An Investigation into the Supply Chain for Frozen Peas in Austria

Supply chain management has become increasingly important for companies in modern-day competitive markets. Competition in modern markets does not involve individual companies but entire supply networks. The performance of multi-national companies is greatly dependent on the efficiency and reliability of their suppliers and logistics providers. Supply chain management in the food industry has become an essential task due to the unique characteristics of this sector. Rapid deterioration of fresh foods and the need to maintain controlled conditions for frozen foods has important implications for supply chain efficiency. Failure to meet the logistical requirements for supply chains in the food sector can result in severe damage to physical products and brand reputations. This investigation analyses the supply chain of the leading frozen food supplier to the Austrian market. The market for frozen foods is experiencing rapid growth due to the convenience of frozen goods in modern-day lifestyles. The analysis focuses on frozen peas and investigates the flow of goods and information from farming to the display of finished products at the retailer. The aim of this study is to identify inefficiencies and all forms of supply chain waste that may exist in processes and activities. Once sources of waste have been located and quantified, the impact on products, companies and consumers is assessed and evaluated. In order to perform the analysis, data regarding the duration and cost of supply chain activities was collected through interviews with relevant stakeholders as well as through direct observations of supply chain operations. The analysis of the gathered data indicates that the supply chain for frozen peas contains several sources of operational waste such as lengthy transportation processes, extensive storage of excess inventory at several locations and improper material handling activities leading to quality deterioration of finished goods. These sources of supply chain waste can be traced to operational inefficiencies however, the lack of collaboration and integration of supply chain activities proved to play a significant role. An insight into the relationships between supply chain members revealed a lack of information-sharing, the absence of institutional trust and an overall fragmented sequence of processes. In order to successfully implement supply chain improvements, integration of supply chain processes as well as long-term collaboration between supply chain partners is of utmost importance. Once the supply chain operates as a single entity, operational improvements can be developed and implemented to increase efficiency and eliminate waste from processes and activities

Regioselective synthesis and antimicrobial studies of novel bridgehead nitrogen heterocycles containing the thienopyrimidinone skeleton

Versatile 2-(alkylthio)pyrimidine-type and 2-(phenacylamino)thiophene building blocks (4a-d) and 16 were obtained based on an ortho functionalized thiophene derivative 1. A novel series of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one derivatives with annelated bridgehead nitrogen heterocycles was synthesized starting from precursors 4 and 16 through convenient methods. Cyclocondensation of 2-(phenacylthio)pyrimidinone derivative (4b) with sulfuric acid led to the tricyclic thiazole derivative 5. Initial hydrazinolysis of 3-(carbethoxymethyl)pyrimidinone derivative (4d) followed by nitrous acid deamination of the formed N-aminolactam (7) to obtain a N-protodeamino analogue 8a, which on further treatment with formaldehyde and piperidine yielded the respective Mannich-type base 8b. On the other hand, initial hydrazinolysis of 3-unsubstituted pyrimidinone derivative 4a and subsequent acetylation gave the condensed 3-methyltriazole derivative 12, whereas the condensed pyrrole derivative 19 was obtained by heterocyclization of 2-phenacylamine derivative 16 with malononitrile. All newly-obtained thienopyrimidinones with annelated bridgehead nitrogen were screened for their antimicrobial activity against strains of a representative panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi together with reference drugs. The compounds under investigation displayed generally good in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities, with compound 8b that has a N-piperidinylmethyl moiety showing essentially the highest inhibition in both assays. Despite promising antimicrobial activity of N-1-substituted imidazole derivative 8b, the corresponding N-1-unsubstituted analogue 8a displayed poor activity. The heteroannelation of a N-(piperidinylmethyl)imidazole or 3-methyltriazole moiety to the thienopyrimidinone scaffold could be considered as a potential strategy for the development of new therapeutic antimicrobial agents

An Investigation into the Supply Chain for Frozen Peas in Austria

Supply chain management has become increasingly important for companies in modern-day competitive markets. Competition in modern markets does not involve individual companies but entire supply networks. The performance of multi-national companies is greatly dependent on the efficiency and reliability of their suppliers and logistics providers. Supply chain management in the food industry has become an essential task due to the unique characteristics of this sector. Rapid deterioration of fresh foods and the need to maintain controlled conditions for frozen foods has important implications for supply chain efficiency. Failure to meet the logistical requirements for supply chains in the food sector can result in severe damage to physical products and brand reputations. This investigation analyses the supply chain of the leading frozen food supplier to the Austrian market. The market for frozen foods is experiencing rapid growth due to the convenience of frozen goods in modern-day lifestyles. The analysis focuses on frozen peas and investigates the flow of goods and information from farming to the display of finished products at the retailer. The aim of this study is to identify inefficiencies and all forms of supply chain waste that may exist in processes and activities. Once sources of waste have been located and quantified, the impact on products, companies and consumers is assessed and evaluated. In order to perform the analysis, data regarding the duration and cost of supply chain activities was collected through interviews with relevant stakeholders as well as through direct observations of supply chain operations. The analysis of the gathered data indicates that the supply chain for frozen peas contains several sources of operational waste such as lengthy transportation processes, extensive storage of excess inventory at several locations and improper material handling activities leading to quality deterioration of finished goods. These sources of supply chain waste can be traced to operational inefficiencies however, the lack of collaboration and integration of supply chain activities proved to play a significant role. An insight into the relationships between supply chain members revealed a lack of information-sharing, the absence of institutional trust and an overall fragmented sequence of processes. In order to successfully implement supply chain improvements, integration of supply chain processes as well as long-term collaboration between supply chain partners is of utmost importance. Once the supply chain operates as a single entity, operational improvements can be developed and implemented to increase efficiency and eliminate waste from processes and activities

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Cryptocurrency Market

The purpose of our paper is to analyze the main factors which influence fiscal balance’s evolution and thereby identify solutions for configuring a sustainable fiscal policy. We have selected as independent variables some of the main macroeconomic measures, respectively public debt, unemployment rate, economy openness degree, population, consumer goods’ price index, current account balance, direct foreign investments and economic growth rate. Our research method uses two econometric models applied on a sample of 22 countries, respectively 14 developed and 8 emergent. The first model is a multiple regression and studies the connection between the fiscal balance and selected independent variables, whereas the second one uses first order differences and introduces economic freedom as a dummy variable to catch the dynamic influences of selected measures upon fiscal result. The time interval considered was 1999-2013. The results generated using the two models revealed that public debt, current account balance and economic growth significantly influence the fiscal balance. As a consequence, the governments need to plan and implement a fiscal policy which resonates with economy priorities and the phase of the economic cycle, as well as ensure a proper management of the public debt, stimulate sustainable economic growth and employment

Selection of an efficient in vitro micropropagation and regeneration system for potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar Desirée

Sprouts of about 40 to 80 mm length were excised, surface sterilized with 70% CloroxR and cultured on solid full-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Shoot nodal segments (1.0 cm) from in vitro plantlets (2 to 4 weeks old) were multiplied through periodic subculturing on full-strength MS medium with 30 g/L sucrose, 100 ml/L myo-inositol and 0.5 ml/L silver thiosulfate. The shoots were rooted on the same medium. Microtubers were stimulated on MS medium supplemented with 80 g/L sucrose, 100 ml/L myo-inositol and 5 ml/L benzyl adenine. They generally originate on aerial etiolated shoots producing . 1.0 } 0.5 microtuber/explant with diameter approx. 3 to 10 mm. Shoot regeneration was performed from  tuber discs, internodes and leaf explants using 6 different media. Different regeneration capacities were  observed by the explants along 60 days. The average number of shoots was highest from tuber discs (6.2)  than from leaf explants (2.6) which exceeds about three times; no shoot from internode explants cultured on the various media. Regenerated plantlets produced from both tuber discs and leaf explants exhibited random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using five selected primers to detect  somaclonal variation. All the morphological variants were excluded. One of the regenerated plantlet  derived from leaf-explants was true-to-type to the main in vitro plantlet, so it will be used as a source of explants for transformation experiments. The other regenerated plantlets derived from leaf explants and tuber discs show the presence and/or absence of polymorphic bands. Results also showed that  microtubers were initiated on the etiolated shoots of the regenerants at the first 10 days. The etiolated shoots induced about 2.6 } 0.6 and 2.2 } 0.5 microtuber/explants.Key words: Solanum tuberosum L., seed tuber, sprouting, micropropagation, microtubers, explants, regeneration, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)

Prevalence and Characterization of Some Colibactin Genes in Clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Iraqi Patients

                افراد العائلة المعوية تمتلك مجموعة من الجينات تدعى Polyketide synthase (pks). هذه المجموعة من الجينات تكون مسؤولة عن تصنيع الذيفان الذي يطلق عليه Colibactin والذي له دور مهم في استحثاث تكسر اشرطة الدنا المزدوجة DNA والذي يؤدي الى استحثاث ورم او ما يعرف بسرطان القولون، احد عشر من اصل ثمانية وثمانين عزلة  بكتيرية وتمثل (12.5%) كانت قد توزعت 7(8%) عزلة تعود لبكتربا E. coli، 2(2.25%) عزلة تعود لبكتريا K. pneumonia و 2(2.25%) تعود لبكتريا E. aerogenes كانت حاملة لجينات الكولبكتين قيد الدراسة. تم اختبار لتأثير السمي الخلوي لعزلتين كانت موجبة للجينات قيد الدراسة وهي E. coli and E. aerogenes تجاه خط الخلايا السرطاني المعروف بـ HeLa  بينت النائج انخفاض عدد الخلايا وحصول استطالة في انوية الخلايامقارنة بالخلايا الغير معاملة. اظهرت النتائج حصول تغيرات نسيجية في الخلايا بأستخدام صبغة AO/EBr تم ملاحظتها بأستخدام المجهر الفلورسيني: بعض هذه التغيرات تم ملاحظتها في لون كروماتين النواة ومصحوب بتكثف الدنا النووي وكذلك حصول تكسر في النوية، خلايا الـ HeLa التي ظهرت بلون اخضر ولم تحصل فيها اي تغيرات في لون المادة الكروماتينية هي خلايا حية ولم تتم معاملتها مع البكتريا الحاملة للجينات قيد الدراسة، بينما الخلايا المعاملة مع خلايا بكتيرية حاملة للجينات ظهرت انويتها بلون برتقالي داكن وهي خلايا ميتة. يستنتج من ذلك ان عزلات البكتريا المعوية المعزولة من مرضى عراقيين يمكنها ان تفرز مواد سامة (ذيفان الكولبكتين) يمكنها قتل قتل الخلايا السرطانية نوع HeLa وهذا ناتج عن تغيرات حصلت في انوية الخلايا المعرضة للبكتريا وكان واضح في كثافة وتكسر المادة الوراثية للخلايا قيد الدراسة. The members of the family of Eentrobacteriaceae harbour a gene cluster called polyketide synthase (pks) island. This cluster is responsible for the synthesis of the genotoxin colibactin that might have an important role in the induction of double-strand DNA breaks, leading to promote human colorectal cancer (CRC). Eleven out of the eighty eight isolates (12.5%) were pks+, distributed as 7 (8%) isolates of E. coli, 2 (2.25%) of K. pneumoniae and 2 (2.25%) of E. aerogenes. The cytotoxic effects of selected pks+ isolates (E. coli and E. aerogenes) on HeLa cells were represented by decreasing cell numbers and enlarged cell nuclei in comparison to the untreated cells. Cytological changes were observed when the infected HeLa cells cultures were stained with AO/EBr and visualized under fluorescent microscope. Some changes that happened in the color of the nuclear chromatin were accompanied by DNA condensation and degradation and fragmentation of nuclei. HeLa cells with green unchanged nuclear chromatin were alive while those with orange-dark and bright red nuclei were dead. It was concluded that a proportion of the Entreobacteriaceae isolates from Iraqi patients was pks+, which exerted cytotoxic effects upon using them to kill HeLa cells. In this study the microscopic observation of the cell morphology reveals the cellular response to the genotoxic insult, with reduced numbers, striking giant cells phenotype (megalocytosis) and fragmentation of nuclei due to the cell cycle arrest and cellular senescenc

Isolated Celiac and Splenic Artery Dissection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

An isolated dissection of the celiac artery is an extremely rare condition that requires a high level of suspicion to evoke the diagnosis. Once established, the natural course is unpredictable in view of the discrepancies in its management requiring a case-by-case analysis. In this paper, we report an unusual case of spontaneous abdominal pain that was diagnosed with celiac and splenic artery rupture secondary to physical stress. This paper underlines the necessity to maintain a high level of suspicion for arterial dissections and we also review the management plan in such cases

New Method to Implement and Analysis of Medical System in Real Time

The use of information technology and technological medical devices has contributed significantly to the transformation of healthcare. Despite that, many problems have arisen in diagnosing or predicting diseases, either as a result of human errors or lack of accuracy of measurements. Therefore, this paper aims to provide an integrated health monitoring system to measure vital parameters and diagnose or predict disease. Through this work, the percentage of various gases in the blood through breathing is determined, vital parameters are measured and their effect on feelings is analyzed. A supervised learning model is configured to predict and diagnose based on biometric measurements. All results were compared with the results of the Omron device as a reference device. The results proved that the proposed design overcame many problems as it contributed to expanding the database of vital parameters and providing analysis on the effect of emotions on vital indicators. The accuracy of the measurements also reached 98.8% and the accuracy of diagnosing COVID-19 was 64%. The work also presents a user interface model for clinicians as well as for smartphones using the Internet of things

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London