Contemporary Green Solutions for the Logistics and Transportation Industry—With Case Illustration of a Leading Global 3PL Based in Hong Kong

The earth’s average temperature has risen by approximately 1.2 °C since the 1900s. The COP26 resolution aimed to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050, while China has committed a more aggressive timetable to actually achieve the goal. It requires either that activities must not release any greenhouse gases or the emitted greenhouse gases must be offset. The logistics and transport activities contribute a lot to global greenhouse gas emissions on Earth. There are a no. of challenges of the logistics industry that are discussed, then the paradigmatic solutions such as green procurement, green packaging, green transport, and green warehousing, are respectively discussed. The three contemporary concepts of green solutions (circular economy, carbon neutrality and green cocreation) for logistics and transportation are explored. Subsequently, a detailed case study of CN Logistics’ contemporary green solutions is used to illustrate how to tackle the problems and exemplify the best practices to the other 3PL players. There are expected changes on green directives from the HKSAR Government on logistics green compliances. Finally, this paper concludes with an appeal to the industry to start the green journey immediately

A Voronoi Diagram-Based Grouping Test Localization Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks

The wireless sensor network (WSN) provides us with a cost-effective way to remotely monitor a large number of objects, locations, and environmental parameters. Taking advantage of WSNs to applications can add new capabilities to existing products and bring out new services. We propose a novel range-free localization scheme, the Voronoi diagram-based grouping test localization (VTL) scheme, to estimate the location efficiently for WSNs. VTL divides the anchor nodes into multiple groups and uses the corresponding closest Voronoi cells to compute the estimated location. Apart from improving the accuracy of location estimation, it also largely simplifies the implementation. Simulation results show that the VTL scheme has better performance compared with other range-free localization schemes. When reaching a certain anchor node density, the VTL scheme will have higher localization accuracy and a larger percentage of localizable nodes. Hence, VTL is likely more appropriate for upcoming WSN scenarios with large ratios of anchor nodes being available

A Review of the Feasibility of Producing Polylactic Acid (PLA) Polymers Using Spent Coffee Ground

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Annual coffee consumption continues to increase, but at the same time, it generates a large amount of spent coffee grounds from the brewing process that give rise to environmental problems. An appropriate solution to manage these spent coffee grounds (SCGs) becomes crucial. Our project aims at discussing the feasibility of utilizing SCGs to synthesize polylactic acid (PLA) as a recycling application for SCGs. Producing PLA from SCGs offers the opportunity to contribute to the circular economy and sustainability due to the significant volume of coffee consumption. This approach reduces waste, provides environmental benefits, and promotes the use of renewable resources. Through repurposing SCGs into PLA, we can close the loop, minimize environmental impact, and create a more sustainable alternative to fossil-fuel-based plastics. This paper first discusses the properties and potential recycling applications of spent coffee grounds. The production of PLA from lactic acid and the potential processes for converting SCGs to lactic acid are then briefly discussed. From our review, it is feasible to utilize SCGs as the primary source for lactic acid production via bacteria fermentation and, further, to produce PLA via ring-opening polymerization. Possible ways to improve the yield and a corresponding cost analysis are also discussed

Generation and Reactivity of a One-electron Oxidized Manganese(V) Imido Complex bearing a Macrocyclic Tetraamido Ligand

The synthesis and X‐ray structure of a new manganese(V) mesitylimido complex with a tetraamido macrocyclic ligand (TAML), [MnV(TAML)(N‐Mes)]− (1), are reported. Compound 1 is oxidized by [(p‐BrC6H4)3N]+.[SbCl6]− and the resulting MnVI species readily undergoes H‐atom transfer and nitrene transfer reactions

EBNA1-targeted probe for the imaging and growth inhibition of tumours associated with the Epstein–Barr virus

Epstein–Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1), a dimeric oncoprotein of the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), is essential for both viral-genome maintenance and the survival of infected cells. Despite EBNA1’s potential as a therapeutic target, tools for the direct monitoring of EBNA1 in vitro and in vivo are lacking. Here, we show that a peptide-based inhibitor that luminesces when bound to EBNA1 inside the nucleus of EBV+ cells can regulate EBNA1 homodimer formation and selectively inhibit the growth of EBV+ tumours of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells (C666-1 and NPC43) and Burkitt’s lymphoma Raji cells. We also show that the peptide-based probe leads to 93% growth inhibition of EBV+ tumours in mice. Our findings support the hypothesis that selective inhibition of EBNA1 dimerization can be used to afford better EBV-related cancer differentiation, and highlight the potential application of the probe as a new generation of biotracers for investigating the fundamental biological function of EBNA1 and for exploring its application as a therapeutic target