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Purpose: Quality 4.0 is being presented as the new stage of quality development. However, its overlying concept and rationale are still hard to define. To better understand what different authors and studies advocate being Quality 4.0, a systematic literature review was undertaken on the topic. This paper presents the results of such review, providing some avenues for further research on quality management. Design/methodology/approach: The documents for the systematic literature review have been searched on the Scopus database, using the search equation: [TITLE-ABS-KEY ("Quality 4.0") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (Quality Management" AND ("Industry 4.0" OR "Fourth Industr*" OR i4.0))]. Documents were filtered by language and by type. Of the 367 documents identified, 146 were submitted to exploratory content analysis. Findings: The analyzed documents essentially provide theoretical discussions on what Quality 4.0 is or should be. Five categories have emerged from the content analysis undertaken: Industry 4.0 and the Rise of a New Approach to Quality; Motivations, Readiness Factors and Barriers to a Quality 4.0 Approach; Digital Quality Management Systems; Combination of Quality Tools and Lean Methodologies and Quality 4.0 Professionals. Research limitations/implications: It was hard to find studies reporting how quality is actually being managed in organizations that already operate in the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Answers could not be found to questions regarding actual practices, methodologies and tools being used in Quality 4.0 approaches. However, the research undertaken allowed to identify in the literature different ways of conceptualizing and analyzing Quality 4.0, opening up avenues for further research on quality management in the Industry 4.0 era. Originality/value: This paper offers a broad look at how quality management is changing in response to the affirmation of the Industry 4.0 paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The study focuses on improving how we feed pigs to reduce costs and be more environmentally friendly. Traditionally, pigs are fed in phases with their diet changing at set growth stages. This often leads to overfeeding and waste. A new method called the daily fit model (DFM), which adjusts the diet daily based on the pigs' needs, was explored. By comparing this new approach with the traditional method, it was found that the DFM significantly reduces the intake of key nutrients like protein and phosphorus without affecting the pigs' growth. This means lower costs for farmers and less environmental impact from pig farming. The simplified approach makes it easier for farmers to adopt precision feeding without advanced technology or extensive training. This method can help farmers save money, reduce waste, and promote sustainable farming practices. Precision feeding is an excellent alternative to conventional phase feeding systems for growing-finishing pigs, especially with increasing feeding costs and environmental sustainability concerns. However, precision feeding strategies sometimes require advanced technologies such as electronic devices and the modernization of pig facilities. In addition to hardware implementation, precision feeding is frequently related to mathematical difficulties due to a lack of professionals trained in decision making. Therefore, this study compares a conventional phase feeding model (CON) and a daily fit model (DFM) with a simplified approach to the conscious use of nutrients for pig production. A simulation study was conducted using growth curves of barrow pigs, following three nutritional recommendations for conventional phase feeding. Once the nutrient requirements for CON were determined, these diets were used for the DFM by anticipating a proportional percentage of the next phase diet in the current diet. This simple adjustment does not impair the growth performance of pigs. However, in this study, the DFM showed promise during the growing-finishing phases to reduce pigs' costs and nutrient intakes, such as crude protein, lysine, and digestible phosphorus, up to 5.58, 7.11 and 9.13%, respectively. In conclusion, the DFM can effectively reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, and promote sustainable practices. Also, this industry-wide adoption of this simplified precision feeding strategy could play a vital role in swine farmers' challenges, fostering broader environmental benefits and improved resource efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the global restrictions on antibiotics in poultry systems, there has been a growing demand for natural and sustainable feed additives for disease prevention and poultry nutrition. This study evaluated the effects of incorporating sugarcane bagasse (SCB) lignin into broiler chicken diets. The performance of the chickens, including body weight, feed intake, and mortality, as well as intestinal histomorphometry, and cecum content pH, microbiota, and volatile fatty acids were assessed. In addition, we also aimed to validate an in vitro gastrointestinal tract (GIT) model developed by Carvalho et al. (2023). One hundred and eight 1-day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly and equally divided into two groups. The first group was fed a basal diet (BD group), while the second group was fed a basal diet supplemented with 1% (w/w) SCB lignin (BD + SCB lignin group) for 36 days. The in vivo conditions of the chicken GIT were replicated in an in vitro model. In the in vivo study, SCB lignin increased cecum acetate and butyrate levels while reducing Bifidobacterium and Enterobacteriaceae, without affecting productivity (body weight, feed intake, and mortality). The in vitro assessment reflected microbiota trends observed in vivo, although without statistical significance. The divergence in organic acid production between the in vivo and in vitro conditions likely resulted from issues with inoculum preparation. This study demonstrates that SCB lignin incorporation positively influences cecal microbiota composition without impacting the animals' productivity and physiology, suggesting its potential as a functional feed additive. For a more reliable in vitro model, adjustments in inoculum preparation are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The placenta is crucial for a successful pregnancy, facilitating oxygen exchange and nutrient transport between mother and fetus. Complications like fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia are linked to placental vascular structure abnormalities, highlighting the need for early detection of placental health issues. Computational modelling offers insights into how vascular architecture correlates with flow and oxygenation in both healthy and dysfunctional placentas. These models use synthetic networks to represent the multiscale feto-placental vasculature, but current methods lack direct control over key morphological parameters like branching angles, essential for predicting placental dysfunction. We introduce a novel generative algorithm for creating in silico placentas, allowing user-controlled customisation of feto-placental vasculatures, both as individual components (placental shape, chorionic vessels, placentone) and as a complete structure. The algorithm is physiologically underpinned, following branching laws (i.e. Murray's Law), and is defined by four key morphometric statistics: vessel diameter, vessel length, branching angle and asymmetry. Our algorithm produces structures consistent with in vivo measurements and ex vivo observations. Our sensitivity analysis highlights how vessel length variations and branching angles play a pivotal role in defining the architecture of the placental vascular network. Moreover, our approach is stochastic in nature, yielding vascular structures with different topological metrics when imposing the same input settings. Unlike previous volume-filling algorithms, our approach allows direct control over key morphological parameters, generating vascular structures that closely resemble real vascular densities and allowing for the investigation of the impact of morphological parameters on placental function in upcoming studies. Author summary: The placenta is important in ensuring a healthy pregnancy by facilitating the exchange of oxygen and nutrients between the mother and the fetus. Disturbances of placental function are often associated with abnormalities in the placental vascular structure, and detecting these issues early on is crucial. To understand the connection between placental vascular architecture, blood flow, and oxygenation, computational models have been used. These use synthetic networks which lack precise control over crucial morphological parameters, such as branching angles, essential for predicting placental dysfunction. Our contribution is a new approach that allows for the creation of virtual placentas that closely resemble real vascular characteristics. It enables users to customize the feto-placental vascular architecture at various levels, including individual components like placental shape, chorionic vessels, and placentone, as well as the complete structure. The flexibility of this pipeline opens the door for investigating the direct impact of morphological parameters on placental function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countryside Education as an educational paradigm is being consolidated as a public policy in the last two decades, as the result of a collective struggle of Countryside Social Movements, peasants and researchers associated with universities and federal institutions. This policy that initially aimed to alphabetize the countryside people and train teachers for initial grades has expanded and today already has insertion in various levels and modes of teaching. Therefore, we analyze the curricular matrix of the Degree in Countryside Education, understanding the repercussions of the training of countryside educators. In terms of methodology this work is based on the investigation of official documents, such as resolutions, notices from the State University of Ceará, Pedagogical Course Project and interviews with graduates of the course. As a result, we identified that the curricular matrix of LEDOC/FAFIDAM was built seeking to dialogue with the national proposal, the guidelines of MEC and the specific training demands of students. Hence, we point out 3 important elements for the execution of this education Project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]