Technology Decisions Research Articles

Measures for Investment Risk Management of Enterprise Technological Innovation Projects

Enterprise technological innovation project investment risk management refers to the enterprise taking a series of measures to manage and control possible investment risks when making technological innovation project investment decisions. Investment risks in technological innovation projects refer to various risks that may have a negative impact on investment due to the uncertainty of technological innovation and changes in the market environment. This article, from an industry professional perspective, analyzes and discusses measures for investment risk management of corporate technological innovation projects.

Formation of the Baby Economy as a Prerequisite for the Development of the Human Economy and Adaptation of the National Economy of Ukraine to the Principles of Sustainable Development

Abstract The processes of kinship, gender and age stratification, early learning opportunities, socialization, and the ability to engage in creativity and optimize craft are crucial for developing the education economy. All these factors in the development of the education economy should turn a young person into an economic person with the ability to make effective production, technological, and managerial decisions regarding the development of his or her personality, society, and economic element. It is worth noting that Ukraine is only forming a baby economy system. There are separate parts of it that the will of the state policy should unite. However, the private production and research sector should also be aimed at cooperating with educational institutions both in terms of production practices and highly specialized career guidance. Also, the education economy should be integrated into global educational processes, especially at the bachelor’s and master’s levels of university education. Ukraine is joining global university networks to optimize higher education. Joining exemplary examples of global education should influence the development of Ukraine’s national economy in the context of globalization. The processes of kinship, gender and age stratification, early learning opportunities, socialization, and the ability to engage in creativity and optimize craft are crucial for developing the education economy. All these factors in the development of the economy of education and upbringing should turn a young person into an economic person with the ability to make effective production, technological, and managerial decisions regarding the development of his or her personality, society, and economic element.

Are Virtual Assistants Trustworthy for Medicare Information: An Examination of Accuracy and Reliability.

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual assistants provide a potential opportunity for older adults to use this technology in the context of health information-seeking. Meta-analysis on trust in AI shows that users are influenced by the accuracy and reliability of the AI trustee. We evaluated these dimensions for responses to Medicare queries. During the summer of 2023, we assessed the accuracy and reliability of Alexa, Google Assistant, Bard, and ChatGPT-4 on Medicare terminology and general content from a large, standardized question set. We compared the accuracy of these AI systems to that of a large representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries who were queried twenty years prior. Alexa and Google Assistant were found to be highly inaccurate when compared to beneficiaries' mean accuracy of 68.4% on terminology queries and 53.0% on general Medicare content. Bard and ChatGPT-4 answered Medicare terminology queries perfectly and performed much better on general Medicare content queries (Bard = 96.3%, ChatGPT-4 = 92.6%) than the average Medicare beneficiary. About one month to a month-and-a-half later, we found that Bard and Alexa's accuracy stayed the same, whereas ChatGPT-4's performance nominally decreased, and Google Assistant's performance nominally increased. LLM-based assistants generate trustworthy information in response to carefully phrased queries about Medicare, in contrast to Alexa and Google Assistant. Further studies will be needed to determine what factors beyond accuracy and reliability influence the adoption and use of such technology for Medicare decision-making.

A Review of Manned/Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Cooperative Technology and Application in U.S. Military

Abstract The paper is to learn the experience in the field of Manned/Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) cooperative technology and enlighten the technology development and progress of our country. First of all, it is to collect the typical research projects and tracke experiment dynamic, excavate the development in the field of MUAV cooperative technology route; And then, attention is paid to the related typical application cases to analyze the current technical maturity; Second, from the perspective of technology development, application, analysis is executed from the human-computer interaction control technology, intelligent decision-making technology, communication anti-jamming technology, open hardware and software technology to MUAV; Finally, the experience of the U.S. military in the field of MUAV collaborative technology are summarized, and the enlightenment for the development of China in the field is given.

Saltation Diffusion Penetration: A New Measure of Specific Politico-Economic and Military Relations

At every stage of human existence, the security environment has been marked by various challenges and processes that have passed through the course of its history. The development of societies, changes in socio-economic conditions, technological progress, political and ideological trends also determined the change in the security environment. The unprecedented military, political, economic and ideological confrontation of the Cold War period, as well as the current extremely complex situation in the world, are causing new dynamics in the security environment. New challenges have emerged for world order and security – terrorism and extremism, military and non-military conflicts, economic and political destabilization, ethnic and religious tensions, cyber wars and many more. etc., risks and threats that have a strong negative impact on the social sustainability of our planet. The lack of clear rules for political and economic behavior and the growth of confrontation in international relations have led to a total disorientation of the global modern social system. Dominant in this direction are not only current wars and permanent threats from local and global conflict situations, but also unconventional technologies, methods and means of influence in the internal political life of states. Scientific and expert literature temporarily imposed a new terminological apparatus, with which to name the various processes, phenomena and operations with a markedly political and military character. Despite the existence of this terminological diversity, however, in the last few years there has been a need to fill the "gap" in understanding their nature and metrics. The need for a new meaningful definition of the specific political-economic, technological and social decisions and consequences appeared mostly in social practice. In this regard, in this report we will consider a new measure of specific politico-economic and military relations, which we have called “Striking Diffuse Penetration” (SDP) or Public Diffuse Entropy (PDE). Regardless of the fact that these two definitions, we propose a third linguistic construction that unites the first two and name the following expression form Saltation Diffusion Penetration.

Strategies of Green Industrial Policy: How States Position Firms in Global Supply Chains

The resurgence of industrial policymaking—particularly for emerging low-carbon industries—challenges social science theories that expect such interventions from centralized states or suggest that different kinds of states specialize in various forms of innovation policy. Interventionist forms of industrial policy have made a comeback among liberal economies. Coordinated economies now make use of market-driven strategies. This paper argues that the new generation of industrial strategies is shaped by the industrial development challenges that policymakers face at the sectoral level. It proposes a new theoretical framework that distinguishes between the policy orientation (targeted or open-ended) and the central agents driving financial and technological decision-making (governments or firms). We show that the choice of strategy is shaped by the level of uncertainty and the position of the domestic industry in global supply chains, that is, whether global supply chains are emerging or mature and whether the domestic industry is an entrant or incumbent.

THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN FINANCIAL DECISION-MAKING

In the realm of finance, decision-making processes have always been pivotal in determining the success or failure of individuals, businesses, and economies at large. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), this landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. The integration of AI technologies in financial decision-making is not merely an augmentation of existing processes but a fundamental shift in how decisions are conceived, analysed, and executed. This introduction seeks to delve into the evolving role of AI in financial decision-making, particularly within the context of the Indian financial sector. The rapid pace of technological advancement has propelled AI into the forefront of various industries, and finance is no exception. AI encompasses a spectrum of technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, deep learning, and predictive analytics, among others. These tools offer the ability to process vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and generate insights at speeds and scales that were previously unimaginable. In the context of financial decision-making, this translates into enhanced capabilities for risk assessment, portfolio optimization, fraud detection, and customer service, among others. India, with its burgeoning economy and vibrant financial markets, stands at the cusp of this AI-driven revolution. The country's financial ecosystem, characterized by a diverse array of institutions ranging from traditional banks to fintech startups, is ripe for AI-led innovation. The adoption of AI in Indian finance is driven by several factors, including the proliferation of digital technologies, the increasing availability of data, and the imperative for efficiency and competitiveness in a globalized economy. Furthermore, initiatives such as the government's Digital India campaign and regulatory efforts to promote fintech innovation have created a conducive environment for AI adoption in the financial sector.

Assessing the stability of underground workings in urban infrastructure

This article presents the analytical formulas necessary for making optimal design and technological decisions when laying shallow underground mine workings. They make it possible to determine the following critical parameters of mine workings: the critical height of the lift of the arch of natural equilibrium is the surface above which the rock is in an undestroyed state; stability coefficient of the arch of natural equilibrium (it shows in what state the rock above the excavation is); critical rock pressure is the pressure that, if exceeded, causes the rock to collapse above the working without support; critical depth of the mine working; critical pressure in the pore fluid is the pressure above which the rock collapse above the working without support; design maximum rock pressure with a given safety factor; design maximum depth of the working with a given safety factor; rock pressure on the support.

Experimental Study on the Distribution Law of Wind Speed in Rectangular Section Tunnels of Coal Mines

Ventilation is the cornerstone of coal mine safety production, and accurate monitoring of ventilation parameters is the fundamental guarantee for ventilation technology decision-making. A calculation model for the average wind speed line position in rectangular section tunnels of coal mines was established based on the Boussinesk theory and Prandtl turbulence theory to address the issue of difficulty in meeting decision-making needs in wind speed monitoring accuracy. The airflow field of rectangular section tunnels under different wind speed conditions was measured at the coal mine site, and the average position of the measured average wind speed line was obtained. The comparison and verification with the theoretical calculation results were carried out, with an absolute error of less than 5%.

Development of decision-making technology for the provision of services in project implementation

The object of research is decision-making processes regarding the provision of services within the framework of cross-border projects. To achieve the aim of the research, an analysis of the service provision market was first conducted, its features have been revealed and problems arising in the processes of its functioning have been identified. The main problem is to find the optimal distribution of services between performers in the service management system. A mathematical model of the problem of single- and multi-criteria optimization has been developed, where the problem is decomposed into independent sub-problems. The problem is presented in the form of a linear programming problem. Various efficiency criteria of the found distributions are proposed. Depending on the number of criteria, the problem will be a single-criteria Boolean programming problem or a multi-criteria optimization problem. An iterative method for finding the optimal distribution of services has been created, and individual methods are laid out in the form of production rules, which is understandable and allows to gain new knowledge. Based on the obtained data, a decision-making technology has been developed regarding the distribution of service consumers between performers. At the same time, decision-making methods were used, which allow optimizing the processes of service provision. A systematic approach was used when designing information technology. This made it possible to create an effective and problem-relevant technology that helps in making informed decisions about the distribution of services between participants of cross-border projects. A structural and functional diagram of the decision support system has been developed. Its structural elements are detailed. The obtained results reflect a thorough analysis of the current state of the services market and the development of effective decision-making technology, which contributes to the optimization of work in the field of cross-border projects. This approach can be useful for various subjects involved in the implementation and coordination of international projects.

Przygotowanie strategii prowadzenia prac naprawczych i rekonstrukcyjnych w odwiertach naftowych i gazowych

The repair and restoration work implemented in inactive well stocks has led to the resolution of clustering issues based on their purpose. It has been determined that in case of clusters of accident-prone wells, the implementation of repair and restoration works and their return to the operational fund, must be carried out based on economic and technical efficiency. The corresponding analysis revealed that clusters characterizing the accident rates include issues with downhole pipes, downhole motors, tools and devices, packers, bottom hole drill pipes, cables, ropes, wires, and others types of accidents. This paper presents the accumulated results of realized RRW (repair restoration works) based on field experience for formalization and automation in developing decision-making technologies and selecting accident elimination strategy in appropriate field conditions. Various technologies have been developed for the elimination process, using appropriate equipment. Repair and restoration work for corresponding codes is proposed based on field statistical information. The economic feasibility of the obtained results and their application are classified on the basis of boundary conditions defined by developed logical stages. The logical stages are drawn up using information about field parameters, including well conditions, the location of the accident object in the well, realized technology, and appropriate technical means. As a result of the analysis of SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic) fund of accident-prone wells, 24 possible options for the implementation of RRW have been identified for the aforementioned clusters. Lists of the existing tool park, functional design parameters, and technological modes necessary for each accident cluster have been determined to implement decision-making technologies.

Состояние почвенного покрова и фитомелиорация пастбищ в районах Восточного Предкавказья

Introduction. The arid zone of the Eastern Ciscaucasia, and specifically the extremely arid and arid areas of the Stavropol Territory, with low-fertile pasture soil cover, are subject to degradation associated with both soil and climatic conditions and anthropogenic technological load on the soil. Materials and methods. The manifestation and areas occupied by soil degradation factors (the presence of salt marshes, salt marshes, erosion and deflation) in each of the districts are different, therefore, for a comprehensive assessment of the level of degradation in a particular area, calculations of the generalized indicator of degradation of the soil cover of pastures are carried out. Results and discussion. Based on a systematic analysis, with an assessment of the desirability and weight of each of the degradation factors, it was found that the soil cover of the pastures of the Kursk region is subject to a moderate level of degradation (Dp=0.95), Ipatovsky district with Dp=0.90 – increased, and Apanasenkovsky Turkmen, Arzgir, Levokumsky, Neftekumsky districts – a high level of degradation with Dp=0.822–0.828. Сonclusion. In an area with a moderate level of degradation of the pasture soil cover, a superficial improvement of the natural herbage is proposed with the addition of perennial grasses to it: Medicagovaria, Melilotusofficinalis, Melilotus album, Agropyron fragile, Kochiaarenaria. With an increased and high level of degradation of pasture soils, it is advisable to radically improve with the use of legume-cereal grass mixtures from Medicagofalcata, Medicagovaria, Onobrychisarenaria, Agropyron fragile, Elytrigiaintermedia, Bromopsisinermis, Kochiaarenaria. On saline soils, it is also effective to use both Medicago falcate and Medicagovaria and Agropyrondesertorum, Agropyroncristatum, Elytrigiaintermedia, Bromopsisinermis, Kochiaarenaria, Bassiaprostrata, Melilotusofficinalis, Melilotus album, Festucavalesiaca, Leymusracemosus. Suggestions for practical application and direction of future research. The developed map-scheme of degradation of the soil cover of pastures of the Stavropol Territory districts, indicating the numerical values of the complex indicator Dp, allows you to make certain technological decisions on carrying out a complex of phyto-meliorative measures on pastures specifically for each district of the Eastern Caucasus.

Modernization of the KarPLAZ Plasma Cutting Machine Design in Classic-B LLP

The study aims to increase the efficiency of the plasma cutting machine by optimizing the technological parameters of plasma cutting equipment, improving quality (precision cutting of shaped parts, cutting quality), reducing the number of locksmith work (removal of deburring, cauterization), and reducing the percentage of defects in production. Inaccuracies were revealed when cutting parts on the KarPLAZ plasma machine in Classic-B LLP. The design and operation features of machine parts and assemblies have been studied. After analyzing the experimental data and the design of the machine, design and technological decisions were made. The drive was calculated, working drawings were developed, the kinematic pair "gearrack" was replaced, and a full-scale experiment was carried out. The results of the research work confirmed the correctness of the technical decisions made.

The emergence of the “information have-less” class of labor in the information age and its presence in Egypt

PurposeAt the beginning of the 21st century, a new class of information workers, the “information have-less” has risen. This class of workers alleviates the influence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) revolution on poverty and unemployment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the presence of this class of workers in Egypt and assess the size and potential growth of this category of workers.Design/methodology/approachThe study clarifies the conceptual framework of the new division of labor, in the information age. The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Information and Decision Support Center websites provided secondary data for this study. These data are used to assess the size of “the information have less” in Egypt.FindingsThe division of work and class, in the 21st century, depends on the level of skills possessed to work with ICTs. So, class and labor nowadays could be divided into self-programmable labor (Innovators). Information have-less labor class, adding value to the economy by learning skills and presenting repetitive work. Generic labor class, who cannot work with ICTs, and work in jobs, that do not need computers or other ICTs. The study has shown that the “information have-less” labor class is present in Egypt since the beginning of the 21st century, in all its categories; entrepreneurism, the service sector and the manufacturing sector. There are approximately 50% of this labor class in the service sector and only 13% of the information have-less works in manufacturing sector despite the great opportunities that Egypt has to expand manufacturing to absorb more employment. The inclusion of information technology (IT), in all domains, has not decreased employment in Western countries but has reallocated information have-less employment toward the service sector, and there would probably be the same effect in Egypt.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the need for Egyptian policymakers to encourage the manufacturing and service sectors to provide huge working opportunities. The Egyptian government has to change the educational policies, at all stages, to include digital learning skills so IT can be incorporated in a wide range of economic activities. Further research includes: conducting a survey to measure the contribution of the entrepreneurial part of the information have-less employment in Egypt. In addition, a model may be developed, by the researcher to examine the reallocation of employees in Egypt.Originality/valueStudying employment, in Egypt, using the conceptual framework of the information age is rarely being done.

Performance Analysis and Improvement for CRUD Operations in Relational Databases from Java Programs Using JPA, Hibernate, Spring Data JPA

The role of databases is to allow for the persistence of data, no matter if they are of the SQL or NoSQL type. In SQL databases, data are structured in a set of tables in the relational database model, grouped in rows and columns. CRUD operations (create, read, update, and delete) are used to manage the information contained in relational databases. Several dialects of the SQL language exist, as well as frameworks for mapping Java classes (models) to a relational database. The question is what we should choose for our Java application, and why? A comparison of the most frequently used relational database management systems, mixed with the most frequently used frameworks should give us some guidance about when to use what. The evaluation is conducted based on the time taken for each CRUD operation to run, from thousands to hundreds of thousands of entries, using the possible combinations in the relational database system and the framework. Aiming to assess and improve the performance, the experiments included the possibility of warming-up the Java Virtual Machine before the execution of queries. Also, the research investigated the time spent using different methods of code to determine the critical regions (bottlenecks). Thus, the conclusions provide a comprehensive overview of the performances of Java applications accessing databases depending on the suite decisions considering the database type, the framework in use, and the type of operation, with clear comparisons between the alternatives, the key findings of the advantages and drawbacks of each of them, and supporting architects and developers in their technological decisions and improving the speed of their programs.

Study on Wind Speed Distribution Law of Mine Roadway Section under Different Conditions

Ventilation is the cornerstone of coal mine safety production, and accurate monitoring of ventilation parameters is the basic guarantee for ventilation technology decision-making. Aiming at the problem that the accuracy of wind speed monitoring in coal mine roadway is difficult to meet the needs of decision-making, this paper studies the position relationship between the average wind speed line and the roadway wall surface by combining theoretical calculation and numerical simulation, and simulates the wind speed distribution law of typical roadway section. The main factors affecting the distribution of wind speed in roadway section include roadway section shape, section size, support form, wind speed, facilities and equipment status, etc. The expression of the position relationship between the average wind speed line of the rectangular and semi-circular arch roadway section and the roadway wall surface is y=elna-1.5. Through 25 groups of model simulation, the wind speed distribution law of different types of roadway sections under different conditions is obtained: the wind speed contour is basically parallel to the roadway wall. The wind speed gradient near the roadway wall is large, and the wind speed gradient in the middle of the roadway is small. The thickness of the boundary layer decreases with the increase of wind speed.

The Emission Reduction Technology Decision of the Port Supply Chain

The technology options for sustainable development are explored with customer low-carbon preference in a port supply chain consisting of one ship and one port. Port supply chains can opt for either shower power or low-sulfur fuel oil to cut down emissions. We set game models considering three power structures: the port dominant (port-led Stackelberg game), the ship dominant (ship-led Stackelberg game), and the port and ship on the same footing (Nash game). We compare the performances of different technologies. It is shown that, when customer low-carbon preference and carbon tax are both low, LSFO is the appropriate choice from the supply chain’s profit perspective, SP is preferred from the emission control perspective, and LSFO is preferred from the social welfare perspective. However, when customers’ low-carbon preferences, carbon tax, and environmental concerns are all low or all high, LSFO should be adopted from the view of social welfare. The profits and carbon emissions of the supply chain in the Nash game are higher than those in the Stackelberg game. While the environmental concern is low, the social welfare of the supply chain in the Nash game is greater than that in the Stackelberg game. Otherwise, it is less than that in the Stackelberg game. The obtained results can help governments formulate policies and ships make emission reduction technology decisions according to their own interests.

Improving Vaccine Assessment Pathways and Decision Making in the Polish Immunization Program.

This study examines the vaccine market access pathway in Poland to evaluate its efficiency and propose recommendations for its improvement. The research spans a comprehensive analysis of the vaccine assessment process, ranging from pre-registration to sustainability, encompassing critical components such as national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs), health technology assessments, resource evaluations, and decision making. This investigation utilizes a multi-phase approach. Initial desk research aimed to collect accumulated evidence about each step of the vaccine access pathway. This constituted the background for an expert panel discussion (n = 13) and a final online questionnaire (n = 12), evaluating the timeframes, inclusiveness, transparency, and consistency of the elements of the process. Poland is a late adopter of new vaccines. The country faces budget constraints and lacks a formalized framework for the inclusion of vaccines into the national immunization program. Notably, NITAGs play a crucial role, yet their limited resources and dependence on public health stakeholders diminish their impact. A formal and well-supported advisory body may become a foundation for decision-making processes. The health technology assessment conducted by the national agency is recognized for its timeliness and transparency, though the absence of fiscal analyses in vaccine assessments is identified as a gap that limits the understanding of the value of vaccinations. Resources are key drivers of decision making, and recent changes in legislation offer increased flexibility in financing vaccines. Challenges in the procurement process include a limited consideration of non-acquisition costs and an increased absence of a documented general strategy for immunization program development in Poland, pointing to a need for strategic planning. In conclusion, this study recommends the establishment of a robust NITAG with enhanced resources, incorporating fiscal analyses, transparent resource allocation, and strategic planning for immunization program development. Addressing these recommendations is crucial for optimizing Poland's vaccine market access pathway, ensuring timely and efficient population-wide vaccine access.

Research hotspots and trends of nanomaterials in stomatology: A bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2023

BackgroundNanomaterials (NMs) have emerged as highly promising candidates for stomatology due to their excellent quality and remarkable progress in recent years. However, with the rapid expansion of the research scale, challenges arise in the technological decision-making and research management processes, and therefore difficulty for researchers to understand the knowledge structure and research hotspots has increased significantly. This study aims to make a comprehensive summary of authors, institutions, journals, research topics, development trends, and research hotspots of NMs in stomatology through bibliometric analysis for the sake of providing references for scientific decision-making, research management, and academic exploration in this filed. MethodsStudies on research and application of NMs in stomatology were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) from January 1, 2000 to April 27, 2023. Bibliometric analysis and visualization were conducted using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. ResultsA total of 620 articles were included in this study, showing a gradual increase in the number of publications focusing on NMs in stomatology. Globally, China ranked first with 130 publications, and the United States (US) enjoyed the highest citation count (n = 5218) and average citation per paper (ACP) (n = 52.18). The top three institutions with the highest publication output were the University of Sao Paulo (n = 22), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (n = 20), and Shanghai Jiaotong University (n = 13). The journals MATERIALS and NANOMATERIALS emerged as the most popular in this field (n = 20), and BIOMATERIALS had the highest co-citations (n = 1597). The most prolific author was Dos Reis and Andrea Candido (n = 7), while Thomas J. Webster enjoyed the highest co-citations (n = 94). Burstness analysis of the references revealed a prominent research focus on nanoparticle drug delivery systems (specifically lipid nanoparticles). Keyword burstness analysis identified "oxide nanoparticle" as the primary frontier keyword in this field. ConclusionThis is the first study of using bibliometric analysis to summarize the research trends and frontiers of NMs in stomatology. With progressive advancements in the research and application of NMs in oral healthcare, their academic impact is steadily increasing. China and the US maintain a leading position in this field. Future directions could primarily focus on the development and application of nanoparticle drug delivery systems (especially lipid nanoparticles) and metal oxide nanoparticles (especially in antibacterial aspects). We hope that this bibliometric analysis could provide researchers with a panoramic view and useful references for future research, thus promoting the development of NMs in stomatology.

The role of individual decision-making in the manufacturing of bone retouchers

Bone retouchers, while often underrated, stand out as widespread tools throughout the Palaeolithic, typically linked to breaking bones for marrow extraction. Although bone retouchers are commonly considered a by-product of butchering activities, the possibility of intentional manufacturing has been rarely considered but should not be dismissed. In our experimental protocol, we explore decision-making processes involved in manufacturing bone retouchers, focusing on how these decisions are guided by intentional production rather than solely marrow extraction. The results indicate that individuals employ specific techniques and make technological decisions, rapidly acquiring experience in retoucher manufacturing that extends beyond mere intuition. The choice of bone-breaking technique(s) reflects the intention behind either marrow extraction or producing suitable bone fragments for retouchers. This decision-making process is heavily influenced by the morphology of the bone, presenting challenges that individuals learn to overcome during the experiment. The analysis of the experimental percussion marks suggests that certain marks on specific skeletal elements indicate intentional bone retoucher manufacturing. We then propose a likelihood grid to assess the reliability of traces on each skeletal element in inferring intentional manufacturing. Given the abundance of bone retouchers in Middle Palaeolithic contexts, a thorough investigation into the intentionality behind their manufacturing processes could significantly impact their relevance within other Palaeolithic bone industries.