title: Hydrolysed protein as a renewable plasticiser for renewable materials

authors: Suratkar, Tanvi

subjects: renewable

abstract: Novatein Thermoplastic (NTP) is a bloodmeal based plastic developed by the University of Waikato by mixing bloodmeal (by-product of slaughterhouses) with water, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium sulfite and urea, and plasticiser so it can be extruded and injection moulded. The aim of this research was to produce a low molecular weight bloodmeal with low salt content to replace tri-ethylene glycol as a plasticiser for NTP.

Bloodmeal was hydrolysed using alcalase, enzyme mixture of chymotrypsin and trypsin, and papain which was later ultrafiltered to obtain low molecular weight peptides of 5 -12 kDa. All the three enzymes provided low degree of hydrolysis while chymotrypsin/trypsin provided high yield of 65% followed by alcalase with 45% yield and papain with 23% yield. The amount of enzyme, bloodmeal concentration and pH governed the rate of hydrolysis. By ultrafiltering the hydrolysate, a low salt content was achieved.

Large scale hydrolysis was carried out to produce hydrolysate for addition in NTP as a substitute for triethylene glycol. The hydrolysate was ultrafiltered to produce peptides of low molecular weight (less than 10 kDa) in permeate and retentate. Extrusion of mixtures with hydrolysate produced extrudates with lower specific mechanical energy than standard NTP, and the extrudate had a good appearance visually.  Tensile strength, impact strength, secant modulus, energy at break, and glass transition temperature, and thermal stability generally decreased with increasing the amount of hydrolysate added. A similar trend was observed for its impact strength but overall, the impact strength improved.

text: Hydrolysed protein as a renewable plasticiser for renewable materials Novatein Thermoplastic (NTP) is a bloodmeal based plastic developed by the University of Waikato by mixing bloodmeal (by-product of slaughterhouses) with water, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium sulfite and urea, and plasticiser so it can be extruded and injection moulded. The aim of this research was to produce a low molecular weight bloodmeal with low salt content to replace tri-ethylene glycol as a plasticiser for NTP.

Bloodmeal was hydrolysed using alcalase, enzyme mixture of chymotrypsin and trypsin, and papain which was later ultrafiltered to obtain low molecular weight peptides of 5 -12 kDa. All the three enzymes provided low degree of hydrolysis while chymotrypsin/trypsin provided high yield of 65% followed by alcalase with 45% yield and papain with 23% yield. The amount of enzyme, bloodmeal concentration and pH governed the rate of hydrolysis. By ultrafiltering the hydrolysate, a low salt content was achieved.

Large scale hydrolysis was carried out to produce hydrolysate for addition in NTP as a substitute for triethylene glycol. The hydrolysate was ultrafiltered to produce peptides of low molecular weight (less than 10 kDa) in permeate and retentate. Extrusion of mixtures with hydrolysate produced extrudates with lower specific mechanical energy than standard NTP, and the extrudate had a good appearance visually.  Tensile strength, impact strength, secant modulus, energy at break, and glass transition temperature, and thermal stability generally decreased with increasing the amount of hydrolysate added. A similar trend was observed for its impact strength but overall, the impact strength improved.

year: 2016

title: Secure and defensive forms of national identity and public support for climate policies

authors: Cislak, Aleksandra

abstract: The European Union currently aims to achieve fossil fuels independence and to become the first climate-neutral continent by endorsing the Green Deal policy agenda. In this work, we focus on the role of secure and defensive forms of national identity in shaping citizens’ readiness to support versus oppose public policies aimed at climate neutrality and support for sources of energy perceived as traditional and non-traditional. Namely, we distinguish between national narcissism, which is a belief that one’s national group is exceptional and deserves external recognition underlain by unsatisfied psychological needs, and secure national identification, which reflects feelings of strong bonds and solidarity with one’s ingroup members, and sense of satisfaction in group membership. We hypothesize that in contrast to secure national identification, national narcissism, due to its motivational underpinnings, is related negatively to support for climate-change mitigating solutions. In Study 1 (N = 1134), we show that while secure national identity is positively related to support for developing renewable sources of energy and the Green Deal policy agenda, national narcissism is positively related to support for fossil fuel energy (and vice versa). In Study 2 (N = 1016), we found that allocating funds for reinforcing the green image of a country goes hand in hand with the support for policies aimed at mitigating climate change among those high in national narcissism. We put these findings in perspective by discussing the role of national narratives around the traditional sources of energy in shaping support for climate change mitigating policies.

text: Secure and defensive forms of national identity and public support for climate policies The European Union currently aims to achieve fossil fuels independence and to become the first climate-neutral continent by endorsing the Green Deal policy agenda. In this work, we focus on the role of secure and defensive forms of national identity in shaping citizens’ readiness to support versus oppose public policies aimed at climate neutrality and support for sources of energy perceived as traditional and non-traditional. Namely, we distinguish between national narcissism, which is a belief that one’s national group is exceptional and deserves external recognition underlain by unsatisfied psychological needs, and secure national identification, which reflects feelings of strong bonds and solidarity with one’s ingroup members, and sense of satisfaction in group membership. We hypothesize that in contrast to secure national identification, national narcissism, due to its motivational underpinnings, is related negatively to support for climate-change mitigating solutions. In Study 1 (N = 1134), we show that while secure national identity is positively related to support for developing renewable sources of energy and the Green Deal policy agenda, national narcissism is positively related to support for fossil fuel energy (and vice versa). In Study 2 (N = 1016), we found that allocating funds for reinforcing the green image of a country goes hand in hand with the support for policies aimed at mitigating climate change among those high in national narcissism. We put these findings in perspective by discussing the role of national narratives around the traditional sources of energy in shaping support for climate change mitigating policies.

year: 2023

title: Co-constructions of gender and ethnicity in New Zealand television advertising

authors: Michelle, Carolyn

subjects: television advertising

abstract: This paper reports key findings from a content analysis of gender and ethnic depictions in a sample of 2,120 New Zealand prime-time television advertisements screened in 2006. The study explored the following questions: With what product categories are male and female White, Māori/Pasifika and Asian characters most commonly associated? What are the most common occupational roles of male and female White, Māori/Pasifika and Asian characters? The results reveal highly stereotypical depictions of women and men within each ethnic category. White men dominated advertisements for foodstuffs, telecommunications and financial/corporate/legal services and were over-represented as professionals/white collar workers, while White women were over-represented in advertisements for household products, personal products, and medical products and featured predominantly as homemakers. Māori/Pasifika men were over-represented as athletes and service and sales workers. Non-White women featured prominently within multi-ethnic groups in advertisements for personal grooming products and most frequently featured as glamour models, while non-White men were over-represented as blue collar workers. Largely absent were Māori/Pasifika women and Asians of both genders, potentially exacerbating the multiple axes of subordination encountered by these groups in the New Zealand context.

text: Co-constructions of gender and ethnicity in New Zealand television advertising This paper reports key findings from a content analysis of gender and ethnic depictions in a sample of 2,120 New Zealand prime-time television advertisements screened in 2006. The study explored the following questions: With what product categories are male and female White, Māori/Pasifika and Asian characters most commonly associated? What are the most common occupational roles of male and female White, Māori/Pasifika and Asian characters? The results reveal highly stereotypical depictions of women and men within each ethnic category. White men dominated advertisements for foodstuffs, telecommunications and financial/corporate/legal services and were over-represented as professionals/white collar workers, while White women were over-represented in advertisements for household products, personal products, and medical products and featured predominantly as homemakers. Māori/Pasifika men were over-represented as athletes and service and sales workers. Non-White women featured prominently within multi-ethnic groups in advertisements for personal grooming products and most frequently featured as glamour models, while non-White men were over-represented as blue collar workers. Largely absent were Māori/Pasifika women and Asians of both genders, potentially exacerbating the multiple axes of subordination encountered by these groups in the New Zealand context.

year: 2011