Source Of Supply Research Articles

Simulation of source sink partitioning in wheat under varying nitrogen regimes using DSSAT-CERES-wheat model

Grain yields in wheat can be limited by the assimilate supply (source) or by the carbohydrate demand of the grains (sink). Recently, there have been questions regarding the capability of crop models to simulate the physiology of source-sink interactions in crops; however, crop models scarcely tested with source-sink partitioning. DSSAT_CERES_Wheat model was used with details of field experimental data having treatments of manipulated source (i.e., assimilate supply), sink (i.e., kernel number). The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of different levels of nitrogen and source-sink manipulation on wheat crop and to model source-sink partitioning in wheat under varying N-Regimes and climatic conditions. The experiment was conducted during wheat growing seasons of 2015–16 and 2016–17, at two locations (Islamabad and URF Koont Chakwal), under five different levels of nitrogen and three source sink treatments (Control (100 % RUE), 50 % shading pre-anthesis (50 % RUE), 50 % spike removal i.e. spike halving) using randomized complete block design. Recommended rates of fertilizer were applied with the exception of nitrogen which was 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha−1, while each treatment was replicated thrice. CERES-Wheat model was calibrated using 2015–16 observed data while model was evaluated using two-year field collected data of two sites i.e. Islamabad and Chakwal. The model was able to simulate treatments impacts on phenology (R2, RMSE and d-index values of 0.89, 2.80 days and 0.97 respectively at Islamabad while at Chakwal R2 = 0.89, RMSE = 2.65 days and d-index = 0.94), leaf area index (R2 = 0.94, 0.94, RMSE = 0.51, 0.38 and d-index = 0.98 and 0.92 at Islamabad and Chakwal respectively), biomass (R2 = 0.98, 0.96, RMSE = 370, 450 kg ha−1 and d-index = 0.96 and 0.95 at Islamabad and Chakwal respectively), grain yield (R2 = 0.97,0.96, RMSE = 0.17, 0.2 t ha−1, and d-index = 0.95 and 0.93 at Islamabad and Chakwal respectively), harvest index, soil nitrogen, crop nitrogen and grain nitrogen with good accuracy. The observed range for biomass water use efficiency (BM_WUE) was 34.1–14.5 kg ha−1 mm−1 while grain WUE remained in the range of 10.3–3.7 kg ha−1 mm−1. The results depicted that model could reproduce observed effects of shading and halving the spikes. Crop response to modified radiation use efficiency (RUE) was variable among sites which could be critical for studying crop environment interactions, improving WUE, estimating genetically and atmospheric CO2-related increased RUE, analyzing impact of solar dimming and source manipulations under biotic stress.

Rice Farmgate Price Estimation and Collection Modality in Oromia, Ethiopia

The main aim of this analysis to estimate minimum farmgate price for paddy rice and to indicate paddy rice collection modalities from farmers and provide an overview of current rice production status in Oromia. Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most stable foods and expected to contribute to ensuring food security in Ethiopia. The success of rice production depends somewhat on its high yield potential, processing technologies and marketing facilities. Improving rice production and productivity as well as facilitating its processing and marketing access is therefore one of a key part of the economic growth strategies in the Oromia government’s food self-sufficiency initiatives. Both local production and import are the two key sources of rice grain supply and meet consumption demand of Oromia people. Consumption trends in Oromia as well as in Ethiopia have shown a substantial increase from time to time. Using a quantitative secondary data and a review of existing literature, this study provides an overview of the rice production and estimating the farmgate price of paddy rice. The study stresses the need for estimation of farmgate price, formulation of rice processing technologies and market-enhancing policies, such as supplying and installing rice processing technologies, better access to market facilities and market information and to improve rice productivity.

Species composition and structural organization of the littoral zooplankton communities in the Oleksandrivka Reservoir (Ukraine)

Today, the issue of researching reservoirs, which are an important source of human water supply and are significantly affected by anthropogenic factors, is gaining more and more relevance. Research on the Oleksandrivka Reservoir is highly important since the safety of operation of the South-Ukrainian NPP depends on the functioning of this reservoir. The research material was samples of littoral zooplankton, which is a bioindicator of changes in the aquatic environment. During the research, both classical methods and the original method of standardizing the number and localization of zooplankton sampling stations within different types of reservoir were used. As a result of original research, the species composition and structural organization of littoral zooplankton communities in different parts of the Oleksandrivka Reservoir were analyzed for the first time. A total of 126 species of zooplankton were registered, of which 96 were observed in this reservoir for the first time. The rotifer Euchlanis dapidula was discovered for the first time in the fauna of Ukraine. The peculiarities of the formation of the faunal spectrum, trophic groups, complex of dominant species, distribution of biotopes, distribution in different parts of the reservoir, density, biomass, as well as seasonal and daily dynamics of littoral zooplankton groups were also clarified. It was established that the biomass of phytoplankton has a statistically significant effect on the density and biomass of zooplankton.

Effect of ball milling activation on CO2 mineralization performance in fly ash and fire resistance capabilities of mineralized product

Coal-fired power generation has always been a major energy supply source globally. However, a large amount of CO2 is emitted with the combustion of coal resources, and fly ash, a by-product of coal combustion, is also accumulated in large quantities. The application of CO2 mineralization in fly ash can not only reduce CO2 emission but also effectively manage industrial waste, thereby promoting environmental sustainability. This paper used the mechanical ball milling method to activate fly ash and investigated the effects of ball milling time and speed on the CO2 sequestration in fly ash. At 30 min ball milling time and 400 r/min ball milling speed, the modified fly ash achieves a good CO2 sequestration capacity of 81.70 gCO2/kgFA. Compared with raw fly ash, the CO2 consumption of treated fly ash is higher at 75.41 mmol/mL. The specific surface area and pore volume of treated fly ash are larger at 1.57 m2/g and 4.33 cm3/kg respectively, which is beneficial for enhancing mass transfer capacity and the carbonation effect. As the ratio of mineralized product/coal increases from 0.5 to 4, the crossing-point temperature increases from 157.20 °C to 165.15 °C. Based on the experimental results, the paper discussed the mechanism of ball milling activation to enhance the carbonation effect of fly ash. This study provides theoretical references for the environmentally friendly utilization of fly ash.

APPLICATION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESISTIVITY PARAMETERS IN EVALUATING AQUIFER POTENTIAL AND VULNERABILITY WITHIN KABBA, NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

The study area depends on groundwater as a major source of potable and healthy water supply. However, its occurrence and quality vary with low yield or abortive borehole drilled in some part. Therefore, there is need to properly investigate the geology and groundwater condition of the area using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and Dar Zarrouk parameters. The different rock types identified are migmatite-gneiss, granite-gneiss, schist, and charnockite. Forty (40) VES was carried out which revealed five to four geo-electric layers. These are top soil, lateritic clay, confining weathered basement, weathered/fractured basement aquifers and fresh basement. The types of curves identified are HA and KQ. The average depth to groundwater is 55.00m, this indicate that borehole should be drilled within or above the average depth to avoid later drying of wells. The value of aquifer resistivity and thickness was used to calculate longitudinal conductance, transverse resistance, hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity. The longitudinal conductance varies from poor to good in protective capacity class and revealed that the groundwater is easily exposed to contamination. The aquifer resistivity, thickness with transverse resistance, hydraulic conductivity, and transmissivity were used to classified the groundwater into different zones. The groundwater potential within the study area varies from low to very good with most of the area having moderate potential zones distributed mainly within the migmatite gneiss and the schist. The study area has fractures that can produce water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purpose and the result can be used for proper management of groundwater resources.

AN EFFECTIVE PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF SOYBEAN IMPORTS DEMAND IN EGYPT: IMPACT OF PRICE AND EXPENDITURE

This study empirically analyses the demand for soybean imports from Argentina, the USA, and other countries to Egypt using the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS model) during the period (2001-2021). The model parameters used to calculate the Marshallian elasticities for which the own-price elasticities of soybean imports are 1.175, -0.857, and 0.101 for Argentina, the USA, and other countries, respectively. The cross-price elasticity of soybeans imported from Argentina and the USA are complementary relationships; and the soybeans imported from the USA have a substitutability relationship with other countries. Expenditure elasticities are elastic for soybeans imported from the USA and inelastic for soybeans imported from Argentina. If the expenditure on soybean imports increases by 10%, the soybeans imported from the USA and Argentina will increase by 11.23% and 7.36%, respectively. So, the research suggests that, in order to avoid becoming dependent on a small number of nations, Egypt must diversify the sources of its soybean imports. Additionally, it can lower imports in the future by boosting domestic manufacturing and using a variety of supply sources for goods That alludes to the primary innovation of the research, which is that soybeans imported from the USA have a substitutability relationship with other nations and a complementing cross-price elasticity with soybeans imported from Argentina. Keywords Soybeans, Demand system, AIDS model, Marshallian elasticities, expenditure elasticities.

Formation, speciation, and temporal variability of DBPs in drinking water distribution systems in the context of ASR operations and extended storage periods

As climate change induces changes in water quality and available water quantity of drinking water supply sources, the final product water quality changes in terms of trace organics including disinfection byproducts (DBPs) formed during water treatment. In this study, the seasonal variability and speciation of DBPs across nine sample sites within a drinking water distribution system serving ∼400k people over a one-year period was investigated considering the governing parameters of water quality and treatment/transport/storage of finished water. The system considered treats surface water from a river and practices aquifer storage and recovery to address seasons water availability changes. Eighty-eight (88) sample sets were collected and held for 6-months in the laboratory to simulate extended storage scenarios associated with ASR operations, and each was analyzed at 9 different timesteps for concentration and speciation of chlorinated DBPs. Samples from groundwater influenced sites exhibited significantly lower total organic carbon (TOC) compared to other sites from the river source, and also were observed to have the lowest DBP formation. Three sites exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for four total trihalomethanes (THM4) within 30–60 days of storage. Chloroform was the predominant THM4 species, even in groundwater-influenced locations, whereas di- and tri-chloroacetic acid (DCA and TCA) were the most prevalent haloacetic acids (HAA5). Extended water age at one site, coupled with low initial chlorine concentrations exhibited higher initial THM4 concentrations and flat DBP formation curves. The study results provide new insights into DBP occurrence and fate in drinking water distribution systems which consider water storage such as in ASR.

Identification and mapping of groundwater recharge zones using multi influencing factor and analytical hierarchy process.

The management of groundwater systems is essential for nations that rely on groundwater as the principal source of communal water supply (e.g., Mohmand District of Pakistan). The work employed Remote Sensing and GIS datasets to ascertain the groundwater recharge zones (GWRZ) in the Mohmand District of Pakistan. Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the impact of geology and hydrologic factors on the variability of the GWRZ. The GWRZ was determined by employing weighted overlay analysis on thematic maps derived from datasets about drainage density, slope, geology, rainfall, lineament density, land use/land cover, and soil types. The use of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) involves the utilization of the multi-influencing factor (MIF) and analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) to allocate weights to the selected influencing factors. The MIF data found that very high groundwater recharge spanned 1.20%, high zones covered 40.44%, moderate zones covered 50.81%, and low zones covered 7.54%. In comparison, the AHP technique results suggest that 1.81% of the whole area is very high, 33.26 is high, 55.01% is moderate, and 9.92% has low groundwater potential. The geospatial-assisted multi-influencing factor approach helps increase conceptual knowledge of groundwater resources and evaluate possible groundwater zones.

Remote vapor-phase dual alkali halide salts assisted quasi-van der Waals epitaxy of m-phase ZrO2 thin films with high dielectric constant and stable flexible properties

High-κ dielectric constant and wideband gap of ZrO2 material render it as an excellent candidate for transistor gate dielectric layers. However, current reported synthesis techniques suffer the problems of high precursor volatilization rate, ultrasmall grains with low dielectric constant, and high leakage current, which largely impede its application in electronic devices. Here, the quasi-van der Waals epitaxy growth of compact m-phase ZrO2 thin films has been developed, in which the stable supply of Zr source is realized by the tuned sublimation of ZrC powder with remote vapor-phase dual halide salts assistant. The formation of m-phase ZrO2 is due to the lower Gibbs free energy, in which the crystal nucleates at the etched hole edges of mica substrate, thus forming hexagonal shape polycrystal grains and merging as the continuous thin films. The microstructures and Raman spectrum characterization reveal the two dominated growth orientations and good crystal qualities, which indicate the uniform dielectric constant. The excellent growth reproducibility could be easily adapted to thin metal substrates, such as tungsten, molybdenum, and stainless steel, where the adhesion strength is strong because of the higher density of interfacial chemical bonding. Meanwhile, the metal–insulator–metal flexible capacitors show the high dielectric constant of 23–26 and low leakage current density of 10−4 A/cm2 at large voltage and only exhibit the decreased capacitance density of 7% after several hundred bending cycles. Our work paves a way to achieve the high-quality dielectric thin films on various substrates by the unique chemical vapor deposition design strategy.

Unleashing Effective Models of Collaboration for Rainwater Harvesting: Experiences from Nepal

Background: Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is an age-old practice of a localized renewable and alternate source of water supply to meet the growing demand of people in developing countries like Nepal. Thus, the effective models of collaboration for providing water services through RWH is a pathway to the sustainable water management of the nation leading to achieving SDGs. Purpose: The paper aims at unleashing effective models of collaboration for RWH in the context of the rural areas of Nepal. Methodology: The study comprises a descriptive cum analytical research design based on both primary and secondary data. The necessary primary data were collected by conducting a field survey using a semi-structured questionnaire on a sample of 38 communities/projects having RWH systems while the secondary data were collected through relevant publications. The csollected data were analyzed using statistical tools through SPSS to derive results leading to major findings of the study. Analysis/Results: The study concluded that a collaborative plan provides a ground to get contributions from different stakeholders and increase their sense of ownership. The collaboration with the local government ensures co-financing and involvement in planning and monitoring and increases prospects for support to required rehabilitation in the future. Community engagement from planning to implementation to managing the systems ensures the system's functionality and sustainability, leading to caretakers’ management and promoting income-generating activities using waste/overflow water from the system. The multiple uses of water services (MUS) provide a basis for livelihood enhancement leading to regular payment of tariffs. The caretakers’ management ensures to fix minor repairs promptly as needed. A combination of monitoring and eval_uation with different stakeholders during implementation and afterward ensures efficient and effective implementation and sustainability of the RWH system. Originality/Value: No such study uses recent data related to effective models of collaboration for RWH in the context of the rural areas of developing countries like Nepal is accessible. The paper, therefore, is valuable for users’ committees, development actors, academia, and policymakers to create effective models of collaboration for RWH. This work may potentially be useful to academia for future studies. Future avenue: The extension of this study can be made by incorporating an analysis of diverse applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the water management sector in future studies.

Energy Community Resilience Improvement Through a Storage System

Energy communities serve as vital stakeholders within contemporary power grids. Nevertheless, managing these communities presents formidable challenges, owing to the intricate nature of the task, the presence of uncertainties, and competing objectives. This paper aims to demonstrate the positive impact of incorporating a storage system into an energy community, ensuring the welfare of every community member during grid malfunctions. The research investigates two separate energy communities, considering both uncontrollable and controllable devices within individual households as consumption sources, in addition to power supply sources like PV systems installed in community residences, as well as power derived from the main grid or the storage system.

A Novel Image Processing Approach for Colloid Detection in Saturated Porous Media.

Over recent decades, natural and artificial colloids, as well as nanoparticles, have been increasingly used in various applications. Consequently, with this rising consumption, surface and subsurface environments are more exposed to these particles. The presence of these particles and the colloid-facilitated transport of microorganisms, the interactions between dissolved contaminants and mobile colloids in porous media, and the fate and transport of colloids through groundwater-one of the primary sources of water supply for human societies-have attracted extensive research. This study investigates the performance of several image processing methods in the field of colloid detection, which is a prerequisite for the subsequent steps in porous media research. We employed four different categories of image processing approaches on microscopy images-segmentation-based methods, background-detection-based methods, filter-based methods, and morphology-based methods-to conduct the detection process of colloids. Eight methods were applied and subsequently analyzed in terms of their drawbacks and advantages to determine the best ones in this domain. Finally, we proposed an ensemble approach that leverages the strengths of the three best methods using a majority vote to detect colloids more accurately. In experiments, Precision, Recall, F-measure, and TCR criteria were considered as evaluation tools. Experimental results demonstrate the high accuracy of image processing methods in recognizing colloids. Among all these methods, morphology-based methods were the most successful, achieving the best detection performance and improving the limited distinguishing features of small colloids. Moreover, our ensemble approach, achieving perfect scores across all evaluation criteria, highlights its superiority compared with other detection methods.

Dual roles of photosynthetic hydrogel with sustained oxygen generation in promoting cell survival and eradicating anaerobic infection

Tissue engineering offers a promising alternative for oral and maxillofacial tissue defect rehabilitation; however, cells within a sizeable engineered tissue construct after transplantation inevitably face prolonged and severe hypoxic conditions, which may compromise the survivability of the transplanted cells and arouse the concern of anaerobic infection. Microalgae, which can convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and glucose through photosynthesis, have been studied as a source of oxygen supply for several biomedical applications, but their promise in orofacial tissue regeneration remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrated that through photosynthetic oxygenation, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C. reinhardtii) supported dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) energy production and survival under hypoxia. We developed a multifunctional photosynthetic hydrogel by embedding DPSCs and C. reinhardtii encapsulated alginate microspheres (CAMs) within gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel (GelMA) (CAMs@GelMA). This CAMs@GelMA hydrogel can generate a sustainable and sufficient oxygen supply, reverse intracellular hypoxic status, and enhance the metabolic activity and viability of DPSCs. Furthermore, the CAMs@GelMA hydrogel exhibited selective antibacterial activity against oral anaerobes and remarkable antibiofilm effects on multispecies biofilms by disrupting the hypoxic microenvironment and increasing reactive oxygen species generation. Our work presents an innovative photosynthetic strategy for oral tissue engineering and opens new avenues for addressing other hypoxia-related challenges.

Migration policy and the supply of foreign physicians: Evidence from the Conrad 30 waiver program

In the United States, rural and low-income communities have difficulty attracting and retaining physicians, potentially adversely impacting health outcomes. With a limited supply of physicians completing medical school at US universities, foreign-born and educated physicians provide a potential source of supply in underserved areas. Although nearly a quarter of medical residents in US hospitals received their medical degrees abroad, the terms of the commonly used J-1 visa require a return to the home country for two years, which may limit the capacity of international medical graduates (IMGs) to pursue employment in the US market. Our analysis examines the extent to which reducing visa barriers impacts the supply of physicians at state and local levels, particularly in areas designated as medically underserved. The Conrad 30 Visa Waiver program gives states the opportunity to attract foreign IMGs to practice in underserved areas by waiving the two-year home residency requirement for those with J-1 visas and providing a path to obtaining US citizenship. Changes in the federal limit on the number of waivers per state, combined with variations in the state-level restrictions on eligible specialties and geographies in which physicians can work, provide evidence of the role of visa restrictions in limiting the supply of doctors. We find that the expansion of the cap on visa waivers increased the supply of IMGs in states impacted by the cap lift. There is little evidence of reductions in US-trained doctors in states where IMGs increases were the largest, suggesting little evidence for crowding out. Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in states with fewer restrictions on the program had relatively more IMGs but no fewer US-trained doctors. Importantly, HPSAs in states with less restriction to the program also had relatively lower early mortality rates and lower COVID-19 death rates.

Cadaver Study on Variation of Nutrient Foramina of Adult Human Humeri in Bangladeshi Population

The nutrient foramen is an opening in the bone shaft which allows passage to the blood vessels of the modularly cavity of a bone for its nourishment and growth. Nutrient artery is the major source of blood supply to bone and it plays an important role in healing of fracture and trauma and is also important for bone grafting. This cross-sectional, descriptive cadaver based study aims to determine the presence, direction, common location, position and number of nutrient foramen of adult human humerus in a Bangladeshi population. One hundred samples (43 on right and 57 on left) were selected through the purposive sampling technique which was carried out in the Department of Anatomy, Mymensingh Medical College, Bangladesh, from July 2021 to June 2022. Any damaged, unossified bones or fractured bones were excluded. The presence of nutrient foramina was observed in the shaft of the humeri. Data were recorded and tabulated to analyze using Microsoft Excel and SPSS software. Nutrient foramina was found in all the samples on both sides. So nutrient foramina present on the right side was 100% and on the left side was 100%. The direction of nutrient foramina towards the elbow joint was found in all the samples of both sides. Among 43 right humeri, 37(75.51%) have single-nutrient foramen and 06(24.49%) have double-nutrient foramina. Among 57 left humeri, 53(92.98%) have single nutrient foramen, 03(5.27%) have double nutrient foramina and 01(1.75%) has triple nutrient foramina. In case of location of nutrient foramina, among 49 right nutrient foramina, 45(91.84%) were found on the anteromedial surface, 02(4.08%) were found on the anterolateral surface and 02(4.08%) were on the posterior surface of the shaft of the humerus. In case of 62 left nutrient foramina, 57(91.94%) were found on the anteromedial surface and 05(8.06%) were found on the posterior surface of the shaft of the humerus. In case of position of nutrient foramina, among 49 right nutrient foramina, 01(2.04%) was found on the upper third, 46(93.88%) on the middle third and 02(4.08%) on the lower third of the shaft of the humerus. In case of 62 left nutrient foramina, 01(1.60%) was on the upper third, 57(91.95%) were on the middle third and 04(6.45%) were on the lower third of the shaft of the humerus. CBMJ 2024 July: vol. 13 no. 02 P: 176-182

Changes in phosphorus-related performance attributes of dryland winter wheat cultivars released between the 1940s and 2010s in Shaanxi Province, China.

Water and nutrients are two main determinants of wheat yield, which are vital for maintaining high crop yields. In the present study, the effects of water and phosphate fertilization on wheat yield, photosynthetic parameters, water productivity and phosphate use efficiency were investigated. Five dryland wheat cultivars from the 1940s to the 2010s that are widely cultivated in Shaanxi Province, China, were used. Experiments were conducted from 2019 to 2022 using two irrigation levels (normal rainfall and no precipitation after the reviving stage) and two phosphorus application levels (0 and 100 kg ha-1). Compared with old cultivars ('Mazha'), the grain yield of modern cultivars ('Changhan 58') was 89.24% higher and was closely correlated with chlorophyll index, leaf area index, photosynthetic rate and tillers. With the replacement of cultivars, the phosphorus content, water potential and phosphatase activity of wheat leaves increased. Considering water-phosphorus interactions, the water use efficiency and phosphorus use efficiency of wheat showed a significant positive correlation. Our findings indicate that modern wheat cultivars are more responsive to phosphorus. Further analysis revealed that modern varieties have evolved two phosphorus absorption strategies in response to phosphorus deficiency - namely, the formation of a phosphorus supply source, which may result in larger numbers of green organs; and an increase in phosphorus sinks, which tended to activation and transport of plant phosphorus. Our results may thus contribute to water conservation, increased yields and the development of strategies for efficient phosphorus fertilization. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Design Insights for Industrial CO2 Capture, Transport, and Storage Systems.

We present methods and insights for the design of CO2 capture, transport, and storage systems for industrial facilities with a case study focus on Louisiana. Our analytical framework includes (1) evaluating the scale and concentration of capturable CO2 emissions at individual facilities for the purpose of estimating the cost of CO2 capture retrofits that utilize various energy supply sources to meet parasitic demands; (2) screening to identify potential CO2 storage sites and estimate their capacities, injectivities, and costs; and (3) designing cost-minimized trucking or pipeline infrastructure connecting CO2 capture plants with storage sites, considering existing land uses, demographics, and a variety of social and environmental justice factors. Estimated levelized costs of capture at Louisiana's 190 industrial facilities range from below $50/tCO2 to above $500/tCO2, depending on facility-specific features. We identified 98 potential storage sites with storage costs ranging from $8 to $17/tCO2. We find that in most situations, pipelines are the least-costly mode of CO2 transport. When industrial facilities in a region share pipelines, aggregate pipeline mileage and average transport costs are dramatically lower than without sharing. Shared pipeline networks designed to avoid disadvantaged communities require right-of-way areas compared to those for networks that transect such communities, but result in 25% higher average per-tonne transport cost.

Resilience and Innovation Strategies: How Businesses Adapt to Supply Chain Disruptions in the Post-Pandemic Era

The study explores strategies for dealing with supply chain disruptions in various industries in Turkey after the pandemic. The industries studied include manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, automotive, consumer electronics, retail, and food and beverage. The analysis involved using both qualitative data from interviews with six industry experts and quantitative analysis using NVivo and Python. NVivo and Python were utilized for thematic and sentiment analysis to summarize the findings. Common strategies identified include diversifying supply sources, integrating technology, and improving risk management. The study also revealed a consistent shift towards building resilient and agile supply chain systems. Additionally, the findings highlighted that while common strategies apply across different sectors, sector-specific differences also need to be considered when developing tailored strategies to address sector-specific challenges. This study not only addresses a significant gap in empirical insights into post-pandemic supply chain management but also provides managerial and policy recommendations for building supply chain resilience and fostering innovation in these sectors.

Design and application of portable eddy current inspection device for thimble tubes of nuclear power plant

Abstract The Thimble tube is an important piece of equipment in the nuclear power plant; its role is to provide a neutron flux detector with a channel for the reactor fuel assembly. Eddy current detection is the main way to evaluate and track the wear of the thimble tube. In order to conduct more efficient detection of the thimble tube, this paper has carried out a series of studies on the mechanical device of the eddy current detection of the thimble tube and the software control system. The inspection system is compact, portable, and does not require an external power supply or gas source, making it easy to carry and operate. It is well-suited for promotion in various nuclear power plants.

The Application of Remote Sensing Technology in Post-Disaster Emergency Investigations of Debris Flows: A Case Study of the Shuimo Catchment in the Bailong River, China

The Bailongjiang River Basin is a high-risk area for debris flow in China. On 17 August 2020, a debris flow occurred in the Shuimo catchment, Wen County, which blocked the Baishui River, forming a barrier lake and causing significant casualties and property damage. In this study, remote sensing, InSAR, field surveys, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) techniques were used to analyze the causal characteristics, material source characteristics, dynamic processes, and disaster characteristics after the debris flow. The results showed that the Shuimo catchment belongs to low-frequency debris flows, with a recurrence cycle of more than 100 years and concealed features. High vegetation coverage (72%) and a long main channel (11.49 km) increase the rainfall-triggering conditions for debris flow occurrence, making it more hidden and less noticed. The Shuimo catchment has a large drainage area of 31.26 km2, 15 tributaries, significant elevation differences of 2017 m, and favorable hydraulic conditions for debris flow. The main sources of debris flow material supply are channel erosion and slope erosion, which account for 84.4% of the total material. The collapse of landslides blocking both sides of the main channel resulted in an amplification of the debris flow scale, leading to the blockage of the Baishui River. The scale of the accumulation fan is 28 × 104 m3, and the barrier lake area is 37.4 × 104 m2. The formation mechanism can be summarized as follows: rainfall triggering → shallow landslides → slope debris flow → channel erosion → landslide damming → dam failure and increased discharge → deposition and river blockage. The results of this study provide references for remote sensing emergency investigation and analysis of similar low-frequency and concealed debris flows, as well as a scientific basis for local disaster prevention and reduction.