Seal Products Research Articles

Struggling towards co-existence of the Baltic Sea coastal fisheries and the grey seal

Commercial small-scale fisheries along the Baltic Sea coasts have declined over the years although these fisheries are viewed as important for coastal development and food security at the local, national, and EU levels. The viability and future of small-scale fisheries are severely challenged by problems caused by grey seals. The conflict, occurring between Baltic Sea coastal fisheries and conservation of the grey seals, has been severe since the mid-1990s and continues despite attempts to find a more balanced situation. Resting on reviews of multiple material, this paper explores the state-of-the-art opportunities for mitigating the seal-fisheries conflict and asks how these are related to social struggles and social justice. Our paper concludes that co-existence of coastal fisheries and the grey seal is possible but necessitates political will and co-designed seal management plans that help implement context-specific measures. Seal deterrents, for instance, give hope as a supplementary conflict mitigation measure – along with seal-proof fishing gear – but provide only partial relief. From the fisheries sector’s position, influencing the size of the seal population is a logical solution. The lifting of the EU trade ban of seal products as a regional derogation would allow sustainable management of seal populations so that they be used as renewable natural resource. Monitoring changes in the seal population is crucial for maintaining a balanced population. Reaching co-existence is timely, because – unlike the seal – the diverse Baltic coastal fishing culture is increasingly endangered.

Modern trends in the production and use of biologically active additives (BAA) from the fat of marine mammals

The article provides an overview of innovative technologies for the production of BAAs from the fat of marine pinnipeds. In ancient times they said: “Let food be medicine, and medicine – food” (Hippocrates). The possibility and necessity of creating and using BAAs - biologically active food addidives to maintain human health are based on this postulate of Hippocrates. Since ancient times, mankind has understood the importance of proper nutrition for health and longevity. Accumulating experience in the use of certain products in food and their importance for maintaining and preserving human health, researchers have found new food substances with biological activity that can be used to treat and prevent diseases [1, p. 225-227]. Biological activity of seal fat that inhabits the Arctic territories of Yakutia has been studied. Seals inhabit this zone in large quantities, while causing significant damage to the industrial fishing of this territory. According to the Federal Agency for Fishery, the industrial quota for seal production in this zone can be up to 3,000 heads per year. This is an economic justification for the introduction of technology for processing products obtained from marine mammals to obtain raw materials for the food, medical and cosmetic industries. The extreme climatic conditions of Arctic Yakutia determine the rich biochemical composition of seal subcutaneous fat. The fatty acid content in the seal subcutaneous fat confirms its uniqueness as a raw material for the dietary supplement “Akibol” with a high content of PUFA.

ROM-based stochastic optimization for a continuous manufacturing process

This paper proposes a model-based optimization method for the production of automotive seals in an extrusion process. The high production throughput, coupled with quality constraints and the inherent uncertainty of the process, encourages the search for operating conditions that minimize nonconformities. The main uncertainties arise from the process variability and from the raw material itself. The proposed method, which is based on Bayesian optimization, takes these factors into account and obtains a robust set of process parameters. Due to the high computational cost and complexity of performing detailed simulations, a reduced order model is used to address the optimization. The proposal has been evaluated in a virtual environment, where it has been verified that it is able to minimize the impact of process uncertainties. In particular, it would significantly improve the quality of the product without incurring additional costs, achieving a 50% tighter dimensional tolerance compared to a solution obtained by a deterministic optimization algorithm.

Optimizing Production Line Efficiency through a Standardized Work Tool: A Case Study

Lean methodology focuses on enhancing flow and resource efficiency by prioritizing customer value, eliminating waste, reducing variation, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement involving everyone in the organization. Implementing lean creates conditions that empower all employees to contribute to continuous improvement activities within the value stream. This approach not only lowers production costs, enabling reinvestment and employee engagement but also emphasizes professional development. This paper aims to maximize efficiency in seal production within a manufacturing industry by implementing lean tools such as standardized work and Kaizen. Standardized Work is a systematic method for producing parts or services centred on human motion. As a tool for ensuring quality, it defines efficient, safe work methods and helps eliminate waste, serving as the foundation for every operation. Once implemented, standardized work ensures that the same methods are repeated consistently, avoiding unnecessary motions, maintaining quality, ensuring safety, and preventing equipment damage. The consistent application of these methods improves product quality through standardized processes and procedures. By incorporating lean tools like defined worksheets and Kaizen, the production of seals in manufacturing industries can achieve significant productivity enhancements.

ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICATION OF MODERN HERMETIC TECHNIQUES OF POLYMER MATERIALS IN HYDRAULIC MACHINES

The application of modern hermetic techniques in polymer materials for hydraulic machines is a significant advance in engineering design and manufacturing. This analysis examines the implications and benefits of using these techniques in hydraulic systems. By using polymeric materials and hermetic sealing solutions with special properties, hydraulic machines can achieve better efficiency, durability and durability. The selection of suitable polymer materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and the use of advanced manufacturing processes such as injection molding enable the production of precision seals and components with increased wear and corrosion resistance. In addition, the lightweight structure of polymer materials helps reduce weight and cost while maintaining performance standards. Customization options provided by hermetic methods enable optimization of material usage and creation of custom solutions for various hydraulic applications. In addition, the environmental impact is reduced by using recyclable and biodegradable polymers. However, issues such as material compatibility and long-term performance under extreme conditions require extensive testing and verification. Overall, the application of modern hermetic techniques to polymeric materials provides a promising way to improve hydraulic machine performance, reduce costs, and promote environmental sustainability in engineering applications. The integration of modern hermetic technology into polymer materials has revolutionized the design and functionality of hydraulic machines. Keywords: hermetic techniques, hydration system, polymer materials, hydraulic machine, durability.

Получение томатного порошка с использованием инфракрасной обработки и сушки

The purpose of the study is to obtain tomato powder using infrared processing and drying for use in the preparation of flour confectionery products. Objectives: analysis of the content of macro- and microelements in tomato powder obtained at different heating temperatures; determination of vitamin C content in tomato powder during storage. Infrared processing and drying of tomatoes crushed into a figure of eight shape is implemented in an oscillating mode. The content of mineral substances in tomato powder obtained from chopped tomatoes dried at heating temperatures of 50 and 60 °C by grinding in a centrifugal mill was studied. It was established that an increase in the heating temperature of tomatoes during infrared processing and drying from 50 to 60 °C leads to a loss of macro- and microelements from 21.1 to 86.5 %, and a 2-fold decrease in iron and copper. The results of the study showed that infrared-dried tomato powder contains large quantities of elements that are physiologically significant for humans and satisfy the daily requirement of an adult for magnesium, potassium, iron and manganese by 48.85, respectively; 28.84; 22.86 and 27.5 %. The degree of preservation of vitamin C in tomato powder during storage under optimal storage conditions was studied. It was revealed that in hermetically packaged infrared-dried tomato powder during nine months of storage there are no significant changes in organoleptic quality indicators, only a decrease in vitamin C content by 18–19 % from the initial state is observed. This circumstance suggests that removing moisture from tomatoes to moisture content below 12 % to obtain tomato powder makes it possible to preserve hermetically sealed products with a high content of useful substances under normal conditions for a long time.

Consistency Testing in WTO Law and the Special Case of Moral Regulation

Abstract There is a debate in World Trade Organization (WTO) law about whether the right to regulate for public interest purposes is conditioned on a requirement to do so consistently. While the early Appellate Body (AB) jurisprudence eschewed consistency testing under the formal legal test, it refrained from explicitly rejecting the practice. Subsequent AB rulings have seemingly adopted a narrow type of consistency testing through the doctrine of ‘legitimate regulatory distinctions’. A case could also be made that WTO tribunals sometimes embrace consistency testing under Article XX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, although this is not explicitly acknowledged or universally recognized. In Seals, Canada explicitly attacked the European Union’s (EU) seal products ban for its lack of consistency with the EU’s broader animal welfare settings. This dispute provided an opportunity – indeed, an obligation – for the AB to establish a clear doctrine on consistency testing. This article argues that the AB shirked its duty through reasoning techniques that avoided meaningful engagement with the substance of Canada’s argument. The AB did not truly reject consistency testing, but its precise views are hard to glean due to reasoning that is opaque, confused and even contradictory. This article argues that there is a compelling case for consistency testing, at least in certain ‘public morals’ disputes, and that the AB should provide clearer guidance.

Functional testing of entirely additively manufactured two-component hydraulic rod seals made of TPU and NBR

The delivery time of expendable items can be quite high despite today’s sophisticated logistics and production systems. In the case of dynamic rod seals for hydraulic applications, this can last weeks or even months. A possible solution to avoid shutdowns can be the fast production of seals using additive manufacturing (AM), at least to use these parts until conventionally produced spare parts arrive. The research question addressed in this study is whether it is possible to produce functional parts in this way to avoid leakage. The paper starts with an introduction to the topic and introduces the materials and equipment used to conduct the study. The main part of this paper includes the documentation of the results of two series of functional tests conducted with five different thermoplastic materials. These tests showed that the research question can be answered in an affirmative way for tested pressures up to 15 MPa and a sliding distance of 320 m. However, the results show different behaviors of conventionally produced seals and those made using AM.

A Deep-Learning-Based Low-Cost Micro-Leakage Measurement System for Industrial Applications

Serious leakage will cause environmental pollution and safety problems, so strict leakage measurement is necessary for sealed products before leaving the factory. In this article, a semantic-segmentation-based micro-leakage measurement framework (MLMF) is proposed, and the core modules in MLMF are designed and analyzed. First, the DeepLabv3+ algorithm is improved from three aspects, including the design of the fusion layer, the introduction of the attention mechanism of the segmentation model, and the reconstruction of the loss function, which improve the precision of image segmentation tasks. Then, the volume of the intermediate cavity (ICV), which affects the accuracy of leakage measurement, is studied, and the reasonable selection interval of the ICV has been obtained. Finally, through the experimental analysis of the influencing factors of the bubble characteristics in the two-phase flow, the key parameters affecting the bubble shape are found, and the control of the initial shape, generation period, and oscillation process of the bubble is realized. The experimental analysis is carried out through the established experimental platform to verify the effectiveness of the proposed MLMF. The bubble method is innovatively combined with deep learning, and a series of problems, such as bubble shape control and liquid media selection, are solved. It provides a novel low-cost dry measurement mechanism for the field of micro-leakage measurement of sealed vessels.

Re-Considering Market Development Approaches to Support Nunavut Inuit Priorities in the Seal Market

Seal hunting is a long-standing cultural practice for Inuit, who have also long participated in the commercial seal market. Inuit were negatively impacted by anti-sealing campaigns that resulted in international trade bans and subsequent market collapses for seal products. To improve market access for Inuit seal products, the Canadian government established the Certification and Market Access Program for Seals (CMAPS) to support export of Inuit seal products in European Union markets. In 2015, the Government of Nunavut became an Attestation Body under the EU Indigenous Communities Exemption, which enables the Government to certify Nunavut seal products for export into EU markets. To date, market development efforts have largely focused on supporting the export market for Nunavut sealskins, while less attention has focused on how such efforts impact the local value chain and meet the needs of Nunavut Inuit involved in the seal market. Focus group discussions with Inuit value chain actors in Iqaluit and Qikiqtarjuaq provide insight into the Nunavut seal value chain and explore perspectives of how government policies and programmes are meeting the needs of Nunavut Inuit. Findings revealed multiple gaps in the local value chain that have gone largely unaddressed due to a priority on export markets over the local value chain. These gaps limit export development opportunities and the ability for the seal market to adequately meet the needs of Nunavut Inuit and Nunavummiut alike. Collectively, this study demonstrates the importance of centralizing Inuit in economic development policies to support local economies and ensure Inuit priorities are met.

Optimization of Basket Oven Oil Seal Design For Quality, Productivity and Material Handling

In the oil seal production process, one of them is the post-cure oven process as a heat treatment to engineer the rubber material so that it has resistance to friction and has high heat resistance. The post-cure oven process itself uses equipment in the form of an oven basket made of heat-resistant steel material to place the oil seal. However, the Basket oven itself has a maximum limit for placing the oil seal in the oven, so calculations are needed to find the optimization value to find out the maximum value obtained so as to increase work productivity. From the problems found, the existing oven baskets were unable to accommodate 1,442 pcs/lot of products, but were only able to accommodate 1,344 pcs of products. so it is necessary to design a new basket oven to get the optimal value so that the basket oven can accommodate as many as 1,442 pcs/lot of products. From the research results it is known that to save material the most optimum cutting value is if the value of x = 8.5. Meanwhile, to get the maximum volume value, it is cut with a value of x = 11. By using the new oven basket, the product volume that can be accommodated is 1,568 pcs when compared to the use of the old basket which was previously able to accommodate 1,344 pcs of product. The use of a new basket oven can increase basket volume by 16.7%.

Fluid–structure interaction of a dynamic seal with a 3D‐printed surface

AbstractAdditive manufacturing (AM) methods are finding more and more applications in the manufacturing of machine parts. One consequence of this method is that generated surface qualities are typically lower than in other processes. This becomes especially relevant when the surface quality is critical for the mechanical function: This is the case in dynamic sealing technologies, for example, in seals between a moving rod and a hydraulic cylinder. Between the seal lip and the polished rod, a thin lubrication film is established with the goal of minimal leakage. How well this goal is reached depends on the surface quality of the seal. For spare part production of seals, we investigate AM methods, which have a surface defined by layers from fused filament fabrication (FFF). We apply a coupled model for fluid–structure interaction of the elastic seal and the film flow. This model provides information on flow field and pressure distribution. Results change when the ‘ideal’ seal lip is replaced by the seal lip geometry from FFF. The continuous loss of solid body contact is replaced by a stepwise loss of contact for the FFF surface.

Animal protection as animal welfare and anti-cruelty: a genealogical re-examination of the EU seal products ban

This article suggests a way to inquire into animal protection politics as a specific field of international politics which regulates human-animal relations. Based on a genealogical analysis of the emergence of animal protection thinking in 19th and 20th century Great Britain, it argues that animal protection is structured by two specific strategies, anti-cruelty and animal welfare, that constitute our knowledge of what animal protection is and how it can be achieved. Whereas animal welfare suggests that animal protection means the meticulous technical standardisation of animal use along the scientific knowledge about particular species’ stress levels, anti-cruelty takes a moral approach and suggests that animal protection can be achieved by taming the cruel human subject by means of legal prohibition. The article uses these strategies as an interpretative lens for analysing the EU’s behaviour in the seal products case. It argues that the ban of the trade in seal products can be understood as the result of the anti-cruelty strategy gaining dominance in the EU debates on its seal policy. Moreover, in the ensuing WTO struggle the moral undertones of anti-cruelty made it possible for the EU to frame the ban as the protection of public morals under Article XX (a) GATT and thus to establish animal protection as a legitimate ground for trade restrictions. The antagonistic identity construction attached to anti-cruelty moreover made it possible for the EU to constitute itself as a morally superior subject and to re-emerge as a normative power in the context of animal protection. The article concludes by reflecting about further avenues for research on international animal protection politics.

Decline of one of the southernmost northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) colonies and its relationship with a warm sea environment

Over several decades, air temperature and sea surface temperature (SST) have increased in the northeastern Pacific, as has the frequency of large-scale warm anomalies in SST. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of these warm anomalies on the production of northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris; NES) pups from the colony of the San Benito Archipelago, located in the central-western region of the Baja California Peninsula. Pup and adult female counts from the 2002 to 2019 breeding seasons were compiled to determine the trend in the abundance of the colony and its current state. In addition, birth rate variations during the study period were assessed. Likewise, the presence of warm anomaly events in the SST in the potential foraging area of adult females (PFA) was analyzed. The San Benito colony decreased at an average annual rate of 3.6% from 2002 to 2019, with an estimated abundance of 4,723 individuals (95% CI: 3,821–5,615) in 2019. However, the birth rate remained constant (mean 0.68 ± 0.08), even though several warm anomaly events associated with El Niño and The Blob phenomena were detected in the PFA. Our results suggest that large-scale warm anomalies in the SST do not severely impact NES pup production, thus the decline of the San Benito colony since the late 1900s could be due to other environmental factors, such as the increase in air temperature associated with climate change.

Stakeholder consensus suggests strategies to promote sustainability in an artisanal fishery with high rates of poaching and marine mammal bycatch

Abstract Illegal fishing for high value species in artisanal fisheries drives incidental catch and declines of marine mammals and other large vertebrates of conservation importance around the world. Engaging with stakeholders is essential to understand which strategies will be effective in motivating the development of more sustainable practices, and disengagement from illegal fisheries. Here we present the results of a Q study carried out in autumn 2018 with 50 stakeholders from the Caspian Sea coast of Dagestan (Russian Federation), including fishers illegally targeting sturgeon (Acipenseridae) and Caspian seals Pusa caspica, traders and fisheries managers. We assess viewpoints on biodiversity governance; illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and conservation. Three distinct viewpoint groups emerged from a factor analysis, which we designated as ‘Nostalgists’, ‘Optimists’ and ‘Pessimists’. Nostalgists were concerned with decline in environmental quality, and emphasised a need for increased centralised involvement of authorities reminiscent of the old Soviet system. Optimists expressed support for a well‐regulated legal fisheries sector, while Pessimists were very aware of the negative impact of illegal fisheries and IWT, but felt they could not be controlled. Among all groups we found a strong desire for alternative livelihoods (ALs), improved sustainability and agreement on the potential effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) and increased regulation, even if some stakeholders felt they were not achievable goals. We used our results to inform three workshops in which Dagestani fishers and fishery experts discussed potential conservation interventions, and the barriers to their implementation. Six action types were identified including enhanced law enforcement, increased regulation, protected areas, alternative livelihoods, reducing demand for sturgeon and seal products and the need for further research to guide policy development. This consensus suggests that communities are willing to reduce participation in illegal fishing given appropriate support. The socioeconomic factors driving illegal fisheries and bycatch for Caspian seals parallel those for other endangered marine mammals such as Vaquita Phocoena sinus and suggest that Q studies could be applied in other artisanal fisheries with high rates of marine mammal bycatch to help identify policy interventions supported by involved communities. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

A parametric optimization approach for radial shaft seal production processes for rubber waste reduction

While engineered rubber products (ERP) offer excellent mechanical and thermal properties suited for demanding industrial applications, the diversity of materials, equipment and processes involved in their processing poses challenges to their cleaner production. Existing literature canvasses recycling and reusing of products at the end-of-life (EOL) stage of the ERP life cycle to control their environmental impact. This research is focused on modes of reducing waste generated in the ERP production processes to minimize the environmental impact at the production stage of the life cycle. A novel experimental procedure grounded on the Shainin System (SS) principles is developed for parametric optimization in complex batch process settings. Unlike the established design of experiment (DoE) approaches based on statistical models, the proposed experimental procedure is based on sequential observational plans to reduce the search space while identifying the dominant family(ies) of causes (called Red X) of niggling defects. The application of the proposed experimental procedure is illustrated at an auto-ancillary cluster in India for reducing the rejection of radial shaft seals (RSS) due to rubber moulding defects. The case study's findings showed a reduction in the cluster's carbon footprint (i.e. 11,715 kg CO2-eq across the cluster), and overall production cost (saving of USD 1.20 million/annum) due to process improvements in the RSS moulding and assembly process.

Occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella species and potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli in free-living seals of Canadian Atlantic and eastern Arctic waters.

Seal populations in Canadian waters provide sustenance to coastal communities. There is potential for pathogenic and/or antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to transfer to humans through inadvertent faecal contamination of seal products. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence and potential antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes in faecal samples collected from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and from ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in Frobisher Bay and Eclipse Sound, Nunavut, Canada. Grey seals were harvested during commercial hunts or during scientific sampling; ringed seals were collected by Inuit hunters during subsistence harvests. Virulence genes defining pathogenic E. coli were identified by PCR, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on recovered isolates. In grey seals, E. coli was detected in 34/44 (77%) samples, and pathogenic E. coli (extraintestinal E. coli [ExPEC], enteropathogenic E. coli [EPEC] or ExPEC/EPEC) was detected in 13/44 (29%) samples. Non-susceptibility to beta-lactams and quinolones was observed in isolates from 18 grey seals. In ringed seals from Frobisher Bay, E. coli was detected in 4/45 (9%) samples; neither virulence genes nor antimicrobial resistance was detected in these isolates. In ringed seals from Eclipse Sound, E. coli was detected in 8/50 (16%) samples and pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC and ExPEC/EPEC) in 5/50 (10%) samples. One seal from Eclipse Sound had an E. coli isolate resistant to beta-lactams. A monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium was recovered from 8/50 (16%) seals from Eclipse Sound. All Salmonella isolates were resistant to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole and tetracycline. L. monocytogenes was not detected in any sample. These findings suggest that seals may act as important sentinel species and as reservoirs or vectors for antimicrobial-resistant and virulent E. coli and Salmonella species. Further characterization of these isolates would provide additional insights into the source and spread of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in these populations of free-living seals.

Heirloom cylinder seals at Mleiha (Sharjah Emirate, UAE)

AbstractVery few cylinder seals are reported from South‐East Arabia. This paper reports on two cylinder seals that were found as heirlooms at Mleiha, UAE. The first is a Neo‐Assyrian seal with a ritual scene: kneeling worshippers around a tree of life. The second is a seal of local manufacture. The positioning of its image, a human figure holding an Arabian horned viper, is turned 90°, questioning whether it was ever used as a seal or rather worn as an amulet or bead. Local seal production and seal use are discussed. Seals from the Iron Age II suggest that the object is of local production, as does the iconography that can be linked to Iron Age snake cults in South‐East Arabia. Comparable snake representations are, however, occasionally still found in the Mleiha/PIR period.

CONVERSION OF PROPYLENE AND ISOBUTYLENE ON A HIGH SILICA ZEOLITE CATALYST

As you know, over the past decade, due to the intensive increase in oil production, the number of gaseous hydrocarbons released at oil refineries and petrochemical plants has sharply increased. In this regard, the targeted conversion of gaseous hydrocarbons into valuable intermediates on zeolite catalysts is a topical issue. In the process of conversion of gaseous hydrocarbons, depending on the nature of the reagent and temperature, seal products of various structures can be formed on the catalyst surface. There are different opinions on the influence of the seal products on the catalyst activity. In some cases, the accumulation of SP on the catalyst surface adversely affects its activity, and in other cases, vice versa. In works devoted to the study of oligomerization and aromatization of C2-C4 olefins on zeolite catalysts, the question of the formation of SP was practically not considered. Keywords: isobutene, zeolite, seal products.

FST project aims to determine the carbon footprint of seals

By what means is it possible to minimise, during the design phase, the greenhouse gas footprint associated with the production of seals and other related components? A team of researchers at Germany's Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) is aiming to provide an answer to this question and other related ones, as this brief focus article explains.