Commercial Counterparts Research Articles

The Effects of Fresh Fruit Extracts and Commercially Available Fruit Extracts on the Growth of Streptococcus mutans — An In Vitro Study

Resistance of antibiotics towards pathogenic microorganisms has led to the continuous search of natural plant products as a potential alternative for synthetic antibiotic agents. Many plant produces have shown promising results towards this end. This has led to commercialization and packaging of plant produce especially fruits. However, much research needs to be conducted to assess the potential benefits of commercially available plant produce compared to the natural ones. Consumable food items have both positive and bad effects, and their antibacterial effects on various microorganisms found in the oral cavity are good. To comparatively evaluate the effects of fresh fruit extracts and commercially available juice of Apple, Guava and Pomegranate on the growth of Streptococcus mutans. The present study describes the antibacterial activity of three selected fresh fruit extract and their commercial counterparts (Apple, Pomegranate and Guava) on Streptococcus mutans. Antimicrobial activity of fruit juices (fresh and commercial) was tested by well diffusion assay by an inhibition zone surrounding the well. The aim of the study was to comparatively evaluate the antibacterial activity of three fruit juices on Streptococcus mutans. Analysis of the results revealed the highest antibacterial activity for Fresh fruit extract of Guava towards Streptococcus mutans with a mean diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ) value of 11.26 ± 0.53(P>0.01) and the least was exhibited for commercial juice of pomegranate with a mean diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ) 2.20 ± 0.25 (P>0.01). The results obtained in this study clearly demonstrated a significant antimicrobial effect of fresh fruit extract of guava against Streptococcus mutans. However, preclinical and clinical trials are needed to evaluate biocompatibility and other effects, but in vitro observation of fresh fruit extracts of selected fruits appears promising. Keywords: Antimicrobial, Fruit Juice, Microorganism, Agar well diffusion method, Apple (Malus domestica), Psidium guajava, Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Custom-Designed Pre-Chamber: Investigating the Effects on Small SI Engine in Active and Passive Modes

This work shows the results of an experimental campaign carried out in two spark ignition engines, a small optical research engine and its commercial counterpart, using a turbulent ignition system (pre-chamber) specifically designed for small engines. Advanced optical techniques and conventional methods were used to study the combustion process under various operating conditions. The pre-chamber operated actively in the research engine and passively in the commercial engine. Results showed that the pre-chamber configuration resulted in an increase in indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and a decrease in the coefficient of variation (CoV) of IMEP. These improvements compensated for challenges such as slow methane combustion rate, poor lean burn capability, and air displacement. In addition, the pre-chamber configuration exhibited lower fuel consumption and specific exhaust emissions compared to the standard ignition system. The novelty of this work lies in the successful implementation of the turbulent ignition system as a retrofit solution for SI engines, showing improved combustion efficiency and lower emissions. The study goes beyond previous efforts by demonstrating the benefits of the pre-chamber configuration in small engines without requiring extensive modifications. The results provide valuable insights into the automotive industry’s pursuit of engine optimization and highlight the significance of innovative approaches for spark ignition engines in contributing to sustainable mobility.

A New Miniaturized Acoustic Transmitter for Marine Animal Tracking

Most marine renewable energy (MRE) technologies are still in their infancy. Many uncertainties remain regarding MRE systems’ impacts on the marine environment and species where they are deployed, which is one of the major hurdles for these systems to be widely adopted at a commercial scale. Currently, the primary technologies to monitor marine animals’ behavior around existing or potential MRE deployment sites are optical and acoustic imaging. However, these methods cannot identify individual animals and thus are less useful in identifying protected species and studying their behavior. Implantable acoustic transmitters with unique identification codes could serve as a complementary technology. To minimize potential bias introduced to the study results, the implanted transmitters must be sufficiently small and light to not affect the animals’ behavior while still having acceptable signal strengths and service life. Recently, we developed a new miniaturized acoustic transmitter that offers a significantly improved signal strength and service life (140 days [projected value] at a 5-s transmission interval) in a smaller and lighter package (0.45 g in the air), compared to the existing technologies. The detection range and detection efficiency of the new transmitter were tested in an actual marine environment and demonstrated a detection range of up to 330 m, a 65% improvement over the existing commercial counterparts operating at similar frequencies. Here, we report the design principles, performance, and manufacturing procedure of the transmitter. Theoretical estimates of the detection range, the actual range, and detection efficiency results from the field testing are presented.

Inductive Coupling of Bipolar Signals with a Conjugate Coil Pair for an Analog Passive ECG Sensor Using a PPy-Coated pvCNT Dry Electrodes.

The wireless capture of analog differential signals from fully passive (battery-less) sensors is technically challenging but it can allow for the seamless capture of differential biosignals such as an electrocardiogram (ECG). This paper presents a novel design for the wireless capture of analog differential signals using a novel conjugate coil pair for a wireless resistive analog passive (WRAP) ECG sensor. Furthermore, we integrate this sensor with a new type of dry electrode, namely conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPy)-coated patterned vertical carbon nanotube (pvCNT) electrodes. The proposed circuit uses dual-gate depletion-mode MOSFETs to convert the differential biopotential signals to correlated drain-source resistance changes and the conjugate coil wirelessly transmits the differences of the two input signals. The circuit rejects (17.24 dB) common mode signals and passing only differential signals. We have integrated this novel design with our previously reported PPy-coated pvCNT dry ECG electrodes, fabricated on a stainless steel substrate with a diameter of 10 mm, which provided a zero-power (battery-less) ECG capture system for long duration monitoring. The scanner transmits an RF carrier signal at 8.37 MHz. The proposed ECG WRAP sensor uses only two complementary biopotential amplifier circuits, each of which has a single-depletion MOSFET. The amplitude-modulated RF signal is envelope-detected, filtered, amplified, and transmitted to a computer for signal processing. ECG signals are collected using this WRAP sensor and compared with a commercial counterpart. Due to the battery-less nature of the ECG WRAP sensor, it has the potential to be a body-worn electronic circuit patch with dry pvCNT electrodes that stably operate for a long period of time.

P88: In vitro Nasopharyngeal Cavity Model for Comparative Performance Evaluation Between New Nasopharyngeal and Commercial Swabs in Viral Detection

Background: During SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, one of the challenges during the planning and execution of control strategies was the global shortage of supplies and personal protection elements (PPEs). For instance, nasopharyngeal swabs for the collection of mucosal samples were one of the scarcest. In Colombia, the limited capacity for characterization, evaluation, validation and the absence of clear regulatory pathways was a major obstacle for manufacturers. The aim of this study is to design, manufacture a bench testing platform as a nasal cavity to evaluate the performance of locally produced nasopharyngeal swabs for mucosal sample collection. Methods: Experimental nasopharyngeal swabs were designed and manufactured via a one-step injection in collaboration with Plastinovo S.A.S. (Bogota, COL). Commercial nasopharyngeal swabs were acquired from Nodford International Co., Ltd and HanChang Medic Co., Ltd. A 3D digital reconstruction of the nasopharyngeal cavity was generated from computed tomography images of an adult patient. An anatomical model of the soft tissues was 3D printed, using a flexible translucent polymeric material (Agilus30, Stratasys) while a rigid white material (VeroWhite, Stratasys) was employed for the bone. A mucous substitute made from egg albumin was loaded with a RNA based vaccine (Stamaril) and placed on the internal cavity of the 3D model. Swabs were introduced into the nasopharyngeal cavity to simulate the conventional sampling process and the sample was transferred to a viral transport medium for RNA extraction followed by RT-qPCR for viral RNA detection. Locally manufactured swabs were tested against commercial counterparts. Results: The 3D printed nasopharyngeal model accurately replicated the anatomy of cavities and the mechanical properties of soft and hard tissue structures. The collection of viral samples proceeded successfully with the mucosal substitute. The substitute exhibited appropriate viscoelastic properties and do not interfere with RT-qPCR. The released/collected sample percentage of injection and commercial swabs was 77.06±5.14% and 63.74±6.28%, respectively. The Plastinovo swabs provide a detection limit and viral load comparable to commercial swabs as demonstrating by Ct values close to the positive control of the vaccine alone (16.51). Conclusion: Nasopharyngeal cavity allows for the bench testing of nasopharyngeal swabs and could be tough for other medical devices. On the other hand, swabs developed by Plastinovo were validated and showed to be suitable for large-scale local production. The next steps will focus on devising the routes to complying with the regulatory schemes for local and international commercialization of nasopharyngeal swabs.

Flame resistance and heat barrier performance of sustainable plain-woven jute composite panels for thermal insulation in buildings

Global environmental awareness and stringent regulations laid the foundation for utilizing natural fibers alternative to synthetic fibers in polymeric composites due to their biodegradability and low carbon footprint. This research demonstrates the fabrication of natural jute-reinforced polypropylene biocomposite and investigates its utilization for heat insulation in buildings. Different volume fractions of cellulosic jute fiber as reinforcement were used to fabricate jute-polypropylene (jute-PP) composites, and mechanical and thermal performance was assessed by comparing them with the commercial gypsum board. The developed composites exhibited considerably higher tensile and flexural strength than the commercial specimen because of strong interfacial adhesion between jute fiber and polypropylene. Such stable bonding at the interface of reinforcement and matrix was also confirmed by the fractographic investigation. The thermal characteristics, including the low thermal conductivity and enhanced conductive and radiative heat resistance, revealed the superior thermal barrier performance of jute–PP composites compared to their commercial counterpart. The developed composites also demonstrated almost comparable flame resistance due to the presence of lignin in jute fiber. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed the inferior thermal stability of jute–PP composites at high temperatures. Besides, the low water absorption because of reduced interfacial vacuity indicated the potentiality of using jute–PP composites in the structure with durability. Hence, designing green buildings utilizing such heat-insulating engineered biocomposites is expected to alleviate the burgeoning global carbon dioxide emission associated with the energy consumption of buildings and promote the sustainable growth of this industry.

Approach to the design of different types of intraocular lenses based on an improved sinusoidal profile.

An approach is presented to design different types of Intraocular lenses (IOLs) with a uniform optimization algorithm. An improved sinusoidal phase function is proposed to realize adjustable energy allocations in different diffractive orders according to the design aims. By setting specific optimization goals, different types of IOLs can be designed using the same optimization algorithm. With this method, bifocal, trifocal, extended-depth-of-focus (EDoF), and mono-EDoF IOLs are successfully designed and their optical performance under monochromatic and polychromatic light is evaluated and compared with their commercial counterparts. The result shows that most of the designed IOLs, even though they don't have any multi-zones or combination of diffractive profiles, have superior or comparable performance to their commercial counterparts in terms of optical performance under monochromatic light. The result demonstrates the validity and reliability of the approach proposed in this paper. With this method, the development time of different types of IOLs could be reduced considerably.

Boron-Implanted Black Silicon Photodiode with Close-to-Ideal Responsivity from 200 to 1000 nm.

Detection of UV light has traditionally been a major challenge for Si photodiodes due to reflectance losses and junction recombination. Here we overcome these problems by combining a nanostructured surface with an optimized implanted junction and compare the obtained performance to state-of-the-art commercial counterparts. We achieve a significant improvement in responsivity, reaching near ideal values at wavelengths all the way from 200 to 1000 nm. Dark current, detectivity, and rise time are in turn shown to be on a similar level. The presented detector design allows a highly sensitive operation over a wide wavelength range without making major compromises regarding the simplicity of the fabrication or other figures of merit relevant to photodiodes.

A parametric 3D printed assistive device for people with cerebral palsy – assessment of outcomes and comparison with a commercial counterpart

ABSTRACT This paper presents the use of a parametric design platform and 3D printing to create personalized assistive devices (ADs) for individuals with cerebral palsy, specifically a fork/spoon holder. Five subjects participated in the study, each receiving a customized device to fit their dominant hand, and they tested both the 3D printed device and a commercially available one. The devices were evaluated based on functionality and satisfaction using two standard clinical questionnaires (IPPA and QUEST 2.0). The results showed that neither the 3D printed nor the commercial device provided substantial benefits, but the questionnaires provided valuable feedback on areas for improvement. The study highlights the need for highly personalized solutions in ADs, which could be addressed by 3D printing. A configurator for generating production files from a parametric model could facilitate personalization, but a large number of model versions should be available to meet individual needs. Future research could explore clinical evaluations and guide the development of efficient and effective frameworks for digital fabrication in terms of clinically feasible AD model sourcing.

88 Microplastic References for Inhalation Studies

Abstract Microplastic research has been increasing due to the uncertainty of potential effects on the environment and human health. However, microplastic references are currently missing. Not only is there a lack of references there is also a lack of diversity in polymer type for references, especially in toxicological studies. In specific, inhalation studies must rely on microplastics that are respirable and/or inhalable (< 10 µm) to result in toxicological outcomes. Therefore, in this project, we focus on using solvent precipitation to produce microplastic references from TPU, PA-6, PET, and LDPE for microplastic inhalation toxicity studies. Particle size distribution of the dispersion is used to verify that the desired size range is achieved. To demonstrate that the produced microplastic references are representative from its original material, molecular and particle descriptors are characterized. Chemical composition, molecular weight, crystallinity, solidity, density, are among the descriptors tested for both the produced microplastic references and its corresponding commercial counterpart. Preliminary results have shown that quantities needed for in-vitro testing and particle size range desired is achieved with successful production of sub-100 nm constituent particle counts and all-respirable mass-based diameters. SEM images confirm the size distribution and show distribution of particle shapes. Chemical composition via spontaneous Raman Scattering illustrates clear polymer spectra signals from the microplastic dispersions. These microplastic reference materials are complemented by toxicology controls. In addition, the in-vitro screening uses both submersed and air-liquid interface cultures to expose cells. This study will thus provide information on microplastic material descriptors relevant for inhalation toxicity.

Ultra-low-temperature lead-free multicomponent alloy solder for application in heat-sensitive electronic components

This manuscript describes the development of a lead-free multicomponent solder alloy composed of Sn, Bi, In, Cu, and Zn for heat-sensitive electronic devices. The microstructure comprises a homogeneous distribution of CuZn particles embedded in a eutectic mixture of Sn (solid solution) and InBi with a melting temperature of 83.7 °C. The average thickness of the generated intermetallic compounds between solder/substrate (Cu) was < 4 µm with a wetting contact angle below 55°, which is acceptable in the electronic industries. Additionally, the solder's shear stress (12.94 ± 1.50 MPa) is lower than commercial counterparts; but it shows a much higher shear strain (0.53 ± 0.06 mm/mm). Thus, the developed system could have great potential for applications in ultra-low-temperature lead-free solders.

Detector-grade perovskite single-crystal wafers via stress-free gel-confined solution growth targeting high-resolution ionizing radiation detection

Solution-processed organic‒inorganic halide perovskite (OIHP) single crystals (SCs) have demonstrated great potential in ionizing radiation detection due to their outstanding charge transport properties and low-cost preparation. However, the energy resolution (ER) and stability of OIHP detectors still lag far behind those of melt-grown inorganic perovskite and commercial CdZnTe counterparts due to the absence of detector-grade high-quality OIHP SCs. Here, we reveal that the crystallinity and uniformity of OIHP SCs are drastically improved by relieving interfacial stress with a facial gel-confined solution growth strategy, thus enabling the direct preparation of large-area detector-grade SC wafers up to 4 cm with drastically suppressed electronic and ionic defects. The resultant radiation detectors show both a small dark current below 1 nA and excellent baseline stability of 4.0 × 10−8 nA cm−1 s−1 V−1, which are rarely realized in OIHP detectors. Consequently, a record high ER of 4.9% at 59.5 keV is achieved under a standard 241Am gamma-ray source with an ultralow operating bias of 5 V, representing the best gamma-ray spectroscopy performance among all solution-processed semiconductor radiation detectors ever reported.

Comparative Evaluation of Custom TNA Extraction Buffers to Obtain High-quality TNA from Shrimp and Polychaetes

Selecting the appropriate lysis buffers is crucial in obtaining high-quality nucleic acids for molecular pathogen detection. In this study, we compared three in-house and one commercial lysis buffer for their effectiveness in extracting high-quality TNA from Tiger shrimp and sandworm samples. Buffer L1 outperformed the commercial counterpart, producing higher TNA concentrations and concordant PCR results for all DNA and RNA targets in the Shrimp MultiPathTM. The findings underscore the significance of selecting the right extraction buffers to achieve high-quality nucleic acids for downstream molecular applications and suggest that in-house buffers can be a viable alternative to commercial ones for difficult-to-extract tissues.

“One Stone Two Birds” Strategy of Synthesizing the Battery Material Lithium Sulfide: Aluminothermal Reduction of Lithium Sulfate

Lithium sulfide (Li2S) is a critical material for clean energy technologies, i.e., the cathode material in lithium-sulfur batteries and the raw material for making sulfide solid electrolytes in all-solid-state batteries. However, its practical application at a large scale is hindered by its industrial production method of reducing lithium sulfate with carbon materials at high temperatures, which emits carbon dioxide and is time-consuming. We hereby report a method of synthesizing Li2S by thermally reducing lithium sulfate with aluminum. Compared with the carbothermal method, this aluminothermal approach has several advantages, such as operation at lower temperatures, completion in minutes, no emission of greenhouse gases, and valuable byproducts of aluminum oxide (Al2O3). The home-made Li2S demonstrates competitive performance in battery tests versus the commercial counterpart. Moreover, using the byproduct Al2O3 to coat the cathode side of the separator can enhance the battery's capacity without influencing its rate capability. Thus, this "one stone two birds" method has great potential for practical applications of developing Li-S batteries.

Consumer acceptance of sweet wines andpiquettesobtained by the adaptation of Ancient Wine‐making Techniques

AbstractThis study aims to assess the consumers’ acceptance/preference of wines produced according to Ancient Wine‐making Techniques. The wines were made from the Muscat of Alexandria variety (Vitis viniferaL.), comprising three basic styles: (i) youngpassito‐style; (ii)passitowine incubated at 45°C for 4 months; and (iii)piquette‐style beverages obtained from the pomace of the withered grapes. The produced wines were rated on a 9‐point hedonic scale for liking; whereas familiarity, consumption intention, and willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) were assessed by respondents on a 5‐point Likert scale. The results showed that heating was essential to obtain liking scores and WTP equal to those given to a commercial Madeira fortified wine. Overall, the wines with higher residual sugar were preferred over the drier ones. The least preferred wines were thepiquettes, those where salt was added during grape rehydration. Overall, this study demonstrates that it is possible to recreate ancient wines with acceptance compared to that of commercial counterparts, especially when subjected to a heating process.Practical ApplicationsThis study revealed that the “AWT” process described in Roman agricultural treatises may be easily adapted by the industry to produce wines with sensory features compared to present commercial wines. Moreover, the results of the study showed that consumers can be segmented according to their preferences. While some individuals showed consumption intention directed to all wines, others were morediscerning(“discriminating consumers”) in their preferences. Thus, the marketing of these products should anticipate possible rejection by some consumers and demand an appropriate explanation of their cultural and historical meaning.

Development of polypropylene membranes grafted with nanocellulose to analyze organic pollutants in environmental waters using miniaturized passive samplers based on liquid-phase microextraction

Reinforcing hollow polypropylene fibers with nanocellulose is a viable alternative for implementing miniaturized passive sampling devices (MPSDs) based on liquid-phase microextraction (LPME). This modification improves the extractive properties of microporous membranes, including the sensitivity to fluctuations in the uptake steps. The new material, polypropylene hollow fiber grafted with nanocellulose, was developed and characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive System (EDS) and Thermogravimetric (TGA) and Differential Thermal (DTA) analysis. The morphology type of the crystallite of cellulose most abundant after chemical regeneration was the CII (Celulose II) allomorphic. Sorption studies were carried out and revealed that the modified membrane could absorb 177% more water than its untreated commercial counterpart, making it suitable for long-term sampling. Miniaturized passive sampling devices were equipped with the new material, and the devices were deployed in situ for passive sampling of organic pollutants in environmental waters of marginal lagoons. Fingerprint analysis of samples was performed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and identified a variety of pollutants such as pesticides, plasticizers and prescription and illegal drugs and their metabolites. Therefore, these MPSDs can be employed for the sampling and long-term monitoring of water contaminants with a wide range of polarities.

Dielectric properties of nanocrystalline CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics fabricated from Algerian limestone raw material

Algerian natural limestone was used to fabricate the perovskite CaCu3Ti4O12 phase (CCTO) to replace commercial calcium carbonate (CaCO3) powder by a solid-state method. X-ray diffraction analysis of CCTO ceramics sintered at 1010 °C manifested the formation of well-crystallized pure (CCTO) phase with narrow crystallite size (43–99 nm) without any additional phases after sintering beyond 4 h. Thermal analysis by DSC indicated that CCTO phase is stable up to 1151 °C, afterwards it decomposes into CaTiO3 and TiO2 and accompanied by the segregation of the CuO/Cu2O phase. Scanning electron microscopy observations of the ceramics sintered at 1010 °C showed that most of the grains have an average particle size in the narrow range of 1–2 μm. The sintered pellet at 1010 C° for 14 h showed the optimum density (>94%). This study highlights the importance of using natural calcium carbonates (extracted from Guelma limestone in Algeria) as potential replacement to commercial counterpart for the fabrication of dense well-crystallized perovskite-type ceramics with controlled particle size distribution as promising candidates for electronic applications.

Integrated Electrode‐Electrolyte Optimization to Manufacture a Real‐Life Applicable Aqueous Supercapacitor with Record‐Breaking Lifespan

Aqueous supercapacitors (SCs) have been regarded as a promising candidate for commercial energy storage device due to their superior safety, low cost, and environmental benignity. Unfortunately, an age‐old challenge of achieving both long electrode lifespan and qualified energy‐storage property blocks their practical application. Herein, we develop an electrode‐electrolyte integrated optimization strategy to fulfill the real‐life device requirements. Electrode optimization simultaneously regulates the nanomorphology and surface chemistry of the tungsten oxide anode, resulting in superior electrochemical performance given by an ideal “bird‐nest” structure with optimal oxygen vacancy status; the anodes interact with and are protected from dissolution and structural collapse by the rationally designed hybrid electrolyte with optimized pH and facilitated cation desorption behavior. Collaboratively, a record‐breaking durability of no capacitive decay after 250 000 cycles is achieved. On the basis of this integrated optimization, the first aqueous pouch SCs with real‐life practicability were manufactured by a soft‐package encapsulation technique, which can steadily power commercial 3 C products such as tablets and smartphones and maintain safely working against extreme conditions. This work demonstrates the possibility of using aqueous energy storage devices with enhanced safety and lower cost to replace the commercial organic counterparts for wide range of daily applications.

EFFECT OF FERMENTATION PROCESSES ON PHENOLIC CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY DURING PRODUCTION OF BLACK CARROT VINEGAR

Black carrots and black carrot-derived products have gained great popularity in recent years due to their significant content of health-promoting bioactive compounds. Therefore, this study focuses on the production of vinegar from black carrot juice (BCJ) derived from black carrot juice concentrate (BCJC), to attain a food product with nutritional added value. In this study, the effect of alcoholic fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and acetic acid fermentation by four different vinegar starters (grape, apple, alcohol vinegar, and the mixture of grape and apple vinegar) on some physicochemical properties (pH, total acidity, total dry matter, reducing sugar, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity) of BCJ was investigated. The results obtained indicated that processing the BCJ into black carrot wine (BCW) led to an overall reduction of only 4% in total phenolic contents, and a further decrease of 21-32% in total phenolic content was observed in black carrot vinegars (BCVs) due to the acetification process, on a weight-to-volume basis (mg/L). A similar decreasing trend was also determined for the antioxidant activity throughout the vinegar production process. Total phenolic content was not affected by inoculation with any of the seed vinegars since the difference between the total phenolic contents with respect to the four different vinegar starters was statistically insignificant (P &amp;gt; 0.05). In general, the BCW and BCVs (regardless of the type of inoculum) produced in this study exhibited better bioactive properties compared to their commercial counterparts (C-BCW and C-BCV). In conclusion, vinegar was successfully produced from black carrot by retaining a considerable amount of its nutraceutical components

Composite Feedstock Filaments for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) of Microwave Interconnects

Improved manufacturing methodology of ceramic-thermoplastic composite feedstock filaments using solvent assisted dispersion is presented with one of the highest reported ceramic particle filler volume concentration of 50%. Relative permittivity values up to 12.35 along with a low loss tangent of 0.003 have been achieved for newly developed feedstock filaments. They have been employed for fuse deposition modelling (FDM) of test specimens for characterization of complex permittivity, which exhibited dielectric loss tangent in the range of 0.001-0.007 at frequencies ranging from 4 GHz to 12 GHz. This is on par with that of the best microwave laminates. Also, surfactant-assisted ball milling was used to downsize ceramic fillers, while simultaneously applying a surface treatment by a strategically chosen surfactant to improve the interfaces between organic matrix and inorganic particles. The effect of the surfactant surface treatment on the dielectric and loss properties of the composite feedstock materials has been explored, which is compared with analytical model predictions. Two 40 mm-long dielectric rod waveguides (DWG’s) were 3D printed by using an in-house developed composite filament and a commercial counterpart. The former exhibited a much lower attenuation of 0.012 dB/mm as compared to 0.038 dB/mm shown by the latter. Measurements were compared to 3D EM simulation results to extract effective permittivity of DWG fabricated by FDM printing using in-house developed composite feedstock filament, which agrees very well with measured permittivity values.