Ethanol emitters often consisting of a petroleum-based sachet filled with silica dioxide have been used as packaging inserts to prevent postharvest disease growth, thereby extending produce shelf life. Due to concerns about the environmental and health impacts of plastics, bio-based, biodegradable, and non-toxic materials are desired in packaging. This study aimed to develop an environmentally friendly ethanol emitter consisting of ethanol-releasing shellac-coated bagasse paperboard and validate its effectiveness against fungal growth in packaged strawberries. Bagasse paperboard (BP) coated with single to multiple layers of shellac with trapped ethanol were developed using the bar coating technique and assessed for ethanol release using gas chromatography as affected by layering, temperature, time, and water-rich products. The in-vitro effectiveness assessment of the new ethanol emitter was performed using Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium spp., grown on Petri dishes within bioassay systems with and without the emitter for 7 days at 23 ºC. The best performing emitter released up to 14,179 μL L−1 of ethanol vapor in a Pseudo-Fickian diffusion release pattern, reducing the growth of Botrytis by > 98% for 7 days and Penicillium by 50% for 4 days inside the bioassay systems. A 5-day shelf-life study of strawberries, infected with Botrytis cinerea and stored in sealed plastic packages on BP, showed that surface decay was reduced by 30% and internal decay was even more impacted in the presence of ethanol-releasing shellac-coated BP. The emitter also delayed strawberry darkening and had no effect on respiration, transpiration, and firmness. This study demonstrates the potential of a bio-based/biodegradable and non-toxic ethanol emitter on extending strawberry shelf life.
This research intends to analyze the impact of big data analytics capability (BDAC) toward supply chain innovation (SCI) and competitive advantage (CA) where green supply chain management (GSCM) performs the moderating role. A theoretical model was created, and hypotheses were formulated to investigate the links between these variables. Data collection was carried out through a survey of supply chain managers in manufacturing plants in Bangladesh. Total 341 valid responses were collected and analyzed with the method of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in WarpPLS. The findings of the study offer insights into how business can use BDAC to achieve SCI and CA. The results indicate that BDAC has a potential impact regarding a firm’s ability to enhance CA and SCI. Moreover, the moderating function of GSCM was examined, which was found to be a significant influence on one of these relationships. However, the industry age as a control variable was found to have no apparent impact on SCI or CA. The study also establishes the critical role of SCI in turning analytical skills into competitive results and partially mediates the relationship between BDAC and CA. In sum, this research illustrates how businesses can employ data-driven skills to increase productivity in complex and dynamic supply chain environments against the backdrop of a case study.
This paper investigates whether individual CEOs and CFOs have fixed effects on firm-level future stock price crash risk. We find that both CEOs and CFOs exhibit such fixed effects, and these effects remain robust across various tests. Additionally, we observe that CEOs' fixed effects are stronger than those of CFOs. And there is some marginal evidence that the executives' fixed effects are less pronounced in firms with better information environment quality. Finally, consistent with the influence of managers' fixed effects, we find that CEOs' professional qualifications (e.g., MBA, JD, and CPA) and CFOs' family status and military experience are associated with stock price crash risk.
Contextualizing race-based differences in prostate cancer (PrCA) outcomes among African American male adults aged >= 60 years who were former military personnel was studied during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews, the authors sought to elucidate the complexities of intersecting vulnerabilities experienced by this particular male-ethnic group through an intersectionality framework. Utilizing Sol & oacute;rzano and Yosso's method of counter-storytelling, along with Polkinghorne's two stages of narrative configuration, the authors examined how multiple, compounding forms of inequality can create obstacles to health equity while also challenging existing social systems to advance the cause of social justice in health outcomes for African American male adults aged >= 60 years who were former military personnel and are PrCA survivors. Two primary themes emerged from the qualitative narratives: (1) Advocacy Through Education as a Communal Obligation and (2) The Private Struggle: Post-Treatment Experiences and Quality of Life. This formative study will support the justification for establishing a praxis-oriented framework for members of this historically excluded group. This article provides a culturally responsive frame for mental health and public health praxis and research. Orienting a justice-informed lens becomes essential to affect change at the local, state, and federal levels.
Using a novel climate policy uncertainty (CPU) measure based on emissions legislation, climate protests, and presidential statements, we show that in response to climate policy risk, firms tend to strategically reduce their future innovation, measured by patent counts, citations, and innovation value. Green innovation, however, is less vulnerable than non-green innovation. We argue that CPU constrains innovation through a precautionary motive: firms under high uncertainty face higher external financing costs and shift from prospector (innovation-oriented) to defender (cost-minimizing) strategies. Results are robust to instrumental variable estimation, firm fixed effects, and a difference-in-differences design exploiting the Paris Agreement as an exogenous shock. These findings underscore the strategic and policy implications of uncertainty in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Overall, our results provide insights into policy implications.
