The experiments were carried out to validate an analytical method and to examine the impact of various decontaminating solutions on the removal of acephate residues from okra. Acephate analysis was performed using HPLC-UV, and sample extraction was done using the QuEChERS method. Method validation encompassed assessing specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, as well as limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ). The method exhibited excellent linearity with R2 values ≥ 0.99. LOD and LOQ were determined at 0.5 µg mL−1 and 2 µg mL−1, respectively. The results indicated average recoveries ranging from 80.2% to 83.3% with a % RSD below 5%. The decontamination procedures include rinsing with running tap water, soaking in lukewarm water, 2% CH3COOH, 1% NaCl, 5% NaHCO3, 0.01% KMnO4, and in commercially available decontamination products such as nimwash, veggie clean, and arka herbiwash for a duration 10 minutes. Among all the treatments, soaking in nimwash solution showed remarkable effectiveness (96.75% removal), followed by veggie clean (94.97% removal) and arka herbiwash (95.80% removal). Washing okra samples in running tap water was found to be the least effective compared to other treatments.
This paper investigates the implementation of ijarah muntahiyah bittamlik (IMBT) as an infrastructure project financing scheme within the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models from a collaborative governance perspective. This paper follows a case study methodology. It focuses on two Indonesian non-toll road infrastructure projects, i.e., the preservation of the East Sumatra Highway projects, each in South Sumatra province and Riau province. The findings revealed that Indonesia’s infrastructure development priorities and its vision to become a global leader in Islamic finance characterized the system context that shaped the implementation of IMBT as an infrastructure project financing scheme within the PPP-AP model. Key drivers include leadership from the government, stakeholder interdependence, and financial incentives for the partnering business entity to adopt off-balance sheet solutions. Principled engagement, shared motivation, and the capacity for joint action characterized the collaboration dynamics, leading to detailed collaborative actions crucial for implementing IMBT as a financing scheme.
Prepolymers containing isocyanates must be prevented from curing when exposed to moisture, which can be achieved by blocking the isocyanate groups with a suitable agent. The study carefully examines several blocking agents, including methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO), caprolactam, and phenol, and concludes that methyl ethyl ketoxime is the best choice. Spectroscopic and thermal analyses, as well as oven curing studies, are conducted with various blocking agents and isocyanate prepolymer to castor oil ratios, revealing MEKO to be the most effective blocking agent which gets unblocked at higher temperatures.
The flipped classroom (FC) model has long brought significant benefits to higher education, secondary, and elementary education, particularly in improving the quality and effectiveness of learning. However, the implementation of FC model to support elementary students in developing self-learning skills (autonomous learning, independent study, self-directed learning) through technology still faces numerous challenges in Vietnam due to various influencing factors. Data for the study were collected through direct questionnaires and online surveys from 517 teachers at elementary schools in Da Nang, Vietnam. Based on SEM analysis, the study identified factors such as perceived usefulness, accessibility, desire, teaching style, and facilitating conditions. The research findings indicate that factors like the perceived effectiveness of the model, teaching style, and facilitating conditions have a positive correlation with the decision to adopt the FC model. Therefore, to encourage the use of the FC model in teaching, it is essential to raise awareness of the model’s effectiveness, improve teaching styles, and create favorable conditions for implementation.
Antioxidants are derivatives of vitamin C or beta-carotene that prevent reactions stimulated by oxygen, peroxides, or free radicals, thus reducing the oxidative stress. They have found their way into many uses in treating several human diseases and reducing the risk of developing diseases like cancer. In view of this property, the present study was focussed in identifying several plants possessing antioxidative properties and which were also conserved in the ex-situ park of CSIR – Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, India. Fifteen medicinal plants including herbs, shrubs and grasses are reported in this paper, and a collective insight has been presented about their antioxidant properties and the present state of their pharmacological applications. The specific chemical constituents abundant in the leaves, roots, stems, seeds and fruits of each of these plants have also been dealt with. To report a few antioxidant pharmacological preparations from Ayurvedic literature are Vimang, Maharishi Amrit Kalash (MAK4, MAK5), Maharishi Ayurved (MA631, MA47), MA Raja’s Cup, MA Student Rasayana and MA Ladies Rasayana. This review has been attempted to enhance the importance of the plants which are generally being neglected, so that it can used by the local people in rural areas for their cultivation and it will also pave the pathway for their subsequent future use in medicinal and research industry for drug formulation.
Presently, any development initiatives without considering sustainability can barely be imagined. There has been a paradigm shift in the focus of the development partners from the mere development to sustainable development. However, the role of development partners in bringing sustainability in livelihood assets of the rural community has long been questioned. Hence, this study aims to explore the sustainability in the form of changes in livelihood assets of a local community in Bangladesh. This study considers the changes in livelihood assets of the community over the three-time frames - before, during, and after a project implemented by a national NGO called ‘UST’ and subsequently identifies the community’s capacity to sustain the project outcomes after the completion of the project. ‘Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF)’ developed by Department for International Development (DFID) was utilized in this study to analyse the vulnerability and livelihood issues of the community members. Data has been collected through focus group discussions, household survey and key informants’ interviews from three distinct villages of ‘Khutamara’ union in the ‘Nilphamari’ district of Bangladesh. The finding of the study states that all the livelihood assets such as the social capital, human capital, natural capital, financial capital, physical capital have positively changed due to the interference of the development partners. This study further finds that even after the completion of project tenure, such positive trends continue to exist among the community members indicating sustainable development. Moreover, political capital- a new type of livelihood has also emerged because of the project implementation which was not quite evident before the inception of the project. In addition, this study explored the unique phenomenon of the Shabolombee Gram, where the transformation altering farmers’, livelihoods does not come from the government or the private sector but originates from a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). Therefore, the government and its development partners may adopt and incorporate the Modified Sustainable Livelihood Framework (MSLF) to ensure the sustainable development.
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