Effect Of Substitution Research Articles

Adoption of green production technologies by farmers through traditional and digital agro-technology promotion–An example of physical versus biological control technologies

Traditional and digital agro-technology promotion are two critical methods for disseminating agricultural technology information, which effectively encourages farmers to employ green production technologies. This paper empirically examines the effects of traditional and digital agro-technology promotion on the adoption of green production technologies by 619 apple producers in the primary apple production area of Guanzhong Plain, China, using micro-survey data. The study's findings suggest that both promotion models significantly influence the adoption of green production technologies by farmers. This conclusion remains valid after the instrumental variables approach and a series of robustness tests are implemented to address endogeneity concerns. The heterogeneity analysis revealed that the impact of the two promotion modes on the adoption behavior of green production technologies by farmers varied by scale. Specifically, digital agro-technology promotion had a greater impact on the adoption of physical control technologies by small-scale farmers, while traditional agro-technology promotion had a greater impact on the adoption of biological control technologies by large-scale households. In addition, the technological differences between traditional agrotechnology promotion and digital agrotechnology promotion result in clear complementary and substitution effects. The two modes of promotion have evident complementary effects for biological control technologies. The two modalities of promotion for physical control technologies exhibit complementary effects between social communication-type promotions and traditional agro-technology promotions, as well as substitution effects between short-video promotions and traditional agro-technology promotions.

Structural insights into alterations in the substrate spectrum of serine-β-lactamase OXA-10 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa by single amino acid substitutions

ABSTRACT The extensive use of β-lactam antibiotics has led to significant resistance, primarily due to hydrolysis by β-lactamases. OXA class D β-lactamases can hydrolyze a wide range of β-lactam antibiotics, rendering many treatments ineffective. We investigated the effects of single amino acid substitutions in OXA-10 on its substrate spectrum. Broad-spectrum variants with point mutations were searched and biochemically verified. Three key residues, G157D, A124T, and N73S, were confirmed in the variants, and their crystal structures were determined. Based on an enzyme kinetics study, the hydrolytic activity against broad-spectrum cephalosporins, particularly ceftazidime, was significantly enhanced by the G157D mutation in loop 2. The A124T or N73S mutation close to loop 2 also resulted in higher ceftazidime activity. All structures of variants with point mutations in loop 2 or nearby exhibited increased loop 2 flexibility, which facilitated the binding of ceftazidime. These results highlight the effect of a single amino acid substitution in OXA-10 on broad-spectrum drug resistance. Structure–activity relationship studies will help us understand the drug resistance spectrum of β-lactamases, enhance the effectiveness of existing β-lactam antibiotics, and develop new drugs.

Praseodymium induced symmetry switching and electrochemical characteristics of LaCoO3 nanostructures

A comparative study of the crystal structures and electrochemical characteristics of bulk and nanoscale La1-xPrxCoO3 (x = 0, 0.3 and 0.6) perovskites is made using synchrotron x-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge/discharge methods. It is shown that the sol-gel synthesized nano structures and bulk LaCoO3 exhibit different crystal structures, viz., rhombohedral [a = b = 5.4401 Å, c = 13.134 Å (on hexagonal axes), Z = 6, R3‾c] and monoclinic [am = 5.3865 Å, bm = 5.4482 Å, cm = 7.6365 Å, βm = 89.010°, Z = 4, I2/a], respectively. The evidence for CoO6 octahedra distortion in bulk LaCoO3 is also gathered from the three distinct Raman active modes at 518, 646, and 688 cm−1 emerging due to the Jahn-Teller effect, which, in-turn, reduces the crystal symmetry for achieving structure stabilization. This amounts to changes in Co–O bond lengths and Co–O–Co bond angles with promotion of t2g electron to eg level simultaneously for Co3+(3d6) to attain an intermediate spin state (S = 1) or higher. However, Pr-insertion induces phase transition to orthorhombic in both but with space group Pnma in nanostructures and equivalent Pbnm in bulk. The substitution effect on the specific capacitance (C) is opposite in nature, i.e., while ‘C’ decreases from 149 to 12 F/g in nano structures, it increases from 0.4 to 4 F/g in bulk with increase in Pr-content from x=0 to 0.6. A galvanostatic charge-discharge test of pristine nano LaCoO3 performed at a constant scan rate of 50 mVs−1 reveals electrode electrochemical stability by retaining 96 % of specific capacitance ∼82.5 F/g for 2000 cycles at least. The variation in the crystal structure and bond length and/or angle plays a key role in controlling the electrochemical performance of Pr-substituted LaCoO3 perovskites.

Effects of substitution of crude palm oil with palm-pressed fibre oil on the laying hen's performance, egg production and egg quality traits.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of substituting a crude palm oil (CPO) diet with palm-pressed fibre oil (PPFO) on laying hens' performance, egg production, carcass characteristic and egg quality. A total of 150 Hisex Brown laying hens were randomly assigned to five treatments: a basal diet containing 4% CPO (T1-control) and basal diets in which CPO was substituted by 25% (T2), 50% (T3), 75% (T4) or 100% (T5) PPFO. These diets were fed to laying hens ad libitum for 16 weeks. Compared to the T1 diet, dietary treatments T2, T3 and T4 had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, egg number, egg production, egg weight and egg mass of the laying hens during the entire experimental period. Nonetheless, a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in feed intake, egg number, egg production and egg mass were observed in hens fed T5 compared to those fed the T1 (control) diet. Except for heart and spleen weights, other carcass characteristics were not affected by treatment (P < 0.05). Skin yellowness and breast meat redness increased significantly (linearly, P < 0.05) with increasing proportions of PPFO. Likewise, yolk colour scores increased in proportion to the dietary level of PPFO (linearly, P < 0.05). These findings suggest that PPFO can be used as a novel, cost-effective lipid source at a level of 3% in layer diets as a substitute for CPO to improve eggs' quality parameters without any harmful effects on laying performance.

Auditor Office Reputation Damage and Their Audit Clients’ Voluntary Disclosures

SUMMARY We examine how client firms of reputationally damaged auditor offices respond to perceived lower audit quality, focusing on the issuance of management forecasts. We find that nonrestating client firms that stay with their reputationally damaged auditor office increase their number of management forecasts, which is consistent with a substitution effect between audited financial reporting quality and voluntary disclosure. Further, the disclosure response of these clients is more pronounced when the client firm is exposed to a higher information demand environment or is exposed to lower proprietary costs of disclosure. Finally, we document that increases in management forecasts bring market benefits for clients audited by reputationally damaged auditor offices by reducing the cost of equity and improving realized returns for these firms. Data Availability: All data used in the study are available from public sources identified within. JEL Classifications: M41; M45; M49.

Exploring the substitution within clean energy: Evidence from China's top 14 hydropower provinces

This paper quantitatively examines the substitution effects within China's clean energy sector, focusing on the hydropower and new energy generation sectors across the top 14 hydropower-producing provinces, which collectively contribute to over 80 % of the country's total hydropower output. To provide a comprehensive analysis of regions that significantly influence national trends, the study utilizes the Cross-Price Elasticity (CPE) and Morishima Elasticity of Substitution (MES). CPE measures how the quantity demanded of one energy source responds to a change in the price of another, while MES assesses the sensitivity of the ratio between two energy inputs to price changes. A Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model is employed to forecast energy substitution dynamics, offering robust predictive accuracy. The average MES between clean energy and thermal power is 0.663, indicating a moderate substitution relationship, with the effect more pronounced in summer. Additionally, the mean MES between hydropower and new energy generation is 2.067, reflecting a strong substitution effect between these two clean energy forms. Furthermore, the SARIMA model shows a mean squared error (MSE) as low as 0.0006 in some cases, demonstrating its robust predictive accuracy in forecasting energy substitution dynamics. These results offer empirical support for policies aimed at reducing reliance on thermal power and promoting clean energy development in key provinces.

Magneto–Optical Properties and Applications of Magnetic Garnet

The interaction between light and the magnetization of a material is called the magneto–optical effect. It was used in magneto–optical recording such as MO disks and has been applied to optical isolators etc. with the development of optical communications. The magneto–optical properties of magnetic garnets and their applications are briefly reviewed in this article. In the first half, after a brief overview of the phenomenology of the magneto–optical effect, the effects of element substitution on properties such as Faraday rotation and optical absorbance of magnetic garnets are shown. In the second half, some interesting applications such as imaging technologies and other novel applications using the magneto–optical effect of magnetic garnets are also introduced.

Enhancing structural strength and microwave dielectric properties of the Ba4(Sm1-xCex)9.33Ti18O54 ceramics

Herein, microwave dielectric ceramics of the Ba4Sm9.33Ti18O54 ceramics are substituted at A sites by partially replacing Sm at A1 sites with Ce, and the effects of ionic substitution at A sites on ceramic crystal structure and microwave dielectric properties are investigated. The Ba4(Sm1-xCex)9.33Ti18O54 (BSCT) ceramics prepared through the solid phase method has a typical tungsten–bronze structure, and its lattice spacing increases gradually with the increase in Ce content x. This increase is reflected in the increase in the cell volume and growth of ceramic grains. However, the excess Ce after Ce content exceeds 0.25 leads to the growth of ceramic grains and increase in porosity between grains, which in turn increases the dielectric loss of the ceramic. Under optimal sintering conditions, the ceramic crystal has a maximum atomic packing density of x = 0.25, which corresponds to its most stable structural properties, and the highest Q × f value of 9013 GHz. Raman spectroscopy results indicate that in titanium oxygen octahedrons, an increase in Ce substitution can effectively weaken the bending and tensile vibration intensities of titanium oxygen bonds, further enhancing structural strength.

Innovative design of hole-carrying materials utilizing spiro-OMeTAD for halide hybrid perovskite solar cells

Abstract During the enhancement of photovoltaic conversion efficiency of perovskite cells, the study of hole transporting materials that match them is crucial. This work uses quantum mechanical calculation methods to systematically study 40 spiro [fluorene-9,9’-xanthene] (SFX) and spirobixanthene (SBX) spiro-core structure molecules designed based on spiro-OMeTAD as research objects. It systematically studies the effects of heteroatoms, methoxy and diphenylamine substitutions at different positions on the geometric conformation, molecular orbitals and energy levels, molecular reorganization energy, and UV-visible absorption spectra of all designed molecules. Based on the above research, the objective of this research is to furnish theoretical guidance for the design and development of hole transporting materials that can match various new types of perovskite materials.

Substitution effect of Asian economies on China’s industrial and supply chains: from the perspective of global production network

This paper views China Production Network (CPN) as an integral component of the Global Production Network (GPN) and constructs null model (GIVCBN-I model) and the counterfactual model (GIVCBN-II or GIVCBN-III model) to identify and measure the potential industrial relocation risk exposure of CPN based on the Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) table. The main findings are as follows. Firstly, Altasia will induce more of China’s industrial and supply chains to break compared with ASEAN, which also means that strong industrial complementarity exists between Japan, South Korea, India, Bangladesh and the ASEAN member countries, enabling Altasia to have a more significant substitution effect on China. Secondly, the counterfactual models’ network-level characteristic indicators are worse than those of the null model in economic terms, suggesting that removing trade barriers for intermediate goods within Altasia could lead to the decoupling of industrial sectors in the CPN, thereby accelerating the trend of China’s industrial and supply chains relocating offshore. Thirdly, according to the comparison results of node-level characteristic indicators, Altasia has weakened China’s influence scope, profitability, and robustness of risk within the global industrial and supply chains, but mainly concentrating on its resource-intensive and labor-intensive sectors rather than capital-intensive and technology-intensive sectors, which indicates that some China’s industrial sectors still maintain substantial competitive advantages in the GPN. In sum, this paper provides theoretical guidance for identifying and analyzing the trends of industrial relocation in the Asia-Pacific region and helps industrial policymakers deepen the understanding of regional economic integration and its impact.

Impact of Alkoxy Side Chains on the Quinoxaline-Based Electron Acceptors for Efficient Organic Solar Cells.

In this work, three alkoxy-substituted quinoxaline core-based small-molecule acceptors (BQO-F, BQDO-F, and BQDO-Cl) are developed to elucidate the impact of ethoxy substituents on the physicochemical and photoelectric properties. Comparative analysis reveals that dialkoxy-substituted BQDO-F has a more planar molecular skeleton, a red-shifted absorption spectrum, upshifted energy levels, stronger crystallinity, and reduced energetic disorder compared to the monoalkoxy-substituted BQO-F. Although the replacement of fluorine atoms with chlorine atoms on the end-capped units of BQDO-F leads to a bathochromically shifted absorption spectrum, the resulting molecule BQDO-Cl shows worse π-π packing order compared to BQDO-F. Benefiting from the more favorable active layer morphology and improved carrier dynamics, the PBDB-T:BQDO-F-based organic solar cell achieves a much higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.41% compared to that of 14.48% obtained in the BQO-F-based device. In comparison with the BQDO-F-based device, the higher voltage loss of the BQDO-Cl-based device results in a lower PCE of 15.89%. The results clarify the effects of ethoxy substituents and end-capped substitutions of quinoxaline core-based small-molecule acceptors on efficient organic solar cells.

Government debt and stock bubbles in China

Herein, we used Vector Autoregressive and Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium models to examine the relation between central government debt and stock bubbles in China. The empirical findings indicate a considerable negative correlation between central government debt and stock bubbles. The model's results also illustrate that the liquidity substitution effect mainly drives a negative linkage. When commercial banks hold government debt, the effect establishes a connection between central government debt and asset bubbles through commercial banks' balance sheets. Further analysis indicates that countercyclical fiscal policies impact the negative correlation between government debt and stock bubbles. The findings suggest that governments should regulate debt levels to manage asset bubbles.

Effect of Cu substitution on morphological optical and electrochemical properties of Co3O4 nanoparticles by co-precipitation method

In this present study, pure Co3O4 and Cu-substituted Co3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a simple co-precipitation method and their structural, morphological, optical, and electrochemical properties were assessed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the synthesized samples had a cubic structure with the formation of a secondary phase (CuO) was detected at a higher Cu concentration. The average crystallite was decreased with increasing Cu content. Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) analysis revealed that the presence of vibrational bands in Cu-substituted Co3O4 NPs. The morphological study of the pure Co3O4 and Cu-substituted Co3O4 NPs revealed that the hexagonal structure with porous morphology confirmed by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). High resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) analysis with spotty diffraction rings showed that pure Co3O4 and Cu-substituted Co3O4 NPs were polycrystalline in nature. The optical properties of synthesized samples exhibited strong absorption edges, and bandgap values were found to be increased from 3.60 to 3.75 eV. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed to investigate the electrochemical properties of the synthesized materials. The CV curves exhibited pseudocapacitive behavior, and 2 % Cu substituted Co3O4 electrode had a high higher specific capacitance value than pure Co3O4 electrode.

Effect of Zn-substitution on magnetic structure of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles.

This study investigates the effects of Zn substitution on the magnetic properties of ∼5nm cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (ZnxCo1-xFe2O4, where x = 0, 0.13, 0.34, and 0.55), demonstrating that Zn substitution induces complex changes in spin canting and prompts a redistribution of cations among the sublattices. We reconstructed the magnetic structure of these spinel ferrites by integrating the classical two-sublattice Néel model of ferrimagnetism with the data obtained from 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry. Consequently, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of how Zn substitution tunes the magnetic properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, offering valuable insights into the development of magnetic materials with tailored properties for various applications.

EVALUATION OF TECHNOLOGICAL PLASTICITY OF HIGH BORON CORROSION-RESISTANT STEEL DURING HOT DEFORMATION OF PIPES USED FOR SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL STORAGE

Statement of the problem. The sustainable development of the global nuclear power industry in the future depends on how effectively the problems of radiation safety and nuclear proliferation are addressed. Such problems occur, among other things, at the final stage of the nuclear fuel cycle – spent fuel management. This task is currently on the agenda of both the international community and national governments of countries that develop or intend to develop nuclear energy [1−3]. Today, in connection with ensuring the safety of nuclear energy, boron-containing steels are widely used in the world practice as a material for biological protection and for the manufacture of special equipment parts. This is due to the fact that the B10 isotope in steels provides neutron capture [4]. Hexagonal pipes made of high-boron steel were needed to shield the support cover of the compacted spent fuel storage facility at nuclear power plants. Corrosion-resistant steels alloyed with boron are widely used in the nuclear power industry due to their special nuclear properties. During the operation of nuclear power plants, fuel assemblies that have served their useful life must be stored in special storage facilities using containers – hexagonal tubes made of 04Сr14Ti3B2V steel. To reduce costs during in the construction and operation of NPPs, part of the spent nuclear fuel management should be performed at Ukrainian enterprises. This will provide a significant import substitution effect. To manufacture hexagonal tubes from 04Сr14Ti3B2V steel according to the ingot-hot deformation-profiling-heat treatment scheme, it is necessary to develop the parameters of hot deformation and subsequent technological operations. The use of these pipes in compacted spent fuel storage facilities of NPPs will allow to increase the storage capacity by 2 times, which will give a significant national economic effect Material and methods of research. Material used for the study was steel 04Сr14Ti3B2V (CS-82), smelted using two variants (vacuum-induction – “VI” and vacuum-induction followed by vacuum-arc remelting – (“VD”). Steel grade 04Сr14Ti3B2V belongs to high-alloy, corrosion-resistant ferritic steels with a high boron content of up to 2 %. The method of differential thermal analysis was used to study the phase transformation temperatures in the steel. X-ray diffraction and micro-X-ray spectral analysis were used to assess the phase state. The steel samples were tested for weldability After cooling, the welded samples were subjected to X-ray transmission [5]. Hot twisting tests and mechanical tests at high temperatures were also performed. The macro- and microstructure of the metal was studied. Results. The macro- and microstructure of steel was evaluated depending on the smelting method. The phase composition of the steel was studied. The study of the plastic properties of steel ChS-82 by means of penetration and hot twisting tests showed that the temperature range of maximum plasticity is in a wide range (from 1 025 to 1 150 0C) with a rather low resistance to deformation. During hot deformation in the temperature range of 1 175 0C and above, metal fracture was observed along the grain boundaries at the melting points of the Cr−Fe−B boride phase. The optimal temperature range for hot deformation of steel ChS-82 is 1 000−1 050 ⁰С. Scientific novelty. For corrosion-resistant high boron steel used for spent nuclear fuel storage, the temperature range of hot deformation was selected and the structural and phase composition was estimated, which will allow deforming the metal on the piercing mill and manufacturing pipes.

Halogenated-edge polymeric semiconductor for efficient spin transport.

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) are featured by weak spin-orbit coupling due to their light chemical element composition, which enables them to maintain spin orientation for a long spin lifetime and show significant potential in room-temperature spin transport. Carrier mobility and spin lifetime are the two main factors of the spin transport performance of OSCs, however, their ambiguous mechanisms with molecular structure make the development of spintronic materials really stagnant. Herein, the effects of halogen substitution in bay-annulated indigo-based polymers on carrier mobility and spin relaxation have been systematically investigated. The enhanced carrier mobility with an undiminished spin lifetime contributes to a 3.7-fold increase in spin diffusion length and a record-high magnetoresistance of 8.7% at room temperature. By analyzing the spin-orbit coupling and hyperfine interaction, it was found that the distance of the substitution site from the conjugated center and the nitrogen atoms in the molecules play crucial roles in spin relaxation. Based on the above results, we proposed a molecular design strategy of halogen substitution far from conjugate center to enhance spin transport efficiency, presenting a promising avenue for advancing the field of organic spintronics.

Covalent Organic Frameworks in Computational Design of Second-Harmonic Generation Materials: Role of Tetrel Atoms and Their Interactions.

Modern approaches to the design of nonlinear optical materials often rely on computational techniques. Here, we discuss the effects of the variation in the center tetrel atoms, Tt = C, Si, or Ge, in a series of covalent organic frameworks of the COF-102 family. The effects of halogen substitution, Hal = Cl, Br, or I on intramolecular tetrel bonding are also discussed. The characteristics of the calculated electron density have been implemented to describe the features of the electron distribution around the central fragment involving a tetrahedral tetrel atom. The effect of the central Tt atom leads to a dramatic change in the character of electron delocalization on the Tt-Car bond with aromatic rings. The location of the halogen atom at the ortho-position of the aromatic ring leads to the formation of tetrel bonds, halogen bonds, or other noncovalent interactions. The changes in the second-order electric susceptibility χ(2) have been studied in order to describe the strength of nonlinear optical properties within the periodic couple-perturbed Kohn-Sham approach. A counterintuitive trend for the χ(2) decrease is observed upon substitution of H > Cl > Br > I at the ortho-position of the phenyl ring. This is due to the corresponding elongation of the Tt-Car bond.

Recent Advances in Urea Electrocatalysis: Applications, Materials and Mechanisms†

Comprehensive SummaryUrea plays a vital role in human society, which has various applications in organic synthesis, medicine, materials chemistry, and other fields. Conventional industrial urea production process is energy−intensive and environmentally damaging. Recently, electrosynthesis offers a greener alternative to efficient urea synthesis involving coupling CO2 and nitrogen sources at ambient conditions, which affords an achievable way for diminishing the energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Additionally, urea electrolysis, namely the electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction (UOR), is another emerging approach very recently. When coupling with hydrogen evolution reaction, the UOR route potentially utilizes 93% less energy than water electrolysis. Although there have been many individual reviews discussing urea electrosynthesis and urea electrooxidation, there is a critical need for a comprehensive review on urea electrocatalysis. The review will serve as a valuable reference for the design of advanced electrocatalysts to enhance the electrochemical urea electrocatalysis performance. In the review, we present a thorough review on two aspects: the electrocatalytic urea synthesis and urea oxidation reaction. We summarize in turn the recently reported catalyst materials, multiple catalysis mechanisms and catalyst design principles for electrocatalytic urea synthesis and urea electrolysis. Finally, major challenges and opportunities are also proposed to inspire further development of urea electrocatalysis technology. Key ScientistsFor urea electrosynthesis, Furuya et al. firstly investigated the electrochemical coreduction of CO2 and NO3−/NO2− using gas‐diffusion electrodes in 1995. Then, Wang et al. effectively achieved C—N bond formation and urea synthesis on PdCu alloy nanoparticles in 2020. Shortly, Yan and Yu et al. proposed the formation of *CO2NO2 from *NO2 and *CO2 intermediates at early stage on In(OH)3 electrocatalyst in 2021, and employed defect engineering strategy to facilitate the *CO2NH2 protonation in 2022. Amal et al. Investigated the role that Cu‐N‐C coordination plays for both the CO2RR and NO3RR. After that, Zhang's group developed In‐based electrocatalysts with artificial frustrated Lewis pairs for urea, and they offered a systematic screening approach for catalyst design in urea electrosynthesis in 2023. And sargent et al. reported a strategy that increased selectivity to urea using a hybrid catalyst.For urea electrooxidation, Stevenson et al. investigated the effect of Sr substitution toward the urea oxidation reaction. Wang et al. provided insights into the urea electrooxidation process using a β‐Ni(OH)2 electrode and Qiao et al. elucidated a two‐stage reaction pathway for UOR in 2021.

Reducing nitrogen fertilizer usage coupled with organic substitution improves soil quality and boosts tea yield and quality in tea plantations.

The utilization of chemical fertilizers is a key measure for maintaining tea yield and quality, but excessive use has negative environmental impacts. The substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer has been promoted to sustain crop yield and soil quality. However, knowledge gaps regarding the effects of organic substitution on soil quality and tea yield in tea plantations still exist. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of organic substitution treatments (i.e. 25% partial substitution: biogas slurry + green manure + formula fertilizer, BFG; sheep manure + formula fertilizer, OFF; 100% complete substitution: sheep manure + green manure, OG) on the soil quality, tea yield and quality, and nitrogen utilization efficiency in southwestern China. Results showed that all organic substitution treatments slightly increased soil pH, and significantly increased soil organic matter by 13.22-14.88% compared to conventional fertilization (CF). The BFG treatment was the most effective in enhancing the soil quality index, showing increases of 16.80%, 8.37% and 24.87% higher than the CF, OFF and OG treatments, respectively. Tea yield significantly increased under the BFG, OFF and OG treatments by 11.97%, 13.58% and 5.90% compared to CF, respectively. The BFG treatment increased the amino acid content by 7.78% and decreased the tea polyphenol/amino acid ratio by 6.87%. Additionally, the BFG, OFF and OG treatments greatly increased the nitrogen utilization efficiency of young sprouts by 70.71%, 82.54% and 34.28%, respectively. Overall, partial organic substitution could effectively improve soil quality while maintaining tea yield. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Effect of Substituting Wheat Flour with Composite Flour (Cucurbita moschata and Daucus carota L.) on Biscuits as a Source of Beta Carotene for Stunted Children

The problem of stunting in Indonesia is still quite high, namely 21,6% based on data from the 2022 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI). One of the effective measures to control stunting is through providing additional food (PMT) such as biscuits to children. Carrots and pumpkin are local foods that are rich in beta carotene. Carotenoids as a source of provitamin A are able to overcome the problem of vitamin A deficiency (VAD), which is the cause of growth disorders in children. This research aims to determine the effect of substitution of yellow pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) and carrot (Daucus carota L.) composite flour on organoleptic characteristics including color, aroma, taste, texture and nutritional content (beta carotene, carbohydrates, protein and fat). This research used a Randomized Block Design (RAK) with 3 treatments, namely formula 1 (150 grams of wheat flour, 50 grams of pumpkin flour and 50 grams of carrot flour), formula 2 (50 grams of wheat flour, 60 grams of pumpkin flour and 50 grams of flour carrots) and formula 3 (50 grams of wheat flour, 50 grams of pumpkin flour and 150 grams of carrot flour) with 3 repetitions. The research results showed that formula 3 biscuits were the best formulation in terms of organoleptic characteristics with the highest beta carotene content compared to F1 and F2. F3 biscuits contain 30,97 mg beta carotene, 7,45 grams of carbohydrates, 3,22 grams of protein and 8,89 grams of fat. The conclusion of this research is that the substitution of wheat flour with composite flour (Cucurbita moschata and Daucus carota L.) has an effect on the nutritional content (beta carotene, carbohydrates, protein and fat) of biscuits. Consuming pumpkin biscuits per 100 grams can qualify as a good source of the antioxidant beta carotene.