Blended Product Research Articles

Throat Spray With Blended Essential Oils Promotes Healthy Lung Function Among Women: A Randomized, Double Blinded, Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial.

IntroductionThere are numerous internal and external environmental threats to lung health. Compromised respiratory health can affect a person's quality of life. This clinical trial evaluated the effects of Teramune Bronchus on lung health among healthy adult women.MethodsThe participants were women, aged 18 - 60 years old (n = 35). They sprayed either the proprietary essential oil based blended product (Teramune Bronchus) or a placebo into their throats 4-6 times per day during waking hours for 3 days. There was a baseline survey before using the spray and then follow-up data were collected at the end of day 3. The three primary outcomes for this study include a total bronchial symptom score, the chest domain in the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Scale (WURSS), and subjective bronchial wellbeing.ResultsOn day 3, the bronchial health of the participants who received the throat spray had significantly larger change scores when compared those with the placebo spray. All chest-related symptoms were resolved fully by the end of the trial for the participants who used Teramune. Participants using the intervention were almost twice as likely to say they felt better and believed the product helped them achieve lung health.ConclusionThis study provides evidence that the use of Teramune Bronchus supports respiratory health. Teramune Bronchus boosts respiratory health among healthy women through the use of plant-based essential oils.

Sea Surface Temperature Analysis for Fengyun-3C Data Using Oriented Elliptic Correlation Scales.

Sea surface temperature (SST) is critical for global climate change analysis and research. In this study, we used visible and infrared scanning radiometer (VIRR) sea surface temperature (SST) data from the Fengyun-3C (FY-3C) satellite for SST analysis, and applied the Kalman filtering methods with oriented elliptic correlation scales to construct SST fields. Firstly, the model for the oriented elliptic correlation scale was established for SST analysis. Secondly, observation errors from each type of SST data source were estimated using the optimal matched datasets, and background field errors were calculated using the model of oriented elliptic correlation scale. Finally, the blended SST analysis product was obtained using the Kalman filtering method, then the SST fields using the optimum interpolation (OI) method were chosen for comparison to validate results. The quality analysis for 2016 revealed that the Kalman analysis with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.3243 °C had better performance than did the OI analysis with a RMSE of 0.3911 °C, which was closer to the OISST product RMSE of 0.2897 °C. The results demonstrated that the Kalman filtering method with dynamic observation error and background error estimation was significantly superior to the OI method in SST analysis for FY-3C SST data.

USP Standardized Mixtures of Bovine, Ovine and Porcine Heparin Exhibit Comparable Biologic Effects to Referenced Single Sourced Heparins and May be Interchangeable,

Introduction: Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is the first line anticoagulant for the management of medical indications. UFH complexes with antithrombin to produce strong inhibition of thrombin and factor Xa. The UFHs are standardized using USP compliant amidolytic anti-Xa and IIa methods in defined conditions. Clinically used UFH is solely sourced from porcine mucosal tissue. Because of the shortage of porcine tissue and the African Swine Fever, the supply chain of this anticoagulant is compromised. Thus, there is a need for resourcing of this anticoagulant. Bovine and ovine mucosal sources represent alternate material for production of UFH. Previous studies have shown that bovine and ovine UFH exhibit anticoagulant effects which can be standardized by using the USP method. Additionally, the standardized heparins from various sources can be blended and their potency can be adjusted to exhibit comparable effects as the single sourced UFH. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pharmacologic profile of the blended heparin and compare these activities to that of the single sourced porcine, ovine and bovine heparins.Methods: Two groups of heparins were evaluated in this study, porcine, ovine, bovine, and the blended heparin in gravimetric measurements (ug/ml) and these same four in potency adjusted measurements (U/ml). The pharmacologic profiles of the heparins in this study were investigated via global anticoagulant assays and anti-protease assays performed in plasma. Clot based assays such as the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and thrombin time (TT) were used to study the anticoagulant effects of the single source and blended heparins. The amidolytic anti-Xa and IIa assays were used to assess the inhibitory effects of these heparins on these proteases. USP compliant anti-Xa and IIa assays were used to determine potencies of the various heparins. Protamine sulfate (PS) neutralization studies were performed to evaluate the reversal of anticoagulant effects in each of the heparins.Results: The aPTT assay showed that at final concentrations of 5 ug/ml and 2.5 ug/ml porcine heparin significantly (p < .01) prolonged the aPTT compared to ovine, bovine, and blended heparins. When studied with potency adjusted heparins, all heparins demonstrated comparable aPTT values at all concentrations (U/ml). The TT assay showed that porcine and ovine heparins prolonged the TT at 1.25 ug/ml compared to bovine and blended heparins. When studied with potency adjusted heparins, all heparins demonstrated comparable TT values at all concentrations (U/ml). The anti-Xa assay showed that at all final concentrations between 10 ug/ml and 0.625 ug/ml porcine, ovine, and blended heparins produced significantly (p <.001) stronger Xa inhibition than bovine heparin. When studied with potency adjusted heparins, all heparins demonstrated comparable anti-Xa inhibition at all concentrations (U/ml). The anti-IIa assay showed that at final concentrations 2.5 ug/ml, 1.25 ug/ml, and 0.625 ug/ml porcine and ovine heparins produced significantly (p < .05) stronger IIa inhibition than bovine heparin. When studied with potency adjusted heparins, all heparins demonstrated comparable anti-IIa inhibition at all concentrations (U/ml). The USP compliant anti-Xa assay with gravimetric heparins showed potencies of 201, 201, 150, and 184 U for porcine, ovine, bovine, and blended heparins respectively. The USP compliant anti-Xa assay with potency adjusted heparins showed comparable potencies for all four heparins. The USP compliant anti-IIa assay with gravimetric heparins showed potencies of 204, 196, 127, and 167 U for porcine, ovine, bovine, and blended heparins respectively. The USP compliant anti-IIa assay with potency adjusted heparins showed comparable potencies for all four heparins. The protamine sulfate neutralization studies demonstrated complete neutralization at all concentrations for all of the potency adjusted heparins in the aPTT, TT, anti-Xa, and anti-IIa assays.Conclusion: These studies support the hypothesis that a blended heparin product from bovine, ovine, and porcine tissue, when standardized in USP unit-equivalent proportions, exhibits a comparable anticoagulant profile to the single species heparins. These findings suggest that there is a potential for development of blended heparin to stabilize supply chain of this important anticoagulant and warrant clinical validation. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Nutrient comparisons of margarine/margarine-like products, butter blend products and butter in the US marketplace in 2020 post-FDA ban on partially hydrogenated oils.

To evaluate the fatty acid profiles and relevant vitamin and mineral compositions of margarine/margarine-like products and butter blend products available in the US marketplace and to compare with butter. Analysis of the food and nutrient composition information available for margarine/margarine-like products, butter blend products and butter in the 2021 version of the University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) Food and Nutrient Database. The US retail food marketplace in 2020. A selection of eighty-three margarine/margarine-like or butter blend products available in the USA in 2020 and regular and whipped butter (both salted and unsalted). All products contained no or negligible amounts of trans fat. Mean daily values (DV) for SFA per 1 tablespoon ranged from 11 % for margarine/margarine-like tub and squeeze products to 18 % for margarine/margarine-like stick products and butter blend products. In contrast, one tablespoon butter provides 36 % of the DV for SFA. Results from ANOVA comparing the percent of total fat from SFA, PUFA and MUFA by product type indicated significant differences for SFA (P < 0·01) and PUFA (P < 0·01), but not MUFA (P = 0·07). Leading brands of margarine/margarine-like and butter blend products examined in this study were found to be in greater alignment with current dietary recommendations for fatty acids and cholesterol than butter. Margarine/margarine-like tub and squeeze products were found to be optimal over margarine/margarine-like stick products and butter blend products. Future research should include an examination of private label products.

Evaluation of Blend Production of Cellulases and Xylanases Using Pretreated and Recycled Carnauba Straw.

Carnauba (Copernicia prunifera) is a Brazilian palm tree used for wax production, which usually generates a large amount of waste. This work evaluated the carnauba waste for cellulase and xylanase production using Trichoderma reesei CCT2768 through a solid-state fermentation (SSF). Carnauba waste was used in its crude form (C-IN), pretreated (C-P) with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP), and also recycled after the SSF process (C-PR). C-IN, C-P, and C-PR were characterized by XRD, FTIR, and SEM. Cellulase and xylanase production was performed by SSF for 72h, and the enzymatic extracts obtained were mixed each other in different concentrations. FPase, CMCase, and xylanase activities were determined. Trichoderma reesei CCT-2768 has shown high performance to produce cellulases and xylanases. Total cellulase, CMCase, and β-glycosidase presented a highest activity when C-PPR1 (25% of C-PR and 75% of C-P) was used as a carbon source, with yield of 2.85 U/g, 41.21 U/g, and 2.80 U/g, respectively. The highest xylanase production was achieved when only the pretreated carnauba waste (C-P) was used, with an enzyme activity of 224.93 U/g. Carnauba has shown a promising carbon source capacity to induce the production of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes by using T. reesei CCT2768, promoting the circular and ecofriendly economy, as well as a cost reduction, of the production process of these enzymes.

Comparison of Multiple Surface Ocean Wind Products with Buoy Data over Blue Amazon (Brazilian Continental Margin)

Remote sensing data for space-time characterization of wind fields in extensive oceanic areas have been shown to be increasingly useful. Orbital sensors, such as radar scatterometers, provide data on ocean surface wind speed and direction with spatial and temporal resolutions suitable for multiple applications and air-sea studies. Even considering the relevant role of orbital scatterometers to estimate ocean surface wind vectors on a regional and global scale, the products must be validated regionally. Six different ocean surface wind datasets, including advanced scatterometer (ASCAT-A and ASCAT-B products) estimates, numerical modelling simulations (BRAMS), reanalysis (ERA5), and a blended product (CCMP), were compared statistically with in situ measurements obtained by anemometers installed in fifteen moored buoys in the Brazilian margin (8 buoys in oceanic and 7 in shelf waters) to analyze which dataset best represents the wind field in this region. The operational ASCAT wind products presented the lowest differences in wind speed and direction from the in situ data (0.77 ms−1 &lt; RMSEspd &lt; 1.59 ms−1, 0.75 &lt; Rspd &lt; 0.96, −0.68 ms−1 &lt; biasspd &lt; 0.38 ms−1, and 12.7° &lt; RMSEdir &lt; 46.8°). CCMP and ERA5 products also performed well in the statistical comparison with the in situ data (0.81 ms−1 &lt; RMSEspd &lt; 1.87 ms−1, 0.76 &lt; Rspd &lt; 0.91, −1.21 ms−1 &lt; biasspd &lt; 0.19 ms−1, and 13.7° &lt; RMSEdir &lt; 46.3°). The BRAMS model was the one with the worst performance (RMSEspd &gt; 1.04 m·s−1, Rspd &lt; 0.87). For regions with a higher wind variability, as in the southern Brazilian continental margin, wind direction estimation by the wind products is more susceptible to errors (RMSEdir &gt; 42.4°). The results here presented can be used for climatological studies and for the estimation of the potential wind power generation in the Brazilian margin, especially considering the lack of availability or representativeness of regional data for this type of application.

Daily Precipitation Frequency Distributions Impacts on Land-Surface Simulations of CONUS

Many precipitation-driven data products from land data assimilation systems support assessments of droughts, floods, and other societally-relevant land-surface processes. The accumulated precipitation used as input to these products has a significant impact on water budgets; however, the effects of daily distribution of precipitation on these products are not well known. A comparison of the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) and Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations version 2 (CHIRPS2) rainfall products over the continental United States (CONUS) was performed to quantify the impacts of the daily distribution of precipitation on biases and errors in soil moisture, runoff, and evapotranspiration (ET). Since the total accumulated precipitation between the IMERG and CHIRPS product differed, a third precipitation product, CHIRPS-to-IMERG (CHtoIM), was produced that used CHIRPS2 accumulated precipitation totals and the daily precipitation frequency distribution of IMERG. This new product supported a controlled analysis of the impact of precipitation frequency distribution on simulated hydrological fields. The CHtoIM had higher occurrences of precipitation in the 0–5 mm day−1 range, with a lower occurrence of dry days, which decreased soil moisture and surface runoff in the land-surface model. The surface soil layer had a tendency to reach saturation more often in the CHIRPS2 simulations, where the number of moderate to heavy precipitation days (&amp;gt;5 mm day−1) was increased. Using the blended CHtoIM product as input reduced errors in surface soil moisture by 5–15% when compared to Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) data. Similarly, ET errors were also slightly decreased (~2%) when compared to SSEBop data. Moderate changes in daily precipitation distributions had a quantifiable impact on soil moisture, runoff, and ET. These changes usually improved the model when compared to other modeled and observational datasets, but the magnitude of the improvements varied by region and time of year.

Toward co-optimization of renewable fuel blend production and combustion in ultra-high efficiency SI engines

The shift from fossil to renewable fuels presents an opportunity to tailor a fuel’s molecular structure and composition to the needs of advanced internal combustion engine concepts, while simultaneously aiming for economic and sustainable fuel production. We have recently proposed a method for computer-aided design of tailor-made fuels that integrates aspects of both product and production pathway design. The present paper sets out to sequentially combine that method with experimental investigation on a single cylinder research engine and model-based early-stage process evaluation to create, validate, and benchmark a rationally designed multi-component biofuel for highly boosted spark-ignition engines. To this end, the computer-aided design approach is applied to a network of possible fuel components and their production pathways. The resulting optimal four-component fuel EBCC (50 mol% ethanol, 21 mol% 2-butanone, 15 mol% cyclopentane, and 14 mol% cyclopentanone) is analyzed with regard to combustion performance and estimated fuel production cost. Variations of both the indicated mean effective pressure and the relative air/fuel ratio were performed on an engine equipped with a compression ratio of 14.7. EBCC achieves indicated efficiencies that are significantly higher than those of RON 102 gasoline fuel and comparable to those of pure 2-butanone, an extremely knock-resistant fuel identified in a previous round of model-based fuel design. Furthermore, a strong reduction in engine-out soot emissions is observed compared to RON 102 gasoline. Early-stage process evaluation shows EBCC to have lower estimated fuel production costs than 2-butanone. Production costs of pure ethanol, however, are estimated to be even lower, mainly due to lower plant investment costs and a synthesis pathway that does not require hydrogen. The paper concludes with a brief perspective on further integration of the proposed sequential approach with the goal of co-optimizing the production and combustion of renewable fuel blends.

Biofuel Resources Plan: Theoretical Case Assessment of Automotive Industries

Crude oil exhaustion and greenhouse emissions have remained a global concern till date. Domestic production of biofuel blends and micro-emulsion as substitutes for conventional fuel in tackling greenhouse gas emission has challenges like feedstock inadequacy, fuel-energy content, compatibility, oxidation stability and other automotive fuel property issues. Strategies to address these issues are discussed in this study. Case study of Nigeria shows that an annual conversion rate of 6.9/3.3% (2.1: 1) of cassava wastes will meet its E10/E5 blend from local production capacity. An effort has been made to correlate existing ethanol and biodiesel yields, ƐѱE and ƐѱB with expected oil yield as a function of gasoline and diesel shares, αE and αB per hectare of cultivation, to generate total oil yield per desired short and medium term biofuel targets utilizing selected feedstock at applicable yield bounds. A typical E10 gasohol from cassava will need 16,133 and 28,543 hectares from cassava plantation to meet its annual short and medium term biofuel targets. The r2-square value of 0.6402 for CF/SPeel and 0.9044 for CF/SPulp is an indication that more litre/tonne volume of ethanol could be produced from CF/SPeel except for in consistency when ammonia extract and urea are used as nitrogen source. Specific energy for direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) from daily production capacity equivalence of E10 per annum is estimated at 2.34GWh/Kg. Biofuel and fuel cells are good alternatives to explore as replacement of fossil fuel in automotive application.

Physicochemical properties, characteristics, and consumer acceptance of whole grain sorghum expanded extrudates

The objective of this work was to study how six sorghum genotypes affected the production of whole grain expanded snacks using extrusion cooking and to evaluate their physicochemical properties, sensory characteristics, and consumer acceptance. The chemical composition and antioxidant capacity of raw flours from whole grains were evaluated. Sectional expansion index, paste viscosity, and texture (hardness and crispness) analyses as well as acceptance tests and check-all-that-apply questions were conducted on the extrudates. White pericarp sorghum extrudates presented the highest sectional expansion and sensory acceptance, and were negatively correlated to total phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. Sorghums with tannins had the highest antioxidant capacity but the lowest values of sensory acceptance. The combination of different sorghum genotypes could be used to produce a final product with good antioxidant capacity and acceptability. Practical applications Sorghum is the fifth most produced cereals in the world largely used for animal feed but limited in direct human consumption. It is known that it has interesting agricultural characteristics such as drought and heat resistant and also contain expressive content of bioactives linked with health benefits. As an example, tannin sorghum has the greatest values of antioxidant activity when compared with other cereals, but it was demonstrated by our work that it has low sensory acceptance; on the other hand, nontannin sorghum showed higher acceptability. By understanding the technological aspects and sensory differences of sorghum genotypes processed by extrusion cooking allow the development of sorghum ready-to-eat blend products (tannin and nontannin sorghum) with the best of both antioxidant capacity and sensory acceptance. Our results could be used by the food industry to develop novel products with improved technological and sensory characteristics that could be introduced as functional healthy food options with the advantage of being a gluten-free product.

The sustainability liability revisited: Positive versus negative differentiation of novel products by sustainability attributes

In response to a growing consumer trend towards meat reduction and more plant-based diets, the food industry develops meat-reduced food innovations, such as blended products which replace part of their meat with plant-based ingredients. These products are usually promoted as being more sustainable than existing products. However, it is not clear whether sustainability attributes are used by consumers to positively or negatively differentiate these novel products from existing ones. We investigated these two possibilities in two studies. In Study 1, we tested in an online survey whether positive sustainability attributes of novel food products generally affect purchase intentions in a positive or negative way, mediated by taste expectations. In Study 2, we investigated in a field study in a restaurant the choice of a novel blended meat product versus a classic product. In particular, we tested whether the blended meat product is more likely to share positive attributes with a classic alternative than negative attributes and might therefore lack the power of positive differentiation. The results of Study 1 show a positive differentiation by sustainability when taste attributes are equal compared with a classic product. However, Study 2 demonstrates that the mechanisms of a negative differentiation might attenuate these positive effects, because positive hedonic attributes of the novel blendedmeat product more likely apply also to the classic product than the negative attributes.

Development of technology for production of functional fruit drinks

The object of research is the technology of functional fruit and vegetable juice products enriched with collagen. The subject of research is various types of collagen, formulations and parameters of technological operations for the production of functional juice drinks. The research is aimed at the develop technology, recipes for a new assortment of fruit and vegetable drinks enriched with collagen. Also it is aimed at the preserve the functional properties of collagen in canned juice products after high-temperature processing and create food products for everyday consumption to solve age-related and other problems associated with human health. In the course of the study, standard methods were used to determine the organoleptic indicators of various types of collagen, juice products, as well as to determine the mass fraction of moisture, carbohydrates, fats, proteins in the developed fruit and vegetable drinks enriched with collagen. Also, to confirm the presence and preservation of collagen in finished products, the electrophoresis method was used to determine the atomic mass unit of the constituent substances after complete drying of the samples. The proposed methods make it possible to assess the quality of the developed collagen-enriched drinks, prove the presence and preservation of a biologically active additive in the finished product after using the sterilization mode parameters – temperature and time, when receiving canned products. The developed formulations and technology make it possible to consider functional fruit and vegetable juice-containing products enriched with a biologically active additive collagen as effective and useful. An easily digestible food product for everyday consumption is proposed for solving age-related and other problems related to human health, with regulation of the pH value for effective use of the beneficial properties of this additive. In contrast to existing functional juice products, the proposed formulations and technology make it possible to obtain juice-containing fruit and vegetable blended products with a biologically active additive collagen. The technology minimizes the impact of collagen on the organoleptic characteristics of the developed recipe compositions of finished products and preserves its beneficial biologically active properties in the finished canned product after heat sterilization.

A Blended Sea Ice Concentration Product from AMSR2 and VIIRS

An effective blended Sea-Ice Concentration (SIC) product has been developed that utilizes ice concentrations from passive microwave and visible/infrared satellite instruments, specifically the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2 (AMSR2) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The blending takes advantage of the all-sky capability of the AMSR2 sensor and the high spatial resolution of VIIRS, though it utilizes only the clear sky characteristics of VIIRS. After both VIIRS and AMSR2 images are remapped to a 1 km EASE-Grid version 2, a Best Linear Unbiased Estimator (BLUE) method is used to combine the AMSR2 and VIIRS SIC for a blended product at 1 km resolution under clear-sky conditions. Under cloudy-sky conditions the AMSR2 SIC with bias correction is used. For validation, high spatial resolution Landsat data are collocated with VIIRS and AMSR2 from 1 February 2017 to 31 October 2019. Bias, standard deviation, and root mean squared errors are calculated for the SICs of VIIRS, AMSR2, and the blended field. The blended SIC outperforms the individual VIIRS and AMSR2 SICs. The higher spatial resolution VIIRS data provide beneficial information to improve upon AMSR2 SIC under clear-sky conditions, especially during the summer melt season, as the AMSR2 SIC has a consistent negative bias near and above the melting point.

A global wave parameter database for geophysical applications. Part 3: Improved forcing and spectral resolution

Numerical wave models are used for a wide range of applications, from the global ocean to coastal scales. Here we report on significant improvements compared to the previous hindcast detailed in Part 2 of the present study by Rascle and Ardhuin (2013). This result was obtained by updating forcing fields, adjusting the spectral discretization and retuning wind wave growth and swell dissipation parameters. Most of the model calibration and performance analysis is done using significant wave heights (Hs) from the recent re-calibrated and denoised satellite altimeter data set provided by the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (ESA-CCI), with additional verification using spectral buoy data. We find that, for the year 2011, using wind fields from the recent ERA5 reanalysis provides lower scatter against satellite Hs data compared to historical ECMWF operational analyses, but still yields a low bias on wave heights that can be mitigated by re-scaling wind speeds larger than 20 m/s. Alternative blended wind products can provide more accurate forcing in some regions, but were not retained because of larger errors elsewhere. We use the shape of the probability density function of Hs around 2 m to fine tune the swell dissipation parameterization. The updated model hindcast appears to be generally more accurate than the previous version, and can be more accurate than the ERA5 Hs estimates, in particular in strong current regions and for Hs>7 m.

A Method of Ore Blending Based on the Quality of Beneficiation and Its Application in a Concentrator

Ore blending is an essential part of daily work in the concentrator. Qualified ore dressing products can make the ore dressing more smoothly. The existing ore blending modeling usually only considers the quality of ore blending products and ignores the effect of ore blending on ore dressing. This research proposes an ore blending modeling method based on the quality of the beneficiation concentrate. The relationship between the properties of ore blending products and the total concentrate recovery is fitted by the ABC-BP neural network algorithm, taken as the optimization goal to guarantee the quality of ore dressing products at the source. The ore blending system was developed and operated stably on the production site. The industrial test and actual production results have proved the effectiveness and reliability of this method.

“Thinking back through our mothers”: A curriculum of organic relationality

The feminist motif “thinking back through our mothers” calls us to claim the mother’s heritage, not to identify with her, not to repudiate her, but to become ourselves in a middle ground. In this article, the thread of thinking back through our mothers for a curriculum of organic relationality crosses different times and places and includes different racial, sexual, class, linguistic, and national contexts. I weave this thread thematically along three major lines. First, I explore the role of interconnectedness and relational dynamics as central to such a curriculum. Second, I discuss creative tensionality between mothers and daughters as generative and having implications for reclaiming the classroom in a space of simultaneous un/attachment, un/burdening, and non/belonging. Third, I argue that nonviolent relations across differences is the site for building a curriculum community that welcomes the alterity of the other and grows compassionate relationships. While drawing upon diverse women writers and feminist curriculum scholars, I also weave in autobiographical stories about my mother, who is a retired teacher educator in China. While this ongoing weaving does not lead to one singular blended product, gratitude despite difficulty emerges as one path to claim the maternal legacy.

An investigation of alkaline phosphatase enzymatic activity after electrospinning and electrospraying

The high target specificity and multifunctionality of proteins has led to great interest in their clinical use. To this end, the development of delivery systems capable of preserving their bioactivity and improving bioavailability is pivotal to achieve high effectiveness and satisfactory therapeutic outcomes. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) techniques, namely electrospinning and electrospraying, have been widely explored for protein encapsulation and delivery. In this work, monoaxial and coaxial electrospinning and electrospraying were used to encapsulate alkaline phosphatase (ALP) into poly(ethylene oxide) fibres and particles, respectively, and the effects of the processing techniques on the integrity and bioactivity of the enzyme were assessed. A full morphological and physicochemical characterisation of the blend and core-shell products was performed. ALP was successfully encapsulated within monolithic and core-shell electrospun fibres and electrosprayed particles, with drug loadings and encapsulation efficiencies of up to 21% and 99%, respectively. Monoaxial and coaxial electrospinning were equally effective in preserving ALP function, leading to no activity loss compared to fresh aqueous solutions of the enzyme. While the same result was observed for monoaxial electrospraying, coaxial electrospraying of ALP caused a 40% reduction in its bioactivity, which was attributed to the high voltage (22.5 kV) used during processing. This demonstrates that choosing between blend and coaxial EHD processing for protein encapsulation is not always straightforward, being highly dependent on the chosen therapeutic agent and the effects of the processing conditions on its bioactivity.

Blending Noah, SMOS and In-Situ Soil Moisture Using Multiple Weighting and Sampling Schemes

AbstractSoil moisture can be obtained from in-situ measurements, satellite observations, and model simulations. This study evaluates the importance of in-situ observations in soil moisture blending, and compares different weighting and sampling methods for combining model, satellite, and in-situ soil moisture data to generate an accurate and spatially-continuous soil moisture product at 4-km resolution. Four different datasets are used: Antecedent Precipitation Index (API), KAPI, which incorporates in-situ soil moisture observations with the API using regression kriging, SMOS L3 soil moisture, and model-simulated soil moisture from the Noah model as part of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). Triple collocation, least square weighting, and equal weighting are used to generate blended soil moisture products. An enumerated weighting scheme is designed to investigate the impact of different weighting schemes. The sensitivity of the blended soil moisture products to sampling schemes, station density and data formats (absolute, anomalies and percentiles) are also investigated. The results reveal KAPI outperforms API. This indicates that incorporating in-situ soil moisture improves the accuracy of the blended soil moisture products. There are no statistically significant (p&gt;0.05) differences between blended soil moisture using triple collocation and equal weighting approaches, and both methods provide sub-optimal weighting. Optimal weighting is achieved by assigning larger weights to KAPI and smaller weights to SMOS. Using multiple sources of soil moisture is helpful for reducing uncertainty and improving accuracy, especially when the sampling density is low, or the sampling stations are less representative. These results are consistent regardless of how soil moisture is represented (absolute, anomalies or percentiles).

An Experimental Study on the Performance Characteristics of a Diesel Engine Fueled with ULSD-Biodiesel Blends

As a rule, the highest permissible sulfur content in the marine fuel must drop below 0.5% from 1 January 2020 for global fleets. As such, ships operating in emission control areas must use low sulfur or non-sulfur fuel to limit sulfur emissions as a source of acid rain. However, that fact has revealed two challenges for the operating fleet: the very high cost of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and the installation of the fuel conversion system and the ULSD cooling system. Therefore, a solution that blends ULSD and biodiesel (BO) into a homogeneous fuel with properties equivalent to that of mineral fuels is considered to be significantly effective. In the current work, an advanced ultrasonic energy blending technology has been applied to assist in the production of homogeneous ULSD-BO blends (ULSD, B10, B20, B30, and B50 with blends of coconut oil methyl ester with ULSD of 10%, 20%, 30% and 50% by volume) which is supplied to a small marine diesel engine on a dynamo test bench to evaluate the power and torque characteristics, also to consider the effect of BO fuel on specific fuel consumption exhaust gas temperature and brake thermal efficiency. The use of the ultrasonic mixing system has yielded impressive results for the homogeneous blend of ULSD and BO, which has contributed to improved combustion quality and thermal efficiency. The results have shown that the power, torque, and the exhaust gas temperature, decrease by approximately 9%, 2%, and 4% respectively with regarding the increase of the blended biodiesel rate while the specific fuel consumption and brake thermal efficiency tends to increase of around 6% and 11% with those blending ratios.

Empowering Women in the Agricultural Value Chain Via Islamic Blended Products to Attain the Agenda 2030 in The Gambia

The importance of gender equality and women empowerment has become the central piece in numerous development agenda around the globe. In the Gambia, as part of the national development agenda, the government has eye marked key priority areas to champion the course of women empowerment. In addition, the government has enacted laws and ratified several other international goals including the Agenda 2030 to support this course. However, women entrepreneurs especially those in the agriculture value chain have faced numerous financial management challenges in conducting business activities. On one hand bank loans are expensive for them, and other the other hand those with surplus got minimal returns on their savings and investments. Thus, this paper aims to deliver the intended outcome of Maqasid Al Shariah by harnessing Islamic social financing and utilizing funds from the surplus side to provide sustainable and impactful financing for women on the deficit side via Islamic Blended finance. In addition to de-risking investment towards women empowerment, our proposed model offers a better return for those on the supply side and cheaper rate for those on the demand side by minimizing intermediation and transaction cost. It is anticipated that this paper will contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in The Gambia and also has the potential to be replicated in other developing countries.