Individual Products Research Articles

Emerging trends in large format additive manufacturing processes and hybrid techniques

AbstractLarge format additive manufacturing (LFAM) technologies are rapidly growing with significant potential for application in multiple technological sectors like aerospace, tooling, automotive, marine, construction, and energy. LFAM processes offer significant advantages including reduced lead time, cost, and material waste, which are further amplified due to the increased volume of the components. This review paper focuses on LFAM technologies with the highest technology readiness level, i.e., metal Directed Energy Deposition (DED), polymer extrusion, and solid-state deposition (i.e. cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM)). Common system setups, the maximum deposition rate, and the range of processable materials, along with the achievable mechanical properties and geometrical characteristics, are outlined for each technology, both in individual and hybrid manufacturing formats. The main technological challenges are gathered and discussed to highlight the areas that require further development. Finally, the current industrial applications for LFAM technologies and the expected future developments are outlined. This review provides an overview of LFAM technologies’ current status and discusses their potential in improving the manufacturing of complex and large geometries, with a significant reduction in material and energy consumption, while ensuring high-quality and high-performance components.

Towards a Framework for the Industrial Recommissioning of Residual Energy (IRRE): How to Systematically Evaluate and Reclaim Waste Energy in Manufacturing

The extensive body of research dedicated to optimizing energy consumption and efficiency in the manufacturing sector demonstrates a significant and well-established legacy. Despite a peak of publications in this field over recent years, the subject of reusing residual energy is only infrequently discussed. Where authors target this topic, research is often exclusively directed towards specialized applications or industries. In this article, an initial attempt of approaching residual energy reclamation in industrial manufacturing in a structured and universal manner is made. By employing a systematic literature review and design science research, a universal tool chain for decomposing individual industrial manufacturing systems to successfully reclaim and reintegrate residual energy is developed. A comprehensive overview of technologies available for energy conversion in industrial scenarios and their corresponding efficiency ranges are presented in the form of a table, called the energy conversion overview (ECO) table. The main contribution poses a multistep sequential framework guiding through identifying, assessing, harnessing, reusing, and validating residual energy in manufacturing systems. As a universal tool, the Industrial Recommissioning of Residual Energy (IRRE) framework is empowering its adopters to systematically approach residual energy recovery in their individual context by a universal tool. The application of both tools is showcased in a case study from the large-aircraft carbon fiber manufacturing industry.

Conventionally and digitally fabricated removable complete dentures: manufacturing accuracy, fracture resistance and repairability

ObjectivesConventionally and digitally manufactured removable complete dentures with different dentition forms were examined for manufacturing accuracy (trueness, precision), fracture forces under torsional loading and subsequent repairability. MethodsA total of 90 mandibular prostheses were manufactured. Ten were made using the injection molding technique and finished with prefabricated teeth. 40 bases each, were manufactured subtractively and additively. Digitally the prosthesis’ dental arch was divided either into two quadrants or three sextants, or kept as full arch. Afterwards, ten additive and subtractive bases were finished with prefabricated teeth and ten of each with milled quadrants, sextants and full arches. After manufacturing, all specimens were rescanned for accuracy comparisons using the Root Mean Square (RMS). Lastly, all specimens were tested to failure under torsional loading. ResultsConventionally manufactured dentures showed the greatest deviation in accuracy. The type of base manufacturing did not determine the fracture resistance of the prostheses. The dentition form had a significant influence. While prefabricated teeth (86.01 ± 19.76 N) and quadrants (77.89 ± 9.58 N) showed a low fracture resistance, sextants (139.12 ± 21.41 N) and full arches (141.05 ± 17.14 N) achieved the highest fracture forces. Subtractive bases with prefabricated teeth or quadrants were assessed to be repairable, digital dentures with full arch were assessed as not repairable. SignificanceThe presented testing set-up is suitable to determine the fracture behavior of dentures rather than of standards. With the possibility of digital design and individual manufacturing, dentures’ mechanical stability can be significantly increased, especially with suitable dentition forms.

Quality of Essential Medicines from Different Sources in Enugu and Anambra, Nigeria.

This study investigated the quality of 13 essential medicines in the states of Enugu and Anambra, Nigeria. A total of 260 samples were purchased from licensed pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers and from vendors in pharmaceutical markets with unclear licensing status. Samples were analyzed for identity, content, and dissolution according to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 42 monographs. Forty-five samples of this study could be examined for authenticity with the Mobile Authentication Service scheme of the Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Out of all samples, 25.4% did not comply with the USP 42 specifications. Strikingly, 21 out of 22 dexamethasone tablet samples (95%) were out of specification (OOS). Nine out of 19 glibenclamide samples (47%) failed dissolution testing, and 7 out of 17 cotrimoxazole samples (41%) failed assay testing. Medicines against noncommunicable diseases showed a slightly higher percentage of OOS samples than anti-infectives (21.2% versus 17.6%). The rates of OOS samples were similar in medicines stated to be produced in Nigeria, India, and China but were very different between individual manufacturers from each of these countries of origin. Therefore, prequalification of products, manufacturers, and suppliers are very important for quality assurance in medicine procurement. Unexpectedly, the total proportions of OOS samples were similar from licensed vendors (25.2%) and from markets (25.5%). Four samples (1.5%), all collected in markets, were clearly falsified and did not contain the declared active pharmaceutical ingredients. The proportion of falsified medicines was found to be lower than frequently reported in the media for Nigeria.

GRCop-42: Comparison between laser powder bed fusion and laser powder direct energy deposition

This study involves a comparative analysis of additively manufactured GRCop-42 specimens produced using two processes: laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and laser powder direct energy deposition (LP-DED). The investigation characterizes a range of material attributes, including surface topography, internal defects, microstructural features, quasi-static mechanical properties, and fractographic characteristics. The findings demonstrate that, despite the specimens being fabricated with the same base material, the resulting material properties vary significantly between the two additive manufacturing processes. As such, material properties cannot be presumed to be uniform across different manufacturing methods. Consequently, material characterization must be conducted for individual manufacturing processes based on specific parameters.

Residential long-span timber floor typologies: a comprehensive performance assessment and opportunities for value adding to plantation hardwood

ABSTRACT High-performance engineered wood products (EWPs) and composite mass timber products (CMTPs) are being employed more frequently in residential projects with increasing interest in more sustainable systems that achieve long-spans. The relative performance of these systems is not readily apparent, with individual manufacturers offering proprietary products assembled from specific timber resources. In addition, the suitability of producing these long-span systems using plantation hardwoods is currently unknown. This research investigated the comparative performance of four typical EWPs and CMTPs; 1. solid slab, 2. thin-walled cassette, 3. T-sections, and 4. slab on beam. Key performance metrics of depth, mass, stiffness, vibration response, fire performance and global warming potential were assessed. The mechanical performance of two high-strength plantation hardwood varieties (Eucalyptus nitens and Eucalyptus globulus) were determined experimentally and subsequently used to re-calculate performance criteria for the previously assessed typologies. Substantial improvements over the typical softwood varieties were identified, particularly in structural efficiency, global warming potential and fire performance. This highlights the potential for value adding to plantation hardwoods by using them in high-performance long-span engineered floor products.

Towards sustainable manufacturing: A comprehensive analysis of circular economy key performance indicators in the manufacturing industry

In the pursuit of sustainable development, the concept of Circular Economy (CE) has emerged as a transformative alternative to the traditional linear economic model characterized by take, make, use, and dispose practices. However, there is a growing recognition of the limitations of the linear economy in addressing contemporary global challenges, leading to a pressing need for a more regenerative approach. This study aims to explore and analyze Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with the circular economy, particularly focusing on the manufacturing industry, to provide a valuable guide for enterprises looking to integrate CE principles effectively and reinforce sustainability. The novelty of this study lies in its comprehensive examination of KPIs that embrace sustainability's triple bottom lines - environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The systematic selection of relevant KPIs and the utilization of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to identify the most influential CE KPIs within the manufacturing industry add depth to the research. By identifying and upgrading significant KPIs representing various facets of CE development, this study contributes to a more meticulous understanding of how enterprises can measure their progress towards circularity. In each of the triple bottom lines of sustainability, five significant KPIs were recognized and upgraded to the second assessment process, where these 15 KPIs are analyzed using SNA to obtain 5 aggregated KPIs. The comprehensive analysis of the obtained fifteen KPIs culminates in aggregated CE indicators, primarily strategies and initiatives (SI), material efficiency (ME), productivity of remanufacturing (OR), technology investment (ROR), and eco-innovation (EI). The aggregated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) displayed an extreme value of the weighted average index attributed to strategies and initiatives KPI with a value of 0.067. These aggregated KPIs provide a practical framework for manufacturers to assess and optimize their circular economy practices. It's essential to note that all binary values incorporated in the proposed approach are derived from an extensive literature review. These values may vary depending on the specific objectives of individual manufacturing firms or focus groups. As a result, the proposed approach is adaptable to diverse manufacturing industries, allowing customization to suit the unique input criteria of each firm or group. Significantly, the current work emphasizes the influential role of manufacturers in shaping a sustainable future in alignment with development goals.

Modifiable Prosthetic Socket Using Air Pump Method

A prosthesis backup for a part of the body that may have been missing at birth or lost in an accident or through amputation. Prostheses are used to restore the normal functions of the missing body part. Traumatic injuries and different conditions have been set up as common causes of amputation. The need for prostheses in being patterns requires individual measuring and manufacturing of prostheses inclusively for every case. Also, Amputees find it delicate to fit and carry out their routine with a prosthetic duly heavy for them making it considered a burden. Quality of life, phantom branch pain, and the psycho-social impact of prosthetics are duly taken into account for the development of malleable prosthetic sockets. thus, preventing the individual manufacturing of prosthetic legs and the treatment is done and fixing of prosthesis becomes easier. A collaborative observation demands the design of a bio-compatible, feathery, and provident prosthesis to track normal mortal gait by barring phantom limb pain. This will improve the amputee's confidence to live a quality life in society.

High-Throughput Single-Cell, Single-Mitochondrial DNA Assay Using Hydrogel Droplet Microfluidics.

There is growing interest in understanding the biological implications of single cell heterogeneity and heteroplasmy of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), but current methodologies for single-cell mtDNA analysis limit the scale of analysis to small cell populations. Although droplet microfluidics have increased the throughput of single-cell genomic, RNA, and protein analysis, their application to sub-cellular organelle analysis has remained a largely unsolved challenge. Here, we introduce an agarose-based droplet microfluidic approach for single-cell, single-mtDNA analysis, which allows simultaneous processing of hundreds of individual mtDNA molecules within >10,000 individual cells. Our microfluidic chip encapsulates individual cells in agarose beads, designed to have a sufficiently dense hydrogel network to retain mtDNA after lysis and provide a robust scaffold for subsequent multi-step processing and analysis. To mitigate the impact of the high viscosity of agarose required for mtDNA retention on the throughput of microfluidics, we developed a parallelized device, successfully achieving ~95 % mtDNA retention from single cells within our microbeads at >700,000 drops/minute. To demonstrate utility, we analyzed specific regions of the single-mtDNA using a multiplexed rolling circle amplification (RCA) assay. We demonstrated compatibility with both microscopy, for digital counting of individual RCA products, and flow cytometry for higher throughput analysis.

The Integration of Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists into Burn Wound Care Increases Therapist Productivity, Job Satisfaction, and Multidisciplinary Collaboration.

When attempting to deliver specialized rehabilitation therapy interventions, physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) must account for dynamic and logistical patient factors such as daily wound care, pain, difficulty progressing range of motion with dressings donned, and ongoing surgical interventions. Additionally, they must attain institution-specific productivity standards. Given burn patients often require considerable multidisciplinary interventions, efficiently planning and delivering rehabilitation therapy interventions within productivity expectations may prove difficult. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of integrating rehabilitation therapists, PTs and OTs, into daily burn wound care by investigating therapist productivity and multidisciplinary perceptions of this practice change. The quality improvement project involved 6 rehabilitation therapists (3 PTs and 3 OTs) practicing exclusively in the burn unit within an American Burn Association (ABA)-verified burn center at an urban, tertiary care academic medical center. One rehabilitation therapist was responsible for providing interventions within the burn wound care team 5 days a week. General duties included wound assessment, functional wound dressings, and skilled therapeutic interventions such as manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and compression interventions. The primary outcome was changes in group productivity and individual therapist productivity, as measured by total billed Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes per hour worked, which were tracked 22 weeks preimplementation and 28 weeks postimplementation. Program feasibility and general perceptions were assessed by a qualitative questionnaire. For both the entire group of therapists and each individual rehabilitation therapist, billed CPT codes per hour increased postimplementation, 1.81 vs 1.54 (P = .005) and a matched increase of 0.27/h (P = .003). Of the 23 survey respondents, 96% had a favorable impression of the program and reported it eased staffing demands. All respondents reported improved unit workflow and multidisciplinary communication. The majority of multidisciplinary burn team members actively supported the pilot program and commented on improvements in patient care. Full-time rehabilitation therapy participation in wound care increases therapist productivity and job satisfaction. Future efforts, however, should focus on measuring specific patient outcomes and costs as a result of therapist integration into daily wound care practice.

Elastické tahy v Ortodoncii

Aim: The work assesses force characteristics of one type and size of elastics, specifically 3/16“ medium elastics, of five different manufacturers. We compared initial forces, and particularly the relationship between their force degradation over aɸperiod of time. Material and method: 500 latex elastics 3/16“ medium from Dentaurum, American Orthodontics, 3M, Ortho Organizers and G & H Orthodontics (100 of each) were tested. Force was measured with dynamometer at time 0, 2, 8, 24 and 48 hours. Elastics were stretched to triple of their original diameter and they were placed onto the plate manufactured by us. The plate was produced with 3D printer. Then everything was put into an incubator at the temperature of 37 °C and constant humidity. Shapiro-Wilk normality tests, ANOVA and Bonferroni’sɸpost-hoc tests were used for statistical evaluation. Individual manufacturers were asked whether they know in which plants exactly the elastic tractions are produced. Unfortunately, they did not answer the question. Results: The average initial force was between 1.109 N and 1.550 N; elastics made by Dentaurum were closest to the declared force of 1.255 N. The force decreased most during the first two hours. Between the individual producers the decrease of elastic tractions during 24 hours oscillated between 20 and 33%. The greatest drop in force was recorded for American Orthodontics products. The smallest decrease was recorded between 2nd and 8th hour for 3M, and between 24th and 48th hour for OrthoOrganizers products. Conclusion: Intermaxillary elastics of 3/16“ medium measured in vitro differ both in the amount of their initial force and in force degradation. Orthodontists should know the basic parameters of elastic tractions. To secure maximum care aɸdoctor should measure initial force of elastic tractions with dynamometer intraorally.

RFID Technology Implication in the Apparel Industry

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology has emerged as a transformative tool in the apparel industry, offering numerous benefits ranging from enhanced inventory management to improved supply chain visibility and retail operations. This paper explores the implications of RFID technology in the apparel industry, highlighting its significant impact on various aspects of the apparel supply chain. Through the deployment of RFID tags on individual garments, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike can benefit from increased accuracy in inventory tracking, reduced stockouts, minimized shrinkage, and streamlined operations. Moreover, RFID facilitates real-time data capture and analytics, enabling retailers to optimize store layouts, enhance customer experiences, and implement omnichannel strategies effectively. Additionally, RFID technology supports sustainability initiatives by enabling efficient product recalls, reducing overstocking, and minimizing waste throughout the supply chain. Despite the initial investment required, the long-term benefits of RFID adoption in the apparel industry are substantial, paving the way for increased efficiency, transparency, and profitability in the global apparel market.

A D-vine copula-based quantile regression towards merging satellite precipitation products over rugged topography: a case study in the upper Tekeze–Atbara Basin

Abstract. Precipitation is a vital key element in various studies of hydrology, flood prediction, drought monitoring, and water resource management. The main challenge in conducting studies over remote regions with rugged topography is that weather stations are usually scarce and unevenly distributed. However, open-source satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs) with a suitable resolution provide alternative options in these data-scarce regions, which are typically associated with high uncertainty. To reduce the uncertainty of individual satellite products, we have proposed a D-vine copula-based quantile regression (DVQR) model to merge multiple SPPs with rain gauges (RGs). The DVQR model was employed during the 2001–2017 summer monsoon seasons and compared with two other quantile regression methods based on the multivariate linear (MLQR) and the Bayesian model averaging (BMAQ) techniques, respectively, and with two traditional merging methods – the simple modeling average (SMA) and the one-outlier-removed average (OORA) – using descriptive and categorical statistics. Four SPPs have been considered in this study, namely, Tropical Applications of Meteorology using SATellite (TAMSAT v3.1), the Climate Prediction Center MORPHing Product Climate Data Record (CMORPH-CDR), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG v06), and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN-CDR). The bilinear (BIL) interpolation technique was applied to downscale SPPs from a coarse to a fine spatial resolution (1 km). The rugged-topography region of the upper Tekeze–Atbara Basin (UTAB) in Ethiopia was selected as the study area. The results indicate that the precipitation data estimates with the DVQR, MLQR, and BMAQ models and with traditional merging methods outperform the downscaled SPPs. Monthly evaluations reveal that all products perform better in July and September than in June and August due to precipitation variability. The DVQR, MLQR, and BMAQ models exhibit higher accuracy than the traditional merging methods over the UTAB. The DVQR model substantially improved all of the statistical metrics (CC = 0.80, NSE = 0.615, KGE = 0.785, MAE = 1.97 mm d−1, RMSE = 2.86 mm d−1, and PBIAS = 0.96 %) considered compared with the BMAQ and MLQR models. However, the DVQR model did not outperform the BMAQ and MLQR models with respect to the probability of detection (POD) and false-alarm ratio (FAR), although it had the best frequency bias index (FBI) and critical success index (CSI) among all of the employed models. Overall, the newly proposed merging approach improves the quality of SPPs and demonstrates the value of the proposed DVQR model in merging multiple SPPs over regions with rugged topography such as the UTAB.

The role of the nursing work environment, head nurse leadership and presenteeism in job embeddedness among new nurses: a cross-sectional multicentre study

BackgroundThe retention of new nurses has become a major challenge for medical institutions. Job embeddedness has been seen as a valuable lens for examining nurse turnover, but greater details about job embeddedness are rarely disclosed, especially among new nurses. This study aimed to reveal how the nursing work environment, head nurse leadership and presenteeism shape job embeddedness in this population from the perspective of conservation of resources (COR) theory.MethodA cross-sectional multicentre study involving 436 participants from 10 cities and 33 hospitals was conducted over 4 months. Samples were selected using a two-stage convenience sampling method. A sequential multiple mediation model performed with SPSS-PROCESS was used to analyse the relationships among the nursing work environment, head nurse leadership, presenteeism and job embeddedness.ResultsThe nursing work environment not only directly affects the job embeddedness of new nurses (β = 0.480, p < 0.001) but also indirectly affects it through the sequential multiple mediating effects of head nurse leadership and presenteeism (R2 = 0.535, F = 82.160, p < 0.001).ConclusionsNew nurses’ job embeddedness needs to be improved. These results suggest that preserving adequate resources for new nurses, such as work environment resources, head nurse leadership resources, and individual productivity resources, is an effective way to shape their job embeddedness. In addition, when a certain resource is insufficient, fully considering the principles of investment and buffering between resources and providing reciprocal, alternative, or buffer resources in a timely manner are necessary to improve new nurses’ job embeddedness.Large language modelsLarge language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, were not used during the writing of this article. An expert native English speaker performed language revision.

2 Number of spot samples required when using the GreenFeed System in grazing beef cows

Abstract Methane (CH4) production from beef cattle occurs through a natural digestive process called enteric fermentation. This has increasingly become an area of focus due to environmental and efficiency concerns. There are several techniques to quantify gas fluxes from beef cattle such as an open circuit gas quantification system (OCGQS). The GreenFeed (C-Lock, Inc.) is an OCGQS, which has been validated in previous literature, that is capable of quantifying CH4, carbon dioxide (CO2), and oxygen (O2) from grazing beef cattle. However, few studies have reported the minimum number of spot samples to quantify gas fluxes from an individual animal, particularly in a grazing environment. No recommendations have been made to evaluate the number of spot samples for the calculation of metabolic heat production, using the gas fluxes quantified by an OCGQS. A minimum of 100 spot samples each were collected from 17 grazing animals using an OCGQS. The mean gas fluxes were computed starting from the first 10 visits (forward) and increasing by increments of 10 until 100 visits was reached and also from visit 100 moving back in time in increments of 10 (reverse). Mean gas fluxes were used to calculate individual animal metabolic heat production for each interval with both the forward and reverse approach. Pearson and Spearman correlations were computed between the full 100 visits and each shortened visit interval. Mean forward and reverse gas fluxes and metabolic heat production were also computed starting at 30 visits and increasing by 2 until 40 visits and vice versa. The minimum number of spot samples was determined when correlations with the full 100 visits were greater than 0.95. The minimum number of spot samples needed for accurate quantification of CH4, CO2, O2, and metabolic heat production were 38, 40, 40, and 36, respectively. Simultaneous collection of gas fluxes for the calculation of metabolic heat production would require at least 40 spot samples given the recommendations for gas flux components. Animals had an average of 1.2 visits/day to the OCGQS in this study. Therefore, animals met the required number of spot samples for quantification of metabolic heat production, CH4, CO2, and O2 in 29.5 ± 8.7, 30.5 ± 9.1, 31.8 ± 9.2, and 31.8 ± 9.2 d, respectively. There was large variation in the number of days needed to achieve the recommended number of spot samples. For this reason, protocols for the OCGQS should be based on the total number of spot samples, rather than a test duration. These recommendations can be applied to grazing cattle that typically have more infrequent visits. More research is needed to establish if the minimum number of spot samples would be fewer if animals have more frequent visits, although this is difficult in grazing settings.

The Influence of Leadership Style and Organizational Culture on Employee Performance Mediated by Work Motivation in the Multinational Company Pt. German Eta in Indonesia

PT. ETA is a foreign industry in Indonesia that must always innovate continuously to improve the performance of its employees. Employee performance does not only include individual productivity but also their contribution to achieving the organization's strategic goals. This research aims to find out how leadership style and organizational culture influence employee performance through the mediation of work motivation. The sample taken using a saturated sampling technique consisted of 35 respondents from the total team management of 11 departments in the company PT. ETA. Data analysis used in research uses Path Analysis. The results of data analysis show that leadership style has a significant effect on performance, while organizational culture has no effect on performance. Meanwhile, leadership style and organizational culture influence work motivation. There is no visible impact from investigating mediating variables on the relationship between work motivation and organizational culture as well as leadership style and performance

Identification of mozambioside roasting products and their bitter taste receptor activation

Arabica coffee contains the bitter-tasting diterpene glycoside mozambioside, which degrades during coffee roasting, leading to yet unknown structurally related degradation products with possibly similar bitter-receptor-activating properties.The study aimed at the generation, isolation, and structure elucidation of individual pyrolysis products of mozambioside and characterization of bitter receptor activation by in vitro analysis in HEK 293T-Gα16gust44 cells.The new compounds 17-O-β-d-glucosyl-11-hydroxycafestol-2-on, 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-16-desoxycafestol-2-on, 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-(S)-16-desoxy-17-oxocafestol-2-on, 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-15,16-dehydrocafestol-2-on, and 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-(R)-16-desoxy-17-oxocafestol-2-on were isolated from pyrolyzed mozambioside by HPLC and identified by NMR and UHPLC-ToF-MS. Roasting products 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-(S)-16-desoxy-17-oxocafestol-2-on, 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-15,16-dehydrocafestol-2-on, and 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-(R)-16-desoxy-17-oxocafestol-2-on had lower bitter receptor activation thresholds compared to mozambioside.Molecular docking simulations revealed the binding modes of the compounds 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-15,16-dehydrocafestol-2-on and 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-(R)-16-desoxy-17-oxocafestol-2-on and their aglycone 11-hydroxycafestol-2-on in the two cognate receptors TAS2R43 and TAS2R46.The newly discovered roasting products 17-O-β-d-glucosyl-11-hydroxycafestol-2-on, 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-(S)-16-desoxy-17-oxocafestol-2-on, 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-15,16-dehydrocafestol-2-on, and 11-O-β-d-glucosyl-(R)-16-desoxy-17-oxocafestol-2-on were detected in authentic roast coffee brew by UHPLC-ToF-MS and could contribute to coffee's bitter taste impression.

Evaluation of the Impact of Cochlear Implantation on Patients' Working Life: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Hearing loss that arises from various causes at different stages of life has a direct impact on individuals' physical and mental well-being. This paper aimed to evaluate the employment, workplace adaptation, productivity, and professional success of individuals who have hearing loss and whose hearing loss is corrected with a cochlear implant. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected between November 2022 and March 2023 with the participation of individuals with cochlear implants living in several settlements in all regions of Türkiye. A total of 142 participants with severe hearing loss who were corrected with a cochlear implant were included in this study. The survey method was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire consisted of 32 questions and was distributed to the participants online. In the first part of the questionnaire (questions 1-10), the general characteristics of implant patients were investigated. In the second part (questions 11-32), the positive or negative effects of implantation on the work lives of the participants were evaluated. Almost half of the research group (49.3%, n = 70) consisted of women, and the mean age of the participants was determined to be 35.8 ± 14.8 years. There was no significant difference between gender, educational status, implanted side, working time, working style (physical, desk), and factors affecting work life (p > 0.05). Professional satisfaction and success at work increased significantly more in those with acquired hearing loss (p = 0.010). Post-implantation workplace compliance, success, and productivity were found to be higher in those with acquired hearing loss (p = 0.013). Hearing loss had a significantly less negative impact on work performance in those implanted in childhood than in those implanted in adulthood (p = 0.043). It was observed that hearing loss had a greater negative impact on the work life of married people (p = 0.006). Cochlear implantation greatly enhances workplace satisfaction, increases self-confidence, and has a positive impact on the future of profoundly deaf individuals.

Higher-order structures of local collaboration networks are associated with individual scientific productivity

The prevalence of teamwork in contemporary science has raised new questions about collaboration networks and the potential impact on research outcomes. Previous studies primarily focused on pairwise interactions between scientists when constructing collaboration networks, potentially overlooking group interactions among scientists. In this study, we introduce a higher-order network representation using algebraic topology to capture multi-agent interactions, i.e., simplicial complexes. Our main objective is to investigate the influence of higher-order structures in local collaboration networks on the productivity of the focal scientist. Leveraging a dataset comprising more than 3.7 million scientists from the Microsoft Academic Graph, we uncover several intriguing findings. Firstly, we observe an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of disconnected components in the local collaboration network and scientific productivity. Secondly, there is a positive association between the presence of higher-order loops and individual scientific productivity, indicating the intriguing role of higher-order structures in advancing science. Thirdly, these effects hold across various scientific domains and scientists with different impacts, suggesting strong generalizability of our findings. The findings highlight the role of higher-order loops in shaping the development of individual scientists, thus may have implications for nurturing scientific talent and promoting innovative breakthroughs.

Predicting bovine daily milk yield by leveraging genomic breeding values

The main goal of this work, conducted on a herd of 502 Holstein cows situated in Italy, is to propose a machine learning-based approach to forecast the individual bovine daily milk production by explicitly leveraging genotypic information. As part of our study, we also evaluated the importance in the prediction of genotypic and phenotypic variables usually available within herd. The methodology we propose is based on two consecutive models: a genomic prediction one to calculate the animal’s genomic breeding value from marker data, followed by a feed forward neural network combining such additive genetic effect and the environmental features (parity, days in milk, age at calving in months, month of calving) for milk yield forecasting. In particular, we both assess the inclusion of genomic breeding values calculated within herd or provided by the breeders’ association, discovering that the latter ones allow for better final predictions. The results of our model outperform the ones by a linear mixed model with the same inputs on average, day by day and at the individual level. Moreover, we propose a problem formulation that also leverages additional factors partially controllable by breeders: in this case, features such as the number of milkings and the concentrate consumption inside the automatic milking system prove to highly impact on the final prediction, and hence on milk production. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed problem formulation based on genomic breeding values is a novelty in the individual bovine milk yield machine learning forecasting literature. Given the low genotyping costs and the availability of a larger number of environmental features in farms equipped with a wide range of sensors, as automatic milking systems, our solution can support breeders’ herd management and animal monitoring, thanks to the possibility to forecast the full lactation curve in advance even for primiparous bovines and newborn calves. With this work, we successfully achieve our objectives of including genomic information in bovine milk yield machine learning-based forecasting, thus improving the performance on this task, and of evaluating the impact on prediction of common genotypic and phenotypic information available to breeders.