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The growing global population has a persistently negative impact on the economy and ecology due to food waste. This topic has recently received much attention from around the world. For both homes and the food processing industry, recycling food waste is crucial to waste management. This study aims to show how dehydrated food scraps and leftovers can be used as raw materials for trench compost to enhance soil quality and reduce leachate and greenhouse gas emissions. The results showed that the pre-treatment and air temperature significantly affected the finished trench compost products' EC, pH, and nutrient content. Pretreated dried leftover at 80°C after trench compost was found to have the highest value of CNH, S (36.53%), and micronutrients (0.103404%) when compared to micronutrients in the final product of pre-treatment dried leftover at 80°C after trench compost that was (0.057273%). Dehydrated leftovers from trench compost were thought to have nutrient content that would improve soil quality, slow decomposition, and reduce odor, thus enabling more frequent trash collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacing cereals with food leftovers could reduce feed-food competition and keep nutrients and energy in the food chain. Former food products (FFPs) are industrial food leftovers no more intended for human but still suitable as alternative and sustainable feedstuffs for monogastric. In this study, omics approaches were applied to evaluate the impact of dietary FFPs on pig liver proteome and plasma peptidome. Thirty-six Swiss Large White male castrated pigs were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments [control (CTR), 30% CTR replaced with salty FFP (SA), 30% CTR replaced with sugary FFP (SU)] from the start of the growing phase (22.4 ± 1.7 kg) until slaughtering (110 ± 3 kg). The low number of differentially regulated proteins in each comparison matrix (SA/SU vs. CTR) and the lack of metabolic interaction indicated a marginal impact on hepatic lipid metabolism. The plasma peptidomics investigation showed low variability between the peptidome of the three dietary groups and identified three possible bioactive peptides in the SA group associated with anti-hypertension and vascular homeostasis regulation. To conclude, the limited modulation of liver proteome and plasma peptidome by the SA and SU diets strenghtened the idea of reusing FFPs as feed ingredients to make pig production more sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of food waste in food service is recognized in the scientific community. A reduction in this phenomenon is necessary for the sustainable development of the food service industry. However, the issue of the influence of various characteristics of food service establishments (FSEs) on food waste has still not been studied sufficiently. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of the type of FSE, type of customer service, time in business of the FSE, and average daily number of consumers served on measures taken in FSE in relation to ready meals in the context of food waste. Survey research was conducted in 131 FSEs. It was found that the different groups of dishes that were prepared in excess and not served to consumers are most often stored in refrigerated conditions until the following day. The management of unserved dishes was correlated with business time and the type of FSE. Dishes like cold and hot snacks, in particular, were more often made available to employees in establishments with shorter time in business. In restaurants and small food service outlets/cafés, discarding was more often indicated as the management method for these types of dishes. The majority of food service establishments were not able to sell half portions. In conclusion, there is great potential to reduce food waste in food service establishments, but education of both staff and customers is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An energy supply crisis is impacting all the branches, including the agriculture and food industry. The wise and responsible utilization of plant raw materials already cultivated is becoming a must in the country's economy. Not only the waste of the resources included but also the environmental challenge are concerns behind the not exploited food production by-streams and leftovers' valorization. Fruits and vegetables' out of the market quality "beauty" standards are still valuable sources of nutritious compounds. The conversion of raw materials into edible products can be provided by many techniques, with three-dimensional printing being the most individualized one. The main objective of this review was to summarize the existing efforts for the valorization of fruits and vegetable residuals into edible 3D inks and then 3D printed products. The clustering analysis was used for the separation of certain research approaches in fruit and vegetable wastes exploitation for 3D printing inks' formulation. As the multilayer deposit technique is strongly dependent on the printing conditions and 3D ink formulation, therefore the tabularized description was included presenting the nozzle diameter, printing speed and other conditions specified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to focus on developing a food supplement for the geriatric population using disposal mushrooms, oats, and lactose-free milk powder. Lactose intolerance is most common in older adults, raising the demand for lactose-free foods. One of the major global challenges currently faced by humankind is food waste (FW). Most of the food that is produced for human consumption has not been utilized completely (1/3rd–1/2 unutilized), resulting in agricultural food waste. Mushrooms are highly valuable in terms of their nutritional value and medicinal properties; however, a significant percentage of mushroom leftovers are produced during mushroom production that do not meet retailers' standards (deformation of caps/stalks) and are left unattended. Oats are rich in dietary fibre beta-glucan (55% water soluble; 45% water insoluble). Lactose-free milk powder, oats, and dried mushroom leftover powder were blended in different ratios. It was observed that increasing the amount of mushroom leftover powder increases the protein content while diluting calories. The product with 15% mushroom powder and 30% oat powder showed the highest sensory scores and the lowest microbial count. The GCMS and FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of ergosterol and other functional groups. The results of the XRD analysis showed that the product with 15% mushroom powder and 30% oat powder had a less crystalline structure than the product with 5% mushroom powder and 40% oat powder and the product with 10% mushroom powder and 35% oat powder, resulting in more solubility. The ICP-OES analysis showed significant concentrations of calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and zinc. The coliform count was nil for the products, and the bacterial count was below the limited range (3 × 102 cfu/g). The product with 15% mushroom powder and 30% oat powder showed the best results, so this developed product is recommended for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replication complexes, or replisomes, are removed from DNA upon completion of DNA synthesis, but the importance of replisome removal, as well as how cells might respond to defects in this process, has remained elusive. New work by Polo Rivera et al (2024) and Olson et al (2024) reveals that leftover replisomes are an obstacle to replication and provides a first glimpse into the biochemical mechanisms that solve this problem. Two recent articles reveal that leftover replisome impede the next round of replication, and how specific helicases can help to overcome this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popular Left Behind series has been credited with mainstreaming dispensational premillennialism, or fragments of that ideology, in U.S. popular culture. The less popular, but critically acclaimed HBO series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta, attests to the ideology's popularity while defamiliarizing its notions of Rapture and Messiah/Antichrist. While Left Behind apologizes for the ideology and strives to make the metanarrative's identity attractive, entertaining, and thrilling, The Leftovers takes a "not quite" Rapture as its "what if" fictional starting point. The result embraces mystery, rather than apologetic certainty, and ordinary human life, rather than the supernatural. Fulfilled prophecy becomes confusion, coping, and possibly delusion. The metanarrative becomes unstuck fragments. Election (exceptional national and individual identities), miracle, and messiah are demythologized. Theodicy occurs only on a human level. At the same time, however, The Leftovers takes its "what if" seriously and sympathetically. Despite skepticism, its characters also understand the appeal of Rapture, Messiah, and the like as they too look for something sacred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tendency of late marriage and the increasing single population in Chinese society have galvanized a considerable amount of anxiety in recent years. Part of such anxiety has been manifested through the constant media representations of "shengnü" or "leftover women" since 2010. Referring to women in their late twenties or over thirties while still not getting married, the term "leftover women" indicates a continuous patriarchal policing of single women circulated in mass media. This study, by comparing two popular Chinese television series— We Get Married (2013) and Nothing but Thirty (2020), discusses the altering constructions of unmarried women on Chinese television against the backdrop of China's post-socialist gender politics. The comparison provides a useful vantage point to examine the emerging gendered structures and new cultural imperatives under specific historical contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effects of adding Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) along with leftover cooking oil on a diesel engine's efficiency, emissions, and combustion properties were studied. After TEM examination, using an ultrasonicator, the MWCNT was combined with biodiesel fuel made from leftover cooking oil at concentrations of 0 and 25, parts per million. A constant speed of 1500 rpm was used to test these blends while varying engine loads. The experimental results indicated that the cylinder peak pressure, peak pressure rise rate, and heat release rate were slightly lower when MWCNTs were added to WCO fuel compared to pure WCO fuel. The innovative fuel mix significantly decreased CO and BSFC. Not only that, but the specific fuel consumption was lower than with pure WCO fuel, and the brake thermal efficiency was significantly altered.25 ppm was found to be the proper dose level of MWCNTs with WCO fuel based on engine capability and pollutant comparisons. All engine performance metrics significantly increased as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hog raisers of today consider feeds to be the most expensive component in hog enterprise. Thus, the study of the Comparative Effects of low-cost indigenous Feeds and Commercial Feeds on the Growth and Profitability of Native Pigs. Effects of indigenous feeds and commercial feeds on the growth and profitability of native pigs. This study was carried out to determine the effect of indigenous feeds and commercial feeds on the growth and profitability of native pigs. A total of 12 heads of piglets were distributed into 4 treatments with 3 replications. Results revealed that feeding native pigs with different mixtures of indigenous and commercial feeds has a significant effect on the initial weight; however, based on the results, it was T4 (100% commercial feeds) that showed a numerically heavier initial weight among all treatments fed with a different mixture of indigenous feeds, while in terms of weight gain, results showed that T1 was given 50% taro and 50% leftovers compared quantitatively to T4 fed 100% commercial feeds. Comparable differences were observed from T1-T3, where an average of 2,253.08 kg of feed per head was consumed. In other words, pigs consumed the maximum amount of feed given with a minimal feed leftover up to an average of 1.43 kg. Results revealed that feeds consumed by native pigs were numerically higher in T1-taro (50%) kitchen leftover (50%) followed by T3, T2 (80% Taro & 20% Kitchen leftover), while T4 with commercial feeds consumed 1,258.80 kg. In T3, 80% taro and 20% kitchen leftover, gave an average number of 8 piglets, followed by T2 with 7 piglets, T1 with 6 piglets, and T4 with 5 piglets, while in average weight, T4 has 0.8400 kg, T2 with 0.8267 kg, T3 with 0.6700 kg and T1 with 0.5667 kg, respectively. T3 have the highest profit of 11,707.60 pesos with Return on Investment (ROI) of 95.24%, followed by T2 with profit of 7,351.60 pesos and 53.86% ROI, T1 with 5,710.60 pesos and 46.47% ROI, and T4 with-43,180.40 pesos and ROI of -25.78%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste's negative environmental repercussions are causing it to become a global concern. Several studies have examined the factors influencing food waste behaviour and management. This work was motivated by the lack of previous research on machine learning and electronic noses to detect contamination from leftover cooked food. This work proposes using machine learning algorithms and electronic nose technology to recognise and forecast the contamination in leftover cooked food. After five days of storage, the freshness of cooked leftovers was evaluated using an electronic nose combined with machine learning algorithms. Most food samples used in this work were from Malaysian's leftover lunch and dinner dishes. Four (4) gas sensors--MQ-2, MQ-136, MQ-137, and MQ-138--are used in developing the electronic nose to identify the presence of gas in the food sample. The data from the gas sensors was analysed using machine learning methods, namely Random Forest, k-nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machine, and Linear Discriminant Analysis. Based on the results, a multi-classification technique yielded a greater accuracy rate in classifying and identifying the level of contamination in the cooked food leftovers, with average accuracy ranging from 90 percent to 100 percent. In conclusion, the work demonstrates a novel method for using machine learning algorithms to classify, identify, and predict the contamination level of leftover cooked food, contributing to reducing food waste generated primarily by Malaysians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intensive swine breeding industry generates a complex environment where several microbial interactions occur and which constitutes a challenge for biosafety. Ad libitum feeding strategies and low levels of management contribute to residual and wasted feed for lactating sows, which provides a source of nutrients and microbial source for houseflies in warm climates. Due to the absence of the all-in/all-out system, the coexistence of sows of two production stages including gestating and lactating sows in the farrowing barn may have potential negative impacts. In this research, we evaluated the effects of lactating sow leftover on the environmental microbiota of the farrowing barn and the contribution of microbial environments to the gestating sow fecal bacterial structure with a 30-day-long treatment of timely removing lactating residual feed. Results: Houseflies in the farrowing barn mediate the transmission of microorganisms from lactating sow leftover to multiple regions. Leuconostoc, Weissella, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus from the leftover which can produce exopolysaccharides, are more capable of environmental transmission than pathogenic microorganisms including Staphylococcus and Streptococcus and utilize houseflies to achieve spread in environmental regions of the farrowing barn. Leftover removal treatment blocked the microbial transmission chain mediated by houseflies, downregulated the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia-Shigella and Streptococcus among houseflies, environmental regions and fecal bacteria of gestating sows in the farrowing barn and effectively attenuate the increment of Weissella and RF39 relative abundance in gestating sow feces due to the presence of lactating sows. Conclusions: Lactating sow leftover is a non-negligible microbial contributor of environment in farrowing barn whose transmission is mediated by houseflies. A 30-day-long treatment of removing lactating sow residual feed cause significant changes in the microbial structure of multiple environmental regions within the farrowing barn via altering the microbiota carried by houseflies. Meanwhile, lactating sow leftover affect the fecal microbial structure of gestating sows in the same farrowing barn, while removal of lactating sow leftover alleviates the contribution of microbial transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilization of residue is a challenge in engineering practice, because unreasonable cutting causes excess materials wasted and increases the production cost. This work considers the residual two-dimensional cutting stock problem with usable leftover in which unused parts of cutting patterns can be used for future orders. We propose an algorithm that combines the iterative sequential value correction heuristic with the beam search heuristic, considering both the accumulation and the reusability of leftovers to reduce the material consumption. Cutting plans are constructed iteratively and the best one are chosen as the solution. Cutting patterns in the cutting plan are generated sequentially by recursive techniques, and potentially usable leftover are accumulated by beam search heuristic. Item values are corrected after each pattern to diversify cutting plans. Three sets of simulations under different number of periods, over medium and large instances from the literature, are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the heuristics. Computational results show that the algorithm provides better solutions, which can save a considerable amount of plate in a long-term production period. The utilization of wastages can save a considerable amount of stock plate and contract the production cost of enterprises in the long-term production period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a major global concern. Irrational use of antibiotics including self-medication (SM) with leftovers without a medical prescription can be a leading cause. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and related factors of leftover antibiotics (LA) in Lebanese households. Study design: A cross-sectional study of the Lebanese population was conducted between March and October 2022. Methods: Through random proportional stratified sampling, a total of 494 families participated in this study. Data collection was carried out through phone calls using a comprehensive and reviewed questionnaire. The data was then analyzed using SPSS version 26. Logistic regression was utilized to identify the factors associated with LA, with the presence of LA in households as the dependent variable and other factors such as age, region of residence, and presence of elderly individuals at home as the independent variables. Results: Among selected households, 118 households (23.89%) had LA. The most common type of antibiotic found was penicillin (59.84%). Most of the LA were in the form of tablets and capsules (94%) with valid expiration dates (87%). Antibiotics were mainly prescribed by doctors (61%), and the main reason for prescribing was acute respiratory tract infections (47.46%). SM was reported by 42.37% of the families with LA. A family with elderly patients (p = 0.002; OR = 2.23; 95% CI = 1.33–3.73) and those residing in Mount Lebanon (p = 0.019; OR = 2.28; 95% CI = 1.14–4.56) had significantly higher odds of having LA. Conclusion: Leftover antibiotics were found in nearly a quarter of the addressed Lebanese families. Therefore, public educational campaigns should be launched to limit injudicious antibiotic use including SM, and to promote proper disposal of any leftovers. It is also crucial to adopt the One Health approach by developing national programs for the safe disposal of LA and implementing regulations to restrict the distribution of antibiotics in pharmacies without a prescription.

This study investigated the leftover rate of side dishes in school lunches provided by communal kitchens in Japan's Chugoku region, with a focus on vegetable dishes supplied in containers and three types of menu items served daily to 20 elementary and junior high schools in communal kitchen A for 116 days. First, the leftovers in the containers that were returned to the communal kitchen were weighed and combined. The study then compared outside temperature, distance from communal kitchen A, school type, number of students per class, assignment of nutrition teachers, and time elapsed after cooking. Finally, we examined the relationship between these factors and the leftover rate using multiple regression analysis. The median leftover rate was 20.1% (0–96.9) for 250 side dishes with a high leftover rate; however, this was widely distributed. The number of students per class, assignment of nutrition teachers, and time elapsed after cooking were strongly related to the leftover rate; the adjusted coefficient of determination, R2, was 0.236. The regression results indicated that regarding the side dish leftover rate, the standardized coefficient, β, was 0.414, 0.215, 0.107, 0.093, and 0.094 for the number of students per class, assignment of nutrition teacher, the time elapsed after the end of cooking, distance from communal kitchen A, and presence of seaweed, respectively (p<0.001). Dietary education by homeroom and nutrition teachers and reducing the time elapsed after cooking impacts students' awareness and preferences, which may decrease the leftover rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an account of Bihar State Housing Board (BSHB) and its role in allocating housing and land from the 1970s onwards in Patna. The housing board typifies the bureaucratic practices of property-making at its best and demonstrates how the bureaucracy strategically aligned itself with caste-driven state politics. The unstable nature of forward–backward caste-based partisan politics meant politicians made unceasing efforts to garner support to stay in power including that of the bureaucrats who had far more control and knowledge about administration rules. By creating the discretionary category of chit-put land, loosely translated as leftover or not useful for anyone, an elaborate rationale was created for land allocation. This flexibility was used for carving out new land parcels for the high-income and middle-income category in Patna. The board dexterously encroached on the land allocated for the urban poor in whose name the land acquisition was undertaken at the outset. Using minutes of the meetings of BSHB, the paper also argues for alternative approaches for drafting and mapping the spatial history of a non-metropolitan city without a master plan and maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective land titling often drags on for decades, while private land concessions and holdings do not face the same problem, creating 'leftovers' of land available for Indigenous peoples to attempt to collectively title. In two ethnographic case studies in Cambodia and Paraguay, we analyse community‐based Indigenous land titling by focusing on the on‐the‐ground dynamics of property relations, Indigenous livelihood shifts and ecological change. In both countries, large agricultural players implemented a staggering change in local landscapes through deforestation, configuring new realities that in turn feed into local environments and titling processes. Adapting their livelihoods to living in the leftovers, in Cambodia, the Indigenous Bunong shifted from rice to rubber as they navigated the slow titling process. In Paraguay, some Indigenous Guarani shifted from corn to cattle by renting out their collectively titled land. The case studies show that the liberal titling approach to secure Indigenous lands overestimates the ability of title to remove land from capitalist logics such as the push to rent or sell, while some spaces of autonomy are opened. We critique the liberal approaches to formalising title, where Indigenous struggles for their ways of life are funnelled into fighting for collective property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betting markets on horse races have typically taken one of two forms: 1) a parimutuel pool, where prices are uncertain until the market is closed, or 2) a fixed-odds market, where prices are fixed at the time the bet is placed. I study a hybrid betting mar- ket where a pool is run side-by-side with a fixed-odds market, and the two are then combined to determine final pool prices. I find that the fixed-odds market is quicker to aggregate information, and produces comparatively efficient prices from the start of betting. Interim prices in the parimutuel pool are largely uninformative, but improve as betting progresses. The parimutuel pool in this hybrid market also serves two additional purposes. It allows bettors to avoid thin early trading, and also provides a mechanism for extracting information in late leftover quotes in the fixed-odds market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central motif of the essay is a critical examination of the archival turn in contemporary art. Through the lens of the notions such as "performativity", "memory", and theories devoted to interpreting the archive, the text builds on authors who have explored this phenomenon in contemporary art. The main focus of this essay is on the expanded documentary practice by Lucia Nimcová, her works relocating and reactivating archival photographs, in which I detect emancipatory potential that could possibly inspire those methodologies in art history that deal with the socialist past in Central and Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past studies have revealed the benefits of rodent participation in the colonization process of oak species. Certain rodent species (Apodemus sylvaticus and Mus spretus) partially consume acorns, beginning at the basal part and preserving the embryo. Perea et al. (2011) and Yang and Yi (2012) found that during periods of abundance, the remains left after partial consumption continue to be present on the surface and are not transported to caches, given that they are perceived as leftovers. These remains, produced after several visits by the cache owner or by thieving conspecifics, also appear in the caches. If they are perceived as offal, they will not be attacked and may remain in these stores for longer periods, serving as resources for the cache builder. Our objective is to determine whether these remnants are perceived as offal by the rodent generating them or if the remains left by other rodents are considered offal. This is relevant in cases of theft, a common behavior of this species, if the thieving animals reject the remains. The results suggest that foreign remains and the rodents' own remains are not rejected, but rather, they are consumed in preference to intact acorns. The intact acorns remain in the cache for longer periods and have a greater opportunity to germinate and emerge. Rodents prefer to consume foreign remains first. This may be due to the fact that, in case of shortage, it is considered advantageous to finish the reserves of a potential competitor before depleting one's own reserves. Significance statement: Rodents participate in the acorn dissemination process by constructing surface stores (caches). The rodent species studied here partially consumes acorns, beginning with the basal part and preserving the embryo located at the apical end. These partially consumed acorn remains are considered offal and remain in the caches for longer periods, serving as reserves for the rodent. Our objective is to examine whether these acorn remains are viewed as offal by the rodents. We have found that, to the contrary, they are consumed before intact acorns. Intact acorns remain in the caches for longer periods, assuming the role of reserves and taking on a greater capacity to germinate. This species of rodent differentiates between its own remains and those of others, first consuming the foreign offal. Therefore, their own offal remains in the stores for longer periods and may potentially germinate if the embryo is preserved. This behavior has been demonstrated by this rodent species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting problems consist of cutting a set of objects available in stock in order to produce the desired items in specified quantities and sizes. The cutting process can generate leftovers (which can be reused in the case of new demand) or losses (which are discarded). This paper presents a tree-based heuristic method for minimizing the number of cut bars in the one-dimensional cutting process, satisfying the item demand in an unlimited bar quantity of just one type. The results of simulations are compared with the R G R L 1 algorithm and with the limiting values for this considered type of problem. The results show that the proposed heuristic reduces processing time and the number of bars needed in the cutting process, while it provides a larger leftover (by grouping losses) for the one-dimensional cutting stock problem. The heuristic contributes to reduction in raw materials or manufacturing costs in industrial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the visual representations of "leftover women" (unmarried women who are 27 or above) in the English language news media in China by employing multimodal discourse analysis. The findings show that both conservative and gendered discourses are constructed by different visual resources in relation to "leftover women's" actions, reactions, outfits, symbolic processes, and settings. Our research provides new understandings of Chinese single womanhood, which reflect the State profamily and pronatalist agenda intertwined with the pressure from tradition on the one hand, and women's increasing awareness of individual choices, sexual freedom, and feminist values under the influence of globalisation and modernisation on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In this work, based on the necessary technological linkage that exists in a raw sugar factory with a nearby sugar refinery, a strategy is proposed to strengthen its material and energy linkage in its development, extracting the juice from the filters. Objective: To evaluate the impact of extracting the juice from the filters on the influence on the quality of raw sugar, determining the optimal percentage of extraction to achieve the energy linkage of the combined raw sugar factory, refinery and torula cream. Materials and methods: The effect of the extraction of the juice from the filters on the quality of this type of sugar, and with it on that of refined sugar, is evaluated through the statistical modeling of the process through the aggregation of the models of the component elements, considering variations of the models in the purification stage for different per hundreds of extraction. Results and discussion: The global models of the process obtained through the aggregation of models of the partial stages are effective for predicting the sugar quality parameters. The extraction of the juice from the filters significantly increases the amount of leftover bagasse in the production of raw sugar. Conclusions: The extraction of the juice from the filters benefits the quality parameters of the produced sugar and significantly increases the amount of excess bagasse in the production of raw sugar, being an alternative to contribute to other productive demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste occurs at various stages of the food supply chain, starting from the production stage on farms to processing, distribution, and consumption. It is an important global problem that has social, environmental, ethical, and economic costs. The present work aims to discuss the differences in waste generated from surpluses or leftovers, the monitoring systems of food waste in public food services, and the good practices to reduce food waste. Besides the accessible knowledge about reducing waste, tonnes of food were daily discarded and wasted. To achieve a sustainable food system, food waste must be reduced significantly. Collaborative efforts are necessary to achieve significant reductions in food waste for achieving SDG 12.3 in public food services. Thus, policies that support or enforce larger implementation of best practices are needed. Knowledge about food waste is important to change attitudes and behaviors toward surplus food and leftovers. Some best practices can include promoting awareness campaigns to educate staff about the impact of food waste and the best practices to reduce it, including information on proper storage, portion control, and meal planning; implementing inventory management systems; donating surplus food via collaboration with food banks and charities; optimizing portion sizes, ensuring they are adequate and manageable for customers, reducing the likelihood of leftover food on the plate; allowing customers to order smaller quantities or share a meal; providing packaging to allow customers take their leftovers home for later consumption. The procedures to be adopted by public food services should provide guidance for the selection of products that can be donated. However, specific temperature requirements depending on the food category should be complied with. This paper enlarges the understanding of surpluses and leftovers and the best practices that could be implemented in public food services to minimize food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative assessment of foods consumed when using 24-hour dietary recall requires accurate tools to estimate portion sizes. Therefore, we developed a food portion photography atlas with age-appropriate portion sizes for 11 foods frequently consumed by young children (sizes for 6-11-month- and for 12-23-month-old children) and women of childbearing age in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso capital. We then compared the accuracy and precision of portion estimation with this atlas and with salted replicas relative to weighed records (the reference). After weighing, we randomly assigned food portions to 67 women and their children. The next day, women estimated the served portions and leftovers by recall using the atlas and then salted replicas (n = 1156 measurements, ranging from 19 to 113 for each food). For most food types, the portions estimated with the atlas and salted replicas were positively correlated and showed good concordance with the weighed records. However, accuracy and precision varied in function of the estimation method, food type, and age group. The mean crude differences ranged from -28 to +12g (with errors in absolute values from 24 to 69%) for children, and from -32 to +44g (errors from 17 to 56%) for women. The atlas-based method showed the lowest Lin's concordances (coefficients of 0.1 to 0.2) for the leafy vegetable dish, meat, and fish in 12-23-month-old children. Bland-Altman plots indicated that the salted replicas allowed estimating the consumed portions with fewer errors than the photographic atlas (56 to 91% vs 46 to 79% between the limits of ±50%). Our study highlights that mothers have difficulties in perceiving the quantities of food consumed by their children. Our findings also indicate that the food atlas could be used in food consumption surveys when salted replicas are not available for all food types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the diasporic eastern coastal region of China, leftover children are a unique group of children; their social adaptation challenges are more prominent due to transnational separation from parents. This study explores the relationship between parent-offspring communication and school adaptation among leftover children. Methods: We administered questionnaires to 957 children from six schools in June and December of 2022. All students in the sample were randomly selected from within the classrooms. In total, 561 (47.95% female, mean age = 12.84, SD = 0.95) of them were leftover children. Self-report questionnaires on communication with their parents, school adaptation, companionship, and feelings of safety were used in this investigation We subsequently used SPSS software and the PROCESS plugin to analyze the relationships between variables. Results: A significant and positive relationship was found between parent-offspring communication and school adaptation in leftover children. Companionship mediated this effect. Additionally, the impact of parent-offspring communication on companionship was moderated by a sense of safety. Conclusions: The study concluded that parent-offspring communication, school adaptation, companionship, and a sense of safety were all positively correlated. In addition, companionship partially mediated the relationship between parent-offspring communication and school adaptation. Moreover, a sense of safety played a moderating role. These conclusions can provide empirical support for improving the school adaptation of leftover children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Household food waste is a primary worldwide concern; however, in developing countries, quantitative information on this matter is scarce. This study aimed to provide baseline information on consumer behaviour, practices, beliefs, and attitudes associated with ground beef waste in Mexican households. Materials and methods. Field data came from a survey of 740 consumers from two major Mexican cities. A survey was administered to consumers willing to answer, and they had five fixed options to select from in the questions related to reasons for awareness and for disposing of minced beef at home. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square. Results and discussion. Consumers were asked to choose from the survey the option closest to their opinion. The results indicate that more than 75% of the respondents were households with 3-5 members, comprising mostly children ≤10 years old and a smaller proportion of people aged 70 and over. Only 33% buy ground meat packaged and displayed in open refrigerated cabinets in supermarkets, while the rest, 67%, purchase it from local butchers. The best-before date was considered an important parameter as it reports the level of freshness of the meat and its positive impact on health. In contrast, for >50% of respondents, meat waste is associated with cleaning activities. Discarding or throwing away ground meat in Mexican households can occur within a few days of purchase, and can also be related to inadequate preservation and refrigeration practices. Major reasons for consumer awareness of household food waste were associated with guilt feelings (73.0%) and damage to the environment (71.6%), whilst rotten meat and leftovers not eaten were linked to discarding ground meat. Household refrigerator malfunctions and buying in excess occasionally influenced perishable food waste. There are significant relationships between food wastage and various activities, such as purchasing practices, preparation methods, attitudes, and lifestyles associated with eating habits. Reasons that could be related to wastage are prolonged storage of raw meat, finished of the expiry date and disgust. In addition, other related aspects focus on compulsive buying, coupled with a need for more planning and prioritizing the purchase of large packages. Conclusion. Any program related to reducing minced meat waste in households must include the design of governmental and non-governmental policies that impact all links in the supply chain, especially on the final consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is ample empirical evidence documenting that large firms set significantly lower prices than smaller, capacity-constrained, firms. This is paradoxical in light of the standard theoretical result that large firms charge higher prices than small firms in models of price competition with capacity constraints. We argue that private information about capacity constraints can account for this puzzle. We provide concavity conditions on the demand and on the type distribution under which there exists a unique, monotone decreasing price equilibrium. Solving the model requires a novel approach of studying several different regions of pricing incentives depending on the realized capacity levels. We show that firms with intermediate capacities compete in an auction type interaction, while firms with low or high capacity levels compete less vigorously on the margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cakes are bakery goods that are frequently discarded. Cake leftovers are mostly carbs with a significant potential for sugar recovery using subcritical water hydrolysis; a clean, rapid, and sustainable approach. This study aimed to evaluate the highest sugar that could be recovered from cake leftovers using subcritical water hydrolysis. The cake leftovers were hydrolyzed in a batch-type subcritical water reactor at the process conditions of 160°C − 200°C, process time (5−15 minutes), and solid loading (10% − 50%). The yields of total sugar and reducing sugar rose parallelly to the process conditions. The optimal process parameters for sugar recovery of the cake leftovers were 200°C, 15 minutes, and 50%, yielding a total sugar yield of 0.895 mg/ml and a reducing sugar yield of 0.700 mg/ml. Hydrolysis of the carbohydrates resulted in sucrose, glucose, fructose, galactose, xylose, and mannose. Results from the scanning electron microscope (SEM) demonstrated that at higher temperatures (200℃), the surface of cake leftovers looked to be considerably changed. This study has set the framework for future research into the uses and benefits of subcritical water hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although China's "leftover women" phenomenon has drawn much attention academically in recent years, there is a lack of clarification of the diversity within these largely "demonized" women. This study is particularly interested in the female PhDs in postsocialist China since they are supposed to exemplify women's empowerment but still end up being the common target of patriarchy. Therefore, this study not only examines patterns and implications of Chinese mass media's representation of female PhDs, but also analyzes how media coverage of them has reflected the Chinese authorities' strategic dissemination and consolidation of patriarchal power and ideologies in a postsocialist context intermingled with neoliberalism. In the end, the study discusses China's discursive marginalization and eugenic concerns regarding female PhDs, as well as the causes of the lack of collective negotiation within these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The applicability of a method for simultaneous analysis of Acromelic acids A, B, and Clitidine, which are venomous constituents of Paralepistopsis acromelalga, was assessed for three simulations: tempura, chikuzenni, and soy sauce soup. All components were detectable for all cooking methods. No interfering peak affecting the analysis was observed. The findings indicate that samples of leftover cooked products can be used to ascertain causes of food poisoning by Paralepistopsis acromelalga. Additionally, results showed that most of the toxic components were eluted into the soup broth. This property is useful for rapid screening for Paralepistopsis acromelalga in edible mushrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]