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The purpose of the paper is to study the effect of color stability on introducing chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) into a colored liquid extract from saffron and determine the color quality of the extract over a nine-month period.

Six colored liquid samples with different CDCA contents ranging from 0 to 45 Wt.% have been successfully prepared. Chromaticity (C*), color saturation (s), UV-Vis spectroscopy and coloring strength studies have been assessed to determine how CDCA influences the color properties and to study the color quality over time. The color quality was analyzed using the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) system.

All results obtained revealed that the addition of CDCA significantly influenced the overall color performance of the saffron extraction. However, the most pronounced improvement was recorded with the use of 45 Wt.% CDCA. The sample exhibited the highest color quality at the end of nine months of storage with highest absorbance: C* value = 91.38, color saturation = 0.96 and coloring strength = 687.

This preliminary study offers significant findings for further research focused on stability of natural colorants extracted from Spanish saffron that can provide benefits for future applications especially in coating industry, food, agriculture, medicine and others.

The values of this work can be observed from the information and evidence provided by CIE color stability in terms of chromaticity and saturation, as well as UV-Vis spectrophotometric measurement. It showed that the addition of CDCA additive can help to prolong and enhance the natural colorant properties from Spanish saffron (Crocus sativus L.) for nine month of storage. This proved that by adding additives such as CDCA the saffron colorant can be maintained. To the best of the authors’ concern, this is the first time CDCA is used to prevent color degradation of natural colorant from saffron.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the timing behavior and the adjustment toward the target of capital structure interact with each other in the capital structure decisions. Past literature finds that both timing and targeting are significant in determining the leverage ratio which is inconsistent with any standalone framework. This study argues that the preference of the firm for timing behavior or targeting behavior depends on the cost of deviation from the target. Since the cost of deviation from the target is likely to be asymmetric between overleveraged and underleveraged firms, the direction of the deviation from the target leverage is expected to alter the preference toward timing or targeting in the capital structure decision.

This study used the GMM system estimators with the Malaysian data for the period of 1992-2009 to fit a standard partial adjustment model and to estimate the speed of adjustment (SOA) of capital structure.

This study finds that Malaysian firms, on average, adjust their leverage at a slow speed of 12.7 percent annually and this rate increased to 14.2 percent when the timing variable is accounted for. Moreover, the SOA is found to be significantly higher and the timing role is lower for overleveraged firms compared with underleveraged firms. Overleveraged firms seem to find less flexibility to time the market as more pressure is exerted on them to return to the target regardless the timing opportunities because of the higher costs of deviation from the target leverage. Underleveraged firms place lower priority to rebalance toward the target compared with overleveraged firms as the costs of being underleveraged are lower and hence, these firms have more flexibility to time the market.

The findings of this study support that firms consider both targeting and timing in their financing decisions. No standalone theory can interpret the full spectrum of empirical results. The empirical work is based on partial adjustment model of leverage; however, this model has been criticized by inability to distinguish between active adjustment behavior and mechanical mean reversion. This is an avenue for future research.

This study investigates if targeting and timing behaviors are mutually exclusive as theoretically expected or they can coexist. A theoretical explanation and an empirical investigation support the conclusion that firms consider both targeting and timing in their financing decisions. This study provides evidence from Malaysian firms that are characterized by concentrated ownership structure and separation of cash flow rights and control rights of the firm due to pyramid ownership structure. Therefore, it provides evidence on how environmental characteristics may affect the capital structure determinants of the firm.

This paper aims to analyse the coating behaviour in corrosion environment as well as to evaluate the best percentage amount of copper oxide and copper needed for organic coating in order to prevent the corrosion degradation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies have been conducted in order to evaluate the corrosion performance of polyester-epoxy-copper oxide and polyester-epoxy-copper coating systems.

The availability of this modem instruments is used to obtain impedance data as well as computer programs to interpret the results that made the technique popular. In addition, EIS is well suited to the study of polymer-coated metals.

The results showed that samples containing 25 weight per cent of copper oxide and copper (90P25CuO and 90P25Cu) obtained the excellent corrosion properties from the first day up to 30 days of NaCl immersion. The highest corrosion resistance values obtained by 90P25CuO and 90P25Cu on the 30th day were 7.107 × 108 O and 5.701 × 108 O, respectively, with lower double layer capacitance of 1.407 × 10⁻⁹ Farad and 3.935 × 10⁻⁹ Farad, respectively. Moreover, the water uptake gained by these two coating samples was the lowest at the end of immersion, which was 0.0084 for 90P25CuO and 0.1592 for 90P25Cu, showing that the sample has good corrosion performance.

This paper discussed on the highest corrosion resistance, double layer capacitance and the water uptake of the copper (Cu) and copper oxide (CuO) coating system obtained from the EIS measurements.

The purpose of this paper is to study the electrochemical, mechanical and thermal characteristics of polyester – epoxy coating systems using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), pull-off test and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These are very important properties to evaluate the performance of a coating system. Proper measurement and analysis techniques are needed for a proper evaluation of these properties to ensure the coating performance.

Different ratios of polyester and epoxy resins have been blended to formulate good anticorrosive, mechanically strong and thermally stable binder coating system. EIS, pull-off test and DSC were used to evaluate these properties.

The sample containing 90 wt.% polyester exhibited the best corrosion resistance from the beginning until the end of exposure time. The value of corrosion resistance (R_c) obtained on the 30th day of exposure was found to be 2.89 × 108 ohm cm⁻². The glass transition temperature (T_g) was found to be increasing with the incorporation of epoxy to the binder system. The result from pull-off test showed the best adhesion with the sample containing 90 wt.% polyester which also has the lowest T_g promoted better adhesion properties.

The curing time must be reduced for practical applications.

Hybrid coatings systems have been formulated. This paper discusses on the highest coating resistance obtained polymer-substrate mechanical properties and thermal characteristic of the polyester/epoxy binder resin using DSC.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the potential of natural colourants from fruits of Ixora siamensis for coating applications, to study its glossiness and effectiveness against UV‐B irradiation.

In this study, natural colourants from the fruits of Ixora siamensis were extracted using trifluoroacetic acid‐methanol solution. Anthocyanins and organic acid variants were mixed together to form co‐pigments. Different concentrations of ferulic and gallic acid co‐pigments were added to a blended solution of poly (vinyl alcohol), PVA and anthocyanin (from Ixora siamensis) to form a coating system. The coatings were exposed to UV‐B irradiation at room temperature in air using a UV‐lamp which emitted radiation at 312 nm. The effects of UV‐B irradiation on the coating system were evaluated using glossiness test and UV‐visible spectroscopy.

Anthocyanins are unstable and can quickly lose their colour. One of the methods of preserving the stability of these pigments is by co‐pigmentation. Co‐pigmentation of anthocyanin with organic acid variants resulted in an increase in both hyperchromic effects (ΔA) and bathochromic shifts (Δλ). In this study, ferulic acids yielded better results compared to gallic acids.

Samples with co‐pigmentation give better result compared to the untreated samples. The addition of 0.5 and 1.0 per cent ferulic acid improves the gloss properties and resistivity of the samples towards the UV irradiation. Thus, in order to study the effectiveness of ferulic acid as additive and improving the properties of the samples, the percentage of ferulic acid added and exposure time could be increased.

The method developed provided a simple and efficient solution for improving the UV resistance of anthocyanin blend with poly (vinyl alcohol), PVA UV absorber. Effect of ferulic acid as UV absorber, if added in more concentration, can be further studied for optimization.

The social implication is the use of local plant species as a low cost source of natural pigments in coating system.

The method for improving the resistance towards UV irradiation of anthocyanin blend with poly (vinyl alcohol), PVA was novel and could find numerous applications for natural product based on plant pigment.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the stability of anthocyanin colorant with and without ferulic acid (FA) stabilising agent in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder coating system.

The anthocyanin colorant was extracted using methanol acidified with 0.5% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). FA was added to improve thermal stability of the colorant. The FA added colorant was mixed with PVA to develop a coating system. To test the ability of the coating mixture to withstand heat in the liquid state, spectroscopic studies were carried out in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum when the liquid samples had cooled down to room temperature after being heated at 80 and 90°C for 30 minutes. This procedure was repeated six times until a total heating time of 180 minutes has been accomplished. The liquid samples were also coated on glass slides, cured and then stored in different incubators at 30, 40 and 50°C. The visible spectrum was taken everyday for 30 days to study the effect of storage temperature. Spectroscopic results were analysed in terms of intensity rate percentage (IRP).

In the liquid state, the anthocyanin‐PVA mixture without FA showed lower absorbance compared to the mixture containing FA after heating at 80 and 90°C. This shows that FA can enhance the intensity of absorbance of the liquid coating mixture. The mixtures containing FA show increase in absorbance with increase in heating time. The same results are obtained for the coating on glass substrate where FA containing coatings show increase in IRP with time for all storage temperatures. Coating with 1% FA content showed better enhancement and stability.

The colour of the untreated samples quickly faded during heating and storage at different temperatures. In this study, the addition of 0.5% and 1% FA stabilised and enhanced the colour intensity at 30, 40 and 50°C. Further improvements may find the mixture suitable as paint or coating materials and as nail varnish.

The results indicate the possibility of applying the FA stabilised anthocyanin‐PVA, colorant‐binder composition in a coating system.

The use of anthocyanin from M. Malabathricum as a colourant in a coating system or nail varnish is original. Anthocyanin pigments are normally used as colorant in foods.

Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.

This study aims to encapsulate the crude carotene pigment isolated from waste portion of Cucurbita maxima with the help of different encapsulating agents through lyophilization to transform crude pigment into stable form for further utilization.

This paper opted for encapsulation of extracted carotene pigment by lyophilization using various carrier materials such as maltodextrin 20 dextrose equivalent (DE), maltodextrin 10 DE and tapioca starch along with emulsifier polysorbate-80. After encapsulation of crude carotene pigment, prepared encapsulated powder was subjected to chemical analysis. The data was analysed statistically by a complete randomized design.

Maximum encapsulation efficiency, carotene content, antioxidant activity and water solubility index were achieved when 0.06% of crude carotene pigment was emulsified with same quantity of polysorbate-80, followed by encapsulation with 20% of maltodextrin 20 DE during lyophilization.

Even though few researchers have worked on the encapsulation of colour pigments, no researcher has reported encapsulation of carotene pigment extracted from waste of C. maxima.

Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence down into manageable chunks, covering: age discrimination in the workplace; discrimination against African‐Americans; sex discrimination in the workplace; same sex sexual harassment; how to investigate and prove disability discrimination; sexual harassment in the military; when the main US job‐discrimination law applies to small companies; how to investigate and prove racial discrimination; developments concerning race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; developments concerning discrimination against workers with HIV or AIDS; developments concerning discrimination based on refusal of family care leave; developments concerning discrimination against gay or lesbian employees; developments concerning discrimination based on colour; how to investigate and prove discrimination concerning based on colour; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; using statistics in employment discrimination cases; race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning gender discrimination in the workplace; discrimination in Japanese organizations in America; discrimination in the entertainment industry; discrimination in the utility industry; understanding and effectively managing national origin discrimination; how to investigate and prove hiring discrimination based on colour; and, finally, how to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace.

Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the marketing strategies employed, together with the organizational structures used and looks at the universal concepts that can be applied to any product. Uses anecdotal evidence to formulate a number of theories which can be used to compare your company with the best in the world. Presents initial survival strategies and then looks at ways companies can broaden their boundaries through manipulation and choice. Covers a huge variety of case studies and examples together with a substantial question and answer section.