Expiry Research Articles

Grocery Management System

This Application builds a user-friendly grocery management system in Java. Users can create and manage shopping lists by adding items, adjusting quantities, and marking purchases. The system goes beyond basic lists by offering functionalities like item categorization (dairy, produce, etc.) and optional expiration date tracking. This allows for smarter planning by generating shopping lists based on low stock and expiring items. Additionally, the Java application can integrate with unit prices (optional) to estimate total grocery costs before heading to the store. This user-friendly system empowers individuals or families to streamline their grocery management, potentially saving time, money, and reducing food waste

Feed Friend: Fostering Community Involvement in Food Assistance

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption worldwide is wasted annually. Food wastage occurs at various stages of the supply chain, including production, processing, distribution, and consumption. FeedFriend is an innovative website which was designed to combat food-wastage by fostering a vibrant community of donors and recipients. Donor Registration Individuals or Businesses can sign up as Donors on FeedFriend, providing details about the surplus food they have available for donation. This includes restaurants with excess inventory, grocery stores with perishable items nearing expiration, or individuals with leftover food from events or meals. Food Listings Donors can create listings within the website, specifying the type and quantity of food they wish to donate, include relevant details such as expiration dates etc. In Feed Friend, Users can filter the Donation requests based on their location. This type of service is used to match donors with nearby recipients in need. Recipients may include food banks, shelters, community centers, or individuals facing food insecurity. Feed Friend facilitates communication between donors and recipients, coordinates pickup or delivery logistics directly by providing donor’s contact details. So that it enables a better communication between Donors and Receivers.

Patent lifetime prediction using LightGBM with a customized loss

Patent lifespan is commonly used as a quantitative measure in patent assessments. Patent holders maintain exclusive rights by paying significant maintenance fees, suggesting a strong correlation between a patent’s lifespan and its business potential or economic value. Therefore, accurately forecasting the duration of a patent is of great significance. This study introduces a highly effective method that combines LightGBM, a sophisticated machine learning algorithm, with a customized loss function derived from Focal Loss. The purpose of this approach is to accurately predict the probability of a patent remaining valid until its maximum expiration date. This research differs from previous studies that have examined the various stages and phases of patents. Instead, it assesses the commercial viability of individual patents by considering their lifespan. The evaluation process utilizes a dataset consisting of 200,000 patents. The experimental results show a significant improvement in the performance of the model by combining Focal Loss with LightGBM. By incorporating Focal Loss into LightGBM, its ability to give priority to difficult instances during training is enhanced, resulting in an overall improvement in performance. This targeted approach enhances the model’s ability to distinguish between different samples and its ability to recover from challenges by giving priority to difficult samples. As a result, it improves the model’s accuracy in making predictions and its ability to apply those predictions to new data.

EXPRESS: Paying with Money or Paying with Points: How Variable vs. Fixed Exchange Rates Influence Loyalty Point Redemption

Although research examining loyalty point redemption has focused almost exclusively on fixed exchange rates between points and money (e.g., 100 points = $1), we frequently observe variable exchange rates in practice (e.g., 100 points might equate to more or less than $1, depending on the monetary price and the required points for a flight redemption within the continental U.S.). Such variable rates are particularly common in loyalty programs in the hospitality industry. In this research, we show that the stability of the exchange rate – whether the exchange rate is fixed or variable across offers – systematically influences point redemption. Consumers are less likely to redeem loyalty points and instead spend money when they observe a variable exchange rate between money and points than when they observe a fixed exchange rate, even when the average value of points is the same. We demonstrate this effect in a series of studies across contexts, including an incentive compatible retail loyalty program and a hotel loyalty program. We show that a variable point exchange rate induces more optimism than a fixed exchange rate, reducing point redemption. This effect is moderated by individual differences in optimism and by point expiration date. We conclude by discussing the implications for managers of loyalty programs and consumers.

Multi-objective optimization for perishable product dispatch in a FEFO system for a food bank single warehouse

One of the main challenges of food bank warehouses in developing countries is to determine how to allocate perishable products to beneficiary agencies with different expiry dates while ensuring food safety, meeting nutritional requirements, and minimizing the shortage. The contribution of this research is to introduce a new multi-objective, multi-product, and multi-period perishable food allocation problem based on a single warehouse management system for a First Expired-First Out (FEFO) policy. Moreover, it incorporates the temporal aspect, guaranteeing the dispatch of only those perishable products that meet the prescribed minimum quality standards. A weighted sum approach converts the multi-objective problem of minimizing a vector of objective functions into a scalar problem by constructing a weighted sum of all the objectives. The problem can then be solved using a standard constrained optimization procedure. The proposed mixed integer linear model is solved by using the CPLEX solver. The solution obtained from the multi-objective problem allows us to identify days and products experiencing shortages. In such cases, when there is insufficient available inventory, the total quantity of product to be dispatched is redistributed among beneficiaries according to a pre-established prioritization. These redistributions are formulated as integer programming problems using a score-based criterion and solved by an exact method based on dynamic programming. Computational results demonstrate the applicability of the novel model for perishable items to a real-world study case.

Competency-Based Medication Administration and Error Reporting.

Accuracy is needed with medication administration, a skill that involves rule-based habits and clinical reasoning. This pilot study investigated the use of an evidence-based checklist for accuracy with oral medication administration and error reporting among prelicensure nursing students. Checklist items were anchored in the mnemonic C-MATCH-REASON© (Client, Medication, ADRs, Time, Client History, Route, Expiration date, Amount, Site, Outcomes, Notation). Nineteen participants randomly assigned to crossover sequence AB or BA (A: checklist; B: no checklist) practiced simulation scenarios with embedded errors. Nursing faculty used an observation form to track error data. Using the C-MATCH-REASON© checklist compared with not using the checklist supported rule adherence (p = .005), knowledge-based error reduction (p = .011), and total error reduction (p = .010). The null hypothesis was not rejected for errors found (p = .061) nor reported (p = .144), possibly due to sample size. C-MATCH-REASON© was effective for error reduction. Study replication with a larger sample is warranted. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):320-327.].

Food Fraud Conceptualization: an exploratory study with Portuguese consumers

Food fraud refers to deceptive practices conducted for economic gain, and incidents of such fraud are often reported in the media and scientific literature. However, little is known about how European consumers perceive food fraud. To address this gap, a study explored Portuguese consumers’ knowledge and perceptions of food fraud using qualitative methods such as free word association and semi-structured interviews. For this research, 340 participants were recruited, providing 911 valid words, classified into categories, major categories, and dimensions. Differences between consumers’ previous exposure to food fraud and sociodemographic characteristics were explored. Additionally, other thirty-six participants were selected and interviewed, following a semi-structured guide. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analysed using a thematic analysis procedure. The results suggest that Portuguese consumers view food fraud as a morally reprehensible deception and are aware of its causes and impacts. However, not all consumers know the different forms of food fraud or the types of products vulnerable to fraud. Among the most repeated words were “deception”, “expiration date”, and “falsification”. Despite this food fraud awareness, most consumers believed they were not exposed to food fraud and stated that they do not conduct daily practices to reduce exposure to it. Following the chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests, significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were identified between participants exposed and not exposed to food fraud. The study also found that consumers with higher education and self-reported exposure to food fraud had a better understanding of the issue. This study provides insights for quantitative research on consumer perceptions and beliefs about food fraud to explore further vulnerable food categories and types of food fraud in real-world scenarios.

Smart Tracking System for Packaged Product Using Barcode

Smart Tracking System for Packaged Product finds out the available stock of items using barcodes such as soaps, detergents, snacks packets and other packaged items. Each time an item is added or removed, the barcode needs to be scanned to update the inventory database. A threshold level is set for the count of the items such that when the available stock goes below the threshold the system sends a notification to the user through the app. The system waits for the user’s response (via app) on whether to place an order for that item or not. If the user replies ‘Yes’, then it places an order for that item to a designated store through the app. If the system does not get a command from the user, restocking for that item is paused. It updates the database for the product only after the item is replenished by the user. The barcodes with expiry date information are attached on the items. The system can periodically check this information to alert users when items are reaching their expiration dates. The main goal is to avoid the wastage of the products and to keep track of them which helps in easy maintenance of the grocery list.

НАЛОГОВЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ ИЗЪЯТИЯ АПТЕКАМИ ИЗ ОБРАЩЕНИЯ И УНИЧТОЖЕНИЯ ЛЕКАРСТВЕННЫХ СРЕДСТВ

Strict regulation of the quality of medicines, as well as the establishment of expiration dates for them, are risk factors for commodity and financial losses of pharmacies associated with the withdrawal from circulation and destruction of medicines that are unusable for further sale. As taxpayers of taxes in force in the Russian Federation, pharmacies must take these transactions into account when they determine their tax obligations. Understanding the tax aspects of the withdrawal from circulation and destruction of medicines allows, at the stage of organizing these procedures, to minimize tax risks, and, consequently, the financial losses of pharmacies associated with their implementation in the form of additional charges of taxes, fines and penalties. The purpose of the study was to identify possible tax risks arising when medicines are withdrawn from circulation and to identify possible ways to reduce them. To achieve this goal, an analysis of legislative requirements, explanations of authorized bodies and current judicial practice on the issue under consideration was carried out. The analysis showed that operations for the withdrawal from circulation and destruction of medicines are a source of tax risks for pharmacies in terms of income tax and VAT. It was revealed that tax risks for income tax are associated, first of all, with incorrect documentation of the withdrawal of medicines from circulation. They are also possible due to the refusal to identify those responsible for the damage or their absence, the failure to file claims against the guilty parties and their lack of compensation for losses, and write-off before the expiration date. Tax risks for VAT arise if a pharmacy does not have evidence of disposal of medicines for reasons beyond the will of the owner and without transfer to other persons. To help reduce tax risks will be the inclusion in the internal regulations on the withdrawal of medicines from circulation and their destruction of provisions that take into account the norms of tax legislation and arbitration practice, as well as monitoring their compliance.

An assessment of the consumption and disposal of medications home use

In the current scenario, the market society, an economic model consolidated in many parts of the world, faces some social and environmental challenges, such as the solid waste disposal and treatment of different residues generated daily, especially in big cities. In Brazil, 4,540 municipalities provided medical waste collection services, and more than a third (36.2%) sent the MS to landfills, dumps, and septic ditches. This issue faced by municipalities is challenging as they try to promote less damaging management that impacts the environment due to urban demography and fragile socio-environmental conditions. Action as reverse logistics is a strategy that enables the return of after-sales and post-consumption waste to the business environment and the productive sector, promoting the circular economy, the recovery of waste, the life cycle of products, decrease in the use of materials, reduction of environmental impacts, compliance with current regulations and non-contamination of the environment. The assessment of unusual medications and population knowledge allows drawing an overview of the disposal of uncommon medications for home use by an electronic questionnaire addressing different questions, referring to the identification of the user's profile, various forms of consumption, storage, and disposal of medication waste, and knowledge about the local regulation. Most medications consumed by the population are antibiotics, analgesics, fever reducers, and pain relief without medical recommendations, not used to seeing the expiration date, and not reading the drug leaflet. The assessment population could only pay a little for the additional tax for final medication waste disposal. Most of the participants disposed of the unusual medications in the household garbage. Finally, the reverse logistics implementation of medication waste in Brazil will be a significant challenge for decreasing the environmental impacts and pollution because of the culture of the local population.

Expanding access to identification cards and social programs: Experimental evidence from Panamá

AbstractWe experimentally analyze the effects of an intervention to induce the renewal of identification cards on access to a government social program in Panamá. On‐time renewals and access to government transfers increased by 10 and 3.6 percentage points, respectively. Simple reminders about expiration dates generated larger effects than also enabling individuals to renew their documents through an online platform, which users struggled to use despite its being designed to simplify the process. The results suggest that increasing access to identity documentation can reduce exclusion errors in social programs and that simply granting access to e‐government platforms may not necessarily improve public service delivery.

Sensory characteristics of dry cured ham Dalmatinski pršut

This study examines the longevity and sensory stability of Dalmatinski pršut, a Protected Geographical Indication dry-cured ham (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2016/189), under protracted refrigerated vacuum storage. The objective was to elucidate a more empirical basis for shelf-life determination, countering the prevalent practice of arbitrary expiration dating. Over a span of 210 days, at a controlled temperature of 4±2°C, we monitored the ham’s physicochemical properties (water activity water and salt content) and conducted comprehensive sensory evaluation. Findings show the excellent preservation of the ham’s sensory profile, with minimal deviations in flavour intensity and no significant alterations in textural parameters (hardness, solubility) or salinity levels. However, a key finding is the decade-long trend of reduced water content among producers, now ranging between 30–46%, which is below the specified range of 40–55%. Despite this discrepancy, the reduction in water content did not adversely affect the ham’s sensory attributes, indicating a robust resilience to changes in water content within the observed range. Our results challenge the current specifications for dry cured ham Dalmatinski pršut, suggesting a need for revision to reflect the empirical evidence of water content’s insignificant effect on sensory quality. This study highlights the importance of revisiting and potentially adjusting the regulatory standards for water content in dry cured ham Dalmatinski pršut, lowering the established lower limit to 30% and ensuring they are aligned with practical production realities and scientific findings, thereby enhancing the product’s shelf-life determination and maintaining its high-quality standards.

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Facial Skincare Routines and Cosmetic Products in Undergraduates of Universities and Higher Educational Institutes in Western Province, Sri Lanka

Maintaining the skin's structural and functional integrity is largely dependent on proper skincare. Numerous dermatological problems can be caused by insufficient skincare techniques and inadequate information. For this reason, following an appropriate skincare routine is essential to preserving the health of the skin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate undergraduates in universities and other higher education institutions in the Western province of Sri Lanka regarding their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding facial skincare practices. A structured questionnaire (N=255) was used in descriptive cross-sectional research of undergraduates in the Western province who were between the ages of 18 and 30. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee at CINEC Campus. There were 21.18% male participants and 78.82% female participants in the study, which included 145 undergraduates from state universities and 110 from non-state Higher Educational Institutes. The results showed that while buying face skincare products, students consider into thought several aspects, such as brand (66.27%), price (69.02%), ingredients (74.50%), expiration date (65.10%), skincare benefits (73.72%), smell (31.37%), and container (25.10%). Merely 9.42% of respondents preferred synthetic components in cosmetic products, compared to a sizable majority (90.58%) who preferred natural ones. When it came to applying sunscreen, 33.33% did it five minutes before exposure to sunlight, and 56.08% did it thirty minutes beforehand. While 34.11% of respondents knew that an optimal sunscreen in Sri Lanka should have a UV protection factor of between 30 and 50, 43.92% did not. The primary reasons given for using skincare products were to enhance appearance and texture (62.74%), prevent sunburns (54.90%), and improve skin health (76.08%). Notably, the most often used skincare items were moisturizer (48.23%) and face cleanser (82.53%). Furthermore, (67.06%) of undergraduate students chose skincare products for their faces according to their skin type; (27.45%) did it infrequently, and (5.10%) never gave it any thought. The study revealed that some undergraduates lack accurate awareness about skincare routines, indicating a need for additional knowledge in this area.

Exploration & Outcomes of Emergency Use Authorization during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Abstract: The COVID-19 emergency built pressure on US regulatory bodies to unlock the optional and short pathway of approval for urgently required pharmaceuticals to accomplish population demand for medicinal products within the shortest possible time to limit the suffering and deaths associated with insufficiency of medicinal products in need. During the pandemic, many medicinal products got emergency use authorization (EUA) according to the EUA guidelines provided by the US Food Drug Administration (USFDA). The requirement of abbreviated data submission for EUA attracted many pharmaceutical companies to launch their products as investigational drugs. Clinical data collected from the population is also permitted to get final approval. Comirnaty and Remdesivir got full approval using this regulatory tool. EUA does not ensure the existence of the medicinal product for an extended period. Whenever the emergency is over or the products are no longer needed, the USFDA revokes those according to their legislation. However, after Hydroxychloroquine phosphate and chloroquine sulfate were revoked due to failure to show efficacy, it grabbed the attention of many healthcare stakeholders in the country. It demanded more transparency in the approval pathway of present EUA guidelines. Two attributes, i.e., Current Good Manufacturing Practice exemption and expiry date extension, affect the quality of the medicinal products used during the pandemic. The most critical product distribution data, voluntary in EUA, remarkably endorse the black-marketing and shortage of specific COVID-19-related medicinal products in the pandemic situation. Amendments to the existing guidelines minimize the upcoming public health risk.

COMPLIANCE OF HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WITH CONTACT LENS USE AND CARE

Objective: The study aimed to assess if healthcare professionals who wear contact lenses in hospitals comply with the rules for contact lenses use and care. Material and Methods: A survey consisting of questions about contact lenses use and care was distributed to healthcare professionals. The survey investigated the following: a) Demographic data, b) Routines related to the use of contact lenses (type, indication, duration, overnight use), c) Routines related to contact lenses maintenance and cleaning (solution usage habit, exposure to water, hygiene of hands and lens cases). Results: The average age of the participants was 28.35±5.58; 76% were women, and 87.3% were doctors. Contact lenses usage duration was 8.16 years. Most of them wore soft contact lenses for myopia that was changed monthly. 95.8% of participants were prescribed contact lenses by an ophthalmologist. To clean the contact lenses, 93.3% of the participants used multi-purpose solutions, and 7.3% reported that they rarely washed the contact lenses with tap water. A high level of compliance was observed with overnight use, washing hands before putting on and taking off contact lenses, expiration date, and filling the solution into the box or sharing it. Moderate compliance rates were noted for swimming and showering with contact lenses, cleaning, and changing the lens case and contact lenses. Conclusion: Although healthcare professionals are compliant with the use and care of the contact lenses, it is thought that some of them still need training on avoiding contact with water while wearing the contact lenses, never using tap water, and cleaning the lens case and the contact lenses effectively.

Exploration on Service Design of Integrated Online and Offline for the Food Nearing Its Expiration Date from the Perspective of Opposing Food Waste

Combining online digital application systems with offline physical design is currently a relatively complete service design system. In view of the increasingly prominent problem of waste caused by the food nearing its expiration date at present, the application of a combination of online and offline design methods can provide users and businesses with a comfortable user experience and commercial value. This paper investigated the consumers' consumption view of the food nearing its expiration date, understood their attitude and consumption motivation, conducted user log and behavior insight research on convenience store consumers, explored service design opportunities and experience contacts, and reconstructed a systematic and rational service system that combines online and offline services, from food production, sales to recycling and reuse. Give full play to the advantages of offline entity and online transparency and openness, and saving from the source of food, and maximize the promotion of sales and recycling of the food nearing its expiration date. It provides consumers with a comfortable user experience and ensuring the maximization of the interests of the food industry in order to save food.

Super-replication of life-contingent options under the Black–Scholes framework

Abstract We consider the super-replication problem for a class of exotic options known as life-contingent options within the framework of the Black–Scholes market model. The option is allowed to be exercised if the death of the option holder occurs before the expiry date, otherwise there is a compensation payoff at the expiry date. We show that there exists a minimal super-replication portfolio and determine the associated initial investment. We then give a characterisation of when replication of the option is possible. Finally, we give an example of an explicit super-replicating hedge for a simple life-contingent option.

IJCM_40A: Process Evaluation of Routine Immunization in post pandemic period in districts of Assam

Background: Globally, immunization faced disruption in 2020, for COVID19. DPT3 coverage fell from 91% (2019) to 85% (2020) in India. Assam reports 67% coverage. Reasons were fear of contracting covid, challenges in community mobilisation, transportation restrictions, deployment to covid duty. Overburdened HCP were under stress affecting service. Capacity building gap was also associated with vaccine hesitancy. Objective: Process evaluation of routine immunization in post pandemic period in Assam. Methodology: The supportive supervision data generated from 1.04.2022 to 30.03.2023 covering all 33 districts of Assam about using MOHFW M&S tool. Data was analysed and descriptive statistics used. Results: Microplan was followed for service provision by 97.4% ASHA and 61.4% AWW. No IEC material displayed in 12.2% sites. Headcount survey data available in 88.9% sites. In 93.5% sessions, updated due list was found. Key messages were given in 84.9% of sites following immunization. Blank MCP/RI card was present in 75.1% sites. Hubcutter was not found in 4.1% sites. Other logistics available were; paracetamol 94%, Vitamin A 88%, spoon for Vitamin A 86.1%, red and black bag 85.5%, ORS 86.9%, and zinc 75.8%. Anaphylaxis kit available in 92% of which 83.5% were within expiry date. Handwashing with soap and water or hand sanitizer was practiced in 81.6% of sessions. Conclusion: Availability of logistics, manpower as per microplan, capacity building and effective communication needed for further improving the vaccination coverage.

Expiry dates in surgical equipment: What are the options?

IntroductionHospitals and the healthcare system contribute significantly to global warming, due to the energy use, water use and waste produce going directly to landfill. The operating theatre environment contributes to 70% of all hospital waste, and a proportion of this is due to unused surgical supplies, such as those stocked but never used as they go past their use-by date. AimTo evaluate how use-by dates are identified and assigned to surgical equipment, and if there are opportunities to re-use, or re-sterilise this equipment in order to reduce waste from the operating theatre environment. ResultsUse-by dates are assigned to ensure sterility and longevity of the device, and are assigned based on risk analysis, retrospective and prospective assessment. Incineration is the mainstay of disposal of unused medical devices, but there are alternative options such as re-processing in specific circumstances. ConclusionA large volume of hospital waste is due to operating theatres, and there is movement towards developing more sustainable methods of dealing with expired surgical equipment. This is however in the early stages, with further research required to confirm if these methods will be safe for patients, and beneficial to the environment.

Real option pricing under the regime-switching model with jumps on a finite time horizon

We consider an irreversible investment decision problem on a finite time horizon where an instantaneous cash flow process of a firm follows a regime-switching jump-diffusion (RSJD) model. The value of a project can be derived from a partial integro-differential equation (PIDE) and then we obtain a closed-form solution of the PIDE. It is proved that the value of the project converges to the solution on an infinite time horizon problem as the lifetime of the project tends to infinity. Moreover, the value function of a real option with a finite expiration date can be evaluated by solving a linear complementarity problem (LCP) under the RSJD model. We apply a 2-step backward differentiation formula (BDF2 method) combined with an operator splitting method to solve the LCP and then it has the second-order convergence rate in the discrete ℓ2-norm with respect to the time and spatial variables. The stability of the proposed method to solve the LCP is also proved in the discrete ℓ2-norm. Finally, a variety of numerical experiments are carried out to determine the optimal investment time and the numerical results on the finite time horizon are analyzed.