Process Technology Research Articles

Strategic procurement practices in healthcare organizations and their impact on Medicaid and Medicare cost containment

Strategic procurement in healthcare organizations has emerged as a critical factor in addressing the escalating costs within Medicaid and Medicare programs. This comprehensive review synthesizes current literature and empirical evidence on innovative procurement practices and their impact on healthcare cost containment. Through extensive analysis of procurement transformation across healthcare organizations, this review identifies key trends in value-based purchasing, digital integration, and supply chain optimization. Findings indicate that healthcare organizations implementing strategic procurement practices achieve substantial cost reductions in medical supplies and equipment while maintaining or improving quality standards. The integration of artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies in procurement processes has demonstrated particular promise, with early adopters reporting enhanced transparency and reduced administrative burden. This review also reveals significant barriers to implementation, including organizational resistance, regulatory constraints, and technical infrastructure limitations. The findings suggest that successful procurement transformation requires a systematic approach combining technological innovation, organizational change management, and policy adaptation. These insights provide valuable guidance for healthcare administrators, policymakers, and researchers working to optimize healthcare resource allocation and control costs in public health insurance programs.

Elastomer-assisted graphene transfer technique for enhanced resonance characteristics in chemisorption-based graphene resonant mass sensors.

A process technology was developed for transferring strained graphene sheets using an elastomer nanosheet to enhance the resonance characteristics of a graphene resonator. The strain-induced graphene resonator demonstrated a 1.80-fold improvement in the product of resonant frequency and Q-factor compared to the unstrained resonator. The system exhibited a frequency change in response to single inactivated SARS-CoV-2 whole virus by functionalizing the surface of the strained suspended graphene with a DNA aptamer, indicating a mass sensitivity of 0.99 zg Hz-1, which is 3.5 × 106 times greater than conventional chemisorption-based resonant mass sensors.

Exploring the Internal Environmental Changes of Muscle Cells and Apoptotic Phase of Mitochondria in Dry-Cured Loin Using Electrical Stimulation: Promoting the Precise Regulation of Loin Ham Quality.

Traditional dry-curing methods have a long cycle time and low efficiency, resulting in the inconsistent quality of dry-cured ham. By applying electrical stimulation (ES) technology in the dry-curing process, it was found that ES affected mitochondrial apoptosis by modulating the intracellular environment of muscle cells, which, in turn, enhanced the quality of dry-cured pork loin. Specifically, ES accelerated glycogen and ATP depletion, which led to a rapid decline in pH. Meanwhile, compared to the control group (CK), the activities of Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase in the ES group (ES) increased by 160% and 124%, respectively, leading to the generation of H+ gradient and Ca2+ overload in mitochondria, which in turn triggered mitochondrial apoptosis and increased the apoptosis rate by 259%. In addition, Western blot analysis showed that ES promoted the Desmin and Troponin-T degradation levels. This study highlights the advantages of ES in dry-cured ham processing, which is expected to be a precise regulation technology.

КОМПЛЕКСНИЙ ПІДХІД У ВИКОРИСТАННІ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНО-КОМУНІКАЦІЙНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ У ПРОЦЕСІ НАУКОВОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ МАЙБУТНІХ ЕКОЛОГІВ

On the basis of educational standard analysis and interrogation of ecology disciplines teachers from high educational establishments it is noticed the necessity to inculcate information and communication technologies in teaching and learning process of ecology disciplines. The article investigates the use of various ICT tools in the «urban ecology» subject study and teaching method that focuses on the use of ICT in the research activities of future environmental experts. The main areas of use of ICT in teaching discipline of «urban ecology» and the basic elements of electronic methodical complex of disciplines are highlighted. Examples of the use of ICT to solving practical problems and proprietary program solution are adduced.

Systematization of steam cultivators

BACKGROUND: When exposed to the soil during cultivation, the moisture and air permeability of the formation improves, which favor the activity of microorganisms and the growth and development of plants. The increase in the production of agricultural crop production directly depends on the level of technology of the new generation. Therefore, the improvement of their designs in order to increase the level of technology of the new generation is an urgent task of the agro-industrial complex. METHODS: The method of monographic examination of the structures of steam cultivators, both of the machine as a whole and separately of the main working bodies, was used on the basis of well-known scientific research and the results of state tests. Thus, the really working steam cultivators recommended for use in agricultural production were considered. In addition, the patented designs of the working bodies of steam cultivators were analyzed. The efficiency of steam cultivators was determined based on the results of state tests of the Volga, Northwestern, Siberian, Kuban, North Caucasian, Central Chernozem, Kirov, Vladimir MIS over the past 10 years. RESULTS: The article provides an overview of steam cultivators and their designs. The classification of cultivators by 3 types is given: by the type of main working bodies (paws); by the type of additional working bodies (rollers, harrows, rods); by the type of attachment to the tractor (trailed, mounted). Their advantages and disadvantages are considered. An overview of research on improving the designs of steam cultivators to improve the quality and reduce energy consumption for tillage is given. The working bodies (paws), the frame in terms of the placement of the main working bodies, the rack and the design of additional working bodies of steam cultivators are being modernized. Theoretical studies on improving the efficiency of cultivators are considered. The conditions for achieving and improving the quality of tillage with a steam cultivator are revealed by determining the relationship of parameters with the indicators of the technological process. The application of computer simulation modeling in solving theoretical problems of research of new working bodies is considered, advantages and disadvantages are revealed. CONCLUSIONS: The systematization of steam cultivators presented in this article will allow us to determine ways to further improve them.

Multi-agent behavioral evolutionary game analysis of digital twin technology adoption in manufacturing enterprises

ABSTRACT Digital twin technology is crucial in breaking through the bottleneck of integrating the physical and information worlds in the manufacturing industry. However, manufacturing enterprises lack sufficient economic motivation and subjective willingness to adopt due to concerns about technological challenges and cost inputs. To elucidate the mechanisms that influence the adoption of digital twin technology, this study establishes an evolutionary game model from a stakeholder perspective, dynamically analyzes the strategy selection and system stability conditions of each participant and conducts numerical simulations. The findings reveal that the adoption process of digital twin technology in manufacturing enterprises occurs in phases. The coefficient of product attribute enhancement emerges as a key factor in promoting adoption. Government financial and consumption subsidies further encourage the adoption of digital twin technology and enhance customer preference for twin products and derivative services. The customer digital collaboration coefficient and demand matching coefficient significantly affect customers’ perceived utility benefits, which in turn influence manufacturing enterprises’ decisions to adopt digital twin technology by converting them into spillover benefits. Finally, this study provides targeted recommendations to various stakeholders to further promote the adoption of digital twin technology.

Managing difficult conversations on new technology integration: the case of generative AI

Purpose Managing difficult conversations about new technology integration is crucial for businesses that must adopt disruptive innovations while maintaining organizational integrity. This article explores the “technology integrity” challenge, which involves preserving identity, operational, and relational aspects of business integrity during the new technological integration process. Using Generative AI as an illustrative case, the article provides a six-stage conversation framework, covering authenticity, direction, unification, scalability, transparency, and ethics, to guide organizations in conducting empathetic, inclusive dialogues with internal and external stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper for a practitioner audience. Findings The article provides a six-stage conversation framework, covering authenticity, direction, unification, scalability, transparency, and ethics to guide organizations in conducting empathetic, inclusive dialogues with internal and external stakeholders. Originality/value This article explores the “technology integrity” challenge, which involves preserving identity, operational, and relational aspects of business integrity during the new technological integration process. This is particularly critical for organizations integrating AI technologies.

The construction of coupling degradation system low temperature plasma and microbiological denitrification: Interfacial reaction process and synergistic mechanism.

The degradation of antibiotic wastewater by low-temperature plasma and the removal of excess nitrogen by biological denitrification with Pseudomonas stutzeri (P. stutzeri) reducing secondary pollution has rarely been reported. In this study, iron and phenolic resin doped carbon-based porous nanofiber membranes are prepared (named RFe2-CNF) by electrostatic spinning technique, where the optimization of structure and composition endows low-temperature plasma system better catalyst performance than that of without catalyst (a 58% increase). Microbiological treatment experiments show that the plasma-degraded solution inhibits the denitrification of the P. stutzeri, but overall shows a strong denitrification effect (93.1%). In the coupling process of advanced oxidation technology and microbial denitrification technology, the possible interfacial reaction process, synergistic degradation mechanism, and products toxicity analysis are studied in detail. In addition, LC-MS and DFT are used to derive possible degradation pathways of pollutants. This work provides a new strategy to improve the degradation performance meanwhile reducing secondary pollution by low-temperature plasma-coupled microbiological treatment.

Assessment and Insights into the Awareness and Readiness of Organizations to Implement the Assumptions of Industry 5.0: An Examination of Five Polish Sectors

The aim of this study is to assess the level of awareness and readiness of organizations to implement the assumptions of Industry 5.0, as well as to identify the benefits and challenges associated with this process. The paper makes an original contribution by combining empirical analysis with the proposal of a practical model, enabling a better understanding of the technological and social transformation process in Polish organizations. The article presents an original model for implementing the assumptions of Industry 5.0, integrating technological, social, and organizational aspects, offering a comprehensive approach to transformation towards sustainable and human-centered development. The study was conducted among 556 Polish companies from five sectors: IT, automotive, industrial, service, and banking/financial, using a non-random sampling method and data analysis through techniques such as association rules and hierarchical clustering. The research results indicate that most organizations are familiar with the basics of the Industry 5.0 concept (25% full knowledge, 66% partial knowledge), but only a portion is engaged in the transformation process (59%), which typically takes place gradually (53%). The most commonly reported benefit of Industry 5.0 by organizations was improved product and service quality (73%), while the most frequently cited challenges included the need for staff training (58%), ensuring data and network security (53%), and modernizing infrastructure and systems (52%). Benefits such as improved product quality, increased production efficiency, and cost optimization are primarily recognized by companies in the IT and industrial sectors. At the same time, challenges such as the need to modernize infrastructure and ensure data security, as well as implementation costs, remain significant barriers, particularly for small- and medium-sized enterprises. The research findings have practical significance as they provide companies and decision-makers with guidance on effective planning and implementation of actions related to the implementation of Industry 5.0.

PSYCHOPHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH SPEECH DISORDERS IN THE CONTEXT OF MUSICAL-CREATIVE AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Abstract. The comprehensive and harmonious development of a child is linked to their morphological-functional, physical, somatic, mental, and other individual characteristics. Based on this, we considered it necessary, within the framework of a pedagogical experiment, to analyze how subjectively parents assess their children's speech development. Subsequently, for further analysis of the correctional process technology which effectively forms the basis of dance-cognitive education – thus being constantly perfected and practically applied – we deemed it essential to identify certain features of the musical-creative and physical development of children at the initial stage of their preschool education. Objective: to identify the psychophysical and speech characteristics of children’s development, define the specifics of their musical-creative and physical education, in order to develop a further strategy for conducting classes with elements of dance exercises that address speech correction. Subjects: 87 parents of children aged 4–6 years. To study the parameters of speech development and create a characterization of musical- creative and physical education for children, we used the questionnaire survey method. Analysis of the survey data revealed that, despite parents' evident interest in their child’s speech development, not all of them understand their role in the process of speech formation. It was also identified that at the early stages of development, children’s cognitive interests play a predominant role. The results of the survey allowed us to determine the main strategy for physical education for preschoolers with speech disorders, based on the technology we developed for correcting speech impairments through classes incorporating dance exercises. In this aspect, classes with dance elements can creatively fulfill this need, develop a sense of rhythm, strengthen the skeletal and muscular systems, and stimulate memory, attention, thinking, and imagination. This experience may further assist children in successfully mastering various artistic-creative and sports activities such as choreography, theatre arts, playing musical instruments, gymnastics, etc. Among other benefits, dance-corrective exercises involve the use of both short-term and long-term memory to memorize and reproduce dance figures. These exercises impact the activity of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, thereby developing motor centers. Constant changes in sequences and rhythms in dance stimulate brain neurons, enhancing the functional flexibility of neural processes. Further research – conduct an analysis of the results of assessing speech and psychophysical development, cognitive functions and dance abilities of preschool children at the initial stage of education.

Use of non-fungible tokens in operations and supply chain management

Non-fungible tokens (NFT) are secured storage methods for unique and non-interchangeable data items. While NFTs are commonly associated with digital arts and the cryptocurrency market, the paper explores their potential in industrial applications, particularly within operations and supply chain management. The paper introduces the technology and key processes of NFTs, providing a foundation for understanding their application in operations and supply chains. The design science method is employed by conducting requirement collection with a small group of experts and based on this a set of potential applications for operations and supply chain management is outlined. Five use case applications are presented from the requirements management point of view. The artefact developed in the process is a sample implementation, demonstrating how NFTs can be practically employed to address specific operational requirements. The results indicate that physical components, digital assets, uniqueness of the entity, contracts, security, and multiple stakeholders collectively enable various use cases where NFTs can provide value.

АНАЛИЗ РЕЗУЛЬТАТОВ ПИЛОТНОГО ВНЕДРЕНИЯ ФГИС ЛК АРХАНГЕЛЬСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

The article highlights the relevance of the research topic related to the digitalization of the forest complex, a new stage of which was the development and implementation of FGIS LC. The object of the study is the process of implementing FGIS LC in the Arkhangelsk region. The purpose of the study is related to the fact that the results of the implementation of FGIS LC in the Arkhangelsk region as a pilot project are subject to in-depth analysis and study. Analytical materials, reports of specialized institutions and scientific articles have been studied on the topic of the study. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the study. Among the qualitative methods, observation, interviews, professional assessments and testing were used. Quantitative methods such as questionnaires and monitoring were applied together with them. Methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison, as well as an empirical approach were used to analyze various sources of information. The results of the study were the analysis of foreign information systems and services for forest accounting, timber harvesting, and assessment of the architecture, structure and functionality of FGIS LC, analysis of the process of implementing FGIS LC in the Arkhangelsk region. The FGIS LC system is based on technological processes that include both automated ones, maintains a register of documents and related data, and provides continuous monitoring of the state of forest management based on accepted documents and changes made to them. The architecture of FGIS LC includes three segments that logically combine all the functions of the system: the industry segment, the integration segment, and the public segment. Expert discussions with experts on the implementation of FGIS LC in the Arkhangelsk region allowed us to identify a number of basic errors and the way to solve them. Testing the functionality of FGIS LC in the Arkhangelsk region, focusing on solving the main issues that require elaboration and improvement of the system. The analysis of the experience of implementing FGIS LC in the Arkhangelsk region revealed the best practices and difficulties of working with this system. Such an analysis is necessary, as it helps to optimize the processes in the work of enterprises and government agencies

ЦИФРОВАЯ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИЯ СЕЛЬСКОГО ХОЗЯЙСТВА: ОТ ТЕОРИИ К ПРАКТИКЕ

Digital agriculture allows not only to change the principles of agricultural producers, but also to transform every element of the production chain of raw materials and agricultural products, has an impact on the movement of capital and reproduction processes in agriculture. In addition, digital transformation can significantly affect the relationships of agricultural producers with resource suppliers, procurement, processing and trading organizations, making them more transparent and economically sound. Digital solutions provide the ability to control the entire cycle of product movement from the field to the counter. Their practical use makes it possible to increase the efficiency of resource management, machinery, equipment and technological processes, and to make optimal management decisions at all stages of the technological process of product production. They fundamentally change the usual technologies and provide increased economic efficiency. The article summarizes and systematizes the economic categories "digitalization", "digital transformation", and "digital agriculture", examines the experience of practical application of digital technologies in agriculture, and identifies certain factors constraining the large-scale digital transformation of the Russian agricultural sector.

Current socio-environmental transitions and disadvantaged consumers

This essay broaches the topic of people who are fully consumers for their daily provisioning, yet are disadvantaged by being poor, non-white, immigrant, women, and so forth; and it asks how they are experiencing and acting on the supposed "transitions" that are taking place in response to global climate change. Such people will be impacted by powerful changes largely beyond their control, yet their situation is largely neglected, with exceptions, in the "just transitions" literature. The article lays out a series of considerations for studying and acting on these processes. It begins with a vision of consumption as extended reproduction, a demanding household labor process of daily provisioning and longer-term persistence or change, done with commoditized technologies and resource streams, mainly but not entirely by unpaid women. Technologies, resource flows, and labor processes, then, provide ways to think about stresses, risks, and responses by disadvantaged peoples.

Data-Driven Enterprise Financial Management Intelligent Transformation Path Analysis

In the digital economy era, the intelligent transformation of enterprise financial management has become a key measure to enhance enterprise competitiveness. Based on the data-driven perspective, this paper systematically analyzes the theoretical basis and technical support of enterprise financial management intelligent transformation, and deeply discusses the main challenges faced by current enterprise financial management in intelligent transformation, such as technical investment, talent reserve, and data standardization. The research constructs an enterprise financial management intelligent transformation path that includes overall framework design, key technology application, process optimization, risk control, and performance evaluation. Practice shows that data-driven intelligent transformation can effectively improve enterprise financial management efficiency, reduce operating costs, and enhance risk control capabilities.

ХАРАКТЕРНЫЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ВОСПРОИЗВОДСТВЕННОГО ПРОЦЕССА МТП В УСЛОВИЯХ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ТЕХНИКО-ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО СУВЕРЕНИТЕТА

The machine and tractor fleet, with its qualitative and quantitative characteristics, is a fundamentally important factor in production, reducing the complexity of technological processes and increasing efficiency in agriculture. Modern vectors of development of the agricultural industry are aimed at supporting national goals and lead to the modernization of the industry with modern and high-tech domestic equipment, including through a flexible system of state support, stimulating investment activity of agricultural producers, including by ensuring access to preferential credit resources and preferential leasing, which is ensured by the effective operation of JSC Russian Agricultural The Bank and JSC Rosagroleasing. However, the imposed economic sanctions, the forced change in logistics for the supply of components for agricultural machinery and spare parts for the repair and maintenance of agricultural machinery, high inflation and an increase in the key rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and the increasing disparity in prices do not contribute to accelerating reproduction processes in agriculture. In this regard, there is a need to develop a set of scientifically based approaches to solve urgent problems and create effective conditions for the reproduction of the agricultural machinery and tractor fleet in compliance with the principles of rational resource use and in order to achieve technical and technological sovereignty. The article presents the results of scientific research based on the fundamental principles of scientists and economists who studied the evolution of the reproductive process and identify the characteristic features of the stages of the reproductive process of the machine and tractor park (MTP) agriculture in the context of the formation of technical and technological sovereignty.

Maximizing Free Energy Gain.

Maximizing the amount of work harvested from an environment is important for a wide variety of biological and technological processes, from energy-harvesting processes such as photosynthesis to energy storage systems such as fuels and batteries. Here, we consider the maximization of free energy-and by extension, the maximum extractable work-that can be gained by a classical or quantum system that undergoes driving by its environment. We consider how the free energy gain depends on the initial state of the system while also accounting for the cost of preparing the system. We provide simple necessary and sufficient conditions for increasing the gain of free energy by varying the initial state. We also derive simple formulae that relate the free energy gained using the optimal initial state rather than another suboptimal initial state. Finally, we demonstrate that the problem of finding the optimal initial state may have two distinct regimes, one easy and one difficult, depending on the temperatures used for preparation and work extraction. We illustrate our results on a simple model of an information engine.

APPLICATION OF CONTEMPORARY MATERIALIZATION OF INTERIOR PARTITION IN INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS AS AN ACOUSTIC CHALLENGE

In recent years, the construction of industrial buildings in local areas has been dynamically increasing. In the context of modern architecture and construction, besides functionality in terms of meeting basic structural requirements, technological processes, and building design, achieving acoustic comfort within the workspace has become one of the primary design challenges. Analyzing contemporary design trends in the field of industrial building architecture reveals an increasing prevalence of using "flexible" interior partitions, both in their materialization and in architectural-functional organization. The tendency to use "light materialization," which aims to provide visual interaction as well, represents a unique engineering-architectural challenge. This paper investigates the impact of applying modern materialization of interior partitions, through a case study of an industrial building in Niš, on the potential to achieve adequate acoustic comfort. The aim of the study is to explore to what extent and in what way the application of different types of materialization, determined by the functional requirements of the space, influences the creation of an appropriate acoustic environment. The paper will analyze the possibilities of optimizing the materialization of interior partitions to achieve adequate acoustic ambiance while respecting architectural- design requirements. By simulating the acoustic performance of several models of modern materializations of interior partitions, an analysis of their acoustic characteristics (insulation power) will be conducted. The simulation of the models was carried out using the INSUL program, specialized for calculating sound insulation through various elements and construction assemblies. The obtained results will provide a preliminary "path to follow" in the architectural search for adequate acoustic comfort in the interior spaces of industrial buildings.

On the issue of forming the properties of restoration compositions based on air and hydraulic binders

Objective. This study provides a review of organic additives, organic and inorganic binders, including air and hydraulic lime binders. Heat and mass transfer in the processes of decarbonization and carbonization of air and hydraulic lime binders and repair and restoration compositions based on them is considered, knowledge of which is necessary for the design of equipment and technological processes for the production of mineral binders, as well as technologies and compositions for repair and restoration work. Method. The dissociation and decarbonization reactions are given as reversible reactions, the decomposition front, the boundaries of limestone decomposition, the dissociation time and the dissociation reaction rate are calculated. To obtain complete information on mass transfer during the decarbonization of limestone, heat transfer is also taken into account, which complicates the task due to the nonisothermal temperature field, which affects the difference in the rates of the decarbonization reaction. Result. The solution of the problem, carried out by Held and Ivanov, and the Fourier differential equation of thermal conductivity are given. The types of lime hardening are considered: carbonate, hydrate and hydrosilicate. Carbonate hardening of lime is presented as a hardening process that takes a long time. The mechanism of carbonate hardening has been studied. The dependence of carbonization intensity on water content and humidity was revealed. Conclusion. The scientific and practical value of a new scientific direction has been established: “Research of air and hydraulic lime binders and the development of repair and restoration compositions based on them.” As a result of the research, new compositions have been developed for the repair, restoration and restoration of historical and cultural monuments that meet the repair and restoration requirements.

Package Positioning Based on Point Registration Network DCDNet-Att

The application of robot technology in the automatic transportation process of packaging bags is becoming increasingly common. Point cloud registration is the key to applying industrial robots to automatic transportation systems. However, current point cloud registration models cannot effectively solve the registration of deformed targets like packaging bags. In this study, a new point cloud registration network, DCDNet-Att, is proposed, which uses a variable weight dynamic graph convolution module to extract point cloud features. A feature interaction module is used to extract common features between the source point cloud and the template point cloud. The same geometric features between the two pairs of point clouds are strengthened through a bottleneck module. A channel attention model is used to obtain the channel attention weights. The attention weight of each spatial position is calculated, and a rotation translation structure is used to sequentially obtain quaternions and translation vectors. A feature fitting loss function is used to constrain the parameters of the neural network model to have a larger receptive field. Compared with seven methods, including the ICP algorithm, GO-ICP algorithm, and FGR algorithm, the proposed method had rotation errors (MAE, RMSE, and Error of 1.458, 2.541, and 1.024 in the ModelNet40 dataset, respectively) and translation errors (MAE, RMSE, and Error of 0.0048, 0.0114, and 0.0174, respectively). When registering the ModelNet40 dataset with Gaussian noise, the rotation errors (MAE, RMSE, and Error) were 2.028, 3.437, and 2.478, respectively, and the translation errors (MAE, RMSE, and Error) were 0.0107, 0.0327, and 0.0285, respectively. The experimental results were superior to those of the other methods, and the model was effective at registering packaging bag point clouds.