Adopting a toolkit to manage time, resources, and expectations in the systematic review process: a case report

Background: The proliferation of systematic reviews has impacted library operations and activities as librarians support, collaborate, and perform more tasks in the systematic review process. This case report describes a toolkit that librarians with extensive experience in supporting multiple review teams use to manage time, resources, and expectations in the systematic review process.Case Presentation: The toolkit is a compilation of documents that we use to effectively communicate with and help review teams understand and navigate each stage of the systematic review process. Elements included in the toolkit and discussed in this case report are intake forms, communication templates and memoranda, a process flow diagram, library guides on tools for retrieval and data appraisal, and established standards for guidance during the write-up stage. We describe the use of the toolkit for both education and project management, with a focus on its use in helping manage team time, resources, and expectations.Discussion: The systematic review toolkit helps librarians connect systematic review steps and tasks to actionable items. The content facilitates and supports discussion and learning by both librarians and team members. This toolkit helps librarians share important information and resources for each stage of the process.

Floor Heating of Piglets Using a Thermoelectric Heat Pump

A functional and process flow diagram of an energy-saving floor heating panel using a thermoelectric assembly operating in a heat pump mode has been developed. The technique and calculation of the main heat-and-power parameters of this installation are presented. Studies of a working prototype of a floor heating panel, which have shown the high energy efficiency of the installation being developed, have been performed. It is shown that energy saving is about 15% in comparison with the serially used equipment for local heating of young animals.

Functional and morphological diagram of the installation for the preparation of grain molasses

The existing processes for the preparation of grain molasses are described. The flow diagrams for functioning of the most common installations for its production are shown. A functional and morphological analysis was performed, a morphological matrix was developed, and the most rational version of the design layout and process flow diagram of the installation was selected. The functional and morphological diagram of the installation for the preparation of grain molasses constructed using the methods of the theory of solving inventive problems is provided.

Sustainable Hybrid Route to Renewable Methacrylic Acid via Biomass-Derived Citramalate

Combined chemical technologies of microbial fermentation and thermal catalysis provides a hybrid process for sustainable manufacturing of biorenewable sugar-derived monomers for plastics. In this work, methacrylic acid (MAA), a target molecule for the polymer industry, was produced from biomass-derived glucose through the intermediate molecule, citramalic acid. The biosynthetic pathway engineered in E. coli produced citramalic acid intermediate with a high yield (91% of theoretical maximum) from glucose by overexpressing citramalate synthase, removing downstream degradation enzyme 3-isopropylmalate dehydratase, and optimizing the fermentation medium. Thermal heterogeneous catalysis converted the citramalate intermediate to methacrylic acid (MAA) via decarboxylation and dehydration. A selectivity of ~71% for the production of MAA and its intermediate α-hydroxybutyric acid was achieved at a temperature of 250 oC and an acidity of 1.0 mol acid/mol citramalate. An alumina catalyst was found to enhance selectivity to MAA in a single reactor pass from 45.6% in the absence of catalyst to 63.2%. This limited selectivity to MAA was attributed to equilibrium between MAA and α-hydroxybutyric acid, but overall process selectivity to MAA was shown to be higher upon separation and recycle of reaction intermediates. A process flow diagram was proposed of the hybrid route for the conversion of glucose to the final end product, methacrylic acid, for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA).

Backstepping Methodology to Troubleshoot Plant-Wide Batch Processes in Data-Rich Industrial Environments

Troubleshooting batch processes at a plant-wide level requires first finding the unit causing the fault, and then understanding why the fault occurs in that unit. Whereas in the literature case studies discussing the latter issue abound, little attention has been given so far to the former, which is complex for several reasons: the processing units are often operated in a non-sequential way, with unusual series-parallel arrangements; holding vessels may be required to compensate for lack of production capacity, and reacting phenomena can occur in these vessels; and the evidence of batch abnormality may be available only from the end unit and at the end of the production cycle. We propose a structured methodology to assist the troubleshooting of plant-wide batch processes in data-rich environments where multivariate statistical techniques can be exploited. Namely, we first analyze the last unit wherein the fault manifests itself, and we then step back across the units through the process flow diagram (according to the manufacturing recipe) until the fault cannot be detected by the available field sensors any more. That enables us to isolate the unit wherefrom the fault originates. Interrogation of multivariate statistical models for that unit coupled to engineering judgement allow identifying the most likely root cause of the fault. We apply the proposed methodology to troubleshoot a complex industrial batch process that manufactures a specialty chemical, where productivity was originally limited by unexplained variability of the final product quality. Correction of the fault allowed for a significant increase in productivity.

RESOURCE-SAVING TECHNOLOGY FOR PROCESSING MEDICINAL SAGE

Исследованы потенциальные возможности ресурсосберегающей технологии переработки шалфея лекарственного (ШЛ). Объектом исследования были образцы эфирномасличного сырья – свежеубранные надземные части ШЛ в фазе полного цветения растения и сухие листья ШЛ. Предложенная схема переработки включает следующие стадии: получение эфирного масла; извлечение конкрета из обезэфиренных отходов экстракцией углеводородным растворителем и последующей его отгонкой; получение абсолютного масла и очищенных восков из конкрета отходов; извлечение дитерпеновых соединений экстракцией этиловым спиртом из отходов сырья после обработки гексаном. В результате исследований фракционного состава сырья и особенностей локализации эфирного масла установлено, что массовая доля эфирного масла составляет, % к сухой массе исследуемых фракций: в листьях и соцветиях 2,75, в стеблях 0,31. Рекомендовано введение ограничительных норм по соотношению технически ценной фракции – листьев и соцветий и балластной – стеблей. Полученное из ШЛ эфирное масло имеет высокое содержание туйонов (31,50%), камфоры (21,0%) и 1,8-цинеола (18,80%). Выход дитерпеновых соединений при комплексной переработке эфирномасличного сырья ШЛ на 38,0% ниже, чем из сухих листьев растения. Однако при расчете на сухую массу листьев и соцветий, составляющих 62,3% от массы сырья, показатели отличаются незначительно. Общий выход продуктов, содержащих комплекс биологически активных веществ, составил 15,53 %, что подтверждает целесообразность использования комплексной переработки шалфея лекарственного. The potential of resource-saving technology for processing medicinal sage (MS) has been studied. Samples of essential oil raw materials-freshly harvested aboveground parts of MS in the phase of full flowering of the plant and dry leaves of MS were the object of research. The proposed process flow diagram includes the following stages: obtaining essential oil; recovering a particular from deester waste by extraction with a hydrocarbon solvent and its subsequent distillation; obtaining absolute oil and refined waxes from a specific waste; extraction of diterpene compounds from raw waste after treatment with hexane by extraction with ethyl alcohol. As a result of studies of the fractional composition of raw materials and the features of localization of essential oil, it was found that the mass fraction of essential oil is, % of the dry mass of the studied fractions: 2,75 in leaves and inflorescences, and 0,31 in stems. The introduction of restrictive norms on the ratio of technically valuable fraction – leaves and inflorescences and ballast – stems is recommended. The essential oil obtained from MS has a high content of tuyons (31,50%), camphor (21,0%) and 1,8-cineol (18,80%). The yield of diterpene compounds in the complex processing of essential oil raw materials MS is 38,0% lower than from dry leaves of the plant. However when calculating the dry mass of leaves and inflorescences, which make up 62,3% of the mass of raw materials, the indicators differ slightly. The total yield products containing a complex of biologically active substances amounted to 15,53%, which confirms the feasibility of complex processing of medicinal sage.