Assessing the Impact of Pumpkins Plantation, Harvest and Storage Decisions on a Collaborative Supply Chain with Data Analysis Tools

[EN] Successful pumpkins production requires the use of varieties that jointly with other factors yield well and produce pumpkins of the size, shape, color, and quality demanded by the market. But not only these issues are important. The perishable nature of pumpkins makes other issues such as how to prevent deterioration after harvest to become also relevant. In this paper the pumpkins plantation, harvest and storage (PHS) process is described and how some decisions affect certain goals, such as yield or conservation time. Additionally, some decision-making insights in a supply chain collaborative scenario made up of two stages: plantation/harvest and storage are given, where yield and conservation time trade-offs are outlined to develop win-win strategies. A real case using data analysis tools is analyzed. Results provide guidelines not only to make decisions independently on each stage but also to collaboratively work.The authors acknowledge the support of the project 691249, RUCAPS: "Enhancing and implementing knowledge based ICT solutions within high risk and uncertain conditions for agriculture production systems", funded by the European Union's research and innovation programme under the H2020 Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions.Pérez Perales, D.; Rodríguez-Sánchez, MDLÁ.; Ortiz Bas, Á.; Guyon, C. (2020). Assessing the Impact of Pumpkins Plantation, Harvest and Storage Decisions on a Collaborative Supply Chain with Data Analysis Tools. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. 598:511-523. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62412-5_42S511523598Prima, W.A., Xing, K., Amer, Y.: Collaboration and sustainable agri-food supply chain: a literature review. MATEC, 5802004 (2016)Pérez Perales, D., Alarcón Valero, F., Drummond, C., Ortiz, Á.: Towards a sustainable agri-food supply chain model. the case of LEAF. In: Ortiz, Á., Andrés Romano, C., Poler, R., García-Sabater, J.-P. (eds.) Engineering Digital Transformation. LNMIE, pp. 333–341. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96005-0_40Esteso, A., Alemany, M.M.E., Ortiz, A.: Conceptual framework for designing agri-food supply chains under uncertainty by mathematical programming models. Int. J. Prod. Res. 56(13), 4418–4446 (2018)Bahrami, R., Khodadadi, M., Piry, S., Hassanpanah, D.: The effects of planting methods and head pruning on seed yield and yield components of medicinal pumpkin (Cucurbita Pepo Subsp. Pepo Convar. Pepo Var. Styriaca) at low temperature areas. Pak. J. Bio. Sci. 12(6), 538–541 (2009)Tarus, W.J., Ochuodho, J.O., Rop, N.K.: Influence of harvesting stage on seed quality aspects of pumpkin (Cucurbita Pepo L.). J. Exp. Agr. 18(2), 1–9 (2017)Amodio, M.L., Rinaldi, R., Colell, G.: Extending shelf life of fresh-cut pumpkin (Cucurbita Maxima): effect of pre-treatments and storage conditions. Acta Hortic. 876, 333–340 (2010)Pimentel, D., et al.: Annual vs perennial grain production. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 161, 1–9 (2012)Biesiada, A., Nawirska, A., Kucharska, A., Sokół-Łętowska, A.: The effect of nitrogen fertilization methods on yield and chemical composition of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) fruits before and after storage. Veg. Crops. Res. B. 70, 203–211 (2009)Gwenael, J., Paul, Ch., Sau, I., Saurabh, S., Thomasse, S.: Hitting and harvesting pumpkins. Siam. J. Discrete. Math. 28(3), 1363–1390 (2014)Oluoch, M.O.: Production practices of pumpkins for improved productivity. Scripta. Hort. 15, 181–189 (2012)Ondigi, A., Toili, W., Ijani, A., Omuterema, S.: Comparative analysis of production practices and utilization of pumpkins (Cucurbita Pepo and Cucurbita Maxima) by smallholder farmers in the lake victoria basin, East Africa. Afr. J. Environ. Sci. Tech. 2(9), 296–304 (2008)Naik, M.L., Prasad, V.M., Raya, L.P.: A study on character association and path analysis in pumpkin (Cucurbita Moschata Duch. Ex Poir.). Int. J. Adv. Res. 3(1), 1030–1034 (2015)Nerson, H., Paris, H.S., Paris, E.P.: Fruit shape, size and seed yield in Cucurbita Pepo. Acta Hort. 510, 227–230 (2000)Ortiz, A., Alarcón, F., Pérez, D., Alemany, M.M.E.: Identifying the main uncertainties in the agri-food supply chain. In: Mula, J., Barbastefano, R., Díaz-Madroñero, M., Poler, R. (eds.) New global perspectives on industrial engineering and management. LNMIE, pp. 221–229. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93488-4_25Khalid, E., Mohammed, E.: Dependence of pumpkin yield on plant density and variety. Am. J. Plant. Sci. 2, 636–643 (2011)Jakop, M., et al.: Yield performance and agronomic efficiency in oil pumpkins (Cucurbita Pepo L. Group Pepo) depending on production systems and varieties. Agr. 14(1), 25–36 (2017)Ahmed, B., Masud, M.A.T., Zakaria, M., Hossain, M.M., Mian, M.A.K.: Evaluation of pumpkin (Cucurbita Moschata Duch. Ex Poir.) for yield and other characters. Bangl. J. Agr. Res. 42(1), 1–11 (2017)Zhao, J., et al.: Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of different pumpkin cultivars grown in China. Food Sci. Technol. 9(4), 308–316 (2015)Zhou, C., et al.: The effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the microbiological quality and physical–chemical characteristics of pumpkin (Cucurbita Maxima Duch.) during refrigerated storage. Innov. Food. Sci. Emerg. 21, 24–34 (2014)Loy, J.B.: Harvest period and storage affect biomass partitioning and attributes of eating quality in acorn squash (Cucurbita Pepo), Présenté à Cucurbitaceae, Asheville, North Carolina, USA, pp. 568–577 (2006)Nagao, A., Indou, T., Dohi, H.: Effects of curing condition and storage temperature on postharvest quality of squash fruit. J. Jpn. Soc. Hort. Sci. 60(1), 175–181 (1991)Habibunnisa, R., Prasad, R., Shivaiah, K.M.: Storage behaviour of minimally processed pumpkin (Cucurbita Maxima) under modified atmosphere packaging conditions. Eur. Food Res. Technol. 212(2), 165–169 (2001)Sharrock, K.R., Parkes, S.L.: Physiological changes during development and storage of fruit of buttercup squash in relation to their susceptibility to Rot. New. Zeal. J. Crop. Hort. 18(4), 185–196 (1990)Muzzaffar, S., Baba, W.N., Nazir, N., Masoodi, F.A., Bhat, M.M., Bazaz, R.: Effect of storage on physicochemical, microbial and antioxidant properties of pumpkin (Cucurbita Moschata) candy. Cog. Food. Agr. 2(1), 1163650 (2016)Rahman, M.A., Miaruddin, M., Khan, M.H.H., Masud, M.A.T., Begum, M.M.: Effect of storage periods on postharvest quality of pumpkin. Bangl. J. Agr. Res. 38(2), 247–255 (2013)Song, J., Wei, Q., Wang, X., Li, D., Liu, C., Zhang, M., Meng, L.: Degradation of carotenoids in dehydrated pumpkins as affected by different storage conditions. Food. Res. Int. 107, 130–136 (2018)Matová, A.: the influence of genotype and storage condition on the content of selected bioactive substances in the fruit of pumpkin (Cucurbita Moschata Duch.). J. Microbiol. Bioech. Food. Sci. 9(2), 288–292 (2019)Tilman, D., Balzer, C., Hill, J., Befort, B.L.: Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agricultura. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 108, 20260–20264 (2011)Wang, W., et al.: Multiple trade‐offs between maximizing yield and minimizing greenhouse gas production in Chinese rice croplands. Land. Degrad. Dev. (2020)Pleijel, H., Uddling, J.: Yield vs. quality trade-offs for wheat in response to carbon dioxide and ozone. Glob. Change. Biol. 18(2), 596–n/a (2011)Pedhazur, E.J., Schmelkin, L.P.: Measurement, Design, and Analysis: an Integrated Approach. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale (1991

Simpson's Paradox, Lord's Paradox, and Suppression Effects are the same phenomenon – the reversal paradox

This article discusses three statistical paradoxes that pervade epidemiological research: Simpson's paradox, Lord's paradox, and suppression. These paradoxes have important implications for the interpretation of evidence from observational studies. This article uses hypothetical scenarios to illustrate how the three paradoxes are different manifestations of one phenomenon – the reversal paradox – depending on whether the outcome and explanatory variables are categorical, continuous or a combination of both; this renders the issues and remedies for any one to be similar for all three. Although the three statistical paradoxes occur in different types of variables, they share the same characteristic: the association between two variables can be reversed, diminished, or enhanced when another variable is statistically controlled for. Understanding the concepts and theory behind these paradoxes provides insights into some controversial or contradictory research findings. These paradoxes show that prior knowledge and underlying causal theory play an important role in the statistical modelling of epidemiological data, where incorrect use of statistical models might produce consistent, replicable, yet erroneous results

Testing and comparing two self-care-related instruments among older Chinese adults

Objectives The study aimed to test and compare the reliability and validity, including sensitivity and specificity of the two self-care-related instruments, the Self-care Ability Scale for the Elderly (SASE), and the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale-Revised (ASAS-R), among older adults in the Chinese context. Methods A cross-sectional design was used to conduct this study. The sample consisted of 1152 older adults. Data were collected by a questionnaire including the Chinese version of SASE (SASE-CHI), the Chinese version of ASAS-R (ASAS-R-CHI) and the Exercise of Self-Care Agency scale (ESCA). Homogeneity and stability, content, construct and concurrent validity, and sensitivity and specificity were assessed. Results The Cronbach's alpha (α) of SASE-CHI was 0.89, the item-to-total correlations ranged from r = 0.15 to r = 0.81, and the test-retest correlation coefficient (intra-class correlation coefficient, ICC) was 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99±1.00; P<0.001). The Cronbach's α of ASAS-R-CHI was 0.78, the item-to-total correlations ranged from r = 0.20 to r = 0.65, and the test-retest ICC was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.92±0.96; P<0.001). The content validity index (CVI) of SASE-CHI and ASAS-R-CHI was 0.96 and 0.97, respectively. The findings of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) confirmed a good construct validity of SASE-CHI and ASAS-R-CHI. The Pearson's rank correlation coefficients, as a measure of concurrent validity, between total score of SASE-CHI and ESCA and ASAS-R-CHI and ESCA were assessed to 0.65 (P<0.001) and 0.62 (P<0.001), respectively. Regarding ESCA as the criterion, the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve for the cut-point of SASE-CHI and ASAS-R-CHI were 0.93 (95% CI, 0.91±0.94) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.80±0.86), respectively. Conclusion There is no significant difference between the two instruments. Each has its own characteristics, but SASE-CHI is more suitable for older adults. The key point is that the users can choose the most appropriate scale according to the specific situation.publishedVersionNivå

Changes in health related quality of life 3 months after an acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to identify the changes in Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) 3 months after discharge from hospital, in patients who have had an acute coronary episode, and to determine the clinical and sociodemographic variables that explain those changes. METHODS: HRQL was assessed in 132 patients while they were admitted to the hospital and at 3 months after discharge, using the SF-36 health questionnaire. To identify the variables associated with the change, multiple linear regression models were constructed for two summary dimensions of the SF-36 (PCS and MCS) taking the change in the score of the dimension as dependent variable. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the patients who completed the monitoring (n = 76) and those who were dropped out. After three months, a significant decrease was observed in the dimensions of physical functioning, general health, vitality, and Physical Summary Component (PCS). The variables revascularisation, age, and the interaction between previous history of coronary heart disease (CHD) and the presence of one or more risk factors explained 16.6% of the decrease in the PCS. The decrease in the PCS was 6.4 points less in the patients who had undergone revascularisation, 0.2 points less for each year of age, and 4.7 points less in the patients who had antecedents of the illness as well as one or more risk factors. CONCLUSION: The dimensions most affected at three months after an acute coronary episode were those related to the physical component. Undergoing revascularisation improved the PCS in patients, but in the younger patients and those without personal antecedents or risk factors, the PCS was affected more, perhaps due to greater expectations for recovery in these patients

Measuring health-related quality of life in young adolescents: Reliability and validity in the Norwegian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL) generic core scales

BACKGROUND: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) studies concerning children and adolescents are a growing field of research. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) is considered as a promising HRQOL instrument with the availability of age appropriate versions and parallel forms for both child and parents. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian translation of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) 4.0 generic core scale in a sample of healthy young adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 425 healthy young adolescents and 237 of their caregivers participating as a proxy. Reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis and by exploring the intercorrelations between and among the four PedsQL subscales for adolescents and their parents. RESULTS: All the self-report scales and proxy-report scales showed satisfactory reliability with Cronbach's alpha varying between 0.77 and 0.88. Factor analysis showed results comparable with the original version, except for the Physical Health scale. On average, monotrait-multimethod correlations were higher than multitrait-multimethod correlations. Sex differences were noted on the emotional functioning subscale, girls reported lower HRQOL than boys. CONCLUSION: The Norwegian PedsQL is a valid and reliable generic pediatric health-related Quality of Life measurement that can be recommended for self-reports and proxy-reports for children in the age groups ranging from 13–15 years

Multi-level selection and the issue of environmental homogeneity

In this paper, I identify two general positions with respect to the relationship between environment and natural selection. These positions consist in claiming that selective claims need and, respectively, need not be relativized to homogenous environments. I then show that adopting one or the other position makes a difference with respect to the way in which the effects of selection are to be measured in certain cases in which the focal population is distributed over heterogeneous environments. Moreover, I show that these two positions lead to two different interpretations – the Pricean and contextualist ones – of a type of selection scenarios in which multiple groups varying in properties affect the change in the metapopulation mean of individual-level traits. Showing that these two interpretations stem from different attitudes towards environmental homogeneity allows me to argue: a) that, unlike the Pricean interpretation, the contextualist interpretation can only claim that drift or selection is responsible for the change in frequency of the focal trait in a given metapopulation if details about whether or not group formation is random are specified; b) that the traditional main objection against the Pricean interpretation – consisting in arguing that the latter takes certain side-effects of individual selection to be effects of group selection – is unconvincing. This leads me to suggest that the ongoing debate about which of the two interpretations is preferable should concentrate on different issues than previously thought

Evaluation of molecular descriptors for antitumor drugs with respect to noncovalent binding to DNA and antiproliferative activity

34 pages, 6 additional files, 5 tables, 4 figures.[Background ] Small molecules that bind reversibly to DNA are among the antitumor drugs currently used in chemotherapy. In the pursuit of a more rational approach to cancer chemotherapy based upon these molecules, it is necessary to exploit the interdependency between DNA-binding affinity, sequence selectivity and cytotoxicity. For drugs binding noncovalently to DNA, it is worth exploring whether molecular descriptors, such as their molecular weight or the number of potential hydrogen acceptors/donors, can account for their DNA-binding affinity and cytotoxicity.[Results] Fifteen antitumor agents, which are in clinical use or being evaluated as part of the National Cancer Institute’s drug screening effort, were analyzed in silico to assess the contribution of various molecular descriptors to their DNA-binding affinity, and the capacity of the descriptors and DNA-binding constants for predicting cell cytotoxicity. Equations to predict drug-DNA binding constants and growth-inhibitory concentrations were obtained by multiple regression following rigorous statistical procedures.[Conclusions] For drugs binding reversibly to DNA, both their strength of binding and their cytoxicity are fairly predicted from molecular descriptors by using multiple regression methods. The equations derived may be useful for rational drug design. The results obtained agree with that compounds more active across the National Cancer Institute’s 60-cell line data set tend to have common structural features.Supported by a grant from the former Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (BFU2007-60998) and the FEDER program of the European Community.Peer reviewe

A test of self-determination theory in the exercise domain

In accordance with self-determination theory (SDT; Deci &amp; Ryan, 1985), this study examined the relationship between autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction, motivational regulations, and exercise behavior. Participants (N5369) were recruited from fitness, community, and retail settings. Fulfillment of the 3 basic psychological needs (i.e., competence, autonomy, and relatedness) related to more self-determined motivational regulations. Identified and introjected regulations emerged as positive predictors of strenuous and total exercise behaviors. Competence need satisfaction also predicted directly and indirectly via identified regulation strenuous exercise. For participants engaged in organized fitness classes, perceptions of autonomy support provided by exercise class leaders predicted psychological need satisfaction. Furthermore, competence need satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between autonomy support and intrinsic motivation. These findings support SDT in the exercise domain

Parent proxy-report of their children's health-related quality of life: an analysis of 13,878 parents' reliability and validity across age subgroups using the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurement has emerged as an important health outcome in clinical trials, clinical practice improvement strategies, and healthcare services research and evaluation. While pediatric patient self-report should be considered the standard for measuring perceived HRQOL, there are circumstances when children are too young, too cognitively impaired, too ill or fatigued to complete a HRQOL instrument, and reliable and valid parent proxy-report instruments are needed in such cases. Further, it is typically parents' perceptions of their children's HRQOL that influences healthcare utilization. Data from the PedsQL™ Database(SM )were utilized to test the reliability and validity of parent proxy-report at the individual age subgroup level for ages 2–16 years as recommended by recent FDA guidelines. METHODS: The sample analyzed represents parent proxy-report age data on 13,878 children ages 2 to 16 years from the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales Database(SM). Parents were recruited from general pediatric clinics, subspecialty clinics, and hospitals in which their children were being seen for well-child checks, mild acute illness, or chronic illness care (n = 3,718, 26.8%), and from a State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in California (n = 10,160, 73.2%). RESULTS: The percentage of missing item responses for the parent proxy-report sample as a whole was 2.1%, supporting feasibility. The majority of the parent proxy-report scales across the age subgroups exceeded the minimum internal consistency reliability standard of 0.70 required for group comparisons, while the Total Scale Scores across the age subgroups approached or exceeded the reliability criterion of 0.90 recommended for analyzing individual patient scale scores. Construct validity was demonstrated utilizing the known groups approach. For each PedsQL™ scale and summary score, across age subgroups, healthy children demonstrated a statistically significant difference in HRQOL (better HRQOL) than children with a known chronic health condition, with most effect sizes in the medium to large effect size range. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate the feasibility, reliability, and validity of parent proxy-report at the individual age subgroup for ages 2–16 years. These analyses are consistent with recent FDA guidelines which require instrument development and validation testing for children and adolescents within fairly narrow age groupings and which determine the lower age limit at which reliable and valid responses across age categories are achievable. Even as pediatric patient self-report is advocated, there remains a fundamental role for parent proxy-report in pediatric clinical trials and health services research