Product Form Research Articles

Peculiarities of Emulsions Stabilized by Stimuli-Responsive Interpenetrating Polymeric Network Microgels.

Emulsions have become a crucial product form in various industries in modern times. Expanding the class of substances used to stabilize emulsions can improve their stability or introduce new properties. Particularly, the use of stimuli-responsive microgels makes it possible to create "smart" emulsions whose stability can be controlled by changing any of the specified stimuli. Thus, finding new ways to stabilize emulsions may broaden their application. In this work, for the first time, we applied microgels based on interpenetrating polymeric networks (IPNs) of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as stabilizing agents for "oil-in-water" emulsions. We have demonstrated that emulsions stabilized by such soft particles can remain colloidally stable for an extended period, even after being heated up to 40 °C, which is above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM. On the contrary, the emulsions stabilized by PNIPAM homopolymer microgels were broken upon heating. To understand the stabilization mechanism of the emulsions, mesoscopic computer simulations were performed to study the IPN microgels at the liquid-liquid interface. The simulations demonstrated that when the first subnetwork (PNIPAM) collapses, the particle adopts a flattened core-shell morphology with a highly swollen PAA-rich shell and a collapsed PNIPAM-rich core. Unlike its PNIPAM homopolymer counterpart, the IPN microgel maintains its three-dimensional shape, which provides stability to the microgel-based emulsions over a wide range of temperatures. Our combined findings could be useful in developing new approaches to emulsions' storage, biphasic catalysis, and lubrication of mechanisms in various operating and climatic conditions.

Dynamic load balancing in energy packet networks

Energy Packet Networks (EPNs) model the interaction between renewable sources generating energy following a random process and communication devices that consume energy. This network is formed by cells and, in each cell, there is a queue that handles energy packets and another queue that handles data packets. We assume Poisson arrivals of energy packets and of data packets to all the cells and exponential service times. We consider an EPN model with a dynamic load balancing where a cell without data packets can poll other cells to migrate jobs. This migration can only take place when there is enough energy in both interacting cells, in which case a batch of data packets is transferred and the required energy is consumed (i.e. it disappears). We consider that data packet also consume energy to be routed to the next station. Our main result shows that the steady-state distribution of jobs in the queues admits a product form solution provided that a stable solution of a fixed point equation exists. We prove sufficient conditions for irreducibility. Under these conditions and when the fixed point equation has a solution, the Markov chain is ergodic. We also provide sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution of the fixed point equation. We then focus on layered networks and we study the polling rates that must be set to achieve a fair load balancing, i.e., such that, in the same layer, the load of the queues handling data packets is the same. Our numerical experiments illustrate that dynamic load balancing satisfies several interesting properties such as performance improvement or fair load balancing.

Efektivitas Proses Produksi Melalui Pengendalian Kualitas pada Part End Plate dengan Metode Lean Six Sigma di PT. GCE

Competition in the business world is getting tougher, encouraging companies to improve and develop the quality of their production, the quality of the goods or services produced will affect the competition of a company. Making the production process more effective is something that companies must do to increase production results and can affect company costs. PT.GCE is a manufacturing company operating in the Sheet Metal sector and the production process takes place on a job order basis. In the production process, various deviations and obstacles often occur which result in products experiencing non-conformities, both in product form and processing time. The Six Sigma method is a business strategy that is considered capable of improving and maintaining a company's operational excellence. The results of calculations carried out using the DMAIC method in the Part End Plate production process obtained data on 0.048 defects in the non-conforming product category and 0.084 defects in untidy products, so it can be concluded that defects in Part End Plate products are below 3.4 defects out of a million opportunities. From the calculation results, it was found that the factors causing defects in the Part End Plate production process could be caused by several factors experienced, including machine and labor factors. It is necessary to propose improvements that can be made in an effort to reduce the level of product defects in Part End Plate products so that defects no longer occur in the product. Keywords: DMAIC, Manufacture, Quality Control, Six Sigma.

Performance validation for an Internet of Things (IoT)-based Model for hydro-electric monitoring

Globally, hydro-power has been considered the cheapest renewable source of energy. This form of energy production entirely depends on the water levels which in turn causes a major concern of ensuring that the monitoring systems involved are capable of ensuring monitoring in the prevention of disasters. The disasters involved range from floods and drought conditions that would lead to low power production led by lack of enough water draining in the reservoirs'. Several systems have been implemented to come up with a convenient and efficient monitoring system. With the freedom given to software developers in developing the procedures, an evaluation of the system's performance must be performed to enable this transformation. Therefore, the study selected an already existing real-time monitoring system using Lora Technology in hydroelectric monitoring to conduct the performance validation. A total of one hundred and twenty readings were taken to be validated with the other models used. Consistency, accuracy, latency, and throughput were used to validate the IoT-based model's performance. During the performance validation, the study found that the system achieved all the functionalities expected in its assessment. Therefore, IoT-based systems have the potential to inform future hydroelectric monitoring practices.

Hyers–Ulam Stability of 2D-Convex Mappings and Some Related New Hermite–Hadamard, Pachpatte, and Fejér Type Integral Inequalities Using Novel Fractional Integral Operators via Totally Interval-Order Relations with Open Problem

The aim of this paper is to introduce a new type of two-dimensional convexity by using total-order relations. In the first part of this paper, we examine the Hyers–Ulam stability of two-dimensional convex mappings by using the sandwich theorem. Our next step involves the development of Hermite–Hadamard inequality, including its weighted and product forms, by using a novel type of fractional operator having non-singular kernels. Moreover, we develop several nontrivial examples and remarks to demonstrate the validity of our main results. Finally, we examine approximate convex mappings and have left an open problem regarding the best optimal constants for two-dimensional approximate convexity.

Constructing a MOEA approach for product form Kansei design based on text mining and BPNN

Kansei Engineering (KE) is a product design method that aims to develop products to meet users’ emotional preferences. However, traditional KE faces the problem that the acquisition of Kansei factors does not represent the real consumers demands based on manual and reports, and using traditional methods to calculate relationship between Kansei factors and specific design elements, which can lead to the omission of key information. To address these problems, this study adopts text mining and backward propagation neural networks (BPNN) to propose a product form design method from a multi-objective optimization perspective. Firstly, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) and WordNet are used to extract key user Kansei requirements from online review texts to obtain more accurate Kansei knowledge. Secondly, the BPNN is used to establish the non-linear relationship between product Kansei factors and specific design elements, and a preference mapping prediction model is constructed. Finally, BPNN is transformed into an iterative prediction value of non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II), and the model is solved through multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) to obtain the Pareto optimal solution set that satisfies the user’s multiple emotional needs, and the fuzzy Delphi method is used to obtain the best product form design scheme that meets the user’s multiple emotional images. Using the example of electric bicycle form design could show that this proposed method can effectively complete multi-objective product solutions innovation design.

Evaluation of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract for its In vitro Antibacterial Properties, Mechanism of Action, and In vivo Corneal Ulcer Healing Effects in Rabbits' Eyes.

M. oleifera is the most adapted tree species in different medicinal eco-systems and has resilience against climate changes. This multiple-use tree provides healthy foods, snacks, honey, and fuel. Besides this, it has immense promising applicationsby offering antimicrobial and antibacterial activities for targeted uses. This validates the court of Hippocrates that let food be the medicine and medicine be the food for which moringa qualifies. In view of this, the antioxidant and in vitro antibacterial potency of the hydro-ethanolic extract of M. oleifera was evaluated on clinically isolated multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, in vivo, the healing response of M. oleifera extract was analysed on corneal ulcers induced in rabbit eyes infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. TheM. oleifera extract exhibited exponential antioxidant activity. In-vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated by agar well diffusion assay showing zone of inhibition ranging from 11.05±0.36 to 20±0.40 mm at concentrations of 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/ml, whereas, in our finding, no zone of inhibition was observed below 20 mg/ml concentration, which indicated that there is threshold limit below which the antibacterial activity of M. oleifera extract is not observed. Furthermore, continuous application of 3% and 5% M. oleifera extract (eye drop) four times a day for 14 consecutive days showed a significant healing response of the eyes of rabbits with corneal ulcers. These results suggest that M. oleifera extract could be a viable alternative to existing antibacterial therapies for corneal ulcers. Additionally, there is a possibility of commercial formulation of M. oleifera extract in the form of deliverable pharmaceutical products; therefore, it should be explored further.

Quest tour as an innovative form of tourist product

Quest tour as an innovative form of tourist product

Exact Matrix Product States at the Quantum Lifshitz Tricritical Point in a Spin-1/2 Zigzag-Chain Antiferromagnet with Anisotropic Γ Term.

Quantum anisotropic exchange interactions in magnets can induce competitions between phases in a different manner from those typically driven by geometrically frustrated interactions. We study a one-dimensional spin-1/2 zigzag chain with such an interaction, Γ term, in conjunction with the Heisenberg interactions. We find a ground state phase diagram featuring a multicritical point where five phases converge: a uniform ferromagnet, two antiferromagnets, Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid, and a dimer-singlet coexisting with nematic order. This multicritical point is simultaneously quantum tricritical and Lifshitz, and most remarkably, it hosts multidegenerate ground state wave functions with the degeneracy increasing in squares of system size. The exact ground states are obtained in the matrix product form opening wide applications to frustration-free models.

Talent, Geography, and Offshore R&D

Abstract I model and quantify the impact of a new dimension of globalization: offshore R&D. In the model, firms employ researchers across the globe to develop new product blueprints and then engage in offshore production and exporting. Frictions impeding trade and the separation of production from R&D lead to a “market-access” motive for offshore R&D, while cross-country differences in the distributions of firm knowhow and worker ability generate a “talent-acquisition” motive. I discipline the model using empirical facts derived from a new firm-level dataset. Counterfactual experiments show that the two motives can account for a significant portion of the observed offshore R&D. Incorporating offshore R&D amplifies the gains from globalization by a factor of 1.3 and generates new implications for the impacts of traditional forms of global integration, namely trade and multinational production.

Acid-catalyzed phenolation of lignin with tea polyphenol: Enhancing uv resistance and oxidation resistance for potential applications

The rapid development of the industry has led to the destruction of the earth's ozone layer, resulting in an increasingly serious problem of excessive ultraviolet radiation. Exploring effective measures to address these problems has become a hot topic. Lignin shows promise in the design and preparation of anti-ultraviolet products due to its inherent properties. However, it is important to investigate way to enhance the reactivity of lignin and determine its application form in related products. In this study, phenolic reactions with tea polyphenols were conducted through acid-catalyzed conversion, utilizing organic solvent lignin as the primary material. The phenolic hydroxyl content of the original lignin increased significantly by 218.8 %, resulting in notable improvements in UV resistance and oxidation resistance for phenolic lignin. Additionally, micro-nanocapsule emulsions were formed using phenolic lignin particles as surfactants through ultrasonic cavitation with small-molecule sunscreens. A bio-based sunscreen was prepared with phenolated lignin micro-nanocapsules as the active ingredient, achieving an SPF 100.2 and demonstrating excellent stability. The sunscreen also exhibited strong antioxidant properties and impermeability, ensuring user safety. This research offers a current solution for improving the application of lignin in sunscreens while also broadening the potential uses of plant-based materials in advanced functional products.

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY ABILITY BY USING GUIDED DISCOVERY METHOD AT THE SECOND GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP NEGERI 1 TAKKALALLA WAJO

The purpose of this research was to improve the students’ vocabulary Ability by using Guided Discovery method at the second-grade students of SMP Negeri 1 Takkalalla Wajo The question of this research was “How to improve the students’ vocabulary Ability at the second-grade students of SMP Negeri 1 Takkalalla Wajo in each cycle and every meeting by using the Guided Discovery Method?”. The objective of this research was to improve the students’ vocabulary Ability at the second-grade students of SMP Negeri 1 Takkalalla Wajo in each cycle and every meeting by using the Guided Discovery Method. The significance of the research was the result of this research became useful information, for both English teacher and the students to improve the vocabulary Ability by using Guided Discovery method. The scope of the research was focused on improving the students' vocabulary Ability at the second grade especially noun of common noun such as people, animals, places and things in the narrative text about fables, legends, and fairy tales stories. The design of the research was collaborative Classroom Action Research (CAR). It means that when implementing the research, the researcher collaborated by the English teacher of SMP Negeri 1 Takkalalla Wajo. The subject of this research was VII A class in academic year 2022/2023. The research was conducted in two cycles consisted of preliminary research, planning, implementing, observing and data analyzing and reflecting. The data of the research was obtained of result the vocabulary test and the observation sheet. Meanwhile in the form of product, the improvement could be examined of result the vocabulary test. In the first cycle, improvement obtained by three students with average score 54 (4,3%). While, the second cycle improvement obtained by all students with average score 84 (100%). It means that they had achieved the criteria of success in this research. That is 65 (80%).

Anticandidal Activity of a Siderophore from Marine Endophyte Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mgrv7.

An endophytic symbiont P. aeruginosa-producing anticandidal siderophore was recovered from mangrove leaves for the first time. Production was optimal in a succinate medium supplemented with 0.4% citric acid and 15 µM iron at pH 7 and 35 °C after 60 h of fermentation. UV spectra of the acidic preparation after purification with Amberlite XAD-4 resin gave a peak at 400 nm, while the neutralized form gave a peak at 360 nm. A prominent peak with RP-HPLC was obtained at RT 18.95 min, confirming its homogeneity. It was pH stable at 5.0-9.5 and thermally stable at elevated temperatures, which encourages the possibility of its application in extreme environments. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) against Candida spp. Were in the range of 128 µg/mL and lower. It enhanced the intracellular iron accumulation with 3.2-4.2-fold (as judged by atomic absorption spectrometry) with a subsequent increase in the intracellular antioxidative enzymes SOD and CAT. Furthermore, the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration due to cellular lipid peroxidation increased to 3.8-fold and 7.3-fold in C. albicans and C. tropicalis, respectively. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed cellular damage in the form of roughness, malformation, and production of defensive exopolysaccharides and/or proteins after exposure to siderophore. In conclusion, this anticandidal siderophore may be a promising biocontrol, nonpolluting agent against waterborne pathogens and pathogens of the skin. It indirectly kills Candida spp. by ferroptosis and mediation of hyperaccumulation of iron rather than directly attacking the cell targets, which triggers the activation of antioxidative enzymes.

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Effects of Cannabis Use by Route of Administration: A Systematic Review

Aim: Knowledge of the cardiovascular and respiratory effects of cannabis use by route of administration is unclear. This evidence is necessary to increase clinical and public health awareness given the recent trend in cannabis legalization, normalization, and surge in the availability and usage of various forms of cannabis products. Methods: Search was conducted in Web of Science, ProQuest, Psych INFO, Scopus, Embase, and Medline databases, and subsequently in the references of retrieved articles. Peer-reviewed articles published between 2009 and 2023, that reported on cardiovascular and respiratory effects of cannabis use by route of administration were included. Studies with no report of the route of administration and combined use of other illicit substances were excluded. The review was guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Of the 1873 articles retrieved, 42 met inclusion criteria encompassing six case reports, 21 reviews, and 15 empirical studies. Four administration routes were identified: smoking, vaping, oral ingestion, and dabbing. Smoking was the most common route of administration and was associated with both respiratory effects, such as bronchitis, dyspnea, and chronic obstructive lung disease, and cardiovascular effects including tachycardia, ventricular arrhythmias, and myocardial infarction. Cannabis edibles were associated with minimal respiratory effects. Tachycardia was the most common cardiovascular effect and was associated with all routes of administration. Conclusion: Cannabis use does cause cardiovascular and respiratory effects, but the conclusion remains tentative of the cardiovascular and respiratory effects by route of administration due to methodological limitations of the studies.

UC and BUC plane partitions

This paper is concerned with the investigation of UC and BUC plane partitions based upon the fermion calculus approach. We construct generalized the vertex operators in terms of free charged fermions and neutral fermions and present the interlacing (strict) 2-partitions. Furthermore, it is showed that the generating functions of UC and BUC plane partitions can be written as product forms.

Questionnaire Study to Investigate the Preferences of Children, Parents, and Healthcare Professionals for Different Formulations of Oral Medicinal Products.

Since the acceptability of a medicine can significantly impact therapeutic outcomes, this study aimed to determine and compare the preferences of children, parents, and healthcare professionals for the most commonly used pediatric oral medicine formulations (syrup, mini-tablets, oblong tablets, round tablets) addressing all pediatric age groups, 0-<18 years (y). This survey study employed sex-, age-, and participant group-adapted questionnaires for eight cohorts of participants, i.e., children 6-<12 y, adolescents 12-<18 y, parents of children in four age groups (0-<2 y, 2-<6 y, 6-<12 y, and 12-<18 y), nurses, and pediatricians. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. In the age groups 0-<2 y and 2-<6 y, mini-tablets were preferred over syrup by all participants. In the age group 6-12 y, solid dosage forms were also preferred over syrup by all participants. In the age group 12-<18 y, healthcare professionals preferred solid dosage forms over syrup. Parents preferred higher amounts of mini-tablets and syrup compared to round and oblong tablets, while adolescents' preferences did not differentiate between these formulations. Based on the study results and in contrast to current practice, it is suggested to consider solid dosage forms for future age-appropriate medicinal products already for younger age groups.

Balinese Cultural Diplomacy Through Culinary Products: A Study of Semiothic Communication

Besides having a wealth of arts and culture, Bali's cultural tourism potential is also in the form of traditional culinary products. What is the variety of traditional Balinese culinary? Why can traditional Balinese culinary products be used as an effective means of communication and Balinese cultural diplomacy? As a form of qualitative research, research data was collected through literature, observation and interviews with observers of Balinese culture. The collected data is then analyzed with the semiotic theory of communication. The results of the study show that traditional Balinese food and beverage culinary products are part of the archipelago's cuisine which are formulated from local agricultural ingredients, packaged and served in a distinctive way, and have tantalizing flavors so that they develop into culinary tourism objects favored by tourists. Apart from being the cultural identity of the Balinese people, traditional Balinese culinary products are also an effective means of communication and Balinese cultural diplomacy. People who enjoy traditional Balinese culinary dishes will be more familiar with Balinese traditions and culture. Traditional Balinese culinary tourism needs to be maintained and developed. Keywords: culinary products, Bali, cultural diplomacy

ANALISIS KONDISI SOSIAL EKONOMI MASYARAKAT SEKITAR TAMAN NASIONAL GANDANG DEWATA

Gandang Dewata National Park was designated as a conservation area because it has biodiversity and a unique ecosystem. Ecosystem types in this area are based on altitude or topographic conditions, namely Lowland Forest, Lower Mountain Forest, Upper Mountain Forest and Sub-Alpine Forest. This research aims to obtain an explanation of the socio-economic problems of the community around the Gandang Dewata National Park (TNGD), the level of community dependence on the National Park area and the contribution of income from the park to the total income of farmers. The research was carried out in Mamasa Regency in the TNGD Area, West Sulawesi Province. The method used in this research is interviews. Respondents in this study were chosen randomly. Data was analyzed descriptively qualitatively and quantitatively. The results of this research show that basic data and information regarding the socio-economic conditions of the people of Taupe Village, one of the TNGD buffer villages, shows that out of the 84 respondents interviewed, the socio-economic conditions of the people of Taupe Village work as farmers. 90% of this is because the village's irrigation conditions are still in good condition. The community is dependent on the area, namely 56% know the village boundaries and the location where the community lives is outside the area. Apart from that, the community's dependence on forests consists of rice fields and gardens. Utilization of forest products in the form of firewood, honey, aloes, bamboo, rattan and game products. Commodities based on agricultural, livestock, plantation and forestry products are coffee, cloves, cinnamon, patchouli, honey, cassava pork, aloes and broiler chicken. Most people (77%) do not know about TNGD

HPV replicative cycle and role of viral proteins in lesion progression

Human papillomaviruses are DNA viruses that primarily infect the stratified squamous epithelium of the genital tract mucosa. Some of these viruses are strongly associated with cervical cancer. They are sexually transmitted agents that are highly prevalent around the world. Most infections heal spontaneously, in approximately 18 to 24 months, but in some individuals, the virus persists in a latent, asymptomatic form or a productive form, causing cervical intraepithelial lesions that may progress to result in invasive cervical cancer. During productive infection, the virus executes a complex interaction program with the host cell dependent on differentiation and, through its proteins, nullifies the host cell's protective mechanisms against malignant transformation and suppresses the host's immune responses. Initial lesions may spontaneously revert, but those that reach a certain stage, if not treated, progress to malignant forms. In this review, we present some advances in the biology of HPV infection and the role of its proteins in the interaction with the host cell and its consequences.

Platforms and Palimpsests

Data platforms increasingly mediate the relationship of society to the data it produces and therefore form a critical layer of the contemporary link between data and urbanisation. However, the current discussion of the impact of data platforms on urbanisation is limited on one hand by an overly metaphoric articulation of platforms, which obscures the material geographies and infrastructural landscapes of data production; and on the other hand, by an administratively bounded reading of platforms, which confines the discussion to only their most visible impact in cities. In this article I argue that to fully capture the impact of platforms on urbanisation we need to overcome these limitations by examining the ‘operational landscapes’ of data production and circulation. This extended ontology of platforms positions the spatial discourse of technology in relationship with other forms of capitalist spatial production and opens up the material geographies and infrastructural landscapes of data production for critical engagement as integral parts of the sociotechnical construction of platforms. By examining the data landscapes of Northern Virginia, I illustrate how historic and contemporary forces, actor networks, and urban dynamics contribute to the construction and maintenance of the extended geography of data platforms.