Percentage Of Shrinkage Research Articles

Mechanical and Physical Properties of Cross-Laminated Timber Made from Batai using Different Glue Spread Amounts

This study aimed to determine the mechanical and physical properties of the Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) glued with different amounts of glue. Cost of glue is the outmost importance where it will help in reducing the CLT manufacturing cost. Four different amounts of glue spread were used where the glue that used was phenol-resorcinol formaldehyde (PRF);150, 200, 250 and 300g/m2. The testing of the CLT was conducted by following BS EN 408:2010, BS EN 16351:2015, ASTM D 2718 method B, ASTM D 143-94 and Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) 1152:2007. The analysis of physical tests that have been carried out are density, moisture content, shrinkage and swelling of the CLT’s thickness. Meanwhile, the mechanical tests were compression parallel and perpendicular to the grain, three-point bending test (flatwise and edgewise of CLT) and shear test. The highest density was shown by the CLT that using 300 g/m2 which the value was 316.41 kg/m3. Whereas the highest moisture content was shown by CLT that used 250 g/m2 with 15.49% in value. The highest thickness shrinkage percentage was 2.50%, CLT with 200g/m2 while the highest thickness swelling percentage was 5.60% which the CLT used 150 g/m2. For the flatwise bending test, it shows that the CLT that used 300 g/m2 has the highest MOE and MOR value which were 510.63N/mm2 and 8.39 N/mm2. The MOE and MOR value for edgewise bending also shows that CLT that used 300 g/m2 was the best with 1528.70 N/mm2and 13.48 N/mm2. In compression perpendicular to grain test, the CLT with 150 g/m2 shows the highest value of MOE which was 5.89 N/mm2 while CLT that used 200 g/m2 has the highest value of compressive strength with 9.10N/mm2. However, for compression parallel to grain test, the CLT that used 300 g/m2 shows the best performance with 1002.78 N/mm2 and 13.75 N/mm2 of MOE and compressive strength value. Lastly, for the shear test, the highest shear strength value was 0.39 N/mm2 which belongs to CLT that used 150 g/m2. Thus, CLT that used 300 g/m2 of glue spread amount is the best CLT which, the more the amount of glue, the better the performance of the CLT.

Characterization of 3D Printed Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Parts for Use in Prostheses.

The main aim of the present paper is to study and analyze surface roughness, shrinkage, porosity, and mechanical strength of dense yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) samples obtained by means of the extrusion printing technique. In the experiments, both print speed and layer height were varied, according to a 22 factorial design. Cuboid samples were defined, and three replicates were obtained for each experiment. After sintering, the shrinkage percentage was calculated in width and in height. Areal surface roughness, Sa, was measured on the lateral walls of the cuboids, and total porosity was determined by means of weight measurement. The compressive strength of the samples was determined. The lowest Sa value of 9.4 μm was obtained with low layer height and high print speed. Shrinkage percentage values ranged between 19% and 28%, and porosity values between 12% and 24%, depending on the printing conditions. Lowest porosity values correspond to low layer height and low print speed. The same conditions allow obtaining the highest average compressive strength value of 176 MPa, although high variability was observed. For this reason, further research will be carried out about mechanical strength of ceramic 3D printed samples. The results of this work will help choose appropriate printing conditions extrusion processes for ceramics.

Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics And Cost of Gain of Awassi And Karadi Lambs Slaughtered at Different Weight

The study was carried out to investigate the effect of slaughter weights on growth performance, carcass characteristics and cost of gain of Awassi and Karadi ram lambs. Fifteen male lambs from either Karadi or Awassi were randomly blocked by live weight into three different slaughter weight groups (30, 40 and 50kg). Each lamb was kept in individual pen and offered an iso energetic and iso nitrogenous concentrate diet ad libitum. Lambs were slaughtered once they reached a target weight. Results reported the weight at slaughter increased for both breeds, there were significant reductions in average daily gain, bone percent, lean: fat ratio and increase in rib eye area, feed conversion ratio, fat tail weight and fat thickness. Moreover, Awassi lambs had a higher (p<0.01) dressing percentage 1 (49.41±0.32vs.47.69±0.66%) and 2 (58.32±0.45 vs. 56.06±0.51%), fat thickness (3.10±0.24 vs. 2.46±0.15mm) and loin percentage (8.74±0.11 vs. 8.11±0.07%) than Karadi lambs. In contrast, Karadi lambs had a higher (p<0.01) proportion of bone and lean: fat ratio and lower (p<0.01) proportion of fat than Awassi lambs. There was no significant differences in daily weight gains, rib eye area, the empty body weight, fat tail weight and shrinkage percent between breeds. In conclusion, the optimal slaughter weight is 40kg for both Awassi and Karadi lambs and cost of gain of Awassi lambs was lower than Karadi lambs and from economic trends lambs slaughtered at 30kg had higher profit potential

DSC Assessment on Curing Degree of Micron-scaled Adhesive Layer in Lamination-pressed Flexible Printed Circuit Panels

Continuous monitoring and optimisation of the lamination process are critical in negating flexible printed circuit (FPC) delamination risk during operation. The main QC inspection criterion of the lamination adhesive’s curing degree is adhesive thickness. However, this method is prone to measurement error due to poor microscopy image definition and the inspector’s measurement parallax error. The feasibility of using thermal characterisation to measure the difference in curing degrees of micron-scaled adhesive layer of laminated FPC was investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used according to IPC standards. Polyimide-epoxy adhesive coverlays were laminated onto both sides of FPC at 120 kgf/cm2 pressure and 180 °C temperature for 120 s. Then, the coverlays were subjected to oven curing at 150 °C for 60 min. The DSC detected a small difference in the curing degree of adhesive layers in the two cured FPC laminated in different laminating-press openings (T1 and T2). T2 had a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 106.5 °C, which was higher than that for T1 (105 °C), thereby suggesting that the former had a higher curing degree than the latter. This result was consistent with the adhesive thickness measurement result of the DSC samples. The adhesive thickness of T2 was smaller (30.97 µm) than that of the T1 (31.76 µm). T2 had a higher curing degree than T1 because of the larger shrinkage percentage. In comparison with DSC, TGA was unable to detect the curing degree difference between the samples because of the undetected weight loss resulting from the adhesive curing.

USING OF COCONUT MILK IN THE PRODUCTION OF ICE MILK

This study was conducted for the purpose of making milk ice cream free from lactose and to demonstrate the effect of replacing cows' milk with coconut milk on the general characteristics of the product, as it was observed in samples made from coconut milk a high percentage of total solids, a slight increase in the percentage of fat and a decrease in the percentage of total sugars. While the percentage of protein and ash increased, so did the pH value of the mixture, and the percentage of the restorative acidity of the product decreased, and The specific weight of the mixture and the product decreased, the relative viscosity increased, the percentage of rent increased, the percentage of shrinkage increased, the product's resistance to melting increased, the caloric content of the product increased, and the degrees of sensory evaluation increased with the increase in the substitution ratios with coconut milk, and the total number of bacteria, coliform and Staph bacteria increased. aureus in coconut milk samples.

Product Comparison between Local Product and Technology Aided Mambong Pottery

There are various traditional Malay potteries such as Labu Sayong, Buyung and Terenang. Kelantan traditional pottery known as Mambong. The objectives of this research are to compare and characterize the density, strength, physical appearance and shrinkage of traditional and slip casted Mambong pottery. Traditional Mambong pottery has been brought from the potter at Mambnog village and slip casted Mambong pottery is made by using slip casting method. Density of sample is measured by using Archimedes principal. Traditional Mambong pottery show the higher value of density compared to slip casting Mambong pottery. The average value of density for traditional Mambong pottery was 1.763 g/cm3, while the average value of density for Mambong pottery that was fabricated via slip casting was 1.461 g/cm3. Due to the presence of iron in clay, the colour of Mambong pottery changes from brown to reddish-brown after firing process. Traditional Mambong pottery shows the higher percentage of dry shrinkage which was 9.76 % compared to slip casting Mambong pottery which was 5.72 %. Traditional Mambong pottery also shows the higher percentage of fired shrinkage which was 1 % compared to slip casting Mambong pottery which was 0.58 %. In conclusion, by using slip casting technique, density, physical appearance and shrinkage of pottery can be improved.

Shrinkage pattern assessment for black pine juvenile wood delimitation

Juvenile wood is associated with shrinkage and a high probability of warping and checks in end products, reducing their value and even causing them to be rejected for structural purposes. This work studies the variations in yearly shrinkage caused when wood passes from green to dry state. The methodology proposed is based on the juvenile wood (JW) location using annual shrinkage variations. Pinus nigra Arn. grown using different silviculture techniques was chosen for study because its wood is characterized by severe shrinkage problems. This characteristic is analyzed in the radial and angular directions, of which the latter is a different methodology for evaluating warping problem rather than the commonly used ratio of anisotropy. It takes into account the annual measurements obtained from a disc cut from the tree trunk at various heights. The results were compared with the segregated JW and mature wood (MW) area obtained by radial densitometry pattern variation methodology. The results show that radial shrinkage is higher near the pith but stabilizes earlier (3–7 rings) than angular shrinkage (9–11 rings). Nevertheless, the opposite initial radial pattern occurs in angular shrinkage, which is low near the pith but increases annually towards the bark until it stabilizes. No clear effect of height in the tree when comparing the radial shrinkage patterns obtained along the bole can be defined. Silviculture practices have no significant influence on shrinkage percentage. Shrinkage and densitometry methodologies show differences in the quantification of JW volume percentage between JW and MW estimation. Results show that radial shrinkage pattern methodology, which is associated with warping problems, classifies a higher tree volume as good quality for end uses in comparison to the use of radial densitometry pattern methodology. On the other hand, if classified by radial densitometry pattern variation, warping problems associated with JW should not be a problem when sawn.

Effects of ozone treatment on denim garment properties

AbstractThe conventional denim washing process is considered to be the most polluting in the textile industry. This sector uses huge amounts of water, energy and chemicals, and generates a lot of wastewater with a high pollution load. For this reason, other types of washing treatment have been discovered. Among these treatments, we can specify the ozone treatment, which is sustainable and economical. In this study, ozone treatment was applied to denim fabric samples to improve the effect of the washing conditions on the appearance and physical characteristics of the fabrics. Bagging resistance, force at break, shrinkage, spectroscopy testing, rubbing fastness evaluation and Fourier Transform–infrared analysis of the treated and untreated denim fabrics (which did not undergo desizing treatment) were analysed and investigated. To study the individual and main effects and significance of input parameters, the Taguchi design was used. Based on the obtained results, ozone treatment increased the whiteness value of treated fabrics. Moreover, it induced certain changes to the physical, mechanical and bagging properties of denim fabrics. The loss of force at break and the percentage of shrinkage reached 30.11% and 15.15%, respectively. The bagging resistance indicated a significant decrease of up to 40.17% after ozone treatment.

Multifunctional composites obtained from the combination of a conductive polymer with different contents of primary battery waste powders

A new multifunctional and sustainable composite material manufactured from a vinyl-acrylic resin mixed with primary battery waste (BW) powders in 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt% contents. The waste was obtained from a recycling company as a byproduct of the primary batteries grinding process (alkaline and zinc carbon batteries), which was mainly composed by graphite, manganese oxide, and zinc oxide. The characterization was conducted by scanning electronic microscopy, density, hardness, compression strength, x-ray diffraction and FTIR tests. Dimension stability tests were conducted in order to determine the shrinkage percentage. Sensors were built in three different electrode geometries, in order to evaluate the piezoresistivity of the developed formulations. It was found in this research that the compound with the highest BW content showed the highest modulus of elasticity, corresponding to 2.28 MPa; the shrinkage for the specimen with 0%BW was 68.37% and the specimens with BW content (5, 10, 15, and 20%BW) the shrinkage was 15.97%. The maximum conductivity was reached by the compound with 10% BW and was approximately 0.01 S/m. These results showed a promising waste derived material able to use in electronics, inexpensive, and with a very positive impact for the environment. A statistical analysis of the piezoresistivity variables of each sensor was performed using RStudio software. For resistivity, the variable that affects the sensor the most is the amount of battery residue; while for the final resistance and sensitivity, the most important variable is the geometry of the sensor. The percolation threshold is nearly to 5 wt% BW.

Response of Sweet Potato Storability with Different Pre-storage Treatments at Ambient Temperature

The storage of sweet potato tuberous roots in tropical countries is a major challenge to farmers and retailers due to unfavourable climatic conditions. In this study, the storage performance of sweet potato roots in an ambient condition was investigated over a 12-week duration. The three different pre-storage treatments used were ash, alkaline solution (1.5 mol dm-3) and Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) extract – to evaluate their effects on weight loss, shrinkage, weevil damage and sprouting. The control comprised tubers with no pre-treatment. It was observed that weight loss increased linearly from the inception of storage while shrinkage became apparent only after two (2) weeks. The percentage shrinkage of the tuber pre-treated with Siam weed increased at decreasing rate from 8 WAP. Treatment of tuber with Siam weed extract provided significantly higher protection against weevil damage (p > 0.05). After this, sprouting was initiated. By the 12th week, the Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) extract treatment yielded better results. The Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) treatment also recorded the lowest weight loss of 28% and lowest shrinkage of 2.8%. It also sustained less weevil damage at 33.5% compared with the other treatments. Sprouting was higher in the tuber without pre-storage treatment. The alkaline solution and ash treatments had varied degree of performance for all the indicators.
 Keywords: Sweet potato storability, Ambient condition, Pre-storage treatment, Chromolaena odorata

Effects of collection zones and storage on hatchability and survival of feral helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris galleata pallas) eggs

The desire to shore up the shortfall in protein supply, the increased awareness of the importance of cholesterol free animal protein, like guineafowl, and the need to conserve their wild genes, have necessitated studies on improved captive breeding of feral helmeted guineafowl. Hence, this study was aimed at determining the effects of ecological zones and storage systems on the guineafowl eggs. Guineafowl eggs (n=214), were collected from identified and monitored-nests within the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP) and Old Oyo National Park (OONP). Out of 91 eggs collected from KLNP, 32 and 38 were stored at room temperature (RT-21-25°C) and refrigerator (RF-17-20°C), respectively for five days prior to incubation while 21 eggs were not stored (NS-27-29°C), and out of 123 collected from OONP, 70 and 19 were stored for five days prior to incubation at (RT-21-25°C) and (RF-17-20°C), respectively while 34 eggs were (NS- 27-29°C). Prior to incubation, eggs were weighed, the height and width were measured. The process was repeated after incubation for unhatched eggs. Candling was done three days before hatching at day 29 of egg incubation. Embryo status of unhatched eggs was determined by cracking the eggs. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The NS eggs from Kainji (7.60%) and Oyo (2.01%) had the lowest percentage shrinkage in weight across the three storage systems. The order was reversed in height with RF eggs from Kainji (0.96%) and Oyo (0.46%) having lowest. The least shrinkage in width of eggs from Oyo was recorded in the RF eggs (0.00%) and in NS (0.59%) from Kainji. Eggs candling showed that presumed fertile (opaque) was highest (69.10%) in NS eggs followed by RT (45.00%). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the hatchability of eggs from the two parks though hatchability (7.60%) of Kainji eggs was higher than those of Oyo (7.40%). Further check on fertilization after incubation showed that RT (37.50%) eggs from Kainji were fertilized but were unable to hatch alive so also was RF eggs (21.10%). The study showed that the eggs sizes vary with ecozones while size of the eggs and storage systems affects hatchability and survival of feral helmeted guineafowl eggs in captivity.
 Keywords: Guineafowl; ecozones; storage systems; incubation; candling; hatchability

Changes in size of European hake larvae and conversion factors for different preservation mediums

The objective of this study was to determine how preservation methods affect the standard length (SL, mm) of European hake larvae. We used five fixative methods: (i) freezing in seawater at −20°C; (ii) RNAlater at −80°C; (iii) 4% borax-buffered formalin; (iv) freezing with liquid nitrogen and (v) 95% ethanol. Standard length hake larvae were initially measured and individually fixed in each of the five fixatives. To evaluate the effect of the time preserved in each one, we obtained the SL of larvae for a second time after three different preservation periods: 15, 44 and 91 days. To assess the effect of initial size on final shrinkage, we analysed two groups of larvae born in captivity, 15 and 24 days post hatching respectively. Most shrinkage occurred within the first period of preservation in all fixatives, the preservation time having no effect on the percentage of shrinkage for any preservative. However, initial SL affects the percentage of shrinkage depending on the fixative used. We suggest five correlation equations to convert an initial SL into a final contracted size of hake larvae for each fixative.

Underwater friction stir welding of PC: Experimental study and thermo-mechanical modelling

In underwater friction stir welding (UFSW), the thermal conditions between the tool and the plasticized polymeric materials and the relation between glass transition temperatures remain unclear. In this work, a developed coupled 3D thermo-chemical-mechanical numerical model was applied to simulate the UFSW process of polymeric materials. A computational fluid dynamic analysis was conducted for the evolution of the pressure, viscosity and temperatures properties on submerged situation. The numerical model is able to prediction of shrinkage percentage and formation of air gap on the joint stir zone (SZ) by evolution of the mixed slipping/sticking contact conditions at tool/workpiece interface. The simulation results were validated with experimental data on polycarbonate (PC) polymer. It was found that, higher cooling capability of water leads to lower heat concentration on the joint line and consequently, during traverse movement of UFSW tool, the materials viscosity in the leading edge was higher than FSW case. Higher viscosity materials caused the ∼6.8 % lower heat generation and smaller SZ at UFSWed sample. It is shown that the material stirring in FSW joint is higher than UFSW that leads the higher shrinkage percentage and air gap formation. On the other hand, the immersing situation caused the water droplet diffuse into SZ of the UFSW sample. The crystallinity and chemical structural changes of PC in submerged situations were lower than conventional FSW joint, and consequently, the tensile properties and hardness of the welded sample improves in UFSW joint.

Plasma EGFR mutation abundance affects clinical response to first-line EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

BackgroundActivated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is the main pathogenic cause of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Asia. However, the impact of plasma EGFR mutation abundance, especially of the ultra-low abundance of EGFR mutation detected by highly sensitive techniques on clinical outcomes of first-line EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for advanced NSCLC patients remains unclear.MethodsWe qualitatively detected baseline EGFR status of NSCLC tissues using amplification-refractory mutation system and quantified the plasma abundance of EGFR mutations through next-generation sequencing (NGS). Every 8–12 weeks, we performed dynamic detection of plasma mutation abundance and imaging evaluation. We analyzed the association between plasma abundance of EGFR sensitizing mutations, tumor size, tumor shrinkage percentage, concomitant TP53 mutations, and clinical response to TKIs.ResultsThis prospective study enrolled 135 patients with advanced NSCLC. The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) for EGFR mutation–positive patients were 50.0% and 87.0%, respectively. When the cutoff value of plasma EGFR mutation abundance was 0.1%, the ORRs of TKI-treated patients were significantly different (60.0% for the >0.1% group vs. 21.4% for the ≤0.1% group, P=0.028). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer for participants with a mutation abundance above 0.1% compared to those with a 0.01–0.1% abundance (log rank, P=0.0115). There was no significant association between plasma abundance of EGFR sensitizing mutations and tumor size, tumor shrinkage percentage, or concomitant TP53 mutations. Cox multivariate analysis demonstrated that plasma mutation abundance was an independent predictive factor for PFS [hazard ratio (HR) 2.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12–5.20; P=0.025]. We identified 11 participants with the acquired T790M resistance mutation according to serial dynamic plasma samples.ConclusionsLiquid biopsy screening based on highly sensitive NGS is reliable for detecting drug resistance and actionable somatic mutations. The plasma abundance of the EGFR driver mutation affected clinical response to EGFR-TKIs in advanced NSCLC patients; prolongation of PFS was also observed in patients with an ultra-low abundance of EGFR sensitizing mutations.

Clinical and Neuroimaging Features of Magnetic Resonance−Guided Stereotactic Laser Ablation for Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent Pediatric Brain Tumors: A Single Institutional Series

We describe our single-institutional experience with magnetic resonance-guided stereotactic laser ablation (SLA) for the treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent pediatric brain tumors. Eighteen consecutive ablation procedures were performed in 17 patients from March 2016-April 2020. Patient demographics, indications, procedures, neuroimaging features, and outcomes were reviewed retrospectively. Seventeen patients (mean age of 11.4 years, 11 boys, 6 girls) underwent SLA with a mean follow-up of 24 months (range: 3-45 months). Tumor histologies included pilocytic astrocytoma (n= 5), ganglioglioma (n= 3), low-grade glioma not otherwise specified (n= 4), glioblastoma (n= 2), meningioma (n= 1), medulloblastoma (n= 1), andmetastatic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (n= 1). SLA was first-line therapy in 10 patients. Mean procedure duration including anesthesia time was 328 minutes (range: 244-529 minutes), and mean postoperative length of stay was 1.5 days (range 1-5 days). The complication rate was 29%, which included 3 patients who experienced postoperative motor changes, which resolved within several weeks of surgery, 1 patient with self-limited intraoperative bradycardia and hypotension, and 1 patient who died postoperatively due to intracranial hemorrhage from a distant lesion. Twelve of 17 patients had a neuroimaging response after SLA (4 complete responses, 8 partial responses, 1 stable disease). Percentage of tumor shrinkage from baseline ranged from 33%-100% (mean 75%). Patients with low-grade glioma exhibited the best responses to SLA (range 3%-100% decrease; mean 90%; 36% complete response rate). SLA is a minimally invasive modality for the treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent low-grade pediatric brain tumors. Low-grade glioma exhibited the best responses. Identification of ideal candidates for SLA, mitigation of perioperative complications, and demonstration of long-term outcomes need to be better defined in a clinical trial setting.

Influence of product geometry and process variables on drying energy demand of vegetables: An experimental study

AbstractThe changing aspects of energy and its high demand during convective drying of food products prompted this present study, which aims at investigating the impact of product geometric shapes and process parameters on the energy demand of vegetables during convective drying. It considered three distinctive shapes (sphere, Sg; cylinder, Cg; and slab, Rg) of vegetables (cucumber, garden egg, and white carrot) at constant sample volume, dried in a laboratory convective dryer. The Box–Behnken Design tool was used to design the experiment and explored the effects of material geometries at varying drying conditions (air temperature: 50, 60, and 70°C; air velocity: 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 ms−1) on the total and specific drying energy demand, drying efficiency, percent product shrinkage, and drying time of the fresh vegetables. Results obtained revealed that the spherical‐shaped samples exhibited high moisture diffusion and gross reduction in drying time (120 min), thus greater potential for energy and drying system improvement. The values of the effective moisture diffusion,De(0.72 × 10−10≤De≤ 2.13 × 10−9m2s−1) increased with drying temperature, and the maximumDe‐value was obtained for the Sg‐carrot sample. The percent product shrinkage ranged between 78.66–94.73% for the Cg‐garden egg and Sg‐cucumber samples, respectively. The specific energy demand of the fresh cucumber, eggplant, and white carrot samples varied significantly (p>.005) with sample geometry. The maximum specific energy demand (16.38 ± 0.41 MJ/kgH2O, respectively) was obtained for the cylindrical shaped samples, whereas the minimum specific energy demand of 9.06 ± 0.24 MJ/kgH2O was yielded by the spherical shaped samples. The mean energy and drying efficiencies of the system ranged from 3.25 to 12.26% and 7.22 to 28.24%, respectively; whilst drying time ranged between 470 and 840 min. At the optimum process variables of 69.85°C, 1.22 ms−1, 0.999 geometric shape, and −0.9977 crop sample, the specific energy demand, drying time, drying efficiency, and percent shrinkage were found to be 14.21 ± 0.84 MJkg−1, 820 ± 9.00 min, 22.76 ± 0.74%, and 92.104 ± 1.00%, respectively. Prospects for future application and recommendations for further studies were suggested.Practical ApplicationsDespite the merits of artificial dryers, the food processing industry is still confronted with tremendous challenges of high energy demand and low process efficiency associated with the drying of food products, especially fruits and vegetables. Product physical attributes and drying conditions among other factors generally contribute to huge drying energy consumption, which affects the dried quality of the end product. The results of this study are of significant benefit to the food processing industries, as they may be applied in the design of efficient industrial crop dryers and optimized process guide for prolonged shelf life of processed food products, and enhanced process efficiency.

The shrinkage of orange slices during microwave drying and ohmic pretreatment

The present research was an attempt to investigate the effect of ohmic pretreatment on the shrinkage of orange slices during the microwave drying and check the effect of this heating process on the shrinkage percentage of the samples. Thomson oranges were chopped into 4-mm-thick slices and were then arranged in a way that they can fit into the ohmic heating system. The ohmic heating system consisted of a 10-mm-thick rectangular glass cell (11 × 8 × 15 cm3) with two 8 × 15 cm stainless steel electrodes and a voltage regulator. Samples were tested at three voltage gradients (30, 50, and 70 V) for 3, 5, and 7 min. After the heat treatment process, the orange slices were subjected to microwave drying at three power levels (90, 360, and 900 W). During the microwave drying process, samples were photographed and weighed at 1-min intervals to check the shrinkage percentages. The experiment was carried out with three replicates. The results showed that the use of ohmic heating system as pretreatment leads to a decline in the moisture content of orange slices. In other words, an increase in duration of heating (from 3 to 7 min) intensifies the moisture content reduction rate. During the microwave heating process, any rise in microwave power (from 90 to 900 W) led to intensification of orange slice shrinkage level. Practical applications The present research was carried out in an attempt to increase productivity of dehydration in the industrial sector and also in the fruit dehydration industry. This research was also an attempt to investigate and predict the shrinkage rate of orange slices subjected to microwave dehydration and investigate the effect of ohmic pretreatment on the shrinkage percentage of the specimens in an attempt to figure out if this method can be used as an alternative to other industrial methods.

00003 Volumetric assessment of cervical cancer tumor volume during definitive chemoradiation and the risk of early distant metastasis

ABSTRACT IMPACT: This study assesses patient and volumetric risk factors for distant recurrence within 6 months of completion of curative chemoradiation with brachytherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Initial tumor volume and tumor shrinkage velocity are prognostic of cure and survival after curative chemoradiation (CRT) for cervical cancer. We explored whether local tumor volumetric changes influence time to distant recurrences outside the radiation field. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with FIGO Stage IB-IVA cervical cancer treated with curative CRT and brachytherapy at a tertiary academic center with minimum 3 months follow up and standard post-treatment FDG-PET. Patients received 6 weekly fractions of brachytherapy interdigitated with external beam radiation and cisplatin. Tumor volumes were assessed by MRI at brachytherapy planning. Patients who developed distant metastasis were classified as earliest (3-6 months), early (6-24 months) or late (>24 months) following completion of CRT. Absolute and percent decrease in tumor volume for each fraction were calculated with respect to first brachytherapy volume. Fisher’s exact and Mann Whitney-U tests were used for comparison of categorical and continuous variables. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: 143 of 574 (25%) patients developed distant metastasis. Distribution of age, histology, FIGO 2018 stage, primary tumor SUVmax, treatment length, and pre/post treatment squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels were not associated in each group. Para-aortic lymph metastases were more common in patients with earliest distant recurrence (33% earliest, 26% early, 12% late, p=0.03). Median initial tumor volume in the earliest (n=24), early (n =29) and late (n=9) groups was 57, 28 and 40 mL, respectively (p=0.08); 57 (earliest) vs 30mL (early+late groups), p=0.04. Average mid treatment (fraction 4) and end of treatment (fraction 6) percent shrinkage was 80 (earliest) vs 73 (early+late), p=0.84 and 94 vs 92, p=0.95, respectively. Neither absolute nor percent tumor shrinkage differed between early vs. late groups. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Tumor volumetric changes during definitive chemoradiation were not associated with the timing of developing distant metastasis, which is linked to presence of lymph node metastasis and tumor volume at diagnosis.

Abstract PS3-12: Prediction of pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in early triple negative breast cancer patients by serial breast ultrasound examination

Abstract Background. Pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with a good prognosis and long-term survival in patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Imaging offers significant information in monitoring response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a complement to conventional tumor assessment by physical examination. Methods. This is a single institution, retrospective cohort study. The primary objective was to determine whether volumetric measurement by ultrasound examination, of the pre-treatment breast tumor size, post-cycle two, post-cycle four and at completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy predicted pCR. Tri-dimensional measurements were used to calculate the volume index. The percentage change between pre-treatment and cycle 2, pre-treatment and cycle 4, and pre-treatment and completion of treatment was calculated. Patients were treated with taxane, anthracycline, and alkylating agents based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A pCR was defined as the complete disappearance of the invasive cancer in the breast and absence of tumor in the axillary lymph nodes. A radiological complete response (rCR) was defined as no malignant legions detected by ultrasound (0mm). Receiving operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to determine the association between pCR and percentage of tumor shrinkage. Specificity was defined as the proportion of patients with a non-pCR that were correctly classified as non-responders by ultrasound measurement. Sensitivity was defined as the proportion of patients with a pCR that were correctly classified as complete responders by ultrasound assessment. Statistical analysis was performed using NCSS version 11 and statistical tests used the significance level of 0.05. Results. Seventy-eight TNBC patients with a median age of 48 years (range 27-85 years). The population’s tumor sizes were classified as T1 = 18 (23%), T2 = 54 (69%), T3 = 6 (8%). Positive glands in 33 (43%) patients and negative glands in 45 (57%) patients. Stage I = 11 (23%) patients, Stage IIA = 40 (51%) patients, stage IIB = 22 (28%) patients and stage III = 5 (6%) patients. The median volume pre-treatment was 18624mm3 (SD = 41284mm3). A pCR rate of 57% was documented. A 80% shrinkage of tumor, following the second cycle of chemotherapy, was associated with a pCR in 74% of responders (specificity 71%, sensitivity 70%). A 93% shrinkage following four cycles of chemotherapy was associated with a pCR in 73% of responders (specificity 62%, sensitivity 81%). A 97% shrinkage upon completion of chemotherapy was associated with a pCR in 70% of responders (specificity 45%, sensitivity 93%). A shrinkage of more than 90% was associated with a pCR in 93% pts (specificity 79%, sensitivity 66%). Radiological CR was associated with a pCR in 84% pts (specificity 70%, sensitivity 68%). Patients attaining a pCR had a mean volume of 877mm compared to patient not attaining a pCR with a mean volume of 833mm (p < 0,97088). Conclusion. The breast ultrasound is a useful, non-expensive, non-invasive test to monitor TNBC pts undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Measurement of the tumor by serial ultrasound is a useful predictor of pCR in these patients. Percentage shrinkage of more than 90% of the tumor at the completion of treatment, is more accurate in predicting pCR compared to radiological CR. Citation Format: Bernardo Rapoport, Teresa Smit, Liezl Heyman, Farhana Moosa, Carol Ann Benn. Prediction of pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in early triple negative breast cancer patients by serial breast ultrasound examination [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS3-12.

Improving the Appearance of a 3-Coat-1-Bake Coating Film by Minimizing the Shrinkage Difference between the Three Layers

The 3-coat-1-bake coating system has been widely employed in automobile body painting. This study examined whether the appearance (waviness) of the coating film can be improved by reducing the difference in the shrinkage percentage (by weight) between the primer surfacer and the basecoat and the clearcoat after flow/leveling stops in the clearcoat while baking. To delay the time of flow/leveling stops in the clearcoat (tC) and to reduce the difference in the shrinkage percentage between the basecoat and clearcoat, solventborne clearcoats were prepared by blocking all or part of the isocyanate group with 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (DMP). tC was measured using the electric-field tweezers system while baking at 140 °C. The respective shrinkage percentages of the primer surfacer, basecoat, and clearcoat (ωS, ωB, and ωC, respectively) were measured after tC. tC increased as the DMP content of the solventborne clearcoat increased. The ωC value is lower than the ωS and ωB values when the DMP content is zero; however, the ωC value increased when tC increased, and the ωS and ωB values decreased as tC increased. Wavescan Wa, Wb, Wc, and Wd decreased (i.e., improved the appearance) as |ωS − ωB| + |ωB − ωC| decreased. We confirmed that reducing the difference in the shrinkage percentage between the primer surfacer, basecoat, and clearcoat after tC is an effective way to improve the appearance.