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1 – 10 of over 192000Zeinab Nikniaz, Reza Mahdavi, Maryam Rafraf and Abolghasem Jouyban
The antioxidant characteristics of fruits can be attributed to their contents of polyphenols and vitamins. Because of the interest in the role of antioxidants in human health, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The antioxidant characteristics of fruits can be attributed to their contents of polyphenols and vitamins. Because of the interest in the role of antioxidants in human health, the purpose of this paper is to examine the major compounds associated with antioxidant activity, namely total phenolic and vitamin C contents, of some regularly cultivated and consumed fruits in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 66 fruits from 22 families were chosen for this study. Terbium sensitized fluorescence assay and spectrophotometric method were used to determine total polyphenol and vitamin C contents respectively. The ANOVA with Tukey post‐hoc test was used for statistical analyses.
Findings
The total mean polyphenol content of fruits was 4.93 ± 2.86 mg QE/100 g that were ranging from 0.8 ± 0.05 to 11.94 ± 0.02 mg QE/100 g with the lowest amount obtained for pear and the highest amount detected in black grape. The polyphenol contents of black grape, sourcherry and pomegranate were significantly higher than those of other fruits (p < 0.001). The total mean vitamin C content of fresh fruits was 18.34 ± 9.77 mg/100 g that were ranging from 57.38 ± 0.02 (strawberry) to 11.44 ± 0.02 (melon) mg/100 g. The vitamin C contents of strawberry was significantly higher than all other fruits (p < 0.001). Despite the differences in the polyphenol and vitamin C contents of various fruits, as a good source of nutritious compounds and functional foods, they can be effective in enhancing health status.
Originality/value
This paper is believed to be the only one which provides information about the polyphenol and vitamin C contents of Iranian fruits. Also, the polyphenol content was measured by using a newly‐developed method.
Narsymbat Salimgereyev, Bulat Mukhamediyev and Aijaz A. Shaikh
This study developed new measures of the routine and non-routine task contents of managerial, professional, technical, and clerical occupations from a workload perspective. Here…
Abstract
Purpose
This study developed new measures of the routine and non-routine task contents of managerial, professional, technical, and clerical occupations from a workload perspective. Here, we present a comparative analysis of the workload structures of state and industrial sector employees.
Design/methodology/approach
Our method involves detailed descriptions of work processes and an element-wise time study. We collected and analysed data to obtain a workload structure that falls within three conceptual task categories: (i) non-routine analytic tasks, (ii) non-routine interactive tasks and (iii) routine cognitive tasks. A total of 2,312 state and industrial sector employees in Kazakhstan participated in the study. The data were collected using a proprietary web application that resembles a timesheet.
Findings
The study results are consistent with the general trend reported by previous studies: the higher the job level, the lower the occupation’s routine task content. In addition, the routine cognitive task contents of managerial, professional, technical, and clerical occupations in the industrial sector are higher than those in local governments. The work of women is also more routinary than that of men. Finally, vthe routine cognitive task contents of occupations in administrative units are higher than those of occupations in substantive units.
Originality/value
Our study sought to address the challenges of using the task-based approach associated with measuring tasks by introducing a new measurement framework. The main advantage of our task measures is a direct approach to assessing workloads consisting of routine tasks, which allows for an accurate estimation of potential staff reductions due to the automation of work processes.
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Berna Haktanirlar Ulutas and A. Attila Islier
A layout problem may deal with the assignment and arrangement of buildings in a green field, location and/or relocation of machines/departments in manufacturing facilities, and so…
Abstract
Purpose
A layout problem may deal with the assignment and arrangement of buildings in a green field, location and/or relocation of machines/departments in manufacturing facilities, and so on. If multi‐periods are considered, the problem is called a dynamic layout problem in manufacturing environments. Designing web pages, especially internet newspaper layouts, might also be considered dynamic layout problems. This study aims to introduce a layout procedure for the front page of internet newspapers.
Design/methodology/approach
The news contents are ranked and selected based on their characteristic attributes. Then they are assigned to locations on dynamic content area of the front page. Layout optimization is made by use of Clonal Selection Algorithm (CSA). Finally, an illustrative example is provided and concepts for real life applications are discussed. The proposed method is based on CSA, which is a nature‐inspired technique. The novel heuristic is applied to a simulated system to depict how the news content layouts can be optimized in dynamic environments.
Findings
The capacity for addition of new news contents and removal of the old turns the internet newspaper environment into a dynamic structure. A systematic layout method for internet newspapers is developed to fill the gap.
Practical implications
The results are encouraging for real life applications of internet newspapers. The study has also introduced a new site for the manufacturing area. In the classic dynamic layout model, the machine locations and the number of available machines are assumed to be fixed. But the concept of introducing/removing news contents can be adapted to the machines at the manufacturing facilities.
Originality/value
The paper's value lies in showing that the front page layout is not considered to optimize the locations of the articles. Also, the proposed algorithm is applied to solve these kinds of problems.
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Saheed Adewale Omoniyi, Adamu Musa Muhammad and Ruth Ayuba
Calyx of okra pods is usually cut off and discarded as a waste during processing, whereas the pulp and seeds are being used. This study aims to investigate the nutrient…
Abstract
Purpose
Calyx of okra pods is usually cut off and discarded as a waste during processing, whereas the pulp and seeds are being used. This study aims to investigate the nutrient composition and anti-nutritional properties of okra calyx flour.
Design/methodology/approach
Calyces from four varieties (Ex-kwadon, Solar, Chalawa and Syria) of okra pods were processed into flour. The proximate composition, mineral content, vitamin content and anti-nutritional composition of the flour samples were analysed by using standard methods.
Findings
There were significant differences in moisture content (p = 0.012), crude fat (p = 0.001), crude fibre (p = 0.002), carbohydrate (p = 0.002), sodium (p < 0.001), magnesium (p < 0.001), iron (p < 0.001), zinc (p = 0.006), vitamin A (p < 0.001) and vitamin C (p = 0.001) contents of okra calyx flour. The values of proximate composition ranged 8.1-8.9%, 8.4-9.0%, 14.3-15.3%, 1.4-2.1%, 16.9-18.2% and 47.1-49.4% for moisture content, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre and carbohydrate, respectively, whereas the values of mineral contents ranged 7.6-8.7 mg/100g, 35.7-41.2 mg/100g, 26.5-28.1 mg/100g, 93.2-95.8 mg/100g, 1.6-1.8 mg/100g and 5.2-5.7 mg/100g for sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc, respectively. The values of vitamin contents of okra calyx flour ranged 0.2-0.3 µg/100g, 7.1-8.9 mg/100g and 0.1-0.2 mg/100g for vitamin A, vitamin C and thiamine contents respectively. Also, there were significant differences in the values of phytate (p = 0.023), oxalate (p = 0.011) and saponin (p < 0.001) contents with the values of anti-nutritional properties ranging 1.3-1.5 mg/100g, 2.5-3.3 mg/100g, 7.4-9.7 mg/100g and 2.3-3.6 mg/100g for tannin, phytate, oxalate and saponin contents, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
There are scanty published works/information on proximate composition, mineral content, vitamin content and anti-nutritional composition of okra calyx flour.
Practical implications
The study showed that okra calyx flour could be useful in fortification/supplement of carbohydrate-based foods in food system.
Originality/value
Okra calyx flour comprises high crude fibre, crude protein, ash and vitamin C contents. Also, calcium is the major mineral content of okra calyx flour followed by magnesium and potassium. However, the tannin content reported higher in okra leaf flour, and okra flour is low in okra calyx flour.
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Reza Mahdavi, Zeinab Nikniaz, Maryam Rafraf and Abolghasem Jouyban
This paper aims to study the importance of polyphenols in human health and, based on recommendations on the replacement of carbonated drinks with nutritious beverages, like fruit…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the importance of polyphenols in human health and, based on recommendations on the replacement of carbonated drinks with nutritious beverages, like fruit juices, seeks to compare the polyphenol contents of natural and commercial juices.
Design/methodology/approach
The total polypheol content of 39 fresh and 159 commercial (100 percent and less than 50 percent) fruit juices was analyzed by the terbium sensitized fluorescence method. The ANOVA with Tukey post hoc test, and also an independent t‐test, were used for statistical analyses.
Findings
The mean polyphenol contents of fresh juices were significantly (p<0.001) higher than those of 100 percent commercials (5.34±2.7 vs 3.28±0.86 mg/l). In fresh juices the concentration ranged from 1.06±0.08 (pineapple) to 10.14±0.07 (sour cherry) mg QE/100 ml, while in 100 percent commercial juices the range was from 2.37±0.05 (orange) to 5.34±0.4 (pomegranate) mg QE/100 ml, and in <50 percent commercial juices they ranged from 1.04±0.7 (red grape) to 2.21±0.07 (white grape) mg QE/100 ml. The polyphenol contents of dark juices, in both fresh and commercial products, were significantly higher than others (p<0.001) and most fresh fruit juices possessed higher amounts of polyphenol than commercial ones. Although various juices differed in the quantity of total polyphenol, they can be considered as a good source of functional beverage.
Originality/value
This paper provides information about the polyphenol content of fresh and commercial (100 percent and <50 percent) fruit juices. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there have been no articles which aim to compare the polyphenol content of Iranian fresh and commercial fruit juices. For analysing the polyphenol contents, the newly developed terbium sensitized fluorescence method was used, and also the applicability of this new method was compared with the commonly used Folin‐Ciocalteau method.
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Zengfu Xi, Yunhong Xu, Baoguo Ma and Shuji Wang
This paper aims to investigate the contents of heavy metals Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb and Zn in the soil of vegetable production bases in the Yongnian County of Hebei Province by random…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the contents of heavy metals Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb and Zn in the soil of vegetable production bases in the Yongnian County of Hebei Province by random sampling.
Design/methodology/approach
The environmental quality conditions of these heavy metals were evaluated by both the single quality index and comprehensive quality index methods.
Findings
It was concluded that the average heavy metal contents in the soil of protected vegetable fields in the Yongnian County are all under the limit values prescribed by the environmental quality evaluation standard for farmland of greenhouse vegetables production (2007), so the soil’s environmental quality is classified as first class regarding cleanliness. It is fit for the plantation of non-polluted vegetables. It is shown that there is a cumulative trend of heavy metal contents in the soil with age after analysis of a correlation coefficient between heavy metal contents and age in Yongnian’s protected fields and excessive application of fertilizers or organic fertilizers, which is the main factor leading to an increase in heavy metal contents in the soil.
Originality/value
It is suggested that the amount of fertilizer should be properly reduced to prevent the soil’s environmental deterioration, the vegetable planting structure should be improved and the vegetables grown in areas with weaker accumulation of heavy metals should be cultivated.
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Maria Giovanna Confetto and Claudia Covucci
For companies that intend to respond to the modern conscious consumers' needs, a great competitive advantage is played on the ability to incorporate sustainability messages in…
Abstract
Purpose
For companies that intend to respond to the modern conscious consumers' needs, a great competitive advantage is played on the ability to incorporate sustainability messages in marketing communications. The aim of this paper is to address this important priority in the web context, building a semantic algorithm that allows content managers to evaluate the quality of sustainability web contents for search engines, considering the current semantic web development.
Design/methodology/approach
Following the Design Science (DS) methodological approach, the study develops the algorithm as an artefact capable of solving a practical problem and improving the operation of content managerial process.
Findings
The algorithm considers multiple factors of evaluation, grouped in three parameters: completeness, clarity and consistency. An applicability test of the algorithm was conducted on a sample of web pages of the Google blog on sustainability to highlight the correspondence between the established evaluation factors and those actually used by Google.
Practical implications
Studying content marketing for sustainability communication constitutes a new field of research that offers exciting opportunities. Writing sustainability contents in an effective way is a fundamental step to trigger stakeholder engagement mechanisms online. It could be a positive social engineering technique in the hands of marketers to make web users able to pursue sustainable development in their choices.
Originality/value
This is the first study that creates a theoretical connection between digital content marketing and sustainability communication focussing, especially, on the aspects of search engine optimization (SEO). The algorithm of “Sustainability-contents SEO” is the first operational software tool, with a regulatory nature, that is able to analyse the web contents, detecting the terms of the sustainability language and measuring the compliance to SEO requirements.
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Wenhui Tian, Yanjun Li and Linzhu Li
The paper aims to clarify the influence of different picture contents on consumer's willingness to click pictures when shopping for agricultural products online and examine the…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to clarify the influence of different picture contents on consumer's willingness to click pictures when shopping for agricultural products online and examine the intermediary mechanism and boundary conditions of the impact.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper opted for an empirical study based on the cue utilization theory and information processing theory, including three experiments to test the existence, intermediary mechanism and boundary conditions of the impact of online picture contents of agricultural products on consumers' clicking intention.
Findings
The paper provides empirical insights about the influence of picture contents on consumer's willingness to click when shopping for agricultural products online. The picture of product's production environment or grower on the search result page can effectively improve consumer's willingness to click the product under dual systemic information processing modes. Compared with product pictures, pictures displaying products and production environment can stimulate more cognitive system processing, and pictures displaying products and its growers can stimulate more emotional system processing, both resulting in higher click intention. However, the above effects only exist in the context of non-branded agricultural products.
Originality/value
The research results not only provide practical guidance for merchants, but also fill the gap in the research on the impact of picture contents on consumers in the field of agricultural products in online marketing.
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Elfadil Babiker, Babiker Abdelseed, Hayat Hassan and Oladipupo Adiamo
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of modern and traditional decortication methods on the chemical composition, antinutrients, Ca, P and Fe contents during…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of modern and traditional decortication methods on the chemical composition, antinutrients, Ca, P and Fe contents during storage of two pearl millet cultivars (white and green) grown in Sudan.
Design/methodology/approach
The grains of each cultivar were either decorticated traditionally using traditional stone dehuller or by using modern dehuller. The chemical composition, antinutrients and Ca, P and Fe contents of the cultivars were evaluated during storage for six months.
Findings
The results showed that both methods of decortication (modern and traditional) employed significantly decreased ash, protein, oil and crude fiber contents but increased moisture and nitrogen free extract contents of the grains for both cultivars. Storage resulted in a slight and gradual decrease in the chemical composition of the treated and untreated grains of the cultivars. Modern decortication of the grains significantly (P=0.05) reduced tannin content in both cultivars compared to untreated and traditionally decorticated grains. Phytic acid content of the white cultivar was not affected by the method of decortication used but modern decortication reduced that of green cultivar. Decrease in tannin and phytic acid was observed as the storage continued in both treated and untreated cultivars. Decortication significantly (P=0.05) reduced the Ca, P and Fe contents in both cultivars grains. Lower P and Fe contents were found in modern decorticated grains compared to traditional decorticated ones. Storage of the cultivars resulted in gradual decrease in Ca, P and Fe contents.
Research limitations/implications
Processing methods such as decortication affect the quality attributes of pearl millet cultivars. The application of modern decortication method on pearl millet cultivars has better quality attributes than those treated with traditional decortication.
Originality/value
The study uses decortication methods (traditional and modern) to improve the quality attributes of pearl millet cultivars. Antinutrients such as tannin and phytic acid were observed to reduce the bioavailability of minerals like Fe. Decortication of the grains significantly reduced the level of such antinutrients and improved bioavailability of minerals.
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This study seeks to examine the management of local content materials for open access institutional repositories in Nigeria.
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to examine the management of local content materials for open access institutional repositories in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 85 librarians from seven government funded universities in South East Nigeria were used for the study.
Findings
From the findings 15 local content materials were identified as relevant for publication in institutional repositories. Similarly a major method of acquiring these local contents is by encouraging staff to deposit their publications in the university libraries. It was also found out that providing a subject index to the local contents and their digitization were effective methods of organizing the materials for the institutional repository. The findings also showed that an increase in the visibility of the authors, promotion of university ranking and efficient dissemination of research findings were among the benefits of publishing in institutional repositories. The problems and strategies of publishing in institutional repositories were also identified through the findings.
Practical implications
This study will serve as a useful guide for university administrators and librarians who are interested in developing their institutional repositories using local contents available to them. It will also be of great value to project managers who are engaged in the digitization of their local contents.
Social implications
Research works generated in Nigeria and other developing countries are poorly disseminated and therefore lack global visibility. The publication of these research findings in institutional repositories of individual universities will not only improve the visibility and utilization of the research but will also increase the global ranking of the universities and researchers who have published the works in the repository.
Originality/value
This paper is on the use of local content information resources in building institutional repositories in Nigerian university libraries. These studies will be useful for university libraries, particularly in developing countries, that intend to build their institutional repositories.
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