Major Supply Research Articles

Biofungicides Based on Plant Extracts: On the Road to Organic Farming.

Phytopathogenic fungi are responsible for diseases in commercially important crops and cause major supply problems in the global food chain. Plants were able to protect themselves from disease before humans played an active role in protecting plants. They are known to synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites (SMs), such as terpenes, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds, which can be extracted using conventional and unconventional techniques to formulate biofungicides; plant extracts have antifungal activity and various mechanisms of action against these organisms. In addition, they are considered non-phytotoxic and potentially effective in disease control. They are a sustainable and economically viable alternative for use in agriculture, which is why biofungicides are increasingly recognized as an attractive option to solve the problems caused by synthetic fungicides. Currently, organic farming continues to grow, highlighting the importance of developing environmentally friendly alternatives for crop production. This review provides a compilation of the literature on biosynthesis, mechanisms of action of secondary metabolites against phytopathogens, extraction techniques and formulation of biofungicides, biological activity of plant extracts on phytopathogenic fungi, regulation, advantages, disadvantages and an overview of the current use of biofungicides in agriculture.

Russian Fertilizers as an Element of Strengthening Africa’s Food Sovereignty

Over the past few years, amid the pandemic and other crises in the world markets, food security in Africa has once again become a key issue in international relations. However, what is important for the food sovereignty of the continent is not only the uninterrupted supply of food but also the gradual localization of food production in Africa, which requires increased fertilizer consumption, making the transition from the concept of “food security” to “food sovereignty” relevant. In general, it can be argued that the problem of Africa’s food sovereignty is not related to land scarcity but primarily to Africa’s position in the global value chains in the world’s food markets, as well as its dependence on imports of semi-finished food products. The key role in maintaining import dependence is played by influential lobbying and financial groups, intermediaries linked to transnational corporations, traders, and a number of other international actors. Structural imbalances in economic development have so far prevented most African countries from producing fertilizers domestically, which has led to an increase in fertilizer imports. In recent years, Russian exporters have managed to significantly strengthen their presence in African food and agricultural markets, bringing their share of the African fertilizer market to 20%. This article deals with the main trends of the movement toward food sovereignty in Africa, primarily considering the role of fertilizers in this process. For the first time, an analysis of the strategies of major Russian fertilizer suppliers in Africa is provided.

Analyzing the Eucalyptus Timber Value Chain in Thailand: Profit Distribution and Opportunities for Improvement

The Thai forestry sector relies greatly on Eucalyptus as a raw material. The rapid expansion of plantations during the last few decades and the high demand for Eucalyptus for several purposes has led to numerous supply chain practices. A comprehensive understanding of the Eucalyptus value chain is lacking in Thailand, which has consequences for optimization, sustainability, and profitability aspects. This study analyzed actors and their activities along the value chain and estimated added value and profit margin benefit distributions. The study method involved a value chain analysis approach, whereby input data were collected from the following groups: seedling suppliers and developers, farmers and tree growers, timber traders and collectors, intermediaries, processors, wholesalers, and consumers via key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, and group discussions. The results revealed the vertical integration of Eucalyptus timber businesses, where sapling breeders were the major input suppliers with a significant role in the value chain based on the role of controlling the majority of seedling production, promoting cultivation, and ensuring the raw material supply for the pulp industry through a full-cycle membership program. Total gross marketing margin was highest (90.6%) in the path of the pulp mill industry and lowest in the path of the biomass power plant (73.4%). The profit share of growers varied between 9.9% and 26.6% depending on the path and chain. The overall benefit distribution analysis demonstrated a positive gross profit margin but minor distribution to the growers. Our study determined that decision-makers should create supportive programs, funding opportunities, and infrastructural support for research and development, capacity building, and regulation to ensure suitable benefits for all actors in the Eucalyptus timber value chain in Thailand.

Blockchain technology for advanced therapy medicinal products: Applications in tracking, data sharing, and supply chain automation

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) like cell and gene therapies offer transformative treatment options for many diseases. However, coordinating the decentralized, patient-specific manufacturing of autologous ATMPs across multiple hospitals poses major supply chain challenges. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of how blockchain technology can enhance decentralized ATMP manufacturing networks. First, background on ATMPs and complexities of decentralized production is reviewed. An overview of blockchain architecture, key attributes, and existing use cases then follows. The major opportunities for blockchain integration in ATMP manufacturing are discussed in depth, including tracking autologous products across locations, enabling data sharing between hospitals to power AI-based optimization, automating supply chain processes, and maintaining provenance records. Critical limitations around scalability, privacy, regulation, and adoption barriers are examined. Design considerations for developing blockchain ecosystems tailored to the unique ATMP environment are also explored. Blockchain shows immense promise for transforming visibility, coordination, automation, and data unification in decentralized ATMP manufacturing networks. Despite current challenges, blockchain is prepared to profoundly impact the advancement of personalized cell and gene therapies through enhanced supply chain instrumentation. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of this emerging technological innovation and its applications to address critical needs in ATMP translation and manufacturing.

Fishers' ecological knowledge points to fishing-induced changes in the Peruvian Amazon.

Scientists increasingly draw on fishers' ecological knowledge (FEK) to gain a better understanding of fish biology and ecology,and inform options for fisheries management. We report on a study of FEK among fishers along the Lower Ucayali River in Peru, a region of exceptional productivity and diversity, which is also a major supplier of fish to the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon. Given a lack of available scientific information on stock status, we sought to identify temporal changes in the composition and size of exploited species by interviewing fishers from 18 communities who vary in years of fishing experience since the mid-1950s. We develop four FEK-based indicators to assess changes in the fish assemblage and compare findings with landings data. We find an intensification of fishing gear deployed over time and spatiotemporal shifts in the fish assemblage and reported declines in species weight, which point to a fishing-down process with declines across multiple species. This finding is reflected in a shifting baseline among our participants, whereby younger generations of fishers have different expectations regarding the distribution and size of species. Our study points to the importance of spillover effects from the nearby Pacaya-Samira National Reserve and community initiatives to support the regional fishery. Reference to fishers' knowledge also suggests that species decline is likely underreported in aggregated landings data. Despite the dynamism and diversity of Amazonian floodplain fisheries, simple FEK-based indicators can provide useful information for understanding fishing-induced changes in the fish assemblage. Fishers hold valuable knowledge for fishery management and conservation initiatives in the region.

Australian critical metal exploration for analogues of Chinese ionic-clay REE deposits

The clean energy transition has focused attention on the critical metals required for manufacture of new energy technologies. The extremely heterogeneous distribution of critical metal mineral deposits requires that countries must make new discoveries of key critical metals to avoid potential future geopolitical risks. Although Australia has REE resources, they are mainly of LREEs, so deposit styles with significant HREEs are key targets. The most obvious are the so-called ionic-clay REE deposits of southern China that are the major global suppliers of HREEs. Mineral exploration in Australia using the Chinese model is producing hitherto unrecognized REE concentrations, here termed regolith-hosted REE mineralization, in a variety of regolith types in several weathering environments, particularly in Western and South Australia. Amongst these has been the discovery of near-surface, regolith-hosted REE mineralization in the Albany-Fraser Orogen which has the potential to complement REE production from the giant Mount Weld carbonatite and other monazite-sand deposits in Western Australia. Widespread near-surface, regolith-hosted REE mineralization is present over an area of 12,000 km2 in the Esperance District. As much of this area is beneath barren Eocene-aged cover clays, all the new REE discoveries have been made, and are being delineated using shallow drilling, to depths of less than 80 m. The exploration implication is that the search space for regolith hosted REE deposits in Western Australia remains immature. These recently discovered deposits have both similarities and contrasts with geological features of ionic clay hosted REE deposits in China. Similarities include their apparent paragenesis and geometry, particularly their blanket morphology, sub-horizontal and gentle dips, and the common, but not exclusive, relationship with felsic basement terranes. However, Western Australian prospects are related to Upper Cretaceous to Eocene climates rather than more recent weathering under sub-tropical conditions. Whether the deposits can be developed to production remains unclear, with project economics tied closely to the efficacy of mineral processing technologies that target high REE extraction rates and recoveries.

Viability of investing in ecological infrastructure in South Africa’s water supply areas

Ecological infrastructure (natural ecosystems that provide important services and save on built infrastructure costs) can have an important role in securing water supply, particularly in water-scarce areas, but this importance is not reflected in investment decisions, partly due to a lack of evidence. In South Africa, one of the main threats to water supply is the proliferation of woody invasive alien plants which significantly reduce stream flow and water yields. We used existing spatial data and estimates of the impact of woody invasive plants on flows and water yields and on restoration costs to analyse the viability of investing in ecological infrastructure at the scale of major water supply areas. The analysis involved comparison of the costs and effects on water yields of catchment restoration with those of planned built infrastructure interventions designed to meet increasing water demands in the medium to long term. The cost-effectiveness analysis used the unit reference value as a measure of comparison, which is based on the discounted flows of costs and water supplied over a defined time. Restoration could supply 24% of the combined yield of planned built infrastructure interventions by 2050, and is not only cost-effective but has the added advantage of a range of co-benefits delivered by improving ecosystem health. This finding suggests that investing in ecological infrastructure should be considered ahead of new built-infrastructure projects.

Using 5TE Sensors for Monitoring Moisture Conditions in Green Parks.

The ground surface and subsurface of green parks in arid and desert areas may be subjected to desiccation as a result of weather and hot temperatures. It is not wise to wait until plants are turning pale and yellow before watering is resumed. Given the scarcity of water in typical desert zones, we recommend full control of irrigation water. This study presents a method of recycling irrigation water using 5TE sensors, employing time-domain reflectometry (TDR) technology. A trial test section was constructed along the coast of the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Water recycling involves using clay-sand liners placed below the top agricultural soils to intercept excess water and direct it towards a collection tank, and then it is pumped out to a major water supply tank. The main properties of soils and clay-sand liners normally taken into account include moisture content, density, and hydraulic conductivity. An assessment of geotechnical properties of clay-sand mixtures containing 20% clay content was conducted. The profiles of moisture and temperature changes were monitored using 5TE sensors and data loggers. The 5TE sensors provided continuous measurements at varying temperatures and watering cycles. Twenty-nine watering cycles were conducted over a six-month period. An additional section was considered with a liner consisting of the same clay but enhanced with bentonite as one-third of the clay content. The volumetric water content was found to vary from 0.150 to 0.565 following changing weather and direct watering cycles. The results indicated that the use of a TDR instrumentation is a cost-effective and time-saving technique to construct a system for saving irrigation water.

Revenue sharing contract in competitive supply chain network coordination: location based on VMI policy and bullwhip effect

Online shopping advances have made the timely delivery of goods to the place of the buyer a necessity. This study considers a significant and rival supplier with a retailer network, and we use Stackelberg game to solve the problem. The major supplier (the leader) is connected to retailers and covers their orders through a Vendor Management Inventory policy and revenue-sharing contract. The major supplier pays fines in case of any shortage, and minimises the loss of retailers in the network through good warehouse locations. The rival supplier (the follower) signs contract with some retailers encouraging them to receive their orders to achieve higher utility. Hence, the expected utility function of both suppliers is calculated, and their strategies are measured at the equilibrium point in a zero-one model. Furthermore, a better view of major decisions by using bullwhip effect (BWE) analysis in the competition between main and rival suppliers is done. Results indicate a lower BWE when the actual order of the retailer equals the retailer's order from the supplier's perspective, and the demand variance ratio is less than the contracts’ profit variance ratio. Moreover, it is possible to control the demands variance ratio by controlling the ratio of contracts’ profit.

Antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes, and ESBL (Extended SpectrumBeta-Lactamase) production analysis in E. coli strains from the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

The Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River is used as a major water supply for diverse recreational, household, and industrial activities in Northeast Tamaulipas, Mexico, and South Texas. In this study, we sampled surface water from 38 sites along Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River (Díaz Ordaz, Reynosa and Matamoros). We isolated 105 E. coli strains that were molecularly and phenotypically characterized. The percentage of virulence genes detected in E. coli were: hlyA (15.23%), stx2 (11.42%), stx1 (9.52%), bfp (0.95%), and eae (0.0) and combinations of stx1/stx2 (2.85%), stx2/hlyA (1.90%), stx1/bfp (0.95%) and stx2/bfp (0.95%) were detected in these strains. Resistance to more than one antibiotic was detected in 85.71%, and 5.71% of strains were extended-spectrum β-lactamase-E. coli (ESBL-EC). These results indicate the presence of potentially pathogenic E. coli strains in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River; therefore, it can be considered a reservoir of pathogenic strains and represents a health risk for the population.

Evaluating the bulk commodities supply risk from the perspective of physical trade

Geopolitical conflicts, trade barriers, and other factors pose great risks to the stable supply of bulk commodities; however, cross-country and inter-temporal assessments and comparisons of various bulk commodity supply risks from the physical trade perspective are still lacking. This gap hinders a holistic understanding of global resource security and further appropriate policy formulation. Based on the Net Positive Import share, the Worldwide Governance Indicator (WGI), and the Bilateral Relationship Indicator which was innovatively quantified using the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT) this study evaluated 32 bulk commodity supply risks (including agricultural products, metals, and energy fuels) in China, Japan, and the USA for the period 1992–2019. We found that the three countries have experienced different supply risk evolutions related to their diverse domestic resource endowments and socioeconomic developmental stages. During the study period, China had increasing supply risks for 20 of the 32 bulk commodities compared to 10 for Japan and the USA. The overall bulk commodity supply risk increased substantially for China, remained high for Japan, and remained relatively low for the USA. Under increasing global trade system uncertainty, in addition to the supply diversification strategy, we advise net importer countries to utilise news media data such as GDELT to monitor and analyse geopolitical changes, especially for major suppliers, which would help improve resilience to supply disruptions.

An extensive investigation into the bioactive component of breast milk, lactation, and clinical application of Galactagogues: A review

Nowadays, people are becoming more and more conscious of the link between nutrition, diet, and health. This bond is established from birth. In addition to being thought of as the finest nutrition for a newborn to preserve its physical and nutritional well-being, breastfeeding is usually seen as the best choice for a baby during the early stages of life. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises breastfeeding exclusively for six months, after which the mother and child may decide to continue nursing in addition to introducing supplemental meals for the remainder of the baby's first year or beyond. Since breast milk includes a variety of bioactive ingredients, including proteins, vitamins, nucleotides, oligosaccharides, immunoglobulin, and some minerals, it is often regarded as the major nutritional supply for babies. A crucial opportunity for intervention to improve breastfeeding success is when inadequate supply of breast milk is often identified as the primary reason for early breastfeeding cessation. When non-drug breastfeeding support approaches fail to improve a persistently poor milk production, mothers frequently turn to drugs called galactagogues for assistance. Galactagogues function by interfering with the complex hormonal balance that controls breastfeeding, specifically with regard to prolactin and oxytocin. The available data about the effectiveness and safety of pharmacological treatments for lactation insufficiency is assessed in this narrative review. The majority of research has focused on the use of domperidone, and studies have indicated that there are modest short-term improvements for breast milk production. While there is less evidence supporting metoclopramide safety and efficacy than there is for domperidone, metoclopramide functions similarly to domperidone, thus in the event that domperidone is ineffective, it may be a good alternative for therapy. Lack of information on alternative medicines, such as metformin, oxytocin, prolactin, and herbal remedies, renders their clinical usage unreasonable. The study points out important gaps in the data and makes recommendations for possible future research topics related to galactagogues' impact on nursing.

The impact of social capital on major customer supply chain power

We investigate the impact of regional social capital on firms' ability to attain bargaining power over their supply chain partners. Using ordinary least squares and instrumental variables estimations, we find a positive relationship between firm-level supply chain power and US county-level social capital. Additionally, we observe this positive effect to be stronger for firms in durable goods manufacturing and the services industry, but not for nondurable goods manufacturers. We conclude that firms headquartered in US counties with high social capital are preferred by suppliers, resulting in greater supply chain power.

Risk management maturity and robustness in the Chinese manufacturing supply chain: a comparison study across organisational cultures

ABSTRACT Chinese manufacturing, a major engine of the world economy, has been at the heart of the challenge of major global supply chain disruptions. This research explores the relationships among different dimensions of supply chain risk management maturity and supply chain robustness in Chinese manufacturing organisations. A structural equation model is developed and tested based on the participation of 296 supply chain managers. Based on the Competing Values Framework, four different culture groups are assessed to determine whether the relationships differ by culture type. While all model relationships were found to be significant and positive across the culture groups, the weights associated with certain relationships were significantly different. The adoption of the proposed framework could bring the benefit of a more comprehensive evaluation of supply chain risk management maturity, as well as the identification of both strengths and areas where improvements may be necessary for achieving supply chain robustness.

Seasonal patterns of nonstructural carbohydrate storage and mobilization in two tree species with distinct life-history traits.

Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) are essential for tree growth and adaptation, yet our understanding of the seasonal storage and mobilization dynamics of whole-tree NSC is still limited, especially when tree functional types are involved. Here, Quercus acutissima Carruth. and Pinus massoniana Lamb, with distinct life-history traits (i.e. a deciduous broadleaf species vs an evergreen coniferous species), were studied to assess the size and seasonal fluctuations of organ and whole-tree NSC pools with a focus on comparing differences in carbon resource mobilization patterns between the two species. We sampled the organs (leaf, branch, stem and root) of the target trees repeatedly over four seasons of the year. Then, NSC concentrations in each organ were paired with biomass estimates from the allometric model to generate whole-tree NSC pools. The seasonal dynamics of the whole-tree NSC of Q. acutissima and P. massoniana reached the peak in autumn and summer, respectively. The starch pools of the two species were supplemented in the growing season while the soluble sugar pools were the largest in the dormant season. Seasonal dynamics of organ-level NSC concentrations and pools were affected by organ type and tree species, with above-ground organs generally increasing during the growing season and P. massoniana roots decreasing during the growing season. In addition, the whole-tree NSC pools of P. massoniana were larger but Q. acutissima showed larger seasonal fluctuations, indicating that larger storage was not associated with more pronounced seasonal fluctuations. We also found that the branch and root were the most dynamic organs of Q. acutissima and P. massoniana, respectively, and were the major suppliers of NSC to support tree growth activities. These results provide fundamental insights into the dynamics and mobilization patterns of NSC at the whole-tree level, and have important implications for investigating environmental adaptions of different tree functional types.

The Market Trend Analysis of the MLCC Industry

With the advancement of science and technology, multilayer ceramic capacitors are playing an increasingly important role in electronic products. In this article, we will analyze the market size and competitive landscape of MLCC, as well as their expected development. This article will analyze the growth of the MLCC market by collecting historical and forecast data and identify the major manufacturers and suppliers by surveying the competitive landscape. Finally, the technological innovation advantages of the industry are studied and discussed, and the application scenarios are analyzed. In the fourth part, four MLCC manufacturers will be listed, namely Fenghua Advanced Technology, Sanhuan Group, Murata, and Yageo. Finally, it can be seen that the competition among manufacturers in the MLCC industry is still fierce, and it is developing rapidly in emerging fields. In addition, MLCC products tend to be miniaturized, lightweight, high capacitance, high frequency, and high temperature resistance. Through research, it can help investors better formulate market strategies, provide government regulators with suggestions for the development of the MLCC industry, and serve product development and market expansion, to promote technological innovation and healthy and sustainable development of the industry.

Supporting tactical harvest planning decisions of major fruits through a multi-objective modeling approach by using exact methods

An important stage of the agri-food supply chain is production (agricultural practices and harvesting), where relevant decisions are made in a short period of intensive activity. Regarding the major fruit supply chain, the complexity of these decisions increases because most fruit export companies manage several orchards with different fruit species and varieties. Moreover, the amount of labor and resources must be estimated at least two months in advance of the harvest so that they can be relied upon during the harvest season. In this study, a multi-objective modeling approach for supporting tactical harvest planning decisions of major fruits is developed, aiming to evidence its adequacy and to identify different harvest plans according to the prioritized objectives. Therefore, a multi-objective linear programming (MOLP) model, which considers three conflicting objectives, is proposed. The three objectives correspond to minimizing harvest costs, fruit loss and harvest days. For solving the MOLP model, five a posteriori multi-objective exact methods are compared using a synthetic instance based on a real case. The Pareto frontiers obtained by these methods are analyzed using three metrics related to accuracy, cardinality, and diversity criteria, so that the most suitable method can be selected. Thus, the selected method is applied to an actual case study of a Chilean fruit export company. In addition, the ε-constraint method is used in this case study to compare the obtention of non-dominated solutions in the convex and non-convex regions of the Pareto frontier. The results show that harvest plans vary significantly according to the prioritization of the objective functions. Thus, the percentage difference between each objective function’s worst and best values is around 497% when the harvest costs are minimized, around 1,448% when the fruit loss is minimized, and around 18% when the number of harvest days is minimized. In addition, the adequacy of the multi-objective approach rather than the mono-objective approach to support tactical harvest planning decisions is demonstrated. Furthermore, a scenario analysis for considering changes in the harvest periods is carried out by considering three possible scenarios. This analysis is required because these periods can change every year due to different factors, such as weather conditions and agricultural practices, among others. The results show that the harvest costs and fruit loss increase, on average, 87% and 100%, respectively, when the harvest period is short, that is, one day. Finally, managerial insights about the information obtained by the MOLP model are discussed.

Incidence of avascular necrosis of native femur following hip transposition surgery for periacetabular malignancies: a single-centre experience.

Hip transposition surgery after surgical resection of large pelvic tumours is a well-established alternate to endoprosthetic reconstruction. The major goals of surgery are to ensure adequate resection margins with limb salvation, albeit with acceptable levels of morbidity. While surveillance is aimed at diagnosing local recurrence or distant metastasis primarily, other complications may occasionally be seen.The aim of this study was to assess incidence of avascular necrosis (AVN) in the preserved native femoral heads after hip transposition surgery for periacetabular malignancies, also known as hanging hip surgery. Patient records and follow-up imaging of 22 patients who had undergone hanging hip surgery from 1999 to 2020 were retrospectively analysed to assess for any probable causes of AVN. Of the 22 patients, 5 (22.7%) had developed AVN on follow-up with a mean time of onset of about 10.5 months from surgery (5 months-2 years). A review of the patient demographics, surgical notes, preoperative management did not offer any clues as to the cause of AVN in these patients. Osteopenia was the most common radiological finding (59%) in most patients, but this also did not herald AVN onset. The theory that loss of major vascular supply to the femoral head from capsular disruption during hip transposition surgery would lead to AVN in most patients did not hold true as AVN occurred in a small number of patients.

In Situ Measurement of Oil Reservoir and Oil Layers by Fluorescence Technique in a Ball-on-Disc Test Rig

Abstract The major oil supply for the ball-on-disc contact is provided by the lubricating oil reservoir and the oil ridges; however, the regularity of their changes has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, the laser-induced fluorescence technique was adopted to determine the film distribution of the oil reservoir and the layer thickness of the oil ridges on the free surface. It clearly depicts the changes in the oil reservoir and reveals the mechanism of the oil reflow surrounding the contact region under various driving actions. The results may give a new perspective and a fuller understanding of the lubricating oil supply by revealing additional information about the oil supply surrounding the contact region.

Vulnerability Index to COVID-19 for Brazilian States

This present article brings a vulnerability index to COVID-19 for Brazilian states. The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest since the great flu of 1918, and Brazil, which already has major supply limitations in health provision, is experiencing additional stress on the health system caused by the excess demand caused by the pandemic. Thus, this index is composed of a weighted average of state indicators, which are human development index (HDI), net current revenue per capita, health expenditure per capita, percentage of households with more than six residents, percentage of elderly population, access to basic sanitation, total population, the number of ICUs and the number of doctors and respirators per hundred thousand inhabitants. The results indicate that the states best placed in the vulnerability ranking are the Federal District and São Paulo, while the states with the worst ranking are Alagoas and Amapá. In the medium term, there is an association between the number of accumulated cases and the hospital vulnerability index. The same association exists, although at a lower level, between the hospital vulnerability index and the number of deaths per capita.