Material Quality Research Articles

Z-NUMBERS BASED MODELING OF GROUP DECISION MAKING FOR SUPPLIER SELECTION IN MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

The health of the supply chain, the company's performance, and the quality of the production as well as the success of the entire enterprise, directly depends on the reliability of the company's existing suppliers. Processing enterprises that depend on suppliers are trying to find the best option that will satisfy all customer requirements. With high-quality and inexpensive raw materials, the products produced by the enterprise will largely determine its economic indicators such as revenue, profit, and profitability. Therefore, this enterprise is especially faced with the issue of choosing the most appropriate supplier of resources. Basically, for processing enterprises it is very important to consider the parameters such as quality of incoming materials, terms of supply of raw materials, price of received raw materials, terms of contracts. The challenge in determining of supplier is how to choose reliable suppliers that can maintain supply chain continuity in an environment of ever-increasing instability and uncertainty. For this purpose, a methodology for selecting suppliers using Z-numbers was proposed. Using fuzzy Z numbers in supplier selection, decision-makers can assign values to various criteria in a way that reflects both the uncertainty and the confidence associated with those values. This can lead to more nuanced and robust supplier selection processes, considering a wider range of factors and uncertainties.

Investigation of Snake Grass/Casuarina/Cork Filler Reinforced Bio Polymer Hybrid Composite

The environment is continuously affected for various reasons, prompting researchers to seek solutions from different angles. This study explores the potential of mixing polymers with and without agricultural/bio fillers such as Snake Grass / Casuarina / Cork in various volume proportions, analyzing their mechanical properties. The hybrid materials are made with the polymers and bio fillers without any change in the quality of existing polymer products, the quality of hybrid materials is assured by the results of impact, flexural, and tensile tests. Finally, the biodegradability tests revealed weight loss in a soil burial test when bio-filler was added to the polymer composite.

A RELEVÂNCIA DOS PROGRAMAS DE AUTOCONTROLE NA SAÚDE PÚBLICA EM INDÚSTRIAS DE PRODUTOS DE ORIGEM ANIMAL

Self-Control Programs (PACs) are fundamental for the agroindustry, aiming at food safety and reducing risks to public health. Along with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Standard Operational Hygiene Procedures (PPHO) and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Program (HACCP). The research aims to demonstrate the importance of PAC as a tool capable of minimizing and controlling levels of contamination, infection and/or food poisoning in the food industry, discussing the regulations issued by supervisory authorities on the quality, health and safety of food, as well as good practices in the production of products of animal origin. The importance of studying this topic is that it has great relevance due to the fact that it addresses the importance of the hygienic-sanitary and technological quality of raw materials, animal health and public health. The study was carried out using articles, books and academic sources through electronic searches in SciELO, Google Scholar, PUBMED, PubVet of relevance in addition to Laws and books, bibliographical research and insights into the need to highlight and demonstrate the importance of programs in the food industry. It was concluded that PACs are essential to reduce risks to public health and enhance food quality and safety for consumers.

Sustainable and Quality Tourism Training for the Local Community of Braga Tourism Village

The readiness and participation of the community inbalancing their area to become a destination with quality tourism is needed.Therefore, community empowerment is needed, which aims to harmonizethe existing strategic plan for the community living in Braga Tourism Village,which requires readiness and participation in its development because thecommunity lives around an area with historical and cultural tourism potential,which of course needs to be preserved and utilized by applicable laws. Thecommunity needs to identify the potential and implement suitable programsbased on the concept and applicable laws. With this provision, it washoped that community-based tourism efforts would support the existenceof areas with potential cultural and historical attractions and promote qualitytourism. This community service program aims to provide material on theconcept of quality tourism and sustainable tourism. This program aimedto maximize the potential of the cultural history tourist attraction of BragaTourism Village, which then targets the community to understand and applythe material that has been given in the training. The activity method is inthe form of exposure to quality and sustainable tourism material to maximizeexisting potential. This program was divided into three parts: planningand preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. This trainingprogram was well executed because the community had better post-testscore results compared to the pretest. However, they still need to learn moreabout the positive impact of tourism on the environment and its applicationin the community, especially businesses that support tourism.

Reactive Passivation of Wide-Bandgap Organic-Inorganic Perovskites with Benzylamine.

While amines are widely used as additives in metal-halide perovskites, our understanding of the way amines in perovskite precursor solutions impact the resultant perovskite film is still limited. In this paper, we explore the multiple effects of benzylamine (BnAm), also referred to as phenylmethylamine, used to passivate both FA0.75Cs0.25Pb(I0.8Br0.2)3 and FA0.8Cs0.2PbI3 perovskite compositions. We show that, unlike benzylammonium (BnA+) halide salts, BnAm reacts rapidly with the formamidinium (FA+) cation, forming new chemical products in solution and these products passivate the perovskite crystal domains when processed into a thin film. In addition, when BnAm is used as a bulk additive, the average perovskite solar cell maximum power point tracked efficiency (for 30 s) increased to 19.3% compared to the control devices 16.8% for a 1.68 eV perovskite. Under combined full spectrum simulated sunlight and 65 °C temperature, the devices maintained a better T80 stability of close to 2500 h while the control devices have T80 stabilities of <100 h. We obtained similar results when presynthesizing the product BnFAI and adding it directly into the perovskite precursor solution. These findings highlight the mechanistic differences between amine and ammonium salt passivation, enabling the rational design of molecular strategies to improve the material quality and device performance of metal-halide perovskites.

Image processing and neural network technique for size characterization of gravel particles

Particle size is considered one of the significant characteristics used in geotechnical practices. Traditionally, sieve analysis is utilized for coarse-grained soil. However, this method could be time consuming and take much effort, especially for large scale infrastructure projects. This paper presents an efficient method for estimating gravel particle characterization utilizing image processing and artificial neural network technique (IPNN). The proposed algorithm is performed by utilizing particle boundary delineation and shape feature extraction to train a neural network model for estimating gravel size distribution curve. It is found that excellent agreement exists between the results obtained from conventional sieve analysis and neural analysis for gravel soil particles with maximum difference in passing percentages up to only 3.70%. The proposed technique shows satisfactory results for crushed stone samples with maximum difference in passing percentages about 10.90% mainly in large diameter particles. The presented technique (IPNN) could offer a promising alternative technique for material quality control process especially in large scale projects.

Effects of Corm Treatment with Cold Plasma and Electromagnetic Field on Growth and Production of Saffron Metabolites in Crocus sativus.

Crocus sativus L. is a widely cultivated traditional plant for obtaining dried red stigmas known as "saffron," the most expensive spice in the world. The response of C. sativus to pre-sowing processing of corms with cold plasma (CP, 3 and 5 min), vacuum (3 min), and electromagnetic field (EMF, 5 min) was assessed to verify how such treatments affect plant performance and the quality and yield of herbal raw materials. The results show that applied physical stressors did not affect the viability of corms but caused stressor-dependent changes in the kinetics of sprouting, growth parameters, leaf trichome density, and secondary metabolite content in stigmas. The effect of CP treatment on plant growth and metabolite content was negative, but all stressors significantly (by 42-74%) increased the number of leaf trichomes. CP3 treatment significantly decreased the length and dry weight of flowers by 43% and 60%, respectively, while EMF treatment increased the length of flowers by 27%. However, longer CP treatment (5 min) delayed germination. Vacuum treatment improved the uniformity of germination by 28% but caused smaller changes in the content of stigma compounds compared with CP and EMF. Twenty-six compounds were identified in total in Crocus stigma samples by the HPLC-DAD method, including 23 crocins, rutin, picrocrocin, and safranal. Processing of Crocus corms with EMF showed the greatest efficiency in increasing the production of secondary metabolites in saffron. EMF increased the content of marker compounds in stigmas (crocin 4: from 8.95 to 431.17 mg/g; crocin 3: from 6.27 to 164.86 mg/g; picrocrocin: from 0.4 to 1.0 mg/g), although the observed effects on growth were neutral or slightly positive. The obtained findings indicate that treatment of C. sativus corms with EMF has the potential application for increasing the quality of saffron by enhancing the amounts of biologically active compounds.

(Keynote) Epitaxial Si/SiGe Multi-Stacks: From Stacked Nano-Sheet to Fork-Sheet and CFET Devices

After a short description of the evolution of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device architectures and the corresponding requirements on epitaxial growth processes, the manuscript describes the material properties of complicated Si/SiGe multi-layer stacks used for complementary field effect transistor (CFET) devices. They contain two different Ge concentrations and have been grown using conventional process gases. A relatively high growth temperature is used to obtain acceptable Si and SiGe growth rates. Still island growth has been suppressed for Ge concentrations up to 40%. Excellent structural and optical material properties of the Si/SiGe multi-layer stack will be reported, with up to 3 + 3 Si channels in the top and bottom part of the stack, respectively. The absence/presence of lattice defects has been verified by room temperature photoluminescence measurements. Photoluminescence measurements at low temperatures are used to study band-to-band luminescence from individual sub-layers and to illustrate the optical material quality of the CFET stack.

Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Reveal Key Insights into Iridoid Biosynthesis in Gentiana crassicaulis Seeds during Germination.

Background:Gentiana crassicaulis Duthie ex Burk., a key species used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating rheumatic pain and stroke, contains iridoids as its primary active component. However, the biosynthetic mechanisms underlying iridoid production are not fully understood. Methods: This study focused on iridoid biosynthesis during the germination of G. crassicaulis seeds, integrating metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to uncover the underlying pathways and key candidate genes. Results: 196,132 unigenes and 10 iridoid compounds were identified through RNA-seq and ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometer (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS), respectively. The intersection of results from Pearson correlation analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed a significant correlation between 26 genes and iridoid levels, suggesting their potential role in the iridoid metabolism. Notably, six highly expressed candidate genes (DL7H, SLS, CYP76, CYP72A2, CYP84A1, and 13-LOX3) and five iridoids (loganic acid, sweroside, swertiamarin, gentiopicroside, and 6'-O-β-D-glucosyl-gentiopicroside) responded to methyl jasmonate stimulation in G. crassicaulis seedlings. Conclusions: by combining the known functions of candidate gene families, It is hypothesized that the CYP716 and LOX families exert indirect influences on iridoid metabolism, while the CYP71, CYP81, CYP72, CYP76, CYP710 families, 2OG-FeII family, and the glucosyltransferase family are likely to play direct roles in the biosynthetic transformations of the five iridoids. This study provides a theoretical basis for further functional gene validation and metabolic engineering aimed at enhancing iridoid production. The insights gained could lead to improved iridoid production efficiency in medicinal plants, ultimately benefiting the quality and efficacy of medicinal materials.

Examining the associations between high achievement in reading and school climate: evidence from five South American countries

An emergent literature has shown that some students overcome adversities related to their low Socio-Economic Status (SES) by attaining high academic achievement. One of the aims of this literature is to identify the factors that explain the capacity of students from low SES backgrounds to attain high academic achievement. However, upon reviewing this literature, I observed that few studies have comparatively investigated the associations between the capacity of students from low SES backgrounds to attain high achievement in reading and school climate characteristics. Additionally, I found that not many studies have researched whether student SES moderates these associations. This paper contributes to fill these two gaps by estimating associations between high achievement in reading and school climate characteristics. Moreover, it examines whether student SES moderates these associations. To do this, this research estimated logit and heterogeneous choice models using representative samples of students from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay who participated in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results show that high achievement in reading is positively correlated to certain teaching practices, such as perceived teacher enthusiasm during the instruction and adapting instruction to students’ needs. Conversely, it is negatively correlated to teacher feedback and teacher-directed instruction. Furthermore, the findings indicate that high achievement in reading is negatively correlated to the scarcity and low quality of educational material. Interestingly, the results show that student SES does not moderate these associations. In conclusion, these findings indicate that interventions targeting these areas of school climate may help to increase students’ probability of attaining high achievement in reading, regardless of their SES. Likewise, these results suggest that if these interventions are focused in low SES schools, they may contribute to bridge the gap in reading skills between students from low and middle or high socioeconomic backgrounds.

Effect of various processing parameters on the properties of ZnO thin films

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films are essential in opto-/piezo-electronics due to their transparency, high electron mobility, wide bandgap (∼3.37 eV), and high excitonic binding energy (60 meV). Effects of processing parameters on ZnO thin films, such as the molarity, ageing, thickness, and calcination temperature, on the microstructural and optical properties deposited by sol-gel spin-coating are investigated under one roof. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the polycrystalline nature of all films, along with a dominant orientation (002) plane, indicating the formation of a c-axis oriented hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO regardless of the processing parameters. Peak intensities varied for all samples and exhibited the highest peak intensity annealed at 500 °C, which correlates with the increase in crystallite size from 15.93 to 16.41 nm due to a decrease in defect density via the thermal expansion. 0.4 M aged solution over 70 h showed the variation in the crystallite size and dislocation density, indicating the improvements in the thin film quality. Thickness-dependent ZnO thin films also improved the crystallinity, which was confirmed by high peak intensities. Decreasing the Urbach energy (Eu) of 0.4 M solution indicates reduced lattice imperfections/defects and high electronic quality of thin-film materials. Deposited ZnO films with an ageing time of 70 h and thickness of 109 nm exhibit the highest refractive index of 3.9 and 2.6, indicating light interaction and optimal density. The optimized conditions of sol-gel derived ZnO thin films augment the ease of development of economic devices for practical implications in opto-/piezo-electronics.

Negative Effects of Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Animal Feed and Biological Methods of Their Detoxification: A Review.

Secondary metabolic products of molds, called mycotoxins, negatively affect animal health and production. They constitute a significant problem in veterinary and medical sciences, and their presence has been confirmed in feed all over the world. Applying appropriate agricultural practices and ensuring proper storage conditions significantly reduces the contamination of agricultural products with mycotoxins. However, this does not guarantee that raw materials are completely free from contamination. Many detoxification methods are currently used, but their insufficient effectiveness and negative impact on the quality of the raw material subjected to them significantly limits their usefulness. The positive results of eliminating mycotoxins from many products have been proven by the specific properties of microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, and fungi) and the enzymes they produce. Biological detoxification methods seem to offer the most promising opportunities to solve the problem of the presence of mycotoxins in animal food. This work, based on literature data, presents the health risks to farm animals consuming mycotoxins with feed and discusses the biological methods of their purification.

Assessing the Quality of Patient Education Materials on Cardiac Catheterization From Artificial Intelligence Chatbots: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Health literacy empowers patients to participate in their own healthcare. Personal health literacy is one's ability to find, understand, and use information/resources to make well-informed health decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a source for the acquisition of health-related information through large language model (LLM)-driven chatbots. Assessment of the readability and quality of health information produced by these chatbots has been the subject of numerous studies to date. This study seeks to assess the quality of patient education materials on cardiac catheterization produced by AI chatbots. Methodology We asked a set of 10 questions about cardiac catheterization to four chatbots: ChatGPT (OpenAI, San Francisco, CA), Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA), Google Gemini (Google DeepMind, London, UK), and Meta AI (Meta, New York, NY). The questions and subsequent answers were utilized to make patient education materials on cardiac catheterization. The quality of these materials was assessed using two validated instruments for patient education materials: DISCERN and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). Results The overall DISCERN scores were 4.5 for ChatGPT, 4.4 for Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, and 3.8 for Meta AI. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini tied for the highest reliability score at 4.6, while Meta AI had the lowest with 4.2. ChatGPT had the highest quality score at 4.4, while Meta AI had the lowest with 3.4. ChatGPT and Google Gemini had Understandability scores of 100%, while Meta AI had the lowest with 82%. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini all had Actionability scores of 75%, while Meta AI had one of 50%. Conclusions ChatGPT produced the most reliable and highest quality materials, followed closely by Google Gemini. Meta AI produced the lowest quality materials. Given the easy accessibility that chatbots provide patients and the high-quality responses that we obtained, they could be a reliable source for patients to obtain information about cardiac catheterization.

Evaluation of Radiopacity of Calcium Silicate-Based and Resin-Based Materials Using Direct Digital Radiography Along With an Aluminium Step Wedge.

Background Radiopacity is a critical property for root canal sealers as it allows for the assessment of the material's placement and quality within the root canal system on radiographic images. The study aimed to evaluate the radiopacity of calcium silicate-based and resin-based materials using direct digital radiography, employing an aluminium step wedge according toAmerican National Standards Institute/International Organization for Standardization (ANSI/ISO) standard protocols for testing the radiopacity of root canal sealers. This study seeks to determine the effectiveness of these materials in meeting the required standards for clinical use. Methodology The materials tested were AH Plus, Apexit Plus, Biodentine and MTA Fillapex in circular disc form and radiographed alongsidethe aluminium step wedge using direct digital radiography to determine the radiopacity using grey-pixel values. All the materials, viz., AH Plus, Apexit Plus, Biodentine and MTA Fillapex were found satisfactorily radiopaque and met the minimum radiopacity standard, that is, minimum 3mm of aluminium recommended by ANSI/American Dental Association (ADA) Specification No. 57. Results AH Plus exhibited the highest radiopacity with values of 222.54 mm Al Eq (isodensity) and 220.88 mm Al Eq (densitometric), significantly surpassing Apexit Plus, Fillapexand Biodentine (p < 0.001). Apexit Plus and Fillapex showed no significant difference between them (p = 0.238), but both were significantly higher than Biodentine (p < 0.001). Biodentine had the lowest radiopacity among all the sealers tested. Conclusion All the tested materials met the ANSI/ADA minimum radiopacity standard, demonstrating their suitability for clinical use. The materials varied in their levels of radiopacity, demonstrating that they are adequately visible on radiographic images for effective assessment in root canal treatments.

Effects of pre‐deacidification on 3‐MCPDE and GE contents of high‐acid oils during refining

SummaryCrude fats and oils may have high free fatty acid (FFA) content depending on raw material quality and processing conditions. Their refining is always a challenge due to refining loss and the formation of some process contaminants such as 3‐monochloropropane‐1,2‐diol esters (3‐MCPDE), and glycidyl esters (GE). In this study, crude hazelnut oil having 12.10% FFA was degummed, bleached, and pre‐deacidified by a molecular distillation (MD) unit before neutralisation and deodorisation. Changes in FFA, diglyceride(DG), 3‐MCPDE, GE, and tocopherol contents were monitored. Almost no changes were detected in FFA and DG contents during degumming and bleaching while the latter resulted in the 3‐MCPDE formation and GE reduction. Some tocopherol losses were also observed after these steps. On the other hand, a huge amount of FFA was distilled (from 12.10% to 1.71%) by the MD process performed at 200 °C, 0.25 mbar, as well as with a 53.6% loss of tocopherol. The samples were then subjected to deodorisation before (MD‐PHY) and after neutralisation (MD‐CHE) at 230 °C under 2 mbar absolute pressure for 2, 4, and 8 h. While some 3‐MCPDE and GE formations were detected during MD‐CHE, there were almost no formations in these contaminants after MD‐PHY. When the bleached oil having 12.10% FFA was also directly deodorised at given conditions, no formations but some reductions in 3‐MCPDE and GE contents of the oils were determined, possibly because of esterification of FFA with DGs that are an important precursor of these contaminants.

Abstract B025: Assessing the content and quality of online patient education material on clinical trials from NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers

Abstract Background: Online patient educational material on cancer clinical trials is available on NCI- designated comprehensive cancer center websites and official YouTube channels. Online health information is an important resource for patients seeking to learn more about treatment options. Objective: Examine the quality and content themes in online patient educational material (PEM) related to cancer clinical trials published by comprehensive cancer centers. Methods: A random sample of comprehensive cancer centers (21) was chosen to represent the national network of cancer centers. Each website was searched for webpages containing patient-oriented clinical trial information. Official YouTube channels were also searched for relevant video material. Each webpage and video (N=196) were assessed for quality and content themes. Quality was measured using an abbreviated Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool which scores understandability and actionability of text and audio-visual materials, and content themes were assessed by the use of a content characteristic codebook. Results: Common content themes in the sample (N=196) of online PEM from comprehensive cancer centers were defines purpose of trials, physician speaker, animated or illustrated elements, and defines phases of trials. Online PEM had an average score of 83 for understandability and 26 for actionability, an area for improvement. Only 10% of materials reviewed scored high for understandability (&amp;gt;90) and for actionability (&amp;gt;70). Online webpages that mixed text and video scored highest on the quality assessment. Video-only content scored lowest on the quality assessment. Only a small percentage of PEM included FAQs (10%), instructions on how to find a trial (16%), mentioned consent (14%) or costs associated with trials (12%). Mentions or depictions of minority populations were not commonly observed in the material (11%). Conclusions: Online PEM published by comprehensive cancer centers is an important and easily accessible resource for patients looking to learn more about clinical trials. Cancer centers should add various audio-visual formats and interactive tools to their webpages to increase the quality of the clinical trial resources. Including representation of historically underserved populations and adding actionable advice for patients has the potential to engage patients’ interest and increase enrollment in cancer clinical trials. Citation Format: Trista Beard, Diana Morales, Fatimata Sanogo, Chanita Hughes Halbert. Assessing the content and quality of online patient education material on clinical trials from NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B025.

Performance and Evaluation of Hanski 227 Oriental Tobacco in Dak Lak Region, Vietnam from 2022 - 2024

With the results of selecting Oriental tobacco varieties suitable for natural conditions in Vietnam, with potential for raw material quality and raw material production capacity in Vietnam, from 6 oriental tobacco varieties originating from Bulgaria, the Tobacco Institute has been testing in Ninh Thuan province from 2019 to 2021, and Dak Lak from 2021 to 2022. The results of the trial planting show that oriental tobacco varieties are good growth, and are quite suitable for the soil and climate conditions in Ninh Thuan and Dak Lak provinces, and have selected 2 the best oriental tobacco varieties as Basma 16 and Hanski 227. In which, Hanski 227 variety is evaluated to have outstanding prospects due to its good growth ability, high yield, characteristic aroma and good smoking properties. The Hanski 227 variety has less harvested leaves, larger leaf size and mass than Basma 16 variety, so the labor costs for cultivation, harvesting and preliminary processing are lower. To evaluate the ability to expand the oriental area in Vietnam, we continue to trial planting the Hanski 227 oriental variety in Dak Lak in 2023 - 2024, with a fertilizer level and a planting density corresponding to 50N + 30P2O5 + 80K2O (N: NH4NO3, P: (Ca(H2PO4)2 and K: K2SO4) and 110,000 plants/ha. The experimental trial results show the Hanski 227 variety has good growth, high yield, and good quality, with yield fluctuating 1.52 - 1.66 tons/ha, nicotine content: 0.81 - 1.38%, and reducing sugar content: 8.9 - 12.1%, and the oriental material has a characteristic aroma and good smoking properties. Based on the trial results shows that the quality of Hanski 227 grown in Dak Lak are the same the oriental tobacco importing from Bulgaria, Türkiye and Greece. Therefore, the Dak Lak province is the most suitbale region for producing good quality oriental tobacco in Vietnam compared to Ninh Thuan region. Because materials in Ninh Thuan has the high clorua content reducing material quality. In 2025, we continue to grow the Hanski 227 oriental tobacco variety in Dak Lak region on a large area and complete the preliminary processing process, with the goal of producing Oriental tobacco raw materials domestically, with appropriate production costs.

Pavement performance and model studies with modified bitumen binder

Flexible pavements experience premature deterioration due to several factors, such as high volumes of traffic, repeated wheel loads, overloading, adverse weather conditions, inferior quality of materials, and other related issues. One of the most commonly found types of distress is rutting, which severely affects pavement performance; hence, the prediction of rutting behaviour is crucial. Research has been done by adding various industrial wastes, chemicals, additives, and modifiers such as rubber, natural rubber, polymers, and waste plastic into the bitumen. These materials are expected to have a substantial impact on enhancing the strength, durability, and performance of pavement while simultaneously reducing the cost of construction. The present research deals with a laboratory investigation of bituminous mixes using both Marshall stability and rutting tests. The performance tests were carried out by Roller Compactor cum Rut Analyzer (RCRA) equipment and Finite Element (FE) analysis in ABAQUS. The experimental findings show that the modified bitumen exhibits 48% greater strength and 20% more resistance to rutting than the conventional bituminous mixes. The model analysis was successfully validated by experimental results. The findings of the research resulted in the development of a mathematical equation that helps to calculate in-service pavement rut depth.

Revolutionizing Wing-in-Ground Effect: Investigating Structural Rigidity

The Wing-in-ground (WIG) effect aircraft utilize the ground effect to maintain flight above water or another surface while minimizing continuous contact with the ground. The propulsion of this aircraft primarily relies on the aerodynamic lift generated by specially designed wings, hulls, or other components that harness the ground effect phenomenon. The problem statement that occurs once conventional boats fail to successfully carry out the mission of intercepting intruders trespassing on national waterways. Due to inherent constraints in watercraft technical standards, existing watercraft technology lacks the power to pursue intruders to their full extent. To further improve the WIG craft operation, we propose enhancing its performance by using materials with better mechanical qualities and optimizing the construction to lower its overall size. These enhancements aim to bolster the WIG craft's capabilities and enable more efficient and effective interception of intruders in water environments. This research aims to investigate structural material qualities suited for WIG effect application and structural rigidity characteristics, with a particular focus on the joining model. In order to accomplish these objectives, the study utilizes Solidworks simulation to replicate the WIG craft model. The static simulation involves testing four different parameters: Models A, B, C, and D. The key focus during the model simulation is varying the types of connections used. The simulation data is then examined to estimate the strength of the material structure. The material applied to the WIG craft structure is S-glass fiber and 6061 aluminum alloy. Model D produced acceptable values for the least maximum stress, strain, and resultant displacement, among other models. The maximum stress value of Model D is 1,601 MPa, which does not exceed the tensile strength of the material. For the rigidity analysis in operating conditions, the Solidworks flow simulation is conducted. The manipulated variable for flow simulation is the velocity of airflow. The velocities conducted are 60 km/h, 90 km/h, 120 km/h, 15 km/h and 180 km/h. The flow simulation shows the maximum total pressure exerted on the structure, where the highest velocity produced is 103433 Pa. From both static and airflow simulation, it was concluded that the WIG craft model has good rigidity in terms of withstanding the external load and airflow pressure during the cruising conditions proposed.

Electrophoretic analysis of proteins from raw materials and commercial diets used in animal feed

In aquaculture, balanced feed accounts for 50% to 70% of the operational costs of cultivating aquatic organisms. This feed is made from various raw materials that serve as protein sources, which significantly influence the final cost of the feed. Therefore, an electrophoretic study was conducted to compare the protein content in different raw materials and commercial diets used in animal feed. Electrophoretic profiles with standard concentration gels (SDS-PAGE) were used to separate protein fractions from animal-origin raw materials, including Earthworm Meals of Eisenia andrei (HLF) and Eisenia fetida (HLT), meat-bone meal (MBM), and fish meal (FM), as well as plant-origin meals, such as Leucaena leaf meal (LLM), corn meal (YCM), and wheat bran (WBM). Commercial diets (A, B, and C) were also evaluated. The protein content of the samples was determined. For electrophoretic analysis, a protease inhibitor cocktail was used, along with a molecular weight standard with a range from 250 to 4 kDa. The molecular weights of the diets ranged between 31.1 and 234.1 kDa, 36.3 and 190.4 kDa, and 4.281 and 95.685 kDa. Some of the protein bands in the analyzed samples (HLF, HLT, FM, YCM, and WBM) were very close to the reference protein bands at 148, 98, 64, 50, and 36 kDa, corresponding to the molecular weight standard used. Electrophoretic characterization provided insight into the different protein fractions, offering valuable information about their potential functional and nutritional properties. Electrophoresis is an essential analytical tool for assessing both the quality and safety of raw materials and foods.