Explore the vast range of titles available.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the disruptions caused to supply chains by COIVD-19 as well as steps/countermeasures taken by firms to address such disruptions.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs 46 semi-structured interviews with senior managers of the three buying firms, four distribution centers and four supplying firms based in four countries (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China and India).FindingsResults unveil that manufacturing firms are facing limited production and delays in procuring goods and services, while distribution centres are facing inventory shortages. Furthermore, supplying firms are facing increased lead times amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, each affected entity has employed specific strategies to address these disruptions. For instance, manufacturing firms are refining their production schedules based on the inventory, getting better visibility to their suppliers’ performance and developing new inbound routes to meet the production challenges. They are also assessing the tier-1 supplier’s risk and activating the relationship with secondary suppliers to address the procurement issues. Second, distributors are modifying inventory policies to meet the inventory shortage. Finally, supplying firms are developing alternative outbound logistics to meet the growing demand.Research limitations/implicationsThere are some limitations to this study. First, the results of this study cannot be generalized to a wider population. Second, this study explores the interpretations of senior managers based in four Asian countries only.Originality/valueOur study contributes to the supply chain literature by exploring the disruptions caused by COVID-19 to the supply chain operations. It also contributes to theory and practice by articulating the strategies adopted by firms to address such disruptions. Firms can use the steps highlighted in this study to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain disruptions.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is seriously limited by the inadequacy of exogenous catalytic ions and endogenous H 2 O 2 in tumors. Herein, a multifunction nano-bomb integrated with calcium peroxide (CaO 2 ) and β-lapachone as donors of H 2 O 2 and GSH-sensitive Fe-based coordination polymer as provider of catalytic ions was constructed for dual cascade-amplified tumor CDT. This hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified nano-bomb could be specially endocytosed by breast cancer cells through a targeting pathway, degraded and released cargoes in response to the GSH-rich cytoplasm. Furthermore, the released CaO 2 and β-lapachone could significantly self-generated sufficient H 2 O 2 , which could dual-cascade amplify CDT and induce severe oxidative to tumors via cooperating with the delivered iron ions from nano-bombs. Moreover, the unloaded iron and calcium ions could further accelerate tumor damage by overloading Ca 2+ and ferroptosis, as accompanied by good magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In vitro and in vivo studies collectively reveal that this nano-bomb not only self-initiates double cascade-amplified CDT via self-generation of H 2 O 2 , but also efficiently activates ferroptosis and initiates Ca 2+ overloading, consequently significantly tumor growth suppression. This study offers a novel tumor-initiated nano-bomb for dual cascade-amplified CDT and bioimaging with activated ferroptosis and self-supplying H 2 O 2 .

The article aims to enhance understanding of how relations, behavior and attitude of the executives and contractors to achieving the objectives by energy supplying companies affect the efficiency of the latter’s overall development. There is offered a factor-reflexive approach to diagnosing the executives’ and contractors’ attitude to realizing the tasks of developing the energy supplying companies. This approach includes models to identify and analyze the factors that influenced the change in contractors’ behavior based on the combination of expert techniques, correlation and regression analysis and evaluation of the personnel response to organizational, resource and staffing projects development, through accumulating sufficient statistical information based on the enterprise’s features, relations and environment. This approach to diagnosing executives’ and contractors’ response to the implementation of tasks and the resulting changes takes into account the subjective component of their response. Practical implementation of this approach in monitoring the conformity of the development tasks has proven the ability to identify problems from the viewpoint of the task executives.

Diabetic wound healing presents serious clinical challenges due to the unique wound microenvironment characterized by hyperglycemia, bacterial infection, excessive oxidative stress, and hypoxia. Herein, a copper peroxide (CuO2)‐coated AuCu bimetallic aerogel is developed that exhibits quadruple enzyme‐mimicking activity and H2O2/O2 self‐supplying to modulate the complex microenvironment of methicillin‐resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)‐infected diabetic wounds. The AuCu@CuO2 aerogels demonstrate favorable photothermal properties and mimic four enzyme‐like activities: peroxidase‐like activity for producing toxic reactive oxygen species; catalase‐like activity for decomposing H2O2 to release O2 to relieve oxidative stress and hypoxia; glucose oxidase‐like activity for reducing excessive blood glucose and glutathione peroxidase‐like activity for balancing abnormal glutathione level. The CuO2 coating facilitates a continuous and adequate in situ production of H2O2 within the mildly acidic infection microenvironment, enabling excellent antibacterial activity and reduced blood glucose levels during the initial treatment of infected diabetic wounds. Furthermore, the engineered AuCu@CuO2 aerogels not only scavenge elevated ROS during the inflammatory phase but also synergistically generate oxygen to promote wound healing. Overall, the AuCu@CuO2 aerogelsmicroenvironment can be activated by the diabetic wound infection microenvironments, alleviating inflammation, reducing hypoxia, lowering blood glucose levels, and enhancing angiogenesis and collagen fiber accumulation, thereby significantly improving diabetic wound healing. The AuCu@CuO2 aerogels demonstrate favorable photothermal properties, four types of enzyme‐like activities, and H2O2/O2 self‐supplying to modulate the complex microenvironment of MRSA‐infected diabetic wounds. The results indicate that the AuCu@CuO2 aerogel can be activated by the microenvironment of diabetic wound infection, alleviating inflammation, reducing hypoxia, lowering blood glucose levels, and enhancing angiogenesis and collagen fiber accumulation, thereby significantly improving diabetic wound healing.

Background: The discovery of enzymes named lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) has had a major impact on the efficiency of current commercial cellulase cocktails for saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass. However, the notion that LPMOs use molecular oxygen as a co-substrate and require two externally delivered electrons per catalytic cycle poses a challenge in the development of efficient large-scale industrial processes. Building on the recent discovery that H2O2, rather than O2, is the co-substrate of LPMOs, we show here how cellulose degradation by the LPMO-containing commercial cellulase cocktail Cellic® CTec2 can be controlled and boosted by supplying the reaction with H2O2.Results: The controlled supply of anaerobic hydrolysis reactions with H2O2 and sub-stoichiometric amounts of reductant increased apparent LPMO activity by almost two orders of magnitude compared to standard aerobic reactions utilizing O2 and stoichiometric amounts of reductant. Improved LPMO activity was correlated with enhanced saccharification rates and yields for a model cellulosic substrate (Avicel) as well as industrial lignocellulosic substrates (sulfite-pulped Norway spruce and steam-exploded birch), although the magnitude of the effects was substrate dependent. Improvements in lignocellulose conversions were achieved at low H2O2 feeding rates (in the range of 90–600 μM h−1). Tight control of LPMO reactions by controlled supply of H2O2 under anaerobic conditions was possible.Conclusion: We report saccharification rates and yields for a model substrate (Avicel) and industrial lignocellulosic substrates that, at low H2O2 feeding rates, are higher than those seen under standard aerobic conditions. In an industrial setting, controlling and supplying molecular oxygen and stoichiometric amounts of reductant are challenging. The present report shows that the use of small amounts of a liquid bulk chemical, H2O2, provides an alternative to the currently available processes, which likely is cheaper and more easy to control, while giving higher product yields.

Diffuse cognitive map was applied to analyse factors of vulnerability to climate variability in rural Andean micro-watershed. The iModeler software was used as a tool that allows the modelling of these maps. As input information, the results of the socioecological dynamics analysis previously implemented in the case study were taken, and weights were assigned to each input factor in relation to a central factor in a time scale. The model applied in the El Chocho micro-watershed - Department of Valle del Cauca in Colombia, can be validated in similar contexts of the Andean Colombian area. A high degree of water shortage and increased pressure on the associated ecosystems was evidenced, which puts at risk the resilience of the socio-ecosystem to face climate variability. The results of this type of models are tools for decision making in adaptation at rural level.

IntroductionTobacco endgame strategies often include measures to reduce tobacco availability by decreasing retailer numbers. Recently, some US pharmacies have delisted tobacco, though overall retailer numbers have not reduced markedly. Paradoxically, others have suggested limiting tobacco sales to pharmacies, to reduce supply and support cessation. We explored how pharmacists from Aotearoa New Zealand, a country planning to reduce tobacco supply, perceived supplying tobacco.MethodsWe undertook in-depth interviews with 16 pharmacists from Ōtepoti Dunedin; most served more deprived communities with higher smoking prevalence. We probed participants’ views on supplying tobacco, explored factors that could limit implementation of this policy, and analysed their ethical positions. We used qualitative description to analyse data on limiting factors and reflexive thematic analysis to interpret the ethical arguments adduced.ResultsMost participants noted time, space and safety concerns, and some had strong moral objections to supplying tobacco. These included concerns that supplying tobacco would contradict their duty not to harm patients, reduce them to sales assistants, undermine their role as health experts, and tarnish their profession. A minority focused on the potential benefits of a pharmacy supply measure, which they thought would use and extend their skills, and improve community well-being.ConclusionsPolicy-makers will likely encounter strongly expressed opposition if they attempt to introduce a pharmacy supply measure as an initial component of a retail reduction strategy. However, as smoking prevalence falls, adopting a health-promoting supply model, using pharmacies that chose to participate, would become more feasible and potentially enhance community outreach and cessation support.

Tumor hypoxia has been considered to induce tumor cell resistance to radiotherapy and anticancer chemotherapy, as well as predisposing for increased tumor metastases. Therefore, strategies for the eradication of the hypoxic tumor are highly desirable. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new technique that can be used to treat tumors using laser irradiation to photochemically activate a photosensitizer. Compared to traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy has many advantages, such as good selectivity, low toxicity, and less trauma and resistance. However, PDT is oxygen-dependent, and the lack of oxygen in hypoxic tumors renders photodynamic therapy ineffective. Cyanobacteria, the earliest photosynthetic oxygen-generating organisms, can utilize water as an electron donor to reduce CO2 into organic carbon compounds along with continuously releasing oxygen under sunlight. Inspired by this, herein, cyanobacteria were used as a living carrier of photosensitizer conjugated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) to construct a self-supplying oxygen PDT system. Improvement in the PDT efficiency for hypoxic tumors can be achieved as a result of in situ oxygen production by cyanobacteria under near-infrared (NIR) light using UCNP as a light harvesting antenna. A successful demonstration of this concept would be of great significance and could open the door to a new generation of carrier systems in the field of hypoxia-targeted drug transport platforms.

Estimates of carbon concentrations in Earth's mantle vary over more than an order of magnitude, hindering our ability to understand mantle structure and mineralogy, partial melting, and the carbon cycle. CO2 concentrations in mantle-derived magmas supplying hotspot ocean island volcanoes yield our most direct constraints on mantle carbon, but are extensively modified by degassing during ascent. Here we show that undegassed magmatic and mantle carbon concentrations may be estimated in a Bayesian framework using diverse geologic information at an ocean island volcano. Our CO2 concentration estimates do not rely upon complex degassing models, geochemical tracer elements, assumed magma supply rates, or rare undegassed rock samples. Rather, we couple volcanic CO2 emission rates with probabilistic magma supply rates, which are obtained indirectly from magma storage and eruption rates. We estimate that the CO2 content of mantle-derived magma supplying Hawai'i's active volcanoes is 0.97-0.19 +0.25 wt%--roughly 40% higher than previously believed--and is supplied from a mantle source region with a carbon concentration of 263-62 +81 ppm. Our results suggest that mantle plumes and ocean island basalts are carbon-rich. Our data also shed light on helium isotope abundances, CO2 /Nb ratios, and may imply higher CO2 emission rates from ocean island volcanoes.

Purpose As supply chain sustainability has become more urgent than ever before, this study aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of how supplying firms’ sustainability motives influence their compliance and commitment, as well as sustainable performance, as they respond to buyers’ sustainable supplier management programs. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the intriguing links among sustainability motives, compliance/commitment and sustainable performance of supplying firms, this paper draws on multidisciplinary literature and collects empirical data from 281 supplying firms in China to test the proposed model and hypotheses using structural equation modeling. Findings Instrumental and moral motives make comparable contributions to compliance; moral motives exert stronger influence on firms’ commitment to sustainable practices. In addition, although compliance has a greater impact on economic and environmental performance, commitment is far more robust in improving environmental and social performance. Research limitations/implications Unlike most research on motives that has been theoretical, this study represents one of the few empirical analyses of how motives may affect sustainable performance. Examining the challenges from the perspectives of supplying firms, it also adds to the SSCM literature by making clear how compliance and commitment may differentially predict sustainable performance. Practical implications Although instrumental and moral motives can be complementary in advancing sustainable practices, it is imperative for firms to integrate moral considerations into sustainability decision-making and move beyond compliance, if they are to contribute meaningfully to a better society and cleaner environment. Originality/value This is the first large-scale empirical investigation on the links among motives, compliance, commitment and sustainable performance from the perspectives of suppliers.