Development of a Functional Food Snack Product Utilizing Underexplored and Underutilized Ingredients: Spirulina Microalgae and Bilberry

Spirulina, a protein-rich cyanobacterium, and Bilberry, a dark berry, have the potential to be used as functional food ingredients in the food industry. These two underexplored and underutilized ingredients were used to develop an adolescent-friendly functional snack food product in the light of food industry trends. Stages of product development, shelf life/physiochemical analysis (texture, pH, color, and water activity) and sensory evaluation were utilized in developing a functional snack mini muffin containing Spirulina and Bilberry. Aqueous (AQ) and 80% ethanol (ET) extracts of mini muffin formulations (chocolate, 1% Spirulina (S) + 4% Bilberry (B), 2% Spirulina (S) + 8% Bilberry (B)) were prepared using a standard protocol. Antioxidant potential was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Potential (FRAP) assays. Utilizing a 5-point hedonic scale (1—Dislike very much, 2—Dislike a little, 3—Neither like nor dislike, 4—Like a little, 5—Like very much), 3 mini muffin formulations (chocolate, 1% S + 4% B, 2% S +8% B), were tested among consumer panelists, with 1% S + 4% B being the most acceptable based on taste, texture, color, aroma, appearance, etc. Texture (post-peak (N) of the mini muffin did not vary between chocolate and 1 S% + 4% B formulations;however, 2% S + 8% B was 1.09 times higher compared to its counterparts. pH, color, and water activity remained constant over the 9-day shelf-life period. The Spirulina and Bilberry muffins developed exhibited antioxidant activities (highest in 2% S + 8% B), and were accepted by the sensory panelists for color, taste, mouthfeel, and aroma (panelists preferred 1% S + 4% B).

On Enforcing Dyadic-type Homogeneous Binary Function Product Constraints in MatBase

Homogeneous binary function products are frequently encountered in the sub-universes modeled by databases,spanning from genealogical trees and sports to education and healthcare,etc.Their properties must be discovered and enforced by the software applications managing such data to guarantee plausibility.The(Elementary)Mathematical Data Model provides 17 types of dyadic-based homogeneous binary function product constraint categories.MatBase,an intelligent data and knowledge base management system prototype,allows database designers to simply declare them by only clicking corresponding checkboxes and automatically generates code for enforcing them.This paper describes the algorithms that MatBase uses for enforcing all 17 types of homogeneous binary function product constraint,which may also be employed by developers without access to MatBase.

Consistency of Water Production Function Models of Two Crops

On basis of test information, the research performed analysis on water production function models of two crops, which indicated that water model of crops in whole growth stage and water model of crops indifferent growth stages have consistency as well as differences, providing references for optimization of irrigation water. Meanwhile, the research analyzed the deficiency of optimization on irrigation water for crops just by Jensen model.

Analysis on Input-Output in Rice Cultivation Based on Cobb-Douglas Production Function

[Objective] To analyze the input and output in rice cultivation based on CD function. [Method] Based on the input factors, Cobb-Douglas production （CD） function was used to do the quantitative analysis on the input-output in rice production with rice growers as the objective. [Result] Considering the substitution effect of labor in- put and capital input, under the same technical conditions, the effect of increasing labor input on the rice production in per 667 m2 was negative, based on which 2 pieces of policy suggestions were put forward to promote the transfer of surplus la- bor force of rice growers and ensure the capital supply for rice production. [Conclusion] This study laid the foundation for the realization of reasonable allocation of rice production resources.

Saline Water Irrigation Scheduling Through a Crop-Water-Salinity Production Function and a Soil-Water-Salinity Dynamic Model

Using a crop-water-salinity production function and a soil-water-salinity dynamic model, optimal irrigation scheduling was developed to maximize net return per irrigated area. Plot and field experiments were used to obtain the crop water sensitivity index, the salinity sensitivity index, and other parameters. Using data collected during 35 years to calculate the 10-day mean precipitation and evaporation, the variation in soil salinity concentrations and in the yields of winter wheat and cotton were simulated for 49 irrigation scheduling that were combined from 7 irrigation schemes over 3 irrigation dates and 7 salinity concentrations of saline irrigation water (fresh water and 6 levels of saline water). Comparison of predicted results with irrigation data obtained from a large area of the field showed that the model was valid and reliable. Based on the analysis of the investment cost of the irrigation that employed deep tube wells or shallow tube wells, a saline water irrigation schedule and a corresponding strategy for groundwater development and utilization were proposed. For wheat or cotton, if the salinity concentration was higher than 7.0 g L-1 in groundwater, irrigation was needed with only fresh water; if about 5.0 g L-1, irrigation was required twice with fresh water and once with saline water; and if not higher than 3.0 g L-1, irrigation could be solely with saline water.

Study of Chinese Economic "Growth Drag" Caused by Land Resource in the Perspective of the Modified Two-Level CES Production Function

The purpose of the study is to measure the "growth drag" according to the characteristic of Chinese land resource.Romer model (2001) holds that every country is inevitably affected by the "growth drag" due to the limitation of land resource.So it's of profound strategic significance to measure the "growth drag" according to the character of Chinese land resource.Modified two-level CES production function was employed,and this paper modified the hypothesis of the model.The result indicates that the limitation of Chinese land resource casts shadow over the economic development of China,and the growth rate is 0.4618% lower than that without the limitation of land resource.Through implementing the land resource protection policy along with the technology improvement and the substitute effect of other factors to the land resource,China will keep a steady and balanced economic growth.

A study on the bioenergy crop production function of land use in China

Based on the analysis of the bioenergy crop production function of land use,combined with the status quo of Chinese land use,the cultivation of energy plants and the bioenergy crop production function of land use had been analyzes and discusses in this paper.Results show that there were a lot of unused lands and marginal lands which can be planted bioenergy crops to perform the bioenergy crop production function of land use with great potentials;and currently there were no food production problems.Therefore,it was very important for China to emphasize bioenergy crops planting in order to fully use land resources in our country,moderate the energy crisis and increase peasants' income.

A Basic Method of Constructing Production Functions

In this paper,a new basic method of constructing smooth production functions isgiven,and many ordinary production functions are drawn. It is obvious thatsome more production functions can be obtained from the method.

ON THE GRAPHS OF PRODUCTS OF CONTINUOUS FUNCTIONS AND FRACTAL DIMENSIONS

In this paper,we consider the graph of the product of continuous functions in terms of Hausdorff and packing dimensions.More precisely,we show that,given a real number 1≤β≤2,any real-valued continuous function in C([0,1])can be decomposed into a product of two real-valued continuous functions,each having a graph of Hausdorff dimensionβ.In addition,a product decomposition result for the packing dimension is obtained.This work answers affirmatively two questions raised by Verma and Priyadarshi[14].

Application Effect of Functional Microbial Products in the Cultivation of Green Ecological Strawberry

In order to promote the transformation and high-quality development of strawberry industry and speed up the application of functional microbial products in strawberry,the application technology of functional microbial products in strawberry planting is studied and summarized.It mainly includes:the periods and methods of continuous cropping strawberry soil reduction and disinfection at high temperature,before and after strawberry planting,before plastic film mulching and whole process of plant spraying.Through multi-point test and demonstration,the purpose of advancing the season of strawberries,improving the quality,increasing production and increasing efficiency is achieved,and there is no risk of agricultural residue pollution,which meets the needs of people's consumption upgrading.Therefore,the application of functional microbial products in green ecological planting is very necessary,and it is worth further speeding up the demonstration and promotion.

Technical efficiency of cocoa farms at varying elevation levels in Davao City, Philippines: implications to sustainable upland farming systems

Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.

Some Properties of Two Class of Analytic Functions Family

Let A be the class of functions f(z)=z+sum from n=2 to ∞ (a_nZ^n) which are analytic in the unit disc, and let In this paper, Some properties of Q_α(β) and R_α(β) are investigated. In particular, Some results due to chichra [4], Mocanu[5] and Obradovic[6] are extended. In addition, We also showed an error of S. Owa[8].

Productive functional evolution of rural settlements:analysis of livelihood strategy and land use transition in eastern China

In China, rural settlements are usually multifunctional complex of natural societies and they also play important productive function. This study explored the spatiotemporal evolution of the productive function of three rural settlements, i.e.,Hetaoyuan, Dawengshan, and Gaoqiao, in the Yimeng Mountain in Shandong province of eastern China.Residents lived in this three types of rural settlements were all involved in agricultural production(i.e., grain threshing, drying and storage), which had remained dominant in Hetaoyuan. Dawengshan became an industrial-oriented settlement, while Gaoqiao became a commercial-oriented settlement. This evolution was reflected in the livelihood strategy changes of rural households and the transition of rural settlements changes. The choice of livelihood strategy was affected by the livelihood assets and policies, which resulted in the spatiotemporal evolution of the productive function of rural settlements. This study can provide references for the implementation and adjustment of rural residential land consolidation policies and the improvement of production and the quality of rural life in future.

Farm Production Growth in the Upper and Middle Parts of the Yellow River Basin,China,During 1980-1999

The impact of inputs on farm production growth was evaluated by analyzing the economic data of the upper and middle parts of the Yellow River basin, China for the period of 1980-1999. Descriptive statistics were employed to characterize the temporal trends and spatial patterns in farm production and five pertinent inputs of cultivated cropland, irrigation ratio, agricultural labor, machinery power and chemical fertilizer. Stochastic frontier production function was applied to quantify the dependence of the farm production on these inputs. The growth of farm production was decomposed to reflect the contributions by input growths and change in total factor productivity.. The change in total factor productivity was further decomposed into the changes in technology and in technical efficiency. The gross value of farm production in the region of study increased by 1.6 fold during 1980-1999. Among the five selected farm inputs, machinery power and chemical fertilizer increased by 1.8 and 2.8 fold, respectively. The increases in cultivated cropland, irrigated cropland, and agricultural labor were all less than 0.16 fold. The growth in the farm production was primarily contributed by the increase in the total factor productivity during 1980-1985, and by input growths after 1985. More than 80% of the contributions by input growths were attributed to the increased application of fertilizer and machinery. In the change of total factor productivity, the technology change dominated over the technical efficiency change in the study period except in the period of 1985-1990, implying that institution and investment played important roles in farm production growth. There was a decreasing trend in the technical efficiency in the region of study, indicating a potential to increase farm production by improving the technical efficiency in farm activities. Given the limited natural resources in the basin, the results of this study suggested that, for a sustainable growth of farm production in the area, efforts should be directed to technology progress and improvement in technical efficiency in the use of available resources.

THIRD-ORDER DIFFERENTIAL SUBORDINATION RESULTS FOR ANALYTIC FUNCTIONS INVOLVING THE GENERALIZED BESSEL FUNCTIONS

In the present paper, we derive some third-order differential subordination results for analytic functions in the open unit disk, using the operator Bcκf by means of normalized form of the generalized Bessel functions of the first kind, which is defined as z（Bκ＋1^c f（z））′= κBκ^c f（z）-（κ- 1）Bκ＋1^c f（z）,where b, c, p ∈ C and κ = p ＋（b ＋ 1）/2 ∈ C ／ Z0^-（Z0^-= {0,-1,-2, … }）. The results are obtained by considering suitable classes of admissible functions. Various known or new special cases of our main results are also pointed out.

Review of Carbon Emissions Trading Production Model and Research on Its Applications in China

With the Kyoto Protocol entering into effect in many countries one after another,carbon trading has come into being and developed quickly.China is the main supplier of carbon emissions rights in the world,but such transactions are still in the stage of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects without its own trading system,which is not conducive for China to win the rights of carbon pricing in the international market.Low-carbon and emissions reduction is the international trend nowadays,and therefore,it is particularly necessary and urgent to investigate the issue of carbon trading in China.In this paper,the authors have reviewed Putty-Clay Vintage,which is a model of production function for carbon trading,revealing the main points,contributions and shortcomings of the model.Combined with China's national conditions,the authors have investigated the application of this model in China's carbon trading from four different angles,including enterprise production optimization,financial market development,national macro-economy,and the allocation of emission quota.This study aims to provide China's enterprises with an analytical framework when participating in carbon trading in the future and it is beneficial for them to make optimal production planning when considering the cost of carbon emissions reduction.

Thought on the Implementation of Agricultural Standardization in the Grain Production and Modern Agriculture

The construction of Grain Production Functional Zone and Modern Agicultural Zone （Two Zones for short） plays a key role in the development of modern agriculture and solving the quantity and quality problems of agricultural products. The Two Zones serves as the important form and carrier of agricultural standardization and the agricultural standardization provides means and ways for it. The paper puts forward the suggestions and solutions for agricultural standardization in Two Zones in the aspects of boosting standards innovation projects, management and so forth.

Simulating Transport Capacity, Delivery Speed, and Routing Efficiency to Predict Economic Growth

This study uses a simulation-based approach to investigate the impact of delivery delays due to constraints on transport capacity, transit speed, and routing efficiencies on an economy with various levels of interdependency among firms. The simulation uses object-oriented programming to create specialized production, consumption, and transportation classes. A set of objects from each class is distributed randomly on a 2D plane. A road network is then established between fixed objects using Prim’s MST (Minimum Spanning Tree) algorithm, followed by construction of an all-pair shortest path matrix using the Floyd Warshall algorithm. A genetic algorithm-based vehicle routing problem solver employs the all-pair shortest path matrix to best plan multiple pickup and delivery orders. Production units utilize economic order quantities (EOQ) and reorder points (ROP) to manage inventory levels. Hicksian and Marshallian demand functions are utilized by consumption units to maximize personal utility. The transport capacity, transit speed, routing efficiency, and level of interdependence serve as 4 factors in the simulation, each assigned 3 distinct levels. Federov’s exchange algorithm is used to generate an orthogonal array to reduce the number of combination replays from 34 to just 9. The simulation results of a 9-run orthogonal array on an economy with 6 mining facilities, 12 industries, 8 market centers, and 8 transport hubs show that the level of firm interdependence, followed by transit speed, has the most significant impact on economic productivity. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that interdependence and transit speed can explain 90.27% of the variance in the data. According to the findings of this research, a dependable and efficient regional transportation network among various types of industries is critical for regional economic development.

Impact of ICTs on Core Competences of SMEs in Bukavu, DRC

Currently, it has been noticed a strong use of ICTs in several companies. The objective of this study was to analyze and measure the impact of the implementation of ICTs on the strategy and structure of management of core competence in SMEs in Bukavu, DRC. The scale used shows the good psychometric properties (χ2 = 75.045;P = 0.16;χ2/ddl = 1.471;CFI = 0.92;IFI = 0.92;RMSEA = 0.049;NFI = 0.79;GFI = 0.94;AGFI = 0.91. This study analyzed primary data collected from 195 SMEs in the city of Bukavu. Data processing was achieved using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and flat sorting. The results indicate that the use of ICTs by SME managers in the city of Bukavu has a positive impact on all dimensions of core competence selected in this study. They also reveal that the views of these leaders on the importance attached to the adoption of ICTs were divided and the level of ICT use was above average.

Fertilizer Overuse in China:Empirical Evidence from Farmers in Four Provinces

[Objective] This paper aims to empirically analyze the situation of fertilizer overuse in China, considering that fertilizer, important for China＇s crop production, has brought serious environmental pollution to China due to over application. [Method] Based on field survey data in four provinces of China, the magnitude of fertilizer overuse at farm level was empirically analyzed with Cobb-Douglas Produc- tion Function Method and profit optimization theory in the research. [Result] The resuits show that by average, 110.5 kg of chemical fertilizer were applied per mu of land, and 46.9 kg fertilizer was overused, occupying 42.5%. [Conclusion] There is large potential to reduce the overused amount and it is of great importance to re- duce fertilizer overuse effectively, which needs further intensive study.