Current Industry Practice Research Articles

Free radical copolymerization kinetics of bio-based dibutyl itaconate and n-butyl acrylate

The free radical copolymerization of dibutyl itaconate (DBI), a monomer derived from renewable resources, and n-butyl acrylate (BA) is investigated to explore the potential of incorporating itaconate monomers into commercial acrylic resins to enhance the sustainability of coating materials. Batch experiments were conducted at 50 °C and 80 °C, varying initial monomer and initiator concentrations as well as monomer compositions, with proton NMR and size exclusion chromatography used to analyze monomer conversion profiles and polymer molar mass distributions (MMDs). The data were analyzed using a kinetic model developed to guide the experimental studies and estimate key kinetic parameters controlling copolymer composition, polymerization rate and polymer MMDs. The use of the more reactive BA as comonomer significantly increases the conversion and molar mass of the resulting copolymer. Furthermore, semi-batch operating conditions similar to current industrial practice can incorporate a substantial fraction of DBI into acrylic copolymer resins, thus enhancing their sustainability profile.

Best Practices for Designing Scalable REST APIs in Cloud Environments

This research paper explores the best practices for developing scalable Representational State Transfer (REST) APIs in cloud environments. As the demand for robust and high-performance APIs continues to grow, developers face numerous challenges in designing and implementing scalable solutions. This study examines various aspects of API development, including architectural principles, cloud-native technologies, performance optimization techniques, and security considerations. By synthesizing current research and industry practices, this paper provides a comprehensive guide for practitioners and researchers in the field of API development for cloud environments.

Advanced earth grid monitoring for HV network safety compliance

ABSTRACT Electrical energy is a critical component for human comfort, but mismanagement of this energy can lead to human injury and even fatalities. High voltage safety compliance hinges on the presence of an adequate earthing system within the infrastructure. Various factors influence the effectiveness of the earthing system, including soil resistivity in the surrounding area and the availability of auxiliary paths for fault currents. Weather conditions, changes in the surrounding environment, and alterations within the high-voltage network significantly impact these elements. Any modifications to the auxiliary path conditions can have severe consequences on the network’s safety compliance. The current industry practice lacks continuous monitoring of the earth grid and fault current paths, with no provision for frequent current injection tests on the entire earth grid system. To close the existing gap, this paper proposes a novel approach through the introduction of an Earthing IoT Monitoring system. This system enables network owners to monitor safety compliance across the entire network, identify fault current return paths, and pinpoint any necessary preventive maintenance measures. The paper also delves into the crucial roles played by soil resistivity and split factors in the earthing system domain. A case study is included to support the innovative nature of the proposed system.

Innovative Development of Regional Industry: analysis, problems, and prospects (on the example of the Udmurt Republic)

Purpose: the study aims to analyze industrial development in the Udmurtia and propose measures to foster innovation. These efforts may enhance regional manufacturers' order portfolio and enhance the region's competitiveness both nationally and internationally.Methods: the research employs a complex of methods including factual, dynamic, causal, correlation-regression and structural analysis, alongside generalization, comparison, logical analysis, and graphical visualization.Results: the article analyzes the development of the industry in the Udmurtia, known for its strong presence in the military-industrial complex (MIC). The study delves into current industry trends, innovation indicators, and practices of MIC enterprises. It highlights obstacles to innovation and suggests measures to boost innovation, increase output volumes, and bolster the industry's adaptability to emerging challenges.Conclusions and Relevance: the regional enterprises of the manufacturing industry and MIC are the leading producers of innovation in the region. However, the proportion of innovative industrial products in the overall regional output is limited to 10%. Correlation and regression analysis showed the significance of the level of innovative activity of organizations and the share of organizations carrying out technological innovations in the effectiveness of innovative activity in the manufacturing industry. Innovation can be encouraged through various means, such as attracting investments, establishing a regional Agency for Innovation Development, digital platformization, and fostering integration among innovation entities with the help of an innovation accelerator, taking advantage of new market niche opportunities, stimulated by promoting corporate entrepreneurship. The region’s future prospects are closely tied to the development of the high-tech sector of unmanned aerial systems, what is the subject of scientific interest of the author's future research.

Effect of Different Coating Materials on Black Périgord Truffle (Tuber melanosporum) Aroma Profile and Its Shelf Life

AbstractBlack Périgord truffles (Tuber melanosporum) are the highest-priced edible fungus in the world due to their unique flavour, rarity, short growing season, difficulty in mass cultivating, and short shelf-life. The current industrial practices have not been effective in extending truffle shelf-life while preserving its aroma profiles. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of several preservation methods on Australian-grown black Périgord truffles, which include assessing the changes in the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of truffles treated with edible coatings, antimicrobial agents, or antioxidants such as chitosan, gum Arabic, kafirin, natamycin, tocopherol, vitamin C, and citric acid at the interval of 0, 7, and 14 days of storage. The study also aimed to assess the capability of gamma-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) in encapsulating truffle VOCs at the intervals of 0, 14, and 28 days of storage. Among all the edible coatings, chitosan-treated truffles had the least change in VOCs, especially the black truffle aroma volatile markers, 2-methyl-1-butanal, 2,4-dithiapentane, and dimethyl sulphide. Chitosan also resulted in no significant changes (P < 0.05) in the carbon dioxide emissions of truffle. The PCA plots showed that chitosan-coated samples displayed the least changes. The sole application of antimicrobial agents or antioxidants was ineffective in delaying the deterioration process. On the other hand, the results show that γ-CD was able to encapsulate 30 truffle’s VOCs, which included 3-methyl-1-butanal, 2-methyl-1-butanol, dimethyl sulphide, and 2,4-dithiapentane with no significant changes over the storage period.

A novel method for rock fracturing with soundless chemical demolition agents in subzero ambient temperature

Interest in explosive-free rock fracturing has grown exponentially in the past two decades due to concerns about the environmental impacts of traditional rock fracturing methods with explosive energy. The present paper essentially presents the findings of an experimental study that aimed to develop a novel method for rock fracturing with soundless chemical degradation agents (SCDAs) at cold ambient temperatures. This is of great significance because commercially available SCDAs do not perform well, or at all, in these conditions. This study is part of a multi-phase project under the umbrella of Canada's Clean Growth Program. The newly established approach is verified through the rock fracture test results with SCDAs of two series of concrete and granite blocks exposed to cold temperatures up to −20°C. This method, the so-called high-temperature wire method (HTWM), utilizes a high-temperature spiral wire inserted into the SCDAs borehole and subjected to a DC voltage. The heat flux generated by the wire helps the SCDAs cure and expand to fracture the block. Based on the experimentally obtained results, it has been shown that the proposed new HTWM is quite promising because it enables rock fracturing with SCDAs at cold ambient temperatures reaching −20°C. It should be emphasized that such a result was previously unattainable with current industry practice.

The RAS Paradigm in Mainframe Systems: A Comprehensive Analysis of Design Principles and Operational Benefits

This article examines the critical role of Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS) in mainframe computing systems. We explore how RAS principles have become fundamental design features in modern mainframes, enhancing their ability to meet the demanding requirements of enterprise-level data processing. The article provides an in-depth analysis of each RAS component, detailing how reliability is achieved through robust hardware self-checking and extensive software testing, availability is maintained via seamless component failover and layered error recovery, and serviceability is ensured through advanced diagnostic capabilities and modular replacement units. We argue that the holistic integration of RAS principles in mainframe architecture not only maximizes system uptime and operational continuity but also significantly impacts application design and overall system efficiency. Through a comprehensive review of current mainframe technologies and industry practices, this article highlights the enduring importance of RAS in an era of increasing computational complexity and datadriven decision making. Our findings suggest that RAS principles will continue to evolve, playing a crucial role in shaping the future of high-performance, mission-critical computing systems.

AI-Driven Drug Discovery: Accelerating the Development of Novel Therapeutics in Biopharmaceuticals

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in drug discovery, revolutionizing the biopharmaceutical industry's approach to developing novel therapeutics. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of AI-driven drug discovery, focusing on its applications in accelerating the development of innovative treatments. We examine the fundamental AI technologies employed in drug discovery, including machine learning algorithms, deep learning architectures, and natural language processing techniques. The paper analyzes the integration of AI across various stages of the drug discovery pipeline, from target identification to clinical trial design, highlighting significant improvements in efficiency and accuracy. We explore the impact of big data on AI-driven drug discovery, discussing the challenges and opportunities presented by multi-omics data integration, electronic health records mining, and the need for data standardization. The study also addresses ethical considerations and regulatory challenges associated with AI implementation in drug development. Finally, we present emerging trends and prospects for AI in biopharmaceuticals, emphasizing the importance of collaborative ecosystems and the potential for AI to revolutionize personalized medicine. This review synthesizes current research and industry practices, providing insights into the transformative potential of AI in drug discovery and the challenges that lie ahead in realizing its full potential.

Design and analysis of government subsidies policy of capacity expansion under reselling and agency selling schemes

Major disruptions, such as the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the US-China trade war, have significantly impacted businesses and the global economy, creating a turbulent environment for society and supply chains. Globally, fighting disruptions and ensuring the supply of essential goods has become a significant challenge for governments. One possible solution is to strategically expand essential product capacity to increase supply resilience. Governments must cooperate closely with suppliers through carefully designed subsidy policies. A theoretical model based on current industry practices was built to explore and analyze the partnerships between governments and essential product suppliers. Our proposed model includes four players: the government, the supplier, the selling agent, and the consumer. We considered government subsidy policies for capacity expansion in building supply chains subject to two pricing designs: (1) government pricing and (2) market pricing. The results indicate that once a disruption occurs, social welfare increases with the government-subsidized expansion of essential goods to increase supply chain capacity. We analytically show that if the government does not support production expansion, the supplier can expand production only if the expansion cost is trivial. Furthermore, without government pricing, the product price increases in the government subsidy ratio. Hence, we conclude that government intervention is required to stabilize the market with proper price control, especially in the essential goods supply chain.

UV-OZONE Treatment for Suppressing Surface Damages on Silicon Solar Cells.

In the preparation process of c-Si solar cells, qualified Si wafers must be processed through mechanical processing during manufacturing. Most of these processes involve mechanical processing, which inevitably results in severe mechanical damage layers and a wafer surface with large roughness. The current industry practice involves etching of the damage layer using an acid/alkali solution, and it is usually followed by deposition of additional passivation layers in the subsequent processes. However, even with these treatments, there still remain non-negligible microscopic saw damage and scratches on the wafer surface, which hinder the urgent development of a higher conversion efficiency of solar cells. Here, we provide a simple method to effectively suppress the impact of this surface damage. UV-OZONE treatment, which involves generation of an oxide layer and subsequent cleaning with hydrofluoric acid, leads to the effective regain of solar cell performance due to the passivation of dangling bonds and removal of sharp microstructures based on the creation of mechanical scratches. In addition, PEDOT:PSS/n-Si solar cells were prepared to exploit their strong surface dependence to investigate the effect of scratches on the overall performance. These results further validate the impact of scratches on solar cells, and a simple and effective method for surface damage suppression is provided.

Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management in Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare

Purpose: This study aims to examine the evolving regulatory landscape and its impact on compliance and risk management within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. It seeks to identify effective strategies for maintaining data integrity and traceability in accelerated pharmaceutical development (APD), and to understand how these strategies improve patient care and healthcare system responsiveness. Methodology: The research involves a comprehensive review of current regulations, emerging trends, and industry practices. It utilizes an analysis of regulatory updates, risk management frameworks, and case studies to illustrate successful compliance strategies and the challenges faced by organizations. Findings: The study highlights key regulatory requirements, identifies common risks and mitigation strategies, and provides insights into effective practices for ensuring data integrity and traceability. It demonstrates that robust compliance and risk management practices contribute to enhanced patient outcomes and improved healthcare system efficiency. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy, and Practice: This research offers a detailed examination of the intersection between regulatory compliance and risk management, providing a valuable framework for understanding and addressing the complexities of the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. It contributes to theory by integrating recent regulatory changes with practical risk management approaches, informs policy by highlighting critical areas for regulatory focus, and offers actionable recommendations for industry practitioners to optimize compliance and data management processes.

Zero Trust Architecture in DevSecOps: Enhancing Security in Cloud-Native Environments

This comprehensive article explores the implementation of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) within DevSecOps workflows, focusing on its application in cloud-native environments. The research examines the fundamental principles of ZTA, contrasting it with traditional perimeter-centric security models, and delves into its relevance in the context of modern software development practices. By investigating key challenges such as perimeter dissolution, dynamic workloads, and identity complexity, the study provides insights into the obstacles organizations face when adopting ZTA. The article presents a detailed analysis of best practices for ZTA implementation, including continuous monitoring, identity-based access controls, microsegmentation strategies, and comprehensive encryption policies. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and adaptability in maintaining an effective security posture. Through case studies and examination of real-world scenarios, the research highlights successful ZTA implementations and derives valuable lessons for practitioners. The article also explores future directions, considering the potential impact of AI, machine learning, edge computing, and evolving regulatory landscapes on ZTA. By synthesizing current research and industry practices, this article offers a holistic view of ZTA in DevSecOps, providing practitioners and researchers with actionable insights to enhance security in increasingly complex and distributed cloud-native ecosystems.

A Review of the Impacts of Industrial Revolutions in World History

The late 18th and early 19th centuries were undoubtedly the most significant periods of technological advancements and social transformations in human history. The Industrial Revolution began in Europe and England, during which society transformed from a traditional agrarian society to a modern industrialized society. Key developments include technological innovations such as steam engines and textile machinery, which added momentum to this important transformation by increasing efficiency in factory production and changing production processes. This study examines significant developments, including the origins of the Industrial Revolution and its impact on modern society. It mainly focuses on technological innovation and change during the Industrial Revolution, including economic transformation and social change. This paper analyzes historical literature to explain how these changes laid the foundation for modern industrial society and how these findings explain the connection between technological progress, economic transformation, and social transformation, providing valuable insights for the development of industrial practice. It concludes that the legacy of the Industrial Revolution continues to influence current industrial policies and practices, emphasizing the importance of innovation, economic adaptability, and social responsibility in stimulating sustainable industrial growth.

Risk Assessment and Control of N-Nitrosamines in Antibody–Drug Conjugates: Current Industry Practices

Risk Assessment and Control of <i>N</i>-Nitrosamines in Antibody–Drug Conjugates: Current Industry Practices

Carbon emission allocation policy making in liner shipping: A novel approach toward equitable and efficient maritime sustainability

Maritime shipping, an integral component of global trade, accounts for nearly 3% of global carbon dioxide emissions and faces significant challenges in mitigating its carbon footprints. This study addresses the shortcomings of current carbon emission surcharges levied by shipping companies and the deficiencies of allocation methods utilized by the government, such as the inequity of uniform carbon emission charges across diverse origin–destination (od) pairs and the reliance on potentially inaccurate self-reported emissions data to assign carbon emission allowances. We propose a novel approach to carbon emission allocation per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container per od pair in liner shipping from the perspective of the government, aiming to enhance government oversight and minimize social costs. Leveraging a bi-level programming model, our research navigates the complex interplay between government regulatory objectives and shipping companies’ operational decisions, identifying a socially optimal carbon allocation policy. Our approach introduces three innovative carbon allocation methods that advance beyond the traditional metric that typically focuses solely on emissions and cargo volume. Our first two innovative methods integrate shipping distances into the carbon allocation process, specifically considering both the actual traveling distance and the shortest sailing distance. Furthermore, we propose the third innovative “harmonic distance,” which is a convex combination of the actual traveling distance and the shortest sailing distance. This measure effectively reflects both the operational realities and equity concerns associated with shipping services. Our findings reveal the effectiveness of utilizing the shortest sailing distance for carbon allocation per TEU per od pair, offering a straightforward, route-independent, and equitable solution. This approach diverges from current industrial practices, favoring a fairer emission allocation basis and balancing the interests of governments, shipping companies, and consumers. Through comprehensive experiments, we demonstrate the superiority of this method in minimizing total social costs and providing a viable path toward environmental sustainability and economic efficiency in liner shipping.

Exploring Innovative Social Media Strategies for Tourism Promotion: A Case Study of Rajasthan

In the era of digital transformation, the tourism industry is increasingly relying on social media platforms to enhance destination visibility, engage with audiences, and foster visitor experiences. This review paper explores the dynamic landscape of leveraging social media strategies for the promotion of tourism in Rajasthan, India. In an era where digital platforms dominate communication channels, the tourism industry has undergone a significant transformation, prompting destinations like Rajasthan to adapt and innovate in their promotional efforts. This paper delves into the evolving role of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others in shaping tourists' perceptions and influencing travel decisions. It analyzes recent data and trends to uncover effective strategies employed by tourism authorities, businesses, and influencers to engage audiences and showcase the rich cultural heritage, architectural marvels, and vibrant experiences that Rajasthan offers. Furthermore, the paper discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with social media marketing in the tourism sector, including issues of authenticity, content moderation, and measurement of ROI. By synthesizing current research findings and industry practices, this paper provides insights into how stakeholders can harness the power of social media to amplify Rajasthan's tourism appeal, foster community engagement, and drive visitor footfalls in the digital age.

Strategic workforce and project planning for engineering automotive production systems: tackling the transition to electric vehicles

Car manufacturers are electrifying their product portfolios as a reaction to restrictions imposed on car emissions. This leads to additional product introductions of battery electric vehicles to the existing portfolio of internal combustion engine vehicles. For each introduction, car manufacturers must engineer the corresponding production systems. The engineering of these production systems is executed as projects that consist of designing, building, installing, and testing, requiring different types of engineers. Car manufacturers deploy an engineering workforce and outsource work to engineering service providers. In practice, workforce planning, project planning, and outsourcing are performed sequentially using spreadsheets. However, portfolio electrification increases the complexity of planning, calling for more advanced methods. We formulate an integrated workforce and project planning problem (mixed-integer programme) to minimise outsourcing and perform an experimental study using realistic data representing different prevalent strategies for portfolio electrification. Our approach significantly reduces outsourcing and increases workforce utilisation compared to current industry practice for a wide range of workforce sizes. Furthermore, we investigate the benefit of partially aligning the current practice with our integrated approach. Optimising outsourcing alone while maintaining the sequential planning process reaps 70% to 80% of the potential benefits, and integrating workforce or project planning achieves up to 90%.

Challenges and opportunities for the application of digital twins in hard-to-abate industries: a review

The energy-intensive industry, heavily reliant on heat generation processes, faces the critical challenge of drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study reviews the potential of digital twin technology in decarbonizing combustion-dependent manufacturing processes. While primarily focusing on scholarly articles, our analysis may not cover all current industrial practices and digital twin implementations. This paper highlights challenges and opportunities in deploying practical digital twins for industrial furnaces within the Industry 4.0 framework. Digital twins, integrating real-time simulation models with predictive capabilities, aim to enhance industrial furnaces’ design, operation, and maintenance by combining high-fidelity simulations with data-driven modelling techniques. The findings indicate that digital twins can facilitate the transition to furnace electrification and adopting zero-carbon fuels, significantly reducing emissions and optimizing overall furnace performance. However, challenges like model reliability and high upfront investments in IT and connectivity infrastructures limit their widespread adoption. Despite these limitations, ongoing technological advancements predict a rapid expansion of digital twin applications in industrial furnaces, making them indispensable for achieving decarbonization goals in energy-intensive industries.

Assessing Employee Health Policies and Practices in Foodservice Establishments

The aim of this study was to investigate current practices in the food industry regarding the development and implementation of food safety management systems, with a focus on employee health policies. Specifically, this study assessed written employee health policies and practices that retail food establishments used to mitigate the risk of foodborne illnesses. Surveys were distributed, and 14% (76/538) of the surveys were returned by senior food safety leaders, representing 336,268 restaurant, grocery, and convenience store outlets. The majority of participants represented larger franchises or chains. Results showed most participants (98.4%) reported having written employee health policies, with most policies based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Model Food Code and Annex. Most participants (98.3%) agreed that their employee health policy stipulated exclusions and restrictions for food employees based on their health and activities as they relate to diseases transmitted through food; however, fewer (87.7%) policies had provisions for removing such exclusions and restrictions. The survey also revealed the use of novel approaches to promote handwashing and the frequency with which conditional employees are made aware of reporting requirements. Taken as a whole, the survey highlights opportunities to improve employee health policies and increase awareness of reporting requirements for employees in the retail food industry.

IN-SERVICE TRAINING PRACTICES AND TRAINERS€™ PERFORMANCE IN TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SCHOOLS IN RWANDA, A CASE OF KICUKIRO DISTRICT RWANDA

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of in-service training practices on the performance of trainers in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools in Kicukiro District, Rwanda.The participants included personnel from the Rwanda Technical and Vocational Training Institute (RTTI), trainers, and school managers, totalling 398 respondents. This number comprises 12 school managers, 26 RTTI staff members, and 360 trainers from TVET schools in the Kicukiro district.The data analysis process utilized SPSS 22.0 software. The results indicated a strong relationship between in-service training practices and trainers performance in TVET schools in Kicukiro, Rwanda. This relationship was supported by a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.958, with a statistically significant p-value of 0.000 for a two-tailed test. This suggests that there was a statistically significant relationship between in-service training practices and trainers Performance in TVET Schools in Kicukiro District, Rwanda and confirmed by the R Square=.918which means that in-services trainings are highly appreciated to enhance trainers performance in TVET Schools in Rwanda. The study reveals the positive impact of industry partnerships on trainers performance. Industrial exposure allows trainers to gain firsthand experience of current industry practices and technological innovations. This study recommended that the government should allocate more financial resources to support in-service training programs in TVET schools.