Supply Of Products Research Articles

Dynamic game research of food agricultural products supply chain based on blockchain traceability technology

PurposeFood quality and safety issues have always been imperative topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it possible to improve food traceability and safety quality. How to effectively apply blockchain traceability technology to food safety has great research significance for improving food safety and consumer quality trust.Design/methodology/approachThe paper aims to analyze the differences in product quality levels and market participants’ profits before and after the use of blockchain-driven traceability technology in the food agricultural product supply chain (SC) in the dynamic game frameworks of supplier-led and retailer-led modes, respectively, and explores the willingness, social welfare and consumer surplus of each member of the agricultural product SC to participate in the blockchain. Besides, We investigate the SC performance improvement with the mechanism of central centralized decision-making and revenue-sharing contract, compared to the SC performance in dynamic games.FindingsThe results are obtained as follow: The adoption of blockchain traceability technology can help improve the quality of food agricultural products, consumer surplus and social welfare, but the application and popularization of technology is hindered by traceability technology installment costs. Compared with the supplier leadership model, retailer-led food quality level, customer surplus and social welfare are higher.Research limitations/implicationsHow to effectively apply blockchain traceability technology to food safety has great research significance for improving food safety and consumer quality trust.Practical implicationsFood quality and safety issues have always been hot topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it possible to improve food traceability and safety quality.Social implicationsThe research results enrich the theories related to food safety and quality, and provide a valuable reference for food enterprises involved in the decision-making exploration of blockchain technology.Originality/valueBased on the characteristics of blockchain technology, the demand function is adjusted and the product loss risk of channel members is transferred through a Stackelberg game SC composed of agricultural products suppliers and retailers.Highlights:•We introduce two features of blockchain: quality trust and product information tracking.•The willingness of each member of the supply chain to use blockchain for product traceability was explored.•The overall traceability effect of the retailer-led blockchain is better than that of the manufacturer-led blockchain.•The cost of blockchain technology is a barrier to its adoption.•Blockchain brings higher consumer surplus and social welfare.

Optimized nanopesticide delivery of thiamethoxam to cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) controls thrips (Megalurothrips usitatus) and reduces toxicity to non-target worker bees (Apis mellifera)

Thrips [Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall)] (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a pest that poses a serious challenge to global crop production and food supply, especially to the cowpea industry. Nano-delivery systems have broad application prospects in the prevention and control of pests in agriculture. Herein, three types of amino acid (AA) modified polysuccinimide nano-delivery carriers (PSI-GABA, PSI-ASP and PSI-GLU) were constructed with a diameter of approximately 150 nm to load thiamethoxam (THX), which enhanced THX effective distribution and use with cowpea plants. Significantly, the PSI-GLU nanocarrier effectively delivered THX to cowpea plant tissues following 6 h of soil application. Compared with commercial THX suspension (SC), the THX content in the leaves of cowpea plants was increased by 2.3 times. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that the FITC-labeled PSI-GLU nanocarrier reached the leaves through the vascular system after being absorbed by the roots of cowpea plants. The PSI-GLU nanocarrier decreased the LC50 of THX from 11.45 to 7.79 mg/L and significantly enhanced the insecticidal effect. The PSI-GLU nanocarrier also improved the safety of THX to worker bees at 48 h, and moreover showed a growth-promoting effect on cowpea seedlings. These results demonstrated that the PSI-GLU nano-delivery carrier has promising uses on improving the effective utilization of THX for the sustainable control of thrips and reducing the risk to non-target pollutions.

Causes of Deforestation: Evidence from Top Deforested Countries

This study investigates the causes of deforestation using panel data for top deforested countries from 1995 to 2022. We apply Panel Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) technique. The findings affirm that urbanization and water stress has negative and significant effect on deforestation and unemployment and agricultural exports have positive and significant effect on deforestation. The results of this study serve as the basis for the recommendations presented in the present research strategy such as labour opportunity cost might be increased to reduce agricultural rent. Stabilization and regeneration of the forest cover should be prompted by a greater demand for and a restricted supply of forest products. Labour opportunity cost should be increased to reduce agricultural rent. Stabilization and regeneration of the forest cover should be prompted by a greater demand for and a restricted supply of forest products.

Thermodynamic analysis of a solar-driven supercritical water gasification-oxidation system for ammonia production and heat supply from chicken manure

Faced with the dual challenges of energy shortage and environmental pollution, researchers are turning to extracting clean energy from waste resources. The coupled system of solar energy and supercritical water gasification offers a novel solution to these issues. In this study, a solar-driven supercritical water gasification-oxidation system for ammonia production and heat supply from chicken manure was simulated. Additionally, the effects of temperature of supercritical water gasification, chicken manure slurry concentration, water-dry matter ratio, and pressure of supercritical water gasification and oxidation on the system's products, efficiency, and device exergy losses were examined. Under typical working conditions (the temperature of supercritical water gasification: 750 °C, chicken manure slurry concentration: 50 wt%, water-dry matter ratio: 5, the pressure of supercritical water gasification and oxidation: 25 MPa), and the system had a treatment capacity of 5 t/h of dry chicken manure. The system yielded 2604.04 kg/h of NH3 and 23763.9 kg/h of heating steam. It demonstrated an energy efficiency of 68.38% and an exergy efficiency of 46.85%. The total exergy losses of the system amounted to 34704.73kw, with the solar collector accounting for the largest share at 49.6%. The temperature of supercritical water gasification and water-dry matter ratio significantly impacted the system efficiency. Conversely, chicken manure slurry concentration and the pressure of supercritical water gasification and oxidation exerted minimal influence. The solar collector and gasification reactor emerged as the primary contributors to exergy losses in the entire system. Notably, the lower temperatures of supercritical water gasification, chicken manure slurry concentrations, pressures of supercritical water gasification and oxidation, and water-dry matter ratios can reduce exergy losses in both the solar collector and the gasification reactor.

Optimal supply chain green innovation and subsidy strategy: producer subsidy versus consumer subsidy

PurposeConsidering two types of subsidies for producers (supplier and manufacturer) and one for consumers based on product greenness and sales quantity, this study aims to formulate optimal supply chain green innovation and subsidy strategies, and to achieve this goal with the support of information systems.Design/methodology/approachThis study introduces a composite green-product supply chain where suppliers focus on green innovation for component greenness and manufacturers focus on green innovation for manufacturing process greenness. Game theory modeling is applied to investigate the differences of product greenness, supply chain members’ profit and social welfare under different government subsidy strategies.FindingsIncreasing the unit greenness subsidy coefficient can boost product greenness and supply chain members’ profits, but does not always raise social welfare. When the government exclusively offers subsidies to producers, subsidies should be allocated to suppliers when there is a significant disparity in supply chain green innovation costs. Conversely, it is more beneficial to subsidize manufacturers. Consumer subsidies have the potential to enhance both environmental and economic performance in the supply chain compared with producer-exclusive subsidies, but may not always maximize social welfare when supply chain members have low unit costs associated with green innovation.Originality/valueThis study examines the optimal decisions for green supply chain innovation and government subsidy strategies. Supply chain members and the government can use the information system to collect and evaluate the cost of upstream and downstream green innovation, and then develop reasonable collaborative green innovation and subsidy strategies.

ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION AS A FACTOR IN ENSURING THE ECONOMIC SECURITY OF THE REGION (similar to the Volga federal district)

The article presents the results of a study of the impact of environmental safety on the economic security of the region. The economy of a country and its regions is inextricably linked to the state and functioning of its elements, including the environmental situation. This factor has an impacton the resource supply of production, life expectancy and working capacity of the population, aswell as on trade opportunities in both domestic and foreign markets. Without ensuring environmental safety, it is impossible to ensure the safety of economic processes. Assessment of regional environmental safety is currently an urgent area of research, since many regions of Russia are characterized by a high proportion of industrial production, high anthropogenic load and the presence of environmental problems that can negatively affect the economic security of the region. The article presents the results of an assessment of the environmental safety of the regions of the Volga Federal District using various methods. The authors analyzed the state of environmental safety of the regionson the basis of a number of indicators outlined in the Strategy of Environmental Safety of Russia. The results of the evaluation using the indicative method are presented. In addition, a cluster analysis was carried out over several years, which, based on official statistical data, allowed the formation of groups of regions according to the level of environmental safety. The authors identified the following are as for neutralizing threats to environmental safety: improvement of legislation in the field of environmental safety; development and implementation of new technologies that will be more environmentally friendly; creation of programs for environmental cleanup and restoration of natural resources; strengthening control over compliance with environmental norms and standards. The identification of the interrelationships between environmental and economic security will allow us to develop effective strategies to ensure the sustainable development of the region, reduce the negative impacton the environment and increase the level of environmental safety.

Tandem Effect Promotes MXene‐Supported Dual‐Site Janus Nanoparticles for High‐Efficiency Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia and Energy Output through Zn‐Nitrate Battery

AbstractElectrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) can convert nitrate contaminants into ammonia with higher added value. However, due to the NO3RR involving complex multi‐electron reactions, there is an urgent need to develop efficient electrocatalysts. Herein, CoCu Janus nanoparticles loaded on Ti3C2Tx MXene (CoCu‐Ti3C2Tx) is synthesized via the combination of molten salt etching and galvanic replacement strategy. The tandem catalysis of CoCu Janus NPs can maintain the balance between nitrogenous intermediates and active hydrogen (Hads). CoCu‐Ti3C2Tx exhibits a high NH3 yield of 8.08 mg h−1 mgcat.−1 and a satisfactory Faradaic efficiency of 93.6% at −0.7 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The Zn‐NO3− battery assembled with CoCu‐Ti3C2Tx shows an excellent power density of 10.33 mW cm−2, an NH3 yield of 1.52 mg h−1 mgcat.−1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 95.3% at 10 mA cm−2, which enables the simultaneous elimination of nitrate pollutants, ammonia production, and energy supply. Moreover, a series of verification experiments and density functional theory calculation are combined to reveal the reaction path and tandem catalytic mechanism. This work not only provides a new inspiration for the design of tandem catalysts but also promotes the development of Zn‐nitrate battery.

The role of convalescent plasma and hyperimmune immunoglobulins in the COVID-19 pandemic, including implications for future preparedness.

When Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) struck the world in December 2019, initiatives started to investigate the efficacy of convalescent plasma, a readily available source of passive antibodies, collected from recovered patients as a therapeutic option. This was based on historical observational data from previous virus outbreaks. A scoping review was conducted on the efficacy and safety of convalescent plasma and hyperimmune immunoglobulins for COVID-19 treatment. This review included the latest Cochrane systematic review update on 30-day mortality and safety. We also covered use in pediatric and immunocompromised patients, as well as the logistic challenges faced in donor recruitment and plasma collection in general. Challenges for low resource countries were specifically highlighted. A major challenge is the high donation frequency required from first-time donors to ensure a safe product, which minimizes the risk of transfusion-transmitted infectious. This is particularly difficult in low- and middle- income countries due to inadequate infrastructure and insufficient blood product supplies. High-certainty evidence indicates that convalescent plasma does not reduce mortality or significantly improve clinical outcomes in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection. However, CCP may provide a viable treatment for patients unable to mount an endogenous immune response to SARS-CoV-2, based on mostly observational studies and subgroup data of published and ongoing randomized trials. Convalescent plasma has been shown to be safe in adults and children with COVID-19 infection. However, the efficacy in pediatric patients remains unclear. Data on efficacy and safety of CCP are still underway in ongoing (randomized) studies and by reporting the challenges, limitations and successes encountered to-date, research gaps were identified to be addressed for the future. This experience serves as a valuable example for future pandemic preparedness, particularly when therapeutic options are limited, and vaccines are either being developed or ineffective due to underlying immunosuppression.

From resources to capital: Investigating the efficiency of forest ecosystem products value realization in China

Forest resources provide a good ecological environment for human beings and offer economic well-being and benefits. Value realization of ecosystem products reflects the process from resources to capital. This study investigates the two-stage value realization efficiency of China's forest ecosystem products from 2011 to 2021. A parallel nested network Data Envelopment Analysis model is applied to assess product supply and value transformation stages. In addition, the evolution of the spatial pattern is depicted by a multilayer Standard Deviational Ellipse. The results reveal that (1) the overall value realization trend of China's forest ecosystem products shows a fluctuating growth trend, with an average annual efficiency value of 0.86. (2) The efficiency level of the value transformation stage is lower than that of the product supply stage. (3) Regional disparities persist. The efficiency values in East China and South China are higher than that in other regions. (4) The value realization capacity of China's forest ecosystem products may be closely related to national development strategies and policy orientations.

Factors Influencing the Performance Evaluation of Agricultural Product Supply Chain in Guangxi Province, the People's Republic of China

The research questions of this paper are: (1) What factors have an impact on the performance management of the agricultural product supply chain in Guangxi Province? (2) What are the problems in the supply chain management of agricultural products in Guangxi Province? (3) What is the model of the factors influencing the performance of evaluation of agricultural product supply chain in Guangxi province, The People's Republic of China? Through the study of this paper, it is found that there are the following problems in the supply chain management of agricultural products in Guangxi Province: the quality of goods supplied by suppliers is uneven, the timeliness is slow, and the loss during transportation is large. The information systems of various agricultural enterprises are not fully popularized, data between different enterprises cannot be shared, the level of information management is not high enough, the efficiency of transportation management is low, and the quality of transported products cannot be guaranteed.  Major Findings: The research model takes the performance of the agricultural product supply chain in Guangxi Province as the dependent variable, the supplier performance evaluation (SPE) as the independent variable, and the information technology evaluation (ITE) and logistics performance evaluation (LPE) as the mediating variables. The validity of the survey plan and data was tested by confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis. Subsequently, the structural equation model and regression analysis were used to verify the various assumptions in the supply chain organization efficiency hypothesis model. This study deeply explores the many factors that affect the efficiency of the agricultural product supply chain. Finally, a new model for analyzing the factors affecting the performance of the agricultural product supply chain in Guangxi was constructed.

MODEL OF SPARE PARTS INVENTORY MANAGEMENT IN THE SUPPLY SYSTEM: THE CASE OF THE ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’ COMPANY

The article identifies the relevance of the problem of optimisation of material reserves of a company and their effective management, as the state of existing reserves has a decisive impact on the competitiveness of the company, its financial condition, and the corresponding performance results. It allows the formulation of the research objective in this development. It is a given that inventory management technology is an integral part of the management system of any manufacturing and trading company. The efficiency of these companies depends on such critical criteria as the number of costs incurred for inventory management. Traditional indicators, such as inventory volume, resource turnover, and continuity of supply, cannot be used in isolation to accurately measure the extent to which an inventory management system is improving since they are part of the overall cost criterion. The article examines scientific developments of theoretical foundations for implementing rational solutions in the supply chain, where the authors use modern research methods and approaches. After analysing these studies, we identify the main problematic issues: determining a rational way of servicing orders by the core production warehouse systems, organising an efficient product supply form, and developing rational inventory management technologies throughout the entire product supply chain. We create a structural model of interaction between the warehouse system of the ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’ company and suppliers and customers, formed with the participation of certain parties in all relevant operations. The structure of stocks accounts for the customer’s needs in a multi-nomenclature offer of spare parts for trucks, cars, and agricultural machinery supplied by ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’. The authors build a mathematical model of spare parts inventory management under limited demand conditions, which considers the following parameters of influence: the period for ordering spare parts, the cost of supplying ordered spare parts, and the cost of storing one unit of spare parts inventory. To achieve maximum measurement accuracy with a minimum number of trials and to maintain the statistical reliability of the results, we develop a full-factor experiment plan for three input parameters with three levels of values, consisting of 27 series of trials. The experiment allowed us to model the change in minimum costs with different order volumes of spare parts. Based on the results of the regression analysis of the obtained values of the estimated indicator, we determined the type of regression model – a linear form with a non-zero coefficient. Keywords: model, warehouse, system, logistics, interaction.

Increased parvovirus B19 seropositivity in healthy blood donors in India

A core component of every blood program is the supply of safe blood and blood products. The elevated risk of transmission through these products is due to parvovirus B19 (B19V) resistance to the virus inactivation procedures. Our study aimed to screen asymptomatic blood donors for B19V at a tertiary care hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, between September 2020 and June 2021. Sera from 106 healthy blood donors who tested negative for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis, and malaria were tested for anti-B19V IgM and IgG using a qualitative indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the study population, 23.5% (n = 25) of donors tested IgM positive, 38.6% (n = 41) tested IgG positive, and 7.5% (n = 8) tested positive for both IgM and IgG. A proportion of 61.3% (n = 65) of the blood donors tested IgG negative, suggesting they had no past B19V infection. B19V DNA was not detected in any of the subjects. The high seroprevalence of IgM indicates that blood donors may have been recently exposed to B19V, potentially posing a risk to immunocompromised individuals and those with hematological stress. Further longitudinal studies with a larger sample size are recommended to better understand the risk of B19V transfusion transmission.

The effects of new product quality choices and customer behavior on the in-house refurbishing model versus the outsourcing model

Background Refurbishing encompasses the process of collecting used products, refurbishing them into new ones, and offering them to consumers. Within this framework, manufacturers can opt for either in-house refurbishing, managed internally, or outsource these operations to third parties and retailers. Methods Our study also takes into account the limited supply of remanufacturable products and incorporates customer behavior distinctions, differentiating between high-end and low-end customers in our models. The primary aim of this research is to formulate and analyze models for in-house refurbishing, refurbishing outsourcing to third parties, and refurbishing outsourcing to retailers. We seek to identify optimal solutions, conduct a comprehensive analysis, and implement strategies to maximize benefits. Additionally, we compare the in-house refurbishing model with the outsourcing refurbishing model. Leveraging multivariable function optimization techniques alongside the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker method, we endeavor to ascertain the optimal strategy, thereby facilitating a nuanced and methodical examination of the intricate dynamics governing profitability and sustainability within the refurbishing sector. Results Our study has applied rigorous mathematical modeling and optimization methodologies to identify optimal configurations for each model, aiming to enhance profitability across diverse parameters, including product quantities, quality selections, and pricing strategies. Conclusions Our analysis underscores that the in-house refurbishing approach tends to yield superior profits for profit-oriented enterprises, whereas outsourcing refurbishing to retailers is conducive to meeting environmental sustainability goals. Furthermore, our investigation has considered pivotal factors such as the constrained availability of remanufacturable products and consumer behavior, with a particular emphasis on discerning preferences among high-end and low-end clientele. We also perform sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of parameter variations on optimal outcomes. Our findings yield three distinct refurbishing models: the in-house refurbishing model, suitable for profit-driven companies under specific production cost parameters, and the outsourcing refurbishing to retailers model, tailored for environmentally-conscious companies, contingent upon particular production cost parameters.

Quality improvement in medicines regulation: a retrospective analysis of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone before and during quality management system implementation

BackgroundNational Medicines Regulatory Authorities like the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone are responsible for protecting and promoting public health, implementing regulatory standards, and maintaining a supply chain with an assured supply of medical products that are safe, effective, and of good quality. This retrospective study assesses the identification of substandard and falsified medicines, the changes in the functions and key indicators of assessment, and the quality improvement changes of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone.MethodsData was obtained from 2013 to 2021 records using a data collection tool to collate and review all relevant information to address the different objectives. All data were sourced from the Department of Quality Assurance and the Department of Enforcement and Narcotics at the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone. The review also included, identified substandard and falsified medicines, the World Health Organisation Global benchmarking self-assessment tool, and internal and external audit records of the quality management system of all twelve departments of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone.ResultsThe study showed marked changes in identifying substandard and falsified medicines by the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone during ISO 9001:2015 implementation (2017- 2020) compared to Pre-ISO 9001:2015 implementation (2013- 2016). Critical functions of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone from the assessment of the WHO GBT ML in 2016 and 2021 showed that several indicators had been addressed during ISO 9001:2015 certification with improvement in the level of maturity for the quality management systems and Pharmacovigilance functions. There was also an improvement in identifying non-conformances and a commitment to continuous improvement of processes during ISO 9001:2015 implementation.ConclusionsThis study revealed that regular checks through standard assessment, internal audits, and standard management review processes that generate follow-up actions, timelines, and a commitment to identifying correction, and corrective actions for non-conformances are essential quality improvement tools for the efficient functioning of an institution (Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone). Our study revealed that commitment to continuous implementation of proper quality management system could significantly improve institutional efficiency, thereby improving service delivery and customer satisfaction.

A multi-level multi-product supply chain network design of vegetables products considering costs of quality: A case study.

Effective logistics management is crucial for the distribution of perishable agricultural products to ensure they reach customers in high-quality condition. This research examines an integrated, multi-echelon supply chain for perishable agricultural goods. The supply chain consists of four stages: supply, processing, storage, and customers. This study investigates the quality-related costs associated with product perishability to maximize supply chain profitability. Key factors considered include the network design, location of processing and distribution centers, the ability to process raw products to minimize post-harvest quality degradation, the option to sell the excess produce to a secondary market due to unpredictable yields, and the decision not to fulfill demand from distant customers where significant quality loss and price drops would be involved, instead diverting those products to the aforementioned secondary market. Quantitative methods and linear mathematical programming are employed to model and validate the proposed supply chain using actual data from a real-world case study on vegetable supply chains. The main contribution of this research is the incorporation of quality costs into the objective function, which allows the supply chain to prioritize meeting nearby customers' demands with minimal quality loss over serving distant customers where high quality loss is unavoidable. Additionally, deploying a faster transportation fleet can significantly improve the overall profitability of the perishable product supply chain.

The availability of food in Mexico: an approach to measuring food security

Background informationMexico faces a great challenge in producing, storing, and distributing food to guarantee the food security of its population. Natural disasters, climate change and changes in land cover are dynamic drivers affecting food production. In this study, we propose a method for assessing food security by evaluating the amount of food in Mexico that is available to meet the demand of its population. An indicator of food availability based on environmental, social, production and food supply variables is proposed.MethodsFood availability in Mexico's 2471 municipalities was assessed using five sub-indicators covering environmental and social conditions of production, food supply, caloric and protein sufficiency, and food supply. A database of 19 variables was integrated to calculate an index of food availability by municipality. Spatial analysis techniques were used to identify areas with specific needs and to formulate public policy recommendations.ResultsThe availability of food is not a problem at all in 90% of the municipalities in the country. We found that the environmental and social conditions are suitable for producing food from agriculture and livestock and there are sufficient food outlets. The caloric demand and protein requirements of the population can be met in at least 87% of the municipalities. Thus, the environmental and social conditions are good in more than 85% of the municipalities. If food production and availability are sufficient; then, the problem of food insecurity may be due to other causes.Conclusions and recommendationsThe conclusion is that food insecurity in Mexico is influenced by additional factors. An urgent intervention is needed, including public policies to provide economic support to the most affected segments of the population.

High purity H2 resource from methanol steam reforming at low-temperature by spinel CuGa2O4 catalyst for fuel cell

Methanol steam reforming (MSR) is an effective way to provide high purity hydrogen for PEMFCs, however the main challenge is the toxic effect of CO. In this study, CuGa2O4 spinel catalyst was applied first for MSR at low temperature. The properties of catalysts were characterized by various techniques, the MSR catalytic performance was also studied in deeply. The surface of the catalyst is composed of particle chains that are interconnected, forming high-volume pores that increase the specific surface area. The catalyst also has a rich porous structure, exposing more active sites. Furthermore, the presence of oxygen vacancies facilitates the adsorption of reactive oxygen species, reducing CO generation. A possible pathway for methanol dehydrogenation has been determined using DFT calculations. The relatively low overall energy barrier on the catalyst surface facilitates methanol activation. Among the steps, formaldehyde dehydrogenation is the rate-determining step in the methanol dehydrogenation process. The CuGa2O4 catalyst exhibits good gas selectivity, with a hydrogen selectivity of 98 % and CO selectivity of 0. and no deactivation occurred within 50 h, demonstrating outstanding durability. These features allow it to serve as an efficient catalyst for MSR online hydrogen production and direct supply to PEMFCs.

The Impact of Blockchain on Critical Transport Infrastructure – The Case of Aviation

Abstract Critical Infrastructures produce critical goods and services for society and cover a wide range of sectors according to the governance frameworks in place in the United States, in the European Union (EU) and in EU Member States including Romania. Aviation is a particular case for the critical transport infrastructure, with a high degree of technical complexity, economic productivity and complex supply and production chains. Blockchain or Distributed Ledger is an already famous digital emerging technology with the possibility of disintermediating numerous system processes, thereby reducing costs, increasing security and reducing risk in a world where cumbersome and expensive intermediaries are required for trust in all sorts of transactions. This article provides a brief overview of the critical air transport infrastructure and of the blockchain technology, traces the possible uses of blockchain in aviation, gives real world examples and concludes with recommendations for practitioners moving forward.

Model-driven design and validation of glucose supply control in a tubular photobioreactor operated under oxygen-balanced mixotrophy

Scaling up bioprocesses remains challenging due to the partially unpredictable and suboptimal behavior of microbes during scale transition. Mathematical modelling serves as a valuable tool in navigating these challenges. In this study, we developed and validated a kinetic model based on the tank-in-series approach for a novel bioprocess known as oxygen-balanced mixotrophy with the microalga Galdieria sulphuraria. This model aims to facilitate the design of an effective glucose feeding control strategy tailored for two-phase tubular photobioreactors (TPBRs). The residence time distribution of our reference reactor was investigated by means of a tracer experiment. Qualitative analysis of the results indicated that our system was optimally represented by simulations with a 100 stirred-tank reactors (STRs).The controlled variable, oxygen concentration in the gas phase, showed a downward trend in simulations with simplified conditions: fixed oxygen production and balanced glucose supply. The decrease was caused by dominant net heterotrophic activity and accumulation of CO2 in the gas phase. Different configurations of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller were designed by means of the ultimate gain method and compared under these simplified conditions. The most effective PID controller was implemented and refined in simulations with outdoor weather conditions. The model was validated successfully by simulating over time in a lab-scale STR the spatial fluctuations happening in a TPBR. The empirical oxygen consumption and production were faster and steeper than in the model, probably due to inaccuracies in parameter estimation or biomass adaptation.

Analyzing the Problems of Agricultural Futures Market in China

The agriculture is a fundamental sector for the development of society, and agricultural products play a key role in the economy. The equilibrium of agricultural product supply and demand is intimately linked to societal steadiness and the welfare of individuals. Consequently, the efficient functioning of the market for agricultural products is vital for economic growth. Agricultural product manufacturing and sales face multiple hazards, such as climatic change, natural disasters, market fluctuations, etc. Agricultural futures serve as a financial tool for the agricultural products market, providing essential hedging and risk management functions. The establishment and development of the agriculture futures market enables farmers and agricultural companies to hedge against agricultural product price fluctuations, reducing business operation risks. This promotes market stability and contributes to the healthy development of the economy. Additionally, investors can participate in the agricultural futures market to obtain investment income through price fluctuations. The agricultural futures market plays a significant role for farmers, agricultural companies, and investors. Therefore, researching and exploring this market is of great theoretical and practical importance and necessity.