Poor Product Quality Research Articles

Effect of chitosan coating and drying on quality of Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus)

Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus) is one of the most abundant and preferable marine species in the Maharashtra and Gujrat regions. While Bombay duck is mostly consumed in dried form, the major problems associated with traditionally sun-dried Bombay duck are contamination by insects or pests; uneven drying which leads to spoilage; and poor quality of the end product. Chitosan and its derivatives are used as an edible coating in food applications due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial actions. In the present work, the effect of chitosan coating and drying on the quality of Bombay duck was studied. Five different samples were prepared as follows: (i) control (without any treatment); (ii) dip-treated in 1% acetic acid (AA); (iii) dip-treated in 0.5% chitosan dissolved in 1% acetic acid (CAA); (iv) dip-treated in 1% malic acid (MA); and (v) dip-treated in 0.5% chitosan dissolved in 1% malic acid (CMA). All samples were dried at 50°C. When biochemical, microbiological, and sensory analyses were assessed for four months, results indicated the sample coated with chitosan pre-dissolved in either acetic acid or malic acid had lower TVB-N (86.5 - 115.25 mg/100 g) and TPC (5.3 - 5.5 log10 CFU/g) than the control (TVB = 163 mg/100 g; TPC = 7.4 log10 CFU/g); a similar trend was also observed for TBA values. Even though the microbial analysis revealed that TPC crossed the limit of acceptability (5.2 log10 CFU/g) by the second month in the control, AA, CAA, MA, and CMA levels were acceptable up to three months. Sensory analysis showed that the overall acceptability score was higher for sample coated with chitosan. These results suggested that chitosan coating and drying could improve the quality of dried Bombay duck.

Red cell concentrates from teen male donors contain poor-quality biologically older cells.

Donor factors influence the quality characteristics of red cell concentrates (RCCs) and the lesions that develop in these heterogeneous blood products during hypothermic storage. Teen male donors' RCCs contain elevated levels of biologically old red blood cells (RBCs). The aim of this study was to interrogate the quality of units of different donor ages and sexes to unravel the complex interplay between donor characteristics, long-term cold storage and, for the first time, RBC biological age. RCCs from teen males, teen females, senior males and senior females were density-separated into less-dense/young (Y-RBCs) and dense/old RBCs (O-RBCs) throughout hypothermic storage for testing. The unseparated and density-separated cells were tested for haematological parameters, stress (oxidative and osmotic) haemolysis and oxygen affinity (p50). The O-RBCs obtained from teen donor samples, particularly males, had smaller mean corpuscular volumes and higher mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrations. While biological age did not significantly affect oxygen affinity, biologically aged O-RBCs from stored RCCs exhibited increased oxidative haemolysis and decreased osmotic fragility, with teenage male RCCs exhibiting the highest propensity to haemolyse. Previously, donor age and sex were shown to have an impact on the biological age distribution of RBCs within RCCs. Herein, we demonstrated that RBC biological age, particularly O-RBCs, which are found more prevalently in male teens, to be a driving factor of several aspects of poor blood product quality. This study emphasizes that donor factors should continue to be considered for their potential impacts on transfusion outcomes.

Optimization Of Automatic Pricing and Replenishment Decision Based on Time Series and BP Neural Network Model

In major fresh food supermarkets, vegetable products often have a short shelf life and poor product quality, which affects their sales. Therefore, it is particularly important to make replenishment decisions for each vegetable category on the same day without knowing the specific individual product and purchase price. This article focuses on the problem of automatic pricing and replenishment decision-making for vegetable products. Based on the fact that vegetable products have a relatively short shelf life, the automatic pricing and replenishment strategies for vegetable products are optimized, indirectly proving the correlation between certain individual products. A mathematical model is constructed using time series and BP neural network models to obtain corresponding replenishment strategies, Finally, provide recommendations on automatic pricing and replenishment decisions for vegetable products. The "cost plus pricing" method involved in this question plays a crucial role in the pricing of vegetables. At the same time, from the perspectives of the demand side and supply side, the limitations of sales time and sales space are also particularly important.

A narrative review on problems in product quality, regulatory system constraints, and the concept of quality by design as a solution for quality assurance of African medicines.

The provision of medicines with confirmed quality and efficacy is critical for maintaining the public health and building confidence in the healthcare systems. However, the presence of poor-quality medicines still presents a significant challenge in the pharmaceutical landscape across the African regions. This is further exacerbated by the lack of consistency or discrepancy in the current regulatory framework. As a consequence, given the current constraints, a robust regulatory structure that can guarantee the supply chains attainment of the intended medicinal product requirements are required. The review aimed to provide a detailed analysis of the quality issues in the pharmaceutical supply in Africa, highlighting the challenges and proposing potential solutions for its mitigation. The review was conducted from May 2023 to April 2024. This narrative review examined poor-quality medicines, regulatory challenges, and mitigation strategies in the African pharmaceutical industry. The review utilized databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science. The search strategy was customized to include open-access articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals in English and focused exclusively on studies conducted in African countries. The review portrays the prevalence of poor-quality medicinal products in various regions of Africa. Among various categories of findings, 42% of the reports on poor-quality medicinal products come from the African region, as per the WHO report. Furthermore, separate findings on substandard medicinal products from many African countries were encountered. The presence of problems in the regulatory system, such as the absence of any pharmacopeia belonging to any African country and variation/inconsistency in each country's regulatory set-up, was indicated. Other factors for the inability to enforce regulatory law, such as insufficient skilled and committed human resources, the presence of corruption, as well as financial resource scarcity, were revealed in the review. From the situational analysis, the possibility of building a robust quality assurance system in the near future through a quality by design approach under existing resource limitations was discussed. The pharmaceutical sector in Africa faces significant challenges, including the prevalence of poor-quality medicines and weak regulatory enforcement. Tackling these challenges are vital for enhancing health outcomes throughout the continent through the provision of high-quality medicines. Trending toward quality by design in the quality assurance system under prevailing financial scarcity can be very beneficial.

МАССОВАЯ КРЕСТЬЯНСКАЯ ИКОНА В РОССИИ: ИСТОРИЯ КРИТИКИ И СЕМИОТИЧЕСКИЕ ИДЕОЛОГИИ

The paper is about the history of public criticism of the craft of so-called raskhozhaya (i. e. mass peasant) craft icons in the 16th – 20th centuries. Such icons produced most often by “lay icon painters” (that is, secular craftsmen from the peasants), were intended for the common people, and therefore were inexpensive, bright and quick to manufacture. The focus of attention is on the large craft center of the mass peasant icon – the so-called Suzdalshchina (Suzdal region), located in the east of the Vladimir province (Kholui, Palekh, Mstera and the surrounding villages). Already at the dawn of crafting the mass peasant icon such a craft had many opponents, primarily among manufacturers and consumers of expensive icons of the “high style” in icon painting. The production of mass artisanal icons as a socio-cultural phenomenon, was largely associated with Modern Times, was aimed at material and technological innovations (printed icons on paper, conveyor principle, the use of new cheap materials, capitalization of production, etc.). Therefore, public controversy was directed not only against the poor quality of the mass product or elements of Old Believer iconography, but also against the use of Western European innovations. Consistently, starting with the articles of the “Hundred–Domed Cathedral” and other texts of the 16th century, the author considers the history of criticism of craft icons, identifies several types of semiotic ideologies – primarily the protective (positive) and the critical (negative).

Ensuring safe working conditions during manual abrasive processing of welded joints of frame elements of transport vehicles

One of the essential problems of current mechanical engineering is the re-duction of noise and vibration of technological processes. Excessive noise not only leads to the developing of operator illnesses, but is also an indicator of the poor quality of the final product. The article deals with the problem of reducing hazardous and harmful production factors during manual processing of welded joints of vehicle body elements. An obligatory stage after welding is the mechanical abrasive treatment of welded joints to remove stress concentrators and straighten the profile. The existing technology uses a hand-held grinder, which creates a lot of noise and vibration and reduces the accuracy of welding seams. It is shown that with the existing technology, the noise levels are exceeded in the frequency range of 250…8000 Hz and reach 20 dB. To reduce the noise level, theoretical results were obtained for the dependences of the vibrational velocities of the abrasive tool and the results of experimental studies of the noise and vibration spectra during manual abrasive processing of welded seams of body structures. Obtained mathematical models enable the calculation of sound pressure level for abrasive processing. A scheme of a device is proposed that makes it possible to reduce the level of sound pressure during manual abrasive processing of welded seams of frame structures and its advantage over vibration damping coatings is presented. The combination of an integrated approach and protective equipment can decrease the sound pressure level by as much as 30 dB.

The Impact of Feedback under Information Asymmetry on Market Dynamics: Results from a Classroom Experiment

This paper focuses on the problem of so-called "lemon markets", first described by George Akerlof, where information asymmetry about product quality leads to dysfunctional outcomes such as poor average product quality and relatively low levels of trade, resulting in a loss of collective wellbeing. In the age of online commerce, the problem is especially relevant, given that consumers buy many more products without relying on personal experience than at any time in the past. Possible solutions to the problem suggested in the literature are reputation building on the part of producers and improving the information available to consumers, e.g., by way of publicly accessible consumer reviews (even though these can be gamed or faked by sellers). The paper presents the results from a classroom experiment that simulated a "lemon market". The advantage of using a classroom experiment is that while the market is recreated along a small number of rules and incentives, in line with neat economic models, the participants are real, living decisionmakers, displaying the deviations of actual human behaviour from that of a hypothetical "rational actor". In all, 294 students majoring in business information technology participated, making up 11 simulated markets. The results presented focus mainly on the supply side, namely, the quantities and prices of goods offered, and nine supply curves are estimated (for three quality grades of goods in three phases of the game). The research concludes that under perfect information, the market performs efficiently. In the condition where only sellers but not buyers have information about product quality, the volume of trade declines, although not as drastically as previous findings have suggested, and the market shows signs of recovery, albeit at a suboptimal equilibrium. After the option of consumer feedback is introduced, the market shows further convergence toward the socially optimal state. The results reaffirm that consumer feedback plays an important role in filling the information gap when product quality is uncertain; however, it is not sufficient in itself to overcome the "lemon market" problem. Other important influences on consumer behaviour under uncertainty are suggested, such as risk-taking, changing attitudes towards the act of (online) purchases, and cultural factors.

Analysis of the flange turning of aluminium aerosol cans based on tool edge geometry

In recent years, the cosmetics industry, as the largest user of aerosol packaging, has been growing at an accelerating pace, requiring the production of aerosol cans with an increasing number of design elements. In the production of aluminium aerosol cans, the final shape is formed in several steps from a disc-shaped blank by back-rolling, and a so-called flange cutting (turning) operation is usually carried out after the flange of the can has been formed. Experience has shown that this operation often results in difficult-to-handle flowing chips, which in some cases can lead to a poor-quality product. In this paper, the material and edge geometry of the insert bit used in the flange turning operation are investigated and edge geometry modification recommendations are made to avoid unfavourable machining conditions.

Implication of internet of things (IoT) on organisational performance for SMEs in emerging economies – a systematic review

The object of this research is the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) and its effect on organizational performance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies. SMEs in emerging economies are faced with low level of performance due to technological constraint, inadequate skilled human resource, lower entrepreneurial capabilities and management systems, the deficiency of available information, inadequate use of Information Technology, poor quality products and lack of strategic long-term plans. Systematic literature reviews approach was used to discover, assess and synthesize findings of all relevant individual research on fourth industrial revolution (4IR), IoT, organization performance and SMEs topics. 461 articles were found, and 60 articles were used as sample of this study. Findings of this study established that implementation of IoT positively affects performance for SMEs in emerging economies. Results also shows that financial, technological, and operational risks are major risks faced by SMEs in implementing IoT technologies in emerging economies. The essence of the results is to contribute to current body of knowledge by giving interesting insights in the form of a framework on how IoT technologies can be applied in enhancing SMEs performance in emerging economies. This is achieved by making SMEs aware of its potential benefit by providing some knowledge on securing financial resources, and ability to analyse external environment, and to shed more light on the benefits and opportunities that these new tools offer and how it can subsequently improve organization performance for SMEs. Most articles used systematic literature review were from developed economies as there was limited literature which speaks about IoT and SMEs performance in emerging economies. The study therefore focused on IoT and how it can improve SMEs’ organizational performance in emerging economies.

Punishment of employees – its causes, types, and consequences, as well as factors determining punishment for poor quality

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify reasons for punishing employees, prevalent types of punishment, consequences of punishment, and the factors that determine whether employees are punished for the poor quality of products and services. Design/methodology/approach The main research method was a diagnostic survey using a questionnaire technique. A personal interview was a complementary method aimed at providing additional data and broaden the extent of research findings. Findings The conducted research shows that employees are punished mainly when some irregularities occur and are detected (someone does not respect the procedures and standards in force in a given organization). Penalties provided for in-work discipline systems are rarely used. They are supplemented by various informal punishments. As a consequence of penalties received, employees feel injustice, a lack of motivation to work, a lack of satisfaction, and an unwillingness to propose improvement actions. Originality/value The factors influencing punishment include the ability to set a quality criterion for a job appraisal, the presence of a quality criterion in a remuneration system, as well as the results of quality audits. The narrow spatial and temporal scope of the conducted research should be considered as its main limitation. The research was of a partial character, so its representativeness is rather limited. The interpretation of data obtained through interviews depends on their structure, the knowledge and skills of interviewees, and their ability to avoid bias.

Online shopping: a systematic review of customers’ perceived benefits and challenges during COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted the habits of customers as well as their shopping behavior. This study aims to critically examine the associated benefits and challenges of online shopping from the perspective of customers in the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the relevant literature published between 2020 and 2022 was conducted via performing comprehensive search query in leading scholarly databases “Scopus and Web of Science” with the restriction of their predefined subject category of “Business.” Overall, 30 research studies were selected for the review and a significant number of studies were published in 2021 (n = 15). Findings The research findings revealed that customers are motivated to shop online because of perceived benefits such as time-saving, convenience, 24/7 accessibility, interactive services without physical boundaries, trust, website attractiveness and cost-saving. However, challenging factors such as financial scams, privacy concerns, poor quality of products and services, fake promotions and reduced social interaction have hindered the growth of online shopping. The recommendations regarding designing marketing strategies, secured transaction, multiple payment options, trust building, protection of privacy, promotion via social media, effective mechanism to secure and timely delivery of product are helpful to improve the service quality of online shopping. Originality/value The outcomes of this research are valuable to online retailers and policymakers, as it highlights how the benefits can enhance customers’ shopping intentions and minimize the impact of associated challenges. This study also recommends the redesigning of user-friendly interfaces of online shopping websites and ensures their privacy, security and performance on a regular basis.

Reducing residual stress in photopolymerized composites by grafting high-mobility polymer chains onto the filler-matrix interface

3D/4D printing of thermosets, composites and hydrogels, lithographic procedures and dental resins are important examples of applications that rely on light-driven polymerization supported on substrates. Adhesion between the polymer and substrate during photopolymerization (and even between printed layers) can restrict the usual polymerization shrinkage, leading to the generation of residual stresses. These residual stresses can result in poor-quality products due to the presence of cracks and occurrence of warpage. In this work, silica nanoparticles were incorporated into photopolymerizable dimethacrylate based networks. These nanoparticles had their surface modified by grafting polymer chains with high mobility at usual room temperatures (low glass transition temperature polymer) and with high affinity towards the polymer matrix in order to test the hypothesis that these high-mobility chains could be helpful in dissipating stress and energy generated during photopolymerization in conditions in which the polymerization shrinkage is restricted. The nanoparticles and composites were analyzed via: electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis and mechanical bending tests. The evolution of the monomer-to-polymer conversion during photopolymerization was monitored using real-time infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. To determine the residual stress generated by the polymerization at restricted contraction conditions, a universal mechanical testing machine was adapted and used. The results showed that silica nanoparticles with grafted high-mobility polymer chains that were able to interpenetrate and interact with the dimethacrylate based networks led to the production of composites having higher mechanical properties and lower polymerization stresses than composites containing only silanized nanoparticles and nanoparticles having immiscible polymer grafts towards the dimethacrylate based network. Results indicate that the modifications of the interface of composites developed in this work can be useful in the formulation of materials with improved mechanical properties and stability regarding polymerization shrinkage and residual stress that can lead to higher-quality products obtained in processes that employ light-driven polymerization supported on substrates or that occur on sequential polymerized layers, such as 3D/4D printing, lithography and in dental applications.

A strategy to recover a poor-quality ligase product.

Over the last decades, PCR and molecular cloning have profoundly impacted various biological areas, from basic to pharmaceutical sciences. Presented in this study is a simple and step-by-step protocol that uses PCR to recover a poor-quality ligase product. In fact, a classic step that can be problematic in typical recombinant DNA manipulations can be the recovery of a product from a T4 DNA ligase reaction between two or more suitably prepared DNA fragments (sticky ends, blunt ends, TA cloning, etc.). This reaction can result in poor yields of the ligation product, due to various causes, mainly the preparation of the DNA fragments, and the poor yield can severely invalidate all subsequent steps. To overcome this problem, we designed a pair of PCR primers to amplify the entire ligase product into satisfactory amount. Of course, high-fidelity DNA polymerase must be used to obtain a faithful copy of the DNA of interest. The fragment thus amplified can then be inserted into a suitable vector and propagated by bacterial transformation. We applied this procedure to modify a synthetic gene by adding a His-Tag to its 5' end, and to insert this new construct into an expression cassette. This last step was achieved by employing a PCR cloning system. In our practical example, comprehensive PCR-based protocol with important tips were introduced. This methodological paper can serve as a roadmap for biologists who want to quickly/fully exploit the potential of the PCR-cloning to get desired constructs.

Development of Screw-Based 3D Printing Machine and Process Experiments for Short Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

3D printing is one of the flexible additive manufacturing (AM) processes that can be used to fabricate parts from various types of materials such as polymers, metal, and ceramic. 3D printing process is one of the famous techniques for printing the product from the filament causing material degradation. Granule-based 3D printing or screw-based material extrusion 3D printing is an alternative process that can create the parts from plastic or composite granule raw materials. However, there are limited use and study in the designation of granule-based 3D printing and process parameters including material temperature, heat bed temperature, nozzle size, and printing speed. These process parameters play a significant role in the properties of 3D printing parts. Some parameters cannot be adjusted in the commercial 3D printing process. Thus, the purposes of this study are to develop a screw-based material extrusion 3D printing machine that can freely adjust the process parameters and to investigate the effect of 3D printing parameters on the appearance and mechanical properties of printed parts. Pellets of neat acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and short glass fiber/ABS composites are used in the experiments. Six process parameters were studied, including % fiberglass, printing temperature, printing speed, nozzle size, % Infill, and heat bed temperature. Each parameter has 3 levels, which were designed by the Taguchi L18 method. The results were evaluated by the main effect plot method and showed that the printing speed, nozzle size, and %fiberglass are the top 3 parameters that affect tensile strength. The nozzle size, %infill, and %fiberglass are the top 3 parameters that affect Young’s modulus. The granule-based 3D printing machine was completely developed; however, the extruded plastic line from the nozzle was difficult to control resulting in poor product quality. Thus, the feedback control for controlling the screw-extruder speed and temperature will be developed in future work.

446 The Effects of Maternal Diet During Gestation on Oxidative Status of Offspring

Abstract Poor maternal nutrition during gestation is common in livestock production and includes both nutrient restriction and over-nutrition. Poor maternal nutrition affects offspring pre- and post-natal growth including decreases in muscularity and increases in adiposity which results in poor quantity and quality of animal products. Oxidative stress, when free radicals exceed the capacity of antioxidants, damages lipid membranes, proteins, and DNA. Oxidative stress may contribute to the poor growth outcomes observed in offspring from poorly nourished dams. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the effects of poor maternal nutrition during gestation on offspring circulating oxidative status in sheep. We hypothesized that offspring of restricted- and over-fed ewes would have an altered oxidative status in circulation. To test this hypothesis, multiparous Dorset ewes (n = 45) pregnant with twins were fed 100% (CON), 60% (RES), or 140% (OVER) of National Research Council requirements from d 30 of gestation until parturition. At parturition, ewes were fed a control diet such that the nutritional insult only occurred during gestation. Blood samples were collected from offspring by jugular venipuncture at d 112 and d 224 of age to evaluate oxidative status in circulation. Data were analyzed in SAS 9.4 using PROC MIXED with fixed effects of offspring sex and maternal diet with sampling timepoint as repeated measure. Data were considered significant at P < 0.05. In offspring plasma, superoxide dismutase, an endogenous antioxidant, activity was 17% greater in CON offspring compared with RES and OVER (P ≤ 0.04). Malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, concentration was not different at d 112 but RES animals had 10% lesser concentration of MDA than CON at d 224 (P ≤ 0.02). Protein carbonyl (PC), a marker of protein oxidation, concentration was 9% greater in CON animals than RES and OVER (P = 0.01). Additionally, PC concentrations were 19% greater at d 224 compared with d 112 (P ≤ 0.001). These results indicate that at the chosen timepoints, RES and OVER offspring had less antioxidant activity but also less indication of oxidative damage. Overall, the alterations in antioxidant activity and oxidative damage suggest dysregulation in circulating oxidative status that may contribute to the negative consequences of poor maternal nutrition during gestation. Future work should focus on the impacts of poor maternal nutrition on oxidative stress in muscle.

Podcasts in orthodontics

Podcasts are one of the most recent innovations in media to enter orthodontics. The sector is worth an estimate 18 billion dollars and has a compound annual growth of 27 %. The popularity of on-demand audio and video podcasts has been attributed to ease of production and publishing, free access, the ability to listen whilst engaged with other activities, industry investment, community engagement, mobile data availability, and smartphone popularity. Podcasts however have the limitation of no formal peer review process, potential poor-quality production, and have possibility to mislead the audience. This paper seeks to describe the podcast sector with a focus on healthcare, as well as describes the experiences of two orthodontic podcasts, the Orthodontics in Summary Podcast and the Illuminate Orthodontic Podcast.

Quality of YouTube® videos on thrombolysis and thrombectomy for deep venous thrombosis.

YouTube® has gained popularity as an unofficial educational resource for surgical trainees, but its content's quality and educational value remain to be evaluated. The aim of this study is to analyze the current content on these techniques for lower extremity DVT (LEDVT) on YouTube®. A search was performed on YouTube® using 13 search terms in August 2022 on a clear-cached browser. Open-access videos focusing on the surgical techniques of venous thrombolysis or thrombectomy for LEDVT were included. Quality and educational value were assessed and graded based on metrics for accountability (4 items), content (13 items), and production (9 items). Out of 138 videos regarding LEDVT oriented towards medical professionals, only 14 met inclusion criteria. Videos ran for a median of 3.4min (range 0.37-35.6min) with a median of 941 views (range 106-54624). Videos scored a median of 5.5 (range 1.0-8.0) out of 11 for content, a median of 2.0 out of 6.0 (range 0.0-2.0) for accountability, and a median of 5.5 out of 9.0 (range 3.0-9.0) for production. Few YouTube® videos focus on the technical aspects of DVT thrombolysis/thrombectomy, and they vary significantly in content with overall poor accountability and production quality.

Platforms Competition: An Ecosystem-View Analysis Based on Evolutionary Game Theory

The competition between platforms supported by digital technology, to a great extent, affects the structure of the whole industry and the fate of individual enterprises in the industry. For related enterprises, it is very important to clarify the influencing factors of platform competition equilibrium. This paper constructs a game model that includes platforms, suppliers, and the final consumers. We analyze the condition and stability of each equilibrium and the impacts of the characteristics of the core and complementary products on the equilibrium by using the method of evolutionary game. Our results show the following: (1) If the two platforms initially have separate advantages in terms of the number of suppliers or consumers, there will be an equilibrium of the coexistence of the two platforms; otherwise, there will be an equilibrium of single platform dominating. (2) The equilibrium of a single platform dominating is more stable than that of the coexistence of multiple platforms. (3) The equilibrium of coexistence is more easily broken by the occasional shock of increasing or decreasing the number of suppliers than by consumers. (4) Platforms with poor core product quality and a high price for core and complementary products can coexist with other superior platforms only if the former has more consumers and suppliers at the beginning of the competition. This paper not only enriches the research content in the field of platform competition, but also provides new ideas for them to develop appropriate competition strategies in combination with their own conditions.

Quality and Shelf Life Evaluation of Chitosan-coated Dried Bombay Duck (Harpodon nehereus)

Background: Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus) is one of the most abundant and preferable marine species in the Maharastra and Gujrat region. Bombay duck is mostly consumed in dried form. The major problem associated with traditionally sun-dried Bombay duck is contamination by insects or pest, uneven drying which leads to spoilage and poor quality of end product. Chitosan and its derivatives are used as edible coating food applications due to its antioxidants and antimicrobial action. In the present study was aimed to improve the quality of dried Bombay duck by applying chitosan coating and drying under controlled temperature Methods:The five different lots of samples were prepared viz. i) control (without any treatment) ii) dip treated in1% acetic acid (AA) iii) dip treated in 0.5% chitosan dissolved in 1% acetic acid (CAA) iv) dip treated in 1% malic acid (MA) v) dip treated in 0.5% chitosan dissolved in 1% malic acid (CMA). All the samples were dried at 50°C. Biochemical, microbiological and sensory analyses were assessed out up to 4 months. Results: The study revealed that sample coated with chitosan which was pre dissolved in either acetic acid or malic acid had lower TVB-N (86.5-115.25 mg/100g), TPC (5.3-5.5 log cfug/g) than control (TVB-163mg/100g; TPC-7.4 log cfu/g). Similar trend also observed for TBA values. Microbial analysis revealed that TPC crossed the limit of acceptability (5.2 log cfu/g) on 2nd month in control. However, AA, CAA, MA, and CMA had acceptable level up to three months. Sensory analysis showed that overall acceptability score was higher for fish coated with chitosan. Results suggested that chitosan coating and drying could improve the quality of dried Bombay duck.

Research on the Relationship between Second-hand Market and Consumers

In the era of consumption upgrading, people are faced with abundant materials, also produced by over consumption of idle goods. With the increasing scale of second-hand goods circulation places, second-hand market ushered in the new problems and opportunities. While using low price as a gimmick to attract users, it exposes various problems, such as poor after-sales service, false promotion and poor product quality. At present, the main problem in the development of second-hand markets is that users do not trust websites. How to take effective measures to strengthen consumers' trust in second-hand markets is an urgent problem to be solved at present. The trust relationship between seller and consumers is a problem for further study. With the remarkable growth of the network and the rapid development of social e-commerce, strengthening trust has become increasingly important, and the trust relationship has become increasingly fragile under the influence of multiple factors. Second-hand markets might be beneficial to attach importance to customer complaints, correctly handle disputes, ensure the security of transaction payment, optimize return and exchange services, and protect customer privacy. It can optimize group bargaining mode, make significant strides in the interaction, sharing and exchange between consumers and friends with amusing consumption experience.