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Quality changes in ready-to-eat, shelf-stable foods, during storage can be influenced by many factors, such as processing, storage conditions, and the barrier properties of the packaging. This research investigated retention of vitamin C and anthocyanin in purple mashed potatoes as influenced by packaging barrier properties and encapsulation during storage after microwave assisted thermal sterilization. Purple mashed potatoes fortified with encapsulated (EVC) or non-encapsulated vitamin C (NVC) were packaged in two high-barrier polymer pouches (TLMO and PAA), processed with a pilot-scale microwave assisted thermal sterilization (MATS) system (F0 = 10.7 min), and stored at 37.8 °C for 7 months. MATS processing caused a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the oxygen transmission rates (OTRs) of PAA pouches but did not affect the barrier properties of TLMO pouches. PAA film also had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) water vapor transmission rate (WVTRs) than TLMO films, which resulted in a significantly higher (P < 0.05) weight loss in the samples packaged in PAA pouches than TLMO pouches. Purple mashed potatoes containing encapsulated vitamin C in both TLMO and PAA pouches showed the highest retention over 2 months of storage at 37.8 °C than non-encapsulated vitamin C. Additionally, purple mashed potatoes exposed to 700 lumens light showed a significantly higher (P < 0.05) deterioration in the anthocyanin, total phenolic content, color, and vitamin C. Overall, MATS processed purple mashed potatoes in high barrier polymeric packaging can minimize the quality changes when stored in dark conditions during storage and have an extended shelf life.

A study of the modern state of technologies for the production of flexible packages by gravure printing was carried out. The analysis of patent information over the past ten years has revealed the constant development of technologies for ensuring the quality of printing, new materials — inks and films. According to the received data, the main number of patents is registered in the USA, Japan and China. Total number of patents devoted to new polymeric materials for printing is more than twice as large as the number of patents for gravure printing inks. From the obtained data, it can be concluded that this area has many unexplored points, and therefore it has a development perspective and space for various researches. The occurrence of defects, as well as the quality of products, is influenced by three main factors: manufacturing, technological, raw material. Another human factor can also influence the occurrence of defects. As a defect caused by the human factor, the most common is the use of the wrong series of ink, abuse of solvents, failure to carry out timely washing and cleaning of form cylinders and squeegees, failure to comply with approved technological regimes (drying temperature, pressure, speed, amount of glue application, etc.). According to the results of the printing of flexible packages, the types of defects caused by the production factor can include: insufficient tension of the canvas, insufficient alignment, insufficient drying of the ink. As a raw’ material shortage, the most common are: sagging of the canvas, non-fixation of ink, non-printing of a shallow raster, low intensity of ink, insufficient activation of the material. The most common printing defects of flexible packages have been determined: no small raster printing, different tone (in one edition), non-combination of design elements, not gluing laminates, layering of laminates, insufficient film activation, stains and splashes, drying of the ink (non-uniform application of the ink layer), ‘Stairs’, Stripes, no printing/poor printing of design elements. According to the results of the analysis of the wastes, no-good of print circulation, the main reasons for its occurrence were analyzed and the primary reason were identified. According to the identified types of defects, possible ways to eliminate each of these types of defects are proposed.

Summary: Flexible packaging has become indispensable in the food industry due to its numerous advantages. However, it has certain drawbacks, such as limited recyclability and environmental contamination. While efforts are underway to develop more sustainable and eco‐friendly packaging options, the food industry's reliance on flexible packaging made from unsustainable petro‐based plastics is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. Therefore, more sustainable alternatives that do not sacrifice performance are required. One such option is to use nanocellulose, especially cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which can be reinforced into biopolymer to enhance mechanical and barrier properties. The present study aims to isolate kudzu CNCs by depolymerisation, bleaching, acid hydrolysis with 51% sulfuric acid, and mechanical dispersion. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted to assess the thermal stability of kudzu fibres. Further, the FTIR spectra were measured at wave number ranged 4000–500 cm−1, which showed changes in the structure after treatments and confirmed the removal of lignin and hemicellulose from the cellulose. The isolated CNCs were found to have lengths and diameters of 285.01 ± 150.33 nm and 42.78 ± 13.26 nm, respectively, with an aspect ratio of 6.43 ± 1.78. This study showed that kudzu CNCs are a suitable reinforcing material for nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to focus on the design of packaging openers for consumer access to the contents. The packaging opener was created to make opening easier and safer. In this study, online questionnaires were used to investigate the problems and solutions of user experiences when opening packaging. According to the findings, a major issue among the responding participants is that they should have a strong hand force. However, the hand force not only had enough energy to open the packaging, but it was also unable to open the closure at the specified location. When participants encountered opening problems, they preferred to use an assistant tool rather than ask for assistance. The risk of packaging materials, scissors, knives, and wrist and finger twisting occurred during opening packaging. According to the respondents' experiences, the four functions of the packaging opener were integrated together for the corrugated box, ring-pull a can, lug cap closure, and flexible packaging. As a result, the newly designed packaging opener required less opening force, a safer hold, and optimized hand ergonomics. The attractive configuration and comfortable grip were also important factors to consider when designing the packaging openers in this study. Opener prototypes were modelled using SolidWorks and were formed by a 3D printer. The FSUDE system was employed to evaluate the functions, safety, usability, design, and engineering of all prototypes. Based on the results of this study, form, dimension, surface, friction, and grip posture were factors affecting torque force exertion, slitting and cutting force, and openability of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this research is to evaluate the influence of coating based on cellulose micro/nanofibrils (CMF) and carboxylated styrene butadiene rubber (XSBR) on sack kraft paper, for possible use in packaging. Filmogenic solutions were applied manually as a coating on sack kraft paper. These solutions were prepared by suspensions of CMF 1.5 % w/v with the addition of different content of XSBR (0, 2, 10, and 20 % about the total mass of CMF). Uncoated sack kraft paper was used as control. Films were obtained by casting and characterized physically, morphologically, and mechanically. The results demonstrated that XSBR and CMF composite suspension showed good performance as a coating on sack kraft paper. The formation of homogeneous structures well distributed on paper can be observed on scanning electron microscope images. Coatings containing XSBR presented a smoother surface, less porosity and hydrophilicity, and a greater coalescence, with good properties of air resistance and water vapor permeability. However, regarding mechanical properties, there were no improvements in coated papers. Therefore, the present study contributed information on the development of more flexible and hydrophobic cellulosic papers for possible applications in the industrial packaging sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper investigates the dynamic nature of risk in pre-, during- and post-COVID duration. It investigates how commercial office portfolio stakeholders in India perceived risk during the COVID pandemic, their risk response and mitigation strategies, and emerging structural changes that would impact the commercial office portfolio (COP) in the post-COVID period. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative and applied research method is adopted for the study. Through purposive sampling, commercial office portfolio stakeholders were selected and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire having two parts. In the first part, risk attributes were accessed on the Likert scale and in the second part there were open-ended questions. Findings: The uncertainty during the COVID period increased the risk perception significantly. There was a sense of urgency to retain the tenants, preserve the headline rentals and keep the properties operational. COP managers were forthcoming to offer rent deferments, common area maintenance discounts and upgrades in the physical office in form of touchless equipment, better air filters, etc. Post-pandemic there would be extensive use of technology and data for facility management and space utilization analytics; mainstreaming of hybrid working and flexible office spaces; increased certification of buildings; adoption of ESG and sustainability norms; and better-designed buildings with a focus on EHS and wellbeing. Practical implications: Identifying structural changes in the post-pandemic period will help the COP managers to align their portfolios to the emerging office market requirements. Originality/value: This study helps in developing an understanding of the dynamic nature of the risk across pre-, during- and post-COVID periods. And risk responses and mitigation strategies adopted during the COVID period in an emerging market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the College Of Basic Education is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The transition toward the circular economy requires stakeholders to collaborate along value chains. Yet, such collaborations are considerably challenging. Given the paradigmatic change, stakeholders face high levels of uncertainty and also need to align on a common way forward. We extend research on interorganizational sensemaking and the circular economy by exploring the process of interorganizational alignment in a European consortium of over 150 companies representing the value chain for flexible packaging with the objective to transform the value chain from linear to circular. We find that the interorganizational sensemaking process unfolds across three levels—organization, value chain, and ecosystem—which provide different reference frames for the process. We provide insights into how these frames, power dynamics, and identity considerations influence this process. Our findings highlight the importance of considering interdependencies between stakeholders and a collective reconceptualization of the established value chain to successfully transition toward a circular one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper thoroughly investigates material characterization, reliability evaluation, fabrication, and assembly processes of additively manufactured flexible packaging and reconfigurable on-package antenna arrays for next-generation 5G/mmWave wearable and conformal applications. The objective is to bridge the technology gap in current Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) designs at mmWave frequencies and address the challenges of establishing future design standards for additively manufactured flexible packages and System-on-Package (SoP) integrated modules. Multiple 3D printed flexible materials have been characterized for their electrical and mechanical properties over the 5G/mmW frequency band (26–40 GHz), and the inkjet printed interconnects on 3D printed Polypropylene (PP) substrates demonstrated excellent electrical and mechanical performance during a 10,000-time cyclic bending test over typical wearable flexible radii down to 1 inch. A proof-of-concept flexible on-package phased array with an integrated microfluidic cooling channel on 3D printed substrates was fabricated and measured, demonstrating ± 37 ∘ beam steering capability with efficient cooling. The proposed reconfigurable design and low-temperature fabrication approach using additive manufacturing can be widely applied to next-generation highly-complex on-demand FHE, flexible multi-chip-module integration, and on-package phased-array modules for 5G/mmWave wearable and conformal smart skin, digital twin and massive MIMO applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit an adsorption-induced structural transition known as "gate opening" or "breathing," resulting in an S-shaped adsorption isotherm. This unique feature of flexible MOFs offers significant advantages, such as a large working capacity, high selectivity, and intrinsic thermal management capability, positioning them as crucial candidates for revolutionizing adsorption separation processes. Therefore, the interest in the industrial applications of flexible MOFs is increasing, and the adsorption engineering for flexible MOFs is becoming important. However, despite the establishment of the theoretical background for adsorptioninduced structural transitions, no theoretical equation is available to describe S-shaped adsorption isotherms of flexible MOFs. Researchers rely on various empirical equations for process simulations that can lead to unreliable outcomes or may overlook insights into improving material performance owing to parameters without physical meaning. In this study, we derive a theoretical equation based on statistical mechanics that could be a standard for the structural transition type adsorption isotherms, as the Langmuir equation represents type I isotherms. The versatility of the derived equation is shown through four examples of flexible MOFs that exhibit gate opening and breathing. The consistency of the formula with existing theories, including the osmotic free energy analysis and intrinsic thermal management capabilities, is also discussed. The developed theoretical equation may lead to more reliable and insightful outcomes in adsorption separation processes, further advancing the direction of industrial applications of flexible MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to market globalization and technological development, companies are focusing more than ever on the performance of their maintenance function, which can only be achieved through a good performance measurement system. Although numerous works have been realized on this issue, there is still a lack of a flexible system that considers the particularities of each company and deals with all the performance measurement issues. For this reason, this paper introduces a maintenance performance measurement system, which allows the identification of all the relevant performance indicators using a hierarchical decomposition approach. Subsequently, the elementary performance indicators will be quantified using a measurement approach based on the fuzzy set theory, which deals with the unavailability and unreliability of data as well as time and resources limitation. Finally, an aggregation method based on the MACBETH method combined with the 2-additive Choquet integral was used in order to measure the global maintenance performance while considering the mutual interactions between the different criteria. Finally, to illustrate all these steps, the proposed system has been applied in a large Moroccan company operating in the chemical transformation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing emphasis on minimization of global plastic waste, flexible fibre‐based packaging has gained significant interest over the past few years. Heat‐sealing technology is commonly applied for vertical form‐fill‐seal machine to provide tight closure of packages for maintaining food quality and shelf life. Several different seal bar geometries and adequate heat‐seal parameters are required to improve the seal tightness of the packages. This study aims to compare the heat sealability of thermoplastic film (OPP/PE) and paper‐based materials in vertical form‐fill‐seal machine using various seal bar profiles. The investigation includes seal strength measurement, understanding the causes of leak formation, seal tightness and inspection of the seal using scanning electron microscopy. Results reveal that OPP/PE material has exceptional seal strength and leakproof ability compared with paper‐based materials. However, it has limited operating window because the material shrinks and coarsens at approximately 140°C. Sealing temperature and dwell time are found to be the major factors affecting the seal strength of paper‐based material. Results reveal the PE‐coated papers exhibit nearly twice the seal strength compared with the dispersion‐coated paper. It was difficult to achieve good hot‐tack values with dispersion‐coated paper. During testing, all the paper‐based materials experience delamination and fibre tear, and its severity increases with the increasing material grammage. As plateau temperature is reached, the fibre delamination remains relatively constant. The serrated geometry of seal bar design plays a significant role in providing a satisfactory airtight seal, particularly around the pouch's layer jump. However, flat seal bar designs are not recommended for gas tight applications for paper‐based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular descriptors characterize the biological, physical, and chemical properties of molecules and have long been used for understanding molecular interactions and facilitating materials design. Some of the most robust descriptors are derived from geometrical representations of molecules, called 3-dimensional (3D) descriptors. When calculated from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation trajectories, 3D descriptors can also capture the effects of operating conditions such as temperature or pressure. However, extracting 3D descriptors from MD trajectories is non-trivial, which hinders their wide use by researchers developing advanced quantitative-structure–property-relationship models using machine learning. Here, we describe a suite of open-source Python-based post-processing routines, called PyL3dMD, for calculating 3D descriptors from MD simulations. PyL3dMD is compatible with the popular simulation package LAMMPS and enables users to compute more than 2000 3D molecular descriptors from atomic trajectories generated by MD simulations. PyL3dMD is freely available via GitHub and can be easily installed and used as a highly flexible Python package on all major platforms (Windows, Linux, and macOS). A performance benchmark study used descriptors calculated by PyL3dMD to develop a neural network and the results showed that PyL3dMD is fast and efficient in calculating descriptors for large and complex molecular systems with long simulation durations. PyL3dMD facilitates the calculation of 3D molecular descriptors using MD simulations, making it a valuable tool for cheminformatics studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless passive neural recording systems integrate sensory electrophysiological interfaces with a backscattering-based telemetry system. Despite the circuit simplicity and miniaturization with this topology, the high electrode–tissue impedance creates a major barrier to achieving high signal sensitivity and low telemetry power. In this paper, buffered impedance is utilized to address this limitation. The resulting passive telemetry-based wireless neural recording is implemented with thin flexible packages. Thus, the paper reports neural recording implants and integrator systems with three improved features: (1) passive high impedance matching with a simple buffer circuit, (2) a bypass capacitor to route the high frequency and improve mixer performance, and (3) system packaging with an integrated, flexible, biocompatible patch to capture the neural signal. The patch consists of a U-slot dual-band patch antenna that receives the transmitted power from the interrogator and backscatters the modulated carrier power at a different frequency. When the incoming power was 5–10 dBm, the neurosensor could communicate with the interrogator at a maximum distance of 5 cm. A biosignal as low as 80 µV peak was detected at the receiver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular chemistry has become an interdisciplinary discipline of chemistry, physics, and biology. As a huge subunit of supramolecular compounds, the functional metal–organic supramolecular systems with well‐defined cavities which are able to accommodate size‐suitable guests via benign host‐guest behavior, have been known as "metal–organic molecular containers" (MOMCs) and attracted much attentions for their rich chemical properties and wide potential applications in molecular recognition, catalysis, bio‐medical and other fields. In particular, the MOMCs with flexible backbones exhibit a unique feature both in the aspect of structural construction and applications, due to the free rotation and self‐adaptively of the specific functional groups in the skeletons. In this paper, we review several selected examples of the coordination‐driven metal–organic supramolecular systems from the aspects of self‐assembly construction to the various applications. The self‐assembly strategies, especially the different choice of organic ligands with flexible backbones during the construction, leading to quite diverse configurations compared to the rigid ligands, have been also discussed to show a different perspective of metal–organic system construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of platelet-shaped montmorillonite particles to improve the oxygen barrier of polyvinyl-alcohol-based barrier layers is state-of-the-art, but research on roll-to-roll coatings of such composite barrier lacquers has not been widely published. In this study, two different coating techniques, slot-die and reverse gravure, were used on a roll-to-roll scale to apply barrier lacquers comprising polyvinyl alcohol and montmorillonite. The lacquers were analyzed regarding viscosity at certain shear rates and surface energy and the dried coating layers regarding oxygen barrier, surface morphology, and particle orientation. Low permeability coefficients delivering a high oxygen barrier of 0.14 and 0.12 cm 3   (STP)   1   μ m m 2   d   bar   were achieved for the coating layers with slot-die and reverse gravure coating, respectively. It turned out that the properties of the barrier lacquer need to be adjusted to the coating technique to achieve high oxygen barrier performance. By tailoring the barrier lacquer formulation, the orientation of the platelet-shaped montmorillonite particles can be achieved using both techniques. A low solid content of down to 3   wt % is preferable for the premetered slot-die coating, because it results in low agglomeration quantity in the coating layer. A high solid content of up to 9   wt % is preferable for the self-metered reverse gravure coating to assure a homogeneously coated layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood pressure monitoring is a significant concern in the field of healthcare, and the utilization of flexible encapsulated sensors presents a promising solution for achieving noninvasive and comfortable monitoring. This paper presents a study on the flexible encapsulation of MEMS pressure sensors and the development of an enhanced arterial tonometry method for blood pressure measurement, ultimately leading to the realization of a blood pressure monitoring system based on flexible encapsulated sensors. To improve wearer comfort and acquire reliable pulse signals, a flexible encapsulation sensor combining parylene and PDMS materials was fabricated. Additionally, to address the issue of low accuracy in blood pressure measurement, various machine learning algorithms were compared and analyzed, leading to the identification of the random forest model as the optimal regressor. Consequently, a blood pressure monitoring system based on the improved arterial tension method was designed and implemented. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system achieved a significant enhancement of 31.4% and 21% in the accuracy of systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements, respectively, compared with the arterial tension method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene is a versatile polymer suitable for a large variety of flexible and rigid packaging applications. Its mechanical and rheological properties can be tuned across a wide range by controlling its molecular architecture, such as the amount and distribution of olefinic comonomers (short chain branching), long chain branching, and molecular weight distribution. Linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) is known for its high toughness which enables downgauged film structures and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) is known for its excellent shear thinning and melt strength which enables enhanced processability and high throughput, such as on blown film lines. In order to obtain a balance of toughness and processability on films produced on blown film lines, blends of LLDPE and LDPE are commonly used. In this paper, we describe additive‐based approaches, including a new product, DOWLEX™ (TM = trademark of the Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow) GM AX01, which enhances melt strength and other rheological properties of polyethylene, enabling fabrication of films with lower LDPE content while still maintaining excellent rheological properties and higher toughness versus conventional LLDPE/LDPE blends. The higher toughness enables downgauging without loss of mechanical properties, which in turn reduces consumption of polymer resulting in a more sustainable solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an ultra-small absolute pressure sensor with a silicon-micromachined TSV backside interconnection for high-performance, high spatial resolution contact pressure sensing, including flexible-substrate applications. By exploiting silicon-micromachined TSVs that are compatibly fabricated with the pressure sensor, the sensing signals are emitted from the chip backside, thereby eliminating the fragile leads on the front-side. Such a design achieves a flat and fully passivated top surface to protect the sensor from mechanical damage, for reliable direct-contact pressure sensing. A single-crystal silicon beam–island structure is designed to reduce the deflection of the pressure-sensing diaphragm and improve output linearity. Using our group-developed microholes interetch and sealing (MIS) micromachining technique, we fabricated ultra-small piezoresistive pressure sensors with the chip size as small as 0.4 mm × 0.6 mm, in which the polysilicon-micromachined TSVs transfer the signal interconnection from the front-side to the backside of the wafer, and the sensor chips can be densely packaged on the flexible substrate via the TSVs. The ultra-small pressure sensor has high sensitivity of 0.84 mV/kPa under 3.3 V of supply voltage and low nonlinearity of ±0.09% full scale (FS) in the measurement range of 120 kPa. The proposed pressure sensors with backside-interconnection TSVs hold promise for tactile sensing applications, including flexible sensing of wearable wristwatches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible packaging has many advantages in the food industry, arising from low weight, formability, multilayer complexity and cost. Heat sealing is a very efficient technique to close flexible food packaging. Currently, many thermoplastic materials are used in seal layers. A seal can be formed when these materials are heated and brought into contact; thereafter, polymer chains diffuse across the seal interface and entangle. Hydrogen bonds, polar and ionic interactions are molecular forces that can come into play, depending on the thermoplastic materials that are used in the seal layer. Bonds between identical polymers, referred to as autohesion, are formed in pouch applications (e.g., horizontal and vertical form‐fill‐seal packages). In lidding applications, the flexible film is sealed to a rigid cup, tray or bottle, whereby bonds can be formed between non‐identical polymers because the materials are often provided by different suppliers. All heat seal technologies imply heating of seal layers but differ in the heating principle. In the food industry and in most scientific seal studies, the seals of mono‐ and multilayered packaging are mainly formed by conductive heating. Recently, the use of emerging technologies, such as ultrasonic and laser heating, is increasingly described in recent papers. Applied seals are characterized by strength after a specified cooling time. Immediately after heating, this strength is referred to as hot tack. A good seal performance is crucial to guarantee food safety and quality. Besides strength, tightness is important to prevent food degradation, caused by microorganisms and external gases, and to keep aromatic gases inside the package. This review aims to give a literature overview that can support stakeholders in the food industry to improve and optimize the material selection in flexible packaging, in order to obtain seals with desired tightness and strength. Heat seal studies on materials and seal technology of flexible food packaging, such as pouches and lidding films, are considered. Scientific data are categorized from a materials' perspective, based on chemical structure, which is revealed by chemical and thermal analysis. A majority of the seal studies is categorized in a first section on polyolefins as seal layers. The following sections describe the seal functionality of (i) ethylene copolymers, such as ionomers; and (ii) polyesters, such as poly (ethylene terephthalate), pol (lactic acid) and poly (butylene succinate). The role of plasticizers, fillers and other additives in the seal performance is also described. Finally, material properties, such as chain length and melting temperature (Tm), as underlying causes of seal performance, are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to explore the effect of different concentrations (5–7%) of PCA-MA (polyolefin compatibilizer additive with maleic anhydride) on the properties and migration potential of two different multilayer packaging materials currently used for meat products: PE/PE/ad/PA/ad/PE/PE and PE/ad/PA/EVOH/PA/ad/PE (PE: polyethylene; ad: adhesive; PA: polyamide; EVOH: ethylene vinyl alcohol). The incorporation of PCA-MA resulted in the reduction of the crystallinity index and consequently, a reduction in tensile strength and puncture resistance was experienced. Additionally, a loss of water vapor barrier was observed, and the overall and specific migrations of maleic anhydride to the aqueous and fatty food simulants were below the quantification limit of the methods used. Therefore, they are within the specifications of the current legislation of food contact materials. Overall, although PCA-MA incorporation resulted in some loss of packaging properties, this additive can be considered an attractive alternative to facilitate the recycling process of these complex materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanillic acid represents a potentially interesting bio‐based building block for the production of new aliphatic‐aromatic polymers, characterized by thermal properties similar to those of the analogous terephthalic polyesters. However, poly(ethylene vanillate) proved to be a very brittle material, probably due to a very high degree of crystallinity, and, then, not suitable for melt processing. Therefore, the synthesis of copolymers, based on vanillic acid and pentadecalactone is considered as a strategy to obtain new polymeric materials with a low degree of crystallinity, tunable properties, and better performances. The synthesis of these fully bio‐based random copolymers is successful. The thermal properties have been studied in order to correlate chemical structure and final performances. The polymers proved to be processable and films are obtained, suggesting possible applications of the copolymers in a new sustainable flexible packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polimery is the property of Industrial Chemistry Research Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The impacts of environmental pollution are potentially irreversible and have become a major concern for society. Faced with this reality, the purpose of this study is to identify what type of flexible packaging material used in the food industry creates less pollution. The Leopold Matrix was employed to quantitatively assess the life cycle of plastic and paper packaging, using information from various scientific articles and peer-reviewed indexed journals. The interactions between physical, biological, and socioeconomic elements were established for each action in the life cycle of the packages. The results showed that flexible plastic packaging pollutes 16 percent more in the physical aspect concerning soil and water pollution than paper packaging, which has a more significant impact on air pollution. Regarding the biological aspect, plastic pollutes 63 percent more than paper in terms of damage to flora and fauna. Finally, on the socioeconomic level, paper poses a greater health risk for human beings owing to the emission of gases in its production, whereas plastic packages contribute more to the economy for being an extensive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous search for novel biobased polymers with high-performance properties has highlighted the role of monofuranic-based polyesters as some of the most promising for future plastic industry but has neglected the huge potential for the polymers' innovation, relatively low cost, and synthesis easiness of 5,5′-isopropylidene bis-(ethyl 2-furoate) (DEbF), obtained from the platform chemical, worldwide-produced furfural. In this vein, poly(1,12-dodecylene 5,5′-isopropylidene -bis(ethyl 2-furoate)) (PDDbF) was introduced, for the first time, as a biobased bisfuranic long-chain aliphatic polyester with an extreme flexibility function, competing with fossil-based polyethylene. This new polyester in-depth characterization confirmed its expected structure (FTIR, 1H, and 13C NMR) and relevant thermal features (DSC, TGA, and DMTA), notably, an essentially amorphous character with a glass transition temperature of −6 °C and main maximum decomposition temperature of 340 °C. Furthermore, PDDbF displayed an elongation at break as high as 732%, around five times higher than that of the 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid counterpart, stressing the unique features of the bisfuranic class of polymers compared to monofuranic ones. The enhanced ductility combined with the relevant thermal properties makes PDDbF a highly promising material for flexible packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation The identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from transcriptomic datasets is a major avenue of research across diverse disciplines. However, current bioinformatic tools do not support covariance matrices in DEG modeling. Here, we introduce kimma (Kinship In Mixed Model Analysis), an open-source R package for flexible linear mixed effects modeling including covariates, weights, random effects, covariance matrices, and fit metrics. Results In simulated datasets, kimma detects DEGs with similar specificity, sensitivity, and computational time as limma unpaired and dream paired models. Unlike other software, kimma supports covariance matrices as well as fit metrics like Akaike information criterion (AIC). Utilizing genetic kinship covariance, kimma revealed that kinship impacts model fit and DEG detection in a related cohort. Thus, kimma equals or outcompetes current DEG pipelines in sensitivity, computational time, and model complexity. Availability and implementation Kimma is freely available on GitHub https://github.com/BIGslu/kimma with an instructional vignette at https://bigslu.github.io/kimma_vignette/kimma_vignette.html. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food & Machinery is the property of Food & Machinery Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The development of bio‐based polymer materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA) ‐based polymers, is an effective strategy to reduce dependence on petrochemical‐based polymers. However, the preparation of bio‐based polymers with high barrier properties is a major challenge. To overcome this challenge, a nacreous layer structure with a ' brick and mud ' pattern is mimicked to improve the overall performance of the material. In this paper, Poly (L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and Polypropylene Glycol (PPG) was combined to prepare bio‐based polyurethane (PU‐PLLA), which is used as the slurry structure of nacreous layer. The bio‐based biomimetic composite membrane (PU‐PLLA/BN) is then obtained by adding boron nitride (BN, brick structure of pearl layer) to it. The water vapor permeability test results show that the permeability of PU‐PLLA material can be reduced by more than 50% by 5 wt.% BN, which is because the addition of BN can increase the length and tortuosity of the gas molecular diffusion path in the composite. Therefore, this pearl‐inspired PU‐PLLA/BN film has excellent moisture resistance, which opens up a broad road for the practical application of PLLA in flexible laminated packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic solvents have been commonly used in the printing process for a long time in gravure printing applications. Using organic solvents in solvent-based ink is responsible for fire hazards, volatile organic compounds emission, and increasing extra printing costs. The current study aimed to replace solvent-based ink with water-based ink to reduce volatile organic compound emissions and carbon footprints in gravure printing without affecting overall printing quality in order to fill a research gap because none of the studies were reported as best of all authors' knowledge. The polyethylene terephthalate film was printed by laser engraved cylinder having reduced engraving cell depth compared to electronically engraved printing cylinders which result in less consumption of printing ink, hence reducing the raw materials consumption. The cost of printing one kg of polyethylene terephthalate film with water-based ink was reduced by 1.85US$, and volatile organic compounds emissions were reduced from 3373 ppm to 2478 ppm compared to solvent-based ink. The use of water-based ink also reduced the carbon footprint by 3.04 kg. The current study shows that strict implementation of water-based ink has a high potential for saving the cost and reducing the emission of volatile organic compounds, which are very dangerous to the ambient environment, humans, and society. This study's outcome will help prepare the benchmark for green manufacturing systems in gravure printing applications to improve the environment and humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper proposes a context-based framework for measuring and disclosing human capital in the financial statements of the Zimbabwean mining companies. The study was prompted by the lack of universal standardised framework that can be adopted by companies for use and existing of varied models with conflicting measurement metrics. The developed model is meant to bring harmony within the industry and across other sectors, particularly in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. Methodology: This paper adopted an integrative literature review approach also known as the critical review approach in the development of the human capital measurement and disclosure framework. Corporate annual reports, existing related literature, and various human capital models were critically and systematically reviewed to conceptualise different views from various authors concerning human capital measurement and disclosure framework. A thematic analysis approach was adopted to analyse the qualitative findings. The analysis was conducted until a point of saturation was reached. Findings: The paper proposed a context-based human capital measurement and disclosure framework with six key primary factors. Furthermore, the paper proposed the measurement criteria and the disclosure requirements of the six primary factors established. The framework also acts as a starting point for human capital reporting since there is a lack of an established and generally accepted reporting framework in Zimbabwe. The benefit of this framework is that it is flexible, and it allows companies to develop human capital reporting guidelines based on key features specific to an individual company's human capital and can be applied to other similar contexts in the SADC region. This paper recommends the adoption of the human capital measurement and disclosure framework as to increase companies' value, financial performance as well as economic growth at large. Originality/Value: The proposed framework is envisaged to reduce information asymmetry and improve corporate governance practices for both practice and policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]