World Scientific Research

Psidium guajava. L Single Plant with Abundant Health Benefits – A Review

Ajanya Saji — 2022-04-14

Guava (Psidium guajava. L) is a tropical fruit that can be grown with minimum attention and belongs to Myrtaceae family. Since ancient times guava and its several parts has been used to treat different ailments. This knowledge has made way to various innovations in nutraceuticals and functional foods which is in demand for a healthy lifestyle. The present review offers a brief overview in which data was searched and collected using precise key terms related to guava plant, seeds, leaves - its health benefits, pharmacological uses, as nutraceuticals and functional foods, toxicity, which were available in public domains and is presented. Currently, scientists are working to develop environmentally acceptable, cost-effective, alternative dyes for clothes and novel products in cosmetic industry using guava leaves. Thus, the present review confers about the different findings from various authors in connection to the importance of guava in different areas of research.

Economic Efficiency of Processed Hibiscus Sabdanriffa (Roselle) Drink in Imo State, Nigeria

Ehirim NC — 2022-06-06

The study developed a model to evaluate efficiencies of Zobo drink processors in Imo State using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Data were collected from 163 Zobo drink processors across 36 markets in the study area and was analyzed under the constant returns to scale (CRTS) and variable returns to scale (VRTS) assumptions. Result showed that Zobo processing was highly profitable with about 44.34% net margin on total revenue generated. Mean economic efficiency scores estimated from the DEA frontier for both CRTS and VRTS were 0.537 and 0.683. Sex, educational level and alternative to income were most statistically significant factors. It was recommended that more male involvements are encouraged in Zobo drink; educated individuals particularly unemployed are advised to engage and create a cliché for themselves through the use of more innovative processing and packaging activities and adopting cost-minimizing input mixes of best-practice to enable them become fully efficient.

Human Rights and International Trade: How does the Trade System Violate Human Rights under the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Hui Wan — 2022-06-08

Under COVID-19, the free trade system, especially the global intellectual property regime, is violating human rights in new ways. In the current fragmented state of international health law and human rights law, intellectual property law under the global trading system is commoditizing COVID-19 vaccines and other essential medicines, prioritizing commercial interests and patent protection over human rights. Although the international human rights system has issued a number of resolutions and reports on this issue, and many international and national organizations have also introduced mechanisms similar to the COVAX plan, the situation of "vaccine apartheid" and the marginalization of the interests of people in poor areas still exists. Therefore, this paper proposes some initial recommendations for better safeguarding of human rights during the COVID-19 outbreak, such as strengthening international cooperation or highlighting the human rights responsibilities of non-state actors, including multinational corporations and NGOs.