Commercial Point Research Articles

Characterization and Evaluation of an Electrostatic Knapsack Sprayer Prototype for Agricultural Crops

Pesticide application development has grown exponentially in recent decades thanks to the implementation of new technologies and improved quality of spray input application. Electrostatic technology for increasing deposition has proven to be a suitable tool under specific study conditions, such as when working with very small droplet sizes, with air assistance, or typically in greenhouse environments. However, its effectiveness in hydraulic spraying, as well as its application from a commercial point of view in agriculture, is still challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of this technology by implementing a modified lance on a small commercial knapsack sprayer, equipped with a hydraulic nozzle providing a range of droplet size values (Dv50) from 136 μm to 386 μm in the pressure range between 2 and 6 bar. This setup allowed operation under normal conditions (disconnected electrostatic system: NES) or with the connected electrostatic system (ES), with both configurations being tested in this study. Liquid distribution profiling as well as qualitative and quantitative evaluation of deposition were carried out both under laboratory conditions and in tomato crops under greenhouse conditions. The results showed no differences between the ES and NES in terms of flow rate (L min−1) characterization or in the total accumulated volume collected with the vertical bench. The impact of the electrostatic system connection was clearly observed in laboratory trials, with total deposition increases of up to 66%. In field trials, this effect decreased in unexposed areas and in denser sections of the crop. However, the overall increase in deposition, mainly associated with the exposed side, continued to be significant.

Cabaret and decency: how contemporary definitions of cabaret are shaped by censorship

The abundant ‘cabaret’ events that populate London’s contemporary entertainment scene strategically adopt specific structures and aesthetics. Common points of reference include the Weimar Republic, Berlin clubs of the 1920’s, ‘salacious’ female nudity, ‘outrageous’ camp reveals and inevitable references to Bob Fosse’s ‘Cabaret’. The events often promise to provide a ‘high quality’ drinking and dining experience. In this way ‘nostalgia’ can be turned into financial success. This formulaic approach defines the contemporary understanding of cabaret, omitting vital aspects of the genre while turning it into a purely commercial commodity. My artistic practice as research interrogates the experimental nature of the cabaret of late nineteenth century Paris within a contemporary British context. Setting itself apart from the allure of ‘flesh and cash’ of the West End cabaret, Ms. Paolini’s Phantasmagoria Cabaret, regularly programmed at Hoxton Hall, London, since 2016, focuses on exploring an updated experience of European cabaret within the abandoned British Music Hall and Variety tradition. The wider cultural discourse fails to report on the possibility of different approaches to cabaret. I will draw on particular examples from my practice – how a 60-something performer clad in Y-fronts, for example, was regarded by a certain audience as obscene – to explore the subtleties of contemporary censorship and what it says about our cultural landscape. The ‘body reveal’ – one of the commercial selling points of West End cabaret replica productions – becomes unacceptable in the different context of Ms. Paolini’s Phantasmagoria Cabaret. This article examines how censorship operates in relation to contemporary experimental cabaret, providing an alternative account of the contemporary development of traditional cabaret and suggesting that there are different angles from which to approach discussion of the genre.

Intoxication in the city: Investigating spatial patterns and determinants of drugs and alcohol-related illegal activities in India's geostrategic corridor

Illicit drug and alcohol-related activities pose significant challenges to metropolitan centres globally, impacting public safety and socio-economic stability. This research analyzes the spatial and temporal patterns of drugs and alcohol-related illegal activities (DARIA) in Siliguri, known as the "Gateway of North-East India." The primary objectives are to explore DARIA patterns, identify clusters and concentrated areas, and investigate contributing factors. Using GIS-based spatial analysis and geographical models, we studied incidents recorded over three years from 2021 to 2023. Advanced spatial statistical approaches were applied to identify specific clusters of DARIA occurrences. The pure temporal analysis highlighted periods of increased illegal activity. Various geographical models, including ordinary least squares (OLS), geographically weighted regression (GWR), and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR), were used to examine the spatial association. The MGWR model, with an explanatory power of R2 = 0.816, provided a detailed understanding of spatial relationships and variations in DARIA. Our findings indicate specific zones with frequent DARIA occurrences, mainly near major transportation hubs, commercial points, and areas with significant mobility. Key exploratory factors such as illiteracy rate, population density, proximity to playgrounds and slums were highly associated with DARIA incidents. These findings contribute to developing safer, more resilient, and more sustainable cities worldwide.

WATER SOFTENING PLANTS AND REDUCTION OF IRON AND MANGANESE BY MAGNETIC AND NANOBUBBLE CO2 TREATMENT: A TECHNICAL AND APPLICATIVE ANALYSIS

Human society and environment are based on water resources. Hard water with iron and manganese excess is spread across the world and softening of drinking water is widely applied for reasons of public health, client comfort, economic and environmental benefits. Also, from industrial or commercial point of view, using it produce scale deposits in water systems and equipment often result in ample technical and economic problems. Solutions of reducing its hardness and iron/manganese excess exists on the market, even with the substances presented in the work. The novelty this study brings comes from using high intensity permanent magnets arrangements and CO2 nanobubbles treatment that increased the speed, the volume of treatment, while decreasing the energy and complexity of the installation, also decreasing the pollution mark of the system. The detrimental contributions of softening, in particular the use of chemicals and energy, are taken into account in the carbon footprint of the drinking water companies. The beneficial contributions have not been included in the carbon footprint. For carbon capture in the crystallized calcite and dissolution of CO2 into the softened water, the carbon footprint is compensated by the net carbon benefit of softening.

Accelerated Development of a COVID-19 Lateral Flow Test in an Academic Setting: Lessons Learned.

The COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrated the need for usable, reliable, and cost-effective point-of-care diagnostics that can be broadly deployed, ideally for self-testing at home. Antigen tests using more-detectable reporter labels (usually at the cost of reader complexity) achieve better diagnostic sensitivity, supporting the value of higher-analytical-sensitivity reporter technologies in lateral flow.We developed a new approach to simple, inexpensive lateral flow assays (LFAs) of great sensitivity, based on the glow stick peroxyoxalate chemistry widely used in emergency settings and in children's toys. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the opportunity to participate in the pandemic-driven NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative aiming to develop a deployable lateral flow diagnostic for SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein based on our novel glow stick-inspired light-emitting reporter technology. During this project, we screened more than 250 antibody pairs for analytical sensitivity and specificity directly in LFA format, using recombinant nucleoprotein and then gamma-irradiated virions spiked into negative nasal swab extracts. Membranes and other LFA materials and swabs and extraction reagent components also were screened and selected. Optimization of conjugate preparation and spraying as well as pretreatment/conditioning of the sample pad led to the final optimized LFA strip. Technology development also included optimization of excitation liquid enclosed in disposable droppers, design of a custom cartridge and smartphone-based reader, and app development, even a prototype reader usable with any mobile phone. Excellent preclinical performance was first demonstrated with contrived samples and then with leftover clinical samples. Moving beyond traditional academic focus areas, we were able to establish a quality management system (QMS), produce large numbers of customized LFA cassettes by contract injection molding, build in-house facilities to assemble and store thousands of complete tests for verification and validation and usability studies, and source kitting/packaging services and quality standard reagents and build partnerships for clinical translation, regulatory guidance, scale up, and market deployment. We were not able to bring this early stage technology to the point of commercialization within the limited time and resources available, but we did achieve strong proof-of-concept and advance translational aspects of the platform including initial high-performance LFAs, reading by the iPhone app using only a $2 plastic dark box with no lens, and convenient, usable excitation liquid packaging in droppers manufacturable in very large numbers.In this Account, we aim to provide a concise overview of our 18-month sprint toward the practical development of a deployable antigen lateral flow assay under pandemic conditions and the challenges and successes experienced by our team. We highlight what it takes to coach a technically savvy but commercially inexperienced academic team through the accelerated translation of an early stage technology into a useful product. Finally, we provide a guided tutorial and workflow to empower others interested in the rapid development of translatable LFAs.

A Spatiotemporal Comparative Analysis of Docked and Dockless Shared Micromobility Services

Sustainable urban mobility is an imperative concern in contemporary cities, and shared micromobility systems, such as docked bike-sharing, dockless bike-sharing, and dockless e-scooter-sharing, are recognized as essential contributors to sustainable behaviors in cities, both complementing and enhancing public transport options. Most of the literature on this subject predominantly focuses on individual assessments of these systems, overlooking the comparative analysis necessary for a comprehensive understanding. This study aims to bridge this gap by conducting a spatiotemporal analysis of two different shared micromobility modes of transportation, docked bike-sharing systems and dockless e-scooter-sharing systems operating in the municipality of Lisbon. The analysis is further segmented into arrivals and departures on weekdays and weekends. Additionally, this study explores the impact of sociodemographic factors, the population’s commuting modes, and points of interest (POIs) on the demand for both docked bike-sharing and dockless e-scooter-sharing. Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) models are employed to estimate the influence of these factors on system usage in different parishes in Lisbon. Comparative analysis reveals that the temporal distribution of trips is similar for both docked bike-sharing and dockless e-scooter-sharing systems on weekdays and weekends. However, differences in spatial distribution between the two systems were observed. The MGWR results indicate that the number of individuals commuting by bike in each parish has a positive effect on docked bike-sharing, while it exerts a negative influence on dockless e-scooter-sharing. Also, the number of commercial points of interest (POIs) for weekday arrivals positively affects the usage of both systems. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of shared micromobility patterns in urban environments and can aid cities in developing effective strategies that not only promote and increase the utilization of these shared micromobility systems but also contribute to sustainable urban mobility.

Exploiting channel state information of WiFi signal for human activity detection: an experimental study

Ubiquitous computing aims to seamlessly integrate computing into our daily lives, and requires reliable information on human activities and state for various applications. In this paper, we propose a device-free human activity recognition system that leverages the rich information behind WiFi signals to detect human activities in indoor environments, including walking, sitting, and standing. The key idea of our system is to use the dynamic features of activities, which we carefully examine and analyze through the characteristics of channel state information. We evaluate the impact of location changes on WiFi signal distribution for different activities and design an activity detection system that employs signal processing techniques to extract discriminative features from wireless signals in the frequency and temporal domains. We implement our system on a single off-the-shelf WiFi device connecting to a commercial wireless access point and evaluate it in laboratory and conference room environments. Our experiments demonstrate the feasibility of using WiFi signals for device-free human activity recognition, which could provide a practical and non-intrusive solution for indoor monitoring and ubiquitous computing applications.

Enhancing seafood traceability: tracking the origin of seabass and seabream from the tuscan coast area by the analysis of the gill bacterial communities

BackgroundThe seafood consumption and trade have increased over the years, and along its expected expansion pose major challenges to the seafood industry and government institutions. In particular, the global trade in fish products and the consequent consumption are linked to reliable authentication, necessary to guarantee lawful trade and healthy consumption. Alterations or errors in this process can lead to commercial fraud and/or health threats. Consequently, the development of new investigative tools became crucial in ensuring unwanted scenarios. Here we used NGS techniques through targeted metagenomics approach on the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA genes to characterize the gill bacterial communities in wild-caught seabream (Sparus aurata) and seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) within different fisheries areas of the “Costa degli Etruschi’’ area in the Tuscan coast. Our challenge involved the possibility of discriminating between the microbiota of both fish species collected from three different fishing sites very close to each other (all within 100 km) in important areas from a commercial and tourist point of view.ResultsOur results showed a significant difference in the assembly of gill bacterial communities in terms of diversity (alpha and beta diversity) of both seabass and seabream in accordance with the three fishing areas. These differences were represented by a unique site -related bacterial signature, more evident in seabream compared to the seabass. Accordingly, the core membership of seabream specimens within the three different sites was minimal compared to the seabass which showed a greater number of sequence variants shared among the different fishing sites. Therefore, the LRT analysis highlighted the possibility of obtaining specific fish bacterial signatures associated with each site; it is noteworthy that specific taxa showed a unique association with the fishing site regardless of the fish species. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of target-metagenomic sequencing of gills in discriminating bacterial signatures of specimens collected from fishing areas located at a limited distance to each other.ConclusionsThis study provides new information relating the structure of the gill microbiota of seabass and seabream in a fishing area with a crucial commercial and tourist interest, namely “Costa degli Etruschi”. This study demonstrated that microbiome-based approaches can represent an important tool for validating the seafood origins with a central applicative perspective in the seafood traceability system.

An improved pistachio detection approach using YOLO-v8 Deep Learning Models

Pistachios are an agricultural product widely used in the food industry. It is very important that pistachios are presented to the consumer in good quality on time. At the same time, whether the shells of pistachios are open or closed is an important criterion from a commercial industrial point of view. Pistachios with their shells open have a high unsaturated fat content, a high maturity level and an expensive market value. In this study, the open or closed status of pistachios was determined by using Artificial Intelligence-based deep learning models. For pistachio detection, 423 image data belonging to the Pesteh dataset were classified using models of the Yolov8 algorithm, which detects objects using convolutional neural networks. The data set is divided into 80% training, 10% validation and 10% testing. The performances of the models were evaluated with precision, recall, F1 and mAP score metrics. The highest test mAP value of the Yolov8 algorithm, which was run with image data consisting of pistachios, was obtained with the Yolov8-m model with 94.8%. The Yolov8-m model achieved a very successful result with 49.6 MB weight size, 11.0 ms inference time value and 0.33 hours training time value. In addition, the model's fast classification performance and small file size facilitate its applicability in the industrial field. The results show that the classification and detection of open and closed shell pistachios has been successfully carried out with Yolo models.

Experimental investigation and multi-objective optimization of savonius wind turbine based on modified non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II

A numerical data set will be developed to assist in the design of Savonius wind turbines. The main objective of study is to improve Savonius turbine blade designs to increase torque coefficients, rotational speeds, and pressure coefficients. Simulating 3D models and validating them with wind tunnel data were part of the experimental design methodology. Multi-objective optimization is used to optimize turbine performance. Twist angle, aspect ratio, and overlap ratio are all important factors in determining the optimal torque and power coefficients. Data-driven objective functions were modeled using the group method of data handling (GMDH). Using an evolutionary Pareto-based optimization approach, polynomial models were used to plot Pareto fronts and TOPSIS to calculate optimal commercial points. The torque coefficient, rotational speed, and power coefficient are all improved by 13.74%, 0.071%, and 5.32%, respectively. As a result of the multi-objective optimization of the turbine, some significant characteristics of objective functions were discovered.

Agromorphological and Chemical Characterization of Pear Cultivars Grown in Central–West Iberian Peninsula

Seventeen traditional pear cultivars grown in the Central–Western Iberian Peninsula, all of them clearly in decline or close to extinction, have been characterized from the point of view of agromorphological and chemical. A total of twenty-one agromorphological and chemical traits, mainly defined by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, were used to describe the fruits during a 3-year period from 2020 to 2022. Some of the genotypes showed distinctive and interesting agronomical characteristics from a commercial point of view, such as high yields and fruit quality. This was the case of the pear cultivars called “Pera Temprana”, “Muslo de Dama”, and “Pera de Cristal de Peñacaballera”. Their fruits were quite heavy (125.32–142.56 g) and had a good sweetness/acidity balance (12.67–14.92° Brix/2.76–3.42 g malic acid/L). The rest of the pear cultivars, with the exception of the “Cermeños” group and “Pera Canela” genotype, also presented interesting commercial characteristics given that their fruits had equatorial diameters greater than 6 cm and total soluble solids levels close to or above 13° Brix. The results of the PCA and cluster analysis showed that agromorphological and chemical analysis can provide reliable information on the variability in pear cultivars. The loss of these traditional crops has enormous significance given that they have unique characteristics and are perfectly adapted to the edapho-climatic conditions of the region. This work constitutes an important step in the conservation of genetic pear resources in the Central–Western Iberian Peninsula.

A Novel Cascade Utilization System of Liquid Hydrogen Cold Energy: Energy, Exergy, and Economic Analysis

In order to effectively improve the cold energy recovery efficiency and thermodynamic performance of liquid hydrogen regasification process, a novel type of liquid hydrogen cold energy cascade utilization (RC-HT-AS-DI-CS-AC) system is proposed, which includes Rankine cycle power generation (RC), hydrogen turbine power generation (HT), air separation (AS), production of dry ice (DI), cold storage (CS) and air conditioning (AC). A comprehensive energy, exergy and economic analysis is carried out to compare the proposed system with a comparison system scheme (CSS). For RC-HT-AS-DI-CS-AC system, the energy efficiency of overall system is 79.74%. The cold energy provided by the hydrogen stream achieve 182.31 kW, which is 61.18% increase compared with the CSS. The acquired exergy and exergy efficiency of the RC-HT-AS-DI-CS-AC system increase by 119.6% and 115.9% compared with the CSS. It reveals the importance of liquid hydrogen pressurization to improve exergy efficiency for overall system. However, in the economic analysis, the total annual cost (TAC) of the system of RC-HT-AS-DI-CS-AC system is 278,400 US $, which is significantly higher than TAC of CSS. As a result, the IRR of CSS and RC-HT-AS-DI-CS-AC systems are 87.39% and 15.10% respectively. Therefore, from a commercial point of view, CSS is more worthy of industrialization.

The effects of overseas exhibition games on consumer interest: the case of the English Premier League

ABSTRACT Research question This paper attempts to disentangle the impact of overseas exhibition games, a strategic marketing tool frequently implemented by professional sports clubs in their endeavors to expand into foreign markets, on demand. As such, it contributes to the recently growing literature examining the internationalization processes of leagues and clubs. Research methods We implement two different studies. Study 1 analyzes the effects of games played by English Premier League (EPL) clubs in the US in summer 2015 on US residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for add-on football packages on television. In doing so, we exploit the panel structure of geocoded data collected in two representative surveys and use inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment estimators. Study 2 focuses on regional audience data on EPL games televised in the US. We account both for summer 2014 and 2015 exhibition games by implementing propensity score stratification. Results and findings Overall, we find that exhibition games played by EPL clubs have a positive effect on both the WTP for TV subscription packages as well as viewership. Further analysis reveals that these effects are primarily driven by top brands traveling abroad (though also some spillover benefits on EPL-wide demand emerge) and dissipate over time. Implications Facilitating the organization of overseas exhibition games seems reasonable from a commercial point of view for league management. For broadcasters, requiring certain top brands to participate in preseason tours in their national markets might be essential if they seek to improve their return on investment.

“Egyptian Statue”, Revealed in the South-Eastern Region of Azerbaijan, in the system of Ancient Cultural and Trade Relations

Ancient Egypt, being one of the developed centers of the East, had close ties with Western Asia and the South Caucasus, both from a political and commercial point of view. This country, which had not been conquered until the VII century BC, was in the forefront as a political and military power of the period. It was from this viewpoint that many countries sought to establish political union with it, as well as the trade relations. As a result of this relationship, various works of art related to Ancient Egypt also spread to the South Caucasus through the Western Asia. No doubt that Egyptian art items found in Egypt itself are more than samples from other countries where similar finds are common. The paper deals with the archaeological finding – an Egyptian figurine. This artifact, which is so far the only example, found in Azerbaijan, testifies to the existence of ties between the South Caucasus and Egypt. The discovery also contributes to the creation of certain ideas about the small plastic art of that period. It is possible that complex archaeological studies in the region will reveal new artifacts of such art

Inheritance of the Resistance to Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say.) in a Heterogeneous Inbred Families Population of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The bean weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus is one of the world’s main pests of stored beans. The heterogeneous inbred family (HIF) population of near-isogenic lines (NILs) could be an exceptional strategy to study the inheritance of the resistance against A. obtectus. We developed a HIF population of 148 NILs of R-bufa-80-12. The objectives of this research were as follows: (1) to study and understand the genetics of the attack resistance to A. obtectus in a HIF population and (2) to identify the best lines to provide weevil resistance. The pure lines of the HIF population showed a great variability for all the analyzed traits. The traits studied in this research have a normal distribution showing continuous variation, so they are considered to be quantitatively inherited. The heritabilities for resistance traits were low and very low, ranging from 0.09 to 0.17. The heritability for 100 seed weight was the highest, with a significant value of 0.90. The best lines of the HIF population for resistance to A. obtectus comprised Line-45, Line-129, Line-124, Line-142 and Line-47. In general, these lines presented lower preference of adults, and lower consumption in grams and in percentages. However, lines 45 and 129 are the most interesting from a commercial point of view because they combine resistance and seed weight.

Exploring the association between travel demand changes and the built environment during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study compared the extent to which COVID-19 impacted travel demand of bike-sharing and taxi in New York City, and further explored how the changes in travel demand were associated with the built environment through four typical regression models, namely, least squares (OLS) regression, geographically weighted regression (GWR), temporally weighted regression (TWR), and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) models. In particular, this study looked at two phases: the lockdown phase (during which travel demand decreased dramatically) and initial recovery phase (during which travel demand started to increase). The results suggested that 1) GTWR performed better than the other three model types; 2) shared bike ridership rebounded much more significantly during the recovery phase than taxi ridership; 3) Commercial Point of Interest (POI) was positively associated with the change of ridership in both lockdown and recovery phases.

Application of vermicompost in improving the growth, water content, and vase life of LA hybrid lily

One of the limitations of soilless cultivation is its high cost. Considering this issue, this technique is cost-effective when the obtained product is of high quality from a commercial point of view. Lilies are the world’s fourth most popular cut flowers in terms of commercial importance. It is crucial to provide the lily with a culture medium that will extend its vase life and enhance its morphological and marketable characteristics. Vermicompost (VC) improves plant growth and performance with better access to water and nutrients. This study investigated the effect of different VC levels on LA hybrid lilies’ growth parameters and vase life. LA hybrid lily bulbs were planted at 20, 35, 50, and 65% VC levels on a cocopeat and perlite bed. First, growth traits such as the number of leaves and flowers, leaf area, plant height, petals’ anthocyanin content, some plant organs’ water content, and finally, vase life were measured. It was found that only the 20% VC treatment resulted in an increase in leaf number (8.6%) and flower number (3.6%). Furthermore, only in this treatment did water absorption in cut flowers and vase life increase by 43.5% and 9.8%, respectively. This research showed that the 20% VC treatment (V1) performed better in producing compact cut flowers with freshness and longer vase life.

Festival Cap Go Meh Menjadi Pariwisata Budaya Yang Berkelanjutan Di Surya Kencana Bogor

The Cap Go Meh Festival is a Chinese ethnic celebration at the beginning of the year which comes from the word "Cap Go" which means "fifteenth" and "Meh" means "night", so Cap Go Meh literally means "fifteenth night". Sustainable tourism is a tourism management concept that is responsible for environmental and community economic sustainability. The Cap Go Meh tradition is a form of Chinese culture which is still developing and is celebrated every year by Chinese groups and usually holds parades, processions along the streets and lantern festivals as a form of joy for the entire Chinese community for the success of the one year that has just passed and at the same time as a moment to pray for progress in the coming years. Sustainable tourism aims to use natural resources and human resources in the long term. so Cap Go Meh literally means "fifteenth night. Sustainable tourism is a tourism management concept that is responsible for environmental and community economic sustainability. The Cap Go Meh tradition is a form of Chinese culture which is still developing and is celebrated every year by Chinese groups and usually holds parades, processions along the streets and lantern festivals as a form of joy for the entire Chinese community for the success of the one year that has just passed and at the same time as a moment to pray for progress in the coming years. Sustainable tourism aims to use natural resources and human resources in the long term.
 The research objective was to determine the economics of the Cap Go Meh Festival at Surya Kencana Bogor. To know the environment of the Cap Go Meh Festival at Surya Kencana Bogor. To find out the social culture of the Cap Go Meh Festival at Surya Kencana Bogor.
 The results of the research on the Cap Go Meh Festival at Surya Kencana Bogor have been held every 15th of the first month based on the lunar calendar which is the highlight of the Chinese New Year. The celebration, which originally meant thanksgiving for the ethnic Chinese community, has now turned into a party for the people of Bogor City. Developments that continue to be carried out during the Cap Go Meh celebration will eventually have a commercial selling point into Sustainable Tourism. The Cap Go Meh celebration, which has now been carried out openly and has become the tourism agenda for the City of Bogor, has had a positive impact on society, both culturally and economically. This shows that the Cap Go Meh celebration has experienced a process of development from year to year.
 
 Key Words : Cap Go Meh Festival and Cap Go Meh Tradition and Sustainable Tourism

A-363 Evaluating the Performance of Emerging STI Point of Care Assays Using Novel, Room Temperature Stable CT/NG/TV/MG Positive Swab Quality Control Materials

Abstract Background The emergence of Point of Care tests that detect Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) is critical for screening and diagnostic programs in low-resource settings. Point of Care tests that are designed to simultaneously detect Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) promote rapid diagnosis and early treatment of the most common etiological agents causing STIs. Along with the roll-out and use of these tests, there is a growing need for complex multi-analyte quality control materials that are stable at room temperature and challenge test performance by identifying result deviations, lot-to-lot variability, and routine laboratory workflow errors. Microbix developed a whole-workflow multiplex quality control desiccated on a Copan FLOQSwab® that is stable at 2–30°C and contains inactivated whole-genome target pathogens. The objective of this study is to evaluate sample performance with multiple Point of Care diagnostic platforms that are currently in development and commercial IVD tests that are routinely used in the laboratory. Methods Microbix designed an inactivated STI whole-workflow control that contains whole-genome CT, NG, TV, MG, and human cells to satisfy sample adequacy control requirements. The formulation is desiccated on a Copan FLOQSwab® to mimic patient specimen formats and ensure sample compatibility with all assay workflows and elution buffers. Sample performance was evaluated with Cepheid Xpert® CT/NG assay, Cepheid Xpert® TV assay, Abbott Alinity m STI assay, BD MAX™ CT/GC/TV assay, Seegene Novaplex™ CT/NG/TV/MG assay, EliTechGroup STI PLUS ELITe MGB®Kit, and commercial Point of Care assays currently in development. Results The STI positive swab formulation demonstrated acceptable performance when tested with various nucleic acid amplification tests that detect CT, NG, TV, and MG targets. The formulations also behaved as useful quality management tools by highlighting design limitations for commercial Point of Care assays that are currently in development. Conclusion CT/NG/TV/MG whole-genome multiplex formulation desiccated on a Copan FLOQSwab® is an advantageous prospective quality control material that is stable at room temperature and supports the clinical use and accuracy of emerging STI assays, including the most challenging Point of Care test formats. The formulations showed acceptable performance on multiple platforms, demonstrating excellent commutability. Additionally, the dry swab format offers great practicality for monitoring assay performance in low-resource settings.

Nutritional, ecological and livelihood significance of Moringa oleifera: A review

The potential ecological and livelihood benefits of Moringa plants are often overlooked. There is a need to raise awareness and encourage farmers and decision makers to adopt Moringa on marginal and degraded lands with changing climate risks. Previous studies have focused mainly on the pharmacological uses and oil content from a commercial point of view and failed to explore its ecological benefits and economic potential to address the growing problems of global food insecurity, malnutrition, and climate risks. Planting Moringa on unused and marginal land can improve soil fertility, food production, and resilience to climate change, offering a significant opportunity for diversification of livelihoods and economic development in the changing climate. Henceforth, this study compiles scientific evidence through a systematic literature search to highlight the ecological benefits and livelihood opportunities associated with the use of Moringa. Initially, we retrieved 206 pieces of global literature and, through the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted information from 22 articles. Various studies have consistently shown that Moringa leaves are highly nutritious and that their consumption can combat food and nutrition insecurity in low-income countries. Its seeds offer the potential for the commercial production of oils with heart-healthy properties. The oil is stable and suitable for cooking and its quality varies depending on location and environmental factors. When included in the diet, Moringa leaves improve the quality and quantity of goat milk and support the growth of fish in aquaculture. The extract of Moringa provides versatile uses in water purification, offering sustainable solutions to water pollution. We thus conclude that Moringa's diverse applications can contribute to the livelihood enhancement and economic well-being of poor and marginalized farmers in low-income countries. Planting Moringa trees in abandoned croplands and other degraded areas can have positive ecological and socioeconomic outcomes for rural communities. However, to support smallholders in low-income countries, favorable policies, field-based research evidences, and products development are crucial.