published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

Sustainable development has become a popular trend in today's world with many national governments recognizing the severe environmental damages caused by inappropriate economic development. Cooperating with international organizations, national governments are working together to deal with the global environmental issues. In addition, sustainability has also been identified in the local development. Development strategies at the local level cause a significant change in the improvement of environment conservation, enhancement of life quality and emphasis on the harmony of society. To achieve local sustainability, industries in local communities will be confronted with challenges. This dissertation aims to investigate the relationship between local industry and sustainable city, using a case study of traditional tea industry in Hangzhou city. The research is carried out by surveys and interviews to tea farmers, local government officers and tea researchers. The dissertation shows that the implementation of sustainability in the tea industry at local level is active, but faces challenges of environmental degradation and fake tea. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Flavonoids are a long and well known class of natural products. Their potential health benefits can be attributed to their antioxidant activity, and modulation of cell signaling pathways. Green tea one of the most widely consumed beverages, consist of flavonoids such as catechins and tannins. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) the major catechin of green tea exhibits multiple health benefits due to its antioxidant nature. The radical scavenging activity of EGCG is attributed to its structure. Therefore, a study on molecular features of EGCG would provide valuable information on structural modifications, which may change the physiochemical properties such as bioavailability and solubility. Although flavonoids are abundant and commercially available they are difficult to purify and crystallize. In this respect, crystallizing EGCG was challenging. By exploring different techniques EGCG was crystallized. Here in this study one new form of EGCG and two solvates, acetonitrile and nitrobenzene, have been synthesized and structurally characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared (IR) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The crystal structures were solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and a detailed description of synthesis and about the supramolecular synthons that exist in these crystal forms are given.

WeiChi tea shop is a franchised tea shop in Taiwan which focus on providing high quality Taiwan fresh brewed tea and we will now extend our business to worldwide, aiming for promoting the Taiwan tea to international market. We will import Taiwan tea from cooperated farms to ensure high quality of tea and will local source the suppliers for the toppings in the drinks to save the cost. Our first booth will be located in Jurong East area in Singapore, which is now the interchange of transportation and will attract great amount of customers. The target market is estimated at 12,000 people on monthly basis. Our major differentiator from our competitors will be the high quality tea imported from Taiwan and will be our instant fresh brewery by using special facilities to provide premium beverage. The initial investment and working capital to start the business will be $100,000SGD, which will be funded from the owner’s capital and bank loan.

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

In this thesis we study three basic issues related to international black tea markets: Are black tea markets integrated? Where is the price of black tea discovered? Are there leaders and followers in black tea markets? We use two statistical techniques as engines of analysis. First, we use time series methods to capture regularities in time lags among price series. Second, we use directed acyclic graphs to discover how surprises (innovations) in prices from each market are communicated to other markets in contemporaneous time. Weekly time series data on black tea prices from seven markets around the world are studied using time series methods. The study follows two paths. We study these prices in a common currency, the US dollar. We also study prices in each country's local currency. Results from unit root tests suggest that prices from three Indian markets are not generated through random walk-like behavior. We conclude that the Indian markets are not weak form efficient. However, prices from all non-Indian markets cannot be distinguished from random walk-like behavior. These latter markets are weak form efficient. Further analysis on these latter markets is conducted to determine whether information among the markets is shared. Vector Autoregressions (VARs) on the non-Indian markets are studied using directed acyclic graphs, impulse response functions and forecast error decomposition analyses. In both local currencies and dollar-converted series, the Sri Lankan and Indonesian markets are price leaders in contemporaneous time. Kenya is an information sink. It is endogenous in current time. Malawi is an exogenous price leader in dollar terms, but it is endogenous in local currency in contemporaneous time. In the long run, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malawi are price leaders in US dollar terms. In local currency series, Indonesia, Kenya and Malawi are price leaders in the long run. We use Theil's U-statistic to test the forecasting ability of the VAR models. We find for most markets in either dollars or on local currencies that a random walk forecast outperforms the VAR generated forecasts. This last result suggests the non-Indian markets are both weak form and semi-strong form efficient.

Motivation: A variety of factors including food shortage, poor hygiene and low education levels affects the nutritional status of black women. Women also have a high risk for the development of iron deficiency because they lose iron through menstruation, the birth process and a low intake of iron containing foods. All of these factors contribute to an increased risk for the development of iron deficiency anaemia in women. Objectives: The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the association between tea consumption and iron status of African females in the North West Province. To reach this purpose the specific aims were to (1) assess the iron status of women, (2) determine tea intake, and (3) determine the relationship between tea consumption and iron status, taking into account inhibiting and enhancing factors of iron absorption. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of apparently healthy females was taken from five different strata of urbanisation. The subjects were then further divided into two groups, namely younger women (younger than 45.9 years) and older women (older than 46 years). A sample of 920 subjects was used. Data were obtained from dietary, demographic and additional questionnaires, as well as from the taking of blood samples. This study was a sub-study of the THUSA study. Results: A total of 920 subjects participated of which 69.24% were younger women and 30.76% were older women. Due to missing data, the number of subjects for each parameter differed. The mean serum ferritin as well as haemoglobin concentrations were within normal ranges for both groups. The mean dietary iron intake for both groups was below recommendations. No significant correlations were found between serum ferritin or haemoglobin and total tea intake as well as a variety of other dietary factors. The low haemoglobin concentration group of the younger and older women combined had a slightly higher intake of animal protein and ascorbic acid than the high haemoglobin concentration group. On the other hand, the high serum ferritin concentration group had a significantly higher intake of animal protein than the low serum ferritin concentration group. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that tea does not have an inhibitory effect on the iron status of the female population of the North West Province. However, the investigation of other studies conducted on the same topic had mixed results. Two of seven studies investigated and this study indicated that tea had no inhibitory effect on iron absorption. These two studies, as well as this study were not done in a controlled environment where certain factors can be controlled for, for example, time of tea intake and milk consumption with tea. The other five studies were, however, conducted in an environment where subjects were given test meals, time of tea consumption was regulated and milk consumption with tea was recorded. The conclusion can, therefore, be made that further studies on the South African population in a controlled environment are necessary to give accurate recommendations to the population. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The 2010 freshman class bears an uncanny resemble to their idealistic counterparts from 1994. Their campaign rhetoric, motivations and beliefs are almost interchangeable. The triumphs and especially frustrations and failures of their first terms also bear stark similarities. Most critically, the freshmen's conservative agenda suffered a disappointing electoral rebuke in their first elections as incumbents. Both the 1996 and 2012 presidential year congressional elections halted the respective momentum of the Republican Revolution and the Tea Party. The lessons of the 104th Congress offer many lessons to the freshmen of the 112th, namely that ideological "revolutions" in America (in this case, those of a conservative nature) struggle to deal with the challenges of governing. This thesis will examine and compare the rhetoric and motivations of the freshmen during their initial campaigns, and the triumphs and tribulations of their first terms in a city that is resistant to sudden and sweeping changes. The title of this work, "Taking Back America," reflects the sense of urgency and gravitas that spiritually united both classes of freshmen. The personal observations recorded in Linda Killian‘s The Freshman (1998) and Robert Draper‘s When the Tea Party Came to Town (2012) form the foundation of this examination, which focuses entirely on the U.S. House of Representatives.

Motivation: A variety of factors including food shortage, poor hygiene and low education levels affects the nutritional status of black women. Women also have a high risk for the development of iron deficiency because they lose iron through menstruation, the birth process and a low intake of iron containing foods. All of these factors contribute to an increased risk for the development of iron deficiency anaemia in women. Objectives: The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the association between tea consumption and iron status of African females in the North West Province. To reach this purpose the specific aims were to (1) assess the iron status of women, (2) determine tea intake, and (3) determine the relationship between tea consumption and iron status, taking into account inhibiting and enhancing factors of iron absorption. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of apparently healthy females was taken from five different strata of urbanisation. The subjects were then further divided into two groups, namely younger women (younger than 45.9 years) and older women (older than 46 years). A sample of 920 subjects was used. Data were obtained from dietary, demographic and additional questionnaires, as well as from the taking of blood samples. This study was a sub-study of the THUSA study. Results: A total of 920 subjects participated of which 69.24% were younger women and 30.76% were older women. Due to missing data, the number of subjects for each parameter differed. The mean serum ferritin as well as haemoglobin concentrations were within normal ranges for both groups. The mean dietary iron intake for both groups was below recommendations. No significant correlations were found between serum ferritin or haemoglobin and total tea intake as well as a variety of other dietary factors. The low haemoglobin concentration group of the younger and older women combined had a slightly higher intake of animal protein and ascorbic acid than the high haemoglobin concentration group. On the other hand, the high serum ferritin concentration group had a significantly higher intake of animal protein than the low serum ferritin concentration group. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that tea does not have an inhibitory effect on the iron status of the female population of the North West Province. However, the investigation of other studies conducted on the same topic had mixed results. Two of seven studies investigated and this study indicated that tea had no inhibitory effect on iron absorption. These two studies, as well as this study were not done in a controlled environment where certain factors can be controlled for, for example, time of tea intake and milk consumption with tea. The other five studies were, however, conducted in an environment where subjects were given test meals, time of tea consumption was regulated and milk consumption with tea was recorded. The conclusion can, therefore, be made that further studies on the South African population in a controlled environment are necessary to give accurate recommendations to the population. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.