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The objective was to identify the main factors and interactions influencing the fibre diameter in the production of electrospun cellulose acetate (CA) webs. A systematic parameter study was completed for producing electrospun CA fibres that were substantially free of bead defects and the effect of different process parameters during electrospinning CA were evaluated in respect of mean fibre diameter. The experiments were planned using factorial designs. Altogether three parameters, each at three levels, were selected for this study. The results indicate that polymer concentration, voltage and flow rate interact so that the magnitude of any change in the mean fibre diameter is dependent upon the level of the other factors. Furthermore, stable electrospinning conditions for CA were confirmed using an acetone: N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) (2:1) solvent system that minimised the presence of structural defects in the web and promoted uniform fibre diameters.

Globally, consumer’s inclination towards functional foods had noticed due to their greater health consciousness coupled with enhanced health-care cost. The fact that probiotics could promote a healthier gut microbiome led projection of probiotic foods as functional foods and had emerged as an important dietary strategy for improved human health. It had established that ice cream was a better carrier for probiotics than fermented milked due to greater stability of probiotics in ice cream matrix. Global demand for ice cream boomed and probiotic ice cream could have been one of the most demanded functional foods. The purpose of this paper was to review the technological aspects and factors affecting probiotic viability and to standardize methodology to produce functional probiotic ice cream.

Attempt was made to search the literature (review and researched papers) to identify diverse factors affecting the probiotic viability and major technological challenge faced during formulation of probiotic ice cream. Keywords used for data searched included dairy-based functional foods, ice cream variants, probiotic ice cream, factors affecting probiotic viability and health benefits of probiotic ice cream.

Retention of probiotic viability at a level of >10⁶ cfu/ml is a prerequisite for functional probiotic ice creams. Functional probiotic ice cream could have been produced with the modification of basic mix and modulating technological parameters during processing and freezing. Functionality can be further enhanced with the inclusion of certain nutraceutical components such as prebiotics, antioxidant, phenolic compounds and dietary fibres. Based upon reviewed literature, suggested method for the manufacture of functional probiotic ice cream involved freezing of a probiotic ice cream mix obtained by blending 10% probiotic fermented milk with 90% non-fermented plain ice cream mix for higher probiotic viability. Probiotic ice cream with functional features, comparable with traditional ice cream in terms of technological and sensory properties could be produced and can crop up as a novel functional food.

Probiotic ice cream with functional features may attract food manufacturers to cater health-conscious consumers.

The purpose of this research is to identify and investigate some natural dyes with halochromic properties for potential use as food spoilage indicators to reduce waste and curve the negative effects of food borne diseases.

Exactly 10 potential dye-yielding plants were selected based on their colour (mostly purple, red, maroon and pink). Solvent extraction was used to extract the dyes and pH differential method was used to determine the concentrations of anthocyanin in the extracted dyes. Different concentrations of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide (0.1 M, 1 M and 2 M) in drops and in excess as acidic and basic solution, respectively, were used to test the halochromicity of the extracted dyes. Methyl red (a synthetic dye) was used as a reference standard/control. The pH of the dyes was recorded before and after addition of both NaOH and HCl solutions.

Five out of the 10 dyes extracted (labelled as dye A–E for Ti plant (green Cordyline fruticosa), coleus (Coleus blumei), paper flower (Bougainvillea glabra), painted nettle (Palisandra coleus) and purple heart (Setcresea purpurea), respectively, were found to be halochromic (even at low doses) by changing its colour when exposed to both acidic and basic solutions. While other dyes labelled F–J for red acalypha (Acalypha wilkesiana), golden shower (Cassia fistula), golden dew drop (Duranta repens), wild sage (Lantana camara var Aculeata) and pink oleander (Apocynaceae Nerium oleander), respectively, were either completely insensitive to the solutions in drops, slightly sensitive at high doses or the colour change is insignificant. Although some dyes were found to be more sensitive than others but in most cases, the colour changes in halochromic dyes were more stable in acidic conditions than in basic making it more sensitive to the basic than the acidic solution with the exception of dye A and E (to some extent) which was sensitive to both acidic and basic solution. The anthocyanin contents of dye A–J were found to be between the range of 2.28–10.35 mg/l with dye E having the lowest and dye J with the highest anthocyanin concentration, respectively. The initial pH of all the dyes falls within the range of 4.8–7.3 with most found within the acidic range.

Halochromic dye research studies are still at the infancy stage in developing world despite the vast available and abundant potential natural halochromic dye-yielding plants. The study explored this area of research and gives an opportunity for the development of smart packaging for pH-sensitive foods using natural dyes as an alternative to conventional synthetic dyes to reduce cost and also curve the negative effect of synthetic dyes as well as food borne diseases.

This study aims to develop a pH-functional thin-film sensor for non-invasive measurement of spoilage of packed fish.

At first, polymers of natural origin such as hydroxy(propyl)methyl cellulose, potato dextrose agar and starch alongside a pH sensitive-mixed indicator formulation were used to produce thin film sensor. The developed thin film sensor was tested for monitoring the spoilage of seafood stored at 4°C. Using ultraviolet-visible and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, the halochromic sensor was characterised. In addition, the halochromic response of the thin film was directly correlated to the total volatile base nitrogen emitted by the packaged fish, pH, microbial activity and sensory evaluation.

The results suggested the developed biopolymer-based thin film sensor showed different colours in line with the spoilage of the packed fish, which could be well correlated with the total volatile base nitrogen, microbial activity and sensory evaluation. In addition, the thin film sensors exhibited a high degree of biodegradability. The biopolymers-based thin film halochromic sensor has exhibited excellent biodegradability along with sensitiveness towards the spoilage of the packed fish.

In the future, consumers and retailers may prefer seafood containers equipped with such halochromic sensors to determine the degree of food deterioration as a direct indicator of food quality.

Air pollution is the combination of fine particles and gases in the atmosphere that harm humans and animals. Our objective is to find the various air pollution contaminants and its repercussion on Homo sapiens’ health. We discuss how air quality is measured with the air quality index and measures that help us cope with the consequences of air pollution. To carry out this study, we carried out a systematic literature review to uncover the different dimensions of air pollution and mitigation strategies. From the existing literature and observations of the different data sets, we can conclude that air pollutants have a severe impact on the life of Homo sapiens, causing various diseases such as respiratory issues, skin diseases, etc. Today, we have ample laws, but the need of the hour is to initiate new policies to change the behavioural of Homo sapiens. Our findings will help in decision-making by stakeholders such as policy-makers, manufacturing industries, households, etc. This article will also help in highlighting the need for Homo sapiens behavioural change.

This paper aims to review the healthcare supply chain (HSC) literature along various areas and to find out the gap in it.

In total, 143 research papers were reviewed during 1996-2017. A critical review was carried out in various dimensions such as research methodologies/data collection method (empirical, case study and literature review) and inquiry mode of research methodology (qualitative, quantitative and mixed), country-specific, targeted area, research aim and year of publication.

Supply chain (SC) operations, performance measurement, inventory management, lean and agile operation, and use of information technology were well studied and analyzed, however, employee and customer training, tracking and visibility of medicines, cold chain management, human resource practices, risk management and waste management are felt to be important areas but not much attention were made in this direction.

Mainly drug and vaccine SC were considered in current study of HSC while SC along healthcare equipment and machine, hospitality and drug manufacturing related papers were excluded in this study.

This literature review has recognized and analyzed various issues relevant to HSC and shows the direction for future research to develop an efficient and effective HSC.

The insight of various aspects of HSC was explored in general for better and deeper understanding of it for designing of an efficient and competent HSC. The outcomes of the study may form a basis to decide direction of future research.

This paper aims to present the most influential factors on classroom indoor PM_2.5 (Particulate Matter < 2.5 µ), determining the level of PM_2.5 concentration in five pre-schools located in the most densely populated district of the Tehran metropolitan area (district 6) as a case study to consider the children's exposure to air pollutants and introducing a suitable model, for the first time, to predict PM_2.5 concentration changes, inside pre-schools.

Indoor and outdoor classes PM_2.5 concentrations were measured using two DUSTTRAK direct-reading instruments. Additional class status information was also recorded; concurrently, urban PM_2.5 concentrations and meteorological data were obtained from the fixed monitoring stations and Meteorological Organization. Then, the predicted concentrations of the indoor PM_2.5, from introduced multiple linear regression model via SPSS, compared with the nearest urban air pollution monitoring stations data.

The average outdoor PM_2.5 concentration (43 ± 0.32 µg m⁻³) was higher than the mean indoor (32 ± 0. 21 µg m⁻³), and both were significantly (p < 0.001) surpassing the 24-h EPA standard level. The indoor PM_2.5 concentrations had the highest level in the autumn (48.7 µg m⁻³) and significantly correlated with the outdoor PM_2.5 (r = 0.94, p < 0.001), the number of pupils, ambient temperature, wind speed, wind direction and open area of the doors and windows (p < 0.001). These parameters, as the main determinants, have led to present a 7-variable regression model, with R² = 0.705, which can predict PM_2.5 concentrations in the pre-school classes with more than 80% accuracy. It can be presumed that the penetration of outdoor PM_2.5 was the main source of indoor PM_2.5 concentrations.

This study faced several limitations, such as accessibility to classrooms, and limitations in technicians' numbers, leading to researchers monitoring indoor and outdoor PM concentrations in schools once a week. Additionally, regarding logistical limitations to using monitoring instruments in pre-schools simultaneously, correction factors by running the instruments were applied to obtain comparable measurements.

The author hereby declares that this submission is his own work and to the best of its knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person.

The world is facing unprecedented potential disaster with the impending climate crisis. Research within social studies education surrounding the integration of ecological issues, while still on the fringes, has seen a recent surge. This is a review of practitioner-oriented research published in the last ten years on teaching these issues in social studies classes.

This study reviews practitioner-oriented articles on teaching ecological issues in social studies classes. The author searched databases and did a manual review using specific search terms. The author’s first level of analysis was to analyze the year of publication, whether the article was (co) written by a practicing teacher and whether the article featured a lesson plan/resources. The author then analyzed the content/focus of each article.

In total, ten articles were (co)written by a practicing teacher, 23 articles included lesson plans and the article themes could fall into one of six themes (water issues, pollution, climate change, climate activism, sustainability and economic growth and ecological citizenship/ethics).

The author was unable to review one year of articles from the Ohio Social Studies Review due to the COVID-19 pandemic and only having remote institutional access to library materials.

In reviewing the practitioner-oriented articles, the author hopes to not only strengthen the curricular justifications for teaching these issues in social studies classes but also show what research has been done and provide critiques and show what could be done in the future.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a traffic route selection strategy based on minimum carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission by vehicles over different route choices.

The study used queuing theory for Markovian M/M/1 model over the road junctions to assess total time spent over each of the junctions for a route with junctions in tandem. With parameters of distance, mean service rate at the junction, the number of junctions and fuel consumption rate, which is a function of variable average speed, the CO₂ emission is estimated over each of the junction in tandem and collectively over each of the routes.

The outcome of the study is a mathematical formulation, using queuing theory to estimate CO₂ emissions over different route choices. Research finding estimated total time spent and subsequent CO₂ emission for mean arrival rates of vehicles at junctions in tandem. The model is validated with a pilot study, and the result shows the best vehicular route choice with minimum CO₂ emissions.

Proposed study is limited to M/M/1 model at each of the junction, with no defection of vehicles. The study is also limited to a constant mean arrival rate at each of the junction.

The work can be used to define strategies to route vehicles on different route choices to reduce minimum vehicular CO₂ emissions.

Proposed work gives a solution for minimising carbon emission over routes with unsignalised junctions in the tandem network.