Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Impact Yield and Modify Nutritional Parameters in Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.)

Rico, Cyren M.,Lee, Sang Chul,Rubenecia, Rosnah,Mukherjee, Arnab,Hong, Jie,Peralta-Videa, Jose R.,Gardea-Torresdey, Jorge L. American Chemical Society 2014 Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol.62 No.40

<P>The implications of engineered nanomaterials on crop productivity and food quality are not yet well understood. The impact of cerium oxide nanoparticles (<I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB>) on growth and yield attributes and nutritional composition in wheat (<I>Triticum aestivum</I> L.) was examined. Wheat was cultivated to grain production in soil amended with 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg of <I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB>/kg (control, <I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB>-L, <I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB>-M, and <I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB>-H, respectively). At harvest, grains and tissues were analyzed for mineral, fatty acid, and amino acid content. Results showed that, relative to the control, <I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB>-H improved plant growth, shoot biomass, and grain yield by 9.0%, 12.7%, and 36.6%, respectively. Ce accumulation in roots increased at increased <I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB> concentration but did not change across treatments in leaves, hull, and grains, indicating a lack of Ce transport to the above-ground tissues. <I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB> modified S and Mn storage in grains. <I>n</I>CeO<SUB>2</SUB>-L modified the amino acid composition and increased linolenic acid by up to 6.17% but decreased linoleic acid by up to 1.63%, compared to the other treatments. The findings suggest the potential of nanoceria to modify crop physiology and food quality with unknown consequences for living organisms.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/jafcau/2014/jafcau.2014.62.issue-40/jf503526r/production/images/medium/jf-2014-03526r_0002.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/jf503526r'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>

Effects of Biofertilizer on the Quality and Antioxidant Property of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rico, Cyren Mendoza,Bhuiyan, Mohammad Kamrul Islam,Mintah, Lemuel O.,Shin, Dong-Il,Chung, Il-Kyung,Son, Tae-Kwon,Lee, Sang-Chul The Korean Society of Crop Science 2007 Korean journal of crop science Vol.52 No.3

The effect of biofertilizer in enhancing nutrient quality and antioxidant property of rice grain was investigated. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 7 treatments namely : RF = $N-P_2O_5-K_2O(11-5.5-4.8kg\;10a^{-1});$ half of the recommended fertilizer rate, $HRF=N-P_2O_5-K_2O(5.5-2.75-2.4kg\;10a^{-1}):$ HRF+Bio 250=HRF combined with 250 kg Biofertilizer 10 $a^{-1}$; HRF+Bio 500=HRF combined with 500 kg Biofertilizer 10 $a^{-1};$ Bio 250=250 kg Biofertilizer 10 $a^{-1};$ Bio 500=500 kg Biofertilizer 10 $a^{-1};$ and NF=No Fertilizer. Results showed that HRF+Bio 500 obtained a significantly higher protein content but a significantly lower amylose content compared with RF and NF treatments. Highest phytic acid content was recorded in NF treatment while the lowest was observed in HRF+500 treatment. The highest values in both electron donating ability and reducing power were obtained in HRF+Bio 500 treatment. All treatments obtained higher reducing power than that of the RF treatment and that NF treatment showed comparable values in both electron donating ability and reducing power with those of the treated plots. Highest antimutagenicity property was also observed in HRF+Bio 500 treatment followed by Bio 500 treatment. This study showed the possibility of using biofertilizer to enhance nutritional quality and antioxidant property of rice.

BRAND COMPETITIVENESS: A CUSTOMER-BASED PERSPECTIVE

Rico Piehler,Chris Baumann,Gaki Wangmo 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2023 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2023 No.07

In pursuit of competitiveness, brands are critical as they represent valuable intangible assets that contribute to creating and sustaining competitive advantages. The emerging idea of brand competitiveness, defined as a brand’s outperformance of competing brands, represents a promising solution to the problem that existing branding constructs fail to incorporate competition as a relative concept. This article addresses three gaps in the current literature on brand competitiveness. It discusses conceptualizations of the construct, arguing for a customer-based perspective and introducing customer-based brand competitiveness (CBBC). It then explores the construct’s nomological network and suggests CBBC as a mediator of the strategic orientations–performance relationship, thus proposing customer-related and firm-related performance as consequences and several strategic orientations as antecedents. It finally reports on the development of a new measurement scale for brand competitiveness.

Microbiological and Physicochemical Quality of Irradiated Ground Beef as Affected by Added Garlic or Onion

Rico, Catherine W.,Kim, Gui-Ran,Jo, Cheo-Run,Nam, Ki-Chang,Kang, Ho-Jin,Ahn, Dong-Uk,Kwon, Joong-Ho Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resource 2009 한국축산식품학회지 Vol.29 No.6

The effects of garlic and onion on the microbiological and physicochemical properties of irradiated ground beef patties were evaluated. Ground beef was mixed with 0.5%(w/w) minced garlic or 2.5%(w/w) minced onion, vacuum-packed in oxygen-impermeable nylon/PE bags and then electron beam-irradiated at 2.5 kGy. All samples were kept at $4^{\circ}C$ for 8 d. Irradiation resulted in a 2-log CFU/g reduction in both aerobic and coliform bacteria. The microbial counts gradually increased during storage, but those in beef that contained garlic or onion were 1-log CFU/g lower than those of the control samples after 8 d of storage. The pH value decreased during storage in all meat samples, but this decrease was greater in non-irradiated beef than in irradiated beef. The lipid oxidation, volatile basic nitrogen content and Hunter color values of raw patties were generally not affected by irradiation or the addition of garlic and onion. Sensory evaluation of cooked patties showed that the off-odor was less pronounced in samples that contained added garlic or onion than in control samples, and that the overall acceptability of beef formulated with garlic was the highest. Overall, the results of this study indicate that the addition of garlic or onion in combination with irradiation treatment enhanced the microbial quality and improved the sensory quality of irradiated ground beef.

Empirical Analysis of Factors which Generate Voluntary Participation in Selling Centers

Rico SCHWARZKOPF 한국유통과학회 2020 유통과학연구 Vol.18 No.5

Purpose of the research: In response to the increasing number of selling centers, this paper examines factors that influence the voluntary participation in selling centers. The goal of this study is to enable organizations to meet changing market conditions, which require interdisciplinary collaboration during sales projects. This paper also discusses potential problems which may occure during the implementation of these factors in practice. Research design and methodology: The research method consists of a qualitative crosssectional study with N=12 interviewees. All interviewees are current or former selling center participants. During the interview sessions, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were used, which were evaluated using a qualitative content analysis. In addition, a frequency analysis was applied to evaluate the number of mentions per factor. Research results: In total, five factors were raised in order to improve the framework conditions of voluntary participation. These factors are performance incentives, transparency, availability of resources, goal orientation, as well as collegiality and affiliation. Major conclusions: The identified factors are also under discussion in the existing literature. Knowing about factors that generate voluntary participation in selling centers pays off particularly in improving the probability of completion of sales projects in which buying centers and selling centers are working together.

Effects of Mixed Application of Wood Vinegar and Herbicides on Weed Control, Yield and Quality of Rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Rico, Cyren M.,Souvandouane, Souliya,Mintah, Lemuel Ohemeng,Chung, Il-Kyung,Son, Tae-Kwon,Lee, Sang-Chul The Korean Society of Crop Science 2007 한국작물학회지 Vol.52 No.4

The effect of mixed treatments of wood vinegar and sulfonylurea-based herbicides on weed control, yield and yield components, and quality of rice was investigated. Two herbicides were tested namely: imazosulfuron-ethyl+thiobencarb[ethyl-1-(2-chloroimidazo[1,2-$\alpha$]pyridin-3-ylsulfonyl)-3-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl) urea+S-4-chlorobenzyl diethyl(thiocarbamate)], and bensulfuronmethyl+butachlor [methyl $\alpha$-[(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-ylcarbamoyl)sulfamoyl]-o-toluate+N-butoxymethyl-2-chloro-2',6'-diethylacetanilide]. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 5 treatments. Treatments used were recommended(RH: 100%) and half-recommended(HRH: 50%) application rates of each herbicide. Half-recommended application rates were combined with 1 mL wood vinegar $500mL\;water^{-1}$(500) and 1 mL wood vinegar $1000mL\;water^{-1}$(1000) wood vinegar. Plots for no herbicide treatments were also prepared and used as control. Results showed that wood vinegar significantly increased efficacy of HRH in bensulfuron-methyl+butachlor while high efficacy was already obtained in HRH treatment of imazosulfuron-ethyl+thiobencarb. Wood vinegar did not improve the efficacy of imazosulfuron-ethyl+thiobencarb but improved rice yield. Significantly similar rice yields were obtained in the HRH+1000 WV and RH treatments of both herbicides. There were no significant variations in the yield components among the treatments; however, differences in yield can be attributed to the variations in the spikelet number and ripening ratio. Data on rice quality analysis did not show clear trend on the effects of the treatments on grain appearance and nutritional quality.

Effects of Mixed Application of Wood Vinegar and Herbicides on Weed Control, Yield and Quality of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Cyren M. Rico,Souliya Souvandouane,Lemuel Ohemeng Mintah,Il Kyung Chung,Tae Kwon Son,Sang Chul Lee 韓國作物學會 2007 Korean journal of crop science Vol.52 No.4

The effect of mixed treatments of wood vinegar and sulfonylurea-based herbicides on weed control, yield and yield components, and quality of rice was investigated. Two herbicides were tested namely: imazosulfuron-ethyl+thiobencarb[ethyl-1-(2-chloroimidazo[1,2-α ]pyridin-3-ylsulfonyl)-3-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl) urea+S-4-chlorobenzyl diethyl(thiocarbamate)], and bensulfuronmethyl+butachlor [methyl α -[(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-ylcarbamoyl)sulfamoyl]-o-toluate+N-butoxymethyl-2-chloro-2',6'-diethylacetanilide]. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 5 treatments. Treatments used were recommended(RH: 100%) and half-recommended(HRH: 50%) application rates of each herbicide. Half-recommended application rates were combined with 1 mL wood vinegar 500mL~;water-1 (500) and 1 mL wood vinegar 1000mL~;water-1 (1000) wood vinegar. Plots for no herbicide treatments were also prepared and used as control. Results showed that wood vinegar significantly increased efficacy of HRH in bensulfuron-methyl+butachlor while high efficacy was already obtained in HRH treatment of imazosulfuron-ethyl+thiobencarb. Wood vinegar did not improve the efficacy of imazosulfuron-ethyl+thiobencarb but improved rice yield. Significantly similar rice yields were obtained in the HRH+1000 WV and RH treatments of both herbicides. There were no significant variations in the yield components among the treatments; however, differences in yield can be attributed to the variations in the spikelet number and ripening ratio. Data on rice quality analysis did not show clear trend on the effects of the treatments on grain appearance and nutritional quality.

A crop rotation model for Marinduque, Philippines

Emerson R. Rico,Destiny S. Lutero,Allen L. Nazareno,Arnold R. Salvacion 대한공간정보학회 2022 Spatial Information Research Vol.30 No.4

Crop production faces an increasing threat due to anthropogenic activities and natural hazards. Crop rotation is a tool that can address these issues in crop production. This study proposes an optimization model that generates a crop rotation plan using spatiotemporal suitability scores given a set of crops, with an objective to maximize the total suitability of the assignment of crops while satisfying principles of crop rotation such as suitability threshold and crop succession requirements. Biophysical and climatic characteristic data from Marinduque, Philippines, with upland rice, corn, and mungbean as crops, were used to validate the model. The results show that with a minimum suitability threshold of 0.6, an optimal crop rotation plan for one annual cycle included corn and mungbean for one (May to October) and two (June to August, September to November) cropping periods, respectively. Throughout each cropping period, the corn and mungbean will cover 46.64% and 10.33% of the arable land, respectively. Based on the crop rotation plan, corn can be cultivated along the shorelines except in the southeast area of the island, where mungbean is more suitable. The results suggest that other crops should be considered since the current set of crops leaves 43% of the arable land unutilized. This model can be used for any combination of crops and other spatiotemporal suitability factors, allowing it to be applied to different sites and scenarios.

Cholesterol-lowering Action and Antioxidative Effects of Microbial Gum in C57BL/6N Mice Fed a High Fat Diet

Catherine W. Rico,신재호,엄인철,강미영 한국생물공학회 2011 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.16 No.1

The effect of feeding microbial gum on lipid metabolism and antioxidative status in high fat-fed C57BL/6N mice was investigated. The animals were randomly divided and fed with a normal control diet (NC group), a high fat diet (HF group), or a high fat diet supplemented with microbial gum (HFG group) for 7 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, the HF mice exhibited a marked increase in body weight, plasma and hepatic total cholesterol levels, and lipid peroxidation rate. Reduced activities of hepatic lipogenic and antioxidant enzymes were also observed in the HF group relative to that of the NC group. In contrast, feeding microbial gum counteracted the high fat diet-induced body weight gain, hypercholesterolemia,and oxidative stress by regulating antioxidant and lipogenic enzyme activities. These findings illustrate that microbial gum possess cholesterol-lowering action and antioxidant status-improving ability and may be useful for preventing and treating high fat diet-induced obesity and possibly reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases.

Effects of Biofertilizer on the Quality and Antioxidant Property of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Cyen Mendoza Rico,Mohammad Kamrul Islam Bhuiyan,Lemuel O. Mintah,Dong Il Shin,Il Kyung Chung,Tae Kwon Son,Sang Chul Lee 韓國作物學會 2007 Korean journal of crop science Vol.52 No.3

The effect of biofertilizer in enhancing nutrient quality and antioxidant property of rice grain was investigated. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 7 treatments namely : RF = N-P2O5-K2O(11-5.5-4.8kg~;10a-1); half of the recommended fertilizer rate, HRF=N-P2O5-K2O(5.5-2.75-2.4kg~;10a-1): HRF+Bio 250=HRF combined with 250 kg Biofertilizer 10 a-1 ; HRF+Bio 500=HRF combined with 500 kg Biofertilizer 10 a-1; Bio 250=250 kg Biofertilizer 10 a-1; Bio 500=500 kg Biofertilizer 10 a-1; and NF=No Fertilizer. Results showed that HRF+Bio 500 obtained a significantly higher protein content but a significantly lower amylose content compared with RF and NF treatments. Highest phytic acid content was recorded in NF treatment while the lowest was observed in HRF+500 treatment. The highest values in both electron donating ability and reducing power were obtained in HRF+Bio 500 treatment. All treatments obtained higher reducing power than that of the RF treatment and that NF treatment showed comparable values in both electron donating ability and reducing power with those of the treated plots. Highest antimutagenicity property was also observed in HRF+Bio 500 treatment followed by Bio 500 treatment. This study showed the possibility of using biofertilizer to enhance nutritional quality and antioxidant property of rice.