Weight Loss Ratio Research Articles

Am I on Track? Evaluating Patient-Specific Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery Using an Outcomes Calculator.

Individual weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery can vary considerably. As a result, identifying and assisting patients who are not on track to reach their weight loss goals can be challenging. Using a bariatric surgery outcomes calculator, which was formulated using a state-wide bariatric-specific data registry, predicted weight loss at 1 year after surgery was calculated on 658 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at 35 different bariatric surgery programs between 2015 and 2017. Patient characteristics, postoperative complications, and weight loss trajectories were compared between patients who met or exceeded their predicted weight loss calculation to those who did not based on observed to expected weight loss ratio (O:E) at 1 year after surgery. Patients who did not meet their predicted weight loss at 1 year (n = 237, 36%) had a mean O:E of 0.71, while patients who met or exceeded their prediction (n = 421, 63%) had a mean O:E = 1.14. At 6 months, there was a significant difference in the percent of the total amount of predicted weight loss between the groups (88% of total predicted weight loss for those that met their 1-year prediction vs 66% for those who did not, p < 0.0001). Age, gender, procedure type, and risk-adjusted complication rates were similar between groups. Using a bariatric outcomes calculator can help set appropriate weight-loss expectations after surgery and also identify patients who may benefit from additional therapy prior to reaching their weight loss nadir.

The Role of Obesity Centers in the Fight Against Obesity: The Case of Antalya Province

Aim: This study aimed to share data regarding the results obtained at the Obesity Center of Antalya Training and Research Hospital at the University of Health Sciences. Methods: This retrospective, descriptive and cross-sectional study included 281 obese patients who were followed up at the Obesity Center of Antalya Training and Research Hospital, the University of Health Sciences, between November 1st, 2018 and March 20th, 2020.First admission and last control anthropometric measurements of 281 patients and first follow-up and 6th or 12th months control blood tests of 106 patients (the last test and concurrent measurements were evaluated), during which fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting insulin, insulin resistance, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels were compared. Results: Of all the patients included in the study, 260 (92.5%) were female and 21 were male (7.5%). The mean age was 52.05 ± 9.52 (21-73) years. The mean follow-up period was estimated to be 161.1 ± 82.97 (11-365) days. Median weight and body mass index of all patients (281 patients) were found to have decreased from 93.4 (68.5-152.6) kg to 83.7 (59.3-138) kg, and from 36.9 (30-65.2) kg/m2 to 32.6 (24.68-58.9) kg/m2 (p&amp;lt;0.001), respectively. Similarly, a statistically significant decrease was observed in the waist and hip circumference of the patients (p &amp;lt;0.001). Apart from this, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting insulin, insulin resistance (p&amp;lt;0.001), systolic blood pressure (p=0.014), and triglyceride (p=0.007) levels of 106 patients who had control blood tests also showed a significant decrease, as opposed to a significant increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p&amp;lt;0.001). Another statistical significance was the decrease in the body mass index (p&amp;lt;0.001), waist circumference (p &amp;lt;0.001), hip circumference (p &amp;lt;0.001), waist/hip ratio (p&amp;lt;0.001) as well as in the glycosylated hemoglobin (p=0.043) according to the weight loss ratio of the patients. Conclusion: Achieved only through adopting the right lifestyle, the positive effect of weight loss is observed on endocrine and metabolic markers such as blood pressure, blood sugar and lipid parameters. Obesity centers provide patients a healthy, reliable, cost-effective and sustainable treatment opportunity, especially for those who can fully comply with the program.

The Impact of N2-Assisted High-Pressure Processing on the Microorganisms and Quality Indices of Fresh-Cut Bell Peppers.

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of N2-assisted high-pressure processing (HPP, 400 MPa/7.5 min and 500 MPa/7.5 min) on the microorganisms and physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory characteristics of fresh-cut bell peppers (FCBP) during 25 days of storage at 4 °C. Yeasts and molds were not detected, and the counts of total aerobic bacteria were less than 4 log10 CFU/g during storage at 4 °C. The total soluble solids and L* values were maintained in HPP-treated FCBP during storage. After the HPP treatment, an 18.7–21.9% weight loss ratio and 54–60% loss of hardness were found, and the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was significantly inactivated (33.87–55.91% of its original activity). During storage, the weight loss ratio and PPO activity of the samples increased significantly, but the hardness of 500 MPa/7.5 min for treated FCBP showed no significant change (9.79–11.54 N). HPP also effectively improved the total phenol content and antioxidant capacity of FCBP to 106.69–108.79 mg GAE/100 g and 5.76–6.55 mmol Trolox/L; however, a non-negligible reduction in total phenols, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant capacity was found during storage. Overall, HPP treatments did not negatively impact the acceptability of all sensory attributes during storage, especially after the 500 MPa/7.5 min treatment. Therefore, N2-assisted HPP processing is a good choice for the preservation of FCBP.

Clinical Picture at Attendance and Response to Flexible Family-Based Low-Carb Life Style Change in Children With Obesity

Aim: The study aims 1) to determine the clinical status of obese children at the admittance to the pediatric endocrinology referral center 2) to investigate the efficiency and compliance of the low-carb diet in a pediatric population with or without exercise, metformin Material and Methods: All subjects with the complaint of obesity and BMI percentile &gt;95 were recruited from January 2012-August 2014. We evaluated basal retrospectively, recommended low carbohydrate family-wide eating practice and exercise to all, and metformin to selected cases, and recorded Self-reported adherence at first, third, sixth, and twelfth months. Results: Thirty-six subjects used metformin with a higher ratio of weight loss (90.0%, p=0.010) without a difference in the number of lost kilograms. In 160 cases without metformin; diet only, exercise only, and both diet and exercise groups lost weight significantly according to neither diet nor exercise group (OR:12.08, 95% CI 3.93-41.66, p&lt;0.001; OR:3.04, 95% CI 1.18-7.84, p=0.022 and OR:32.80, 95% CI 7.14-150.77, p&lt;0.001 respectively). Exercise plus diet (95.3%, p=0,002) and only diet (88.9%, p=0,023) were even more efficient than exercise alone (65.5%). In the twelfth month, 13.8% were on follow-up. Conclusion: Obesity gives rise to metabolic complications in the very early stages. A low carbohydrate diet proved to be acceptable and useful. Long-term consistency remains a challenge.

The Combustion Characteristics of Waste Liquor from Renewable Plant-Derived Chemical Polyol Processing

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the combustion characteristics of plant-derived polyol liquor waste using thermogravimetric analyzer and vertical tube furnace tests. The research results showed that the waste liquor combustion reaction comprised four processes: evaporation, pyrolysis, combustion, and inorganic salt reaction, and that a wave peak exists for each process. The pyrolysis process, which is the most violent reaction, exhibited the maximum peak weight-loss rate and weight-loss ratio and had the lowest activation energy and frequency factor. The peak weight-loss rate of inorganic salt reaction process was less than that during the combustion process, but sodium alkali has catalytic effect at high temperature, which makes the activation energy and the frequency factor of inorganic salt reaction process less than that of the combustion process. The ignition temperature of the waste liquor in the vertical tube furnace was lower than the temperature in the thermogravimetric analyzer. The ignition temperature of pyrolysis volatiles measured in a vertical tube furnace was less than 700 °C but the ignition temperature of carbon combustion as measured with TG – DTG was 718 °C. When the temperature inside vertical tube furnace was higher than 800 °C, the waste liquor combustion process becomes almost instantaneous (about 8 s) and is violent, which produces more residual carbon content in the combustion products as a longer holding time is necessary to ensure that the reaction is completed.

Effect of Titanium Dioxide Nanocomposite Material and Antimicrobial Agents on Mushrooms Shelf-Life Preservation

Mushrooms have limited shelf-life and it can be prolonged if suitable conditions and treatments are effectively applied. In this study, nanocomposite material and antimicrobial agents with a combination of chitosan were used as novel packaging material for mushroom preservation. The microbiological analysis, physicochemical properties, headspace gas analysis, and polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO) during cold storage were investigated. As compared with control, coated mushrooms with chitosan (CHS), and nano-titanium dioxide CHSTiO2 thymol + tween-80 CHSTiO2/TT80 coating treatment showed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower respiration rate, microbial contaminations (4.27 log CFU/g), and (5.93 log CFU/g) for total yeast/mold and aerobic plate counts, respectively. The weight loss ratio was the lowest for CHSTiO2/TT80 (10.88% loss) followed by CHSTiO2 (11.76% loss). CHSTiO2/TT80 recorded a higher electrolyte leakage rate (25.84%) and acidity. While the lowest PPO activity was established for CHSTiO2 (17.09 U mg−1 Protein), while the lowest values for total soluble solid concentrations were reported for CHSTiO2/TT80 mushrooms (4.91%). These results indicated that CHSTiO2/TT80 coating treatment might delay the aging degree of white button mushrooms and be investigated as a novel packaging material for other food products in the future.

Thermal Stability Analysis of the Mg/TeO2 Ignition Composition after 180 °C Exposure

In order to satisfy the performance requirements of the pyrotechnic ignition composition of a space mission under an extreme thermal environment, it is necessary to analyze and verify the thermal stability of magnesium/tellurium dioxide (Mg/TeO2) ignition composition at a temperature of 180 °C. The thermal stability of the ignition composition of Mg/TeO2 and its components after exposure to 180 °C for 2–10 days was studied by means of apparent morphology analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), content change analysis, and the P-t curve test. The results showed that after exposure to 180 °C for 2–10 days, no obvious changes, such as ruptures, expansion, or shrinkage, were found by optical microscope, and no changes in morphology and surface details were found by scanning electron microscope (SEM). XRD showed that no other new substance was found in the mixture except magnesium hydroxide (Mg (OH)2). DSC showed that the main reaction peak temperature of the ignition composition of Mg/TeO2 was after 500 °C and that no endothermic/exothermic reaction occurred before 380 °C. The exothermic pre-reaction took place at 381 °C to 470 °C, the weight loss ratio was within 0.71%, the content of the magnesium component varied from 0.49% to 0.90%, the peak pressure attenuation of the ignition composition of 360-mesh Mg/TeO2 was 8.07%, and the pressure rise time was basically unchanged. The results showed that the ignition composition of Mg/TeO2 had good thermal stability after exposure to 180 °C temperatures.

Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: Evaluation of Triggered Adaptive Replanning in Routine Practice

Purpose and ObjectiveA proportion of patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) require ad hoc treatment re-planning. The aim of this retrospective study is to analyze the patients who required ad hoc re-planning and to identify factors, which may predict need for re-planning.Materials and MethodsA single center evaluation of all patients receiving radical or adjuvant (chemo)radiotherapy (CRT) for HNSCC between January and December 2016 was undertaken. Patients who underwent ad hoc re-planning during the treatment were identified in electronic records. Reasons for re-planning were categorized as: weight loss, tumor shrinkage, changes in patient position and immobilization-related factors. Potential trigger factors for adaptive radiotherapy such as patient characteristics, primary tumor site, stage, concomitant chemotherapy, weight loss ratios, radical/adjuvant treatment, and nutritional interventions were investigated.Results31/290 (10.6%) HNSCC patients who underwent radical/adjuvant radiotherapy required re-planning. The adaptive radiotherapy (ART) was performed at a mean fraction of 15. The most common documented reasons for re-planning were tumor shrinkage (35.5%) and weight loss (35.5%). Among the patient/tumor/treatment factors, nasopharyngeal primary site (p = 0.013) and use of concurrent chemotherapy with radiotherapy (p = 0.034) were found to be significantly correlated with the need for re-planning.ConclusionEffective on-treatment verification schedules and close follow up of patients especially with NPC primary and/or treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy are crucial to identify patients requiring ART. We suggest an individualized triggered approach to ART rather than scheduled strategies as it is likely to be more feasible in terms of utilization of workload and resources.

Highly efficient nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes coated on paper-like sintered stainless steel fibers as metal-free structured catalyst for phenol degradation

Three types of carbon nanotubes coated on paper-like sintered stainless steel fibers (PSSF) were synthesized and applied for continuous catalytic wet hydrogen peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of phenol. The novel metal-free nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube-coated PSSF catalyst (N-CNTs/PSSF) was designed by direct chemical vapor deposition using melamine as solid precursor for the first time, and CNTs/PSSF and Fe2O3-deposited CNTs/PSSF (Fe-CNTs/PSSF) catalysts were synthesized for comparison. Characterization results showed that all the catalysts exhibited three-dimensional networks structure, with nanotubes wrapping on the stainless steel fibers successfully, and the N-CNTs showed distinct irregular corrugated morphology with nitrogen-doping level about 5.18 at.%. CWPO of phenol revealed that the N-CNTs/PSSF catalyst achieved favorable catalytic activity and highest stability during 100-h reaction (phenol and TOC conversions reached about 90% and 50%, respectively), while phenol conversions of CNTs/PSSF and Fe-CNTs/PSSF catalysts decreased over time to 72% and 58%, respectively. The N-CNTs/PSSF catalyst also showed the lowest Fe weight loss ratio (about 2.44 wt%) among the three catalysts. The favorable catalytic results of N-CNTs/PSSF can be ascribed to the synergistic effects of the strong affinity toward polar molecules of N-CNTs, as well as the enhancement in contact efficiency associated with three-dimensional networks structure of the PSSF.

Study of solid particle erosion behavior of HVOF spray coated superco-605 superalloy

Erosion is considered to be a key factor which has a significant role in many engineering setups like turbines, chemical processing equipments and aero engines, power generation units, etc. this investigation evaluates the property of erosion resistance of HVOF spray coated (Al 2 o3 + NiCrBSi) Superco-605 super alloy, the erodent feed rate maintained was 5gm/min, the angle of impact was 30°, 60°, and 90°, used erodent material is silica sand which has particle size of 150 µm. Erosion rate is determined as the ratio of weight loss of the material to the weight of the erodent, and also steady state volumetric rate of erosion is determined as the ratio mean of rate of erosion to the material density, investigations of the plots reveal that erosion rate of HVOF spray coated SuperCo-605 superalloy is higher at 90° angle of impingement and it tends to be lesser at 30°angle of impact, and in the same way for uncoated Superco-605 also, as for as steady state volumetric erosion rate is concerned it is also showing the similar response as that of erosion rate.

Microstructure and Properties of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyamide/Nylon Microcellular Foamed Composites.

The automobile and aerospace industries require lightweight and high-strength structural parts. Nylon-based microcellular foamed composites have the characteristics of high strength and the advantages of being lightweight as well as having a low production cost and high product dimensional accuracy. In this work, the glass fiber-reinforced nylon foams were prepared through microcellular injection molding with supercritical fluid as the blowing agent. The tensile strength and weight loss ratio of microcellular foaming composites with various injection rates, temperatures, and volumes were investigated through orthogonal experiments. Moreover, the correlations between dielectric constant and injection volume were also studied. The results showed that the “slow–fast” injection rate, increased temperature, and injection volume were beneficial to improving the tensile strength and strength/weight ratios. Meanwhile, the dielectric constant can be decreased by building the microcellular structure in nylon, which is associated with the weight loss ratio extent closely.

Total alveolar lavage with oxygen fine bubble dispersion directly improves lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome of rats

Severe respiratory disorder induced by pulmonary inflammation is one of the causes of acute respiratory distress syndrome, which still has high mortality. It is crucial to remove causative substances and inflammatory mediators early in order to inhibit the progression of pulmonary inflammation. Total alveolar lavage (TAL) may avert the inflammatory response by eliminating causative substances in certain inflammatory lung diseases. We developed an efficient TAL system and examined the efficacy of short-term TAL treatment performed for acute lung injury models of rats. In the first experiment with a severe lung injury model, 15 rats were divided into 3 groups: sham group, mechanical gas ventilation (MGV) treatment group, and TAL treatment group. The treatments were conducted for 5 min, 20 min after the provocation of inflammation. Two days after treatment, the TAL and MGV treatment groups exhibited significant differences in blood oxygen levels, mean arterial pressure, weight-loss ratio, and inflammatory cytokine levels in the lungs. In contrast, almost no differences were observed between the TAL treatment and sham groups. In the second experiment with a lethal lung injury model, the TAL treatment dramatically improved the survival rate of the rats compared to the MGV treatment groups (p = 0.0079). Histopathological analysis confirmed pronounced differences in neutrophil accumulation and thickening of the interstitial membrane between the TAL and MGV treatment groups in both experiments. These results indicate that as little as 5 min of TAL treatment can protect rats from acute lung injury by removing causative substances from the lungs.

Comprehensive Evaluation of the Accelerated Aging Law of NEPE Propellants

In order to study the accelerated aging law of nitrate ester plasticized polyether (NEPE) propellants, the mechanical properties, weight loss, adhesive network structure fracture, and stability of NEPE propellants during storage were analyzed. The results show that the maximum tensile strength σm shows good change law with the increase of storage time, and the failure of NEPE propellants is mainly strength failure. The content of the stabilizer decreased with the increase of storage time. With the prolongation of storage time, the weight loss ratio increases gradually with good regularity. The decomposition of the components in the propellant leads to the degradation of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) network structure. The thermal decomposition of the nitrate plasticizer in NEPE propellants will occur, and the products will cause the adhesive network structure to decompose and break the chain, leading to the destruction of the matrix structure. The thermal decomposition of the propellant has temperature-increasing rate dependency.

Am I on Track? Evaluating Patient-Specific Weight Loss after Bariatric Surgery Using an Outcomes Calculator

Individual weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery can vary considerably. As a result, identifying and assisting patients who are not on track to reach their weight loss goals can be challenging. Using a bariatric surgery outcomes calculator, which was formulated using a state-wide bariatric-specific data registry, predicted weight loss at 1 year after surgery was calculated on 658 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at 35 different bariatric surgery programs between 2015 and 2017. Patient characteristics, postoperative complications, and weight loss trajectories were compared between patients who met or exceeded their predicted weight loss calculation to those who did not based on observed to expected weight loss ratio (O:E) at 1 year after surgery. Patients who did not meet their predicted weight loss at 1 year (n = 237, 36%) had a mean O:E of 0.71, while patients who met or exceeded their prediction (n = 421, 63%) had a mean O:E = 1.14. At 6 months, there was a significant difference in the percent of the total amount of predicted weight loss between the groups (88% of total predicted weight loss for those that met their 1-year prediction vs 66% for those who did not, p < 0.0001). Age, gender, procedure type, and risk-adjusted complication rates were similar between groups. Using a bariatric outcomes calculator can help set appropriate weight-loss expectations after surgery and also identify patients who may benefit from additional therapy prior to reaching their weight loss nadir.

A novel approach to fabricate fully biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) biocomposites using a paper-manufacturing and compression molding method

In this work, a fully biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) biocomposite was fabricated from ultrafine PBS fiber and waste paper (WP) using a paper-manufacturing and compression molding method. A PBS biocomposite containing 60 wt% WP showed a tensile strength, elongation at break, flexural strength, flexural modulus, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), and impact strength of 78.1 MPa, 11.1%, 92.0 MPa, 7.5 GPa, 2.9 MPa, and 36.9 kJ/m2, respectively, which were superior to those of previously-reported PBS biocomposites. The damage mechanics reveals that tremendous deformation of plant fibers (PF) from WP and their riveting improved the mechanical properties of WP/PBS biocomposites. The weight loss ratio of WP/PBS-60 wt% biocomposite during biodegradation reached 95.1 wt% after immersion in an enzyme solution for 35 d. This fabrication approach provides a novel and facile strategy to develop high-performance, low-cost, and fully biodegradable PBS biocomposites.

Effects of Ultrasonication Time on the Properties of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Nano-ZnO/Multilayer Graphene Nanoplatelet Composite Films.

Ultrasonication-assisted solution casting was used to prepare polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/nano-ZnO/multilayer graphene nanoplatelet (xGnP) composite films; the performances (mechanical properties, water vapor permeability (WVP), biodegradability and antibacterial activity) of these films were investigated as a function of the ZnO NPs:xGnP mass ratio and ultrasonication time. Intermolecular interactions among ZnO NPs, xGnP and the PVA/CMC matrix were shown to improve WVP, while X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed that the internal reticular structure of ultrasound-treated PVA/CMC/ZnO NPs/xGnP composite films was in a fluffier state than that of the untreated composite films and the PVA/CMC film. The incorporation of ZnO NPs and xGnP into the composite film reduced its tensile strength and elongation at break, and increased antibacterial activity and biodegradability. In addition, we carried out the experiment of strawberry preservation and measured weight loss ratio, firmness, content of total soluble solids and titration acid. Finally, the composite film of 7:3 had the best preservation effect on strawberries. Thus, the obtained results paved the way to develop novel biodegradable composite films with antimicrobial activity for a wide range of applications.

Effects of Combined Training on the Levels of Obestatin, Ghrelin, and Insulin Resistance in Overweight Women

Background: The present quasi-experimental and field research was conducted to evaluate the effect of combined exercises on the levels of obestatin and ghrelin in overweight women. Methods: The study subjects consisted of 34 overweight women with a Mean±SD age of 30.29±4.66 years, a Mean±SD height of 165.11±5.56 cm, a Mean±SD weight of 74.64±7.33 kg, a Mean±SD body mass index of 27.35±1.74 kg/m2, which were selected purposefully and randomly, and assigned to the experimental (n=17) and control (n=17) groups. At first, venous blood samples were taken from subjects after 12 h overnight fasting to measure the levels of ghrelin, obestatin, glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance. Then, the participants of the experimental group participated in a combined exercise program, including warming up, aerobic training, resistance training, and cooling down. All these variables were re-measured after 12 weeks and the obtained data were analyzed. The paired t test was used for intra-group comparison and independent t test was performed for inter-group comparison. Results: The findings of this study showed that body weight, BMI, waist circumference, glucose level, and ghrelin-obestatin ratio were significantly different between the experimental and the control groups (P≤0.05) after 8 weeks of combined exercise training, but differences in ghrelin, obestatin, insulin levels, and insulin resistance were not significant between the experimental and control groups (P≤0.05). Conclusion: The combined exercise training, therefore, seems to be a suitable method for weight loss, body composition, waist circumference, glucose level, and ghrelin-obestatin ratio.

Degradation Mechanism of Polyimide Film Irradiated by Gamma Rays

The Co-60 radiation ground simulation test was conducted on the Mechanical property of polyimide film, thermo gravimetric and XPS was used to analyze the evolution mechanism of polyimide film in different dosages. It was found that the mechanical properties such as tensile force, tensile strength and rupture elongation of polyimide film in gamma ray radiation increase firstly and then exponent decrease. The corresponding initial decomposition temperature of the gamma ray-radiated polyimide film changed from 570°C to 590°C for weight-loss ratio of 2%. From XPS analysis, it can be found that there were rupture and crosslink of chemical bond in polyimide film. In early stage of gamma ray radiation, the rupture of C-N bond and following crosslink is for the increase of mechanical properties of polyimide film, and as the increase of radiation, the rupture of C=O and –N(CO) bond, formation of C-N bond, release of N was for the decrease of mechanical properties of polyimide films.

Finite Element Analysis and Lightweight Design of Hydro Generator Lower Bracket

Lower bracket is an important component in hydro generator. Taking lower bracket as the research object, the strength, the stiffness and the dynamic characteristics of lower bracket have been simulated and analyzed by means of establishing a finite element model. With the two design indexes of maximum normal stress and stiffness as the constraint conditions, aiming at an optimized design with the minimum mass and proposed a lightweight optimization method. The design parameters of the optimized model of hydro generator lower bracket are determined by using the compound form method with optimization iteration. Through lightweight optimization design, the maximum normal stress and maximum displacement of lower bracket are within the allowable value range, modal analysis shows that the dynamic characteristics of the optimized structure also meet the requirements, with the potential of material further utilized. The lightweight optimization design reduced the weight of lower bracket in hydro generator by 790kg and the weight-loss ratio reaches 44.38%, thus achieving the purpose of lightweight. The optimization results are applied in the improvement design of lower bracket and the method is practical and suitable for engineering applications.

EFFECT OF PACKING METHODS, AND COLD STORAGE AND MARKETING PERIODS ON SOME PHSIO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ꞌꞌSALIMIꞌꞌ POMEGRANATE FRUITS

The experiment was conducted in Horticulture of Landscape Design Dept. College of Agriculture University of Diyala from 1/11/2018 to 21/3/2019 to study the effect of packing methods and cold storage of marketing periods on some parameters of salami pomegranate Fruits, The fruits were packed in polyethylene bags and individual packing with special paper (kitchen paper), after that, the fruits were stored at 6 ° C for 4 months, then at 20-day as a marketing period. Some physical and chemical parameters of fruits were done, the data were subjected and analyzed statistically, and means were compared by Duncan multi test at 0.05 probability level. The results showed that: Packed fruits in polyethylene bags have the highest acidity, TSS, ascorbic acid and total sugars and the lowest percentage of weight loss and damage. The individual packing method gave the highest weight loss and spoilage ratio. The cold storage period was characterized by the highest percentage of ascorbic acid, total sugars, the highest percentage of damage and the lowest weight loss. The marketing period showed the highest percentage of weight loss, acidity and the least damage.