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Power companies are responsible for producing and transferring the required amount of electricity from grid stations to individual households. Many countries suffer huge losses in billions of dollars due to non-technical loss (NTL) in power supply companies. To deal with NTL, many machine learning classifiers have been employed in recent time. However, few has been studied about the performance evaluation metrics that are used in NTL detection to evaluate how good or bad the classifier is in predicting the non-technical loss. This paper first uses three classifiers: random forest, K-nearest neighbors and linear support vector machine to predict the occurrence of NTL in a real dataset of an electric supply company containing approximately 80,000 monthly consumption records. Then, it computes 14 performance evaluation metrics across the three classifiers and identify the key scientific relationships between them. These relationships provide insights into deciding which classifier can be more useful under given scenarios for NTL detection. This work can be proved to be a baseline not only for the NTL detection in power industry but also for the selection of appropriate performance evaluation metrics for NTL detection.

Evidences show that the storage period greatly affects the quality of yogurt. In this study, three types of yogurt: control yogurt (CY), non-hydrolyzed potato powder yogurt (PPY) and enzymatically hydrolyzed potato powder yogurt (EHPPY) were prepared at 42 °C for 5 h and stored for 28 days at 4 °C. The yogurts were evaluated for quality characteristics at different storage periods. Negligible differences in pH values, titratable acidities and viable counts were detected in all three types of yogurt during storage. However, compared to other yogurts, EHPPY exhibited desirable water holding capacity, throughout the storage period. Apart from this, sensory properties and antioxidant activities (2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) of EHPPY were also significantly improved during the storage period. Furthermore, the storage (Gʹ) and loss (Gʺ) modulus of PPY, EHPPY were lower than CY at 4 °C while a hysteresis loop was shown by all yogurts at the temperature range of 4–50 °C indicating higher Gʹ (elasticity) than Gʺ (viscosity). Based on our findings, EHPP could be an important functional ingredient in improving the quality and storage stability of yogurt for its production at an industrial level.

Microplastics from food packaging material have risen in number and dispersion in the aquatic system, the terrestrial environment, and the atmosphere in recent decades. Microplastics are of particular concern due to their long-term durability in the environment, their great potential for releasing plastic monomers and additives/chemicals, and their vector-capacity for adsorbing or collecting other pollutants. Consumption of foods containing migrating monomers can lead to accumulation in the body and the build-up of monomers in the body can trigger cancer. The book chapter focuses the commercial plastic food packaging materials and describes their release mechanisms of microplastics from packaging into foods. To prevent the potential risk of microplastics migrated into food products, the factors influencing microplastic to the food products, e.g., high temperatures, ultraviolet and bacteria, have been discussed. Additionally, as many evidences shows that the microplastic components are toxic and carcinogenic, the potential threats and negative effects on human health have also been highlighted. Moreover, future trends is summarized to reduce the microplastic migration by enhancing public awareness as well as improving waste management.

The problem of environmental pollution with plastic is becoming more and more acute every year. Due to the low rate of decomposition of plastic, its particles get into food and harm the human body. This chapter focuses on the potential risks and toxicological effects of both nano and microplastics on human health. The main places of distribution of various toxicants along with the food chain have been established. The effects of some examples of the main sources of micro/nanoplastics on the human body are also emphasised. The processes of entry and accumulation of micro/nanoplastics are described, and the mechanism of accumulation that occurs inside the body is briefly explained. Potential toxic effects reported from studies on various organisms are highlighted as well.

Metarhizium anisopliae(Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae, M. anisopliae), as an invertebrate fungal pathogen, has played a significant role in the control of many agricultural pests and human disease vectors. M. anisopliaeis typically used as a chemical in dry or liquid formulations of large numbers of aerial conidia. The conidia can directly infect arthropod pests by penetrating their cuticular layer. The availability of the complete genome of M. anisopliaeand capable techniques for its transformation have brought several developments in its use as a pest controller. For prospects, more in-depth research to improve fermentation and formulation technologies is needed, while multistress-tolerant and engineering entomopathogenic strains are selected to promote the widespread acceptance and usefulness of M. anisopliaeas a cost-effective fungal biopesticide. Here, we provide an overview of the pathogenesis and formulation strategies, as well as the host ranges and molecular approaches of increasing virulence and efficacy. Several studies of this fungus pathogen demonstrated that M. anisopliaecan be an efficient biocontrol agent and has great potential for further research and development.

Purpose--This paper investigates the relationship between capital structure, and firm performance in case of textile sector of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach--Using regression method we are able the compare relationship between capital structure and firms performance with the completing hypothesis with different capital structure choices. Throughout this analysis we consider role of relationship between capital structure and firm performance in case of textile sector of Pakistan. In textile sector 173 companies in which we compare relationship between capital structure and firms performance. In this study three variable are used two variable dependent and one variable independent. Findings--In this paper we investigate that what is the relationship between capital structure and firms performance. Keywords: Capital Structure, Firms Performance, Debt Equity Ratio, Return on Asset, Return on Equity, Regression Analysis Paper type: Research Paper, Introduction The capital structure of a business is the mix of types of debt and equity the company has on its balance sheet. The capital or ownership of a business [...]

Introduction: In the USA, nearly one in three people will experience herpes zoster (HZ) in their lifetime. Underserved communities may be at even higher risk due to several factors, including access to healthcare, education, and co-morbid conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate current knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices (KABP) relative to HZ and HZ vaccines in a large urban city. Methods: A cross-sectional KABP survey was conducted via in-person interview among 381 participants aged ≥ 50 years in Detroit, MI, USA, from June to August 2018. Survey results were stratified into two groups [< 60 and ≥ 60 years of age (YO)] for comparison. Results: Of the 381 participants, 373 reported their age (110 < 60 YO and 263 ≥ 60 YO). Overall, the majority of participants reported having heard of HZ and HZ vaccines. In addition, receiving a recommendation from a healthcare provider (37.5%) followed by gaining a better understanding of HZ vaccine (36.7%) and of HZ (29.9%) were leading factors that influenced participants’ willingness to receive the vaccine. Of note, 65.5% of participants < 60 YO reported the belief that HZ is preventable versus only 53.2% in those ≥ 60 YO (p= 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings underscore the need to educate patients in underserved communities about HZ as well as new HZ vaccine recommendations to improve vaccination rates and reduce the incidence of HZ and its associated sequelae.

In the present investigation, fresh potato instant hot dry noodles were prepared to evaluate the effect of xanthan gum (XG) on cooking qualities, texture and microstructures of noodles. Three types of noodles were prepared with different incorporation level of XG (0.3, 0.6 and 0.9% w/w, wheat flour basis) and their physico-chemical and functional properties in relation to textural and rheological characteristics were evaluated. The results showed that incorporation of 0.60% XG (w/w, wheat flour basis) increased peak viscosity, trough, breakdown, final viscosity, setback increased dramatically, whereas pasting temperature declined compared with control. The addition of XG resulted in increased G′ and G″ and contributed to fast rehydration higher cooking loss, water absorption and increased porosity. The findings in this work provided evidence that XG could be used as a partial additive for wheat flour in non-fried instant noodles production.

The physically unstable amorphous solid drug can transform into a crystalline state, reducing solubility and dissolution rate. This study aimed to prepare physical stability anticancer drug nilotinib free base amorphous solids by modifying parameters associated with amorphous precipitation, including washing water volume, drying time, and anti-solvent/solvent ratio. Characterization involved powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and data analysis involved pair distribution function (PDF), reduced crystallization temperature (Rc), and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied for the physical stability evaluation. The results revealed that amorphous solids showed the highest physical stability under specific conditions: 50 mL washing water volume, 18 h drying time, and 40 anti-solvent/solvent ratio. Hence, it was demonstrated that the method combining PDF analysis and Rcvalues provided a novel and comprehensive assessment of physical stability, offering enhanced speed and accuracy compared to traditional accelerated stability test approaches.

Both natural and synthetic peptides are not only biologically important, continuous research and comprehension of these short protein fragments show that they also have multifarious potentials in food manufacturing, namely emulsion-based products. The emulsions may basically be oil-in-water or water-in-oil, as well as temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent in a continuous phase that suspends the droplets of the other elements used in food and pharmaceutical industries to formulate products such as gels, creams, ointments, and vaccines. In this review, the classification, preparation, and identification of peptides were described, followed by peptide-based emulsion properties and their relationship with regards to stability, structure, solubility, hydrophobicity, foaming, and water holding capacity. This then dovetailed into the release rate and gastric stability of encapsulated peptides in the human digestive system, before exploring further needs and recommendations. It is desired that more studies be conducted to define the impact of carrier ingredients selection, encapsulation and processing techniques, environment, and peptides chemistry on peptide-based emulsions to attain high efficacy.

Background:We evaluated the extent and the degree of active atherosclerosis in the popliteal-tibial arteries by quantitative techniques using [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose–positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). An effort was made to determine whether there was a positive correlation between the level of ongoing atherosclerosis and subsequent chronic ischemia in the diabetic foot.Methods:A total of 115 diabetic patients were enrolled in this prospective research study and underwent lower-extremity FDG-PET and magnetic resonance imaging. We selected 36 diabetic patients with complicated diabetic foot for this analysis (11 men, 25 women; mean age, 59.5 years; age range, 36–85 years). Ten nondiabetic control participants (6 men, 4 women; mean age, 59.7 years; age range, 27–88 years) were also included for comparison. Only patients with blood glucose levels less than 200 mg/100 mL were enrolled in this study. The metabolic volumetric product (MVP), for each patient was calculated multiplying foot average maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) by foot volume. Pearson correlation analysis between foot mean SUVmaxalone and the degree of atherosclerosis and between the foot MVP and the degree of atherosclerosis was performed as measured by FDG-PET. A ttest was used to assess for significant differences in foot SUVmaxand foot MVP among varying degrees of atherosclerosis, using P< .05 as the criterion for statistical significance.Results:Foot SUVmaxsignificantly correlated (P< .05) with the ratio of popliteal-tibial artery SUVmaxto background SUV (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.49). Foot MVP was also significantly correlated (P< .05) with the ratio of popliteal-tibial artery SUVmaxto background SUV (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.69).Conclusions:Using FDG-PET, one may be able to detect and quantify the degree of increased metabolic activity of early active atherosclerosis and the associated chronic tissue ischemic effects at the regional level and globally throughout the whole body during the asymptomatic phase of disease. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 102(3): 240–246, 2012)