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The industrial processing of pineapples generates a substantial quantity of by-products, including shell, crown, and core. Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme found naturally in pineapple, including its by-products, may positively influence the bioaccessibility of phenolics from milk coffee. Therefore, this study aimed to assess how the inclusion of extracts from pineapple by-products, namely shell, crown and core, could impact the bioaccessibility of coffee phenolics when combined with milk. After measuring the proteolytic activity of pineapple by-products, the standardized in vitro digestion model of INFOGEST was employed to evaluate changes in total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, and individual phenolic compounds in different coffee formulations. The results showed that incorporating extracts from the crown or core in both black and milk coffee increased the bioaccessibility of total phenolics (from 93 to 114% to 105–129%) and antioxidants (from 54 to 56% to 84–87%), while this effect was not observed for the shell. Moreover, adding core extracts also enhanced the bioaccessibility of caffeoylquinic acids and gallic acid in milk coffee (from 0.72 to 0.85% and 109–155%, respectively). Overall, the findings of this study highlight that bromelain from pineapple core may have a favorable effect on the recovery of phenolic compounds in milk coffee, possibly due to its ability to cleave proteins. These outcomes point out that industrial by-products can be transformed into economic value by being reintroduced into the production process through suitable treatment instead of disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) is a perishable fruit with a huge potential for processing. In this study, the effects of food processing techniques and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the phenolics of loquat products were investigated. For this purpose, the results of processed loquat products including juice, nectar, leather, pulp, and jam were compared to the control loquat samples. Spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods were used to analyze the total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC), individual phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, epicatechin) as well as total antioxidant capacity by DPPH and CUPRAC assays. The TPC and TFC of loquat products varied from 61.2±5.4 to 855.7±36.0 mg GAE/100 g and 37.2±1.6 to 979.5±65.3 mg CE/100 g, respectively. As in total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidants, the highest chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, and epicatechin contents were obtained in loquat leather as 201.20±9.99 mg/100 g, 47.50±2.21 mg/100 g, and 46.87±0.28 mg/100 g, respectively. In addition to these, after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, it was revealed that loquat leather had the highest TPC, TFC, and total antioxidant capacity values compared to other samples. Results have indicated that the phenolic content of fresh loquat fruits could be improved or protected, mainly by processing into leather and/or jam. Thus, the product scale for this fruit can be increased by obtaining foods with high nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adverse effects of humans on the environment are growing every day. "Ecological footprint" (EF) is related to the Sustainable Environment and measures the impact of human activities on the environment. The reduction of EF has become a critical issue. This research aims to determine the EF awareness of consumers. The research sample consists of 404 consumers residing in the Ganja province of Azerbaijan. The "ecological footprint awareness survey" has been used as a data collection tool. The collected data were analysed with the SPSS 24.0 package program. The variables of the research were gender, educational status, place of residence, occupation, and income. Research has shown that the highest consumer awareness of EF was in food and transportation, and the lowest awareness was in water consumption. There was no statistically significant difference by gender. When the resident effect was examined, EF water consumption awareness was significantly higher among those living in the town than those living in the city. Consumers with middle school and university degrees were more conscious of their energy consumption levels. By profession, civil servants, farmers and housewives exerted higher environmental awareness than other groups examined. Finally, the income variable showed that higher-income consumers were more aware of the food, energy, and water consumption related matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically analyzes the long-term relationship between agricultural production and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Azerbaijan using annual data covering the period of 1992–2014. Additionally, real income and energy consumption variables were included in the model in testing the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) method is undertaken to reveal the existence of the long-term relationship between the CO2 and its determinants. The ARDL mechanism shows that gross domestic product (GDP) and energy consumption have a positive and statistically significant effect on carbon dioxide emissions. However, agricultural production and the square of GDP have a negative impact on air pollution. Furthermore, when the coefficients of real GDP and squared GDP included in the model were examined to analyze the inverted-U-shaped relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution, the EKC hypothesis was confirmed to be valid. According to Toda-Yamamoto causality test results, there is a bidirectional relationship between GDP, the square of GDP, and carbon emissions. From energy consumption and agricultural value-added to CO2 emissions, a unidirectional Granger causality relationship was found. Ultimately, the findings suggest that policies and reforms that increase or support agricultural production will help lower the country's CO2 emissions level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted to measure the nomophobia levels of young people. The sample of the study consisted of 400 young people living in rural districts of Bursa province in Turkey. The results show that 8.5% of the youth was severely nomophobic, 71.5% were moderate and 20.0% were mildly nomophobic. There was no statistically significant difference between gender and working status and nomophobia level but statistically significant differences were encountered between age and educational status. As young people's age increased, the levels of nomophobia they suffer decreased. They asserted a higher level of nomophobia during high school years. Despite a slight decrease in university years, students' nomophobia levels were higher than the graduates and working youth. When the sub-dimensions of the scale were examined, the 'avoidance' and 'conflict' factors were above the NoSmartPhone Scale (NSPS) mean score, but the interwind identity and attachment factors were below the mean score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study set out to reveal to what extent women entrepreneurs operating in rural areas have been affected by environmental pollution and climate change. Besides, it emphasises how much they will be affected over the next 5 years throughout Turkey. The study covered rural areas of all seven regions in Turkey. Findings were analysed by using SPSS 23 programme. Women entrepreneurs were younger in less developed regions of the country, such as the Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Anatolia, and were older in the more economically developed coastal areas. One-third of the respondents were microentrepreneurs; 12% employ five or more workers. The problems of rural women entrepreneurs are further complicated by environmental pollution and climate change. Among the significant environmental issues, women entrepreneurs endure a loss of income, loss of trade stock/goods, and loss of livestock, property damage and potable water supply. Women entrepreneurs agreed that, in the next 5 years, environmental problems would adversely affect customer demand, the quality of raw materials they use and the products they offer; therefore, customer demand would reduce. On the other hand, they were divided in their opinion about whether environmental problems will be affecting their business location and the need to invest in technology and equipment. The study showed that none of the participants obtained disaster insurance, and none of them was members of an environmental organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to reveal the people's knowledge level about the harmful effects of waste oils, especially waste cooking oil, on the environment. It also aims to understand the attitude and behavioural patterns related to the safe disposal of them. Istanbul is chosen because it represents the entire country with its diverse socio-demographic and socio-cultural structure. A total of 408 respondents were randomly chosen and interviewed in the designated regions. The research data were obtained by using a structured survey consisting demographic and Likert scale questions. SPSS 23.0 statistical software was used to analyse the survey data. Results suggest that despite the high educational level, participants did not know that household liquid waste has a negative impact on the environment. They disagreed on the statement that liquid waste can damage water resources. Public spots, and formal and informal education were not found effective and failed to make the desired impact. Majority of participants did not know their duties in the disposal of waste. They also did not know where the liquid waste collection units were and what projects were being implemented in their neighbourhood. Fewer participants were concerned at what point and how the hazardous liquid wastes collected by municipalities were disposed of after leaving their habitat and whether these methods were reliable or acceptable. This research concludes that user behaviour was disappointing in cooking oil usage and waste oil disposal. The collection of waste cooking oils remains far below the developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]