ABSTRACT
Tea is one of the most popular and oldest beverages available in many varieties and the use of different flavoring ingredients is becoming more common. The present study aimed to examine tea consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzed the bioactive compounds of tea flavoring ingredients. At first, a cross-sectional study was carried out with 140 randomly selected participants to determine tea consumption patterns and data was collected through face-to-face interviews. Then 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, the Folin-Ciocalteu technique, and the quercetin method were used to assess antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) of tea flavoring ingredients. The study found that 57.86% of the participants increased their tea consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas 22.80% increased their tea consumption by at least one more cup per day. It was also found that ginger was the most popular (29.5%) among fifteen tea flavoring agents. By analyzing tea flavoring ingredients, the maximum antioxidant activity found in cinnamon was 87%, and lemon leaves had the lowest, which was 60%. On a dry weight basis, the TPC of the tea flavoring components ranged from 36.52 mg GAE/g for cloves to 9.62 mg GAE/g for ginger. The maximum TFC was also found in clove with 13.68 mg QE/g, and moringa was the second highest with 12.26 mg GAE/g. The antioxidant activity of flavoring compounds has a significant correlation (p<0.05) with TPC and TFC. Overall, tea consumption behavior with tea flavoring ingredients increased during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Tea with flavoring ingredients may be one of the best dietary sources of antioxidants, TPC, and TFC which are important for strengthening the immune system and controlling different physiological and metabolic disorders. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Enviro Research Publishers.
ABSTRACT
The spread of the coronavirus has been the focus the world's attention. The government has issued a new regulation on the coronavirus that obligates the entire community to always wear a face mask and implement social distancing to prevent the spread of viruses. These issues have been impacted by an increase in the use of face masks throughout the world and in Indonesia. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested using medical face masks. Furthermore, in the health care sector, the possible loading of pathogens in sub-micrometer sizes and properties such as splash resistance and the ability to prevent infection by reducing the concentration of inhaled particulates has created limitations on the types of face masks that can be used. Therefore it is necessary to design a face mask sterilizer device that can extend the life span of masks, thereby decreasing the masks consumption. An investigation on mask sterilizer devices based on heat pipes and thermoelectrics was conducted in this study. The objective of this study was to investigate the thermal performance of the mask sterilizer device. The method used was an experimental method using variations in the input voltage on the thermoelectric, namely 9 V, 10 V, and 11 V, and the microcontroller was also adjusted to control the temperature by 70 ℃, 80 ℃, and 90 ℃. The results showed that the thermoelectrics can generate heat with a temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side that can reach 80.11 ℃. In terms of voltage, the greater voltage that was given led to a greater resulting temperature of the sterilization device and reduced the amount of time to achieve the minimum sterilization temperature. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the technology usage behaviour of the tourists in line with the modified unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from a survey of 265 tourists using the random sampling technique. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyze the data. Findings: The findings revealed that performance expectancy, hedonic motivation and habit significantly influence the behavioural intention of tourists to use information and communication technology (ICT), while effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions do not have a significant influence. However, actual ICT usage behaviour largely depends on the behavioural intention of the tourists, and their habits, while the facilitating conditions do not have any influence in this case. Practical implications: The findings uncover the core factors influencing tourists' actual ICT use behaviour that can assist the concerned stakeholders in designing tourism planning and sales. The study results also offer pathways for the world's tourism industry for a healthy recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value: The findings have made robust contributions by extending the existing UTAUT-based literature by adding two new moderators in the relationship between behavioural intention and actual ICT usage behaviour. © 2022, Md Borak Ali, Rahat Tuhin, Md Abdul Alim, Md Rokonuzzaman, Sheikh Matiur Rahman and Md Nuruzzaman.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus-19 has affected carbon emissions, which was declared as a pandemic by World Health Organization. Unprecedented environmental effects are being caused by Bangladesh's strict lockdown policies, which were implemented to stop the spread of Coronavirus-19. However, it is still unclear how the temporary halting and restart of industrial and commercial activities will affect the environment. In this study, it has been identified how Coronavirus-19 determinants like lockdown, daily confirmed cases, and daily confirmed deaths affect greenhouse gases. METHODS: From March 18, 2020 to February 4, 2022 the data series is used for Bangladesh. To ensure that the data series were stationary, the Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron tests were utilized. Johansen co-integration test was utilized to determine co-integration among variables. The Granger causality test was utilized to identify directional causes and effects between Coronavirus-19 determinants and carbon emissions and the Vector Error Correction Model was employed to determine short-run and long run connections. FINDINGS: The study finds a bidirectional relationship between lockdown, carbon emissions and daily confirmed deaths, while a unidirectional association exists among Coronavirus-19 confirmed cases according to the Vector Error Correction Model. The Granger causality test also established the relationship between variables, except for daily confirmed cases. The pandemic's onset and subsequent lockdown resulted in decreased carbon dioxide emissions. The short-run link of carbon dioxide emissions with newly confirmed cases was corroborated by the directional relationship of variables, whereas there was a long-term and short-term association between confirmed deaths and lockdown. CONCLUSION: The reduction in carbon emissions during the pandemic will not be long-lasting because it is anticipated that global economic activity will gradually return to the preCoronavirus-19 state. The directional and relational nature of lockdown offers the potential to connect carbon dioxide emissions to regular lives. During a lockdown, there is a connection between the atmosphere's changes and how natural organisms behave. Importantly, there is a room for investigation into how communities of organisms and the atmosphere would function without humans. The essential point is to stress that during the lockdown, the ecosystem is self-healing. Environmental activists and business people will find this study useful in developing future sustainable improvement strategies.