Eco-friendly food packaging : young consumers’ perceptions & practices / Norsyamira Shahrin ... [et al.]

Despite efforts done by the government which imposes “No Plastic Bag” campaign and a ban on polystyrene foam to pack food, small food businesses, food hawkers and campus cafeteria still fail to play their part fully in this exertion. They continue to sell their foods and drinks using non-biodegradable packaging and likewise, consumer still willingly buys them even though they pose hazard to health and environment. Being a young consumer, university student belongs to a huge group that often buys and consumes takeout food. This research focuses on eco-friendly food packaging based on the perception and the practice of young consumers, in this case the undergraduates of Mara University of Technology (Pulau Pinang) Permatang Pauh Campus. A set of questionnaire was constructed and distributed to 315 respondents using convenient sampling. The collected data were analyzed with simple descriptive statistic of frequency, mean and standard deviation. The result of this study demonstrates that most of the respondents are aware on the subject of ecofriendly food packaging and they are influenced by the factors of advertisement, family and peers. Majority of them also agree that the university should propose some alternative to control and reduce non-biodegradable foods and drinks packaging with the intention to encourage undergraduates to practice the use of eco-friendly food packaging. Despite agreeing that eco-friendly food packaging is important, it is found that the respondents do not actually use or fully practice using ecofriendly food packaging. Majority of them rely on the food sellers to provide the packaging for the food they bought in which most of the sellers apply the conventional food packaging method. Looking into this issue, this situation can be considered disconcertin

Making it green : the food packaging perceptions and practices of young consumers / Norsyamira Shahrin ... [et al.]

Food handler still fails to play their part even when the government imposes “No Plastic Bag” campaign and a ban on polystyrene foam to pack foods. This research focuses on eco-friendly food packaging based on the perception and practice of young consumers, especially the undergraduates of Mara University of Technology Penang Campus (UiTMPP). Questionnaire was constructed and distributed to 315 respondents. The collected data were analyzed with simple descriptive statistic of frequency, mean and standard deviation. Most of the respondents are aware on eco-friendlyfood packaging. They agreed that the university should propose some alternative to control and reduce non-biodegradable foods packaging

Development of immobilised bioanode for microbial fuel cell

The efficiency of Microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance is based on how well the electron is transferred and finally turned into electrical power in a complete electrical circuit. However, MFC power capacity is still very low compare to similar conceptual fuel cell and one of the major reasons is due to high internal resistance imposed by macro-environment of an MFC. In the present research, the objectives were to develop bio-based anode and its usage in the MFC for power production. The power production was compared using free cells in MFC. The bioanode was developed by mixing cells solution and graphite granules overnight before adding alginate and subjected to homogenisation. The mixture was then immobilised using entrapment method to obtained uniform beads. Initial study was conducted using glucose as fuel and both open circuit voltage (OCV) and closed circuit voltage (CCV) were evaluated using MFC. Results show OCV increased gradually and still increased after 6 h of operation compared to free cells. In CCV profile for free cells show a decrease in voltage generated but then rapidly increased which indicates a 'power-overshoot' phenomenon which was not observe on immobilised based bioanode MFC. The maximum OCV was 2-fold higher for immobilised based bioanode compared to free cells. In conclusion, the immobilised based anode or bio-anode produced was proved viable for MFC application

Students’ perceptions of learning object for 3D character modelling lesson

Lecturers have to spend a lot of time to teach their students on the proper techniques of designing and modelling of 3D characters It is almost impossible for lecturers to cover everything in the class due to the complexities and time-consuming of the procedures and steps. Thus, students have to continue and complete the tasks on their own outside class hours without lecturer’s supervision.Outside the class, students still require some form of instructions that are able to provide them step-by step procedures of designing and modelling of 3D characters.The instructions must be easy to follow, step-by-step, readily accessible anywhere and anytime. Learning object (LO) is any entity that may be used for learning, education and training.It leads education with the instructional technology towards more effective instructional design, development and delivery of learning content. It provides a new paradigm in the way people teach and learn.In this study, LO has been used for developing students’ 3D design and modelling skills.This paper reports on a perception study among a class of digital arts students of Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Polytechnic in Perlis, towards the use of LO in 3D Character Modelling lesson. The purpose of this LO is to help students by providing guidance for them to do their assignments and also to enhance and improve their 3D design and modelling skills.An evaluation on the use of the 3D Character Modelling LO was conducted among 30 students.The results indicate that the students agreed on the Learnablity, Usefulness, Ease of Use, Functionality and Effectiveness, Satisfaction and Outcome/Future Use of the LO.The potential use of 3D Character Modelling LO for teaching and learning is discussed at the end of this paper

Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background The effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at risk for disease progression are not well understood. The EMPA-KIDNEY trial was designed to assess the effects of treatment with empagliflozin in a broad range of such patients. Methods We enrolled patients with chronic kidney disease who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 20 but less than 45 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area, or who had an eGFR of at least 45 but less than 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams) of at least 200. Patients were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or matching placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of progression of kidney disease (defined as end-stage kidney disease, a sustained decrease in eGFR to < 10 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), a sustained decrease in eGFR of & GE;40% from baseline, or death from renal causes) or death from cardiovascular causes. Results A total of 6609 patients underwent randomization. During a median of 2.0 years of follow-up, progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes occurred in 432 of 3304 patients (13.1%) in the empagliflozin group and in 558 of 3305 patients (16.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.82; P < 0.001). Results were consistent among patients with or without diabetes and across subgroups defined according to eGFR ranges. The rate of hospitalization from any cause was lower in the empagliflozin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.95; P=0.003), but there were no significant between-group differences with respect to the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes (which occurred in 4.0% in the empagliflozin group and 4.6% in the placebo group) or death from any cause (in 4.5% and 5.1%, respectively). The rates of serious adverse events were similar in the two groups. Conclusions Among a wide range of patients with chronic kidney disease who were at risk for disease progression, empagliflozin therapy led to a lower risk of progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes than placebo

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially