Cost driven Green Kaizen in pharmaceutical production - Creating positive engagement for environmental improvements

A case study of green kaizen is presented demonstrating results of how to engage operators and management in environmental improvements on the shop-floor by utilizing a method, the Green Performance Map, in a pharmaceutical manufacturing company. The method involves identification of improvement possibilities, an input-output model for visualization (to reach consensus), and a cost saving approach for prioritization of actions (to attain force to take the step). The paper sets out to demonstrate how operationalization is needed to change behaviour, and points at the advantage of utilizing cost as a driver for environmental change

Diamines Can Initiate New Particle Formation in the Atmosphere

Recent experimental evidence suggests that diamines can enhance atmospheric new particle formation more efficiently compared to monoamines such as dimethylamine Here we investigate the molecular interactions between sulfuric acid (sa) and the diamine putrescine (put) using computational methods. The molecular structure of up to four sulfuric acid molecules and up to four putrescine molecules were obtained, at the omega B97X-D/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory. We utilized a domain local pair natural orbital coupled cluster method (DLPNO-CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ) to obtain highly accurate binding energies of the clusters. We find that the (sa)(1-4)(put)(1-4) clusters show more ionic character than clusters consisting of sulfuric acid and dimethylamine (dma) by readily forming several sulfate ions in the cluster. To estimate the stability of the clusters, we calculate the evaporation rates and compare them to ESI-APi-TOF measurements. Using the atmospheric cluster dynamics code (ACDC), we simulate and compare the new particle formation rates between the (sa)(1-4)(put)(1-4) and (sa),(1-4)(dma)(1-4) cluster systems. We find that putrescine significantly enhances the formation of new particles compared to dimethylamine. Our findings suggest that a large range of amines with different basicity is capable of explaining various regions of the observed new particle formation events. These results indicate that diamines, or related compounds with high basicity, might be important species in forming the initial cluster with sulfuric acid and subsequently more abundant amines with lower basicity can assist in the new particle formation process by attaching to the sulfuric acid-diamine nucleus.Peer reviewe

Usulan Strategi Pengembangan Bisnis Teaching Industry Gambir

Teaching Industry Gambir merupakan pabrik pengelola gambir menjadi katekin dan teh gambir. Teaching Industry Gambir berada di bawah naungan Science Techno Park (STP) Universitas Andalas. Untuk saat ini, seluruh aktivitas Teaching Industry Gambir ditunda dikarenakan permasalahan internal Teaching Industry Gambir. Ketakutan terbesar Teaching Industry Gambir adalah ketidakmampuan menjangkau pasar yang ada dan ketidakmampuan dalam mengelola Teaching Industry Gambir dengan baik. Untuk itu, Teaching Industry Gambir perlu usulan strategi untuk mengembangkan bisnisnya. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mendapatkan alternatif-alternatif strategi yang dapat digunakan untuk mengembangkan bisnis Teaching Industry Gambir. Metode yang digunakan merupakan metode deskriptif dengan teknik pengumpulan data lewat wawancara, observasi, dan kuisioner. Tahap perumusan strategi dimulai dari analisis SWOT, Matriks IFAS, Matriks EFAS, Matriks IE, Matriks TOWS, dan pengambilan keputusan dengan AHP. Posisi Teaching Industry Gambir berada di fase growth (tumbuh). Fase ini paling sesuai untuk menerapkan strategi intensif atau strategi integratif. Terdapat 12 strategi yang diusulkan yang disesuaikan dengan kondisi Teaching Industry Gambir saat ini. Strategi utama merupakan strategi memperluas pasar nasional dengan bobot prioritas sebesar 0.205

Svenska i finska gymnasier

Peer reviewe

Modeling on Fragmentation of Clusters inside a Mass Spectrometer

Atmospheric clusters are weakly bound and can fragment inside the measuring instruments, in particular, mass spectrometers. Since the clusters accelerate under electric fields, the fragmentation cannot be described in terms of rate constants under equilibrium conditions. Using basic statistical principles, we have developed a model for fragmentation of clusters moving under an external force. The model describes an energy transfer to the cluster internal modes caused by collisions with residual carrier gas molecules. As soon as enough energy is accumulated in the cluster internal modes, it can fragment. The model can be used for interpreting experimental measurements by atmospheric pressure interface mass spectrometers.Peer reviewe

The Dynamics of Germinal Centre Selection as Measured by Graph-Theoretical Analysis of Mutational Lineage Trees

We have developed a rigorous graph-theoretical algorithm for quantifying the shape properties of mutational lineage trees. We show that information about the dynamics of hypermutation and antigen-driven clonal selection during the humoral immune response is contained in the shape of mutational lineage trees deduced from the responding clones. Age and tissue related differences in the selection process can be studied using this method. Thus, tree shape analysis can be used as a means of elucidating humoral immune response dynamics in various situations

Guanidine : A Highly Efficient Stabilizer in Atmospheric New-Particle Formation

The role of a strong organobase, guanidine, in sulfuric acid-driven new-particle formation is studied using state-of-the-art quantum chemical methods and molecular cluster formation simulations. Cluster formation mechanisms at the molecular level are resolved, and theoretical results on cluster stability are confirmed with mass spectrometer measurements. New-particle formation from guanidine and sulfuric acid molecules occurs without thermodynamic barriers under studied conditions, and clusters are growing close to a 1:1 composition of acid and base. Evaporation rates of the most stable clusters are extremely low, which can be explained by the proton transfers and symmetrical cluster structures. We compare the ability of guanidine and dimethylamine to enhance sulfuric acid-driven particle formation and show that more than 2000-fold concentration of dimethylamine is needed to yield as efficient particle formation as in the case of guanidine. At similar conditions, guanidine yields 8 orders of magnitude higher particle formation rates compared to dimethylamine. Highly basic compounds such as guanidine may explain experimentally observed particle formation events at low precursor vapor concentrations, whereas less basic and more abundant bases such as ammonia and amines are likely to explain measurements at high concentrations.Peer reviewe

Phenotypic variation of Botrytis cinerea isolates is influenced by spectral light quality

Botrytis cinerea, a fungal pathogen that causes gray mold, displays a high degree of phenotypic diversity. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) with specific light spectrum are increasingly used as lighting resource for plant greenhouse production. The chosen light spectrum can also have an effect on the pathogens in this production system. In this study, we investigated the phenological diversity in 15 B. cinerea isolates upon different light treatments. Daylight, darkness, and LED lights with different wavelengths (white, blue, red, blue+red) were chosen as treatments. The 15 Botrytis isolates differed in their mycelial growth rate, conidia production, and sclerotia formation. Light quality had a limited effect on growth rate. All isolates sporulated under daylight treatment, red light resulted in lower sporulation, while white, blue, and blue+red light inhibited sclerotia formation in all isolates, and sporulation in most, but not all isolates. Pathogenicity of the Botrytis isolates was studied on 2-week-old strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa ‘Elsanta’) leaves grown under white, blue, and red LED lights. The isolates differed in virulence on strawberry leaves, and this was positively correlated to oxalic acid production by B. cinerea in vitro. Red LED light improved leaf basal resistance to all the tested Botrytis isolates. Blue light pretreatment resulted in decreased leaf resistance to some isolates. Furthermore, we used image analysis to quantify the virulence of the different Botrytis isolates based on changes in photosynthetic performance of the strawberry leaves: chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), chlorophyll index (ChlIdx) and anthocyanin content (modified anthocyanin reflection index, mAriIdx). Fv/Fm showed a strong negative correlation with disease severity and can be an indicator for the early detection of gray mold on strawberry leaves