flight scenarios in the San Francisco terminal airspace. The variables of interest were ATC message modality (voice v. data link), temporal quality of the message (tactical v. strategic) and message length. Dependent variables were message response times, communication clarifications, communication-related errors, and pilot workload. Response time results were longer in data link compared to voice, a finding that has been consistently revealed in a number of other simulations [1]. In addition, strategic clearances and longer messages resulted in a greater number of clarifications and errors, suggesting an increase in uncertainty of message interpretation for the flight crews when compared to tactical clearances. The implications for strategic and compound clearance usage in NextGen and SESAR are discusse

Flight-Deck Strategies and Outcomes When Flying Schedule-Matching Descents

Recent studies at NASA Ames Research Center have investigated the development and use of ground-based (air traffic controller) tools to manage and schedule air traffic in future terminal airspace. An exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the impacts that such tools (and concepts) could have on the flight-deck. Ten Boeing 747-400 crews flew eight optimized profile descents in the Los Angeles terminal airspace, while receiving scripted current day and futuristic speed clearances, to ascertain their ability to fly schedulematching descents without prior training. Although the study was exploratory in nature, four variables were manipulated: route constraints, winds, speed changes, and clearance phraseology. Despite flying the same scenarios with the same events and timing, there were significant differences in the time it took crews to fly the approaches. This variation is the product of a number of factors but highlights potential difficulties for scheduling tools that would have to accommodate this amount of natural variation in descent times. The focus of this paper is the examination of the crews' aircraft management strategies and outcomes. This includes potentially problematic human-automation interaction issues that may negatively impact arrival times, speed and altitude constraint compliance, and energy management efficiency

Novice Lifters Exhibit A More Kyphotic Lifting Posture Than Experienced Lifters In Straight-Leg Lifting

As torso flexion and repetitive lifting are known risk factors for low back pain and injury, it is important to investigate lifting techniques that might reduce injury during repetitive lifting. By normalizing lumbar posture to a subject’s range of motion (ROM), as a function of torso flexion, this research examined when subjects approached their range of motion limits during dynamic lifting tasks. For this study, it was hypothesized that experienced lifters would maintain a more neutral lumbar angle relative to their range of motion, while novice lifters would approach the limits of their lumbar ROM during the extension phase of a straight-leg lift. The results show a statistically significant difference in lifting patterns for these two groups supporting this hypothesis. The novice group maintained a much more kyphotic lumbar angle for both the flexion (74% of the lumbar angle ROM) and extension phases (86% of the lumbar angle ROM) of the lifting cycle, while the experienced group retained a more neutral curvature throughout the entire lifting cycle (37% of lumbar angle ROM in flexion and 48% of lumbar angle ROM in extension). By approaching the limits of their range of motion, the novice lifters could be at greater risk of injury by placing greater loads on the supporting soft tissues of the spine. Future research should examine whether training subjects to assume more neutral postures during lifting could indeed lower injury risks

Researching the transferability of mathematical skil

Science students are required to use mathematics, at various levels, in all their science subjects. Certain mathematical skills are essential for success as an undergraduate student, and in the student’s future career. An ability to transfer the skills learned in mathematics to other disciplines is expected of both undergraduates and graduates. It is important to discover therefore, whether or not students have this ability. An instrument was developed to test the transferability of mathematical concepts across various scientific disciplines. The instrument consists of mathematical problems set in various scenarios. The instrument was trialled with mathematics, microbiology and physics students from higher years. First year students from the different disciplines will be tested using the instrument once it has been refined using the results from the trials. Results of the trial with students from higher years are presented. The research methodology and the process of developing a useful instrument are discussed. The results of this research will have an impact on curriculum design and the teaching and learning of mathematics, both within mathematics and other scientific disciplines