Special Products Research Articles

Red Blood Cell (RBC) Antigen Confirmation Workflow – A Positive Impact at an Academic Medical Center

Abstract Introduction/Objective Introduction: Blood group antigens, present on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs), play a crucial role in transfusion medicine. These antigens are recognized serologically and form the basis of RBC phenotyping. Understanding the significance of antigen-negative RBCs is essential for mitigating the risk of hemolytic transfusion reactions and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). This study aims to assess the impact of implementing a new RBC antigen confirmation workflow on transfusion service efficiency and patient outcomes. Methods/Case Report Method: The study involved collaboration between our Transfusion Services Department (TS), the Blood Center supplier, and the Apheresis department. A comprehensive review of historical practices and FDA recommendations regarding RBC antigen labeling was conducted. Changes were implemented to streamline antigen confirmation testing and labeling processes. The impact on TS workload, turnaround time, and patient care metrics was evaluated. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Results: Implementation of the new RBC antigen confirmation workflow led to a significant reduction in antigen confirmation tests performed by TS, with a 607% decrease observed from 2020 to 2023. Concurrently, the workload for reference lab workups increased by 337% over the same period. This shift in workload distribution allowed TS staff to focus more on patient reference workup cases and case review. The improved workflow efficiency resulted in enhanced turnaround times for providing patients with antigen-negative RBCs, ultimately improving the patient experience. Conclusion Conclusion: The adoption of the new RBC antigen confirmation workflow has resulted in compliance with FDA labeling requirements, efficient utilization of TS staff resources, and decreased turnaround times for blood delivery. These improvements have positively impacted patient care by ensuring timely access to compatible blood products. Future steps include developing reports to track turnaround time for patients with special blood product needs and continuing collaboration with the blood supplier and the Apheresis department to optimize inventory management and transfusion processes.

How Perceived Similarity between Travel Destinations and Hometowns Influences Consumer Experience in Online Travel Blind Boxes: The Mediating Role of the Aha Moment

The blind box market is fast-growing, from toys, baseball cards, and vibrant second-hand products to the recent growing tourism market, becoming the latest trend sweeping through China, not only in offline retailing but also online businesses and e-commerce. For young consumers, the element of mystery is a big part of the fun that not everyone can obtain the most special and desirable products. The present research aims to elucidate how travel blind boxes attract young consumers in terms of their psychological connections to travel destinations. In particular, building upon psychological distance theory, this study examines the relationship between perceived similarities between travel destinations and hometowns and the attraction of travel blind boxes. Contributing to the existing literature that mainly describes the phenomenon of the blind box craze but often fails to identify its underlying mechanisms, the present study advances our understanding of such trendy marketing practices by investigating the mediating role of the “aha moment” and the boundary conditions of electronic word-of-mouth recommendations and price sensitivity.

The application of Xinjiang safflower extract on Aidelaisi silk fabric

Purpose This study aims to explore the traditional plant dyeing of Xinjiang Atlas silk fabrics, providing references for the comprehensive utilization of plant dyes in intangible cultural heritage.Design/methodology/approach The focus of this study is on dyeing experiments of Atlas silk fabrics using safflower extracts, constrained by regional resources. Safflower dry flowers grown in Xinjiang were selected, rinsed with pure water and rubbed. Yellow pigments were removed by adding edible white vinegar. Red pigments from safflower were extracted using an alkaline solution prepared with Populus euphratica ash, a special product of Xinjiang. The extraction rate was analyzed under varying material-to-liquor ratios, pH values, times and temperatures. Direct dyeing process experiments were conducted to obtain different colorimetric L, a, b and K/S values for comparison. Samples with good color development were selected to test the impact of dyeing immersions on color development, and their color fastness, UV protection and antibacterial effects were verified.FindingsThe dyeing experiments on silk fabrics confirmed their UV protection capabilities and antibacterial properties, demonstrating effectiveness against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. As a major producer of safflower, Xinjiang underscores the significance of safflower as an essential plant dyes on the Silk Road. This study reveals its market potential and suitability for use in the plant dyeing process of Atlas silk, producing vibrant red and pink colors.Originality/valueThe experiments indicated that after removing yellow pigments, the highest extraction rate of red pigment from safflower was achieved at a pH value of 10–11, a temperature of 30°C and an extraction time of 40 min. The best bright red color effect with strong color fastness was obtained with a material-to-liquor ratio of 1:20, a temperature of 40°C and three immersions. The best light pink color effect with strong color fastness was a material-to-liquor ratio of 1:80, a temperature of 30°C and two immersions.

Characterization, generative design, and fabrication of a carbon fiber-reinforced industrial robot gripper via additive manufacturing

Robot grippers are crucial components across various industrial applications, requiring special design and production for obtaining the optimal performance. Conventional plastic injection moulding techniques fall short in achieving the specificity needed for these grippers. To address this challenge, current paper focuses on developing a robot gripper using carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide with a next-generation composite filament and employing the innovative Generative Design technique. In the work, we began by characterizing and optimizing the composite material specifications. Then, the tensile strength and fracture mechanics of standard samples based on printing parameters, applying Taguchi experimental design for optimization were evaluated. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used for factor analysis to fine-tune the process. Using the Generative Design technique, we determined optimal geometries, which were then fabricated through Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). As a result, the optimization efforts led to significant improvements i.e., tensile strength increased from 103.2 to 116 MPa, and the elasticity modulus from 8386 to 8990 MPa. In practical industrial applications, we achieved a reduction in material weight from 14 to 4 g, lowered production costs from $5.16 to $1.50, and cut production time from 58 to 28 min. This study presents a validated method for developing industrial products with reduced material usage and costs, promoting sustainable production practices.

On intimate care in men: A review

Even though intimate hygiene plays an essential role in the prevention of various genital diseases, there are currently few studies on this topic. There is a wide range of diseases that affect the male genital organs. There is a wide range of diseases that affect the male genital organs. Inflammation of the glans penis (balanitis) occurs in 3–11% of males during their lifetime; one of its leading causes is poor hygiene. However, many non-venereal dermatoses occur in this anatomical region. Most often, patients complain of itching, as well as pain, burning, and various rashes. The most common reason for seeking medical attention is irritant contact dermatitis. Various allergens cause more acute reactions in the anogenital region due to the structural features of the skin of the genitals. Components of detergents and hygiene products, accessories for sexual practices, medications, and contraceptives can become provoking factors of genital allergic dermatitis. Among the dermatoses affecting the male genitalia, lichen planus should be noted, which occurs in males twice as often as in females, and the oral mucosa is often involved in the inflammatory process. Lichen sclerosus can also occur on the skin of the penis, leading to phimosis, a decrease in quality of sexual life, and often requiring circumcision. Psoriasis also can affect the anogenital area. Rashes may be isolated, but other anatomical areas are also involved in most cases. Psoriatic lesions of the genitals are visually different from typical elements in other areas of the skin. Minimizing discomfort due to these diseases is possible by using specialized care products. The skin of the genitals in men has specific features that are important to consider when developing the composition of the products.

Главное о социальном банковском вкладе и социальном банковском счете

On July 22, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed Federal Law № 202-FZ, which establishes the possibility of opening special banking products, namely a social bank deposit and a social bank account.

Prospects for the development of new specialized food products based on the milk of various farm animals

The article presents the results related to the prospects for the use of goat, mare and camel milk in the production of baby food and therapeutic and prophylactic nutrition. The direction of designing new specialized food products is promising for the food and processing industry, since scientific developments associated with new technologies and recipes will significantly expand the range of baby and dietary food products and improve the quality of life and health of the population in Kazakhstan.

Increasing the efficiency of logistics for the area of storage and picking of special materials

The article deals with increasing the efficiency of logistics flows for the area of storage and picking. The aim of the processed study was to focus on the analysis of logistics activities and processes, the state of supply and inventory management. An assessment of the effectiveness of the introduced information system at the selected warehouse was carried out, which led to changes in a positive direction in the very process of storage and management of special products. The study presents the design of variants, the selection of the optimal one using selected decision-making methods and the introduction of a new warehouse system, which leads to the efficiency of the entire storage process in the NPI (New Product Introduction) warehouse. The output of the study is also the implementation of the selected variant into industrial practice, which is declared by the elaborated project of the introduction of the selected variant. The article is a contribution related to the process of implementing a warehouse and picking system for specialized material items.

ASSESSMENT OF THE DOMESTIC WORKWEAR MARKET

The research paper examines the development of the market for tailoring work clothes in Ukraine. The European and domestic classification of types of work clothes and the corresponding segmentation of the market are given. Special purpose clothing guarantees protection to employees from the adverse effects of the working environment, reduces the risk of industrial injuries and shows their individuality. Under modern conditions, the market of overalls is developing rapidly, taking into account the growing need for it among enterprises in the construction industry, manufacturing industry, distribution of electricity, gas and water, wholesale and retail trade, tourism, medicine, the service sector and other industries. Therefore, the analysis of the development of the overalls market requires in-depth research and is an important and urgent issue. The article provides an assessment of the current state of the workwear market in terms of changes in the number of enterprises, volumes of merchandise and sales of special purpose products. The domestic market of work clothes and personal protective equipment maintains a stable growth trend. In particular, new business entities dealing with their tailoring and implementation are being opened. They expand the range of special purpose products; improve their quality and aesthetic appearance. The article outlines the trends in the development of the workwear market in Ukraine: cost optimization for the purchase of better quality workwear; the emergence of new technologies in the production of work clothes increase the requirements for the innovative component of the clothing market; orientation of manufacturers of work clothes mainly on consumers of low and medium price segments; growth in the amount of tailoring of uniforms for the Armed Forces, the State Emergency Service, and medical workers based on military needs; increase in the number of competing companies. Based on this, the ways of further improvement of the scope of sales regarding the tailoring of work clothes are planned: to make comfortable multi-functional overalls for active life and work; to revitalize the digitization of the market for the sale of workwear; to involve nanotechnology in the production of overalls (fabrics: a generator, a cooler, which changes color under the influence of water, heat and light, which is not subject to damage when using a knife). As a result of taking these measures, companies producing special purpose clothing will increase their competitiveness both on the domestic and European markets.

Improving the technology of creating gluten-free bakery products based on compound flours

The article provides for the development of a gluten-free bread recipe, studying the quality indicators of composite flours from various cereals in order to update and improve the technology of gluten-free bakery products. Several alternatives have been proposed for this purpose. They demonstrated methods for obtaining the finished product using the composite addition of flour from various cereals that do not contain or have a very low gluten content, as well as using various technological treatments. It is devoted to the nutrition of patients with gluten intolerance, expansion and development of the range of bakery products from rice, buckwheat, corn flour in order to increase the adequacy of treatment, improve the quality of life of the patient and family. Production and consumption of such products - when choosing the most suitable assortment for this category of patients, it is considered important to germinate special types of necessary bread from them. For this purpose, grain crops grown in Kazakhstan were obtained -rice, buckwheat, corn flour. In addition, the studies reviewed the usefulness for the human body of the percentages of the necessary substances in the physico-chemical composition of buckwheat, corn and rice flour for patients with celiac disease. This information is also used in further research to develop special gluten-free bakery products with composite flour. In the process of making bread, 4 samples were taken. When determining the amino acid content in finished gluten-free bakery products, the capillary electrophoresis system "Kapel-105" was used. M-04-38-2009 investigated using methodology. The general patterns of changes in the nutritional value of the new gluten-free product were studied, as well as experimental baking works were carried out. Baking works were carried out experimentally, as a result of which it was found that sample No. 3 meets the requirements for gluten-free bread. The resulting samples are uniform in color, the surface color is brown, the softness of the bread is elastic, soft, porous, without foreign odors and the taste harmoniously matches the gluten[1]free bread product.

Visible Artificial Intelligence: Exploring the Enhancement of Chatgpt and Film Script Creation

As a joint link of artificial intelligence products, the emergence of ChatGPT triggered a global debate, and attracted the attention of practitioners all over the world. Meanwhile, multiple film and television production fields such as computer graphics processing, digital virtual shooting, CG special effects production, have embedded automatic content generation factors. However, artificial intelligence is also facing legal dilemmas and ethical constraints, researchers need to compare and analyze its advantages and problems, systematically consider the strengths and impacts, limitations and problems of AIGC, and provide reference and practical guidance for AI to better promote itself.

Effects of Secure Base Leadership vs. Avoidant Leadership on Job Performance

Organizations need high performance from their employees to achieve their goals, provide specialized services and products, and ultimately secure a competitive edge. Performance is also a source of satisfaction for employees, as it creates feelings of mastery and pride. Different leadership styles positively influence both employee performance and organizational excellence; thus, the present study aimed to analyze the relationship between a novel leadership style based on attachment theory, secure base leadership, and job performance (i.e., task and conceptual performance and counterproductive work behaviors). Additionally, a passive-avoidant leadership relationship with performance dimensions is analyzed. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling with self-reported data from 422 Spanish employees, the results show that secure base leadership is positively related to task and contextual performance, while it is negatively related to counterproductive work behaviors. The opposite pattern is found for passive-avoidant leadership (except for the link between passive-avoidant leadership and contextual performance, which is not significant). The promotion of secure base leadership within organizations allows for the cultivation of a supportive environment that favors work behaviors that are aligned with organizational objectives, and since leadership can be trained, these results are relevant for practitioners in organizations.

The assessment of wemaps audit requirements based on deep learning

ABSTRACT As a specialized map product, Wemaps must comply with relevant laws and regulations. Map audit plays a crucial role in ensuring map quality by preventing the production and dissemination of problem maps, as well as safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and interests. The user base for Wemaps is diverse, encompassing various types of maps, vast amounts of map data, and high expectations for timely dissemination. However, the current map audit process is inefficient and burdensome, failing to meet the specific needs of Wemaps audits. The key to solving this problem lies in the ability to automate and rapidly assess the audit requirements of Wemaps, approving those that require audit and promptly releasing those that do not. This study aims to establish an automated Wemaps audit assessment model using convolutional neural networks and transfer learning methods. By doing so, the burden of map audit can be reduced, and dissemination efficiency can be improved. The main contributions of this study are as follows: (1) Establishment of a dataset for assessing Wemaps audit requirements. (2) Utilization of VGG16 and ResNet50 neural network models for assessing Wemaps audit requirements; (3) Development of an optimal Wemaps audit assessment model through various experiments and training methods. (4) Analysis of factors influencing audit assessments based on measurement indicators and visualized results of the model. The experiments demonstrate that this method achieves high accuracy and can provide assessment services for public map audit requirements.

A machine learning based EMA-DCPM algorithm for production scheduling

Some special manufacturing fields such as aerospace may encounter mixed production of multiple research and development projects and multiple batch production projects. Under these special production conditions resource conflicts are more severe, resulting in uncertain operating times that are difficult to predict. In addition, a single project may have tens of thousands of supporting products, making it difficult to effectively control the total construction process. To address these challenges this paper proposes new methods. A model, EMA-DCPM (dynamic critical path method) incorporating attention mechanisms in Enterprise Resource Planning and Mechanical Engineering Society) has been proposed. This model predicts product job time through machine learning methods and discovers the predictive advantage of the attention mechanism through data comparison. The CPM control algorithm was improved to enhance its robustness and an efficient modeling method, “5+X” was proposed. This new method is suitable for mixed line planning management in sophisticated manufacturing projects and has value for practical applications.

The Distribution of Climate Comfort Duration for Forest Therapy Has Temporal and Regional Heterogeneity in Xinjiang

Climatic comfortability serves as a crucial factor in tourism decision making; however, there remains a gap in evaluating the climate comfort conditions specifically for forest therapy. We developed a new index—Forest Therapy Climate Comfort Index (FTCCI)—to evaluate the climate comfort conditions for forest therapy by integrating the Temperature (T), Temperature and Humidity Index (THI), and Wind Efficiency Index (WEI). A total of 26 potential forest therapy bases were selected from the protected areas in Xinjiang and divided into five clusters: Aksu cluster, Hami cluster, Altai cluster, Ili and its surrounding cluster, and Urumqi and its surrounding cluster. Based on the monthly observation data from 25 surface meteorological stations in Xinjiang, spanning from 1994 to 2023, employing the Co-Kriging interpolation method, we explored the spatial–temporal variation in FTCCI from June to September and made clear the climate comfort duration across 26 bases in Xinjiang. The results indicated that (1) The variation in T, THI, and WEI in 26 bases demonstrated a consistent pattern of temporal variation. July emerged as the optimal month, followed closely by August, with most indices in both months falling within the comfort level. Conversely, September proved to be the least favorable month due to frigid conditions and discomfort for the human body, whereas June’s sensation was slightly more tolerable. (2) The distribution of T, THI, and WEI showed regional heterogeneity. The Urumqi and its surrounding cluster displayed the most favorable conditions for forest therapy, whereas the Aksu cluster showed the poorest performance. (3) There were differences in both FTCCI and climate comfort duration among various clusters in Xinjiang. Overall, excluding Tomur Peak and Nalati (July and August), the remaining 24 bases offered ideal climate comfort conditions for forest therapy from mid to late June through August. Notably, the bases in Urumqi and its surrounding cluster had the longest climate comfort duration, ranging from 3.5 to 4 months. Therefore, reliance on the unique climate, resource, and geographical condition of each base is crucial in creating special forest therapy products that cater to the diverse health needs of tourists.

Experimental investigation of material properties of GFRP pipe for numerical simulation of novel nuclear power plant cooling water intake system

The cooling systems of nuclear power plants are typically made of reinforced concrete water intake structures and special steel pipes, making them large, important structures that necessitate very expensive special productions. In the scope of this research, an innovative design for 4-meter diameter GFRP composite pipes used in nuclear power plant cooling systems was developed using the circular wrapping method. The composite GFRP pipe used in the study has a substantial embedment depth. For this reason, an innovative design was created using unique stiffening rings, and the impact of these rings on the overall behavior was investigated. The nonlinear numerical analysis model of the nuclear power station cooling system, which consists of three pipes with a diameter of 4 m, was then created with ANSYS finite element software using the determined material models, and the results were interpreted. As a result of the study, a composite GFRP pipe design that can be used as a cooling system in significant structures like nuclear power plants has been developed.

Photonic Crystal Fiber Based on Surface Plasmon Resonance Used for Two Parameter Sensing for Magnetic Field and Temperature

This paper presents a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensor that can be used to measure the temperature and magnetic field simultaneously, and to monitor the changes in them in the environment. When we designed the fiber structure, two circular channels of the same size were added to the fiber to facilitate the subsequent addition of materials. A gold film is added to the upper channel (ch1), and the channel is filled with a magnetic fluid (MF). The sensor can reflect changes in the temperature and magnetic field strength. The two channels containing MF and PDMS in the proposed fiber are called ch1 and ch2. The structure, mode and properties (temperature and magnetic field) were analyzed and discussed using the finite element method. By using the control variable method, the influence of Ta2O5 or no Ta2O5, the Ta2O5 thickness, the diameter of the special air hole, the distance from the fiber core and the distance between them in the displacement of the loss spectrum and the phase-matching condition of the coupling mode were studied. The resulting maximum temperature sensitivity is 6.3 nm/°C (SPR peak 5), and the maximum magnetic field sensitivity is 40 nm/Oe (SPR peak 4). Because the sensor can respond to temperature and magnetic field changes in the environment, it can play an important role in special environmental monitoring, industrial production and other fields.

Determination of calcium β‑hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate content in special medical formula food and sports nutrition food by solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography

Calcium β‑hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (CaHMB) can promote muscle growth, prevent muscle atrophy, and enhance immunity, therefore, it is widely used as a nutritional supplement in special medical formula food and sports nutrition food. Many methods for the detection of CaHMB have been reported, but the pretreatment method for these reported literatures directly involves extraction using hydrochloric acid solution, without any purification steps. A method for accurately determining CaHMB in special medical formula food and sports nutrition food was established for the first time using solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification and high-performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC). The samples were extracted and precipitated protein using methanol-water solution, purified using SPE method and analyzed by HPLC on diode array detector (DAD) mode under external standard method. The method obtained excellent calibration linearity (r2>0.9993) and a satisfactory analysis of the targeted compound, which were evaluated with calibration standards over the range of 0.020–2.00 mg/mL. The limit of quantifications (LOQs), which defined as the lowest spiking level, were set at 0.4 g/100 g (special medical formula food) and 1.0 g/100 g (sports nutrition food). The average recoveries were within 92.9–104% for the analytes, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were below 3.93%, measured at low, medium, and high concentrations. Moreover, the positive sample analysis results indicated that CaHMB was detected on 10 real special medical formula food and sports nutrition food products, the contents of which were generally consistent with their labeled values, with measured values ranging from 97.1 % to 119 % of the labeled values. These results suggested that the developed highly sensitive and specific method is highly feasible for monitoring of the target analyte in special medical formula food and sports nutrition food.

A novel glycopeptide from mountain-cultivated ginseng residue protects type 2 diabetic symptoms-induced heart failure

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMountain-cultivated Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. (MCG) with high market price and various properties was valuable special local product in Northeast of Asia. MCG has been historically used to mitigate heart failure (HF) for thousand years, HF is a clinical manifestation of deficiency of “heart-qi” in traditional Chinese medicine. However, there was little report focus on the activities of extracted residue of MCG. Aim of the studyA novel glycopeptide (APMCG-1) was isolated from step ethanol precipitations of alkaline protease-assisted extract from MCG residue. Materials and methodsThe molecular weight and subunit structure of APMCG-1 were determined by FT-IR, HPLC and GPC technologies, as well as the H9c2 cells, Tg (kdrl:EGFP) zebrafish were performed to evaluated the protective effect of APMCG-1. ResultsAPMCG-1 was identified as a glycopeptide containing seven monosaccharides and seven amino acids via O-lined bonds. Further, in vitro, APMCG-1 significantly decreased reactive oxygen species production and lactate dehydrogenase contents in palmitic acid (PA)-induced H9c2 cells. APMCG-1 also attenuated endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in H9c2 cells via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. More importantly, APMCG-1 reduced the blood glucose, lipid contents, the levels of heart injury, oxidative stress and inflammation of 5 days post fertilization Tg (kdrl:EGFP) zebrafish with type 2 diabetic symptoms in vivo. ConclusionsAPMCG-1 protects PA-induced H9c2 cells while reducing cardiac dysfunction in zebrafish with type 2 diabetic symptoms. The present study provides a new insight into the development of natural glycopeptides as heart-related drug therapies.

Impact on the incorporation of metals in physicochemical and antimicrobial properties in films based on arrowroot starcha

New biodegradable packaging has been developed from renewable sources, mainly of vegetable origin. Arrowroot starch has been recently used to produce high-quality biodegradable films capable of behaving well when incorporating oils, extracts, metal, and metal nanocomposites. The study aimed to verify the impact of incorporating metals in the sulfate and chloride forms in a biopolymeric matrix from arrowroot starch in terms of biodegradability, physicochemical and microbiological parameters. Different arrowroot films were produced to incorporate solutions with a concentration of 1 Mol L-1 of sulfate and chloride metals. The action of biodegradability in soil, UV transmittance, and visible light were observed in UV-Vis spectrophotometry and antimicrobial action on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella serovar Typhimurium, and Salmonella serovar Enteritidis. Good results were obtained, such as biodegradability time between 81.70 to 100 % (30 days), a low transmission rate of UV radiation and visible light between 250 to 890 nm, high capacity for bacterial inhibition between 22.08 to 10.05 mm for E. coli, among 25.59 to 11.10 mm for S. aureus, between 22.14 to 11.66 mm for S. serovar Typhimurium and between 21.11 to 8.26 mm for S. serovar Enteritidis. It is concluded that the biodegradable films of arrowroot starch incorporated with metals showed potential in all the evaluated tests, thus characterizing possible new products for different uses, such as low time available in the environment, preservation of the characteristics of special products, and antimicrobial capacity.