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Kombucha is a sweet and sour beverage made by fermenting a liquid base with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Different tea substrates, carbohydrate sources, and additional ingredients are used to create beverages with different physical and chemical characteristics. The purpose of this work was to create a recipe and technology to study the properties of the beverage based on kombucha with a given chemical composition. The content of added functional ingredients (vitamins and inulin) in quantities comparable with reference daily intake was the specified parameter characterizing the distinctive features of the enriched beverages. For fermentation using symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast, a black tea infusion sweetened with sucrose was used as a substrate. The changes in the physicochemical characteristics of the fermented tea beverage base were evaluated. The dynamics of changes in pH, acidity, the content of mono- and disaccharides, ethanol, organic acids, polyphenolic compounds, and volatile organic substances were shown. The fermentation conditions were selected (pH up to 3.3 ± 0.3, at T = 25 ± 1 °C, process duration of 14 days) to obtain the beverage base. Strawberry and lime leaves were used as flavor and aroma ingredients, and vitamins with inulin were used as functional ingredients. Since the use of additional ingredients changed the finished beverage’s organoleptic profile and increased its content of organic acids, the final product’s physical–chemical properties, antioxidant activity, and organoleptic indicators were assessed. The content of B vitamins in the beverages ranges from 29 to 44% of RDI, and 100% of RDI for inulin, which allows it to be attributed to the category of enriched products. The DPPH inhibitory activity of the beverages was 82.0 ± 7%, and the ethanol content did not exceed 0.43%. The beverages contained a variety of organic acids: lactic (43.80 ± 4.82 mg/100 mL), acetic (205.00 ± 16.40 mg/100 mL), tartaric (2.00 ± 0.14 mg/100 mL), citric (65.10 ± 5.86 mg/100 mL), and malic (45.50 ± 6.37 mg/100 mL). The technology was developed using pilot equipment to produce fermented kombucha tea enriched with inulin and B vitamins.

Fats and oils are an essential part of a well-balanced diet. However, the food industry has traditionally used hydrogenated oils containing saturated and trans-isomeric fatty acids to provide the desired texture in fat-based foods. Structured edible oils (oleogels) are being considered to replace chemically modified oils. Oleogels can be used not only as an alternative to solid fats and hydrogenated oils, but also as carriers of biologically active substances. The aim of the study: a comparative analysis of the properties of oleogels containing fat-soluble vitamins D3 and K2, structured with beeswax monoesters, and oleogels structured with the initial beeswax to obtain enriched food ingredients of lipid nature - an alternative to solid fatty products containing saturated and trans-isomeric fatty acids. As a result of the studies, it was shown the influence of the gelator composition and the fat-soluble vitamins D3 and K2 on oleogel properties.

Currently, as part of solving the problems of improving the quality and safety of food, research is underway on the introduction of oleogels into foodstuffs to replace solid fats, which contain saturated and trans-isomeric fatty acids. However, such a replacement leads to a change in the organoleptic characteristics of food.

Despite the existence of sufficiently effective drug therapy, interest in additional dietary interventions that improve the clinical condition of patients with the most common alimentary diseases is constantly growing; as well as the inclusion of biologically active compounds (BAC) of plant origin as functional ingredients in foods for special dietary uses (FSDU) and dietary supplements is intensively developing.

PurposePersonality traits are assumed to influence cognitive processes as well as academic motivation and learning approaches of the students. Based on these assumptions, the present study investigates the association of HEXACO personality traits with academic motivation as well as influence of those traits on students' learning approaches in educational contexts.Design/methodology/approachSelf-reported measures of personality orientation, academic motivation and learning approaches were obtained from 404 respondents in a classroom environment. The SPSS 20 software was used to conduct the correlations and the hierarchical regression analyses. The Eviews 10 software was used to develop the structural equation model to find the inter-relations among the study variables.FindingsThe findings reveal the influence of personality traits on academic motivation and learning approaches of the students. Among different personality traits, consciousness appeared to have highly positive impact on deep learning and intrinsic motivation of the studies. Neuroticism appeared to have most negative impact related to surface learning and amotivation of the learning contents.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings validates the existence of HEXACO personality traits among the students in central Asian context. It future reiterated individual differences in learning strategies and learning motivation among the learners. The results may help academics and policy makers take appropriate measures to increase academic motivation and select appropriate learning approaches.Originality/valueThis is one of the pioneer studies to investigate the relationship between HEXACO personality traits, learning strategies and academic motivation. Validation of the HEXACO framework will help to understand students' personality in a more detailed and elaborative way and will contribute to the existing literature on personality and learning outcomes.

The rapid development of computer visualization techniques as well as virtual and augmented reality has led to the possibility of perfect data visualization and the creation of a special virtual space for educating new generation. Simultaneously, the increase in the amount of data to be processed requires a proper selection and presentation of data for solving specific problems. Education sets such tasks as 1) improving the efficiency of presenting information and its assimilation by stu-dents, and 2) increasing the convenience and quality of the teachers’ work. The purpose of this study is to test an acceleration and improvement of the teacher’s response to students studying with more productive visualized learning material. Meanwhile, the created visualization system was based on minimizing the efforts and costs of its preparation and constant support. Only free cloud-based services and visualization tools were used. Students were given the opportunity to con-stantly, in real time control their learning process and create education markers with the help of perspicuous visual environment. To create a visualization system, already existing works on the implementation and verification of the system was used. The study was based on the results of applying this technology. A survey of 300 students from three universities in China, Russia and Kazakhstan was conducted. The control group consisted of 150 students from the same universi-ties who did not use visualization to master the same educational material. Ac-cording to the results of the study, students who used information visualization showed a sharp increase in the subjective assessment of the speed and quality of their learning (58.58% and 37.73%, respectively, of the total number of partici-pants gave a high rating, while in the control group – only12.25%). Further, the level of anxiety associated with an assimilation of new language material was significantly decreased (13.54% in the study group did not feel anxiety, while on-ly 7% – in the control group).

The study of wax gelators is a new direction with the potential for use in foods for special dietary uses. Waxes of both plant and animal origin, which consist of various combinations of organic compounds: hydrocarbons, wax esters, free fatty acids and free higher alcohols, are among the studied ones. One of the main characteristics of these gelling agents is their melting point, which largely depends on the component composition of the wax. However, at present there are no models capable to reliably predict this parameter depending on the gel-forming agent composition.

This study aims to assess the extent and variations of employee duty orientation in a transition economy context, i.e., in Kazakhstan. Adopting ideas from the attitudinal theory, normative theory and exchange theory perspectives, the study further investigates relationships between personality traits and duty orientation as well as moderating role of leadership styles and corporate culture on personality-duty orientation relationship. Data were collected from employees of 284 organizations in three main big cities of Kazakhstan. The findings revealed higher level of employee duty orientation as well as variations in employees’ duty orientation between local and multinational corporations. It also identified the influence of individual personality traits, leadership styles and organizational culture on employees’ level of duty orientation. Among different personality traits, conscientiousness appeared to have the highest significant positive influence, and emotionality has highest significant negative influence on duty orientation. Among different leadership styles, autocratic leadership seems to have the most significant influence on duty orientation. Among types of organizational culture, adhocracy culture appears to have most significant positive influence on duty orientation. While individual-level factors are mostly blamed for employees’ duty orientation, the findings show influence of contextual factors such as leadership styles and corporate culture on employee duty orientation. It depicts a holistic view of employee duty orientation and opens new avenues to consider duty orientation from multi-level perspectives. Based on empirical evidence, the study provides recommendations for managers to nurture employee duty orientation for improved organizational performance.

An innovative approach to creating a new generation of specialised foods for dietary therapy of type 2 diabetes can involve planned adding of plant polyphenols to their formulafions. The marked antioxidant properties of polyphenols largely determine their potential antidiabetic effects. However, the use of food polyphenols for prophylactic purposes is limited by their low bioavailability, which makes it expedient to search for technological approaches aimed at obtaining polyphenolic matrices with high biological activity, increased digestibility, and stability. This study objective was to purposely extract and concentrate the polyphenols by sorbing them from an aqueous solution of the bilberry leaf extract (BLE) on buckwheat flour and to assess their storage stability. A number of experiments on optimal parameters selection for sorbing polyphenols from the BLE on buckwheat flour were performed. The parameters included the concentration of the extract solution, the solution/sorbent ratio, the pH of the solution, the temperature and the time of sorption. The sorption on the polyphenol matrix was determined from the difference in their contents in the initial solution of the extract and in the supernatant after centrifugation by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The effects of exposure to light, temperatures, and humidity on the polyphenol compounds in the dry BLE and in the food matrix contents during storage was analysed by the FTIR spectroscopy. The experiments determined the optimal conditions for the BLE polyphenol sorption on buckwheat flour by incubation of a 2% BLE solution pH = 3.6 with the portion of buckwheat flour at the ratio of 1g/50 cm3 solution for 45 minutes at 25°C. When storing the food matrix, there was no significant degradation of the polyphenolic compounds in the food matrix, which indicates an increase in the stability of the polyphenols sorbed on buckwheat flour. This paper presents the results that are scientifically and practically relevant for the nutritiology experts who devise promising technological approaches to expanding the range of functional food ingredients of the antidiabetic character.

Despite numerous studies dedicated to business and entrepreneurship education, there is a lack of research dedicated to students studying creativity in entrepreneurial and business-related disciplines through knowledge management tools and practices. The objectives of the study were to determine the key factors of creative motivation for entrepreneurship among students, to build an appropriate universal practical model of learner creativeness motivation, and to create a knowledge management concept based on this model. By way of comparative, descriptive, qualitative, and quantitative analysis methods, we investigated previous research in the field of motivation, educational approaches, and methodologies, together with the data of the Program for International Student Assessment of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. In order to compare international experience of knowledge management in modern approaches to education, we analyzed the curricular of business and entrepreneurship programs in three higher education entities from different countries: the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, KIMEP University, and Al Ain University. As a result of the research, we developed knowledge management that can be used for the learner creativity and motivation model. Recommendations developed in the course of the study would allow for the ability to make business and entrepreneurship education more sustainable.

Studies of the effect of combinations of vegetable oils on the properties of oleogels will provide useful information from a technological viewpoint for the optimal choice of the composition of the oleogel used, as well as regulate the fatty acid composition of food products based on oleogels. This work aimed to study the effect of combinations of sunflower and linseed oils on the properties of oleogels structured with beeswax. As a result of the studies carried out, data were obtained on the change in the structure of oleogels depending on the ratio of oils, which, from a practical viewpoint, in the future, will make it possible to expand the range of food products containing oleogels.

Particular attention is paid to biodegradable materials from the environmental point of view and antimicrobial materials that ensure the microbiological safety of packaged products. The aim of the work was to study the properties of the composition, based on biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and the antimicrobial additive&mdash, birch bark extract (BBE). Test samples of materials were obtained on the laboratory extruder by extrusion with ultrasonic treatment of the melt. The concentration of the antimicrobial additive in the polymer matrix was 1 wt %. A complex research was carried out to study the structural, physico&ndash, mechanical characteristics, antimicrobial properties and biodegradability of the modified PBAT. Comparative assessment of the physico&ndash, mechanical characteristics of samples based on PBAT showed that the strength and elongation at break indices slightly decrease when the ultrasonic treatment of the melt is introduced. It was found out, that the antimicrobial additive in the composition of the polymer matrix at the concentration of 1 wt % has a static effect on the development of microorganisms on the surface of the studied modified films. Studies of the biodegradability of modified PBAT by composting for 4 months have shown that the decomposition period of modified materials increased, compared to pure PBAT. The developed modified polymer material can be recommended as an alternative replacement for materials based on polyethylene for food packaging.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify Australian managers’ attitudes and understandings regarding workforce diversity management (WDM) and the practices and incorporation of WDM in organisations. Design/methodology/approach – Methodology is quantitative. A questionnaire in the form of a self-administered survey instrument was mailed to 650 managers (325 HR managers and 325 other managers) in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Findings – The research found that workforce diversity is not especially well understood or appreciated; especially by non-HR managers. Organisations appear generally not to prioritise WDM and levels of senior manager engagement with the topic are tentative. Statistical analysis highlighted considerable divergence of opinion across the surveyed group. Research limitations/implications – As an exploratory study, further research is encouraged to better understand cause and effect relationships pertaining to the findings. Practical implications – There are implications for HR managers or those in related roles who might design, implement and promote WDM initiatives. There are implications for consultants, employees and senior managers regarding education, awareness and support of diversity objectives. Originality/value – Addresses a gap in the literature by looking at contemporary attitudes and practices regarding WDM in Australian organisations. Provides the first empirical comparison between HR and other managers on the topic.

Ensuring the microbiological safety of food products is a problem of current interest. The use of antimicrobial packaging materials is a way of solving the problem. When developing packaging materials, it is advisable to use a modern approach based on the creation of biodegradable materials. The difficulty in the selection of the polymer compositions&rsquo, components lies in solving the dilemma of the joint introduction and processing of antimicrobial and biodegradable agents. The studies of the ultrasound treatment on the melts of polymer mixtures showed an increase in the dispersion process of the components of the mixture. In this regard, this work aimed to study the effect of the ultrasonic treatment on the melts of polymer compositions containing thermoplastic starch and birch bark extract (BBE). In the work, the properties of PE-based packaging materials with various BBE concentrations obtained with ultrasonic treatment of melts on a laboratory extruder were studied. Biodegradable polymer compositions containing thermoplastic starch and BBE, obtained with the use of the ultrasonic treatment during extrusion, were investigated. The methods for studying rheological, physic-mechanical, antimicrobial properties and sanitary chemical indicators of materials were used in the article. It was found that ultrasonic treatment increases the melt flow and contributes to the production of materials with the uniform distribution of additives. The BBE content from 1.0% and higher in the contents of the material provides antimicrobial properties. When studying the permeability of oxygen and water vapor of the polymer compositions based on PE and BBE, it was found that the introduction of a filler increases vapor permeability by about 8&ndash, 12% compared with control samples. The optimal concentration of BBE in polyethylene compositions containing thermoplastic starch was determined. The extension of the shelf life of the food product during storage in the developed material was established.

This research sheds a light on an under-researched topic of job satisfaction in Kazakhstan. Young people, who today are pursuing their bachelor degree, but tomorrow will start working, were chosen as a sample. This article should be especially interesting to employers because it reveals which factors – among those that potentially contribute to job satisfaction – will bring the expected effect in Kazakhstan and thus are worthy of investments. The study is based on the survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in the years 2005- 2012 among U.S. employees. The results of the study suggest that rating list of factors that mostly contribute to job satisfaction, which was compiled on the basis of the answers provided by the respondents from Kazakhstan, is quite different from the rating lists of factors mostly contributing to job satisfaction of U.S. employees.

The battle over administrative reform is a battle between contending perspectives of who should populate and manage public organizations, or put differently, between definitions of the ideal civil servant. This article reflects upon the hierarchical civil servant ideal-type by exploring its model of man, homo hierarchicus. The article describes homo hierarchicus, examines how he understands, explains, and judges the world, then explicates his preferred governance arrangements for society and his preferred organizational and managerial arrangements for public organizations. In so doing, the article identifies the salient attributes of the hierarchical civil servant ideal-type and its place in the public sector, thereby confronting the fundamental question of whether the hierarchical civil servant ideal-type is a role model worthy of renewal.

Being in existential poverty means living in a state of, or near, persistent material poverty while also being socially excluded, marginalized, or disadvantaged. It is a life-disempowering experience, one that privileges both immediacy over the future, and welfare over work. This results in learned helplessness, manifesting as a lack of will to take control of life. The existentialist explanation is that those in this mental state do not have an authentic way of life. Positive Psychology, and its offshoot, Positive Organizational Behavior, provide the cognitive change strategies that focus on building in people their sense of self-efficacy, optimism, hope, resilience, and subjective well-being, as well as their emotional intelligence, all of which are mental attributes that have demonstrable positive impacts on human performance. This can enable people to pursue gainful, meaningful, and sustained self-actualizing vocation, so lifting them out of persistent material poverty. The public policy challenges are (1) to determine whether it is in the public interest to redress the negative agental consequences of welfare dependency; (2) to redesign the features of social assistance programs that exacerbate learned helplessness amongst beneficiaries; and (3) to determine how best to reduce the psychologically incapacitating effects of welfare dependency.