Supply Shortages Research Articles

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF LOCKDOWN AND WORK DISRUPTION: A DEMATEL BASED MODEL

Almost every construction activity has been affected by the impact of COVID-19. Many construction workers were laid off during the Movement Control Order (MCO) due to lockdowns and the closure of all construction sites. In light of these circumstances, this study aims to investigate the impacts of lockdowns and work disruptions due to COVID-19, as well as explore potential strategies to overcome these impacts. Literature review efforts identified a range of potential impacts. Following a process of synthesis, six key impacts were identified for further analysis. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique was used to examine the causal relationships between the impacts based on the pairwise rankings of 15 construction professionals in the construction industry. The findings suggest that a shortage of skilled labor (A), insufficient supplies and material delays (E), and project deceleration (D) emerged as the most critical impacts. The study proposes several strategies to mitigate these critical impacts, aiming to assist key stakeholders in both the government and construction sectors in developing effective interventions to address the consequences of lockdown and work disruption during a severe pandemic.

Will the substitution policy resolve the shortage of personal protection equipment?

AbstractPersonal protective equipment (PPE) like face mask is important in managing pandemic. Typically, there exist different standards for face masks such as N95 and KN95. In response to the supply shortages of N95 mask in 2020, KN95 mask was allowed to be sold in U.S. to substitute the standard product N95. This paper considers when suppliers make products to supply both domestic and overseas markets with different product standards (i.e., the standard product for domestic/overseas market is the ordinary/high‐type product), and explore the impact of the substitution policy of allowing the ordinary product as a substitutable product in the overseas market. Analytically we prove that this substitution policy is win‐win by increasing the sales in both markets when ordinary and high‐type products are close substitutes in the presence of strong diseconomies of scale in material supply, or the high‐type product has a dominant competitive advantage in the presence of strong economies of scale in material supply. By contrast, the substitution policy is lose‐lose by decreasing the sales in both markets when the competitive advantage of the high‐type product is small in the presence of strong economies of scale in material supply. Moreover, numerical studies with the real data show the robustness of our analytical findings, and unfold the backfire of imposing export restriction on the standard product for domestic market.

Evaluating rooftop rainwater harvesting potential to satisfy urban water demand in Hosaena City, South Central Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The assessment of the rainwater harvesting (RWH) potential in Hosaena City from medium to large public buildings is the main objective of the study. ArcGIS with Google Earth Pro was used to calculate the rooftop area of the selected building, and RWH from each category of public buildings was evaluated by considering rooftop areas, monthly rainfall, and runoff coefficient. The result shows that the highest amount of rainwater was harvested from the City Administration building in August (197.1 m3), whereas the lowest was collected from the Health Center building in December (1.8 m3). Additionally, the contribution of RWH from individual public buildings for each month was evaluated, and its values ranged from 0.073 to 1.8%. The comparison shows that Wachemo University, Nigist Eleni Comprehensive Hospital, a technical and vocational institute, and teacher training center buildings, could have a significant potential for rainwater storage, ranging from 1.56 to 28.41%. This implies that, besides saving a noteworthy volume of potable water, the excess rainwater can be stored and utilized for the later dry months. As a result, it is recommended that rooftop RWH in Hosaena be the best source of the city's water supply system to reduce the current water supply shortage.

Delayed cold-stored vs. room temperature stored platelet transfusions in bleeding adult cardiac surgery patients—a randomized multicentre pilot study (PLTS-1)

BackgroundPlatelets stored at 1–6 °C are hypothesized to be more hemostatically active than standard room temperature platelets (RTP) stored at 20–24 °C. Recent studies suggest converting RTP to cold-stored platelets (Delayed Cold-Stored Platelets, DCSP) may be an important way of extending platelet lifespan and increasing platelet supply while also activating and priming platelets for the treatment of acute bleeding. However, there is little clinical trial data supporting the efficacy and safety of DCSP compared to standard RTP.MethodsThis protocol details the design of a multicentre, two-arm, parallel-group, randomized, active-control, blinded, internal pilot trial to be conducted at two cardiac surgery centers in Canada. The study will randomize 50 adult (≥ 18 years old) patients undergoing at least moderately complex cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and requiring platelet transfusion to receive either RTP as per standard of care (control group) or DCSP (intervention group). Patients randomized to the intervention group will receive ABO-identical, buffy-coat, pathogen-reduced, platelets in platelet additive solution maintained at 22 °C for up to 4 days then placed at 4 °C for a minimum of 24 h, with expiration at 14 days after collection. The duration of the intervention is from the termination of cardiopulmonary bypass to 24 h after, with a maximum of two doses of DCSP. Thereafter, all patients will receive RTP. The aim of this pilot is to assess the feasibility of a future RCT comparing the hemostatic effectiveness of DCSP to RTP (defined as the total number of allogeneic blood products transfused within 24 h after CPB) as well as safety. Specifically, the feasibility objectives of this pilot study are to determine (1) recruitment of ≥ 15% eligible patients per center per month); (2) appropriate platelet product available for ≥ 90% of patients randomized to the cold-stored platelet group; (3) Adherence to randomization assignment (> 90% of patients administered assigned product).DiscussionDCSP represents a promising logistical solution to address platelet supply shortages and a potentially more efficacious option for the management of active bleeding. No prospective clinical studies on this topic have been conducted. This proposed internal pilot study will assess the feasibility of a larger definitive study.Trial registrationNCT 06147531 (clinicaltrials.gov).

Sedimentary record of water-sediment regulation and channel shifts in the Yellow River (Huanghe) Delta

Delta are vital habitats for people and biotic communities. Many of the world's large river deltas are shrinking because of relative sea level rise and intensifying human interventions in the basin. Among these, the Yellow River Delta (hereafter YRD) has been enormously impacted by frequent channel avulsions and a Water-Sediment Regulation Scheme (WSRS) through upstream reservoirs since 2002. However, it remains undisclosed how the YRD responses to these human interventions. Here, modern sedimentation and inter-annual to multi-decadal timescales evolution of the YRD were studied using a dataset including 10 sediment cores collected in the subaqueous delta during the 2014 WSRS, satellite images, hydrographic and bathymetric data from 1976 to 2014. Our results show that the sedimentation of the delta can be divided into three stages: 1976–1995, 1996–2001, and 2002–2014. The area of subaerial delta generally increased from 3884 km2 to 4441 km2 during the whole 1976–2014 period except for a net land loss during 1996–2000. >70% of the delta coastline became artificial after 2000. Bathymetric data reveals that the subaqueous delta was seriously eroded after 1996 due to a shortage of sediment supply, with an estimated 2.3 × 108 t/yr and 1.1 × 108 t/yr of sediment respectively transported to the delta's adjacent sea during 1996–2001 and 2002–2014. The deltaic sediment became coarser due to the impact of the WSRS. Radionuclide 7Be uncovers a rapid sediment accumulation of ∼12 cm at the active delta front during the 2014 WSRS. The evolution of the YRD has become complex under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors. The YRD thus provides an exemplar shift from natural to human-dominated delta. These results are important for the delta management decision making.

Investigating the potential of catheter-assisted pulsed focused ultrasound ablation for atherosclerotic plaques.

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an adhesive substance called plaque accumulates over time inside the arteries. Plaque buildup results in the constriction of arteries, causing a shortage of blood supply to tissues and organs. Removing atherosclerotic plaques controls the development of acute ischemic stroke and heart diseases. It remains imperative for positive patient outcomes. This study sought to develop a minimally invasive technique for removing arterial plaques by applying focused ultrasound (FUS) energy on the metal surface of a nitinol catheter wire to induce inertial cavitation. The induced cavitation can deplete plaque mechanically inside the arteries, leading towards improved recanalization of blood vessels. The enhanced cavitation effect induced by combining FUS with a metal catheter was first verified by exposing agar phantom gels with or without a 0.9-mm diameter nitinol wire to an acoustic field produced by a 0.5-MHz FUS transducer. The phenomenon was further confirmed in pork belly fat samples with or without a 3-mm diameter nitinol catheter wire. Cavitation was monitored by detecting the peaks of emitted ultrasound signals from the samples using a passive cavitation detector (PCD). Cavitation threshold values were determined by observing the jump in the peak amplitude of signals received by the PCD when the applied FUS peak negative pressure (PNP) increased. To simulate arterial plaque removal, FUS with or without a catheter was used to remove tissues from pork belly fat samples and the lipid cores of human atherosclerotic plaque samples using 2500-cycle FUS bursts at 10% duty cycle and a burst repetition rate of 20Hz. Treatment outcomes were quantified by subtracting the weight of samples before treatment from the weight of samples after treatment. All measurements were repeated 5 times (n=5) unless otherwise indicated, and paired t-tests were used to compare the means of two groups. A p-value of <0.05 will be considered significant. Our results showed that with a nitinol wire, the cavitation threshold in agar phantoms was reduced to 2.6MPa from 4.3MPa PNP when there was no nitinol wire in the focal region of FUS. For pork belly fat samples, cavitation threshold values were 1.0 and 2.0MPa PNP, with and without a catheter wire, respectively. Pork belly fat tissues and lipid cores of atherosclerotic plaques were depleted at the interface between a catheter and the samples at 2 and 4MPa FUS PNP, respectively. The results showed that with a catheter wire in the focal region of a 3-min FUS treatment session, 24.7 and 25.6mg of lipid tissues were removed from pork belly fat and human atherosclerotic samples, respectively. In contrast, the FUS-only group showed no reduction in sample weight. The differences between FUS-only and FUS-plus-catheter groups were statistically significant (p<0.001 for the treatment on pork belly samples, and p<0.01 for the treatment on human atherosclerotic samples). This study demonstrated the feasibility of catheter-assisted FUS therapy for removing atherosclerotic plaques.

Challenges experienced by nurses regarding the involvement of guardians in integrated management of childhood illnesses in Vhembe District

The involvement of families and communities in healthcare services by healthcare providers enhances accountability towards the community they serve. Guardians need to be involved in the integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI) to improve child health outcomes. The study aimed to explore challenges experienced by nurses regarding the involvement of guardians in the management of childhood illnesses in the Vhembe district. A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive design was followed in this study. Fifteen participants were purposefully selected for the study. One-on-one interviews following a semi-structured interview guide were conducted face-to-face with the participants. A voice recorder was used to record the interviews. Data analysis was done following Tesch's eight steps. Trustworthiness was ensured throughout the study. The study yielded two themes, namely: guardians-related challenges, which are lack of knowledge and understanding of IMCI, language barrier and lack of continuity of care and healthcare service-related challenges, which are lack of human resource, staff attitude towards the IMCI strategy, shortage of material resource and erratic water supply. For the strategy to be effective in reducing the complications of childhood illnesses and child mortality, the government needs to avail the required resources and develop measures to empower guardians in child health management.

A post-disaster load supply restoration model for urban integrated energy systems based on multi-energy coordination

Urban integrated energy systems (UIES) have emerged as a promising solution to address the challenges of urban energy supply and consumption. However, UIES are vulnerable to extreme disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or floods, which can disrupt the energy infrastructure and lead to power outages and energy shortages. This study introduces a novel approach aimed at enhancing the resilience and load recovery capabilities of UIES in the face of extreme events. The proposed approach encompasses several key innovations, including the comprehensive coordination of local energy sources, prioritized restoration of critical loads, and a node-based modeling approach for gas and heat networks. Firstly, by fully integrating electricity, gas, and heat sources, the overall resilience of UIES is significantly improved, ensuring higher levels of load recovery even in the event of energy supply shortages. Secondly, the critical load recovery is prioritized by load classification, and the weights set can fully consider the connection status and load level of nodes to ensure priority provisioning of important node loads. In addition, the node-based modeling approach allows for accurate consideration of the flow of gas and heat in the pipe during modeling of the pipe energy storage. Finally, the case study section conducts simulation experiments with the UIES E33-G20-H6 test system to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach and to demonstrate its potential in enhancing the post-disaster load recovery capability of UIES.

Dairy Farmers’ Perception on Dairy Cattle Feeds and Feeding System: Brewery By-product Utilization Practice at Kombolcha Regiopolitan City, Ethiopia

A survey was conducted in three selected kebeles of Kombolcha Regiopolitan City in South Wollo Zone. The selected kebeles were in proximity to brewery factory, Ethiopia. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect perception data from purposively selected three kebeles and a total of 57 randomly selected dairy farmers. Data collected were analyzed with a statistical package for social sciences (Version 20) and Microsoft Excel (2010). Smallholder dairy farmers had average herd size of 10.7 and 0.08 hectare total dairy farm per household. Average daily milk yield and lactation length of dairy cows was 10.8 liter/day and 9.5 months, respectively. The majority of farmers (59.6%) reared dairy cows with 50-75% exotic blood. The most smallholder dairy farmers satisfied their feed demand from the market and had a trend of providing both dense and poor quality affordable feed ingredients. Smallholder dairy farmers gave priority to feed different kind of cattle in the order of lactating cows, calve, pregnant, heifers and dry cows and used (100%) wet brewery spent grain as a source of dairy feed. Though, there was a brewery by-product supply deficit for half of year. The majority smallholder dairy farmers delivered brewery by-product directly from the brewery factories and followed by wholesalers and retailers. The majority of smallholder dairy farmers (96.4%) stated that the brewery spent grain was fed and stored freshly using different conservation techniques, and the remaining stored in ensiled (1.8%) and dried (1.8%) forms. Smallholder dairy farmers had no brewery spent grain ensiling practice and feeding brewery yeast to dairy animals. Smallholder dairy farmers indicated that high price due to abnormal market chain and shortage of brewery spent grain supply were the major challenges to sustain dairy industry in the study area, and the majority (40.6%) claimed to get swift solutions at high cost and less accessible brewery by-product.

Costs are a major driver of antibacterial drug prescriptions in Germany: market analysis from 1985 to 2022

In recent years, several threatening developments regarding antibacterial drugs, such as rising bacterial resistance and delivery bottlenecks, have occurred. Since antibacterial drugs are crucial for modern medicine, understanding events and influencing factors relevant for long-term developments is essential. Therefore, we analyzed the number of prescriptions and costs, defined daily dose (DDD) and DDD costs of antibacterial drugs in Germany, based on the Arzneiverordnungsreport (AVR, Drug description report) between 1985 and 2022. Based on prescription rates in 2022, we selected the TOP15 and TOP5. For a more in-depth analysis, we analyzed data from the wissenschaftliches Institut der AOK (WidO, scientific institute of the AOK). The number of prescriptions increased between 1985 and 2013, but since 2014, there has been a declining trend with a noticeable COVID-related dip. Over the years, a shift in drug classes occurred. Once very popular drugs like penicillins and tetracyclines are no longer as important. Conversely, aminopenicillins and cephalosporins have become more relevant. Particularly, the TOP5 drugs have seen an increasing proportion. DDD costs have decreased in most substance classes over time. There is a strong association between decreasing costs and rising prescriptions. Falling costs have a stronger immediate impact on prescriptions that rising costs. When costs are very low, drugs might be prescribed excessively. Supply bottlenecks can also result. The main prescribers are mainly in primary care. Their share of prescription has changed little over the years, but is decreasing regarding total consumption. In comparison to other European countries, Germany ranks in the lower third regarding prescriptions. In most countries, the COVID pandemic has led to a reduced prescription of antibacterial drugs. In conclusion, we provided a comprehensive overview of the antibacterial drug market in Germany over the past four decades and identified costs as a major driver of antibacterial drug prescriptions. Increased costs may reduce uncritical prescription of antibacterial drugs, development of bacterial resistance, supply shortages and occurrence of adverse effects.

Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America position statement on pandemic preparedness for policymakers: mitigating supply shortages.

The COVID-19 has had major direct (e.g., deaths) and indirect (e.g., social inequities) effects in the United States. While the public health response to the epidemic featured some important successes (e.g., universal masking ,and rapid development and approval of vaccines and therapeutics), there were systemic failures (e.g., inadequate public health infrastructure) that overshadowed these successes. Key deficiency in the U.S. response were shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and supply chain deficiencies. Recommendations are provided for mitigating supply shortages and supply chain failures in healthcare settings in future pandemics. Some key recommendations for preventing shortages of essential components of infection control and prevention include increasing the stockpile of PPE in the U.S. National Strategic Stockpile, increased transparency of the Stockpile, invoking the Defense Production Act at an early stage, and rapid review and authorization by FDA/EPA/OSHA of non-U.S. approved products. Recommendations are also provided for mitigating shortages of diagnostic testing, medications and medical equipment.

PV grid-connected information interaction methods based on public information modeling

The grid integration of large-scale photovoltaic and other distributed energy sources is an effective solution for addressing power supply shortages and environmental pollution. However, the widespread adoption of photovoltaics and grid integration presents various technological and management challenges. To fulfill the demands of grid management and ensure safe operations, the exchange of information between different terminals is continuously escalating. Use of diverse communication standards creates the problem of “information islands” among terminals. Hence, a standardized information model is crucial for describing the photovoltaic grid integration business and enhancing the efficiency of related software platform research and development. This study extends the IEC 61970/61968 standards and presents a common information model for the integration of photovoltaic systems into the grid. Initially, the operational procedures for integrating photovoltaic systems into the grid are analyzed, and UML modeling tools are employed for business modeling purposes. Subsequently, leveraging the outcomes of the business modeling and the content of the IEC 61970/61968 standards, the development of the common information model is executed. Lastly, causal analysis is conducted along with the modeling of communication standard extensions specifically targeted for the integration of photovoltaic systems into the grid, culminating in the finalization of the construction of the common information model for photovoltaic grid connection.

A new empirical correlation of MMP prediction for oil – impure CO2 systems

CO2 flooding is a widely-used technique for enhancing oil production, with miscible CO2 flooding exhibiting higher recovery potential compared to both immiscible and near-miscible CO2 flooding. However, the problem of insufficient CO2 supply is increasingly critical in many reservoirs. When faced with a shortage of gas supply, the key to the successful implementation of miscible CO2 flooding lies in accurately predicting the MMP of impure CO2. This study leverages MMP data derived from both experimental and simulation results, utilizing both linear and nonlinear regression methodologies to formulate empirical correlations for MMP prediction. In addition, ridge regression is used to solve collinearity problem.Compared with former investigations, the impure CO2 correlation proposed in this study integrates the ratio of the specific injection gas mole fraction to the crude oil mole fraction as novel independent variables. This inclusion reflects the actual interaction between the specific injection gas and crude oil during the miscibility process. Furthermore, the correlation can be linearized to the greatest extent through this way and such linearization illustrates the fundamental concepts more distinctly, offering a more practical and comprehensible approach. This formula combines the prediction of the minimum miscible pressure with the interaction mechanism of the miscible process, and the dominant factors in the miscible process can be determined. In terms of reducing the minimum miscible pressure, the interaction between C4 + C5 in the injected gas and C1 + N2 in the crude oil component is the strongest, while the interaction between N2 in the injected gas and C2-6 in the crude oil was most significant in increasing the minimum miscible pressure by comparison.The correlations presented for impure CO2 yield an average absolute deviation of 2.18 % and sustain a relative deviation within ± 10 %, surpassing previously published correlations. This study highlights the accuracy and effectiveness of the developed correlations for estimating MMP for impure CO2. The suggested MMP correlation offers a practical and efficient means of determining MMP for the implementation of impure CO2 miscible flooding in the field.

Influence of successive cycles of water stress on tomato production at fruiting stage

Progressive reduction of water supply was imposed during early period (S1) and late period (S2) interceded by a recovery, with a moderate stress for first case and un intensive stress for second case, at fruiting stage of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rio Grand). The influence of this reduction on fruit production, shoot growth, water content (WC), relative water content (RWC), leaf area (LA), specific leaf weight (SLW), total soluble solids of fruit (T.S.S.) and maturity percentage of fruit were investigated. Repetition of water stress (S1+S2) was obviously reducing the shoot growth, fresh yield, WC, LA and maturity percentage, whereas that was not achieved in dry weight of fruits (FDW), RWC, SLW and T.S.S. Since, a significant difference was founded between the effects of S2 cycle and when that has been preceded by another one S1+S2 on accumulation of dry matter of fruit. Two successive cycles of water stress were doubled of FDW by two times of that registered in control. These results indicate that, during fruiting stage, the effect of gradually exposure of a moderate water stress period, followed by recovery, thereafter by another gradually exposure of un intensive water stress period, contributed to better accumulation of dry matter in fruit by an osmotic adjusting therefore improving water use efficiency, compared to the effect of only one high intensive of water stress applied during the second period. Repetition cycle of water stress may be useful to develop management systems for a reasonable production of tomato and thus reducing the needs of irrigation water in regions facing deficit of water supplies.

Institutional implications for science and industrial capacity: policy lessons from the UK’s pandemic response

Abstract Global shortages of critical equipment and supplies induced by COVID-19 forced countries to rapidly build and ramp up their indigenous testing and production capacities. However, the many ways in which institutional and organizational change occurred has not been sufficiently captured. Building domestic capacity requires the leveraging and repurposing of existing domestic scientific and technological capabilities, coupled with intensified global outreach to new and existing partners and suppliers. Using the framework of institutional variety, this paper looks at two facets of the UK’s COVID emergency industrial response: (1) building its laboratory testing capabilities and (2) for increasing production of personal protective equipment; assessing the institutional capacities and relations that were leveraged in this regard. It uses these findings together with observations of ‘innovation processes under emergency conditions’ and the potential uses of a ‘critical equipment policy’ to sharpen some of the recommendations made in the UK’s post-COVID Research and Development Roadmap.

Measurement of Raw Material Inventory Performance at Halal Frozen Food Business

Abstract Manufacturing companies often provide supplies of raw materials so that the production process runs smoothly. Initial observations on halal frozen food businesses that use chicken and shrimp as the main ingredients show that material procurement activities are carried out daily and materials are purchased more when prices on the market are down. The company’s historical data shows a shortage of chicken raw material supplies in April due to increased demand, while raw material supplies were insufficient, and raw material prices tended to be high. This research was conducted to measure the performance of raw material inventory at halal frozen food companies using the inventory turnover rate, inventory days of supply, and fill rate methods and to calculate the optimal amount of raw material inventory with EOQ, safety stock, and reorder point (ROP). The inventory turnover rate calculation for chicken raw materials shows the best value in June 2022 of 68.35, the results of the analysis of the best inventory turnover rate for shrimp raw materials in March 2022 are 68.79. The calculation of inventory days of supply for chicken raw materials shows the best value in December 2022 of 0.98 days, calculation of inventory days of supply for shrimp shows the best value in February 2023 of 0.91 days. The fill rate is 100%. The research results show that inventory performance in the halal frozen food business is good. To avoid raw material shortages in the future, companies can use the Economic Order Quantity guide in ordering raw materials.

Organizational Resilience and the Attention-Based View of the Firm—Empirical Evidence from German SMEs

The need for organizations to increase resilience is still growing, not least because of economic crises, such as the 2007–2009 global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and supply shortages in raw material procurement combined with rising commodity costs and energy prices. We use an attention-based view approach as a theoretical lens to investigate the shift in management’s attention due to a crisis, with a particular focus on working capital management (WCM) as a decisive finance tool. In addition, we examine how management’s attention shifts to organizational resilience (OR). We also analyze how managers’ cognitive flexibility (CF), which reflects their ability to anticipate and quickly adapt, moderates the change in attention. By surveying 307 top and middle managers in German small- and medium-sized enterprises, we measure the crisis effect on the shift in managerial attention to WCM and OR. In addition, we measure managers’ CF and examine the contribution of these individual characteristics in the context of WCM and OR. Our mediation model reveals a positive, indirect-only effect of the crisis on the shift in management attention to OR mediated by the shift in management attention to WCM. In addition, our results show that managers’ CF negatively moderates the effect between managerial focus shifts to WCM and to OR. Our study’s results deepen the understanding of the importance of managers’ CF in times of crisis and the impact of CF on sales development, suggesting that managers’ CF may influence the link between the focal characteristics of WCM and OR.

Policy Constructivity and Food Security Strategies: Vulnerability Issues of Rice in Kota Belud, Sabah

The recent escalation in imported rice prices, coupled with a domestic shortfall in rice production, has significantly impacted Malaysian residents, particularly affecting the economically vulnerable B40 group which constitutes a substantial portion of the population. This scenario has contributed to a consistent increase in the cost of food items. Concurrently, the domestic scarcity of white rice is attributed to heightened demand triggered by the inflated prices of imported rice. Despite Malaysia’s 130,282 hectares dedicated to rice cultivation contributing to 40% of its total rice production, with Kota Belud, Sabah being one of the most prolific rice-producing regions spanning 7,092 hectares, the country still faces a critical vulnerability in rice and paddy supply. Notable, the area under rice cultivation in Kota Belud expanded by 1000 hectares to 9392 hectares in under three years, as of 2019. This paradox raises questions about the sufficiency of national rice supply amidst such expansion. This study aims to dissect the multifaceted factors contributing to rice supply shortages, focusing on stakeholder engagement, selection processes, and their leverage in policy-making. These elements critically affect policy space choices, alongside the feasibility and effectiveness of policy interventions. Employing qualitative methodologies, the research integrates structured interviews with key informants and the analysis of secondary data for empirical backing. Furthermore, to enrich the study's findings, questionnaires are distributed to 100 villagers in a qualitative exploration aiming for a comprehensive understanding of the issue. Preliminary findings underscore the necessity of prioritizing food security at the national level. To enhance food security concerns in Sabah and across Malaysia, the study suggests engaging the youth, enhancing road networks, developing adequate drainage and irrigation systems, and promoting a balanced cultivation of commercial and paddy crops, among other strategic interventions. These approaches are pivotal in navigating the complexities of food security and establishing a resilient rice supply chain.

First-Principles Study of Ti-Doping Effects on Hard Magnetic Properties of RFe11Ti Magnets

Due to the rare earth supply shortage, ThMn12-type RFe12-based (R is the rare earth element) magnets with lean rare earth content are gaining more concern. Most ThMn12-type RFe12 structures are thermodynamically metastable and require doping of the stabilizing element Ti. However, the Ti-doping effects on the hard magnetic properties of RFe11Ti have not been thoroughly investigated. Herein, based on density functional theory calculations, we report the Ti-doping effects on the phase stability, intrinsic hard magnetic properties and electronic structures of RFe11Ti (R = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Y, Zr). Our results indicate that Ti-doping not only increases their phase stability, but also enhances the magnetic hardness of ground-state RFe12 phases. Particularly, it leads to the transition of CeFe11Ti and PrFe11Ti from easy-plane to easy-axis anisotropy. Charge density distributions demonstrate that Ti-doping breaks the original symmetry of the R-site crystal field, which alters the magnetic anisotropy of RFe11Ti. Projected densities of states reveal that the addition of Ti results in the shift of occupied and unoccupied f-electron energy levels of rare earth elements, affecting their magnetic exchange. This study provides an insight into regulating the hard magnetic properties of RFe12-based magnets by Ti-doping.

Cloud seeding in the Middle East: a problematic solution to freshwater shortage

ABSTRACT Several Middle Eastern states seed clouds to help overcome the problem of deficit in freshwater supply. The global result of cloud seeding is far from certain, but Middle Eastern states are prepared to take the risk to increase their freshwater resource. There is no agreement between the stakeholders. Iran accuses several upwind states of stealing its clouds and reducing its rain. This paper looks at the cloud-seeding operations in the world with a focus on the Middle East. Cloud seeding is far from certain and it creates security concerns for downwind states or regions. International regulation seems to be required after a large-scale review of all the evidence from cloud-seeding endeavours.