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Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) are among the pathogens detected during Hajj pilgrimage known to cause pneumonia. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of activated carbon cloth (ACC) with Ag⁺ impregnated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) against these pathogens.

ZnO NPs were impregnated into ACC-Ag⁺ via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the fine surface morphological details of the ACC-Ag⁺-ZnO sheets. Antibacterial activity of the ACC-Ag⁺-ZnO sheets was evaluated using the disk-diffusion susceptibility assay. Allergy patch test was done to evaluate allergic reactions of the ACC-Ag⁺-ZnO sheets on human skin.

SEM micrographs showed successful impregnation of ZnO NPs into the ACC-Ag⁺ sheets. Disk-diffusion susceptibility assay results of ACC-Ag⁺-ZnO sheets against S. aureus, K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae showed good antibacterial activity; with 1.82 ± 0.13 mm zone of inhibition for S. pneumoniae, at a ZnO concentration of 0.78 mg mL^-1. No signs of human skin irritation were observed throughout the allergy patch test.

Results indicate that ACC-Ag⁺-ZnO sheets could potentially be embedded within surgical face masks (pilgrims’ preferred) to reduce the risks involved with the transmission of respiratory tract infections during and after mass gatherings (e.g. Hajj/Umrah, Olympics).

The division between town and country in most areas of the world is marked and shows little evidence of any closer association, but in this country recent history with its wide economic changes has made the division less deep than in times past, but still within living memory. Time was when country folk were almost a distinct breed, living under conditions for the most part primitive.

Medical textile is one aspect of technical textiles and it is classified according to performance and functional properties for hygienic and healthcare products. Seaweeds have curative powers for curing most degenerative diseases. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The present study focusses on the extraction of dyes from five seaweeds such as Ulva reticulata, Ulva lactuca, Sargassum wightii, Padina tetrastomatica and Acanthophora spicefera. The presence of bioactive compounds, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of dye extracted from seaweeds was analysed. The dye extracted from green seaweed was applied on cotton fabric to obtain antimicrobial and other properties used to make non- implantable materials.

A maximum antioxidant inhibition percentage of 86.48+2.84 and a maximum antibacterial activity of 27 mm inhibition zone were obtained on the fabric treated with the dye extract from the Ulva lactuca seaweed. The physical properties such as tensile strength and tearing strength did not show much significant difference in untreated and treated fabric. The air permeability, water absorbency and wicking behaviour of treated fabric were reduced compared with untreated fabric. The washing and rubbing properties of treated fabric were very good after repeated washing.

This bioactive fabric has been used for non-implantable materials such as wound healing, face mask, surgical gowns and hygienic textiles in recent years.

In a Northern city, which claims to have more than 12,000 Commonwealth immigrants, mostly of Asian origin—Pakistanis and Indians, an increasing number of whom have been joined by their wives and families, there was instituted in 1965 a routine examination of their children before school entry, later extended to children of immigrant origin already in the schools. This examination extended to haemoglobin estimation, tuberculin‐testing and, equally important, examination of the stools for pathogens and parasitic ova. 419 entrants were examined in the first half of 1965 and 898 pupils. Parental co‐operation must have been excellent, as parents all agreed, without exception, to the special examination, although to some extent, there might have been considered legal authority in the current School Health Service (Medical Inspection) Regulations made under the Education Act, 1944. We are not aware of any report of intestinal pathogens, but helminth infestations were reported (Archer D. M., Bamford F. N., and Lees E., Helminth Infestations in Immigrant Children, 1965, Brit. Med. J., 2, 1517), from which it appears 18·6% carried five types of worm, of which the commonest was hookworm. It would be fair to assume that helminth infestation, indicating as it does, exposure to food infections, water‐borne disease and environment generally, is an index of gastro‐intestinal infection and the presence of pathogens, including the carrier state.

The purpose of this study is to compare the evolution of self-reported milk allergy in children and adults within the population of Fez-Meknes region, as well as to investigate the consumption of milk and its correlation to milk allergy.

It is a cross-sectional study conducted in Fez-Meknes region between April 2014 and March 2015 basing on a questionnaire completed by 3,068 children and 1,281 adults.

The results showed that food allergy was more reported among children (29.4 per cent) than adults (16.9 per cent). Milk allergy was reported by 5.3 per cent of children and 4.2 per cent of adults. Children reported mostly cutaneous manifestations (64.8 per cent) while adults reported mostly gastrointestinal manifestations (68.5 per cent). The consumption of milk showed a protective effect against the development of milk allergy (p < 0.001).

The consumption of milk was associated significantly with a low rate of milk allergy, especially in adults. However, the pasteurization of milk seemed to be correlated to increase milk sensitivity.

The growing range of EEC Directives and Regulations for food products, some of which have never been subject to statutory control in this country, with compositional standards, and in particular, prescribed methods of analysis — something which has not featured in the food legislative policies here — must be causing enforcement authorities and food processors to think seriously, if as yet not furiously. Some of the prescribed methods of analysis are likely to be less adaptable to modern processing methods of foods and as Directives seem to be requiring more routine testing, there is the matter of cost. Directive requirements are to some extent negotiable — the EEC Commission allow for regional differences, e.g., in milk and bread — but it has to be remembered that EEC Regulations bind Member‐states from the date of notification by the Commission, over‐riding the national law. Although not so frequently used for food legislation, they constitute one of the losses of sovereign power, paraded by the anti‐market lobby. Regulations contain usual clauses that they “shall enter into force on the day following publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities” and that they “shall be binding in their entirety and directly applicable in all Member States”.

This paper aims to offer insights into the impact of digitization technology on consumer goods manufacturers and retail organizations. The authors propose that the “next phase” of digitization will entail the employment of digitization technology to offer consumers personalized product offerings and recommendations based on their internal biomarkers.

The authors draw on past investigations into digitization and their retailing experience to speculate on how the next phase of digitization will affect both consumer goods manufacturers and retailers.

The next phase of digitization will entail the use of nutrigenomics (DNA sequencing), exhaled breath analysis, fitness tracker devices, sensory patches, radio frequency identification tags and quantum ID tags to create customized and recommend products, and support product-to-customer communication regarding authenticity.

Consumers will increasingly rely on technology to inform them of their bodily needs and to receive personalized solutions to help satisfy those needs. Consumer behavior theories must be reconsidered because consumers will become more passive participants in retail consumption as they rely on technology for need-recognition and product-fulfillment.

Digitization technologies that use consumers’ biomarkers for new product creation or product recommendation raise new risks and uncertainty. For example, the legal implications of an incorrect product recommendation based on customer biomarkers are unknown. Furthermore, retailers would need to maintain data privacy of biomarker data and be responsible for data breaches.

The research explores how digitization will affect consumers’ in-store experiences with consumer goods products.

Viewing the last dying embers of 1984, the Orwel‐lian year of Big Brother and some of its not‐so‐far off the mark predictions, the unemployment which one cannot help feeling is more apparent than real, it is hardly surprising that the subject of Poverty or the so‐called Poverty arise. The real poverty of undernourished children, soup kitchens, children suffering at Christmas, hungry children ravenously consuming free school meals has not, even now, returned.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of heating and pepsin hydrolysis on the allergenicity of purified cow’s milk ß-lactoglobulin using individual sera from Moroccan population.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in Hospitals of Fez-Meknes region, to evaluate specific IgE to raw cow milk, as well as to heated and pepsin-hydrolyzed β-lactoglobulin.

Results showed that 6.6 per cent of studied patients presented high values of serial IgE. The effect of treatments on the allergenicity of ß-lactoglobulin showed that heating at 90°C and pepsin hydrolysis, for 1 h each, showed an important decrease in the recognition of human IgE with a maximum of reduction of 81 and 91 per cent, respectively.

This reduction of immunoreactivity of human IgE to treated ß-lactoglobulin suggested that this Moroccan population recognized mostly conformational epitopes.

This paper aims to develop a new method of protein detection in fabric using purified henna extract targeted to be used as a precautionary step by protein contact dermatitis (PCD) patients.

Henna contains lawsone, which is known for its reaction with amino acid, resulting in the formation of a highly coloured compound. Dye exhaustion test of 2 per cent purified henna extract was done on both protein and non-protein fabric, and the results were analysed using independent samples t-test to assess the significant differences of the comparison. Then, protein fabric indicator was developed by incorporating purified henna extract. It was tested for its dye ability and stability.

Protein fabrics showed a significant higher dye exhaustion (p = 0.001) in which pure silk came in first with 21.70 per cent ± 2.53, silk/rayon, 13.96 per cent ± 0.55, viscose/wool, 9.57 per cent ± 1.36, cotton/spandex, 5.89 per cent ± 0.86, linen/cotton, 5.26 per cent ± 1.29, cotton, 4.87 per cent ± 1.51, polyester/viscose, 4.69 per cent ± 1.09, linen, 4.56 per cent ± 0.86, polyester/cotton, 3.90 per cent ± 0.29 and polyester and 3.88 per cent ± 0.66. Two different forms of protein fabric indicator were developed: capsule and tablet. Both indicators showed good observable dye exhaustion and fixation results. Orange henna dye was fixed on protein fabric while non-protein fabric returned to its original colour after washing procedure. However, the tablet form showed better performance in terms of functionality and stability.

This study will help general community to better understand fibre and its constituents, especially protein where clothing is an integral part of human life because it comes in direct contact with the human skin. As PCD caused by clothing and textile is an uncommon disease, it may also help in creating awareness on how some people may develop contact dermatitis through fabric. This is because the fabric’s protein content is a causative allergen, which most people tend to overlook. For the researcher, this study helps to elucidate some critical areas in PCD for clothing and textile as this topic can be considered an understudy. There is no standard method to detect protein in fabric, especially blended fabric. Thus, a portable kit to detect protein in fabric will be developed in this study. This kit will benefit PCD patients to ease them in finding the right fabric for their skin.