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The ‘New Chinese Opera’, which emerged in the 1940s, has become a significant part of the performance repertoire, a ‘hot’ research topic and an indispensable subject of historical surveys of Chinese music. The subject matter of these operas ranges from historical events (as in Honghu Red Guards of 1958) to stories drawn from classic Chinese novels (as in Camel Xiangzi of 2014). Critical and aesthetic reception has focused on the dominance of realistic subject matter in this form and the concern of its producers to reach a wide audience. This emphasis on the marketability of art reflects how deeply rooted secularisation and utility are in contemporary Chinese culture. This paper examines a third theme of aesthetic discourse that is particularly present in historical narratives of Chinese opera: the struggle to distance Chinese opera from Western models. The image of ‘opera’ that emerges in these accounts reconfigures the form for contemporary use, with the result that the history of Western opera as an agent is absent - or, in the case of dramaturgical models and influences, distorted.

1 L'évolution de la clause liée à la responsabilité sociale des entreprises dans les accords de libre-échange 1.1 D'une régulation indirecte de la responsabilité sociale des entreprises 1.2 ... à [...], Étant donné le rôle important des entreprises multinationales dans le commerce international en général et dans la résolution des questions non commerciales complexes (telles que l'environnement, le travail, les droits de la personne, le développement durable), un certain nombre d'accords de libre-échange tendent à inclure la responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RSE). Plusieurs possibilités ont été envisagées en ce sens soit par une référence à la RSE ou aux instruments internationalement reconnus en cette matière dans le préambule de ces accords, soit par une incorporation d'une ou de clauses la régissant explicitement. Une telle approche soulève donc la question de son efficacité en ce qui concerne la régulation des entreprises multinationales dans le contexte de l'intégration économique régionale. En outre, des mécanismes prévus dans ces accords peuvent y contribuer. Given the inevitable role of multinational enterprises in international trade in general and in solving complex non-traditional trade issues (such as the environment, labor, human rights, sustainable development), a number of new generation free trade agreements seek to cover corporate social responsibility (CSR). Several possibilities have been envisaged, either by a reference to CSR or to internationally recognized instruments in this subject matter in the preamble, or by the incorporation of a clause governing the CSR explicitly. Such an approach therefore raises the question of whether it is effective about the regulation of multinational enterprises in the context of regional economic integration. Some mechanisms provided for therein can contribute to this efficiency. Considerando el importante papel que tienen las empresas multinacionales en el comercio internacional en general, y en la resolución de controversias complejas no comerciales (como el medio ambiente, el trabajo, los derechos humanos o el desarrollo sostenible), un cierto número de acuerdos de libre comercio tienden a incluir la responsabilidad social empresarial (RSE). En este sentido se han considerado diversas posibilidades, ya sea haciendo referencia a la RSE, a instrumentos reconocidos internacionalmente en la materia y previstos en los respectivos preámbulos de dichos acuerdos; o bien incorporando una o más cláusulas que la regulen explícitamente. Por ende, tal enfoque ha planteado la cuestión de su eficacia, con respecto a la regulación de las empresas multinacionales en el contexto de la integración económica regional, además de los mecanismos previstos en estos acuerdos, que pueden contribuir en ello.

A micro-organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system utilizing R134a as the working fluid and a scroll expander has been developed. In this study, the effects of superheat degree on system performance were investigated by varying the evaporation temperature and refrigerant mass flow rate. The heat sources used in the ORC system were three different temperatures: 85℃, 95℃, and 105℃. The results indicate that the refrigerant mass flow rate increases with the rise in evaporation pressure, while superheat degree decreases. Moreover, higher superheat degrees led to a reduction in the system power generation. The trend of net efficiency demonstrates that when superheat degree increases, the net efficiency first rises to a peak before declining. At heat source temperatures of 85℃, 95℃, and 105℃, the peak net efficiencies are 4.86%, 5.56%, and 5.87%, respectively, with corresponding superheat degrees of 25.72K, 36.16K, and 38.15K.

Air pollution is a growing environmental problem worldwide. Compelling epidemiological evidence shows that people spend more than 80% of their time indoors, and extensive studies have shown that indoor air pollution has an equal or greater impact on health when compared. with the surrounding environment. This article determines that the level of indoor fine dust pollution with PM2.5 and PM10 is quite high and changes over the seasons. Winter has the highest concentration, specifically PM2.5 accounting for 54g/m3, PM10 accounting for 97g/m3. The model for treating indoor dust with negative ions initially showed positive results with an efficiency of 70-84.8% at a device height of 75cm. This is the basis for further detailed research on fine dust treatment with negative ions.

Based on the background of “Industry-Academia-Research-Application” teaching integration, the teaching reform of Instrumental Analysis is the main research object, focusing on the reform and exploration from the aspects of teaching mechanism, teaching methodology, resource library construction, teaching team construction, teaching assessment and so on. It studies the construction mechanism of the integration of Industry-Academia-Research-Application of Instrumental Analysis; explores the specific implementation path of the integration, and researches the problems and characteristic innovations of the integration of Industry-Academia-Research and Application in the course of Instrumental Analysis.

This bibliometric analysis explores the synergy of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning, and biomedical signal processing in predicting patient mortality risk within the intensive care unit (ICU). Utilizing a comprehensive literature review, the study assesses the research landscape by applying these techniques to ICU data. Examining diverse data sources like vital signs and electronic health records, the analysis identifies trends and gaps in existing work, emphasizing AI’s potential for resource allocation and preventative care to enhance ICU outcomes. Structured within a bibliometric framework, the review encompasses methodological approaches, results, and discussions, while addressing clinical and ethical perspectives on mortality prediction. Challenges related to data, model performance, and fairness are evaluated through a bibliometric lens. The research questions underscore the importance of understanding past literature trends in predictive analysis for ICU patients. The review methodologically explores recent studies employing word representation models, impact assessments, and risk prediction of vital signs. Global research trends in AI for critical care are identified based on bibliographic data between 2013 and 2022. Noteworthy contributions, such as a sepsis dataset, are highlighted within the bibliometric analysis. In conclusion, this bibliometric analysis positions itself at the intersection of AI and critical care, emphasizing the importance of bibliographic data in understanding past trends, methodologies, and impactful contributions. It sets the stage for future directions in the evolving landscape of ICU predictive analytics within a bibliometric framework.

In recent years, significant advancements have been made in pose estimation methods. These methods can be broadly divided into two categories: device-based and device-free. Device-based methods, such as virtual reality data gloves and marker-based motion capture, are known for their accuracy. However, these require specific equipment, making them less accessible for the public. On the other hand, device-free methods need no device to recognize human movement. They usually use cameras and estimation algorithms to recognize the body parts. Owing to evolving artificial intelligence (AI) technology, estimation accuracy has increased and we adopt one of the device-free methods to develop two interactive games, “Brain Wall” and “Touch de Pose”. “Brain Wall” challenges players to imitate a silhouette, scoring them based on the accuracy of their pose compared to the silhouette using the Intersection over Union metric. The game encourages competitiveness and participation through a leader board system. “Touch de Pose” allows players to choose a pose theme and the players are required to position specific body parts within the displayed circles on the screen. “Touch de Pose” also includes real-time evaluation of the player’s pose and combines their image with themed background images generated by generative AI, some of which demonstrate the limitations of the technology. The games were showcased at a university open campus event, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback: 95.6% satisfaction for “Brain Wall” and 98.1% for “Touch de Pose”. Our study shows that pose estimation-based interactive games show immense potential in generating interest in technology for those who are unfamiliar with information and communication technology. Additionally, the full-body engagement aspect of these games could also play a role in promoting physical activity as a regular habit.

This study delves into the important role of listening activities in improving the effectiveness of English listening learning, covering multiple aspects such as the design, implementation, interaction, evaluation, and feedback of classroom and home listening activities at different stages from primary school to high school. The study points out that listening plays a core role in language learning and significantly improves students’ oral, reading, and writing abilities. By designing diverse listening activities and achieving effective teacher-student and student-student interaction and cooperation, students’ English listening proficiency can be significantly enhanced, promoting the comprehensive development of their language abilities. At the same time, the study also emphasized the crucial role of evaluation and feedback in listening teaching, advocating that teachers should develop scientific and reasonable evaluation standards based on students’ age characteristics and cognitive levels and provide students with timely, specific, and targeted feedback. We believe that in the future, with the continuous updating of educational technology and teaching concepts, the positive role of listening input in improving students’ reading ability will be more widely recognized and applied, helping students achieve a leap in reading ability and further promoting the comprehensive improvement of English teaching quality.

Biodiesel was prepared by transesterification process using heterogeneous catalyst has received a lot of interest lately as a sustainable source of biofuel. Hence, there is a need to study a generalized reaction kinetic model that can be used for all the reactions involved in biodiesel production. This study produces biodiesel by transesterifying palm oil using magnetic palm kernel shell-potassium hydroxide. The catalyst recorded a BET surface area of 47.72 m2/g. The maximum biodiesel yield, 95.78%, was obtained when reaction temperature and time were 55°C and 2 hours, respectively.

Hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) have received much interest over the past decades because they have the potential to overcome the limits of single-component particles. This study proposes a hybrid magnetic magnesium oxide (m-MgO) NPs to combat the plant pathogenic fungus, Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum). The m-MgO NPs were synthesized via ultrasonic mediated sol-gel method. UV-visible spectrometry confirms the successful formation of m-MgO NPs. In addition, the magnetic activity of m-MgO NPs was illustrated through a preliminary magnetic activity study. A disc diffusion assay was carried out to determine the effectiveness of m-MgO NPs to inhibit the growth of F. oxysporum. The results showed that the zone of inhibition was 7.58 ± 0.30 mm at 10 mg/mL, suggesting that the synthesized m-MgO NPs are an effective fungicide to inhibit the growth of F. oxysporum.

Pollution from industrial effluents and domestic waste are two of the most common sources of environmental pollutants. Due to the rising population and manufacturing industries, large amounts of pollutants were produced daily. Therefore, enhancements in wastewater treatment to render treated wastewater and provide effective solutions are essential to return clean and safe water to be reused in the industrial, agricultural, and domestic sectors. Nanotechnology has been proven as an alternative approach to overcoming the existing water pollution issue. Nanoparticles exhibit high aspect ratios, large pore volumes, electrostatic properties, and high specific surfaces, which explains their efficiency in removing pollutants such as dyes, pesticides, heavy metals, oxygen-demanding wastes, and synthetic organic chemicals. Machine learning (ML) is a powerful tool to conduct the model and prediction of the adverse biological and environmental effects of nanoparticles in wastewater treatment. In this review, the application of ML in nanoparticle-treated water on different pollutants has been studied and it was discovered that the removal of the pollutants could be predicted through the mathematical approach which included ML. Further comparison of ML method can be carried out to assess the prediction performance of ML methods on pollutants removal. Moreover, future studies regarding the nanotoxicity, synthesis process, and reusability of nanoparticles are also necessary to take into consideration to safeguard the environment.

The environmental awareness and concerns (plastic pollution) worldwide have driven the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly biopolymer derived from renewable materials. Biopolymers, especially L-lactic acid (L-LA) have played a crucial role in manufacturing polylactic acid, a biodegradable thermoplastic. Recently, L-LA production from non-edible macroalgal biomass has gained immense attraction due to it offers the simplest saccharification process for the biorefinery route. However, the commercialization of macroalgal-based L-LA is still limited due to high production costs. This paper has comprehensively reviewed the potential and development of third-generation feedstock for L-LA production, including significant technological barriers to be overcome for potential commercialization purposes. Then, an insight into the state-of-the-art hydrolysis and fermentation technologies using macroalgae as feedstock are also deliberated in detail. Furthermore, this review provides a conceivable picture of macroalgae-based L-LA biorefinery and future research directions that can be served as an important guideline for scientists, policymakers, and industrial players.

In the field of structural health monitoring, self-sensing cementitious binders have gained great attention over the past decades due to their high sensing performance and durability. In particular, self-sensing cementitious coatings have seen increased interest due to their high compatibility with concrete structures and their ability to monitor existing infrastructure while using low amounts of material and at lower costs. Geopolymer coatings display favorable characteristics for this application due to their innate electrical properties and high bond strength with concrete structures. Despite the research that has been carried out on self-sensing coatings, the effect of the interfacial bond between the coating and substrate on the coating’s sensing performance has not been investigated. Poor bonding between the two materials can lead to low-quality sensing measurements and data misinterpretation. In this paper, we aim to investigate the bonding effect on the sensing performance of self-sensing geopolymer coatings. For this study fly ash-metakaolin geopolymer coatings were applied onto concrete substrates; the concrete surfaces were treated by employing three different surface preparation methods: mechanical brooming, chemical treatment and the untreated cast surface. The bond strength for each preparation technique was measured with the splitting tensile bond test and the sensing response for the geopolymer coatings under repeated loading was also characterized. Through proper understanding of the interface between cementitious materials, sensing coatings can be tailored accordingly to achieve high sensing performance and thus allowing high-quality monitoring and proactive maintenance in civil infrastructure.

This study uses the Monte Carlo method and building performance simulations to develop an additive model for rapid peak load forecasting at design phase that considers the effects of design parameters. The Monte Carlo method generates numerous of simulation cases and EnergyPlus software is used for the calculations. Specifically, a total of 20 parameters were considered for analysing the peak load calculations, including design day conditions, envelope performance, infiltration, etc. An office building was selected as the reference building. With the screening experiments and the standard regression coefficient, it was identified that there are 15 important parameters for peak cooling load in the perimeter zones and 7 in the core zone. Main effects and interactions for selected parameters were determined by factorial experiments of 40,000 runs for the perimeter zone and 1,287 runs for the core zone. Main effects and interactions were used to develop an additive model between design parameters and peak cooling loads. Finally, model validation by additional 1,000 cases shows a coefficient of determination of 0.995, with a mean bias error of 3.2%, and a coefficient of variation of 3.7%, which indicated that the developed additive model had high accuracy.

With the necessity of diversifying alcoholic beverages, cider has become a kind of drink that can fulfill this demand. This is because the cider will be diversified depending on the kinds of fruit that are chosen to be used for the cider fermentation. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of dilution ratio, Brix, pH, and yeast concentration on the production of cider from king mandarin (Citrus nobilis Lour.), and to evaluate the analytical characteristics and antioxidant activity of the product. After the investigation, it can be claimed that the dilution of the juice causes the ethanol content to decrease, whereas the increase of Brix, pH, and yeast concentration makes the ethanol content increase. However, the proportional increase in the ethanol content with Brix, pH, and yeast concentration has its limitations. Specifically, when the Brix and the yeast concentrations were, respectively, higher than 16°Brix and 0.04%, the ethanol content tended to maintain the same. This is also the same when the pH was lower than 4.5. In addition, by using the DPPH and ABTS●+ methods, the antioxidant activity of cider is estimated to be lower than the one of the juice before fermentation, which is smaller than 3.78 times for the DPPH method and 3.76 times for the ABTS●+ method.

Emission inventory is one of the measures to determine the amount of air causing pollution to the surrounding environment. This article calculates exhaust source in the area including: construction material stores, construction works, households, restaurants - eateries, gas stations, printing - photocopying shops, garages, temples, activities. straw burning activities from 9 cities/districts in Vinh Phuc province, Vietnam, thereby determining the contribution of each waste source as well as each district to the total emissions of the entire Vinh Phuc province. The results show that these emission sources have contributed to the gas resources of Vinh Phuc province in Vietnam as follows: NOx, CO, SO2, NMVOC, TSP, CH4, PM2.5 are 372.08; 13242.50; 28; 1409.78; 2045.10; 1213.08; 1473.67 tons/year. The results also show that straw burning is the source with the largest load. Specifically, the load of CO, SO2 and CH4 accounts for over 70% of total emissions.

To be competitive and environmentally responsible in food and beverage industry, restaurants must develop unique green, sustainable marketing strategies to gain an edge. Birthday banquets, with their symbolic value, offer an opportunity for restaurants to showcase menu design. However, many restaurants overlook this market, offering generic menus even when customers request a birthday banquet. This study explores the quality of birthday banquet menu design from the consumer's environmentally responsible perspectives, using the Kansei Engineering and KANO models. Through interviews and statistical analysis, the study identifies areas for improvement in menu design and provides practical recommendations for the industry to be sustainable, highly competitive and environmentally friendly.

Social class stagnation is a current topic of concern. The stagnation of generational mobility could result in society losing its ability to enhance individuals’ social status. This study explored higher education expansion as a possible cause of class stagnation by adopting the Human Development Index as a comprehensive indicator of individual social status, and determined dynamic mobility by observing the case of Taiwan, where higher education was expanded in 1994. Pseudo-panel data were obtained from the Family Income and Expenditure Survey. Our results indicate that rapid higher education expansion has a negative impact on social mobility for the generation who enters the labor market after the expansion starting point.

This study proposes a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model to investigate the nonlinear relationship between crude oil prices and crude oil production in 122 countries, both OPEC and non-OPEC, from March 1994 to October 2015. The statistical test for the existence of a threshold effect indicates that the relationship between oil prices and oil production is nonlinear, with different changes over time among the oil price and transition variables. Additionally, a threshold value exists. Furthermore, crude oil price volatility exhibits asymmetric responses to production volatility by fluctuating above or below the threshold value. Finally, when crude oil price volatility with a lag of two periods exceeds the threshold value, crude oil production changes have a positive impact on crude oil price volatility. In contrast, when crude oil price volatility with a lag of two periods is less than the threshold value, crude oil production changes have a negative impact on price volatility.

The importance of biobanks has long been mooted, and multiple models of development and operation can be found as a result of many actors founding biobanks (from institutions starting disease-specific banks to governments starting national population biobanks). Many countries began developing biobanks in the absence of national policies to aid in that formation. Taiwan was one such country. Believing that the unique genetic makeup, distinctive lifestyles, and disease-causing factors of the Taiwanese people deserved study, Taiwan took steps to create Taiwan Biobank. This paper examines Taiwan Biobank’s development and governance and focuses on two matters in particular which generated consternation during the development of Taiwan Biobank: the position adopted in relation to autonomy and ethnicity; and the approach toward transparency and internal governance. It concludes that Taiwan Biobank’s conflict-ridden evolution represents a cautionary tale, an example of how not to develop a flagship resource.

Background: The association between short-term changes in serum magnesium level and risk of in-hospital mortality was investigated in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data of 2,716 patients with AMI were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III and MIMIC-IV) database for 2001-2012. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the association between serum magnesium level and short-term change and in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI. In addition, subgroups according to age, gender, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS-II) were also analysed. Results: In total, 504 (18.6%) patients died in hospital. After adjusting for covariates, all AMI patients with high magnesium levels at ICU admission (HR=1.03, 95% CI: 0.83-1.27) or 48 hours after ICU admission (all p <0.05), or those demonstrating a change in magnesium level within the first 48 hours of ICU stay (all p <0.05) were shown to have a high risk of in-hospital mortality. Moreover, this correlation was retained irrespective of age, gender, SOFA score, and SAPS-II (all p <0.05). Conclusion: Serum magnesium levels at different time points after ICU admission and change in serum magnesium level during the first 48 hours were associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI, indicating that clinical attention should be paid to short-term changes in serum magnesium levels regarding treatment adjustment, which may further reduce the risk of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the powerful nonparametric cointegration test to examine whether nonlinear cointegration exists between prices of used houses and corresponding stock markets in China and the four Asian Tigers. Then, it uses the smooth transition vector error-correction model (STVECM) to explore the adjustment efficiencies of the short-run house and corresponding stockreturn dynamics when there is disequilibrium between house and stock prices. The empirical results indicate that there is a nonlinear cointegration between the house prices and corresponding stock prices in China, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, and that the speed of price adjustment to equilibrium is always greater for houses than stocks when there are large positive and negative deviations. Moreover, the short-run speed of adjustment of the large negative and positive deviations is equal in China, South Korea, and Taiwan, but unequal in Singapore. With the exception of South Korea, the results of the Granger causality test indicate that stock prices clearly lead used house prices, which means a wealth effect exists in most Asian countries. Our study confirms that the STVECM can be used to analyze the short-run adjustment efficiency of house and stock return dynamics in China, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan; thus, supporting models of interaction between noise and arbitrage traders.

El clima es un atributo del destino capaz de influir en el comportamiento turístico, especialmente en aquellos segmentos motivados por el ocio y la recreación al aire libre. En turismo náutico, el clima es esencial, porque condiciona la realización de la actividad náutica. Frente a la escasez de investigaciones que estudien la relación entre clima y comportamiento náutico, este artículo propone un modelo de regresión logística ordinal, que permite medir el impacto del clima en la cantidad de actividades náuticas, el número de visitas al destino y la satisfacción global del turista, y compararlo con el efecto del resto de atributos. Como resultado de encuestar a 201 turistas náuticos, nacionales y extranjeros, de visita en la Ruta del Sol (Ecuador) en el 2015, se ha podido comprobar que la satisfacción climática del practicante náutico es esencial para garantizar su satisfacción con el destino. El estudio también pone de relieve el efecto dominante que ejerce el clima sobre el comportamiento náutico y la fidelidad del turista extranjero, lo que demuestra la importancia de trabajar en el diseño de productos y servicios con información climático-meteorológica, para la gestión del turismo náutico internacional en este destino. Sin embargo, en aras de elevar la fidelidad y estimular el consumo náutico del mercado nacional, se requiere trabajar en otros aspectos, que se descubren a lo largo de este trabajo.

Résumé Le présent papier a pour objet de montrer qu’un partenariat public-privé local peut contribuer à améliorer la performance des collectivités territoriales décentralisées. Pour y parvenir, nous adoptons une démarche qualitative outillant le guide d’entretien pour prospecter les responsables de trois communes de la ville de Douala au Cameroun. La principale conclusion à laquelle nous aboutissons fait état de ce que le partenariat entre entreprises et collectivités locales n’a d’impact sur la performance des CTD, que si les entreprises sont ouvertes au dialogue avec celles-ci. Ayant constaté que les entreprises sont dans une approche instrumentaliste du partenariat public-privé, elles préfèrent échanger avec les autorités de tutelle plutôt qu’avec les mairies. Il est donc impératif pour nos entreprises de redéfinir le cadre de leurs échanges avec les élus du peuple. Mots clés : Partenariat public-privé, collectivité territoriale décentralisée, entreprise, performance. Abstract The purpose of this paper is to show that a local public-private partnership can contribute to improve the performance of decentralized local entities. To achieve this, we adopt a qualitative approach that utilizes the interview guide to question the staffs of three local councils in the city of Douala, Cameroon. The main finding of this paper is that the partnership between companies and local authorities only has an impact on the performance of the local councils, if companies are open to dialogue. Having found that companies are in an instrumentalist approach of public-private partnership, they prefer to exchange with the tutelage of the authorities rather than the local councils. It is therefore urgent for our companies to redefine the framework of their relationships with the elected representatives of the people. Key-words: Public-private partnership, decentralized local entities, companies, performance.

This paper examines whether UK fund managers engage in herding behaviour in the stock market using the dynamic herding measure, whether their herding behaviour is different during bullish and bearish periods, whether most of their herding is informational, which types of informational reasons act as the main drivers of their herding and whether there are non-informational drivers of their herding. Our results reveal that UK fund managers engage in significant herding behaviour and that this behaviour does not differ significantly from bullish to bearish stock markets. Moreover, we confirm that there are weak positive correlations between fund managers’ herding and stock returns within the subsequent year, which indicates that their herding is mainly informational. To improve portfolio performance, other investors could follow UK fund managers and purchase stocks overbought by them with at least 15 traders quarterly in the following one-year period, particularly for growth-type, sectorspecific and international-type funds. Moreover, because they are more likely to herd in large-capitalisation securities, the informational reasons driving managers’ herding behaviour are mainly related to investigative herding. We also find that growth-type and international-type funds are more likely to herd with similar- type funds. This finding may result from reputational and characteristic herding, which illustrates that non-informational reasons for managers’ herding still exist.

This study investigated the influence of the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) addition on several quality indicators of soursop juice, including pH, dissolved solids, Lab* criteria, vitamin C, total plate count (TPC) content, microbiology, and sensory qualities. The content of CMC was allowed to vary from 0.01-0.05 to 0.2% under sonication. The addition of CMC seemed to induce color changes, with total difference color (TDC) being proportionally related to CMC content. Oxidant resistance in fresh samples was 0.62 ± 0.04 mg GAE / mL and then increased at 0.05% CMC. A similar trend was also observed with the vitamin C values of the product. Visual qualities of the product were evaluated with a focus on appearance, color, and flavor with descriptive terms in a typical white liquid and odorless. Comparison with ISO quality standard indicates that the final product met with microbiological requirements.

This study aimed to produce a new functional fermented food product from sweet corn milk yogurt using Lactobacillus casei. The suitable conditions for lactic acid fermentation in sweet corn milk were investigated, including initial bacterial concentration, ratio of sweet corn milk and cow milk, sugar concentration, fermentation time and temperature. The results showed that the appropriate conditions for sweet corn milk yogurt production as follow: initial bacterial concentration was 106 cells/mL, fermentation time was 12 h at 37°C and sweet corn milk was fortified with cow milk at a ratio of 2:8 and 12% of sugar. The sweet corn milk yogurt was slightly yellow, smooth texture and thick body with the aroma of corn and acidic smell. The product remained acceptable taste and texture within 4 weeks at 0°C and 2 weeks at 5°C.

The objective of this study was to examine and compare the effects of corporate governance (CG) and intellectual capital (IC) between Malaysia Government-Linked Companies’ (M-GLCs) and Singapore Government-Linked Companies’ (S-GLCs) firm performance (FP). Panel data analysis was employed to analyse the impact of CG’s variables and IC’s variables on FP. FP was measured by Return on Total Assets (ROA), Tobin’s Q and Earnings Per Share (EPS). Data was gathered from the website of Bursa Malaysia and the Stock Exchange of Singapore from 2005 to 2018. The sample size of this research was 60 GLCs which comprised of 34 M-GLCs and 26 S-GLCs. There were a total 840 firm year observations. Results indicated that CGs of S-GLCs have greater impact on FP when compared to M-GLCs while the findings of the IC of M-GLCs have greater impact on FP compared to S-GLCs. This research was helpful in offering further insights of CG practices and IC efficiency to the Government, Board of Directors, policy makers, shareholders and stakeholders.

Direct democracy is the original and true way to ensure the power and position of the people as the owners of the state and society. Along with representative democracy, the implementation of direct democracy is important and indispensable in modern states in the world. In Vietnam, direct democracy has been recognized in many important legal documents and has been concerned by the Vietnamese Government, especially in recent times. Promoting and expanding direct democracy in Vietnam is evaluated as very correct and consistent actions of the Communist Party and the Government of Vietnam. The implementation of democracy is an important driving force to promote socio-economic development as well as people's sovereignty. It also stimulates the material and spiritual resources among the people to serve socio-economic development and fulfill social tasks. In the recent context of Vietnam, there are a lot of difficulties and challenges in implementing direct democracy, which requires significant solutions to strengthen in the future. In this paper, besides providing general research and opinions on direct democracy, the author focuses on analyzing issues of direct democracy implementation as well as proposing some solutions to improve direct democracy in Vietnam.

Фразеологизмы, пословицы и поговорки занимают важное место в культурном фонде и языке. Фразеологические и паремиологические единицы (ФЕ, ПЕ) – это результат длительного по времени процесса накопления и философского осмысления на языковом уровне народной культуры, фольклорных традиций, жизненного опыта носителей определенного языка и культуры. В них отражаются различные представления народа (бытовые, философские, исторические и т.п.). В то же время, фразеология представляет собой достаточно сложный для понимания и усвоения иностранцем пласт языка, особенно если ему не очень хорошо знаком исторический, культурологический, экстралингвистический фон данной нации. В статье рассматривается вопрос о том, какие культурные образы лежат в основе концепта «женщина / баба» на примере русских фразеологизмов, пословиц и поговорок, связанных с различными образами женщин, а также какие стереотипы и образы как правило приписываются женщинам в традиционном русском обществе, характерны для русского сознания, какие позитивные качества считаются ценными и необходимыми для женщин.

The nautical activiity has great potential for the socio-economic development of tourism. In Spain, the sector is a priority concern, especially for the Canary Islands, which show a clear commitment to specialise and reposition the destination as a top quality nautical destination on a European level. These aspects, together with the prior experience and tradition these islands have as a stopover destination for vessels in the Atlantic, when crossing Europe towards the Caribbean, represent strengths that have not yet been taken advantage of in the archipelago’s attempt to move away from its image as a traditional sun and beach destination. The Governmental Authorities in the Canary Islands have clear strategies in place to promote the yachting tourism growth. However, renewing the sector is believed to be a difficult process because of the large number of factors that interact within the same. This is a phenomenon of sufficient social and environmental significance to justify academic attention. This research analyses therefore the determinants of the European yachtsmen´s satisfaction with the ports of call of the Canary Islands. Data results of questioning 185 European yachtsmen crossing the Atlantic during 2014 and 2015 reveal that, among other aspects, proper environmental management of marinas leads to an increasing yachtsmen´s satisfaction. The findings provide the opportunity for developing recommendations for tourism managers and practitioners, in the attempt to contribute to a more sustainable and reasoned development and growth in the sector. Based on the current preferences of the European market of yachtsmen, it is possible to assure that environmental and social responsibility policies are a key differentiation factor for the competitiveness of the sector.

At present, artificial intelligence has become an important driving force for a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Under the background of the increasingly significant trend of global population aging, it is an important issue to consider how to serve cognitive aging and geriatric linguistics research based on artificial intelligence technology to serve the transformation of the elderly from healthy aging, active aging to active aging. The research and application of artificial intelligence based geriatric linguistics and services for the aged include at least three fields: basic research on gerontology, detection of aging and diseases, and cognitive rehabilitation of aging language.This study explores the correlation between active aging learning and satisfaction among senior citizens. Taking the students from the Senior College of Central Taiwan as the research object, the Active Aging Learning and Satisfaction Questionnaire was used as the research tool. A total of 440 copies were sent out using a convenient sampling method. 400 questionnaires, deducted 20 incomplete questionnaires, effectively recovered 380 points, and the effective recovery rate was 86.36%. SPSS (Satistical Package for the Social Science) for Window statistical suite software was used as an analysis tool for descriptive statistics Data analysis was performed by statistical methods such as single factor variation analysis, regression analysis, item analysis, and factor analysis. The results of statistical analysis show that there is a significant difference in active aging learning and satisfaction among older people. In addition, research has found that the relationship between active aging learning and satisfaction has predictive power. Based on preliminary research, researchers have found that active aging learning has an effect on improving the satisfaction of older people, and makes relevant suggestions for future research and teaching units.

The ASEAN primary energy demand to grow by an average of 3.4% per year from 627 to reach 1,450 million tons of oil equivalent by 2040. In the alignment to accelerating the energy transition through the ASEAN, the region is aiming to reach 23% of RE in the total primary energy supply (TPES). With the five-year remaining, ASEAN has a lot opportunity to accelerate the effort. This research presents overview of the shaping of the renewables and low-carbon power utilisation which has been in the action plan to optimise effective and efficient power utilisation. It will be presented in the study report, the alignment of low-carbon society and renewable energy promotion in ASEAN has been in great progress considering its attempt to improve all power utilisation lineage.

Due to the variability and instability of photovoltaic (PV) output, the accurate prediction of PV output power plays a major role in energy market for PV operators to optimize their profits in energy market. In order to predict PV output, environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, rainfall and win speed are gathered as indicators and different machine learning models are built for each solar panel inverters. In this paper, we propose two different kinds of solar prediction schemes for one-hour ahead forecasting of solar output using Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF).

This study uses a panel KSS test by Nuri Ucar and Tolga Omay (2009), with a Fourier function based on the sequential panel selection method (SPSM) procedure proposed by Georgios Chortareas and George Kapetanios (2009) to test the efficiency of REIT markets in 16 countries from 28 March 2008 to 27 June 2011. A Fourier approximation often captures the behavior of an unknown break, and testing for a unit root increases its power to do so. Moreover, SPSM can determine the mix of I(0) and I(1) series in a panel setting to clarify how many and which are random walk processes. Our empirical results demonstrate that REIT markets are efficient in all sampled countries except the UK. Our results imply that investors in countries with efficient REIT markets can adopt more passive portfolio strategies.

The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the entry of international medical graduates (IMGs) into the Canadian workforce. In Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) developed alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO’s alternative licensure routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are discussed.

The Strut-and-Tie Model (STM) has been incorporated into the codes and standards because of its consistency and rationality since last decade. However, it has encountered few challenges whilst its implementation. The effective compressive strength of strut has been a complex issue among researchers since emergence of STM. This review serves as a base for future developments of STM. It addresses several ways towards enhancing our understanding of strut performance in the STM. It also throws up questions for further investigation of effective compressive strength of strut in the STM. This review is confined to the evaluation of strut effectiveness factor based on the available codes and standards particularly AASHTO LRFD and ACI 318-08. According to the example given in this paper, there is sometimes a marked difference of approximately 50% between strut effectiveness factor recommended by AASHTO LRFD and ACI 318-08. More broadly, research is needed to determine which of the complicated strut effectiveness factor recommended by AASHTO LRFD and the simple one recommended by ACI 318-08 is optimum.

This paper presents the use of the smart city solution for the protection of urban biodiversity. This biodiversity is crucial for human wellbeing and sustainable development. The paper presents first the urban biodiversity, then the risk of its deterioration by urban activity (change in land-use; pollution of air, soil and water; noise pollution; light pollution; alien species; construction, flood). Finally, the paper presents briefly the Smart City solution including data collection, data analysis and reporting and control and how this solution could be used for the protection of biodiversity.

In his intertextual and metatextual novel, J. Fforde does not propose a specific, coherent interpretation of Jane Eyre: his parody is more an “amusing critical experiment”, a playful narrative in which Charlotte Brontë’s romance is brought to life in a way that allows every reader to deal with such critical issues in Jane Eyre as point of view, the controversial ending and the creation of characters.