This study aims to synthesize carbon dots from a natural resource and will be used to detect a latent fingerprint on a non-porous surface. The carbon dots (CDs) were prepared by adding luminol to coconut water and ethanol via a hydrothermal method. Luminol enhances the chemiluminescence of the CDs, which show more distinct blue light under a UV lamp compared with bare CDs. To detect the latent fingerprint, luminol carbon dots (N-CDs) were combined with commercial starch and stirred at room temperature for 24 h. Their characteristics and optical properties were measured using EDX-SEM, HR-TEM, FTIR, XPS, UV–visible absorption, and fluorescence. In this research, it was found that the N-CDs had a d-spacing of 0.5 nm and a size of 12.9 nm. The N-CDs had a fluorescence intensity 551% higher than the standard normally used. N-CDs can be used to detect latent fingerprints on a non-porous surface and are easy to detect under a UV lamp at 395 nm. Therefore, luminol has a high potential to increase sensitive and stable traces of chemiluminescence from the green CDs for forensic latent fingerprint detection.

No abstract

Kimchi, the traditional fermented vegetable dish from Korea, has been an integral part of the Korean food culture for thousands of years. Today, it is considered as a symbol of identity for Korean people and is globally appraised as a healthy food. The international standard of kimchi was stipulated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2001, and kimjang, the traditional Korean communal activity of making kimchi, was listed as a UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. The international recognition that kimchi has today was not obtained easily since there have been international disputes with regard to its standard and originality. Many historical events have shaped the face of kimchi as it is today. Thus, it appears primordial to understand the hallmark historical events defining the development of kimchi from a traditional food consumed by only Koreans in the past to a renowned global healthy food today. This review explores the historical values of kimchi by focusing on both its early and modern history. The early history of kimchi gathered from different classical literature works suggests the existence of kimchi in Korea since thousands of years ago. The modern history of kimchi highlights different events, including the globalization and commercialization of kimchi, the “kimchi wars” against neighboring countries and the international branding of kimchi as a healthy food. Furthermore, this review also discusses the polemics of kimchi, particularly in terms of its originality. Understanding the historical values of kimchi would make people see kimchi not only as an ethnic food from Korea, but also as a valuable global heritage for the world that needs preserving.

Pempek is a traditional fishcake dish from South Sumatra, Indonesia. Its primary ingredients are narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) and sago starch. As a dish, Pempek is usually served with a sweet and sour sauce called kuah cuko, containing palm sugar, vinegar, tamarind, and chili pepper. Historically, Pempek is highly influenced by Chinese cuisine.Pempek exists in different varieties, most of which are widely known and available in many Indonesian cities. The variation among different types of Pempek appears due to different additional ingredient, shape, filling, cooking method, and serving style. Some well-known types of Pempek include Pempek adaan (round shaped), Pempek lenjer (cylindrical shaped), Pempek kapal selam (egg stuffed), Pempek keriting (curly shaped), and Pempek kulit (made with fish skin). New innovations on Pempek recipe are also thriving owing to people’s creativity. The popularity of Pempek has made this dish the symbol of identity and pride for the people of South Sumatra. It is also rich in historical and philosophical values that represent the South Sumatran traditional way of life. In addition, Pempek is currently considered to be an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO. This review discusses the history, traditional production process, philosophy, nutritional aspects, and different varieties of Pempek.

In this study, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from Magnolia Grandiflora flower as a carbon precursor were obtained using a hydrothermal method under the optimized conditions affected by various heating times (14, 16, 18, and 20 min) and various electric power inputs (900–1400 W). Then, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) was added to dope the CQDs under the same manner. The aqueous solution of the S-CQDs were characterized by FTIR, XPS, EDX/SEM, and TEM, with nanoparticle size at around 4 nm. Then, the as-prepared S-CQDs were successfully applied with fine corn starch for detection of minutiae latent fingerprints on non-porous surface materials. It is demonstrated that the minutiae pattern is more clearly seen under commercial UV lamps with a bright blue fluorescence intensity. Therefore, this research has proved that the S-CQDs derived from plant material have a better potential as fluorescent probes for latent fingerprint detection.