article – asiatic insights

Invisible Chains: The Global Crisis of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery

Brian Tran

Today, over 40 million people around the world are victims of modern slavery. This is more than at any other time in human history. Despite being illegal in almost every country, human trafficking and modern slavery continue to expand, often hidden in plain sight. These crimes involve the act of people exploitation through fraud, force or coercion, whether for forced labor, sexual exploitation, or domestic servitude. This issue impacts on nearly every country in the world and targets the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, and migrants.

Human trafficking is the illegal trade of people, often involving transportation across borders, but it can also take place within the entire country. Victims are often offered with lucrative benefits like promised jobs, education, or simply a better life, only to be exploited once they are under the control of traffickers. Modern slavery is a broader term that includes trafficking but also covers forced marriage, child labor, and other forms of exploitation that involve control and abuse.

There are several roots that contributes to this global spread issue. One of the most significant ones is poverty. When people lack opportunities, education, or protection, they are more vulnerable to be lured into trafficking schemes. Gender inequality is also a key factor in which women and girls make about 71% of all trafficking cases worldwide. They often be exploited as sexual tools. Armed conflict, political instability, and refugee crises have also increased trafficking, as displaced people become easy targets. Meanwhile, in many regions with corrupt officials and weak legal system, this act is allowed to act with impunity.

Modern slavery is also associated with many forms. Forced labor is one of the most common, where people are made to work in factories, farms, or construction sites, often under inhuman conditions with such a little pay or even zero pay. Sex trafficking is also another widespread form which involves forcing individuals (often women and girls) into prostitution, pornography, or exploitation of sex work. Children are also victims. They are trafficked for labor, begging, or even forced into conflict as child soldiers. All these crimes are just to earn money based on blood and the suffering of others. In some cases, domestic workers are trafficked into homes where they are abused and taken over basic human rights.

In response to these staggering crimes, many governments and organizations have begun to respond to this crisis. The United Nations has included the goal to end modern slavery by 2030 in its Sustainable Development Goals. Several countries like UK, France, Germany, or Benin have passed stronger anti trafficking laws and established rescue and rehabilitation programs to support survivors. However, progress remains slow. Fewer than 1% of victims are ever rescued, and traffickers often operate across borders, making prosecution more difficult.

So, what could we do to reduce this problem? We must raise the public awareness about this issue. It could be education campaigns in schools, communities, and online to help people understand the signs of trafficking and how to prevent it; or law enforcement must be trained and resourced to go after traffickers and protect the survivors. In addition, we must also demand more ethical business practices in which companies must ensure their supply chains are free of forced labor. Finally, empowering at risk populations with education, job opportunities, legal protection is key to break the cycle.

Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery – more cruel, illegal and often invisible. But it is not unstoppable. By working together as individuals, communities, and nations, we can fight back against this injustice and give freedom and dignity back to millions who deserve to have it but have been denied both for far too long.

Feasibility Testing of a Glass Microsphere-Based Lactase Immobilization System for Domestic Use

Feasibility Testing of a Glass Microsphere-Based Lactase Immobilization System for Domestic Use

Guochen Dong, Yuanzhao Pan

Introduction

Lactose intolerance is a syndrome that describes people who have several symptoms when they uptake products that have lactose, a kind of disaccharide that can be broken into one molecule of glucose and one molecule of galactose. This is normally done by a kind of enzyme called lactase. Many people, however, have defficient lactase, which means that they can’t normally break down lactose when they intake diary products, especially milk.(Malik and Panuganti, 2023) Having milk can lead to a wide range of symptoms including some common ones like nausea and diarrhea(Chevalier told me). This may pose a big threat to human nutrition because milk plays a crucial part in a healthy diet by providing proteins, and Lactose introlerance is prevalent in Asia.(Vandenplas 2015) According to worldpopulationreview.com, in 2024 there are about 85% of Chinese people who suffer from lactose intolerance.

Recently there are already commercial applications of using lactase for lactose intolerant people, such as directly producing lactose-free milk or providing lactase drops for civil use. In industrial production of lactose-free milk, both mobilized and immobolized lactase are commonly used. Immobilized lactase in lactose-free milk production, specifically, along with the whole field of immobilized enzymes, has recently gained significant focus, not only because of its application on industrial manufacture, but also has potential in bioengineering and other fields.(Shukla and Wierzbicki, 1975)

In immobilizing lactase, there are many possible supporting materials, such as porous glass, alginate, and cellulose. (Yılmaz-Karaoğlu et al., 2022) There are many researches that have focused on determining the effects of types of materials to the activity of lactase. According to researches, lactase immobilized in glass microspheres has high enzyme activity, and can be effective after dozens of rounds. (Ko et al., 2018)

Aim

The experiment aims to design a home-based device to remove lactose from commercially sold milk products. We decided to make a product that includes a container and immobilized lactase for civil use. In our first ideas, the product can be used by pouring milk inside and wait for the lactose to be hydrolyzed. Its effectiveness may also persists after tens of such procedures. Because of the high enzyme activity on glass supports, we decided to use glass microspheres as our lactase supporting platform for our product.

Product and Experiment design

Based on the description in the essay, we will need to conform to the following procedures to immobilize lactase.

Preparation of Glass Microspheres:

20 cm³ (30 g) of glass microspheres were cleaned with concentrated nitric acid for 48 hours.

After several washes in double-distilled water, the microspheres were immersed for 3 hours at 60°C in a 10% (v/v) 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) aqueous solution (15 mL) to modify the surface for enzyme immobilization. The pH of the silane solution was adjusted to pH 4 using 6 N HCl.

The glass microspheres were then washed with double-distilled water and dried overnight in an oven at 80°C.

Activation of Carriers:

Each carrier, including the prepared glass microspheres, was treated with 20 mL of 2.5% glutaraldehyde aqueous solution for 60 minutes at room temperature.

Washing:

The carriers were washed with double-distilled water to remove any residual glutaraldehyde.

Incubation with Lactase:

The activated carriers were incubated for 16 hours at 4°C with 1 mg of lactase dissolved in 10 mL of 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 6.0, adjusted with sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate).

Removal of Unbound Lactase:

Any unbound lactase was removed by washing the carriers with 0.1 M phosphate buffer.

Storage:

The lactase-linked carriers were stored at 4°C until use. (Ko, Chih-Yuan, et al, 2018)

Next, we will integrate a heating system and an agitator to form the prototype of our final product. For our experiment, we will only need a constant heating platform and a stirring stick to simulate the process.

First, we will need to test whether the immobilize lactase is feasible to digest lactose. Since it only required us to determine whether lactose is digested and do not require us to do quantitative analysis, considering the tight budget as a high school student, we decided to use Benedict’s test, which is much cheaper than assay kits, to determine the feasibility of the approach. In order to exclude the interference of lactose, we have done a small pre-experiment. We have configured 4.5% lactose solution, 9% glucose solution (due to the lack of galactose, we just use glucose to substitute galactose, since they are both reducing sugar), 2.25% lactose and 4.5% glucose solution (simulate half of the lactose is digested), and pure water. Through Benedict’s test, the result shows that there is an observable difference between each solution. This is because, when lactose is digested by lactase, it will hydrolysis into glucose and lactose, so the concentration of sugar will be the twice of its original. Based on the result, we decided to use Benedict’s test for our initial proof of feasibility.

Second, we will conduct experiments to find the optimal temperature for the process. Using the constant heating plate, we will set several experimental groups with same amount of milk, lactase, and reaction time, but different temperatures. The control groups will be at the room temperature, and data will be recorded. The final evaluation of lactose residual will measure by the Glucose GOD/POD assay kit. The glucose GOD-POD assay utilizes glucose oxidase (GOD) to catalyze the oxidation of glucose to gluconolactone and hydrogen peroxide, which, in the presence of peroxidase (POD), reacts with a chromogenic substrate to produce a colorimetric change proportional to the glucose concentration. This method is highly specific to glucose due to the enzyme’s specificity, allowing for accurate quantification even in complex matrices like milk. The sensitivity of the GOD-POD assay enables the detection of low glucose concentrations, making it suitable for analyzing lactose-hydrolyzed milk products where glucose levels are indicative of the extent of lactose hydrolysis. The accuracy of this method has been validated against standard analytical techniques, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), demonstrating its reliability for quantitative glucose analysis in dairy products. (Ambade Vivek, et al, 1998) The difference of concentration of glucose can represent the extent of lactose digestion, since only the breakdown of lactose can increase the concentration of glucose.

Third, after finding out the approximate optimal temperature. We will conduct another experiment which will use focus on testing the reaction time for the prototype. Obtaining sample of different time point through one reaction, we will use same assay to derive data.

In the final stage, we will focus on analyzing the data collected from our experimental trials to determine the optimal conditions for lactose digestion. It will be carried out using graphing software. The graph and data will reveal us the final optimal operation condition for the process and the efficiency of our products, with the ultimate goal of establishing the most effective parameters for lactose digestion in our home-based lactose removal device.

Given our status as high school students with limited budgets, our approach to this research project is designed to be as cost-effective as possible. We intend to make full use of the laboratory resources available at our school, thereby minimizing external expenses. Additionally, we will create a detailed budget plan to account for necessary materials such as milk samples. In sourcing these materials, we will seek out affordable options that do not compromise the integrity of our experiments. This careful financial planning and resource management will ensure that our project remains viable, enabling us to develop a practical solution for lactose intolerance that can be implemented within the confines of a home kitchen. This focus on creating a home edition lactase exclusion machine underscores our commitment to making lactose digestion technology accessible and affordable for everyday use.

Innovation and Impact

We have searched about lactases for civil use and found that they are mostly in dropping liquid form. This can be widely applicable and quite effective, but using immobilized lactase device can have better performance in effectivity, reusability, larger working range and possibly lower prices. Our design may provide an exploration of innovation in such civil used devices. If it can be proven of relatively high efficiency, low negative effects to milk, and relatively low prices, it may have possible commercial use in daily application, especially may serve as a public device in schools for students who are lactose intolerance.

Reference List

AMBADE, VIVEK N, et al. “METHODS for ESTIMATION of BLOOD GLUCOSE : A COMPARATIVE EVALUATION.” Medical Journal Armed Forces India, vol. 54, no. 2, Apr. 1998, pp. 131–133, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0377-1237(17)30502-6.

Horner, T. W., et al. “β-Galactosidase Activity of Commercial Lactase Samples in Raw and Pasteurized Milk at Refrigerated Temperatures.” Journal of Dairy Science, vol. 94, no. 7, 1 July 2011, pp. 3242–3249, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002203021100316X#bib0090, https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3742.

Ko, Chih-Yuan, et al. “Lactose-Free Milk Preparation by Immobilized Lactase in Glass Microsphere Bed Reactor.” Food Biophysics, vol. 13, no. 4, 11 July 2018, pp. 353–361, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11483-018-9541-8. Accessed 5 June 2022.

Shukla, Triveni Piasad, and Leopold E. Wierzbicki. “Beta‐Galactosidase Technology: A Solution to the Lactose Problem.” C R c Critical Reviews in Food Technology, vol. 5, no. 3, Jan. 1975, pp. 325–356, https://doi.org/10.1080/10408397509527178.

Vandenplas Y. (2015). Lactose intolerance. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 24 Suppl 1, S9–S13. https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.2015.24.s1.02

Birch, G G, et al. Enzymes and Food Processing. London: Applied Science, 1981.

World Population Review. “Lactose Intolerance by Country 2020.” Worldpopulationreview.com, 2021, worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/lactose-intolerance-by-country.

Malik, T. F., & Panuganti, K. K. (2023). Lactose Intolerance. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

Yılmaz-Karaoğlu, Sümeyye, et al. “Lactose Hydrolyzing Activity of the Lactase Immobilized Polycaprolactone and Silk Fibroin-Based Nanofiber and Nitrocellulose Membrane.” Food Bioscience, vol. 49, Oct. 2022, p. 101828, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2022.101828. Accessed 30 Jan. 2023.

Drowning in Plastic: Vietnam’s River and Ocean pollution Crisis

Drowning in Plastic: Vietnam’s River and Ocean pollution Crisis

Brian Tran

Vietnam is estimated to discard between 0.28 and 0.73 million tons of plastic waste into the ocean annually. The country generates around 3.1 million tons of plastic waste each year. In recent years, Vietnam has experienced a rapid growth in economics and been reported as being among fastest rising countries in the world. This results in one of the most alarming environmental issues which is plastic pollution. With the consumer culture rise and urban development, the country now finds itself “drowning” in plastic waste and much of it ending up in rivers and eventually flowing into ocean. Vietnam is currently ranked among the top five countries contributing to marine plastic pollution. The problem is widely spread and urgent throughout bustling urbans like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to remote coastal fishing villages. This crisis is derived from overusing plastic products, poor waste management systems, and limited public awareness, putting both environment and human well-beings on edge of risks.

One of the main factors contribute to plastic pollution in Vietnam is overload consumption of single use plastic items. Plastic bags, food containers, straws and water bottles are used daily in most households, markets and restaurants. These items bear some advantages such as cheap price, convenient and often seen as harmless. However, with the overwhelming amount of plastic products being thrown into nature, the environmental cost is massive. Once plastics are thrown away, it may take hundreds of years to decompose. Many items are discarded improperly and end up clogging drains, littering streets, or being dumped directly into rivers and lakes which harms the species living there.

Compounding this issue is the lack of an efficient waste management system. While large cities have adopted garbage collection services, much of the country, especially rural and peri urban areas, still struggles with poor structured recycling or waste separation systems. In many communities, trash is either burnt in open pits (contributes to combustion wastes) or illegally dumped into rivers and canals. During the rainy season, flooding carries all the wastes into major waterways like Red River and the Mekong. These two rivers are top sources of ocean plastic globally.

The environmental impact is staggering. Rivers unwillingly become highways for plastic, transporting inland wastes to the seas. Once in the ocean, plastics threatens the marine ecosystem. Some animals like sea turtles, fishes, birds often mistake plastic for food, leading to serious injury or even death. Plastic accumulation also harms the coral reefs and mangrove forests which are both crucial for biodiversity and coastal protection. Vietnam’s coastal tourism and fishing industries which rely heavily on clean and healthy marine environments, are beginning to feel the consequences of this pollution. Polluted beaches, devasted marine habitats, diminution of marine populations directly impact both economy and people’s daily lives.

Despite the well documented and severeness of the issue, public awareness remains low. Many people are simply unaware of the long-term dangers of plastic pollution or how their personal habits contribute to the problem because the impacts do not appear immediately. However, there are signs of change, the Vietnamese government has launched a National Action Plan on Marine Plastic Debris, aiming to reduce ocean plastic waste by 75% by 2030. In some cities, supermarket have established a “No Plastic Bags” policy, and some local campaigns encourage shoppers to bring their own containers or reuseable bags to shop. Youth led organizations and environmental NGOs are also playing a growing role in helping to organize clean up events and spreading awareness throughout society through social media and education.

Vietnam still has much more needs to be done. They must invest in better recycling infrastructure, enforce stricter regulations on plastic production and disposal, and promotes environmentally friendly alternatives. Education is also a key, not just from school but throughout the whole communities, to change people’s habits and bring the culture toward sustainability.

Plastic pollution in Vietnam is not just an environmental issue; it is social and economic one as well. The country’s rivers and oceans are vital to its identity, economy and culture. If action is not taken timely, the damage could be immense and irreversible. Every piece of plastic tossed carelessly today will remain in nature and wound future generations. It is time for individual, business, and government to start acting and putting effort in preserving our mother nature before Vietnam’s waterways are lost to plastic wastes forever.

IF YOU THINK

If you think you will lose, you are lost;

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow’s will;

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,

You have got to think high in order to rise,

You have got to be sure of yourself

Before you can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger and faster man,

But sooner or later the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don’t!

If you like to win, but think you can’t,

It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

Student: Madhuricha Srivastava

Blurred Visions

Waiting to see the sunset ,

As the day comes to an end ,

Hearing the murmur of the ocean,

Near-sightedness arresting my distant vision,

Uninformed it dawned on me

Has the lustre of my brilliance vanished?

People around me faceless,

Seeing only myself,

Others all spurious sights,

Never seeing motherless baby’s grief,

Damsels entangled in vulture’s talons

Feminity being traded in the street,

My dry eyes evade poor luckless chaps.

Treading upon sprouting grass,

Failing to hear its heart throb,

Never turning back, here I go

Placing remote mentors

That moulded me in my ride.

Steps treaded forgotten

Never tolerant to look back

Moving fast in bold assertion

Ignoring the wayside sights, never pausing,

Turning my back on the long lost

Traveller going weary,

Many a star swivels round me

Ere I move my orbit from them,

Hearing though many a song

Never waiting to see their source,

Inner eye too gets blurred

To see the amethysts of wisdom,

Let my sight rest in and around me

Somewhere in my fantasy.

Student: Alfred Shaji Mekkadan