Commercial Type Research Articles

Handheld NIR Spectroscopy Combined with a Hybrid LDA-SVM Model for Fast Classification of Retail Milk

The EU market offers different types of milk, distinguished by origin, production method, processing technology, fat content, and other characteristics, which are often detailed on product labels. In this context, ensuring the authenticity of milk is crucial for maintaining standards and preventing fraud. Various food authenticity techniques have been employed to achieve this. Among them, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is valued for its non-destructive and rapid analysis capabilities. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a miniaturized NIR device combined with support vector machine (SVM) algorithms and LDA feature selection to discriminate between four commercial milk types: high-quality fresh milk, milk labeled as mountain product, extended shelf-life milk, and TSG hay milk. The results indicate that NIR spectroscopy can effectively classify milk based on the type of milk, relying on different production systems and heat treatments (pasteurization). This capability was greater in distinguishing high-quality mountain and hay milk from the other types, while resulting in less successful class assignment for extended shelf-life milk. This study demonstrated the potential of portable NIR spectroscopy for real-time and cost-effective milk authentication at the retail level.

Modelling Blow Fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Spatiotemporal Species Richness and Total Abundance Across Land-Use Types.

Geographic Information Systems provide the means to explore the spatial distribution of insect species across various land-use types to understand their relationship with shared or overlapping spatiotemporal resources. Blow fly species richness and total fly abundance were correlated among six land-use types (residential, commercial, waste, woods, roads, and agricultural crop types) and distance to streams. To generate multivariate models of species richness and total fly abundance, blow fly trapping sites were chosen across the land-use gradient of Windsor-Essex County (Ontario, Canada) using a stratified random sampling approach. Sampling occurred in mid-June (spring), late August (summer), and late October (fall). Spring species richness correlated highest to residential (-), woods (-), distance to streams (+), and tomato fields (+) in models across all three land-use buffer scale distances (0.5, 1, 2 km), with waste (+/-), roads (-), wheat/corn (-), and commercial (-) correlating at only two of the three scales. Spring total fly abundance correlated with all but one land-use variable across all buffer scale distances, but the distance to streams (+), followed by orchards/vineyards (+) exhibited the greatest importance to these models. Summer blow fly species richness correlated with roads (-) and commercial (+) across all buffer distances, whereas at two of three buffer distances wheat/corn (-), residential (+), distance to streams (+), waste (-), and orchards/vineyards (+) were also important. Summer total fly abundance correlated to models with distance to streams (+), orchards/vineyards (+), and sugar beets/other vegetables (+) at the 2 km scale. Species richness and total abundance models at the 0.5 km buffer distance exhibited the highest correlation, lowest root mean square error, and similar prediction error to those derived at larger buffer distances. This study provides baseline methods and models for future validation and expansion of species-specific knowledge regarding adult blow fly relationships with spatiotemporal resources across land-use types and landscape features.

Fabrication and characterization of novel glass-ionomer cement prepared from oyster shells

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is one of the most widely used restorative materials for temporary fillings and reconstructions in dentistry, but it has relatively poor mechanical properties that make its use limited, especially in places subject to high pressure. Thus, to extend the applicability of GIC, samples based on SiO2, P2O5, Al2O3, CaF2, and NaF were prepared with the addition of calcium oxide CaO extracted from natural sources (oyster shells) in different ratios of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% wt. The suggested glass samples were evaluated, and their physical and mechanical properties were compared. XRD, SEM, and FTIR were performed on the samples. 24 specimens were prepared for each test in order to assess the mechanical properties as per the specific requirements. The tests included measuring bending strength, elastic modulus, adjusted direct tensile strength, absorption, water solubility, and diffusion coefficients after the specimens were stored in distilled water for 60 days. All calculations were carried out in accordance with standard procedures. The findings indicated a slight improvement in the bending resistance of the recommended GIC. Glass modified with 20% by weight of calcium oxide was the best among the ratios in terms of the results obtained and compared to the traditional commercial type. The malleable strength of the sample was 54.121 MPa, while the flexural modulus increased, the tensile strength reached 10.154 MPa, and the solubility was 25.87 µg/mm3 after storage for 60 days. These indicate that the developed material is suitable for use as a dental restoration material when compared to international commercial cement specifications.

Assessing the mass-culture system and proximate content of Arthrospira maxima local for biogas and biohydrogen productions

Arthrospira maxima is a type of local cyanobacteria that has shown success in being grown massively in Indonesia. This research is aimed at looking at the resilience and ability to grow in outdoor conditions using cheap media and following environmental patterns in terms of temperature, sunlight and aeration. In specific purpose is utilization of the obtained biomass for biogas or biohydrogen production. Also, media optimization research from chemical pour grade analyzes into commercial types has been carried out at laboratory scale and field scale. The results show that at the scaling up process from laboratorial to outdoor condition the amount of biomass ratio has decreased by 2–10%, whereas proximate of protein has decreased from 46% to 38%, in contrast starch tends to increase from 10% to 23% and lipid was increase from around 9%–12%. Freshwater and marine water basic media also showing difference in ratio of biomass production and main proximate. The total calory and protein seems higher if A. maxima cultivate using marine water. Cultivation time outdoors turns out to be faster growth when compared to controlled conditions indoors. Biomass analysis results show that the largest content is protein, followed by carbohydrates and lipid. Considering the composition of the proximate, the cyanobacteria biomass tends to be used for biogas conversion rather than alcohol, due to the high protein with less carbohydrate content. Moreover, Arthrospira is cyanobacteria which is capable for producing heterocyst cells that can be excite gas. It was found the cyanobacteria release hydrogen gas around 54 μL/g wet biomasses/day mature culture. However, it should be remembered that this strain is still original or wild type, and can still be developed using both environmental and molecular manipulation approaches. Survival rate from laboratory scale to field scale shows that the microalgae is strong and worthy of consideration for industrial applications. Apart from that, high pH culture conditions are very good for removing contaminants. Also changing the media from pour analyses grade chemicals to commercial chemicals grade only reduces the biomass composition by 2–5% so it is worth considering for commercial applications. Testing various reactors to make biomass as needed with high productivity will be a challenge in the future.

Unveiling mobility patterns beyond home/work activities: A topic modeling approach using transit smart card and land-use data

In this paper, a probabilistic topic modeling algorithm called Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) is implemented to infer trip purposes from activity attributes revealed from smart card transit data in an unsupervised manner. While most literature focused on finding patterns for home and work activities, we further investigated non-home and non-work-related activities to detect patterns associated with them. Temporal attributes of activities are extracted from trip information recorded by Tehran subway’s automatic fare collection system. In addition, land-use data is also incorporated to further enhance spatial attributes for non-home/work activities. Various activity attributes such as start time, duration, and frequency in addition to land-use data are used to infer the activity purposes and patterns. We identified 14 different patterns related to non-commuting activities on the basis of both their temporal and spatial attributes including educational, recreational, commercial, and health and other service-related activity types. We investigated passengers’ activity pattern and behavior changes before and during COVID-19 pandemic by comparing the discovered patterns. For recreational patterns it is revealed that not only has the number of recreational patterns dropped, but also the duration of recreational activities decreased. Morning patterns of educational activities have also been eliminated and number of commercial activities was decreased during COVID-19. The proposed model demonstrates the ability to capture travel behavior changes for different disruptions using smart card transit data without performing costly and time consuming manual surveys which can be useful for authorties and decision makers.

ANALYSIS OF BUBBLES ASSETS FOR WEIGHTED AVERAGE INTEREST RATES APPLIED TO BANK LOANS

This study examines the existence of the "bubble effect" in the average interest rates of loans applied by banks to various types of loans for consumers. The purpose of this article is the research of the bubble formations in the average interest rates applied by the banks to consumer, housing (home), vehicle, and commercial loan types. This article examines the existence of bubbles in the average loan interest rates of banks in Turkey using the GSADF unit root test developed by Phillips et al. (2015). Bubble assets are analyzed with weekly data for the period June 2019–March 2023. Monte Carlo simulations performed obtained critical values for the GSADF unit root test. The results show that the bubble effect on housing loan interest rates is statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Against this, although the existence of a bubble effect in consumer, vehicle, and commercial loan interest rates has been determined, these bubbles are statistically insignificant.

Revealing the hidden threats: Genotoxic effects of microplastics on freshwater fish

New evidence regarding the risks that microplastics (MP) ingestion pose to human and wildlife health are being revealed with progress made in ecotoxicological research. However, comprehensive and realistic approaches that evaluate multiple physiological responses simultaneously are still scarce despite their relevance to understand whole-organism effects. To address this information gap, we performed an experiment to assess the effects of MP on freshwater fish physiology from the molecular to the organismal level. Using a model species of global commercial importance (Cyprinus carpio) and MP type (recycling industry fragments), size (range between 125-1000 µm), and two concentrations of environmental relevance (0.75 and 8.25 µg/L). Experimental design included 5 blocks containing 3 treatment levels each one: control, low, and high MP concentration, with 6 fish each aquarium (5 blocks x 3 treatments x 6 fish per aquarium = 90 fish). Our results suggest that, under the experimental conditions applied, MP exposure did not cause adverse effects at the morphological (variation in size of gut), metabolic (variation of standard metabolic rate), or ecological (growth performance) levels. Nonetheless, we observed an increased frequency of micronucleated cells with increasing MP concentration (df = 42, t-value = 3.68, p-value < 0.001), showing the potential genotoxicity of MP, which can clearly harm fish health in long-term. Thus, despite being a highly resistant species, exposure to MP may generate negative effects in juvenile C. carpio at cellular or subcellular levels. Our findings highlight that the manifestation of MP effects may vary over time, emphasizing the need for future studies to consider longer exposure durations in experimental designs.

Characterization of fluoroelastomers compounds by ATR-FTIR

Fluoroelastomers (FKM) are used to manufacture seals and other rubber devices that can withstand harsh operating conditions, including aggressive media and extreme low and high temperatures. Even though nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and chromatographic techniques have been extensively used in the characterization of raw FKM molecules, the identification of cured compounds entails a characterization method that is able to overcome the complexity related to this kind of structure. In this sense, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy can outperform other characterization techniques because it does not require solubilization or any special preparation of the sample. In this study, 10 FKM compounds were produced in this study utilizing four commercial types of FKM and the fillers carbon black, barium sulfate, and iron oxide. All unfilled-FKM (as received) and their compounds were analyzed by ATR-FTIR with germanium crystal. Between 15 and 25 analyses were performed for all each FKM type sample and their respective compounds. All spectra were analyzed, and the bands were assigned. Findings regarding the interference of the fillers in the spectra were also reported. From relationships between the height of the spectral zones and the bands at 1397 and 1428 cm−1, it was possible to distinguish all sample compositions of FKM types 1, 2, 3, and 5. This study demonstrates that ATR-FTIR has the potential to be utilized as a technique to detect the type of FKM compounds, an important rubber used in harsh industrial applications. Replacing carbon with BaSO4 reduces the tensile at 50% strain of FKM types 1 and 2 composites. FKM types 3 and 5 composites filled with 30 phr of carbon black have a higher tensile at 50% strain than those of FKM type 1.

Exploring the effects of ageing on instrumental and sensory characteristics of meat from Lidia breed females: A comparative study of two commercial types

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of ageing on instrumental and sensory qualities in Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) from heifers (n = 200) and cows (n = 100) of Lidia breed. The animals were slaughtered as heifers (24–48 months) or cull cows (> 48 months). For instrumental analysis, pars Thoracis aged at 7, 14 and 28 days was used; for sensory analysis, pars Lumborum aged at 14 and 28 days was evaluated. Heifers showed redder and yellower meat (P < 0.05) and cows showed slightly higher Water Holding Capacity (WHC): Thawing Loss (TL) = P < 0.05; Drip Loss (DL) = P < 0.01; Pressure Loss (PL) = P < 0.01; Cooking Loss (CL) = P < 0.05. Ageing generated changes in meat colour, with increases in lightness (L*, linear pattern, P < 0.001) and oscillations in a* and b* (quadratic patterns; P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). Ageing affected TL (increasing, P < 0.001) and PL (decreasing, P < 0.05), and generated a significant improvement in Warner Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) values (P < 0.001). Commercial type revealed changes in consumer panel ratings for flavour (P < 0.05), juiciness (P < 0.01), tenderness (P < 0.001) and overall acceptability (P < 0.001), with better results in these parameters for cull cows. In contrast to the usual, ageing did not affect the sensory traits. There was no significant interaction between commercial type and ageing time, except for beef flavour, which worsened with ageing (P < 0.05).

Long-Term Calendar Aging across Commercial Lithium-Ion Cell Chemistries - Part II: Modeling and Early Prediction

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are widely used in applications such as mobility, stationary grid systems, and various consumer and commercial systems. In electric vehicles (EVs), batteries often remain idle, with only about 10% utilization. Moreover, in stationary battery energy storage systems (BESS) designed for peak shaving, resting periods tend to cause more aging effects than the operational cycles. Consequently, quantifying the effect of calendar aging is crucial. However, current calendar aging models are inadequate for accurately modeling and predicting the diverse aging behaviors of commercial Li-ion batteries. In this study, we analyze a new, long-term Li-ion battery calendar aging dataset, which includes eight different commercial battery types. We compare and validate three calendar aging models—semi-empirical, symbolic regression, and Long Short-Term Memory Network (LSTM). We examine the transferability of these models across various commercial cell types, offering insights into their generalizability. Additionally, we introduce a novel trajectory-to-trajectory approach for early prediction of calendar aging lifetime. For the first time, we investigate the model's ability to interpolate and extrapolate aging behavior under different storage temperatures. This research provides practical insights for optimizing battery management strategies in conditions dominated by calendar aging.

Octocrylene carboxylate as an antenna in a luminescent Europium(III) complex: Experimental and theoretical insights

A new carboxylic acid, 2-cyano-3,3-diphenyl-2-propenoic acid, CLN, a chromophore ligand, was obtained by an alkaline hydrolysis reaction from the octocrylene, a commercial type B ultraviolet (UVB) radiation absorber. The CLN structure was elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) as being tetragonal with space group P4‾21/c and the presence of a carboxylic acid group was confirmed by mass, infrared (IR), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. In this way, coordination compounds were developed between CLN and Ln(III), Ln = being Gadolinium (Gd) and Europium (Eu), with a stoichiometry of 4:13 metal:ligand, confirmed by thermal and elemental analyses, corroborating with the metal cluster predicted by Sparkle/AM1 semi-empirical model. Photoluminescence data indicated that Eu(III) is efficiently sensitized by CLN due to its triplet excited state, determined using the emission spectrum of the Gd(III) mimic complex (T = 25,477 cm−1), being suitable for this purpose. Therefore, the emission spectrum of the Eu(III) complex exhibited a 5D0 → 7FJ transitions characteristic of the lanthanide ion. Furthermore, the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters, the radiative and non-radiative decay rates, and the intrinsic quantum yield evaluated using the software LUMPAC software were in good agreement with the experimental values.

Investigation of the Effect of Membrane Type on Ammonia Formation and HCl Formation from Ammonium Chloride and Sodium Chloride in Two-Compartment Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis

One of the most important environmental problems of the Solvay process, which is one of the synthetic soda production processes, is the liquid and solid wastes generated by the distillation unit. This study investigates the effect of membrane type on the formation of ammonia (NH3) and Hydrochloric acid (HCI) in a two-compartment bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) system. The BMED process was evaluated as a potential replacement for the distillation unit in synthetic soda production, specifically focusing on the impact of different membranes on NH3 and HCI formation. Disposal of distillation waste directly into the environment without any treatment can cause serious ecological problems in the long term. Bipolar membranes (BM) and anion exchange membranes (AEM) were utilized in this study in which the BMED cell was designed as a two-compartment, three-repeat design. The experiments were carried out by keeping the current/voltage values (14V/4.8 A) constant in the system using direct current (DC). Two different commercial membrane types, FumaTech and PCCell, were used as parameters in the study. The initial feed concentrations were kept constant and the conversion of salt solution to ammonia and HCl acid was monitored. The findings indicated that HCl and NH4OH concentrations were higher in PCCell membranes. The results showed that acid and base production from ammonium chloride can be realized simultaneously with both membranes and distillation waste can be disposed of.

An improved moth flame optimization for optimal DG and battery energy storage allocation in distribution systems

Deploying distributed generators (DGs) powered by renewable energy poses a significant challenge for effective power system operation. Optimally scheduling DGs, especially photovoltaic (PV) systems and wind turbines (WTs), is critical because of the unpredictable nature of wind speed and solar radiation. These intermittencies have posed considerable challenges to power grids, including power oscillation, increased losses, and voltage instability. To overcome these challenges, the battery energy storage (BES) system supports the PV unit, while the biomass aids the WT unit, mitigating power fluctuations and boosting supply continuity. Therefore, the main innovation of this study is presenting an improved moth flame optimization algorithm (IMFO) to capture the optimal scheduling of multiple dispatchable and non-dispatchable DGs for mitigating energy loss in power grids, considering different dynamic load characteristics. The IMFO algorithm comprises a new update position expression based on a roulette wheel selection strategy as well as Gaussian barebones (GB) and quasi-opposite-based learning (QOBL) mechanisms to enhance exploitation capability, global convergence rate, and solution precision. The IMFO algorithm's success rate and effectiveness are evaluated using 23rd benchmark functions and compared with the basic MFO algorithm and other seven competitors using rigorous statistical analysis. The developed optimizer is then adopted to study the performance of the 69-bus and 118-bus distribution grids, considering deterministic and stochastic DG's optimal planning. The findings reflect the superiority of the developed algorithm against its rivals, emphasizing the influence of load types and varying generations in DG planning. Numerically, the optimal deployment of BES + PV and biomass + WT significantly maximizes the energy loss reduction percent to 68.3471 and 98.0449 for the 69-bus's commercial load type and to 54.833 and 52.0623 for the 118-bus's commercial load type, respectively, confirming the efficacy of the developed algorithm for maximizing the performance of distribution systems in diverse situations.

Photocatalytic Upcycling of Different Types of Plastic Wastes: A Mini Review.

With the escalating demand and utilization of plastics, considerable attention has been given to controlling plastic pollution. Among these methodologies, photocatalytic upcycling of plastic has emerged as a promising method for plastic management due to its energy-saving and eco-friendly properties. In the past several years, great efforts have been devoted to the photocatalytic conversion of a variety of commercial plastic types. These encouraging endeavors foreshadow the continued progression and application in this field. In this review, recent advancements in the photocatalytic upcycling of plastics are reviewed. The fundamentals and principles of photocatalytic deconstruction of plastics are first introduced. Then, we summarize the works on the reforming of different types of plastic, including polyolefins, polyesters, and other types. Finally, some challenges and possible solutions are provided for the development of photocatalytic upcycling of plastics.

Nenadzirana praktična analiza ponašanja aviona A320 i B738 provedena u međunarodnoj zračnoj luci Sultan Hasanuddin

The purpose of this research was to look at the behavior of two well-known commercial aircraft types in Indonesia (the A320 and the B738) during the take-off phase. This was done to provide new information in the field of aviation, particularly flight safety. Observations were made at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport by observing aircraft ADS-B data, which defines the behavior of the flight pattern. This ADS-B data is the subject of data analysis, which will subsequently be taught to the machine (computer) so that it can recognize the pattern and construct clusters. The purpose of this study is to utilize unsupervised learning, specifically K-Means clustering, to categorize and identify patterns in unlabeled ADS-B data obtained from AERO-TRACK. To prepare the raw data and create a dataset, data analysis techniques were employed. The machine learning model generates three distinct clusters: cluster 1 represents aircraft take-off on two-thirds of the runway, cluster 2 represents aircraft take-off on the entire runway, and cluster 3 represents aircraft take-off on one-third of the runway. The elbow method is utilized to analyze and interpret the three clusters produced by the model. An interesting observation is that the B738 aircraft dominate in all three clusters, while the A320 aircraft dominate in clusters 1 and 3. Notably, in cluster 2, there is a significant number of commercial planes taking off, accounting for 145 out of 628 flights. Based on the observed data spanning 91 days (September 26 to December 26, 2022), there is a 23% probability of runway excursion (overshooting the runway) in this cluster. Additionally, the research reveals that A320 aircraft demonstrate a safe zone take-off rate of 87%, whereas the B738 aircraft demonstrate a rate of 70.5%. These findings, derived from the analysis of ADS-B data such as GPS-Altitude and Coordinate, are intended to serve as valuable knowledge for aviation authorities, aviation users, and other stakeholders in the aviation industry.

ESTIMATION OF EARTHQUAKE INSURANCE PREMIUM BY CONSIDERING EARTHQUAKE PROBABILITY AND THE DAMAGE RATIO OF BUILDINGS IN BANDA ACEH AND SIBOLGA CITY

Indonesia is one of the countries prone to earthquakes with significant damage. An area that is frequently hit by earthquakes is Sumatra Island. Several cities, such as Banda Aceh City and Sibolga City on Sumatra Island, quite often experience tremors. For this reason, mitigation efforts are needed through earthquake insurance in managing disaster risk in earthquake-prone areas such as Banda Aceh City and Sibolga City so that it can reduce the impact caused by earthquake disasters. This research aims to determine the probability of an earthquake occurring in Banda Aceh City and Sibolga City using the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) method. Apart from that, this research also aims to determine the value of the building damage ratio and the estimated value of pure earthquake insurance premiums in Banda Aceh City and Sibolga City. The analysis results show that the estimated pure premium value for residential commercial and industrial building types with less than nine floors in Banda Aceh City is around 2.96 and 21.03 times greater than that of Sibolga City. Meanwhile, the estimated pure premium value for commercial and industrial building types with more than nine floors in Banda Aceh City is more minor, around 6.42 times, compared to Sibolga City.

Online Monitoring of the Temperature and Relative Humidity of Recycled Bedding for Dairy Cows on Dairy Farms

In large-scale dairy farming, the use of high-temperature-fermented dairy manure bedding instead of rice husk-based bedding and other commercial types of bedding is widely favored. Strip-stacking aerobic fermentation is the main production method of dairy manure bedding, but it has problems including unstable fermentation and the secondary breeding of pathogens. In this work, a multi-probe, integrated, online monitoring system for temperature and relative humidity was used for fermentation process optimization. The effects of the temporal and spatial distribution of fermentation temperature and relative humidity on the nutrient content curve and the moisture and ash content of manure bedding materials were systematically studied. The effect of the fermentation process on the retention rate of effective bedding materials (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) was analyzed. The experiments proved that high-quality bedding material can be obtained through reasonable stacking fermentation. The fabricated bedding material has a total dry base content consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin of 78%, an ash content of 6%, and a nutrient content of 17%. The obtained bedding material was produced to increase the bed rest rate and continuously inhibit the bedding bacteria content, keeping it at a low level for 5 days. This study proves that temperature and humidity monitoring can guide the optimization of the strip-stacking fermentation process of dairy manure and that it can be applied to large-scale farms to improve fermentation parameters.

Survey among women using Botox, Filler, and plasma injections in Basrah

Objective. Cosmetic procedures are popular in the world and practiced by both male and female. The origin of Botox is botulinum toxin of Clostridium botulinum, two main commercial types of botulinum (A and B) have been used in cosmetic clinics. The present study studied the distribution of the women according to types of cosmetic procedures, age groups, marital status, job status, and their knowledge about these procedures and its side effects. Methods. A total of 100 women were included with age group between (≤30 - &gt;30) years. 54 (54%) have obtained cosmetic procedures (Botox, Filler, and plasma injections) while 46 (46%) have not obtained any cosmetic procedure. Platelets rich plasma was done by cosmetic specialized physician in private cosmetic clinic by using (Regen Kit BCT A-PRP). Platelets count was done in private Hematology laboratory by specialized Hematology physician. The device used for platelet count was (System XS 500). Collected data was subjected to statistical analysis by using SPSS version 20. Results. 51.85% women obtained their cosmetic procedures at a doctor clinic, (37.04%) at a Beauty Salon, and (11.11%) at both doctor clinic and Beauty Salon. Women within age group (≤30), (12%) have Botox only, (20%) have Filler only, (20%) have plasma injections only, (32%) Botox and Filler, (16%) have Botox, Filler, and plasma injections. 24.14% of women within age group (&gt; 30), have Botox only, (6.90%) have Filler only, (13.79%) have plasma injections only, (31.03%) Botox and Filler, (6.90%) have Botox and plasma in­jections, (17.24%) have Botox, Filler, and plasma injections. Platelets count in PRP samples in stage 1 sample from woman no.1 was 373 × 109/L, while in (stage 2) sample was 724 × 109/L. Platelets count in whole blood of woman no.1 was (202 × 109/L). Platelets count in stage 1 sample from woman no.2 was 413x 109/L, while in (stage 2) sample was 808 × 109/L, Platelets count in whole blood of woman no.1 was 320 × 109/L. There was statistically significant increase in platelets count in stage 1 and stage 2 in both samples (P-value=0.05). Conclusions. Women within age group (≤30) prefer to do cosmetic treatment even if they do not need that. Many women have awareness and confidence in doing these cosmetic treatments in doctor clinic rather than beauty salon. PRP platelets count indicated that using (Regen Kit BCT A-PRP) was successful in obtaining concentrated PRP from woman’s blood sample, comparing with the normal platelets count in whole blood. Results also explained that increasing the speed and period of centrifugation in the method of (Regen Kit BCT A-PRP) might give high concentrate of PRP.

Water consumption in absorption chillers is not negligible: Water-for-cooling consumption of chiller systems for commercial buildings in the United States

We compare peak electricity demand and water-for-cooling consumption of two electric chillers –air-cooled and water-cooled– to that of a natural gas-fired heat-driven chiller – an absorption chiller – in the United States. We develop a mass-and-energy-balance model in which each chiller supplies the cooling demands of 16 commercial building types in 15 climate zones of the contiguous US. We quantify the water-for-cooling of each chiller within two categories: (1) ‘cooling and power’ (C&P) – the sum of water consumed directly by each chiller and water consumed at the point of power generation; and (2) ‘total’ – the sum of C&P water consumption and water consumption upstream from the power generation. The air-cooled, water-cooled and absorption chillers consume an average of 2.43, 3.73 ± 0.25, and 3.78 ± 0.35 m3 of C&P water per MWh of cooling, respectively. They consume an average of 9.26, 8.32 ± 0.25, and 3.89 ± 0.34 m3 of total water per MWh of cooling, respectively. That is, life cycle water consumption for natural gas-based absorption chilling is not negligible, though it is lower than for the electricity-based chillers under current grid conditions. Lower power grid life cycle water consumption, e.g., under decarbonization, could change this relationship.

D-Arabitol production by a high arabitol-producing yeast, Zygosaccharomyces sp. Gz-5 isolated from miso.

d-Arabitol, an alternative sweetener to sugar, has low calorie content, high sweetness, low glycemic index, and insulin resistance-improving ability. In this study, d-arabitol-producing yeast strains were isolated from various commercial types of miso, and strain Gz-5 was selected among these strains. Phylogenetic tree analysis of the internal transcribed spacer sequence revealed that strain Gz-5 was distinct from Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, a major fermenting yeast of miso. The strain, identified as Zygosaccharomyces sp. Gz-5, grew better than other Z. rouxii in 150g/L NaCl and produced 114g/L d-arabitol from 295g/L glucose in a batch culture for 8 days (0.386g/g-consumed glucose). In a fed-batch culture, the yeast produced 133g/L d-arabitol for 14 days, and the total d-arabitol amount increased by 1.75-fold. These results indicated that Zygosaccharomyces sp. Gz-5, a non-genetically modified strain, has excellent potential for the industrial production of d-arabitol.