Development of the prickly pear cactus Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. (Cactaceae) in vitro in response to the replacement of potassium nitrate for a commercial kno 3 fertilizer

ABSTRACT: In micropropagation, potassium nitrate (KNO3), an ACS reagent grade chemical, used in the preparation of growing mediums is expensive and its procurement depends on bureaucratic procedures, as it is controlled by the Brazilian Army. This research to assessed the effect of replacing the ACS KNO3 for a commercially available fertilizer (KNO3- based) on the micropropagation of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. cv. Elephant Ear. Treatments used six different fertilizer concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 g L-1) and a control consisting of 1.9 g L-1 KNO3, as shown in the MS salts. The survival, size and number of sprouts and the value of fresh biomass were evaluated. After seedling acclimation, we assessed the survival, number of sprouts, length, and number of roots, racket formation, average fresh biomass mass, macronutrient absorption and morphological changes of the seedlings. Explants inoculated with fertilizers at concentrations of 0.0; 2.0 and 2.5 g L-¹ did not grow. The response of explants at concentrations of 0.5 and 1.5 g L-1 of the fertilizer were the same as those developed in a KNO3 medium, and at a concentration of 1.0 g L-1, in all variables, the means were higher than those of the control medium. Therefore, it showed the feasibility of using fertilizers in the in vitro cultivation of the prickly pear cactus, which may remove bureaucratic barriers and reduce product costs by 99.12%.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers ranking by sales profit for 2020

The amount of sales profit is one of the indicators of the manufacturer’s business performance. This is the financial result from the main activity of the manufacturer, which can be carried out in any form registered in its charter (and not prohibited by law). The product sales profit is defined as the difference between the proceeds from sales (without value added tax and excise taxes) and the costs of production and sales included in the product costs.

Knowing Your Product Costs: A Primer for Farmers and Food Entrepreneurs

This publication provides a basic introduction to product costing for farm businesses and food processing enterprises. It describes cost concepts, provides product costing examples, and briefly discusses software tools that can assist with cost analysis. The publication is intended to help farmers and food entrepreneurs understand product costing concepts and do their own cost calculations to assist with business decisions.

The Role of Green Quality Management and Product Life Cycle Costing in Achieving Competitive Advantage

The principal objective of this study is to demonstrate how green quality management and product life cycle costing may help an organization gain a competitive advantage. Green quality management's influence on increasing product quality and meeting environmental criteria, as well as tracking the activities of product life cycle before, during, and after production, is demonstrated. Orienting these activities toward the production of eco-friendly products that fulfill the needs of customers, hence increasing organization's market share. We found from our study that proposed framework can help organizations improve their competitiveness. Green quality management contributes to environmental protection and the provision of high-quality products that fulfill needs and desires of green customer, enhancing product differentiation. Product life cycle costing is to determine costs of environmental activities and seek to minimize those costs, which translates to lower product costs, allowing organization to adopt a cost leadership strategy and gain a competitive advantage.

Availability of ‘Do-It-Yourself’ orthodontics in the United Kingdom

Objective: To identify the number of companies providing Do-It-Yourself (DIY) orthodontics and explore information available on websites for DIY brace providers operating in the UK. Design: Web search and review of websites providing DIY braces. Setting: Leeds, UK. Methods: A Web search was completed in November 2020 and April 2021 of all companies providing DIY braces for UK consumers. Each website was evaluated, and the following data collected: name; year started operating; costs; process; involvement of a dental professional; average ‘treatment’ length; retention; consent process; information on risks and benefits; aligner material; social media presence; age suitability; and consumer ratings on Trustpilot. Quality of website information was assessed via the DISCERN tool. Results: Seven DIY orthodontic companies were operating in the UK. Websites reviewed revealed the following: product costs were in the range of £799–£1599, ‘treatment’ length quotes were in the range of 4–12 months; Trustpilot reviews were in the range of 1.6–4.8 stars; and websites claimed their aligners were suitable for individuals with an age range of 12–18 years. Quality of content regarding risks described on websites varied, and there was limited information regarding involvement of a dental professional. Quality of websites information scored ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ on the DISCERN scoring. Conclusions: There has been an increase in the number of DIY orthodontic companies operating in the UK over the last three years. There is a need to determine whether these products constitute dental treatment in their own right. If so, it is crucial to ensure these are regulated appropriately with adequate information available to satisfy informed consent and have greater transparency over dental professional involvement to safeguard the public.

Delving Into Thermoeconomics: A Brief Theoretical Comparison of Thermoeconomic Approaches for Simple Cooling Systems

Thermoeconomics combines the concepts of economics and thermodynamics to assess the cost formation process of thermal systems. It has great applicability in the allocation, optimization and diagnosis of product costs. However, some aspects need to be gathered and solved, to have common criteria for its implementation. That is precisely what happens with dissipative components, which are part of cooling systems being so that different criteria are given to evaluate their impact in the cost distribution. In this paper, the state of art regarding the application of thermoeconomics in simple cooling systems is briefly evaluated, by giving the main characteristic of each approach, resolving that there is no a common criterion on the subject of the treatment of dissipative equipment and, therefore, neither on the costs accounting. Therefore, this work compiles and compares the different thermoeconomics methodologies. Consequently, it aims to serve as a tool for the appropriate selection of the thermoeconomics methodology for the analysis of real cooling systems.

Applying Material Flow Cost Accounting and Two-Dimensional, Irregularly Shaped Cutting Stock Problems in the Lingerie Manufacturing Industry

The textiles and garment industry plays an important role in Thailand’s economic growth, despite facing competition in product quality and rising production costs. Meeting diverse consumer needs and satisfaction has become increasingly difficult, as environmental issues become a major concern for firms internationally. Entrepreneurs require sophisticated strategic management techniques to maintain organizational productivity. Growing industries generate material losses, while negatively impacting the environment. Companies may account for their waste, but in reality, actual productivity is much lower, since hidden wastes are mostly unaccounted for and unquantified. A key barrier to reducing waste is that potential cost savings by revising waste management processes are not calculated. To solve this problem, material flow cost accounting (MFCA) was introduced to reduce negative product costs in a ladies’ lingerie company by identifying and evaluating the quantity and cost of concealed material waste. An effective meta-heuristic called the Two-Dimensional Cutting Stock Problem—Tabu Search algorithm (2DCSP-TS) was then proposed based on the idea of finding a layout that minimized a bin length. The multi-phase arrangement strategy embedded in it can obtain near-optimal conditions for solving realistic-sized problems. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods, numerical experimental results were compared with those of the current practice. From the numerical experiments, it was found that the proposed technique is an efficient method for reducing negative product costs.

Comparision of the political optimization algorithm, the Archimedes optimization algorithm and the Levy flight algorithm for design optimization in industry

This article focuses on minimizing product costs by using the newly developed political optimization algorithm (POA), the Archimedes ‘optimization algorithm(AOA), and the Levy flight algorithm(LFA) in product development processes. Three structural optimization methods, size optimization, shape optimization, and topology optimization, are extensively applied to create inexpensive structures and render designs efficient. Using size, shape, and topology optimization in an integrated way, It is possible to obtain the most efficient structures in industry. The political optimization algorithm (POA) is a metaheuristic algorithm that can be used to solve many optimization problems. This study investigates the search capability and computational efficiency of POA for optimizing vehicle structures. By examining the results obtained, we prove the apparent superiority of the POA to other recent famous metaheuristics such as the Archimedes optimization algorithm and the Levy flight algorithm. The most important result of this paperwill be to provide an impressive aid for industrial companies to fill the gaps in their product design stages.

EXPRESS: The Performance Impact Of Core Component Outsourcing: Insights From The LCD TV Industry

Firms in technology markets often outsource the manufacture of core components – components that are central to product performance and comprise a substantial portion of product costs. Despite the strategic importance of core component outsourcing, there is little empirical evidence (and many conflicting opinions) about its impact on consumer demand. We address this gap with an examination of panel data from the flat panel television industry, across key regions globally. Results from our estimation indicate that core component outsourcing reduces the firm’s ability to be on the technological frontier; this hurts demand, because our estimates suggest that consumers care about firms being on the frontier. On the other hand, such outsourcing also reduces costs. Finally, we find that outsourcing increases the intensity of competition in the marketplace. We assess these (often opposing) effects, and conduct thought experiments to quantify the performance impact of core component outsourcing.

Design and Fabrication of Faulty Product Detection and Separation System

With recent advances in industrial technologies, automation has become an indispensable part in the manufacturing world. Industrial environments are adopting more and more aspects of automation to increase product quality, accuracy, and reduce product costs. Conveyor systems are used wildly in manufacturing industries. This automated conveyor system works by detecting the size of the material in the conveyor using ultrasonic sensors. The microcontroller analyses this data from the ultrasonic sensor and then directs the pneumatic cylinder material to different directions, height-wise, depending on the height of the material. The position of the conveyor is indicated by a 16X2 liquid crystal display and LED. This project thus automates the material separation process in the conveyor to improve efficiency and increase productivity.