Production Chain Research Articles

Enhancing Urban–Rural Integration in China: A Comparative Case Study of Introducing Small Rural Industries in Huangyan-Taizhou

Strengthening urban–rural linkages (URLs) has been proposed by UN-Habitat within the framework of ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ to narrow down urban–rural differences via shaping new urban–rural relationships. Like URL, the aim of urban–rural integration (URI) has been promoted by the Chinese government since 2019 to address existing urban–rural divides. This concept underlines the ‘rural revitalisation’ strategy and emphasises a two-way flow of urban–rural development factors. Introducing and upgrading ‘appropriate’ rural industries is crucial to stimulate and facilitate the circulation of urban–rural development factors. This research studied three neighbouring villages, situated in urban–rural interface areas in Huangyan-Taizhou, China, each driven by different types of small industries supported by URI. It analyses the impact of small rural industries on the flow of development factors between urban and rural areas. The results showed that small-scale rural industries have been enhanced URL by decreasing urban–rural differences by creating new job opportunities to attract an in-flow population, increasing investments, and upgrading public services and infrastructure. Indigenous industries demonstrated lower profitability but exhibited greater resilience compared to industries linked to global production chains and rural tourism. Thus, this study demonstrates the imperative to carefully consider the opportunities and potential risks associated with pursuing strategies of URI through rural industry development. By providing empirical insights from URI projects in China, this study contributes to theoretical and policy dialogues concerning the concepts of both URL and URI by exploring the localization of SDGs. Furthermore, it offers valuable practical knowledge and experience for other global regions confronting similar challenges to urban and rural development.

Enhancing multi-facility manufacturing resilience through integrated product and supply chain network design

This paper presents an integrated approach for joint decision-making in reliable product design and resilient supply chain network design within a two-echelon capacitated network. Our methodology simultaneously addresses two crucial decisions faced by manufacturing industry by integrating the design processes of modular products and their supply chain networks, allowing for multiple production facilities and product variants. Through redundancy allocation, we optimize product reliability within production facilities while considering component sourcing from multiple suppliers. Our approach employs three resilience strategies—multi-sourcing, supplier fortification, and backup supplier contracting—to enhance supply chain resilience against disruptions. A case study solved using a genetic algorithm demonstrates the effectiveness of different resilience strategy combinations in achieving various levels of production resilience. This research offers insights into integrated decision-making for enhancing product reliability and supply chain resilience, thereby providing valuable guidance for industry practitioners. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis highlights the framework’s capability to minimize total costs by prioritizing resilient designs and strategically investing in resilience strategies as costs of production shortage increase. This analysis underscores the interconnected nature of product and supply chain network design decisions in mitigating disruptions and enhancing production resilience.

Hybrid Fabrication of Zirconia Parts with Smooth Surface Texture and Tight Tolerances

The conventional manufacturing chain for technical ceramics is too expensive for the production of small series or unique parts with complex designs. Hybrid machines that combine additive and subtractive processes can be an interesting solution to overcome this technology lock-in. However, despite the great interest in hybrid machines for metallic parts, there is a lack of data in the literature when it comes to ceramics. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to closing this gap. It is the first to evaluate the achievable geometrical tolerances according to ISO 2768-2 as well as the surface textures of composite zirconia parts shaped sequentially by pellet additive manufacturing (PAM, from ceramic injection molding feedstock) and finish milling. The green parts were then debinded and sintered to analyze the influence of these steps. Compared to the initial green parts, the sintered parts exhibited shiny and smooth surfaces with sharp edges. Flatness, parallelism and perpendicularity all achieved an H (fine) class, while the surface textures were significantly improved, resulting in arithmetic roughness (Ra) below 1.6 µm.

Environmental certifications in Brazilian aquaculture

AbstractEnvironmental certificates in aquaculture are becoming important market tools throughout the world. However, there are important regional and national differences, and Brazil, due to the low number of certified companies, deserves specific research. A preliminary analysis of the Brazilian aquaculture market shows a large market with strong growth and more than 25 cultivated species, but where 80% of the turnover is focused on tilapia, tambaqui, and white shrimp, primarily targeting the domestic market with very few exceptions to the external market. These particular conditions seem to explain the low number of certified aquaculture companies, even when compared to other countries in the region with similar or smaller aquaculture industries. This study interviewed managers from 80 companies in the Brazilian aquaculture production chain, including all certified companies. The results seem to be in line with previous studies conducted in different parts of the world. The main benefits associated with aquaculture certifications are access to new markets and production improvement, while the main barriers to certification are high costs, lack of awareness, bureaucracy, or lack of government support. Certified Brazilian aquaculture companies share similar characteristics among themselves but differ from most companies in Brazil; they are all large-scale firms, mainly related to tilapia production and oriented towards the international market. The low number of certified companies seems to be linked to the large demand for aquatic products in Brazil that even Brazilian aquaculture firms cannot satisfy.

Actors Synergy Model of The Ummah Economic Development Zone

The Ummah Economic Development Zone (ZPEU) is an initiative by the Kedah State Zakat Board (LZNK) through the paddy estate project, focusing on empowering farmers among the Asnaf in the agricultural sector. To strengthen the development of ZPEU, building strategic relationships among institutions involved in the rice production chain is a key strategy for increasing crop yields and improving the living standards of Asnaf. This paper aims to develop a synergy model for strategic relationships between stakeholders in the ZPEU project. This model fosters an environment where community and innovation can flourish, engaging all parties to create new jobs and enhance the standard of living for local communities through new products and services.

Value Chain in the Production of Sacha Inchi Oil (<i>Plukenetia volubilis</i> L.) in Cuba

The seeds of Sacha Inchi (<i>Plukenetia volubilis</i> L.) contain vitamins, tocopherols and fatty acids, and are a natural source of omegas 3, 6 and 9. The crop was introduced in Cuba in 2016, by the Research Center on Proteic Plants and Bionatural Products (CIPB) and has been extended to currently reach 120 ha. Since 2019, a group from CIPB has been working to extract the oil from the seeds, which has proven nutritional values, pharmacological effects and safety, and also on its marketing. The aim was analyze the results of application of manage model as value chain during the two first years to produce Sacha Inchi oil in Cuba. The management model with a value chain approach, as an organizational innovation, favored the development of completely new products and the use of wastes from the main process, which is extracting the oil. In the different links of the chain, known technologies and process and product innovations have been applied. In the productive and commercial activity, the co-innovation with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNIC) stands out, by achieving a productive chain, which guarantees the production of soft oil capsules, which offers greater reliability and attractive appearance compared to other pharmaceutical forms. Reference is made to the experimental evidence that supports the Standard Operating Procedures, to the economic benefits for national sales and exports, to the social impacts and the environmental perspective. All of the above constitutes a scientific novelty for Cuba, since it is the first time that Sacha Inchi is cultivated, industrial oil is obtained from its seeds and it is marketed in the country.

Reporting Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis in a Hybrid Media Environment: How Citizen Journalists and Traditional Media Collaborate and Compete

ABSTRACT This study examined how Cameroonian legacy media and citizen journalists have collaborated or competed to report on the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon since October 2016. Using Chadwick’s hybrid media system theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 41 Cameroonian legacy media reporters, editors and citizen journalists. The results show that when reporting on political crises, new relationships are established between legacy media and citizen journalists that grow into formalised collaborations. Mainstream media reporters and citizen journalists either collaborate or compete to report on the crisis. Some citizen journalists both cooperate with traditional media and run their own reporting platforms, while professional journalists working for established media outlets create platforms of their own to freely report issues that would otherwise be censored on traditional media outlets. The findings reveal professional journalists acknowledge the important role of citizen journalists but are cautious about fully collaborating with them at every stage of the news production chain.

Catalytic Hydroxyethylation of Phenols with Renewable Ethylene Glycol Diester as an Alternative to Ethylene Oxide

AbstractPolyol esters are abundant bio‐based resources. Integration of polyol esters into the production chain of fine chemicals would reduce carbon emissions and improve the sustainability of the chemical industry. An efficient synthetic route to phenoxyethanols was developed through catalytic hydroxyethylation of phenols with ethylene glycol diacetate as the reagent. This method showed the potential of ethylene glycol diester as a safe and sustainable substitute for ethylene oxide, a useful but toxic reagent. A variety of phenoxyethanol esters were produced in high yield under simple catalytic conditions. Mechanistic studies revealed that the reaction underwent a neighboring group participation process.

Profile of cattle breed sensitivity to the tick Rhipicephalus microplus

Among cattle, Bos taurus breeds and their crosses are more sensitive to tick infestations than Bos indicus breeds that are more resistant to infestation and more adaptable to tropical climates. The presence of susceptible individuals in herds and inadequate tick control lead to direct and indirect losses in the meat production chain, in addition to increased mortality due to cattle tick fever. The objective of this study was to describe, compare and rank the sensitivity of different breeds of stabled cattle to the tick Rhipicephalus microplus and to present, as an innovative result, a scale called the Tick Ruler. Secondary data on the number of retrieved engorged females, engorged female ticks’ weight, egg mass weight and number of larvae were extracted from research reports of experiments conducted over 18 years with eight breeds to describe and report the sensitivity of the breeds to artificial infestation by R. microplus larvae. For analyses, the recovery rate of engorged female ticks and the percentile of dispersion of individuals in their respective races were calculated, and comparison of these percentiles between races was performed. The ranking of the percentiles resulted in the organization of the breeds by their susceptibility to R. microplus; we call this scale the “Tick Ruler.” The ruler is a simple, easy-to-understand tool that can be used by technicians and producers to evaluate the tick sensitivity of a breed of interest and can assist producers in decision-making to find a balance between increased production gains and the risk of economic losses depending on the breed composition in a cattle herd.

Bioactives of the essential oil from the leaves of Eugenia pyriformis Cambess (Myrtaceae) on the effects of tobacco.

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and the main cause of cancer death, usually related to cigarette smoking. Furthermore, the microbiota of people exposed to cigarette smoke can be modified, making it difficult to eliminate opportunistic microorganisms. The leaves of Eugenia pyriformis are a by-product of fruit production and, to date, there have been no studies addressing the antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Investigate the antimicrobial, Nitric Oxide (NO)-production inhibition, and antiproliferative activities of the essential oil from E. pyriformis leaves and its possible effect on the treatment and prevention of damage caused by tobacco. The essential oil (EO) was obtained by hydrodistillation (3h). Its chemical composition was investigated by GC-MS. It was proposed to investigate antiproliferative activity against human tumor cell lines, namely, breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), lung (NCI-H460), cervical (HeLa), and hepatocellular (HepG2) carcinomas. A non-tumor primary culture from pig liver (PLP2) was also tested. The EO capacity to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production was evaluated by a lipopolysaccharide stimulated murine macrophage cell line. Antibacterial and antifungal activities against opportunistic pathogens were investigated against seven strains of bacteria and eight fungi. The results indicated the presence of 23 compounds in the essential oil, the majority were spathulenol (45.63%) and β-caryophyllene oxide (12.72%). Leaf EO provided 50% inhibition of nitric oxide production at a concentration of 92.04µgmL-1. The EO also demonstrated antiproliferative activity against all human tumor cell lines studied, with GI50 values comprised between 270.86 and 337.25µgmL-1. The essential oil showed antimicrobial potential against the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes (Murray et al.) Pirie (NCTC 7973) and Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 13311 (MIC 1870µgmL-1) and fungi Aspergillus versicolor ATCC 11730, Aspergillus ochraceus ATCC 12066, Penicillium ochrochloron ATCC 90288, Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium (Westling) Samson, Stolk & Hadlok (food isolate) (MIC 1870µgmL-1) and Trichoderma viride Pers. IAM 5061 (1,400µg mL-1). The demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial activities in the leaves of E. pyriformis can add value to the production chain of this plant, being a possible option for preventing and combating cancer, including lung cancer.

Dynamic interactions among new energy metals and price adjustment strategies: A cross-industry chain perspective

Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel are the most important new energy metals for energy transition. Their rapid increasing demand drives significant prices fluctuations, often causing simultaneous extensive price spikes in several products among their industry chains, reflecting their interaction nature. This paper first reconstructs products price interaction network among the Lithium–Cobalt–Nickel cross-industry chains to analyze their dynamic interactions. By applying network structural control theory, we then simulate three price reduction scenarios under high price volatility. Product price adjustment difficulties are quantified and distinct adjustment patterns are identified. Our results demonstrate substantial intra-chain and cross-chain dynamic interactions among products, particularly within the nickel chain. Products like the midstream product electrolytic nickel, downstream products Nickel Plate and Nickel exhibit intense interactions with others. Adjusting the prices of 17 key products proves effective in stabilizing the entire system. Electrolytic cobalt and lithium cobaltate always require significant adjustment efforts for most products during high-levels, expect for the nickel ore and some products in lithium chain where they are not critical. Lithium cobaltate always follows a U-shape adjustment pattern, while electrolytic cobalt follows a ∩-shape pattern. When the entire nickel industry chain experiences sharp price increases, the largest adjustment efforts are required to turn down prices.

NEW FACTORS AND PREREQUISITES FOR THE ECONOMIC ZONING OF RUSSIA

Economic zoning in the USSR was focused on the practical tasks, first of all, comprehensive planning for the long-term development of the national economy. In the 1990s, with the beginning of radical political and economic transformations in the country, the economic zoning lost its practical significance. However, even under market economy, the objective processes of territorial division of labor, industrial and technological connectivity of enterprises and companies still persist, as well as, agglomeration processes. Recently, new factors and prerequisites for the growing importance of economic zoning have emerged, such as the restoration of multilevel strategic planning, changes in the geopolitical situation of the country’s development and the need to achieve industrial and technological sovereignty. With this background it seems that the need to take into account the objective processes of complex formation and district formation, and to perform a new multi-level economic zoning of Russia on this basis sharply increases. The article provides a possible scheme of seven large economic regions and 22 mesorayons. The main links of production and technological chains and priority activities are identified for the large regions. Such zoning could be useful for the long-term planning of sustainable development of the country and its regions.

Fire4CAST – a new integrative epidemiological forecasting model for the accurate prediction of infection risk and effective control of fire blight in Pyrus orchards

AbstractFire blight disease, caused by Erwinia amylovora is present worldwide and affects over 40 countries in Europe where it is listed as a quarantine or regulated pest often due to ineffective control strategies maladapted to the respective production systems. In Portugal, the disease was confirmed in 2010 and the occurrence of disease outbreaks in new production areas has risen over the years. The disease affects the national production of apple and pear fruits, with greater impact on the national pear variety ‘Rocha’, widely exported to European countries and Brazil. The mild temperatures and high relative humidity promote the progression of the disease during winter, revealing the potential activity of the bacterium in the latency period (LP) of the host. Infection alert risk using the established predictive models Maryblight TM, Cougarblight and BIS98 was put in place in 2013 by Centro Operativo e Tecnológico Hortofrutícola Nacional (COTHN). These attempts to control the spread of this disease, showed low accuracy for the Portuguese epidemiological reality. Within the framework of project Fire4CAST we developed a new epidemiological model to predict fire blight disease using a systems biology approach integrating microbiological, cytological and genomic pathogen data with phenological host development and climatic variables. The presence of E. amylovora was monitored in orchards with fire blight history using standard laboratory tests. Simultaneously, the implementation of immune-flow cytometry (IFCM) highlighted the viability of E. amylovora populations prevailing during winter and early spring, long before bloom risk period. The integration of the whole data set allowed the development of the Fire4CAST predictive model, able to monitor the expected infection date (EID) and to define accurate outbreak alarms. Fire4CAST model enabled the detection of outbreak risk during winter based on rules that consider climatic data variables, which were validated by effective presence of live and active E. amylovora populations and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) data, accomplishing a precision rate of 83%. Field application of Fire4CAST can hopefully guide the implementation of successful control strategies, leading to more sustainable pome chain production areas.

The Potential of Multi-Screening Methods and Omics Technologies to Detect Both Regulated and Emerging Mycotoxins in Different Matrices.

Mycotoxins are well-known secondary metabolites produced by several fungi that grow and occur in different crops during both pre-harvest and post-harvest conditions. The contamination and occurrence of mycotoxins currently represent some of the major issues in the entire agri-food system. The quantification of mycotoxins in different feeds and foodstuffs is extremely difficult because of the low concentration ranges; therefore, both sample collection and preparation are essential to providing accurate detection and reliable quantification. Currently, several analytical methods are available for the detection of mycotoxins in both feed and food products, and liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) represents the most reliable instrumental approach. In particular, the fast development of high-throughput methods has made it possible to screen and analyze, in the same analytical run and with high accuracy, multiple mycotoxins, such as those regulated, masked, or modified, and emerging ones. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of the state of the art of mycotoxins occurrence, health-related concerns, and analyses, discussing the need to perform multi-screening approaches combined with omics technologies to simultaneously analyze several mycotoxins in different feed and food matrices. This approach is expected to provide more comprehensive information about the profile and distribution of emerging mycotoxins, thus enhancing the understanding of their co-occurrence and impact on the entire production chain.

Prolonged multi‐country outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes ST173 linked to consumption of fish products

Abstract Between 2012 and 2024, a prolonged outbreak of 73 cases of L. monocytogenes ST173 infections (‘My2’ ‐cluster) has been ongoing in Belgium (5), Czechia (1), Germany (39), Finland (2), Italy (1), the Netherlands (20), and the United Kingdom (UK) (5). Fourteen deaths have been recorded as associated with this outbreak. Males aged over 60 years represent the most affected population group. Most patients with available information from case interviews report consuming various fish products before illness. Among 73 cases, an ongoing ‘My2’ sub‐cluster 1 was identified with 38 cases reported in six EU countries and the UK. The ‘My2’ sub‐cluster 1 includes 83 non‐human isolates, of which 48 are food isolates and six are environmental isolates with traceability data corresponding to 37 fish products (different typologies) and 12 fish manufacturers (located in six EU countries and one third country). The epidemiological and traceability information did not allow identification of a single common point or food business operator in the traceability of all products. Five countries reported the implementation of control measures. The whole genome analysis (WGS) analysis, the tracing evidence, and the detection in fish products between 2017 and 2024 suggest that the strain has been geographically spread in Europe for several years, most likely originated from a past single source high up in the production chain, and has been established in different fish processing plants. Overall, the evidence supports the hypothesis of fish products as the vehicle of infections. Given the detection of the outbreak strain in multiple types of fish products and its wide circulation in the EU/EEA fish production chain, new cases are likely to be reported. Corrective measures should be implemented in the plants where the contamination is detected, and further investigations should be carried out to identify the point of entry and prevent possible re‐contamination.

Factors that Affect the Quality of Olive Oil Produced Using Olives from Traditional Orchards in the Middle East

Traditional olive (Olea europaea) orchards have been grown for thousands of years and still occupy most of the world’s cultivated olive areas. To compete with olive oil produced in the higher-yielding intensive orchards, the oil from traditional orchards must be of high quality. We evaluated oil quality—potential and actual (under commercial conditions)—and tested the stages in the production chain that are likely to reduce oil quality in the traditional sector in the Middle East region. Our findings show a clear negative impact of growers’ traditional practices on both the chemical and sensory characteristics of olive oil. The oil originating from the commercial process had higher free fatty acid and lower polyphenol and carotenoid contents, lower stability, lower pungency, lower fruitiness, lower bitterness, and a higher prevalence of organoleptic defects than oil that originated from fruit picked from the same trees during the experimental procedure. The current common harvesting technique of pole beating significantly increased fruit injury and fruit with mold, leading to a reduction in oil polyphenols and an increase in free fatty acid levels compared with those resulting from manual picking. In addition, after harvest, storing the fruit for more than 48 hours in plastic bags dramatically reduced the oil quality. The traditional olive orchard could be a source of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. However, fruit handling—from the trees until the end of the oil extraction process—is performed incorrectly, thus adversely affecting the oil quality.

Hydrogen corridors in Europe: strategies and countries involved

The European Union and other countries worldwide have identified fossil-free hydrogen as a key resource for implementing the transition to a low-carbon economy. The European Commission, which had already emphasised the importance of the hydrogen economy within the Green Deal Industrial Plan, has recently quantified the import target for 2030, 2024, and 2050. Unlike oil and gas reserves, renewable energy and green hydrogen have numerous potential producing or supplying countries; therefore, identifying trading partners requires several research and policy initiatives and the adoption of both technoeconomic and political criteria. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prospect for the development of future hydrogen energy corridors and how European states are organising their political and transport strategies. These strategies design international transport and logistics chains that include the entire hydrogen value chain (production, export, storage and consumption). A new transport and logistics structure is expected for the energy distribution of this vector. Networks and transport nodes will be substantially involved in anticipation of an increase in demand for this type of energy carrier, both in the vicinity of ports, due to industrial demand, and within ports, for the transport and storage of this resource, assuming the increasingly central role of energy hubs and making their role more and more complex, going beyond the classic connotation of intermodal nodes.

“Se a gente tivesse direito, não teria necessidade de estar fazendo manifestação pra nada”: a luta das marisqueiras de Farol de São Thomé, RJ - Brasil contra estereótipos de gênero em políticas públicas

Abstract The work carried out by women in the artisanal fishing production chain is historically invisible, whether in the internal prestige of communities, in fishing management, or in the legal identification of workers. Women's invisibility even incurs the restriction of social security rights, such as the so-called Defeso. Over the years 2018 to 2022, the research investigated the struggle of shellfish gatherers from Farol de São Thomé, a community located in Norte Fluminense, RJ - Brazil, against gender stereotypes present in the public policy entitled Projeto Bolsa Cidadão (PBC), instituted in the municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ from 2000 to 2021. Based on qualitative methodological techniques, such as direct observation in fieldwork, semi-structured interviews, and organization of a focus group, as well as a critical legal-anthropological epistemology, the text seeks to reflect on the dimensions of redistribution, recognition, and female participation in artisanal fishing and concludes that discriminatory blocks restrict or even exclude female workers from accessing social programs. This article results from research funded by the Pescarte Environmental Education Project (PEA), a mitigation measure required by the Federal Environmental Licensing conducted by IBAMA.

Tailoring barrier layers design for haute couture through X-ray microanalysis: Insights and guidelines

Barrier layers against intermetallic diffusion are a fundamental part on engineering electroplated coatings as they improve the lifetime of goods reducing wastes and improving the sustainability of the production chain. This study aims to set a cost-effective methodology to characterize barrier systems by evaluating the effectiveness with a recent approach based on XRF and EDS and characterize the kinetic of diffusion processes with X-ray diffractometry. Several high fashion barrier systems were tested highlighting that anticorrosion systems are not automatically suited as barrier layers for intermetallic diffusion, as opposed to industrial practice. Investigations on gold coatings obtained varying the current density revealed a correlation between the activation energy of the diffusion process, roughness, and crystallite size.

Study of Supply Chain Performance in Food Processing Unit

Abstract: This study investigates the performance of the supply chain within a food processing unit, aiming to identify key factors influencing its efficiency and effectiveness. A survey questionnaire was employed to gather insights from employees across different levels in the chain of procurement, manufacturing, distribution, and operations. The questionnaire was designed to different features of SCM, such as management of inventory, vendor relationships, transportation efficiency, and overall operational performance. The findings of the study highlight several crucial factors affecting the supply chain performance in the food processing unit. Firstly, the analysis reveals the significance of effective inventory management practices in reducing stockouts, minimizing holding costs, and improving order fulfilment rates. Secondly, the study emphasizes the importance of establishing strong and collaborative relationships with vendors to guarantee on-time delivery of material required, as well as mitigates risks associated with supply disruptions