Product Failure Research Articles

A Review of the Technological Aspects and Process Optimization of Bioethanol Production From Corn Stover Biomass: Pretreatment Process, Hydrolysis, Fermentation, Purification Process, and Future Perspective

ABSTRACTBioethanol, a sustainable energy solution derived from renewable biomass, has gained prominence, with corn stover emerging as a substantial biomass resource in Indonesia. Corn stover, a corn residue, is one of the top three agricultural wastes worldwide and is abundantly available. However, a significant portion of corn stover is burned in fields rather than utilized for bioethanol production, whereas it has potential as a bioethanol feedstock. As the world strives to realize sustainable and environmentally friendly energy security, bioethanol production from corn stover can be one of the solutions to be developed. Nonetheless, the current immaturity of bioethanol production technology is one of the causes of large‐scale production failure. The present paper comprehensively reviews the technological aspects and process optimization of bioethanol production using corn stover as a feedstock comprising pretreatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, and bioethanol purification processes. According to our critical review, ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) pretreatment is the most effective conventional pretreatment, with glucose yield up to 90%. Moreover, ultrasound appears to be the most viable option for nonconventional pretreatment of corn stover for producing bioethanol. However, combining ultrasound pretreatment and dilute aqueous ammonia produced 80.6% sugar output. Furthermore, enzymatic hydrolysis emerges as the most effective saccharification, yielding up to 81.39%. Moreover, the fermentation process of corn stover with the saccharification and co‐fermentation (SScF) method and the process optimization with response surface methodology (RSM) could produce bioethanol with a concentration of up to 59.8 g/L and 92.07% ethanol yield, respectively. This review also reveals that pervaporation for the purification process is the best choice for producing bioethanol with high purity up to > 99%. In addition, this method could reduce the energy used by 6.6% lower, 24.2% lower carbon footprint, and have the lowest total capital and production costs compared to conventional molecular sieves and extractive distillation. We believe this review article can provide a reference for selecting the best bioethanol production process from corn stover for further research.

Decomposing the Cognition-influential Aspects of Instructional Designs A Systematic Review of Induced Causal Relationships by the Constructional Components of the Direct Instruction and Productive Failure Designs

A substantial debate on the effectiveness of two instructional designs, namely “Productive Failure (PF)” and “Direct Instruction (DI)” has been prolonged for almost two decades. Indeed, from many studies we have seen if being deliberately designed and carried out, then both designs can be sophisticated not only in instructional procedures but also in how each function takes effect on learning. The constituting components could each be specified preceding the instruction as a design, but these activities carry its own goal in facilitating learning. In this article, we summarized the reasoning in the specifications of connection, construction and criticization. Thus, from our review, we debated how instructional stages, problem-led learning and failure-driven learning can each deliver good outcomes for learners.

The Competition between Productive Failure and Direct Instruction Is not Determinable: A Review of the Deviations and Reasons

Teaching the learner new information demands careful implementation. The implementational protocols are derived from instructional ideologies and purpose of the design. It not only requires the instructors to grasp the essence of instructional designs without an extemporaneous amending or exchanging of the theoretically proven meaningful teaching events, but also, a precise actualization of structure and approach as well as its behind ideology is demanded. Those rationales and references for instructors to determine when and how to implement instruction, what practice or what strategies are needed to be taught ought to be precise enough to separately explain their advantages and prediction of outcomes in learning. In this article, we explored how both problem-proceeding learning and guidance-proceeding learning are beyond control regarding the deviated cognitive processing those instructional procedures can possibly elicited.

Genotype‐phenotype associations in individuals with Diamond Blackfan anaemia

AbstractIntroductionDiamond Blackfan anaemia (DBA) is a rare disorder characterized by failure of red blood cell production, congenital abnormalities and cancer predisposition, primarily caused by pathogenic germline variants in genes encoding ribosomal proteins.MethodsWe conducted a genotype‐phenotype and outcome study of 121 patients with DBA spanning the 20‐year history of the National Cancer Institute's Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes study. Patient phenotypes were compared by large versus small ribosomal protein genes, across genes with >5 cases (RPS19, RPS29, RPS26 and RPL35A) and by type of pathogenic variants (hypomorphic versus null, large deletions versus others).ResultsA pathogenic germline variant was identified in 71% of patients (n = 86/121) from 54 families. After adjusting for multiple testing, we found that patients with RPS29 variants were least likely to need treatment for anaemia while those with large ribosomal protein subunit variants had a higher proportion of intellectual disability and gastrointestinal abnormalities compared with small ribosomal protein subunit variants (p < 3.5 × 10−4). There were no statistically significant differences in overall survival or cancer incidence among patients with large or small ribosomal subunit genes.ConclusionThis detailed genotype‐phenotype study of DBA improves our understanding of the role of germline genetics in the clinical manifestations that may help guide the management of people with DBA.

Retraction Note: Intelligent root cause detection in Industry 4.0: a secure cross-validation of blockchain architecture for product failure checker

Retraction Note: Intelligent root cause detection in Industry 4.0: a secure cross-validation of blockchain architecture for product failure checker

Defining quality by quantifying degradation in the mechanical recycling of polyethylene

Polyolefins have a multitude of uses across packaging, automotive and construction sectors. Their resistance to degradation during reprocessing enables recyclability, but variability in recycled polymer feedstocks renders it difficult to assure their manufacturing suitability. The lack of quality control methods has disabled circular economy pathways; product failure is costly, wasteful and time-intensive. Using rheology-simulated and extrusion-based recycling experiments, we explore the degradation pathways of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Chain scission dominates during the initial degradation of HDPE, and increasing exposure to O2 shifts the dominant mechanism to long-chain branching. Importantly, extending this method to post-consumer recyclate (PCR), the results show potential as a methodology to assess recyclate quality to enable a circular plastics economy. In this study, we establish the validity of this rheology simulation to define a characteristic degradation parameter, relating it to the structural evolution under different environments defined for virgin HDPE and post-consumer recyclate (PCR).

The strength of stance: The impact of brand activism on resistance to negative information, purchasing, and premium paying intents across different types of failures

This paper represents a pioneering exploration of how brand activism influences consumer responses to performance and value-related failures. Specifically, across two experiments, the research explores how brand activism influences consumer resistance to negative information, purchase intent, and willingness to pay more, in response to product, service, and value-related failures. Study 1 (N = 237) reveals that consumers who are more involved in activism and are exposed to a product failure from activist brands exhibit higher resistance to negative information compared to those who encounter product failures from non-activist brands. This suggests that activist branding may protect companies by cultivating a resilient, loyal consumer base in such adverse situations. Study 2 (N = 261) extends these findings by examining whether value-related (vs service-related) failures impact the buffering effect generated by a brand’s activist stance. Results indicate that activist brands particularly benefit from a protective buffer in the context of service failure scenarios. However, this buffer does not extend to value-related failures, leading to harsher consumer judgments and intentions. The research significantly contributes to brand activism literature by uniquely integrating the themes of brand activism and brand transgressions, exploring how brand activism affects consumer responses to both performance and value-related failures.

Transgenic zebrafish as a model for investigating diabetic peripheral neuropathy: investigation of the role of insulin signaling.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), is a neurodegenerative disorder that results from hyperglycemic damage and deficient insulin receptor (IR) signaling in peripheral nerves, triggered by failure of insulin production and insulin resistance. IR signaling plays an important role in nutrient metabolism and synaptic formation and maintenance in peripheral neurons. Although several animal models of DPN have been developed to identify new drug candidates using cytotoxic reagents, nutrient-rich diets, and genetic manipulations, a model showing beneficial effects remains to be established. In this study, we aimed to develop a DPN animal model using zebrafish to validate the effects of drug candidates on sensory neuropathy through in vivo imaging during the early larval stage. To achieve this, we generated Tg (ins:gal4p16);Tg (5uas:epNTR-p2a-mcherry) zebrafish using an enhanced potency nitroreductase (epNTR)-mediated chemogenetic ablation system, which showed highly efficient ablation of pancreatic β-cells following treatment with low-dose metronidazole (MTZ). Using in vivo live imaging, we observed that sensory nerve endings and postsynaptic formation in the peripheral lateral line (PLL) were defective, followed by a disturbance in rheotaxis behavior without any locomotory behavioral changes. Despite defects in sensory nerves and elevated glucose levels, both reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, a primary cause of DPN, and the number of ganglion cells, remained normal. Furthermore, we found that the activity of mTOR, a downstream target of IR signaling, was decreased in the PLL ganglion cells of the transgenic zebrafish. Our data indicates that peripheral neuropathy results from the loss of IR signaling due to insulin deficiency rather than hyperglycemia alone.

Mathematical modelling of induction motors taking into account design-parameter asymmetry

Due to their numerous technical and economic advantages, induction machines (IM) with squirrel-cage rotors are important components of many industrial processes. Their reliability, durability, and ease of operation make them indispensable in various industries, ensuring stable and efficient equipment performance. However, to minimise the risk of costly production failures caused by sudden stoppages, it is important to implement effective diagnostic and monitoring methods. The most common type of fault in squirrel-cage induction motors is the breakage of cage bars and end ring segments, particularly in motors with high inertia loads and frequent stops and starts. Regular maintenance and the implementation of modern control systems in the industry will help ensure the reliable and uninterrupted operation of these machines. In the technical literature, various diagnostic methods have been proposed. Some are based on analysing data collected from the induction motor (IM), detecting characteristic perturbations that indicate faults in the machine. Other methods involve comparing the data obtained from the actual induction motor with its digital model. It is clear that accurate and adequate IM models are necessary for the development and optimisation of fault diagnosis methods. This paper focuses on developing a mathematical model of an induction motor (IM) in a stator-fixed coordinate system, where the squirrel-cage rotor of the IM is represented as a multiphase, symmetrically distributed winding system in space. The adequacy of the obtained model is demonstrated. The developed model allows for the analysis of various types of asymmetries in both stator and rotor of squirrel-cage induction motors

Machine learning technologies for predicting and preventing production failures

Machine learning technologies for predicting and preventing production failures

The use of Oral Anti-Diabetic Medications in Diabetes Mellitus type 1: An Educational Article and Expert Opinion

Diabetes mellitus type 1 is lifelong condition resulting from failure of production of insulin because of the loss of pancreatic islet beta-cells because of autoimmune damage. Patients with this type of diabetes need lifelong treatment with insulin to remain alive. Poor diabetic control which predisposes to a variety of complications is not uncommon in patients treated with insulin alone. Therefore, the use of medications that can possibly enhance the therapeutic effect of insulin and reduce the risk of diabetic complications has been considered. Oral anti-diabetics including acarbose, an inhibitor of intestinal α-glucosidase, metformin, a biguanide, sulfonylureas including glipizide, and sitagliptin, an inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) are primarily used for the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes (Type 2). The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the use of oral anti-diabetics in the treatment of insulin dependent diabetes (Type 1). Expert opinion: The current evidence-based expert opinion recommends the judicious use of oral anti-diabetics especially acarbose and metformin in the treatment of unsatisfactorily controlled insulin dependent diabetes type 1. These medications can help in improving diabetic control through reducing glucose levels after meals, and can contribute to lowering the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). The use of these oral anti-diabetics can also help in reducing insulin requirement.

Enhancing Government Services to Rice Farmers in the Philippines: A Service Quality–Sustainability-Focused Approach for Long-Term Agricultural Resilience

In the Philippines, where agriculture plays a vital role in the economy, nearly half of the country’s 30 million hectares of land is used for agricultural purposes. Despite government efforts to support rice farmers, challenges, such as production failures and profit losses, remain prevalent. This study evaluates the quality of government services provided to rice farmers through a service quality-based framework (SERVQUAL), assessing five key dimensions: assurance (AS), empathy (EM), reliability (RL), responsiveness (RS), and tangibility (TA). Structural equation modeling (SEM) is employed to examine the relationships among these service quality dimensions and other latent variables, including service quality (SQ), farmers’ satisfaction (FS), farmers’ trust (FT), perceived security (PS), and perceived effectiveness (PE). Data were gathered from 400 respondents using a 55-item survey. The findings indicate that perceived security (PS) is the most critical factor in enhancing the overall quality of government services. The study emphasizes the importance of adopting a SERVQUAL-based approach, with a focus on reliability and responsiveness to improve farmers’ satisfaction and trust. Additionally, fostering trust between farmers and the government is crucial to increasing the effectiveness of government programs and strengthening farmer–government collaboration. The study further advocates for prioritizing sustainable agricultural practices to ensure long-term productivity and environmental resilience. By improving service quality with a focus on sustainability, the Philippines can work towards achieving broader sustainable development goals.

Nutrient balance for enhanced recovery of stressed Spirulina platensis.

The failure of mass production of Spirulina plateaus can be attributed to an imbalance of nutrients (C:N) and an increase in accumulated sodium ions, coupled with the traditional harvesting process. The current study aims at the recovery of stressed and red cultures of Spirulina platensis as well as enhanced phycocyanin accumulation. The stressed Spirulina platensis cultures were obtained from a local Egyptian Spirulina production farms, which were further subjected to water analyses after removing the Spirulina biomass. Optimization was performed within 300-ml water path photobioreactor. Spirulina platensis samples were incubated with Zarrouk medium comparing with those modified using ammonium bicarbonate or ammonium acetate instead of sodium bicarbonate. Continuous batching was performed every 12days during three sequenced batches. Growth measurements (dry weight and pigments) were performed along the incubation time. It was found that carbon content of the growth medium seems to be more effective in Spirulina growth and biomass characteristics. Under different carbon sources, acetate resulted in the maximum dry weight of 1.48g·l-1 and recovery percentage of 463.3%. Such effect was extended along the different incubation batches. Various carbon concentrations revealed that moderate concentration of carbon in the form of acetate (0.699g·l-1) leads to the maximum growth under the same nitrogen content. A similar trend was observed with chlorophyll and phycocyanin accumulation, while carotenoids showed the opposite manner.

EXPRESS: The Minority Ownership Awareness Effect: When Promoting Minority Ownership Increases Brand Evaluations

Recent social movements, such as Black Lives Matter, have prompted brands and retailers to increase the use of minority ownership labels (e.g., Black-owned or woman-owned). The current research examines when and why minority ownership awareness influences consumer behavior, particularly for brand failures. When a brand failure occurs, minority ownership awareness can result in higher brand evaluations and greater willingness to pay, a phenomenon referred to as the minority ownership awareness effect. This effect and its boundary conditions are demonstrated through five experiments and analyses of over 27,000 Google reviews for Black-owned restaurants. The authors propose that minority ownership awareness invokes a type of underdog effect which is pronounced in situations involving product (vs. moral) failures, among people with low (vs. high) social dominance orientation, and among those people with a high (vs. low) internal motivation to respond without prejudice.

Surface one-step modification of graphene oxide with N-cyclohexylbenzothiazole-2-sulfonamide to enhance the wear resistance of natural rubber/butadiene rubber composites

Natural rubber (NR) and butadiene rubber (BR) composites are frequently used in manufacturing tires and conveyor belts, which are susceptible to severe wear, leading to product failure and significant losses. To enhance the wear resistance of NR/BR composites, we prepared NR/BR composites reinforced with a synergy of N-cyclohexylbenzothiazole-2-sulfonamide surface one-step modified reduced graphene oxide (CZ-rGO) and carbon black N234 (CB) using a latex co-precipitation method. This study explored the effects of GO content and CZ modification on the structure, wear resistance, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties of the NR/BR blended composites. It showed that adding 2 phr of GO resulted in excellent filler dispersion, significantly improving the tensile strength, elongation at break, tear strength, thermal conductivity, and wear resistance of the composites. The incorporation of CZ-rGO further increased the crosslinking density, vulcanization performance, and filler dispersion with enhanced mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, and wear resistance of the composites. Notably, the DIN abrasion volume was reduced to 77.88 mm³, surpassing the ISO 10247 standard for conveyor belt cover rubber in terms of wear resistance. The wear resistance of NR/BR/CZ-rGO composites is not only significantly higher than that of single NR- or SBR-based rubber composites, but also significantly higher than that of other binary rubber blend composites, and the CZ-rGO filler is simpler in composition and structure and exhibits a more prominent wear enhancement. This work provides guidance for an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to GO surface modification, as well as useful insights for the development of high wear-resistant rubber composites with excellent overall performance.

EXPRESS: Monitoring Technologies in Industrial Systems

Monitoring technologies, which are at the heart of the industrial Internet of Things (IOT) ecosystems, promise significant transactional efficiencies by making it easier to track product performance and contract compliance. These efficiencies are particularly compelling in industrial multi-vendor, multi-component systems, where complex component interdependencies often cause disputes around liability in the case of product failures. Drawing on transaction cost theory, fieldwork, and a national survey of industrial original equipment manufacturers we estimate how product performance contracts are specified in these contexts, and how these monitoring technologies can impact ex-post exchanges between OEMs and their suppliers. We find that systems architecture associated with the multi-component systems, as well as the presumed efficiencies of monitoring technologies, drive the contract designs through their potential impact on the disputes, monitoring, and contract writing costs faced by the OEM. However, we also find there are clear limits to the benefits offered by these monitoring technologies. The greater monitoring facilitated by these technologies appears to exacerbate disputes. This counterintuitive finding comports with the view that, when unforeseen interdependent failures occur, detailed data from monitoring may trigger a spate disputes over new and unexpected information, as well as over the appropriateness of existing protocols for failure metrics and remedies.

Analysis of Quality Control for Furniture Production using Pareto Diagram and Fishbone Diagram at PT. SKM Jati

This research aims to describe Quality Control in Improving the Production Efficiency of Tables and Chairs Using Pareto and Fishbone Diagrams at PK. SKM JATI. The type of research used is qualitative descriptive with secondary and primary data, which is intended to collect data and information about a problem and facts related to the object and the research site as they are during the study. This research was conducted in Madiun Regency by interviewing the owner of PK. SKM Jati. Data collection techniques used in this study include in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation techniques to obtain accurate data for creating Pareto and fishbone diagrams. The research results show that PK. SKM Jati still faces obstacles that hinder production efficiency, with defects such as holes in the wood, moist wood, and varnish failures. The highest production failure rate is varnish failure, followed by holes in the wood, and lastly, moist wood. Through fishbone diagram analysis, four main problems are identified: people, materials, machines, and methods.

High temperature oxidation mitigation efficacy of Al2O3 and Ni-20Cr ceramic coating on boiler steel application

The primary reason of degradation and failure of many products used for high temperature applications are oxidation. Protective coatings are employed to increase the component resistance to oxidation. In the present research work, Al2O3 and Ni-20Cr were applied as coatings on SAE431 steel using a detonation gun spraying technique. At 800 °C in air with 50 cycles of heating and cooling, the oxidation behavior of uncoated and coated SAE-431 boiler steel was analyzed. Ni-20Cr coating on SAE431 boiler steel exhibits approximately 25.44 % higher oxidation resistance and the Al2O3 coating on SAE431 boiler steel exhibits approximately 32.22 % higher oxidation resistance compared to uncoated SAE431 boiler steel. After oxidation at 800 °C, the SAE431 boiler steel coated with Ni-20Cr displays prominent peaks of the Cr2O3 and Ni phases, with some minor phase of NiO. The NiO phase is observed to be less intense than Cr2O3 and Ni phases. After oxidation at 800 °C, Al2O3 coated SAE431 boiler steel exhibited strong peaks of ƞ-Al2O3 and δ-Al2O3 phases. The X-ray diffraction investigation also reveals the existence of the α-Al2O3 phase. According to our findings, based on weight change data, Ni-20Cr and Al2O3 coated boiler steel provided higher oxidation resistance than the uncoated SAE431boiler steels. The enhancement in the oxidation resistance of boiler steel can be attributed to the formation of nickel, chromium and aluminum oxide inert layer which is evident from the XRD patterns also. Exploration throughout global survey has been already done and it was found that not much work has been done on the high-temperature behavior of Ni-20Cr and Al2O3 coatings. The data obtained from the study will be helpful in examining the viability of using these coatings on boiler tubes.

Efficacy of Shampoo Made from Bangle Rhizome Extract (Zingiber montanum) Against Head Lice (Pediculus humanus capitis)

Head lice is a major public health problem worldwide. Its treatment is challenging due to product failures resulting from rapidly emerging resistance to existing treatments, incorrect treatment application, and misdiagnosis. Various head lice treatments with different mechanisms of action have been developed and explored over the years, with limited reports on systematic assessments of their efficacy and safety. The head lice shampoo currently in circulation is 1% permethrin-based. Side effects of using permethrin-based shampoos include skin irritation and high resistance. The research conducted aims to present strong evidence that the use of shampoo made from bangle rhizome extract against head lice mortality is safer to use. The study used 240 head lice taken from elementary school students aged 8-12 years in a school in Bekasi. The study group was divided into 6 groups: negative control group (using baby shampoo), positive control group (using permethrin-based anti-lice shampoo), shampoo treatment group made from bangle rhizome extract with dose of 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 4%. In addition to calculating the number of head lice deaths per group, the time of death was also calculated to determine LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50), LC90 (Lethal Concentration 90), LT50 (Lethal Time 50), and LT90 (Lethal Time 90). The results showed a highly significant difference between the number of head lice deaths in the control group and the shampoo treatment group made from bangle rhizome extract (p<0.01). Likewise, there was a highly significant difference for the time of death of head lice in the control group and the shampoo treatment group made from bangle rhizome extract. Statistical analysis showed LC50 of 0.96%, LC90 of 2.84%, LT50 of 57.72 minutes, and LT90 of 28.79 minutes. It can be concluded that the effective dose of shampoo made from bangle rhizome extract is 4%, which can kill 100% of head lice within 27 minutes.

Lesson from Crude Oil Treasure Failure in 2020

After the 2020 pandemic, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) changed its trading rules, allowing the negative oil price mechanism in the futures market. That same month, Bank of China's (BOC) "Crude Oil Bao" investment product brought huge losses to investors, exposing the product's risk management flaws. The purpose of this report is to conduct a comprehensive study of the factors that led to the losses suffered by Chinese investors in international crude oil product trading. It delves into the operational dynamics of these financial industry institutions, as well as the perspectives of Chinese banks and retail investors affected by the incident. Finally, recommendations are made to strengthen risk management measures in response to events such as the Crude Oil Treasure, with the aim of helping commercial banks to improve their product design methodologies. The article provides valuable insights into understanding financial product failures and offers guidance on mitigating risk.