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Article
Publication date: 1 March 1978

H. Hotta, K. Ohtuka, K. Natori, K. Umeda, M. Asaoka and S. Yuzawa

As Japan is surrounded by the sea, the research done for the development of this manipulator is stressed as being very important.

69

Abstract

As Japan is surrounded by the sea, the research done for the development of this manipulator is stressed as being very important.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

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Article
Publication date: 13 January 2012

Weiguo Bian, Dichen Li, Qin Lian, Xiang Li, Weijie Zhang, Kunzheng Wang and Zhongmin Jin

The purpose of this paper is to fabricate and characterize osteochondral beta‐tricalcium phosphate/collagen scaffold with bio‐inspired design by ceramic stereolithography (CSL…

2194

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to fabricate and characterize osteochondral beta‐tricalcium phosphate/collagen scaffold with bio‐inspired design by ceramic stereolithography (CSL) and gel casting.

Design/methodology/approach

Histological analysis was applied to explore the morphological characteristics of the transitional structure between the bone and the cartilage. The acquired data were used to design biomimetic biphasic scaffolds, which include the bone phase, cartilage phase, and their transitional structure. The engineered scaffolds were fabricated from β‐TCP‐collagen by CSL and gel casting. The cartilage phase was added to the ceramic phase by gel‐casting and freeze drying.

Findings

The resulting ceramic scaffolds were composed of a bone phase with the following properties: 700‐900 μm pore size, 200‐500 μm interconnected pores size, 50‐65 percent porosity, fully interconnected, ∼12 Mpa compressive strength. A suitable binding force between cartilage phase and ceramic phase was achieved by physical locking that was created by the biomimetic transitional structure. Cellular evaluation showed satisfactory results.

Research limitations/implications

This study is the first try to apply CSL to fabricate biological implants with β‐TCP and type‐I collagen. There are still some defects in the composition of the slurry and the fabrication process.

Practical implications

This strategy of osteochondral scaffold fabrication can be implemented to construct an osteochondral complex that is similar to native tissue.

Originality/value

The CSL technique is highly accurate, as well as biologically secure, when fabricating ceramic tissue engineering scaffolds and may be a promising method to construct hard tissue with delicate structures. The present strategy enhances the versatility of scaffold fabrication by RP.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

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Article
Publication date: 16 November 2015

Rocio Martin-Santos, Elfi Egmond, Myriam Cavero, Zoe Mariño, Susana Subira, Ricard Navines, Xavier Forns and Manuel Valdes

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge regarding chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection, antiviral therapy, depression, and gender…

265

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge regarding chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection, antiviral therapy, depression, and gender.

Design/methodology/approach

CHC and its treatment options were reviewed examining their relationship with depression and gender.

Findings

CHC is a high prevalent chronic infection worldwide, being similar in men and women. However, the infection shows many gender differences in terms of innate response, genetic variability (i.e. IL-28B), route of transmission (i.e. intravenous drug use), disease progression (i.e. fibrosis), lifetime period (i.e. pregnancy), and risk factors (i.e. HIV). Both the hepatitis C infection and antiviral treatment (especially when using the pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon α), are highly associated with depression, where female gender constitutes a risk factor. It seems that the new direct-acting antiviral combinations produce fewer neuropsychiatric side effects. In fact, the presence of depression at baseline is no longer a limitation for the initiation of antiviral treatment. Antidepressant drugs have been recommended as current depression and prophylactic treatment in risk subgroups. However, caution should be exercised due to the risk of drug-drug interactions with some antiviral drugs. Women should be counselled prenatal, during and after pregnancy, taking into account the clinical situation, and the available evidence of the risks and benefits of antiviral and antidepressant treatments. Multidisciplinary approach shows cost-efficacy results.

Originality/value

The paper clarifies the complex management of CHC therapy and the importance of individualizing treatment. The results also underline the need for an integrated multidisciplinary approach.

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Article
Publication date: 27 January 2020

Hemant Kumar Badaye and Jason Narsoo

This study aims to use a novel methodology to investigate the performance of several multivariate value at risk (VaR) and expected shortfall (ES) models implemented to assess the…

503

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to use a novel methodology to investigate the performance of several multivariate value at risk (VaR) and expected shortfall (ES) models implemented to assess the risk of an equally weighted portfolio consisting of high-frequency (1-min) observations for five foreign currencies, namely, EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/JPY, USD/JPY and GBP/JPY.

Design/methodology/approach

By applying the multiplicative component generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (MC-GARCH) model on each return series and by modelling the dependence structure using copulas, the 95 per cent intraday portfolio VaR and ES are forecasted for an out-of-sample set using Monte Carlo simulation.

Findings

In terms of VaR forecasting performance, the backtesting results indicated that four out of the five models implemented could not be rejected at 5 per cent level of significance. However, when the models were further evaluated for their ES forecasting power, only the Student’s t and Clayton models could not be rejected. The fact that some ES models were rejected at 5 per cent significance level highlights the importance of selecting an appropriate copula model for the dependence structure.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to use the MC-GARCH and copula models to forecast, for the next 1 min, the VaR and ES of an equally weighted portfolio of foreign currencies. It is also the first study to analyse the performance of the MC-GARCH model under seven distributional assumptions for the innovation term.

Details

The Journal of Risk Finance, vol. 21 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1526-5943

Keywords

Available. Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 August 2003

95

Abstract

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

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Article
Publication date: 16 July 2024

Tarun Pal Singh, Arun Kumar Verma, Vincentraju Rajkumar, Ravindra Kumar, Manoj Kumar Singh and Manish Kumar Chatli

Goat milk yoghurt differs from cow milk yoghurt in that it has a different casein composition and content, which presents several technical challenges, including consistency with…

64

Abstract

Purpose

Goat milk yoghurt differs from cow milk yoghurt in that it has a different casein composition and content, which presents several technical challenges, including consistency with an appropriate flavor.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the antioxidant potential and phytochemical profiling of the fruits (pineapple and papaya) and vegetable (carrot) extracts was evaluated and the effect of their purees on the quality and stability of stirred goat milk yoghurt (GMY) were investigated. The qualities of stirred GMY with carrot (CrY), pineapple (PaY) and papaya (PpY) purees were assessed against the product without puree (CY).

Findings

The carrot puree had the highest moisture, ash contents and pH value. The carrot extract had the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity, while the pineapple extract had the highest total phenolic value (1.59 µg GAE/g) and flavonoids content (0.203 µg CE/g). The scanning of all the puree extracts in GC-MS indicated that 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was a major component. The phytochemical quantification of the extracts through multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) against 16 compounds showed the presence of sinapic acid, cinnamic acid, pthalic acid, ferulic acid, 4-OH-benzoic acid, 3-OH-benzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and vanillic acid in different quantities. The addition of purees and storage period had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the moisture, pH, titratable acidity, syneresis, viscosity, color values and sensory properties of the products. In all the samples after 15 days of storage, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus counts remained above the recommended level of 106CFU/g. Stirred GMY sample produced with pineapple puree showed a higher syneresis and viscosity, but the CrY sample demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity. The developed formulations remained stable with minimum changes in quality and sensory attribute during refrigerated storage for 10 days.

Originality/value

This study suggests that addition of fruit and vegetable improve the viscosity and sensory perception of the product with minimal use of synthetic flavor and preservatives.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 126 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 11 October 2011

Mirela Galic, Pavao Marovic and Zeljana Nikolic

The main aim of this paper is to present a three‐dimensional numerical material model for concrete which combines plasticity with a classical orthotropic smeared crack…

1200

Abstract

Purpose

The main aim of this paper is to present a three‐dimensional numerical material model for concrete which combines plasticity with a classical orthotropic smeared crack formulation. A further aim is to raise a discussion leading to the creation of a comprehensive computer programme for the analyses of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures.

Design/methodology/approach

A new numerical material model for concrete is developed and main theoretical explanations are given to aid in understanding the algorithm. The model is based on Mohr‐Coulomb criterion for dominant compression and Rankine criterion for dominant tension influences. A multi‐surface presentation of the model is implemented which permits the rapid convergence of the mathematical procedure. The model includes associated and non‐associated flow rules, strain hardening and softening where the development of the plastic strain was described by the function of cohesion.

Findings

Provides information about developing a new numerical material model for concrete.

Practical implications

The model is implemented into the computer programme PRECON3D for the three‐dimensional nonlinear analysis of the reinforced and prestressed concrete structures.

Originality/value

In this model, the very complex behaviour of concrete is defined by elementary material parameters which can be obtained by a standard uniaxial test. The presented model enables a very detailed and precise analysis of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures until crushing with a high accuracy, so that the expensive experimental tests can be reduced. The paper could be very valuable to researchers in this field as a benchmark for their analyses.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 28 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

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Article
Publication date: 1 August 2006

Jiankang He, Dichen Li, Bingheng Lu, Zhen Wang and Tao Zhang

To present a custom design and fabrication method for a novel hemi‐knee joint substitute composed of titanium alloy and porous bioceramics based on rapid prototyping (RP) and…

2491

Abstract

Purpose

To present a custom design and fabrication method for a novel hemi‐knee joint substitute composed of titanium alloy and porous bioceramics based on rapid prototyping (RP) and rapid tooling (RT) techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The three‐dimensional (3D) freeform model of a femur bone was reconstructed based on computerized tomography images via reverse engineering and the 3D reconstruction accuracy was evaluated. The negative image of artificial bone was designed with interconnected microstructures (250‐300 μm). The epoxy resin mould of a hemi‐knee joint and the negative pattern of an artificial bone were fabricated on Stereolithography apparatus. Based on these moulds, a titanium‐alloy hemi‐knee joint and a porous‐bioceramic artificial bone were created by quick casting and powder sintering (known as RT) techniques, respectively. After assembling, a composite hemi‐knee joint substitute was obtained.

Findings

The 3D reconstructed freeform model of the femur bone conformed to the original anatomy within a maximum deviation 0.206 mm. The sintered artificial bone had interconnected micropores (250 μm) and microchannels (300 μm). After implanting in vivo, the composite hemi‐knee joint substitute matched well with the surrounding tissues and bones with sufficient mechanical strength.

Research limitations/implications

Further in‐vivo research is needed to provide the evidence for tissue growth into the ceramic structures and long‐term viability and stability of the implant.

Originality/value

This method enhances the versatility of using RP in the fabrication of tissue‐engineered substitutes, especially when individual matching is considered. Although this paper took a customized hemi‐knee joint substitute as an example, it is capable of fabricating other artificial substitutes with a variety of biomaterials.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

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Article
Publication date: 30 August 2022

Rachael Vriezen, Mikayla Plishka and John Cranfield

Traceability is an increasingly important tool for reducing food safety risks and managing supply logistics. Given the costs of implementing and maintaining traceability systems…

748

Abstract

Purpose

Traceability is an increasingly important tool for reducing food safety risks and managing supply logistics. Given the costs of implementing and maintaining traceability systems, it is crucial to understand consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for traceable products.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a scoping review to collate the existing literature on consumer WTP for traceability in food products to determine the nature of the evidence base and to identify research gaps.

Findings

A total of 77 articles were included in the review. The number of studies published per year generally increased over the review period, and China and the United States were the most common countries in which studies were conducted (43.6 and 14.1% of total studies, respectively). All but one of the studies investigated at least one factor that might influence consumer WTP for traceability, the most common of which was socio-demographic characteristics (72.7%). Three-quarters of studies used hypothetical methods to elicit WTP values (75.3%), whereas one-quarter used non-hypothetical methods (24.7%). Most studies included some measure of preference heterogeneity (83.1%).

Research limitations/implications

There is some potential for systematic bias in the evidence due to the predominance of studies from only a few countries and the possible presence of hypothetical bias. These potential biases could be corrected through future research.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, no previous study systematically and comprehensively identifies and summarizes the evidence base on consumer WTP for traceable food products.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 6 August 2018

Jülide Erkmen

This study aims to propose a solution to decrease the environmental pollution caused by alkyd resins that harm the environment during their production and use.

152

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose a solution to decrease the environmental pollution caused by alkyd resins that harm the environment during their production and use.

Design/methodology/approach

A commercially produced polish formulation was used in the study. To reduce the use of this formulation in finishing polish, a water-saturated transparent solution of hydroxyethyl cellulose was used as a transparent filling material.

Findings

The use of hydroxyethyl cellulose at its optimum concentration in finishing polish only reduced the gloss by 0.027 per cent. The amount of alkyd was reduced by 24 per cent in weight.

Research limitations/implications

The literature contained highly limited information on this subject. No transparent filling material was found. Thus, no comparison can be made with other studies.

Practical implications

The results obtained from this study can help manufacturers in the polish industry to produce varnish in a more cost-effective and eco-friendly way.

Originality/value

Considerable amount of volatile organic compounds released into the atmosphere as a result of the use of solvent-based dye/varnishes in the woodworking industry alone proves the importance of water-based systems. The results of this study indicate both economic and environmental gain.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. 47 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

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