High Degree Of Cooperation Research Articles

Primary teachers’ identity positioning in the process of pedagogical innovation / Identidad indagadora y posicionamiento del profesorado de educación primaria en un proceso de innovación pedagógica

Based on the Dialogical Self Theory (henceforth DST), positioning in a pedagogical innovation is defined as a subjective stance taken that has been experienced by the teacher themselves. Thirty Andalusian primary school teachers in seven focus groups reported on five positioning descriptors: agency, ownership, sense-making, emotions and collaborative inquiry. Data were analysed with qualitative and quantitative procedures. The results showed three types of positioning: (1) active, positive and satisfactory positioning ( n = 13), with high agency, ownership, sense-making, cooperation and positive emotions; (2) active, efficient and indifferent positioning ( n = 8), with medium agency, medium-high degree of ownership, high degree of sense-making, indifferent emotions and a high degree of cooperation; (3) passive, critical and negative positioning ( n = 9), with a low degree of agency, ownership, sense-making and cooperation and negative emotions. We provide relevant information to identify the positioning that emerges when primary school teachers participate in a pedagogical inquiry process.

Analysis of EEG characteristics in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brings a heavy burden to society and families because of the high misdiagnosis rate, prevalence rate, and disability rate. At present, the treatment of AD still faces great challenges. Early intervention can effectively delay the disease progression and improve the burden of symptom care. However, the key to early intervention is accurately identifying and assessing the disease. The examination is difficult to be widely used because of its high invasive cost. There is an urgent need for a simple, convenient, and non-invasive diagnosis of AD. Studies have shown that the brain number of AD patients is slower than that of healthy people, and the complexity of EEG is disturbed. Clinical practice has proved that the specificity and sensitivity of α, β, δ, θ absolute power and α/θ absolute power ratio, especially θ absolute power and α/θ absolute power ratio in the model, are important electrophysiological indexes for AD diagnosis EEG. Non-invasive and economical electrophysiological techniques can characterize and identify the EEG characteristics of AD patients from different angles. They are relatively simple to implement, and patients have a high degree of cooperation. Therefore, EEG, as a diagnostic method of AD, can improve the accuracy of differential diagnosis and early detection of AD and quantify the severity of the disease. It has the advantage of non-invasive convenience and price, which is of great significance for early diagnosis of AD.

Supramolecular polymerization of [6]helicene-based cyano-luminogens: on the overall efficiency of self-assembled circularly polarized emitters.

The synthesis of the [6]helicene-based luminophores 1 and 2 is reported. These chiral systems, endowed with cyano-stilbene fragments, form supramolecular polymers by the operation of intermolecular H-bonding interactions between the amides present in the peripheral side chains. The dissimilar disubstitution of 1 and 2 plays a crucial role in their self-assembling features. Thus, 1 does not show an efficient π-stacking of the central aromatic moiety. Instead, its self-assembling process results in a zig-zag arrangement of the monomeric units to form the aggregated species. On the other hand, 2 presents an efficient overlap of the aromatic backbones that affords a co-facial arrangement of the monomeric units. The solvent-dependent studies indicate that both [6]helicenes self-assemble following a cooperative supramolecular polymerization mechanism with a higher degree of cooperativity and stability for compound 2. The enantioenriched samples of both 1 and 2 display a rich dichroic pattern that changes when the supramolecular polymerization takes place. Furthermore, the presence of the cyano-stilbene moieties gives rise to an aggregation induced emission effect. The inherent chirality of both the monomeric and aggregated species of 1 and 2 provides the systems with CPL-emitting properties, presenting a remarkable overall CPL-efficiency, quantified by the BCPL parameter, that increases upon supramolecular polymerization.

Study on NBA Operation and Business Management Mode in Different Periods - A Comparative Study Between Silver Period and Stern Period

This article will discuss the different strategies of the two NBA commissioners for the growth of the league over the course of 40 years. Under the different historical background and development level of the two chairmen, Wen will analyze their policies to promote the development of the league and their strategies to promote the commercialization of the league. The operation and organization of the event, commercial partnerships and sponsored events, media development and marketing were the three most important parts of the discussion. After the global expansion, the NBA ushered in a rapid commercialization process, 40 years of continuous introduction of new policies to attract viewers, increase viewership, promote the NBA to the world, and a high degree of cooperation with different companies, which involves many complex background factors. This article will enumerate and compare the actions of the two presidents in these three parts, and analyze them to judge the trend of future alliance development.

A mechanical rotation chair provides superior diagnostics of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common vestibular disease. Both therapeutic and diagnostic benefits with mechanical rotation chairs (MRCs) for management of BPPV have been reported. No previous studies have compared diagnostics in MRCs to traditional diagnostics on an examination bed. To investigate the agreement between BPPV diagnostics performed with an MRC and traditional diagnostics on an examination bed. Secondary objectives were to (1) examine if the two test modalities differ in diagnostic properties when diagnosing largely untreated patients referred from general practitioners (uncomplicated BPPV) compared to patients referred from private ENTs (complicated BPPV) and (2) examine whether impaired participant cooperation during Manual Diagnostics (MDs) alters agreement, sensitivity and specificity. Prospective randomized clinical trial in which patients with a case history of BPPV were recruited by referrals from general practitioners, otorhinolaryngologists and other hospital departments in the Northern Region of Denmark. Participants underwent diagnostic examinations twice: once by traditional MDs on an examination bed and once with an MRC. Initial examiner and order of test modality were randomized. Examiners were blinded to each other's findings. When testing the ability to diagnose BPPV, agreement between the two test modalities, was 0.83, Cohen's kappa 0.66. When comparing MD diagnostics to MRC diagnostics (set as gold standard diagnostics following test result interpretation), values for MDs were: sensitivity 71%, specificity 98%, Negative Predictive Value 73%, and Positive Predictive Value 97%. Agreement regarding BPPV subtype classification was found to be 0.71, and Cohen's kappa 0.58. Agreement when isolating the diagnosis to posterior canalolithiasis (p-CAN) was 0.89, Cohen's kappa 0.78. Diagnostics, aided by an MRC, are more sensitive than traditional manual BPPV diagnostics. The overall agreement level between test modalities was found to be weak to moderate. When isolating diagnostics to p-CAN, the level of agreement increased to "moderate-strong." Results also showed higher agreement between test modalities and a significantly higher negative predictive value for MDs when examining patients referred directly from General Practitioners following no- or a single treatment attempt. The diagnostic properties of MDs improved in patients with a higher degree of cooperation.

The Impact of Online Education on Biology Students Motivation and Academic Achievement

Online teaching has changed the dynamics of students' work and led to a series of changes concerning student engagement, motivation and academic success. The main goal of this research was to analyze the success of students from the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Science in Sarajevo during online classes compared to traditional classes, and to assess their motivation in online classes. Independent samples t-test, descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis and coding. The impact of online teaching on student success was assessed by comparing the average grades in subjects from the first and second year of study during online and face-to-face teaching. In the academic year 2018/2019, 79 students attended the first year of study, and 66 students attended in 2020/2021. For the second year of study, 74 students attended in the 2018/2019 academic year, while 90 students attended in 2020/2021. From the third and fourth year of study 64 students took part in in the questionnaire to assess motivation. The results showed that online teaching had a positive impact on the academic success of students with a statistically significant difference in the success achieved during online and face-to-face teaching. The research showed that students have a neutral academic motivation and a high degree of cooperation with professors and colleagues, with a significant difference between years of study.

Micro-Raman spectroscopy of the light-harvesting pigments in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under salinity stress

Microalgae are a rich source of carotenoids with enhanced yields during biotic or abiotic stresses, which often impose survival challenges on the cells. Using a non-invasive pigment profiling approach with micro-Raman spectroscopy, we have analyzed the effect of salinity stress on carotenoids in autotrophic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Raman spectral analysis of ν(C = C) mode indicates an increase in the carotenoids with lower conjugation length (lutein and zeaxanthin) compared to β-carotene, as the function of culture age and salinity stress, but especially when salinity stress was imposed in two-stage mode (stress imposed on 2nd day, D2_100, and 4th day, D4_100, during exponential phase). Population-scale heterogeneities in carotenoid Raman mode peak center, quantified with heterogeneity index (HI), were highest during the stationary phase of the cultures and under salinity stress. Although the Raman signal was obtained from a randomly selected small focal volume in the cell, a decrease in chlorophyll Raman mode intensities with age and salinity stress was well corroborated by single-cell population fraction measurements by microscopy. Raman intensity fluctuations (If) were high for both chlorophyll and carotenoid modes under salinity stress, which can arise due to variations in chlorophyll/carotenoid content and composition, or conformational changes in the pigments in C. reinhardtii cells. Interestingly, in all growth conditions, chlorophyll a Raman mode intensity was found to show a high correlation to that of β-carotene, pointing out a high degree of cooperativity in the light-harvesting complex pigments even during salinity stress. Thus, we demonstrate the usefulness of non-invasive pigment profiling with micro-Raman spectroscopy for developing an optimization for salinity stress conditions for high biomass yield and proper harvest time to obtain carotenoids with desired chemical composition.

Analysis of interdisciplinary characteristics and knowledge structure from multidimensional perspective: a case study of national fitness topic in China

PurposeThe sudden COVID-19 epidemic in 2019 has frustrated China's overall economy, and the implementation and development of the National Fitness Program has encountered huge obstacles. At a new historical starting point, in order to realize the dream of becoming a powerful country in sports, it is necessary to transform the successful experience gained since the reform and opening up into regular understanding and systematic theories, so as to make a theoretical response to the new contradictions and challenges faced in development and give full play to the National Fitness has comprehensive values and multiple functions in improving people's health, promoting people's all-round development, promoting economic and social development and demonstrating the country's cultural soft power.Design/methodology/approachTaking the topic of national fitness as an example, this paper sets out from the three dimensions of knowledge input, knowledge output and knowledge production, using citation analysis, social network analysis, co-word analysis and cluster analysis, to measure the characteristics and knowledge structure of interdisciplinary knowledge exchange.FindingsChina's national fitness is still in the primary development stage, and the strong boost of the national top-level policy is the biggest driving force of its development, driven by the policy together with the settlement of many major events, constantly improving and enriching the wings. The main body of knowledge production on the topic of national fitness is mainly colleges and universities, with low participation of government and enterprises, high degree of cooperation among authors, obvious interdisciplinary characteristics and strong application of research themes.Originality/valueThis study provides a strong theoretical basis for the promotion of the Healthy China strategy. Especially under the influence of COVID-19, this paper can contribute to the comprehensive value and multimodal functions of national fitness in improving the health of people, promoting economic and social development and demonstrating the soft power of national culture.

Relationship between Collaboration in Work Support and Knowledge and Skills in Providing Support for Individuals with Disabilities

Background: There has been growing hope for initiatives supporting the transition of persons with disabilities from employment-related welfare services to employees in companies. This is against the backdrop of a significant increase in employment among persons with disabilities in Japan.
 Objective: To improve the quality of this transition, this study examined the relationship between the collaboration of the Work Support Centers for Continuous Employment Type B (WSC-B) with vocational rehabilitation organizations (VROs) and knowledge and skills related to employment support.
 Methods: A survey including all 122 WSC-B in L-Prefecture was conducted by postal mail. The respondents were asked to rate items on the following six levels concerning collaboration with VROs and understanding of VROs. We used the Japanese version of the Self-Assessment for Students or Counselors (SASC-J) to assess knowledge and skills related to work support.
 Results: The t-test conducted on knowledge and skills status between WSC-B with a high degree of cooperation with VROs and those with low degrees confirmed significant differences among the various subsystems in VROs.
 Conclusion: Based on our results, we suggest that maximizing the use of collaboration in work support will enhance the support provided by WSC-B and promote transition support for people with disabilities.

Study of the system construction and development path of intelligent agriculture in China

Intelligent agriculture is a highly systematic and integrated project that includes modern information technologies such as big data, cloud computing, 5G, blockchain, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. The synergistic combination of multiple technologies determines the effectiveness of intelligent agriculture. Therefore, the implementation of individual technologies in particular regions cannot usually deliver all the potential advantages of intelligent agriculture. It is necessary to promote the integration of information technologies with a high degree of cooperation amongst different regions to achieve the overall development of the country. This article aims to detail the systematic framework of intelligent agriculture, clarify each structural part and, from the perspective of organizational function, elucidate each part's information technology function and the interactions between different technologies, and thus improve the structural system of intelligent agriculture. By also evaluating China's advantages (such as policy support, economies of scale and development stage) and challenges in developing intelligent agriculture, the article identifies the development priorities for the next development stage. Finally, it makes several policy suggestions, including improving vision, expanding investment, promoting integration and cultivating talent. This article is expected to contribute to the development of intelligent agriculture in China.

Birds of a feather speak together: Understanding the different dialects of animals can help to decipher their communication.

As humans, many animal species that communicate via vocalization show a wide range of accents and dialects driven by environmental and social factors.

Trajectory of age-associated changes in small intestinal microbial community of healthy person metaorganism

The study of the small intestinal microbiota in humans is complicated due to the low availability of biomaterial. Non-invasive methods of metabolomics and bioinformatic data analysis can expand our understanding of the small intestinal microbiota structure and its role in maintaining body homeostasis. Here we assess the trajectory of age-related changes in the small intestinal microbial community of healthy individuals in the context of metaorganism-wide interaction between cytokine and neuroendocrine systems, by using the methods of gas chromatography mass spectrometry of microbial markers (GCMS MM) and optimal scaling. 110 apparently healthy children, adults and elderly individuals were enrolled to the study. The main types of the small intestine microbiota (Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Fusobacteria) were quantified in peripheral blood by the GCMS MM method. To construct age-related trajectories of changes in the small intestinal microbiota and parameters of cytokine and neuroendocrine systems, the optimal scaling technique based on the multivariate Gifi transformation (CATPCA method) was used. It was found, that the small intestinal bacterial community of both children and seniors contained significantly lowered total number of microorganisms due to the low number of bacteria of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria types along with high number of members of Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria types compared with adults. Assessment of the trajectory of age-associated changes in microbiota of the small intestine showed that 1) children have strong dynamic fluctuations in the number and links within microbial community along with formation of links between the main regulatory immune and neuroendocrine systems of the metaorganism, 2) adults display plasticity and consistency in functioning of immune and nervous systems that determine the state of dynamic balance of the small intestinal microbiota, 3) healthy aging is characterized by high degree of cooperation between the main members of the bacterial community, which ensures system stability at new level, as one of the mechanisms of host adaptation. Thus, using methods of GCMS MM and optimal scaling, allows us to expand our understanding about age-associated trajectory of changes in the small intestinal microbiota and its cooperation with immune and neuroendocrine systems within the metaorganism, which can be used to develop new methods of therapy for infectious and non-infectious diseases.

In my tomb

In recent decades, popular music in the USA, UK and elsewhere has increasingly been addressed as cultural heritage: by state authorities, commercial and professional interests, and fans. This article contributes to the growing scholarship on popular music heritage through a case study of the 2005 dedication of a California state historical landmark at the site of the Beach Boys’ childhood home and the process that enabled it. Drawing on concepts rehearsed by scholars in popular music, heritage studies and related fields, it identifies the discourses and interests attached to the exercise, and argues that the landmark’s establishment saw a high degree of cooperation between public officials, professional interests and grass-roots activists. Although the landmark risked enshrining and entombing the group in a monument to their early-era image of surf, sand and romance, its dedication ceremony saw fans recognizing the group in more informed, realistic, respectful and up-to-date ways.

Povezanost predškolskih ustanova i društvene sredine iz ugla kadrova u predškolstvu

One of the most important social activities and responsibilities is to provide children from an early age with opportunities for high-quality education. One of the most important issues in the functioning of the preschool institution is the issue of openness to the social environment and establishing partnerships with it. The preschool institution and the programmes that are used in it have an effect on the development of children only when, together with the programme, parents and the entire social environment are engaged. The aim of the research conducted on a suitable sample of 41 respondents employed in preschool institutions was to examine their attitudes about the connection of preschool institutions with the social environment consisting of various institutions and organisations. For the purposes of the research, a descriptive method were used. Our initial expectation about the existence of statistically significant differences in the respondents' attitudes of the implementation of cooperation with institutions / organisations from the social environment, as well as the implementation of activities in the field of cooperation with the family, considering some characteristics of the respondents proved correct. The obtained results show that the respondents in kindergartens observe high degree of cooperation with cultural institutions, but also there is the lack of necessary cooperation with institutions in the field of health care. Also, the respondents considered that traditional forms of cooperation with the family are the most common in preschool institutions while modern forms of cooperation are present to a lesser extent. In the future, it is necessary to more intensively connect preschool institutions with the social environment, because in this way children are given the opportunity to expand and enrich their experiences in a direct encounter with the world around them.

Scientific and technological power and international cooperation in the field of natural hazards: a bibliometric analysis

Research on natural hazards has become a focus due to the serious threat to human life and property. Based on the Science Citation Index Expanded and the Social Sciences Citation Index in the Web of Science spanning 2000–2017, we analyze the characteristics, cooperating countries and research trends of existing articles in the field of natural hazards using a bibliometric method. And the findings provide meaningful data and references for the allocation of science and technology inputs in the fields of natural hazards research. The results show the following: The USA has made the largest contribution to the natural hazards literature and has been in the leading position during the period of research; three of the ten most influential institutions are American institutions, and six out of ten of the most-cited articles are American articles; furthermore, the USA is the country that has the highest degree of cooperation with other countries; Chinese publications rank in second place, and China is the country with the highest average annual growth rate (22.63%), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is one of the most productive research institutions (2098) but with a low international influence. We also analyze the changes in the research on natural hazards in two time periods as well as the similarities and differences between disaster occurrences and research hotspots. We found that “earthquakes,” “landslides,” and “climate change” are frequently used keywords in natural disaster science. The frequency of the keywords “climate change,” “vulnerability,” and “adaptability” has significantly increased. In addition, the frequency of the keywords used in various countries is significantly affected by the geographical location and there is a discrepancy between the research hotspots and the actual disaster occurrences. It is recommended that countries need to adjust their research directions in natural hazards research, strengthen international cooperation and exchange, and promote the establishment and improvement of a global disaster prevention and reduction system.

12/15-Lipoxygenase Deficiency Impairs Neutrophil Granulopoiesis and Lung Proinflammatory Responses to Aspergillus fumigatus.

Development of invasive aspergillosis correlates with impairments in innate immunity. We and others have recently shown that arachidonic acid metabolism pathways, specifically the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) pathways, participate in the induction of protective innate immune responses during invasive aspergillosis. Based on the high degree of cooperation and interconnection within the eicosanoid network, we hypothesized that 12/15-LOX is also active during invasive aspergillosis. We report in this study that mice deficient in the gene encoding 12/15-LOX (Alox15) are profoundly susceptible to invasive aspergillosis. Decreased survival correlated with increased fungal burden and evidence of increased lung damage. These defects were associated with very early (6 and 12 h) 12/15-LOX-dependent inflammatory cytokine (IL-1α, IL-1β, and TNF-α) and chemokine (CCL3 and CCL4) production. Neutrophil levels in the lung were blunted in the absence of 12/15-LOX, although neutrophil antifungal activity was intact. However, lower neutrophil levels in the lungs of Alox15−/− mice were not a result of impaired recruitment or survival; rather, Alox15−/− mice demonstrated impaired neutrophil granulopoiesis in the bone marrow intrinsically and after fungal exposure. Employing a lower inoculum to allow for better survival allowed the identification of 12/15-LOX-dependent induction of IL-17A and IL-22. Impaired IL-17A and IL-22 production correlated with reduced invariant NKT cell numbers as well as lower IL-23 levels. Together, these data indicate that 12/15-LOX is a critical player in induction of the earliest aspects of the innate immune response to Aspergillus fumigatus.

Cooperative predation on mutualistic prey communities

Positive interactions are quite common in nature but are less studied. While positive association among species has been studied in ecological literature, how such interactions will impact the ecological dynamics when they occur within antagonist communities is not understood. Motivated by this, we studied a community module consisting of two prey species and a predator population where the prey species are in mutualistic relationship while the predators exhibit hunting cooperation. Our result reconfirms that both mutualism and hunting cooperation destabilizes the system. Predator cooperation may result in extinction of the relatively more attacked prey and a minimal mutualism strength is required in order to retain the coexistence equilibrium. A higher degree of cooperation among predators can lead to bistable dynamics which increases the survival chance of the otherwise extinct prey. Mutualistic association further enhances this effect thereby increasing the chance of coexistence. Generally, cooperative hunting is known to produce bistability but this system also demonstrated tristable dynamics. Moreover, the wide range of multi-stability exhibited by our model indicate the high sensitivity of the system to small perturbations. Overall, our study suggests that the interplay between the prey mutualism and predator cooperation may result in unintuitive dynamics which might be important in the context of community ecology.

Turning International Intervention into Domestic Cooperation in Post-War Societies

ABSTRACTInternational intervention is widely considered to stabilize peace in post-war societies. Its effects on democracy are more contested. External intervention risks reinforcing, rather than resolving deadlocks in domestic politics. This negative effect is not inevitable. This article proposes a new, theoretical model of political peacebuilding, based on a spatial model of politics in post-war democracies. In the classical model, the peacebuilding mission has an own political agenda, which relieves the domestic political actors of their political responsibility and deepens the domestic deadlock. In the arbiter model proposed in this article, the peacebuilding mission uses its powers to push for compromises between the domestic actors. This enables democratic decision-making within the domestic institutions. Empirically, the paper studies the impact of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia–Herzegovina with its power to issue binding decrees. The paper analyses the role of former High Representatives, using the authors’ original interviews with the office-holders and over 2700 press releases. As the results show, periods when the OHR acted as an arbiter were rewarded with a higher degree of cooperation between domestic elites. These findings corroborate the usefulness of the arbiter model as a new strategy of international intervention in post-conflict societies.

On the Interpretation of Force-Induced Unfolding Studies of Membrane Proteins Using Fast Simulations

Single-molecule force spectroscopy has proven extremely beneficial in elucidating folding pathways for membrane proteins. Here, we simulate these measurements, conducting hundreds of unfolding trajectories using our fast Upside algorithm for slow enough speeds to reproduce key experimental features that may be missed using all-atom methods. The speed also enables us to determine the logarithmic dependence of pulling velocities on the rupture levels to better compare to experimental values. For simulations of atomic force microscope measurements in which force is applied vertically to the C-terminus of bacteriorhodopsin, we reproduce the major experimental features including even the back-and-forth unfolding of single helical turns. When pulling laterally on GlpG to mimic the experiment, we observe quite different behavior depending on the stiffness of the spring. With a soft spring, as used in the experimental studies with magnetic tweezers, the force remains nearly constant after the initial unfolding event, and a few pathways and a high degree of cooperativity are observed in both the experiment and simulation. With a stiff spring, however, the force drops to near zero after each major unfolding event, and numerous intermediates are observed along a wide variety of pathways. Hence, the mode of force application significantly alters the perception of the folding landscape, including the number of intermediates and the degree of folding cooperativity, important issues that should be considered when designing experiments and interpreting unfolding data.

Production of Bioactive Compounds from the Sulfated Polysaccharides Extracts of Ulva lactuca: Post-Extraction Enzymatic Hydrolysis Followed by Ion-Exchange Chromatographic Fractionation.

This paper describes a novel combined post-extraction process for obtaining bioactive compounds from the aqueous high molecular weight sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) extracts of the green algae, Ulva lactuca. After extracting the SPs, they were enzymatically hydrolyzed then the hydrolysate (V45) was fractionated into eight different molecular weight fractions (F1–F8) using ion exchange chromatography. Crude SPs together with V45 and (F1–F8) were examined for their carbohydrate, protein, and sulfate contents. In addition, their degree of polymerization (DP) was estimated and they were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Fractions S1, F4, F5, and F8 showed promising antioxidant and antitumor activities in vitro. In particular, the remarkable antitumor activity of F5 on three types of cancer cell lines could be attributed to its comparable contents of protein, carbohydrate, and sulfate, in addition to its comparable contents of rhamnose and glucuronic acid, and the same for glucose and arabinose. F5 also possessed the highest Hill coefficient among the four promising fractions indicating a higher degree of cooperativity in ligand binding. Other influencing factors including DP, composition, and type of characteristic functional groups were also discussed. The implications of this work could potentially benefit the industries of food supplements and pharmaceuticals.