Digitalization of Fresh Chestnut Fruit Supply Chain through RFID: Evidence, Benefits and Managerial Implications

This study provides evidence of supply chain (SC) management based on the digitalization of a fresh fruit-supply chain (i.e., chestnuts) using a radio-frequency identification technology (RFID). This research adopted the value-chain operation reference (VCOR) to assess the implications, issues, and benefits of the SC digitalization, and to explore how RFID can be configured regarding the VCOR blocks. Within this framework, the SC stages, processes, and operations were assessed using a tailored performance measurement system (PMS) including a set of metrics tracked, quantified, and evaluated alongside a monitoring field campaign. The results indicated that: (i) the benefits deriving from the RFID are constrained by specific organizational procedures adopted in operations management; (ii) the PMS Indicators of the centralized warehouse, balancing the inventory between the processing line and the distribution channels, presented the most significant improvements across the whole SC

Erythrocyte morphology automated analysis: proposal for a new prediction tool of essential hypertension diagnosis

Erythrocyte morphology has already been studied in essential hypertension (EH) and cell membrane alterations have been observed. Relationships among red cell rheological, biochemical, and morphological properties still appear complex and are not clearly understood

Fecal concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone in cotton-top tamarins hosted in different zoological parks: Relationship among physiological data, environmental conditions and behavioral patterns

The aim of this investigation was to study the welfare of three captive groups of cotton-top tamarins housed in different zoological parks. Ethological observations were conducted over one year. In addition, fecal samples were collected and the concentrations of glucocorticoids, androgens, and progestagens were measured. Within each group, no significant differences in fecal cortisol concentrations were found between subjects. The fecal concentrations of testosterone and progesterone significantly differed depending on the sex and the age of the animals. A significant association was found among hormone concentrations, exhibit dimension, and group composition. A highly significant correlation was uncovered between all hormones considered and the space available for each subject. Significant differences in behavioral patterns were observed among groups, including social-individual, affiliative-aggressive, and anogenital-suprapubic scent marking. Correlations between hormone measurements and behaviors were detected. In conclusion, this study confirmed the associations between some behaviors exhibited by these nonhuman primates and both cortisol and testosterone; these data also highlight the role played by progesterone in these behaviors

Optimizing food ordering in a multi-stage catering supply chain network using reusable containers

Reusable plastic containers (RPCs) prevent packaging waste in the food supply chains. Food Catering Supply Chain (FCSC) made of multi-stage logistic networks represents a challenging scenario for adopting RPCs to optimize, particularly when the container's flow meets the food supplies. This paper fosters the application of RPCs in such FCSC by proposing a food-ordering MILP model to aid the cross-docking player in selecting the suppliers and releasing packaged food orders efficiently. This model optimizes logistic costs and operations as well as the influence of the container pooler's facilities network in the FCSC. A numerical example extracted by a larger case study provides validation of the model and offers insights for future research investigations

a tailored maintenance management system to control spare parts life cycle

Abstract The maintenance of complex production systems became increasingly crucial to ensure the competitiveness of companies and service level to their clients. Because of product customization the number of mechanical and electrical components and functional groups of manufacturing lines enhanced with their complexity. To face this concern, the physical and logical design of such systems is typically partitioned among several groups of engineers and designers. Consequently, a holistic awareness of the whole project is lacking and the maintenance of such systems becomes even more challenging. In view of this, new tailored support-decision tools able to manage and control the life cycle of spare parts from their design, throughout the run time, and to their failure and replacement are necessary. This paper illustrates an original maintenance management system (MMS) resulting by the combination of different computerized tools able to integrate the information flow behind the life cycle of a generic component. The proposed system supports coordination among groups of engineers and practitioners through graphic user interfaces (GUIs) and performance i.e. cost, reliability, dashboards, which lead decision-making from the design phase to the planning of maintenance tasks along the life of the manufacturing line. These tools are validated with a real-world instance from the tobacco industry which allows assessing how components belonging to the same functional group may differently behave over their life cycle. The results suggest that the holistic awareness on the whole manufacturing system provided by the proposed MMS can support task design and schedule of maintenance actions providing the reduction of more than 20% of the total cost and time for maintenance actions. The practical example shown contributes to shed light on the potentials of new paradigms for maintenance management in the industry 4.0

Microventilation system improves the ageing conditions in existent wine cellars

Background and Aims: The importance of indoor environmental conditions in a cellar is well known and continuously investigated. The process of wine ageing consists of several steps, during which temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) play a fundamental role as the quality of the final product is strongly related to stable and suitable environmental conditions. Critical factors, such as mould growth or wine evaporation, have emerged when ventilation has proved to be insufficient or poorly designed. The limitation of stagnant areas and the homogeneity inT and RH provide for proper wine conservation; however, unwanted local conditions can occur in the zones with insufficient air exchange. Methods and Results: Considering these aspects, a controlled microventilation and monitoring system was installed in a case study cellar, and T and RH were monitored for 1 year. The data have been analysed to investigate criticalities of the environmental conditions. The ventilation was activated in specific critical conditions to increase the homogeneity of the T and RH in the critical zones. The results show that the microventilation system improves the homogeneity of both T and RH without affecting the average values. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the efficacy of the system and indicated possible modifications to improve system performance. Significance of the Study: The system proved to be a useful tool for both improving the environmental conditions and providing useful information to the winemakers about the ageing conditions

Overstocking dairy cows during the dry period affects dehydroepiandrosterone and cortisol secretion

Stressful situations trigger several changes such as the secretion of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) from the adrenal cortex, in response to ACTH. The aim of this study was to verify whether overstocking during the dry period (from 21 \ub1 3 d to the expected calving until calving) affects DHEA and cortisol secretion and behavior in Holstein Friesian cows. Twenty-eight cows were randomly divided into 2 groups (14 animals each), balanced for the number of lactations, body condition score, and expected date of calving. Cows in the far-off phase of the dry period (from 60 to 21 d before the expected calving date) were housed together in a bedded pack. Then, animals from 21 \ub1 3 d before the expected calving until calving were housed in pens with the same size but under different crowding conditions due to the introduction of heifers (interference animals) into the pen. The control condition (CTR) had 2 animals per pen with 12.0 m2 each, whereas the overstocked condition (OS) had 3 interference animals in the same pen with 4.8 m2 for each animal. On d 1230 \ub1 3, 1221 \ub1 3, 1215 \ub1 3, 1210 \ub1 3, and 125 \ub1 3 before and 10, 20, and 30 after calving, blood samples were collected from each cow for the determination of plasma DHEA and cortisol concentrations by RIA. Rumination time (min/d), activity (steps/h), lying time (min/d), and lying bouts (bouts/d) were individually recorded daily. In both groups, DHEA increased before calving and the concentration declined rapidly after parturition. Overstocking significantly increased DHEA concentration compared with the CTR group at d 1210 (1.79 \ub1 0.09 vs. 1.24 \ub1 0.14 pmol/mL), whereas an increase of cortisol was observed at d 1215 (3.64 \ub1 0.52 vs. 1.64 \ub1 0.46 ng/mL). The OS group showed significantly higher activity (steps/h) compared with the CTR group. Daily lying bouts tended to be higher for the OS group compared with CTR group in the first week of treatment. The overall results of this study documented that overstocking during the dry period was associated with a short-term changes in DHEA and cortisol but these hormonal modifications did not influence cow behavior

Simulating International Shipments of Vegetable Oils: Focus on Quality Changes

This investigation evaluated the quality changes of commercial vegetable oils after different simulated shipments. In particular, the oils were placed in containers with or without thermal insulation and subjected to two simulated shipments, from Italy to Los Angeles and to Quebec. The temperature profiles were monitored to simulate the real shipments conditions in laboratory through properly developed climate chambers. Different quality parameters were evaluated before and after the simulations, showing a high degree of oxidation for samples shipped to Los Angeles in standard containers. In this study, the thermal insulation container was effective in protecting samples from potential oxidative damage during simulated shipping.The authors would like to thank Enhancement of the Palestinian University System (E- PLUS) for PhD scholarship grants financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Directorate General for Cooperation and Development (coordinated by the University of Pavia)

Gut microbiome structure and adrenocortical activity in dogs with aggressive and phobic behavioral disorders

Accompanying human beings since the Paleolithic period, dogs has been recently regarded as a reliable model for the study of the gut microbiome connections with health and disease. In order to provide some glimpses on the connections between the gut microbiome layout and host behavior, we profiled the phylogenetic composition and structure of the canine gut microbiome of dogs with aggressive (n = 11), phobic (n = 13) and normal behavior (n = 18). Hormones\u2019 determination was made through Radio Immuno-Assay (RIA), and next generation sequencing of the V3\u2013V4 gene region of the bacterial 16S rRNA was employed to determine gut microbiome composition. Our results did not evidence any significant differences of hormonal levels between the three groups. According to our findings, aggressive behavioral disorder was found to be characterized by a peculiar gut microbiome structure, with high biodiversity and enrichment in generally subdominant bacterial genera (i.e. Catenibacterium and Megamonas). On the other hand, phobic dogs were enriched in Lactobacillus, a bacterial genus with known probiotic and psychobiotic properties. Although further studies are needed to validate our findings, our work supports the intriguing opportunity that different behavioral phenotypes in dogs may be associated with peculiar gut microbiome layouts, suggesting possible connections between the gut microbiome and the central nervous system and indicating the possible adoption of probiotic interventions aimed at restoring a balanced host-symbiont interplay for mitigating behavioral disorders