Assured Supply Research Articles

Quality improvement in medicines regulation: a retrospective analysis of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone before and during quality management system implementation

BackgroundNational Medicines Regulatory Authorities like the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone are responsible for protecting and promoting public health, implementing regulatory standards, and maintaining a supply chain with an assured supply of medical products that are safe, effective, and of good quality. This retrospective study assesses the identification of substandard and falsified medicines, the changes in the functions and key indicators of assessment, and the quality improvement changes of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone.MethodsData was obtained from 2013 to 2021 records using a data collection tool to collate and review all relevant information to address the different objectives. All data were sourced from the Department of Quality Assurance and the Department of Enforcement and Narcotics at the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone. The review also included, identified substandard and falsified medicines, the World Health Organisation Global benchmarking self-assessment tool, and internal and external audit records of the quality management system of all twelve departments of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone.ResultsThe study showed marked changes in identifying substandard and falsified medicines by the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone during ISO 9001:2015 implementation (2017- 2020) compared to Pre-ISO 9001:2015 implementation (2013- 2016). Critical functions of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone from the assessment of the WHO GBT ML in 2016 and 2021 showed that several indicators had been addressed during ISO 9001:2015 certification with improvement in the level of maturity for the quality management systems and Pharmacovigilance functions. There was also an improvement in identifying non-conformances and a commitment to continuous improvement of processes during ISO 9001:2015 implementation.ConclusionsThis study revealed that regular checks through standard assessment, internal audits, and standard management review processes that generate follow-up actions, timelines, and a commitment to identifying correction, and corrective actions for non-conformances are essential quality improvement tools for the efficient functioning of an institution (Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone). Our study revealed that commitment to continuous implementation of proper quality management system could significantly improve institutional efficiency, thereby improving service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Research and application of automatic mapping method of distribution network protection power supply based on knowledge graph and graph convolution network

Abstract This study aims to propose an automatic mapping method for distribution network protection based on knowledge graph (KG) and graph convolution network technology and applies it to power system. The relationship between physical entities in power grid is established by constructing KG, and multisource data fusion and analysis are realized by using graph convolution network technology, so as to realize one-click and automatic mapping of power diagram in power supply places. The distinctiveness of this study lies in the incorporation of KG and deep learning techniques into the field of power supply assurance for distribution networks, achieving automated and digitized generation of power supply assurance device diagrams with real-time dynamic updates capability. This innovation significantly enhances the level of digitization and intelligence in power supply assurance work, injecting new vitality into the field of power supply assurance for distribution networks. This method can provide a digital comprehensive and intuitive presentation for the power supply service and effectively improve the ability to grasp the equipment situation and risk situation awareness.

New Power System Planning and Evolution Path with Multi-Flexibility Resource Coordination

With the continuous development of large-scale wind and photovoltaic power worldwide, the net load fluctuation of systems is increasing, thereby imposing higher demands for power supply assurance and new energy consumption capacity within emerging power systems. It is imperative to establish a quantifiable and efficient model for planning new power systems, to propose an analytical approach for determining optimal evolutionary paths, and to advance research on flexible resource planning across wide areas. In this paper, based on the simplified operating characteristics of multi-type flexible resources, a source-grid-load-storage collaborative planning and evolution analysis framework is established. Secondly, the lowest total cost of the whole life cycle of the system is taken as the optimization goal, the multiple flexible resource investment decisions and production operation constraints of various flexible resources on all sides of the system are considered, and the source-grid-load-storage planning model is established. Then, through the investment decision-making strategy setting of the system in different planning level years, the evolutionary path analysis method of the whole life cycle economy and weighted environmental protection benefit of the system is given. Finally, by taking the sending-end power grid in Gansu Province as an example, a case study is carried out. Calculations of new energy, key channels within the province, energy storage capacity, and load-side response capacity requirements for 2025, 2030, and 2060 are optimized. Based on the above analysis, the optimal evolution path of the power grid is proposed. When considering the weighted benefits of economy and environmental protection, the greater the weight of environmental protection benefits, the greater the possibility of choosing a radical scheme. The model and method proposed in this paper can provide technical reference for the future development planning and evolution analysis of new power systems.

Research on wireless acquisition and analysis system of gateway table data based on improved ACO algorithm

In the past two years, due to the frequent combination of extreme weather and high primary energy prices and other factors, resulting in the continuous tension of power supply and demand in many places, the risk of power rationing has gradually increased. In order to implement the strategic decision deployment of the Party Central Committee and The State Council, in the context of “carbon peak, carbon neutral” strategy to ensure the security of power supply work. This paper studies the construction of a load management system for the goal of power supply assurance. Through the overall analysis and unified management of the province’s load, it realizes the transformation from one-way load management to users’ active participation in grid interaction through the construction of system structure, policies, mechanism, and the creation and deepening of fine management application functions such as load forecasting, monitoring, and analysis, and effectively alleviates the imbalance between supply and demand. Ensure the safe and reliable supply of electricity, ensure people’s livelihood electricity, and provide strong support for achieving the “two carbon” goal.

Research on the construction of load management system for power supply guarantee target

In the past two years, due to the frequent combination of extreme weather and high primary energy prices and other factors, resulting in the continuous tension of power supply and demand in many places, the risk of power rationing has gradually increased. In order to implement the strategic decision deployment of the Party Central Committee and The State Council, in the context of “carbon peak, carbon neutral” strategy to ensure the security of power supply work. This paper studies the construction of a load management system for the goal of power supply assurance. Through the overall analysis and unified management of the province’s load, it realizes the transformation from one-way load management to users’ active participation in grid interaction through the construction of system structure, policies, mechanism, and the creation and deepening of fine management application functions such as load forecasting, monitoring, and analysis, and effectively alleviates the imbalance between supply and demand. Ensure the safe and reliable supply of electricity, ensure people’s livelihood electricity, and provide strong support for achieving the “two carbon” goal.

Analysis of Competitiveness Factors of Wind Power: A Case study in the Alto Sertão Wind Complex in the State of Bahia, Brazil

The increasing demand for electricity in Brazil has significant economic implications for the energy market. In this context, it is important to investigate alternative sources that can meet this demand, as well as understand the key factors that influence this process. The Wind power is considered one of the most promising sources, due to its exponential growth, cost-effectiveness, and continuous supply assurance. However, given the consolidation of fossil fuel sources in economic and technical terms, it is necessary to understand the factors of competitiveness that can be considered as potentials or constraints for the full development of wind energy. Thus, the overall objective of this research was to analyze the competitiveness factors of wind energy, using the Alto Sertão wind complex located in the state of Bahia as a case study. The methodology used in this research was based on an exploratory documentary approach, which sought regulated information from government agencies. The research predominantly used secondary data sources, combined with conducting interviews. The results indicate three factors that confer competitiveness to the sector. Unlike other states in the Northeast, which have a higher occurrence of winds along the coast, Bahia has its greatest wind potential concentrated in the interior, east of the São Francisco River, from the Espinhaço Range to municipality of Juazeiro - BA. This is due to low cloudiness and the process of high atmospheric pressure moving towards the Northeast, resulting in excellent quality winds for wind energy generation, which makes the region competitive.

Comparative analysis of economic sectors: competitiveness and business performance in the altas montañas, veracruz strategic context

This article presents the results of a study, conducted in the Altas Montañas region of the State of Veracruz, Mexico, aimed at assessing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in different sectors. The study utilized a Development Competitiveness Map, which consists of nine variables: strategic planning, supply of materials, quality assurance, marketing, accounting and finance, human resources, hiring external companies, social responsibility, and environmental management. The results indicate that the commercial sector is the largest, accounting for 37 % of SMEs in the region, followed by the industrial sector (35 %) and the service sector (28 %). The service sector performed highest in several variables: strategic planning, accounting and finance, and human resources. The commerce sector performed well in hiring external companies, while the industrial sector lagged in most variables, except environmental management. The study also revealed that the service sector had a younger average age of managers compared to the other sectors. Women's participation was highest in the industrial sector, while university education was relatively balanced across sectors. The article discusses the specific results for each variable in each sector, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. Marketing, hiring external companies, and environmental management were identified as opportunities to enhance regional competitiveness. The study suggests implementing public and private policies to support SMEs in these areas. The findings provide valuable insights into the current competitiveness among SMEs in the Altas Montañas region and offer recommendations for fostering their growth and development. However, the study acknowledges some limitations, such as the limited sample size and potential bias due to non-participation by some businesses.

New Political Economy Strategy of China -- Belt and Road Initiative

This article aims to explain China's recent new political and economic strategy. As it involves more than 140 nations, China's 2013 "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI) has garnered attention and debate. This paper examines BRI's economic effects and motives using developing evidence and a literature review. We concluded that China proposed the BRI in 2013 for several reasons, including capital accumulation, infrastructure export, market access, imbalanced growth resolution, energy supply assurance, and border stability. China's activities may also be explained by modern ideas like the economics of scale, technical gap, overlapped demand, and product life cycle. The BRI was simpler to propose in 2013 since the global economy was weak and needed a boost for global trade. Several models are used to predict BRI's economic effects. Due of BRI's lack of grounding. In the real world, foreign voices are both supportive and apprehensive, indicating that the BRI will confront many challenges. Debt and COVID-19 are two major challenges. Yet, possibilities and obstacles frequently go together. In the near future, international collaboration on advanced technologies, green economies, education, and other areas is expected to increase.

Study on Water Regulation of Yong’an River Basin Based on Ecological Flow Guarantee

Water resources are the necessary guarantee to support the development of human society and one of the most important resources to maintain the health and stability of the ecological environment. With the gradual increase of China’s population and the gradual increase of water consumption for industry, life and agriculture, the water consumption for ecological environment can not be met. As a result, some rivers have dried up, biological habitat has been lost and species diversity has been reduced. Therefore, how to ensure the river ecological flow is a very urgent problem to be solved. This paper selects Yong’an River Basin as the research object. Yong’an river is a mountainous river with the characteristics of uneven distribution of natural runoff throughout the year and seasonal water shortage. At present, the ecological flow demand of the river has not been considered in the reservoir operation. In this paper, four different scheduling schemes are set up according to the two constraints of ecological base flow and target ecological flow. Finally, the reservoir group operation scheme with better water supply assurance rate and ecological flow assurance rate is determined.

Risk evaluation of China’s coal mine production logistics system under coal supply assurance

In order to scientifically and rationally assess the safety condition of coal mine production logistics system, this paper establishes a risk assessment model of coal mine production logistics system based on BWM-Vague set. On the basis of reviewing a large amount of literature and combining the main contributing factors of coal mine production safety accidents in practice, a relatively complete set of safety evaluation index system for coal mine production and logistics system was established, including 4 primary indexes of personnel safety, machine and equipment safety, environmental safety and management safety, and 16 secondary indexes such as the proportion of professional and technical personnel, and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was applied to evaluate the index system. Firstly, the BWM assignment method is used to determine the weights of each index, after which Vague set theory is introduced and experts are invited to evaluate and score each index, and then the two are combined to determine the final comprehensive evaluation. Finally, the model was empirically tested in the context of a coal mine enterprise in Beijing, with a view to improving the safety of the production logistics system in coal mines.

Geomechanical Feasibility Analysis of Salt Cavern Gas Storage Construction in Sanshui Basin, Guangdong Province

Salt cavern gas storage has become the key project of current and future underground gas storage (UGS) facilities construction due to their efficient peak-shaving and supply assurance capacities. The Sanshui Basin in Guangdong Province, China, is rich in salt resources and has high-purity salt rock, which is a potential area for the construction of salt cavern underground gas storage. To speed up the large-scale construction of underground gas storage in China and promote the sustainable development of the natural gas market, it is very necessary to analyze the geomechanics of the target salt layer and study the feasibility of gas storage construction. Based on comprehensive experiments of rock mechanics and thermodynamics, the strength, creep and temperature-sensitive mechanical properties of the target rock in Sanshui Basin were studied. Then, according to the geological conditions of Sanshui salt formation, a three-dimensional geological model was established to analyze the stability of salt cavern gas storage under the injection-production operation. The results show that the average tensile strength and uniaxial compressive strength of salt rock are 1.51 MPa and 26.04 MPa, respectively, showing lower strength. However, under triaxial compression, the compressive strength of salt rock increases significantly, and there is no obvious shear failure phenomenon observed. Moreover, after the peak strength, the salt rock still has a large bearing capacity. In addition, under the confining pressure of 30 MPa, the strength of salt rock decreases by 8.3% at a temperature of 60 °C compared with that at room temperature, indicating that the temperature has a low, modest effect on the mechanical properties of salt rock. The stability analysis shows that, under an injection-production operating pressure of 10–23 MPa, the displacement, plastic zone range and volume convergence rate of single cavity and cavity group are small, and the cavity shows good stability. Overall, the target salt formation in Sanshui Basin, Guangdong Province, presents a good geomechanical condition suitable for the construction of underground salt cavern gas storage. This study can provide a reference for the development and design of salt cavern UGS.

Effect of Redevelopment Project District Characteristics on Neighboring Housing Prices

This study analyzed the impact of nearby redevelopment project characteristics on the apartment and single/multi-family house prices in all areas of Seoul. The impact of the distance to the redevelopment project area, the number of supply households, and the number of project areas were analyzed using the housing sale transaction price from 2006 to 2020, and all housing types show the same direction. Findings reveal that the closer the supply of households, the higher the transaction price. Moreover the number of project areas has a positive effect after a certain distance. This indicates a positive effect on factors such as price synchronization when new houses are supplied from nearby project areas, expectations as project candidates, and shares in the benefits of improving the residential environment. Redevelopment projects are likely to be used as large-scale housing supply assurance measures in the future. When designing an area, one must consider planning and progress by region so that the size, number of union members, and maintenance infrastructure ratio do not significantly impact the housing market. This study obtained general results for all regions in Seoul, yielding important policy implications and providing useful basic data to investors, public policymakers, and practitioners.

Save the giants: demand beyond production capacity of tantalum raw materials

Tantalum’s high melting point and ability to store and release electrical charges have attracted high-tech companies since its usage in capacitors began in the 1930s. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, daily life relied on electronic equipment, resulting in a surge in demand for electronic and communication gadgets, which could necessitate many tantalum raw materials and an assured supply chain. Despite tantalum’s high demand from electronic manufacturers, 5G network systems and electric vehicles are currently added to the tantalum consumer list. The authors have examined three interconnected issues linked to tantalum supply interruption, which has resulted in a growing tantalum scarcity: (1) rising demand for tantalum ores and high-tech equipment while mining activities are in decline owing to the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) tantalum ore price volatility constrains the ore supply chain; (3) the challenge of pandemics that shrink mining activities and handicap supply chain. To address the issue of supply shortage in the long-term, the authors suggest that the concerned parties may adopt new norms of reliable, stable, and transparent supply channels instead of relying on an old uncertain and volatile supply system. The authors also suggest the transformation of central African artisanal and small-scale mining (mainly in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) into a modern mining system with a new supply channel that can resist existing and future disruptions.

Effects of Resilience Building on Performance of Pharmaceutical Firms in Kenya

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of resilience building on performance of pharmaceutical firms in Kenya. The research adopted a descriptive research design. The target population included 171 (22 local pharmaceutical manufacturing and 149 importing firms). The study adopted a census sampling technique. The data was analyzed using SPSS 22 version. The study made use of multiple regressions analysis which helped to generate a weighted estimation equation (OLS) that was used to predict values for dependent variable from the values of the independent variable. The regression results revealed that resilience building had a positive and significant relationship with the performance of pharmaceutical firms. It was found that resilience building is satisfactory in explaining the performance of pharmaceutical firms which was supported by a coefficient of determination also known as the R2 of 57.5%. The null hypothesis was rejected which indicated there is no significant relationship between resilience building and performance of pharmaceutical firms in Kenya. Thus, there is a significant relationship between resilience building and performance of pharmaceutical firms in Kenya. The study recommended that pharmaceutical firms should develop and implement the resilience building practices to increase reliability, visibility, adaptability and build reputable brands. Among the practices which are of great significance are those to do with timely and effective response on new customer customers preferences, stable and assured supply, innovativeness to new preferences and preparedness to deal with supply disruptions. The study also recommended that management in pharmaceutical firms should implement the aforementioned practices since they lead to an improved firm performance in terms of sales, customer service and efficiency Keywords: Resilience building, performance, pharmaceutical firms, Kenya

A Water Resource Equilibrium Regulation Model Under Water Resource Utilization Conflict: A Case Study in the Yellow River Basin

AbstractThe mismatch between the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of water resources and recent regional socioeconomic development threatens social stability and sustainable development, particularly in river basins affected by water scarcity. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt a water resource regulation model to address these new challenges. Based on the theory of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the Gini coefficient, in this study, a water resource equilibrium regulation model is constructed from the demand side and applied to the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Different from fairness, equilibrium is a stable state under the influence of diversity of interests and other factors. The results show that the model realizes the spatial and temporal equilibrium regulation of water resources. The water supply assurance rates of ecological and agricultural water users increase significantly to 94.1% and 74.3%, respectively. In particular, in dry years, the rigid demands of water users can be well met, and irreversible losses can be avoided. Compared with Scheme 1987, the proportion of water supply for upstream provinces increases to 42.34%, which will contribute to the balanced development of the basin. This model has the potential to be used in a wide range of applications, providing not only theoretical and technical support for the adjustment of Scheme 1987 in the YRB but also a reference for other governments and water resource management institutions around the world.

Potential Applications of Engineered Nanoparticles in Plant Disease Management: A Critical Update

Plant diseases caused by pathogenic entities pose severe issues to global food security. Effective sensory applications and tools for the effective determination of plant diseases become crucial to the assurance of food supply and agricultural sustainability. Antibody–mediated molecular assays and nucleic acid are gold–standard approaches for plant disease diagnosis, but the evaluating methodologies are liable, complex, and laborious. With the rise in global food demand, escalating the food production in threats of diverse pathogen ranges, and climate change is a major challenge. Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) have been inserted into conventional laboratory sequence technologies or molecular assays that provide a remarkable increment in selectivity and sensitivity. In the present scenario, they are useful in plant disease management as well as in plant health monitoring. The use of NPs could sustainably mitigate numerous food security issues and or threats in disease management by decreasing the risk of chemical inputs and alleviating supra detection of pathogens. Overall, this review paper discusses the role of NPs in plant diseases management, available commercial products. Additionally, the future directions and their regulatory laws in the usage of the nano–diagnostic approach for plant health monitoring have been explained.

Assessment of Water Productivity of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] based Cropping Systems under Vertisols in Malwa Plateau of Madhya Pradesh, India

Background: In soybean growing areas, the agro-climatic conditions of mansoon season favours more to grow only soybean during kharif season even in assured irrigation water supply circumstances. But there is a magnificent opportunity to put back wheat during rabi season by adopting the diversification towards other crops which are having higher water productivity. Methods: A field trial was conducted during rainy, winter and late winter seasons of the year 2015-16 and 2016-17 at the research farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhar, M.P. to assess of water productivity of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] based cropping systems under Vertisols in Malwa Plateau of Madhya Pradesh, India. In 16 cropping sequences, soybean was sequenced with feasible winter crops viz. wheat, chick pea, garlic, onion, potato and garden pea with inclusion of garlic, onion in late winter and assessed in randomized block design with four replications. Result: The maximum soybean equivalent yield (17731 kg/ha), net monetary returns (₹ 362170/ha), profitability (4.0), consumptive use (150.20 cm/ha) of water and productivity of water (367.35 kg/ha/cm) was recorded in crop sequence T15 - soybean (JS 93-05) - potato (Kufri jyoti) - onion (AFLR) while the minimum soybean equivalent yield (4279 kg/ha), consumptive use of water (60.09 cm/ha), water productivity (115.17 kg/ha/cm) and profitability (2.81) was noted in existing crop sequence i.e. T3 - soybean (JS 95-60) - chickpea (JG-130) desi.

ПРОЦЕДУРЫ ЭФФЕКТИВНОЙ ФИЛЬТРАЦИИ ПРИ МНОГОКРИТЕРИАЛЬНОМ ВЫБОРЕ ПОСТАВЩИКА ТРАНСПОРТНЫХ УСЛУГ

The report presents an approach to formalizing the procedures for filtering alternatives in models of multi-criteria choice of a transport service provider in the case of horizontal cooperation in supply assurance. Filtering procedures are formalized on the basis of binary relations, and only alternatives that correspond to majorants in the corresponding strict order relation are kept. This will significantly reduce the number of considered alternatives without compromising the quality of the chosen solutions. Numerical illustrations are given in the format of the following generalized selection criteria: scalar, geometric mean, ideal point.

Design an Effective Blood Distribution Network with Minimal Impacts on the Environment and Blood Supply Assurance

As the world's population grows, resulting in the aggravating trend of aging population, it brings with it an increase in the demand for blood. Nowadays, in most cities, the blood distribution network is based on a single distribution centre pattern, with the blood centre acting as distribution centre for one-to-one distribution. However, despite its convenience, this pattern has a high frequency of delivery, increased risk of blood shortage, and generates high carbon emissions. This paper aims to understand the real-life problems of the current blood distribution network and to design a more rational blood distribution network by taking the characteristics of the blood supply chain into account. Two blood distribution network patterns are considered, the current single distribution centre pattern and the proposed multiple distribution centre pattern. In order to minimise environmental impacts, we introduce open vehicle routing problem for blood delivery routes planning, using mixed integer programming for modelling, to compare the carbon emissions between the two blood distribution network patterns. Numerical experimental results demonstrate that applying the proposed BDN can reduce carbon emissions by an average of 25.84% and up to 29.59%, and the delivery time in emergency situations is significantly reduced by an average of 33.15%. Such studies are essential for both reducing carbon emissions and safeguarding patients' lives.

Land use and land cover changes in São Paulo Macro Metropolis and implications for water resilience under climate change

The São Paulo Macro Metropolis (MMP) is a geographical arrangement that brings together the most significant Brazilian socioeconomic figures and faces numerous challenges, such as heavy pressure on natural resources. Through compilation, spatialization and cross-referencing of data, this work assessed time series of land use and land cover of the last decades, the water supply status in an urban environment and climate data projection for MMP. Municipalities with different profiles were identified: those with positive final balances and those with negative final balances about the maintenance of their natural areas. Furthermore, more than half of the municipalities of the MMP have low water supply assurance, which can be aggravated due to climate change, as predicted in several climate models. The characterization of municipalities based on this information allowed identifying which of them are the most vulnerable, and these results indicate paths for coordinated actions at local and regional levels to increase water resilience in the macro-region.