Functional Group Analysis of Hybrid Polyurethane Foam Derived from Waste Cooking Oil

Annually, a staggering three billion gallons of Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) are generated globally. To foster a health-conscious lifestyle and champion the creation of an unpolluted environment, effective WCO management is imperative. The repetitive utilization of WCO for cooking purposes yields detrimental effects on human health and diminishes overall productivity. This research delves into the fundamental characteristics of bio-based polyurethane (bio-PU), derived from discarded sunflower and palm oils. The findings are juxtaposed with those of non-biodegradable commercially available Polyurethane (PU). Through a process of addition polymerization conducted at room temperature, samples of PU foam are created. Specifically, 2.5 ml, 5 ml, and 7.5 ml of sunflower and palm oil are amalgamated with 5 ml of polyol and an equivalent amount of isocyanate. The vibrational attributes of amino acids and cofactors, which exhibit sensitivity to subtle structural alterations, are closely examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). This technique, despite its lack of pinpoint precision, permits direct exploration of the vibrational properties of numerous cofactors, amino acid side chains, and water molecules. The presence of Polyurethane and its associated functional groups in the synthesized samples is verified through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. To ascertain Temperature ranges for primary phases of thermal degradation, discernible chemical bands within foams—comprising both recognized and unfamiliar compounds with distinct groupings—are evaluated. Emphasis is placed on identifying the peak release rates of particular chemical compounds (namely, CO2, -NCO, H2O, and C=O)

Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic on Global Agriculture, Livelihoods and Food Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic is brutally hitting many countries in the world. Immense consequences on food, health, and livelihoods are dreaded. The agricultural sector is a crucial part of the developing economy and provides livelihood to a large section of the people. Therefore, the disruption in agriculture and food systems will have significant impacts. This paper performs an inclusive assessment of the effect of COVID-19 on agriculture and food systems in the major part of the countries. A detailed discussion on reports, scientific publications, press releases, and organizational statements are reviewed. This review addresses and highlights COVID- 19 direct impacts in the food systems, market access for agricultural commodities, food and nutritional security, labour availability and migration, farm systems restore, inputs and outputs integration, the importance of IT in agriculture and lesson learning from these effects. In addition, this paper suggests coping and mitigation mechanisms that could be useful to improve and sustain livelihoods. Furthermore, this collective review is helpful to investigators, Government organizations, agricultural departments, and policymakers to expedite an effective response against the Covid-19 pandemic. Keywords: Agriculture, Livelihoods, Food system, Covid-19 *:Corresponding authors: [email protected] [email protected]

An Analysis of Organic Fresh Produce Choice: A Consumer Preference Study in the Mid-Atlantic USA

Global sales of organic food and drink reached $80 billion in 2014, a more than four-fold market expansion since 2000 ($18 billion in organic sales). Demand for organic products is concentrated in North America and Europe, which create 96% of global revenues. Organic production expanded during the 1980s, with different certifiers developing their own standards and certification processes. Since that time, the industry has grown from experimental garden plots to large farms with surplus products sold under a special organic label. In the United States, sales of organic products topped $35 billion (USD) in 2013 (an increase of 11.5% from 2012) and grew by more than 11% in 2015. Market development in this area could enhance both the net profits and the sustainability of small farms by serving the organic niche market. This study profiles a typical organic consumer in the mid-Atlantic United States. An online survey was conducted to capture organic consumers’ interests in and expectations of organic fruits and vegetables. Data were collected through an online survey of 1,100 participants who were pre-screened and whose identities were checked from a selection of 5,191 candidates provided by a private online survey company. We developed a multinomial logit model to predict organic consumers’ choice of fresh fruits and vegetables. The seven most important fruits and vegetables were identified for this study, the rest were included in the “other” category. The choice of “other” fruits and vegetables has been left out of the regression as the base case. Results show that consumers who think that organic food tastes better and consumers who are college graduates are more likely to choose bananas compared to other fruits and vegetables. Respondents who are concerned about freshness, provide support to local farmers, have a two-year college degree, and are Caucasian are more likely to choose carrots. Those who provide support to local farmers and who have an education above high school are more likely to choose lettuce. Respondents with a two-year college degree are more likely to choose strawberries, while those who prefer organic wine are more likely to choose apples. Caucasians are more likely to choose tomatoes but less likely to choose spinach. Those living in urban areas are less likely to choose spinach. Producers of organic fruits and vegetables can target customers for sales based on their demographics and their preferences

Willingness to Pay a High-Premium for Organic Produce: An Econometric Analysis

U.S. consumer demand for organically produced goods has grown continuously since the USDA established national standards for organic production and processing in 2002 (www.USDA.gov). Organic food sales have increased from approximately $11 billion in 2004 to an estimated$35.9 billion in 2015. As previous literature suggests, a large portion of consumers view organics favorably, but very few routinely choose to buy organic food over conventional food. It is assumed that this is due to—among other things— socioeconomic disparities. The objective of this paper is to predict the characteristics of consumers who are willing to pay high premiums for organic produce in the mid-Atlantic United States. In the context of this paper, a high premium is defined as at least 16% more for organic fruits and vegetables compared to conventional produce. Data were collected from 1,100 consumers using a private online survey company. A logit model was developed to predict which consumers are more likely to pay a high premium for organic produce. Results indicate that the overall model is highly significant, with a correct prediction rate of 71%. Those who have a graduate degree and an annual income above $100,000 are more likely to pay high premiums. Moreover, those who use food advertisements, certified organic labels, and natural labels to purchase produce are more likely to pay high premiums. Caucasians are more likely to pay high premiums, as are those who frequently buy at farm direct markets. As expected, consumers who think that organic food tastes better than conventional food and those who switch supermarkets to buy organic produce are more likely to pay high premiums. Those who want to buy organic jam, jelly, marmalade, juices, sauces, and dried chips are more likely to pay a high premium for organic produce. Those who regularly shop at more than one food store are less likely to pay a high premium. The model indicates that those who are influenced by the naturally grown label and prefer conventionally grown but local produce are less likely to pay high premiums. Those who consider buying organic food to be a waste of money are less likely to pay a high premium for organic fresh fruits and vegetables. Producers of organic vegetables and fruits can target customers with these specific traits to enhance their profitability

Polymorphisms in DNA repair and multidrug resistance genes among Sindhis of Central India

Polymorphisms in DNA repair and multidrug resistance genes might contribute to interindividual and interethnic differences in DNA repair capacity and drug disposition respectively. In the present study, we determined the allele and genotype frequencies of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the DNA repair genes, XRCC1, XRCC3, XPD, OGG1, namely XRCC1 Arg399Gln, XRCC3 Thr241Met, XPD Lys751Gln, and OGG1 Ser326Cys, respectively and two SNPs located in the multidrug resistance gene, ABCB1, namely ABCB1 C3435T and ABCB1 C1236T, in 33–35 healthy and unrelated Sindhi individuals, residing in the Vidarbha region of Central India and compared them with the Maharashtrian population from the same geographical region and some other HapMap populations from the HapMap database. The study findings reveal that the Indian Sindhis are closely related to the Maharashtrians as well as Utah residents with Northern and Western European ancestry and Gujarati Indians in Houston, Texas in the HapMap database