Analytical Checks Research Articles

Determination of Heavy Metals in Selected Cosmetic Products sold in Nepal

Introduction: Cosmetics are a significant source of heavy metals, as they contain various chemicals as ingredients and additives. There are concerns about the presence of hazardous chemicals in cosmetics, including heavy metals. The objective of this study was to assess the levels of heavy metals, specifically lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), and Arsenic (As), in bathing soaps, shampoos, face creams, and bulk powders sold in Nepal.
 Methods: Fourteen different brands of bathing soaps, shampoos, face creams and bulk powders were purchased from local markets of major cities of seven provinces of Nepal to determine the concentrations of three metals (Pb, Cd and As) by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS).
 Results: The results showed that lead was detected in four samples, and all of them exceeded the permissible limit. Arsenic was detected in only one sample, which also exceeded the limit.
 Conclusion: This study demonstrates that some cosmetic products in Nepal contain heavy metals, such as Pb, Cd, and As, above the permissible limits. The continuous use of such products may result in harmful effects, and consumers should exercise caution. Manufacturers must be informed of their products' status to eliminate these heavy metals, and regulatory guidelines should be strictly enforced, accompanied by routine analytical checks, to ensure that cosmetics are safe for human use.

Condition assessment and renovation of an aged precast reinforced concrete multi-storey building

This paper assesses the condition of a 45 years old precast reinforced concrete multistorey building and proposes innovative repair techniques for extending its service life. The residential building investigated consists of six floors, and each floor consists of 4 apartments with a total floor area of 900 m2. Initially, visual inspection was conducted to identify the extent of deterioration in all parts of the building, followed by field non-destructive and destructive tests to determine the root causes of the damage. Moreover, analytical tools such as ETABS and SAFE design softwares were used by applying the same loading assumptions and material properties given by the designer, to check the compliance of the building with the safety requirements specified in ACI 318-14/SBC 304-18 building codes. The field and laboratory checks confirmed the occurrence of considerable degree of deterioration in some elements of the building due to reinforcement corrosion, alkali silica reaction (ASR), salt–scaling and leaching. The analytical checks revealed excessive deflections, due to a design error. Several advanced repair techniques including carbon fiber reinforced polymer sheets (CFRP), and steel jackets were implemented to restore the structural load carrying capacity of the columns and beams that suffered extensive deterioration. The excessive deflections were reduced below the code limit by supporting the deflected slabs using wide flanged I-section steel beams. Moreover, the Repair strategy proposed included, removal of the deteriorated concrete, coating the exposed steel bars with a protective anti-corrosive coating, and cathodic protection of the steel bars followed by injecting high strength cementitious grout.

Scaling of RC Chimney for the Experimental Investigation under Lateral Load

Reinforced concrete chimneys are tall industrial structures specially used in power plants to expel waste gases at high enough elevation. Based on the study of various literature available for the subject, various geometrical, material, and loading parameters to be followed to prepare the test specimens are presented in this paper so that the test specimen represents the behaviour of the actual RC chimney. The special construction process required to be followed is described in this paper along with the various analytical checks to be performed before the actual application of lateral loads on test specimens. Different design standards give different design recommendations mainly in terms of the stress-strain curve of concrete and steel. So, various experimental tests performed by applying the lateral load on specially designed and casted test specimens which represents the actual chimney in the field helps the researchers to compare the various design standards and helps the industry to opt for the same.

Multiomic Big Data Analysis Challenges: Increasing Confidence in the Interpretation of Artificial Intelligence Assessments.

The need for holistic molecular measurements to better understand disease initiation, development, diagnosis, and therapy has led to an increasing number of multiomic analyses. The wealth of information available from multiomic assessments, however, requires both the evaluation and interpretation of extremely large data sets, limiting analysis throughput and ease of adoption. Computational methods utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) provide the most promising way to address these challenges, yet despite the conceptual benefits of AI and its successful application in singular omic studies, the widespread use of AI in multiomic studies remains limited. Here, we discuss present and future capabilities of AI techniques in multiomic studies while introducing analytical checks and balances to validate the computational conclusions.

Strengthening and Repair of a Precast Reinforced Concrete Residential Building

The deterioration or ageing of the existing infrastructures coupled with increased safety requirements necessitate immediate strengthening. Developing long lasting and cost effective repair techniques and materials continue to capture the attention of concrete professionals worldwide. The main purpose of this investigation was to extend the life span of a multi-storey precast reinforced concrete structure built in Riyadh 40 years ago. The condition assessments relied on analytical tools, visual, field and laboratory experiments for core samples collected from the building. The analytical checks of the building revealed considerable deflections of some slabs because of design error. The field and chemical analysis tests performed, confirmed the occurrence of durability defects as a result of poor workmanship during the construction stage. Several state-of-the-art repair techniques and materials were used for enhancing the service life of the structure at a minimum cost. The Repair strategy implemented included, removal of the deteriorated concrete, pouring a bonding agent on the surface of the damage, followed by injecting high strength cementitious grouts, supporting the deflected slabs using I-section steel beams, using cathodic protection to prevent corrosion, strengthening the columns and beams using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, and steel jackets. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2020-03091630 Full Text: PDF

Ductility of the Tensile Zone in Bent Wooden Beams Strengthened with CFRP Materials.

This article presents experimental results from the bending of technical-scale models of beams reinforced in the tension zone with CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers) materials, with a focus on the benefits resulting from the increased ductility in the tension zone of these beams. In experimental tests, the mechanical properties of reinforced beams were compared with unreinforced beams in terms of the maximum load, deflection, images of damage, stiffness, and distribution of deformation. The results showed that the proposed reinforcement solution was advantageous due to its strength and stiffness, and the safety of the structure. Based on this analysis, it was concluded that the reinforcement of wood with CFRP materials has a positive effect on the behavior and safety of structures. Also, a method of analytical checking of strengthened beams with small cross-sections was presented in the article.

Drinking water quality: results from the data analysis in Lombardy region

Abstract Background Ensuring access to safe and quality drinking water is an essential aspect of public health, as well as a fundamental human right as an extension of the right to life affirmed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Previously in Lombardy, the reporting of water sampling control activities was prepared only by the local health authorities (LHAs). Recently, however, the activation of a data centralization information system allows the monitoring of the whole regional territory and the elaboration of a periodic report. Methods The data relating to the analytical checks on drinking water in the Lombardy Region were extracted from the regional database for 2014, 2015 and 2016 and grouped by ’Chemical’, ’Microbiological’ and ’Indicators’ parameters. The analysis focused on the number and analytical compliance of all the samples performed. All the results considered both the overall regional data and each LHA. Results From a quantitative point of view, the activity of entering the sampling data seems to progressively improve, remaining rather heterogeneous among the various LHAs. From a qualitative point of view drinking water in Lombardy is to be considered good overall: both the chemical and microbiological non-compliant samples in Lombardy are lower than 10% for the years 2014 and 2015 and lower than 5% in 2016 thus indicating an apparently improving trend. Conclusions For a better evaluation of the numerical appropriateness of the controls carried out, an update of the registry system of the supply areas and a more uniform LHA programming is necessary. For a better assessment of the quality of water destined for human consumption oriented to the conformity of parameters, it is necessary to adopt an analytical judgment system on individual parameters instead of on the entire sample. A further improvement will be the inclusion in the database of the data of the aqueduct managers included in the Water Safety Plans (WSPs). Key messages Water quality assessment and its control activity reporting is an essential aspect in public health prevention. It is essential to strive for continuous improvement in the data collection method to better monitor potential risks and to evaluate the best future safe water supply strategies.

Exact correlators from conformal Ward identities in momentum space and the perturbative TJJ vertex

We present a general study of 3-point functions of conformal field theory in momentum space, following a reconstruction method for tensor correlators, based on the solution of the conformal Ward identities (CWI's), introduced in recent works by Bzowski, McFadden and Skenderis (BMS). We investigate and detail the structure of the CWI's, their non-perturbative solutions and the transition to momentum space, comparing them to perturbation theory by taking QED as an example. We then proceed with an analysis of the TJJ correlator, presenting independent and detailed re-derivations of the conformal equations in the reconstruction method of BMS, originally formulated using a minimal tensor basis in the transverse traceless sector. A careful comparison with a second basis introduced in previous studies shows that this correlator is affected by one anomaly pole in the graviton (T) line, induced by renormalization. The result shows that the origin of the anomaly, in this correlator, should be necessarily attributed to the exchange of a massless effective degree of freedom. Our results are then exemplified in massless QED at one-loop in d-dimensions, expressed in terms of perturbative master integrals. An independent analysis of the Fuchsian character of the solutions, which bypasses the 3K integrals, is also presented. We show that the combination of field theories at one-loop – with a specific field content of degenerate massless scalar and fermions – is sufficient to generate the complete non-perturbative solution, in agreement with a previous study in coordinate space. The result shows that free conformal field theories, in specific dimensions, arrested at one-loop, reproduce the general result for the TJJ. Analytical checks of this correspondence are presented in d=3,4 and 5 spacetime dimensions. This implies that the generalized 3K integrals of the BMS solution can be expressed in terms of the two single master integrals B0 and C0 of 2- and 3-point functions, with significant simplifications.

METODOLOGÍA DE DISEÑO DE UNA ESCOTILLA DE INSPECCIÓN PARA RECIPIENTES A PRESIÓN

El presente artículo describe la metodología utilizada en la evaluación de tensiones equivalentes en recipientes a presión mediante el método de elementos finitos. Con base en las consideraciones resultantes, se diseñó una escotilla de inspeccióny se realizaron comprobaciones analíticas por medio de técnicas de simulación por computador. Esto generó puntos de comparación y un estudio sistemático con el fin de comprobar el comportamiento de las fuerzas resultantes en función de las modificaciones geométricas. También se definió un modelo a partir de tres propuestas de Manhole. Las configuraciones de escotilla de inspección responden a los formatos circular, elíptico-longitudinal y elíptico-transversal. Así, fue comprobado el trazado de tensiones sobre el objeto de estudio y se definió un procedimiento más incluyente en comparación con el método convencional, el cual se basa en expresiones de cálculo simplificadas.

DNA barcoding as a tool for detecting mislabeling of fishery products imported from third countries: An official survey conducted at the Border Inspection Post of Livorno-Pisa (Italy)

The importation of fishery products into the European Union (EU) is constantly rising. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey on labeling non-compliances on fishery products imported from extra-European countries, in collaboration with the veterinary staff of the Border Inspection Post of Livorno-Pisa (BIP), of the Italian Ministry of Health. The correspondence between the products' identity and the scientific denominations reported on the accompanying certificates was checked using the DNA barcoding method. Overall, 277 products belonging to different categories (fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, bivalves, amphibian) were submitted to analysis for species identification. The comparison of the molecular results with the scientific names declared on the accompanying documents showed that 22.5% (95%CI 17.8–28.0) of the analyzed products were mislabeled. The highest percentage of mislabeling was observed on cephalopod based products (43.8%, 95% CI 32.3–55.9), followed by crustaceans (17.0%, 95% CI 9.2–29.2) and fish (14.0%, 95% CI 8.7–21.9). A higher rate was found in products imported from China, Vietnam and Thailand. The present study is the first survey on mislabeling in products sampled at BIPs in Italy. The results highlight the need of implementing analytical checks, based on DNA analysis, on incoming fishery products.

Confirming and improving post-Newtonian and effective-one-body results from self-force computations along eccentric orbits around a Schwarzschild black hole

We analytically compute, through the six-and-a-half post-Newtonian order, the second-order-in-eccentricity piece of the Detweiler-Barack-Sago gauge-invariant redshift function for a small mass in eccentric orbit around a Schwarzschild black hole. Using the first law of mechanics for eccentric orbits [A. Le Tiec, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 92}, 084021 (2015)] we transcribe our result into a correspondingly accurate knowledge of the second radial potential of the effective-one-body formalism [A. Buonanno and T. Damour, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 59}, 084006 (1999)]. We compare our newly acquired analytical information to several different numerical self-force data and find good agreement, within estimated error bars. We also obtain, for the first time, independent analytical checks of the recently derived, comparable-mass fourth-post-Newtonian order dynamics [T. Damour, P. Jaranowski and G. Shaefer, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 89}, 064058 (2014)].

The Metric and Cache-Based (MC-B) System for Location Management in Wireless Cellular Networks

In this paper, we proposed an efficient metric and cache based location management technique to identify the current location of mobile terminals. The attributes of this techniques are, metrics calculation, information exchange, optimal routing path selection and it's storage in the mobile switching center. For this, we introduced a novel architecture for mobile switching center, and it has several cache spaces. First, the mobile switching center will calculate the shortest metric-based path between current and master/previous location of mobile terminal and store its in the cache of the mobile switching center, thereafter it performs the location management procedure through the optimal suggested path by the mobile switching center. The analytical model checks the scalability and effectiveness of the proposed system over certain attributes and the comparison have been made with the existing techniques. It has been observed that the proposed technique reduced the signaling cost, registration delay, call setup delay, network overheads and total location management cost.

A new efficient unified method to derive new constructive formulas and explicit expressions for plane and spatial thermoelastic Green’s functions

This study is devoted to elaboration of a new efficient unified method for deriving main thermoelastic Green’s functions (MTGF) based on their new integral representations via Green’s functions for Poisson’s equation (GFPE). In comparison with the author’s previous works on the method proposed here, it is possible to prove certain new theorems about constructive formulas for MTGFs expressed via respective GFPE. For the first time, in this method, the unknown on the surfaces thermoelastic dilatation is derived using not only some equilibrium equations on the boundary, but also the integral representations for MTGFs. So, the efficiency of the proposed method is explained by its possibility to derive new constructive formulas for MTGFs for whole classes of thermoelastic BVPs. In this case, the concrete analytical expressions for MTGFs can be obtained as particular cases of the established constructive formulas by changing the respective well-known GFPEs. The unification of this method is provided by the general integral representations for MTGFs via GFPEs. So, if we know the respective GFPEs, then the MTGFs for any thermoelastic BVP can by derived in the same unified way using the mentioned-above general integral representations. As example, here is proved a theorem about constructive formulas for MTGFs for a whole class of two- and three-dimensional BVPs for a generalized semi-infinite thermoelastic body. In this case, the MTGFs are generated by a unitary point heat source, applied inside of a generalized thermoelastic octant which is subjected to different homogeneous mechanical and thermal boundary conditions. Many MTGFs for a thermoelastic BVPs for plane, half-plane, quadrant, space, quarter-space and octant may be obtained as particular cases of the established constructive formulas. As example, new explicit elementary MTGFs for a thermoelastic octant are derived. Their analytical checking and graphical evaluation are also included. The proposed method can be applied to any domain of Cartesian coordinate system.

Dynamical black holes: Approach to the final state

Since black holes can be formed through widely varying processes, the horizon structure is highly complicated in the dynamical phase. Nonetheless, as numerical simulations show, the final state appears to be universal, well described by the Kerr geometry. How are all these large and widely varying deviations from the Kerr horizon washed out? To investigate this issue, we introduce a well-suited notion of horizon multipole moments and equations governing their dynamics, thereby providing a coordinate and slicing independent framework to investigate the approach to equilibrium. In particular, our flux formulas for multipoles can be used as analytical checks on numerical simulations and, in turn, the simulations could be used to fathom possible universalities in the way black holes approach their final equilibrium.

State-based scheduling analysis for distributed real-time systems

The amount of system functions realized by software drastically increased in recent years. Software tasks of safety-critical systems like those in the automotive domain have to work in a timely manner. In such systems not only ordering of events but also timing properties like end-to-end deadlines are relevant for correctness and performance. Unfortunately, due to various inter-dependencies between software tasks the analysis of such properties becomes very complex. The state-of-the-art analysis approach considers only stateless system behaviors and relies on critical instances leading to very pessimistic results. Considering task inter-dependencies would result in more accurate results, though it negatively affects the scalability of the analysis. Our approach for scheduling analysis combines analytical and model checking methods. We consider the full state space of a system, where all interleavings and task dependencies are preserved. The state space is build in a compositional manner enabling a more scalable technique. For this, we introduce operations on the state spaces of resources, allowing the abstraction of irrelevant parts and the composition of state spaces. Based on the state space of each resource response times are determined, and timing and safety properties can be verified by means of reachability checks. The approach is demonstrated based on an example scenario.

Irradiation of food of animal origin: analytical checks to verify compliance with EU legislation in Lazio region

Irradiation is a method of food preservation regulated in the European Union (EU) by Directives 1999/2/EC and 1999/3/EC, and adopted in Italy with Legislative Decree 94, 30/01/2001. The aim of this paper is to present the results of control in Lazio Region done to verify compliance with the mandatory legislation. For this purpose, 36 samples of food of animal origin marketed in Lazio were collected and analysed. Of these, 11.2% was irradiated and the treatment was not provided on the label.

GRP-068 Evaluation of Spectral Specificity of Taxanes For the On-Line Analytical Control of Hospital Chemotherapy Production

BackgroundOn-line control of chemotherapy production is used for 27 molecules at European Georges Pompidou Hospital which corresponds to 70% of the production. Flow injection analysis (FIA) constitutes the optimal method...

TRACE ELEMENTS AND RADIONUCLIDES IN MYTILUS GALLOPROVINCIALIS FROM CAMPANIA REGION (ITALY)

Several trace element (As, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Sn, Zn) and gamma radionuclide (Bi-214, Cs-134, Cs-137, K-40, Pb-212, Pb-214, Th-234, Tl-208) contents were detected in Mytilus galloprovincialis samples. Analytical checks were carried out to assess higienic status and marine pollution of sea areas in front of Naples and Salerno coasts. Trace elements values show that only two samples of mussels from legal breeding has exceeded the level of Pb (European Regulation 1661/99). Radionuclides values are low and similar according litterature. In this study is confirmed the attitude of Mytilius galloprovincialis to behave as a good marine pollution indicator. Furthermore, the present investigation is a starting point to enhance safety and quality of this particular foodstuff and it’s also a contribution in the risk assessment related to the consumption of this kind of products.

TRACE ELEMENTS AND RADIONUCLIDES IN MYTILUS GALLOPROVINCIALIS FROM CAMPANIA REGION (ITALY)

Several trace element (As, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Sn, Zn) and gamma radionuclide (Bi-214, Cs-134, Cs-137, K-40, Pb-212, Pb-214, Th-234, Tl-208) contents were detected in Mytilus galloprovincialis samples. Analytical checks were carried out to assess higienic status and marine pollution of sea areas in front of Naples and Salerno coasts. Trace elements values show that only two samples of mussels from legal breeding has exceeded the level of Pb (European Regulation 1661/99). Radionuclides values are low and similar according litterature. In this study is confirmed the attitude of Mytilius galloprovincialis to behave as a good marine pollution indicator. Furthermore, the present investigation is a starting point to enhance safety and quality of this particular foodstuff and it’s also a contribution in the risk assessment related to the consumption of this kind of products.

The Application of Flow Injection Technology to Automating Cold Vapor Mercury Analyses in Aquatic Ecosystems

Based on flow injection techniques, FIMS is fully automated, fast, and cost-effective. The FIMS uses a high- performance single-beam optical system with a low pressure mercury lamp and solar-blind detector for maximum performance. The FIMS-400 has two stepper motor-driven peristaltic pumps for greater flexibility when used with optional accessories. FIMS is fully controlled from a personal computer using WinLab32 for AA software, a true Microsoft Windows-based program with an unparalleled offering of standard features, including a full range of analytical checks and quality control functions