The Productive and Non-(Re) productive Women

Sites of Economic Growth in Ma 숙명여자대학교 아시아여성연구원 2010 Asian Women Vol.26 No.2

This paper is a critical revisit of the New Economic Policy and the New Population Policy of Malaysia. It attempts to inspect how a woman’s body (fertility) and her labor has been the site or location from which the economic growth of the country was dependent on but has never been recognized. The paper examines women’s contribution in the economy and their contribution to the economic growth of Malaysia. These contributions and changes were plotted against the changes in the policy domain with a focus on the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the New Population Policy (NPP) to see if there was any relationship between them. The paper also discusses that women have not always responded in line with policy calls especially in relation to their fertility but they have contributed significantly in the structural changes of the Malaysian economy. These responses are examined as a form of gender struggle within a fragmented and contradictory policy domain and within the context of very little gender equity/equality concerns in society and the policy domain. How these responses contributed in real terms to economic development and the overall growth of the country but with insignificant distributive effect for women contrary to the New Economic Policy’s claim is critically analyzed in this paper.

Dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma inhibits Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Tulane virus in Romaine lettuce

Min, S.C.,Roh, S.H.,Niemira, B.A.,Sites, J.E.,Boyd, G.,Lacombe, A. Elsevier Science Publishers 2016 International journal of food microbiology Vol.237 No.-

<P>The present study investigated the effects of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) treatment on the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Tulane virus (TV) on Romaine lettuce, assessing the influences of moisture vaporization, modified atmospheric packaging (MAP), and post-treatment storage on the inactivation of these pathogens. Romaine lettuce was inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, L. monocytogenes (similar to 6 log CFU/g lettuce), or TV (similar to 2 log PFU/g lettuce) and packaged in either a Petri dish (diameter: 150 mm, height: 15 mm) or a Nylon/polyethylene pouch (152 x 254 mm) with and without moisture vaporization. Additionally, a subset of pouch-packaged leaves was flushed with O-2 at 5% or 10% (balance N-2). All of the packaged lettuce samples were treated with DACP at 34.8 kV for 5 min and then analyzed either immediately or following post-treatment storage for 24 h at 4 degrees C to assess the inhibition of microorganisms. DACP treatment inhibited E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, and TV by 1.1 +/- 0.4, 0.4 +/- 03, 1.0 +/- 0.5 log CFU/g, and 13 +/- 0.1 log PFU/g, respectively, without environmental modifications of moisture or gas in the packages. The inhibition of the bacteria was not significantly affected by packaging type or moisture vaporization (p > 0.05) but a reduced-oxygen MAP gas composition attenuated the inhibition rates of E. coli O157:H7 and TV. L. monocytogenes continued to decline by an additional 0.6 log CFU/g in post-treatment cold storage for 24 h. Additionally, both rigid and flexible conventional plastic packages appear to be suitable for the in-package decontamination of lettuce with DACP. Published by Elsevier B.V.</P>

In-package atmospheric cold plasma treatment of bulk grape tomatoes for microbiological safety and preservation

Min, Sea C.,Roh, Si Hyeon,Niemira, Brendan A.,Boyd, Glenn,Sites, Joseph E.,Fan, Xuetong,Sokorai, Kimberly,Jin, Tony Z. Elsevier 2018 Food Research International Vol.108 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Effects of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) treatment on the inactivation of <I>Salmonella</I> and the storability of grape tomato were investigated. Grape tomatoes, with or without inoculation with <I>Salmonella</I>, were packaged in a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) commercial clamshell container and cold plasma-treated at 35 kV at 1.1 A for 3 min using a DACP system equipped with a pin-type high-voltage electrode. DACP treatment inactivated <I>Salmonella</I> (<I>p</I> < 0.05) without altering the color or firmness of the grape tomatoes (<I>p</I> > 0.05). DACP treatment inactivated <I>Salmonella</I> uniformly in both layers of the double-layer configuration of the grape tomatoes regardless of the position of the tomatoes in each layer. <I>Salmonella</I> was most efficiently inactivated when the headspace to tomato volume ratio of the container was highest. Integration of rolling of tomatoes during treatment significantly increased the <I>Salmonella</I> reduction rates from 0.9 ± 0.2 log CFU/tomato to 3.3 ± 0.5 log CFU/tomato in the double-layer configuration of the tomato samples. Rolling-integrated DACP also initially reduced the number of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria and yeast and molds in the double-layer configuration of tomato samples by 1.3 ± 0.3 and 1.5 ± 0.2 log CFU/tomato, respectively. DACP treatment effectively reduced the growth of <I>Salmonella</I> and indigenous microorganisms at 10 and 25 °C, and did not influence the surface color, firmness, weight loss, lycopene concentration and residual ascorbic acid of grape tomatoes during storage at 10 and 25 °C. DACP treatment holds promise as a post-packaging process for improving microbial safety against <I>Salmonella</I> and storability of fresh grape tomatoes.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Atmospheric cold plasma treatment (ACPT) inactivates <I>Salmonella</I> on grape tomatoes. </LI> <LI> A higher container headspace to tomato volume ratio results in higher inactivation. </LI> <LI> Inactivation is uniform with tomatoes in a 2-layer configuration in the container. </LI> <LI> Rolling of samples during ACPT increases <I>Salmonella</I> reduction rates. </LI> <LI> ACPT inhibits microbial growth during storage without affecting quality. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Aerobic Microorganisms in Romaine Lettuce Packaged in a Commercial Polyethylene Terephthalate Container Using Atmospheric Cold Plasma

MIN, SEA C.,ROH, SI HYEON,BOYD, GLENN,SITES, JOSEPH E.,UKNALIS, JOSEPH,FAN, XUETONG,NIEMIRA, BRENDAN A. ational Association for Food Protection 2017 Journal of food protection Vol.80 No.1

<B>ABSTRACT</B><P>The effects of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) treatment on the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and aerobic microorganisms in romaine lettuce packaged in a conventional commercial plastic container were evaluated during storage at 4°C for 7 days. Effects investigated included the color, carbon dioxide (CO2) generation, weight loss, and surface morphology of the lettuce during storage. Romaine lettuce pieces, with or without inoculation with a cocktail of three strains of E. coli O157:H7 (~6 log CFU/g of lettuce), were packaged in a polyethylene terephthalate commercial clamshell container and treated at 34.8 kV at 1.1 kHz for 5 min by using a DACP treatment system equipped with a pin-type high-voltage electrode. Romaine lettuce samples were analyzed for inactivation of E. coli O157:H7, total mesophilic aerobes, and yeasts and molds, color, CO2 generation, weight loss, and surface morphology during storage at 4°C for 7 days. The DACP treatment reduced the initial counts of E. coli O157:H7 and total aerobic microorganisms by ~1 log CFU/g, with negligible temperature change from 24.5 ± 1.4°C to 26.6 ± 1.7°C. The reductions in the numbers of E. coli O157:H7, total mesophilic aerobes, and yeasts and molds during storage were 0.8 to 1.5, 0.7 to 1.9, and 0.9 to 1.7 log CFU/g, respectively. DACP treatment, however, did not significantly affect the color, CO2 generation, weight, and surface morphology of lettuce during storage (P &gt; 0.05). Some mesophilic aerobic bacteria were sublethally injured by DACP treatment. The results from this study demonstrate the potential of applying DACP as a postpackaging treatment to decontaminate lettuce contained in conventional plastic packages without altering color and leaf respiration during posttreatment cold storage.</P>

In-package inhibition of <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7 on bulk Romaine lettuce using cold plasma

Min, Sea C.,Roh, Si Hyeon,Niemira, Brendan A.,Boyd, Glenn,Sites, Joseph E.,Uknalis, Joseph,Fan, Xuetong Elsevier 2017 Food microbiology Vol.65 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) treatment was evaluated for the inactivation of <I>Escherichia coli</I> O157:H7, surface morphology, color, carbon dioxide generation, and weight loss of bulk Romaine lettuce in a commercial plastic clamshell container. The lettuce samples were packed in a model bulk packaging configuration (three rows with either 1, 3, 5, or 7 layers) in the container and treated by DACP (42.6 kV, 10 min). DACP treatment reduced the number of <I>E. coli</I> O157:H7 in the leaf samples in the 1-, 3-, and 5-layer configurations by 0.4–0.8 log CFU/g lettuce, with no significant correlation to the sample location (<I>P</I> > 0.05). In the largest bulk stacking with 7 layers, a greater degree of reduction (1.1 log CFU/g lettuce) was observed at the top layer, but shaking the container increased the uniformity of the inhibition. DACP did not significantly change the surface morphology, color, respiration rate, or weight loss of the samples, nor did these properties differ significantly according to their location in the bulk stack. DACP treatment inhibited <I>E. coli</I> O157:H7 on bulk lettuce in clamshell containers in a uniform manner, without affecting the physical and biological properties and thus holds promise as a post-packaging process for fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Dielectric barrier atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) was applied to <I>E. coli</I> O157:H7. </LI> <LI> DACP inhibited <I>E. coli</I> O157:H7 on bulk lettuce layered in a commercial container. </LI> <LI> DACP uniformly inhibited the pathogen on 3- and 5-layer cut lettuce. </LI> <LI> Shaking container ensured inhibition uniformity in the 7-layer lettuce sample. </LI> <LI> Sensory and metabolic properties of the bulk lettuce were unaffected by DACP. </LI> </UL> </P>

Balloon series works

SITING LIU 한국색채학회 2023 International Invitation Exhibition of Color Works Vol.- No.-

Polymer nanofiber network reinforced gold electrode array for neural activity recording

Siting Yang,Ke Xu,Shouliang Guan,Liang Zou,Lei Gao,Jinfen Wang,Huihui Tian,Hui Li,Ying Fang,Hongbian Li 대한의용생체공학회 2023 Biomedical Engineering Letters (BMEL) Vol.13 No.2

Flexible and stretchable neural electrodes are promising tools for high-fidelity interfacing with soft and curvilinear brainsurface. Here, we describe a flexible and stretchable neural electrode array that consists of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibernetwork reinforced gold (Au) film electrodes. Under stretching, the interweaving PAN nanofibers effectively terminate theformation of propagating cracks in the Au films and thus enable the formation of a dynamically stable electrode-tissue interface. Moreover, the PAN nanofibers increase the surface roughness and active surface areas of the Au electrodes, leading toreduced electrochemical impedance and improved signal-to-noise ratio. As a result, PAN nanofiber network reinforced Auelectrode arrays can allow for reliable in vivo multichannel recording of epileptiform activities in rats.

Overexpression of the intertidal seagrass 14-3-3 gene ZjGRF1 enhances the tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis to salt and osmotic stress

Chen Siting,Qiu Guanglong 한국식물생명공학회 2022 Plant biotechnology reports Vol.16 No.6

Salinity afects the physiological activities of seagrass by changing the osmotic pressure of seagrass cells, which then afects the structure and function of seagrass community. In this study, we created transgenic Arabidopsis that overexpressed the ZjGRF1 gene from the intertidal seagrass Zostera japonica. We found that transgenic ZjGRF1 Arabidopsis has stronger tolerance to salt stress and osmotic stress than wild type. Under salt stress, the content of reactive oxygen species in transgenic ZjGRF1 Arabidopsis was lower than that in wild-type Arabidopsis. The viability of root cells in transgenic ZjGRF1 Arabidopsis was higher than that of wild type under salt stress. Under salt stress, transgenic ZjGRF1 Arabidopsis accumulated more proline and had higher antioxidant enzyme activities. The rate of water loss rate from overexpressed plants was lower than that of the wild-type plants. The resistance of overexpressed plants to osmotic stress may be enhanced by the ABA-dependent pathway. Our results confrm that ZjGRF1 enhances tolerance to salt and osmotic stress in Z. japonica.

Overexpression of the intertidal seagrass J protein ZjDjB1 enhances tolerance to chilling injury

Chen Siting,Qiu Guanglong 한국식물생명공학회 2022 Plant biotechnology reports Vol.16 No.4

DnaJ proteins act as molecular chaperones to maintain protein homeostasis under stress. However, their role in seagrass remains largely unidentified. We found that the expression of ZjDjB1, a class II J gene of Zostera japonica, was up-regulated under low-temperature stress. Therefore, we cloned ZjDjB1 from Z. japonica, a typical intertidal seagrass. The role of nuclear and cytoplasmic-targeted DnaJ protein (ZjDjB1) in Z. japonica was studied. Under low-temperature stress, the rates of ger- mination and survival of overexpressed Arabidopsis thaliana were higher than those of the wild-type (WT); the root length was longer; the detached leaves were more tolerant to low temperature, and the chlorophyll content of leaves, relative water content and dry weight of shoot were higher. Overexpressed plants accumulated more osmotic protective substances under low-temperature stress, and the antioxidant enzyme activity of overexpressed plants was higher than that of the WT plants. Under low-temperature stress, overexpressed plants accumulated fewer reactive oxygen species. The root cell viability of overexpressed plants was higher than that of WT under low-temperature stress, and there was minimal membrane damage in the overexpressed plants. Furthermore, the level of expression of CBF1 and CBF target genes, including KIN1 and COR15B, was higher in overexpressed plants than that in the WT plants when subjected to low temperature. These results indicate that ZjDjB1 plays an important role in plant resistance to injury under low-temperature stress.

Nonparametric Identification of Linear Dynamic Output-errors Systems

Qing Sun,Siting Zou,Dajun Du,Minrui Fei 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2022 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.20 No.12

This paper deals with the nonparametric identification of linear dynamic systems within an output-error framework. In the system, the input is an arbitrate signal cover a broad enough frequency band, while the output is disturbed by a filtered white noise with unknown variance. Since the full maximum likelihood method used in the frequency domain causes calculation complexity, this paper develops a nonparametric method to cope with the complexity. According to the property that the frequency response function and the system leakage term can be locally approximated very well via a low-order degree polynomial, a frequency domain estimator is developed, which can obtain the estimates for the frequency response function and the output noise variance. Finally, the parameters identification results for one real model can validate the effectiveness of the new proposed nonparametric method.