Industrial Problems Research Articles

Potensi polisakarida xanthan dari fermentasi xanthomonas xampestris sebagai pengembangan edible film dalam perlindungan struktur daging mentah

Background: Meat is one of the important food sources to meet nutritional needs, especially protein. Improper storage of meat can cause microbes that cause meat to rot quickly. Findings: In the Indonesian food industry, meat storage generally still uses synthetic polymer plastic that is difficult to decompose by soil microbes and can pollute the environment. The purpose of writing this scientific paper is to overcome problems in the food industry, especially in the quality of raw meat that is easily rotten due to improper packaging. Methods: The method of writing this paper is by conducting a literature search from data and information contained in books, scientific journals, and several libraries that can be used as relevant sources. Data and information are taken by collecting data as reference materials and analysis, then the information is processed using a descriptive analysis method based on secondary data to be developed into a unified material so that a solution and conclusion can be obtained. In this era of industry 5.0, edible film based on xanthan polysaccharide (Xanthomonas campestris) will be very effective, solution-oriented, and help Indonesia in overcoming problems in the food industry. Conclusion: The development of edible film based on xanthan polysaccharide (Xanthomonas campestris) will create an innovation in food packaging that can maintain the quality of raw meat and is environmentally friendly. The next step is to disseminate information to the public regarding environmentally friendly plastic substitute products as raw meat packaging.

Novel Design of Eco-Friendly High-Performance Thermoplastic Elastomer Based on Polyurethane and Ground Tire Rubber toward Upcycling of Waste Tires.

Waste rubber tires are an area of global concern in relation to reducing the consumption of petrochemical products and environmental pollution. Herein, eco-friendly high-performance thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) elastomers were successfully in-situ synthesized through the incorporation of ground tire rubber (GTR). The excellent wet-skid resistance of PU/GTR elastomer was achieved by using mixed polycaprolactone polyols with Mn = 1000 g/mol (PCL-1K) and PCL-2K as soft segments. More importantly, an efficient solution to balance the contradiction between dynamic heat build-up and wet-skid resistance in PU/GTR elastomers was that low heat build-up was realized through the limited friction between PU molecular chains, which was achieved with the help of the network structure formed from GTR particles uniformly distributed in the PU matrix. Impressively, the tanδ at 60 °C and the DIN abrasion volume (Δrel) of the optimal PU/GTR elastomer with 59.5% of PCL-1K and 5.0% of GTR were 0.03 and 38.5 mm3, respectively, which are significantly lower than the 0.12 and 158.32 mm3 for pure PU elastomer, indicating that the PU/GTR elastomer possesses extremely low rolling resistance and excellent wear resistance. Meanwhile, the tanδ at 0 °C of the above-mentioned PU/GTR elastomer was 0.92, which is higher than the 0.80 of pure PU elastomer, evidencing the high wet-skid resistance. To some extent, the as-prepared PU/GTR elastomer has effectively solved the "magic triangle" problem in the tire industry. Moreover, this novel research will be expected to make contributions in the upcycling of waste tires.

Effects of parity and early pregnancy on peripheral blood leukocytes in dairy cattle

Subfertility remains a major problem in the dairy industry. Only 35-40% of high-yielding dairy cows and 55-65% of nonlactating heifers become pregnant after their first service. The immune system plays a critical role in the establishment of pregnancy. However, it can also create challenges for embryo survival and contribute to reduced fertility. We conducted 2 separate experiments to characterize changes in subsets of peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) and their phenotype over the estrous cycle and early pregnancy in heifers and cows. We used flow cytometry and RT-qPCR to assess protein and mRNA expression of molecules important for immune function. We observed that CD14+ monocytes and CD3+ T cells tended to be affected by pregnancy status in heifers, whereas CD8B+ lymphocytes and NCR1+ natural killer (NK) cells were affected during early pregnancy in cows. Changes in expression of immune function proteins appeared to be greater in heifers than cows. To compare the most striking differences between heifers and cows observed in the initial experiments, we conducted a third experiment where PBL sampled from heifers and cows were simultaneously collected and analyzed under the same experimental conditions. Our results indicate that, compared with heifers, cows had greater mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IFNG and IL6) and AHR protein along with greater percentage of MM20A+ neutrophils and myeloid cells expressing SIRPA, ITGAM and ITGAX. Moreover, animals that failed to become pregnant showed altered expression of anti-inflammatory molecules compared with cyclic and pregnant animals. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that early pregnancy signaling alters the phenotype of immune cells in the peripheral blood and that there are differences in the peripheral immune response to pregnancy between cows and heifers. Because cows have lower conception rates than heifers, it is possible that a more proinflammatory immune status in peripheral blood may play a role in embryo loss.

Characterising harmful data sources when constructing multi-fidelity surrogate models

Surrogate modelling techniques have seen growing attention in recent years when applied to both modelling and optimisation of industrial design problems. These techniques are highly relevant when assessing the performance of a particular design carries a high cost, as the overall cost can be mitigated via the construction of a model to be queried in lieu of the available high-cost source. The construction of these models can sometimes employ other sources of information which are both cheaper and less accurate. The existence of these sources however poses the question of which sources should be used when constructing a model. Recent studies have attempted to characterise harmful data sources to guide practitioners in choosing when to ignore a certain source. These studies have done so in a synthetic setting, characterising sources using a large amount of data that is not available in practice. Some of these studies have also been shown to potentially suffer from bias in the benchmarks used in the analysis. In this study, we approach the characterisation of harmful low-fidelity sources as an algorithm selection problem. We employ recently developed benchmark filtering techniques to conduct a bias-free assessment, providing objectively varied benchmark suites of different sizes for future research. Analysing one of these benchmark suites with the technique known as Instance Space Analysis, we provide an intuitive visualisation of when a low-fidelity source should be used. By performing this analysis using only the limited data available to train a surrogate model, we are able to provide guidelines that can be directly used in an applied industrial setting.

Current Situation and Development Measurements on Health Industry in Panzhihua City — A Research on data of the Fourth National Economic Census

Health care industry is an important part of the modern service industry, and it is a new point for enhancing economic growth. Moreover, it is of great significance for Panzhihua city in successfully transforming from the traditional resource-based city. However, the statistical investigation methods and index system in the industry are not perfect, which seriously restricts the investigation and research of the health care industry. This paper uses the data of the fourth economic census combined with the standard system established for the health industry released by the Panzhihua Bureau of Statistics to analyze the current situation and problems of the health industry in the city, and discusses the development measurements on the industry, so as to help and promote the development of the health industry in the city.

Solving Flexible Job-Shop Scheduling Problem with Heterogeneous Graph Neural Network Based on Relation and Deep Reinforcement Learning

Driven by the rise of intelligent manufacturing and Industry 4.0, the manufacturing industry faces significant challenges in adapting to flexible and efficient production methods. This study presents an innovative approach to solving the Flexible Job-Shop Scheduling Problem (FJSP) by integrating Heterogeneous Graph Neural Networks based on Relation (HGNNR) with Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL). The proposed framework models the complex relationships in FJSP using heterogeneous graphs, where operations and machines are represented as nodes, with directed and undirected arcs indicating dependencies and compatibilities. The HGNNR framework comprises four key components: relation-specific subgraph decomposition, data preprocessing, feature extraction through graph convolution, and cross-relation feature fusion using a multi-head attention mechanism. For decision-making, we employ the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm, which iteratively updates policies to maximize cumulative rewards through continuous interaction with the environment. Experimental results on four public benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms four state-of-the-art DRL-based techniques and three common rule-based heuristic algorithms, achieving superior scheduling efficiency and generalization capabilities. This framework offers a robust and scalable solution for complex industrial scheduling problems, enhancing production efficiency and adaptability.

Trends in occupational respiratory conditions with short latency in the UK.

Occupational short-latency respiratory disease (SLRD; predominantly asthma, rhinitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and occupational infections) prevalence is difficult to determine but certain occupations may be associated with increased susceptibility. This study aimed to examine which occupations and industries are currently at high risk for SLRD and determine their respective suspected causal agents. SLRD cases reported to the SWORD scheme between 1999 and 2019 were analysed to determine directly standardized rate ratios (SRR) by occupation against the average rate for all other occupations combined. 'Bakers and flour confectioners' and 'vehicle spray painters' showed significantly raised SRR for SLRD in general, mostly due to occupational rhinitis (234.4; 95% CI 200.5-274.0) and asthma (63.5; 95% CI 51.5-78.3), respectively. Laboratory technicians also showed significantly raised SRR for occupational rhinitis (18.7; 95% CI 15.1-23.1), primarily caused by laboratory animals and insects. Metal machining setters and setter-operators showed increased SRR for occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis (42.0; 95% CI 29.3-60.3), largely due to cutting/soluble oils. The occupation mostly affected by infectious disease was welding trades (12.9; 95% CI 5.7-29.3), mainly attributable to microbial pathogenicity. This study identified the occupational groups at increased risk of developing an SLRD based on data recorded over a recent two-decade period in the UK. Occupational asthma and rhinitis were identified as the prevailing conditions and hypersensitivity pneumonitis as a potentially rising respiratory problem in the metalworking industry.

Industry Specifics and Problems of Digitalization in the Agro-industrial Complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Industry Specifics and Problems of Digitalization in the Agro-industrial Complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Health-Promoting Properties and the Use of Fruit Pomace in the Food Industry-A Review.

Fruit pomace, a by-product of the fruit industry, includes the skins, seeds, and pulp most commonly left behind after juice extraction. It is produced in large quantities: apple residues alone generate approximately 4 million tons of waste annually, which is a serious problem for the processing industry but also creates opportunities for various applications. Due to, among other properties, their high content of dietary fiber and polyphenolic compounds, fruit residues are used to design food with functional features, improving the nutritional value and health-promoting, technological, and sensory properties of food products. This article presents the health-promoting (antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial) properties of fruit pomace. Moreover, the possibilities of their use in the food industry are characterized, with particular emphasis on bread, sweet snack products, and extruded snacks. Attention is paid to the impact of waste products from the fruit industry on the nutritional value and technological and sensory characteristics of these products. Fruit pomace is a valuable by-product whose use in the food industry can provide a sustainable solution for waste management and contribute to the development of functional food products with targeted health-promoting properties.

The Establishment of the Great Central Gas Consumers’ Company in Mid-Nineteenth-Century London

The Great Central Gas Consumers’ Company (GCGCC) was established by the metropolitan middle class to address the detrimental effects of gas industry monopoly through the promotion of market competition. It revealed that the middle class staunchly advocated for the use of liberalism to safeguard their own rights and interests, coinciding with Britain’s wider acceptance of liberalism and echoing the clarion call of the era of liberalism. Government engagement and interference in the formation of the GCGCC, as well as the ensuing disputation around it, could be seen as a manifestation of the principle of liberalism rather than a violation thereof. It reflected that liberalism was neither the absence of government nor total laissez-faire. The fact that the old gas companies adjusted their positions and compromised in favour of liberal principles demonstrated the more flexible response mechanisms of the modern industrial system to industrial and social problems, as well as the significant influence of liberalism on the development of the British industrial sector and society as a whole.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of the treatment of Cu-rich Acid Mine Drainage using iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is a significant environmental problem in the mining industry due to its high concentration of hazardous metals and metalloids, sulfate compounds, and low pH levels. Despite the attention that iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) have received for AMD remediation, there is still a lack of understanding of the physicochemical mechanisms behind their non-specific adsorption, particularly in distinct variations of AMD, such as Cu-rich AMD. In this study, we synthesized, characterized, and applied MNP to the two-step treatment of Cu-rich AMD. The chemical and physical properties of the MNP and magnetically separated sludges after AMD treatment are characterized. Additionally, the chemical species adsorbed onto the MNP, the oxidation state of the resultant sludge after Cu-rich AMD treatment, and the short-range ordering of metal contaminant species on the surface of the MNP are identified. Finally, first-principles calculations using Density Functional Theory were conducted to understand how different Cu ion species adsorb to the MNP surface depending on the pH of the Cu-rich AMD. The bonding between MNP and Cu species occurs primarily through metal cation-oxygen bonds on the surface of MNP, and this bonding is influenced by the pH of the solution. A combination of experimental and theoretical approaches was the key to arrive at this conclusion. This information can aid in the comprehension of how metal contaminants adhere to the surfaces of MNP and in the precise engineering of these nanoparticles.

Towards efficient solutions for vehicle routing problems for oxygen supply chains

This work investigates the integrated production–inventory-routing problem (PIRP) for liquid oxygen supply chains consisting of multiple plants, customers, and heterogeneous vehicles. Solving such a problem is challenging, especially when dealing with large-scale industrial scales. A two-level procedure is adopted that determines decisions regarding production, inventory, and product allocation by simplifying the routing component in the first level. Then, the routing decisions are considered in the lower level for which 3-index mathematical programming formulations are presented. To address the combinatorial complexity of the lower-level decisions, we propose alternative multi-trip heterogeneous vehicle routing problem (MTHVRP) formulations together with a column generation-based solution strategy. A set of test instances and a real-world case study demonstrate the applicability and performance of the formulations and solution methods.

Development of the gas industry of the Orenburg region during the period of market reforms

The relevance of the topic is related to the need to study those industries of the region that are points of growth and drivers of development of the region. Such industries play an important role in the socio-economic development of the region, therefore, studying the problems of development of such an industry as the gas industry is an urgent task of economic science. The purpose of the article is to identify patterns and features of the development of the gas industry in the Orenburg region, its role in the development of the region, as well as problems that require urgent solutions. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the fact that the work substantiates the position on the development of the gas industry in accordance with such economic laws as the laws of increasing needs, saving time, scale of production, competition, and the effect of experience. The features of the regional gas industry related to the multicomponent composition of gas are highlighted, which made it possible to develop the chemical industry in the region. The article also identifies the problems of development of the gas industry. The article is based on a positive research methodology; the following methods were used: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, tabular, generalization, comparison, logical, historical and statistical analysis. Based on systematic and integrated approaches, cause-and-effect relationships between the development of the gas industry and the level of socio-economic development of the region have been identified. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using its results in developing a regional development strategy and implementing regional economic policy. It is proposed to continue further research in the direction of scientific analysis of industry problems and the development of scientifically based recommendations for solving them.

A brief history and future directions of dielectrophoretic filtration: A review.

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is an electrokinetic effect first studied in the early 20th century. Since then, DEP has gained significant interest in research, owing to its ability to solve particle separation problems in various industries. Dielectrophoretic filtration (DEP filtration) is a separation method using DEP to filter a wide range of microparticles, from bacterial cells to catalytic particles. DEP filtration can selectively separate particles based on size or dielectric properties, recover trapped particles and avoid common problems associated with mechanical filtration based on pore size (e.g. pressure drops and regular filter replacements). This review describes the simple beginnings of DEP filtration and how our understanding and applications for DEP filtration have progressed over time. A brief section of DEP theory as well as a note on the general outlook for DEP filtration in the future is presented. DEP filtration offers an exciting opportunity to selectively separate diverse particle mixtures. To achieve such a feat, technical challenges such as Joule Heating and low throughputs must be addressed.

Extensive differential DNA methylation between tuberculosis skin test positive and skin test negative cattle

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), represents a significant problem for the agriculture industry as well as posing a risk for human health. Current diagnostic tests for bTB target the cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to infection with M. bovis, primarily through screening of animals with the tuberculin skin test. Epigenetic modifications have been shown to alter the course of the immune response and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) might also influence the outcome of the skin test in cattle. Whole Genome Bisulphite Sequencing (WGBS) was used to profile DNA methylation levels from peripheral blood of a group of cattle identified as test positive for M. bovis (positive for the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test (SICTT) and/or the interferon-γ release assay compared to a test negative control group [n = 8/group, total of 16 WGBS libraries]. Although global methylation profiles were similar for both groups across the genome, 223 DMRs and 159 Differentially Promoter Methylated Genes (DPMGs) were identified between groups with an excess of hypermethylated sites in SICTT positive cattle (threshold > 15% differential methylation). Genes located within these DMRs included the Interleukin 1 receptor (IL1R1) and MHC related genes (BOLA and BOLA-DQB). KEGG pathway analysis identified enrichment of genes involved in Calcium and MAPK signalling, as well as metabolism pathways. Analysis of DMRs in a subset of SICTT negative cattle that were IFN-γ positive showed differential methylation of genes including Interleukin 10 Receptor, alpha (IL10RA), Interleukin 17 F (IL17F) and host defence peptides (DEFB and BDEF109). This study has identified a number of immune gene loci at which differential methylation is associated with SICTT test results and the degree of methylation could influence effective host immune responses.

Investigating the Effects of Dark Period Light Exposure on Sex Expression In Female Cannabis sativa

Hermaphroditism in female plants is a common problem in the cannabis industry. Cannabis sativa florogenesis is dependent on photoperiod, and industry experts suspect disruptions to the photoperiod contribute to hermaphroditism. The goals of this report are to (i) determine the relationship between hermaphroditism and dark period light exposure in C. sativa, (ii) identify a causal mechanism that could explain female hermaphroditism, and (iii) recommend a course of action for indoor cultivators. A literature search suggested that hermaphroditism in C. sativacould be the result of a very low fluence response. To test this idea, 403 plants grown indoors were inspected for male flowers. The distance of each plant from the nearest grow room door—the proposed source of dark period light—was used to calculate relative dark period light intensity values for each plant. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between relative light intensity and males per plant. The average males per plant was 0.136, compared with an intercept coefficient of 0.125 (p=0.00197, R2=0.0162). Based on these results, proximity to a door does not affect hermaphroditism. Because the actual light intensities during dark periods in this study were likely too low to cause very low fluence responses, this study cannot confidently evaluate the relationship between dark period light exposure and hermaphroditism in C. sativa. Management at the study site would be advised not to spend resources addressing grow room door light leaks.

Evaluation of the immune responses of biological adjuvant bivalent vaccine with three different insertion modes for ND and IBD

ABSTRACT Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is a widespread problem in the poultry industry, and vaccination is the primary preventive method. However, moderately virulent vaccines may damage the bursa, necessitating the development of a safe and effective vaccine. The Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has been explored as a vector for vaccine development. In this study, reverse genetic technology was used to obtain three recombinant viruses, namely, rClone30-VP2L (P/M)-chGM-CSF (NP), rClone30-chGM-CSF (P/M)-VP2L (NP), and rClone30-VP2L-chGM-CSF (P/M). Animal experiments showed that the three biological adjuvant bivalent vaccines effectively increased anti-NDV and anti-infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) titres, enhancing both humoral and cellular immune responses in chickens without leading to any harm. Amongst the three biological adjuvant bivalent vaccines, the rClone30-chGM-CSF (P/M)-VP2L (NP) group had higher levels of anti-NDV antibodies at 14 days after the first immunization and stimulated a greater humoral immune response in 7–10 days. While, the rClone30-VP2L (P/M)-chGM-CSF (NP) group was the most effective in producing a higher level of IBDV antibody response. In conclusion, these three vaccines can induce immune responses more rapidly and effectively, streamline production processes, be cost-effective, and provide a new avenue for the development of Newcastle disease (ND) and IBD bivalent vaccines

Effect of High Dietary Iron on Fat Deposition and Gut Microbiota in Chickens.

To meet the demand of consumers for chicken products, poultry breeders have made improvements to chickens. However, this has led to a new problem in the modern poultry industry, namely excessive fat deposition. This study aims to understand the effects of dietary iron supplementation on fat deposition and gut microbiota in chickens. In this study, we investigated the effects of iron on the growth performance, fat deposition, and gut microbiota of silky fowl black-bone chickens. A total of 75 7-week-old silky fowl black-bone chickens were randomly divided into three groups (five replicates per group, five chickens per replicate) and fed them for 28 days using a growing diet (control group), a growing diet + 10% tallow (high-fat diet group, HFD group), and a growing diet + 10% tallow + 500 mg/kg iron (HFDFe500 group), respectively. We detected the effects of iron on the growth performance, fat deposition, and gut microbiota of silky fowl black-bone chickens using the growth performance index test, oil red O staining, and HE staining, and found that the high-fat diet significantly increased liver and serum fat deposition and liver injury, while the addition of iron to the diet could reduce the fat deposition caused by the high-fat diet and alleviate liver injury. In addition, 16S rDNA sequencing was used to compare the relative abundance of gut microbiota in the cecal contents in different feeding groups. The results showed that the high-fat diet could induce gut microbiota imbalance in chickens, while the high-iron diet reversed the gut microbiota imbalance. PICRUSt functional prediction analysis showed that dietary iron supplementation affected amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, cofactors, and vitamin metabolism pathways. In addition, correlation analysis showed that TG was significantly associated with Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota (p < 0.05). Overall, these results revealed high dietary iron (500 mg/kg) could reduce fat deposition and affect the gut microbiota of silky fowl black-bone chickens, suggesting that iron may regulate fat deposition by influencing the gut microbiota of chickens and provides a potential avenue that prevents excessive fat deposition in chickens by adding iron to the diet.

Voltammetric immunosensor based on oxidized carbon nanotubes/MnFe2O4 hybrid nanoplatform for amplified detection of celery (Apium graveolens)

Celery is a food allergen that must be included in the ingredient list of commercial food products in the European Union. This is a challenge for the food industry because of potential cross-contamination and undeclared ingredients because of their low concentrations. So, the food industry requires expedited high-performance analytical methods. The development, validation and application of a magnetic nanomaterial-based voltammetric immunosensor is reported to quantify a major celery allergen (Api g 1), achieving a low limit of detection (32 pg·mL−1, in a 40-μL sample). The applicability of the biosensor was evaluated by analysing twenty food products and the lowest Api g 1 content (1.1 ± 0.9 mg·kg−1) was quantified in a cooked sample. The selectivity of the method and the interference of similar fresh products (e.g., parsley, basil) were evaluated. This portable and easy-to-use biosensor can be a fit-for-purpose solution to tackle a major problem for the food industry.

Industrial multi-resource flexible job shop scheduling with partially necessary resources

This paper is dedicated to the study of industrial extensions of the flexible job shop scheduling problem with multiple resources in order to propose an alternative to expensive optimization software for small to medium-sized manufacturing companies. In this context, we propose a generic model able to tackle some constraints often found in industrial scheduling problems. This model tackles partially necessary resources by decomposing operations into stages. Instances are solved by a simulated annealing metaheuristic which is further improved using efficient conditions to filter non-interesting solutions. We compare our approach to a constraint programming model using a commercial solver. Extensive experiments and statistical analysis show that our method is competitive and of practical use in the industrial context.