The Ripple Effects of Maritime Piracy and Armed Robbery in the Gulf of Guinea

The acts of piracy had bedeviled mankind for many centuries though the modus operandi of this sinister act keeps changing over the years. The core concept still remains the same. It usually involves an armed attack at sea for a vessel, its cargo, crew or all of the three. The stage is set at sea, but the fall out effects are far reaching than we can imagine. There are political, economic social, security and environmental implications. All these aggregates or determinants are intertwined and have adverse consequences on all the stakeholders. Failed states political instability has become fertile grounds for pirates or sea armed robbers. Economically, the disruption of free movement of vessels, capture of crew for ransom has adversely affected the prices of goods at its final destination. This paper seeks to examine the relationships and effects these attacks have on the various facets of the marine logistic chain. The socio-economic model of Dr Kenneth McLeroy is used to explain the various linkages existing between these determinants viz economic perspective, social perspective, environmental perspective and political instability. Finally, the relevance of maritime security in the sphere of governance and the ability of institutions which would use the safety of our oceans is examined.

A thermostable oral SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induces mucosal and protective immunity

An ideal protective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 should not only be effective in preventing disease, but also in preventing virus transmission. It should also be well accepted by the population and have a simple logistic chain. To fulfill these criteria, we developed a thermostable, orally administered vaccine that can induce a robust mucosal neutralizing immune response. We used our platform based on retrovirus-derived enveloped virus-like particles (e-VLPs) harnessed with variable surface proteins (VSPs) from the intestinal parasite Giardia lamblia, affording them resistance to degradation and the triggering of robust mucosal cellular and antibody immune responses after oral administration. We made e-VLPs expressing various forms of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (S), with or without membrane protein (M) expression. We found that prime-boost administration of VSP-decorated e-VLPs expressing a pre-fusion stabilized form of S and M triggers robust mucosal responses against SARS-CoV-2 in mice and hamsters, which translate into complete protection from a viral challenge. Moreover, they dramatically boosted the IgA mucosal response of intramuscularly injected vaccines. We conclude that our thermostable orally administered e-VLP vaccine could be a valuable addition to the current arsenal against SARS-CoV-2, in a stand-alone prime-boost vaccination strategy or as a boost for existing vaccines.

Ocena kompatybilności rop naftowych metodą pompową i filtracyjną

According to the National Bank of Poland, by the end of 2019, oil imports to Poland amounted to 26.3 million tonnes of crude oil, where the main volume came from Russia. The need to ensure greater energy security enforces the diversification of crude oil supplies, thus the largest domestic refineries are increasing the share of supplies from different sources each year. This entails the need for continuous information on the profitability of processing new types of crude oil and potential problems resulting in increased cost. Quality control of the crude oil offered on the market helps minimize the risk of purchasing incompatible oil types by ensuring that the proposed shipment meets the relevant quality requirements. Of particular importance is the fact that such tests should be performed prior to the decision to purchase a particular crude oil and introduce it to the refinery’s installation. It often happens, however, that detailed tests are performed only after the purchase. It is important to note that testing the physicochemical properties and determining the yield of individual fractions alone is not sufficient. Precipitation of sediments in the logistic chain of crude oil is a significant problem both in pipeline installations, storage depots, and refinery installations, where crude oil containing dispersed sediments is processed. In the previous stage of work, an effective filtration method was developed to determine the compatibility of crude oils and their mixtures. Now, attention was focused on developing a new method that allowed for a faster compatibility measurement capability along with reusing samples for another measurement. The developed new method of pump compatibility testing was tested for two crude oils from different supply directions. The measurements were performed for crude oils and their mixtures at 150°C under 25 bar pressure. Compatibility of crude oils with the filtration method was used for comparison, where based on the mass of sediment separated on special filters, the allowable concentrations where hydrocarbon mixtures were compatible were determined.

Envisioning Marketing in a Digital Technology-Driven Maritime Business

The maritime industry faces the challenge of implementing a digital culture inherent in the 21st century and a modern way of doing business in shipping, maritime ports, and a more expansive, within a whole maritime logistic chain. The main question is the implications for marketing when the maritime business's digital transformation is an emerging issue. The paper is designed using the PEST impact matrix. The systematic literature review, literature analysis, and synthesis are the main methods applied. The most important results are political, economic, social, and technological changes of modern maritime business and their important implications for maritime marketing. These implications revealed the nature of change, the anticipated impact of change, opportunity or threats, and marketing's strategic response to the contemporary external environment. The paper fills the current literary gap and draws attention to the trends of the marketing, business organization, and human resource management in the maritime industry. All is linked with digital culture, which is still developing within the maritime industry.

Reducing Environmental Risk by Applying a Polyvalent Model of Waste Management in the Restaurant Industry

A series of concerns regarding the circular economy and linked to a responsible attitude toward environmental protection, have been approached in this paper. These represent essential demands in order for restaurants to be profitable and sustainable in the future. The cost of food wastes has been taken into consideration as a strategic problem in the restaurant logistic chain. A literature review shows that there is a lack of appropriate knowledge and technology in dealing with eco-waste management. The paper presents a functional polyvalent model of the logistic chain of a restaurant, represented in the form of interconnected processes covered by the flows of food goods and wastes in different stages and operations, having associated the flows of optimized costs. The application of the sustainable technology model and waste management system is illustrated by a case study from Brașov County, Romania. The research proves that applying the “polyvalent model of improvement of waste management practices” has positive effects concerning the possibilities of minimizing physical waste to reduce the volume of waste from restaurant activity, to reduce costs with waste elimination, and to create value-added, by reusing and recycling food raw materials. Results show that by applying the TEWAMA-R model to food preparation, the total amount of reused beef waste per month increased to 33.4% and the recycling of waste increased to 41.1% (given that all waste was disposed of in application of standard technology). The disposal was reduced from 100% to 25.5%. The presented model allows for environmental impact reduction in the restaurant industry by reducing/eliminating waste or by-products that are carriers of huge resources of water and energy.

IoT Data Qualification for a Logistic Chain Traceability Smart Contract

In the logistic chain domain, the traceability of shipments in their entire delivery process from the shipper to the consignee involves many stakeholders. From the traceability data, contractual decisions may be taken such as incident detection, validation of the delivery or billing. The stakeholders require transparency in the whole process. The combination of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the blockchain paradigms helps in the development of automated and trusted systems. In this context, ensuring the quality of the IoT data is an absolute requirement for the adoption of those technologies. In this article, we propose an approach to assess the data quality (DQ) of IoT data sources using a logistic traceability smart contract developed on top of a blockchain. We select the quality dimensions relevant to our context, namely accuracy, completeness, consistency and currentness, with a proposition of their corresponding measurement methods. We also propose a data quality model specific to the logistic chain domain and a distributed traceability architecture. The evaluation of the proposal shows the capacity of the proposed method to assess the IoT data quality and ensure the user agreement on the data qualification rules. The proposed solution opens new opportunities in the development of automated logistic traceability systems.

The Life Cycle Performance Assessment (LCPA) Methodology

The FENIX project has started to develop future business models for the efficient recovery of secondary resources. It would not be enough just to improve business models based on traditional linear approaches. Rather, new approaches must be developed with a particular focus on environmental and climate changes. Electronic scrap is no longer scrap, but must be seen as valuable material. Using the mobile phone as an example, FENIX has developed technologies to get recyclable materials out of scrapped mobile phones and to process them into new materials and final products. The developed technological approaches are not limited to mobile phones, but can be used for all types of electronic waste. FENIX has only focused on the logistic chain from the dismantling of the cell phones to the manufacturing of new materials and products (recycling chain). This, of course, involves a lot of effort in dismantling the e-waste, as the recycling process was not yet considered when developing the products currently on the market. Such eco-design approaches would certainly reduce the disassembly effort in the future. FENIX business models should not only be based on economic success but also consider ecological effects at the same time. Therefore, an accompanying Life Cycle Performance Assessment (LCPA) has been carried out to prove the advantages of the developed business models. From the interim assessment, recommendations for further technical development directions were repeatedly given to achieve the best possible economic and ecological solutions.

«THE BULLWHIP EFFECT» IN THE LOGISTIC ACTIVITY OF THE ENTERPRISE

This article is devoted to the development of international logistical activities, examination and prevention negative factors on any links of logistic chain. The important requirements to obtain maximum efficiency at all components of the logistic chain with minimal costs in each of its items, compliance with market interests and goals of each participant of logistic chain are considered. The simulated model has proved that the farther on logistic chain the information flow passes from consumer the more distorted information about the necessary stocks of products and real stocks in warehouse, and as a result – the extraordinary accumulation of mistakes in the forms of surplus of goods at all stages of its movement from producer to consumer. The similar phenomenon in logistics is called the effect of "The Bullwhip Effect". The method of practical analysis of the "bullwhip" effect was used in order to investigate resistance to this effect on the situation were simulated in «BEER GAME». The simulation method “BEER GAME” is the result of the work of the consulting system MA system, which works in the field of business logistics around the world. Four parts of the logistics chain took part in the simulation: a retailer, a distributor, a wholesaler and a manufacturer. They make a logistics chain 52 weeks long. The overall results of the game are presented in detail: the total cost of the simulated game, and manufacturer's game statistics, the statistics of game such as costs, orders and information of warehouse stock in terms of retailer, distributor and wholesaler. Furthermore, the article highlights other destabilizing effects that are closely related to the "bullwhip" effect, such as: the Forrester effect - a phenomenon in the sales channel, which predicts the inefficiency of the logistics chain; the Burbage effect - when the size of supplies can change in the direction of increase without managerial decisions; the Halligan effect - when there is a deviation from the existing supply and production plan; promotion effect - implicit price changes. On the basis of the conducted modeling and consideration of the reasons of occurrence of effect methods of stabilization of a logistic chain are offered.

ORGANIZATIONAL MECHANISMS OF EFFICIENT LOGISTICS FORMATION VEGETABLE MARKET OF UKRAINE

Topicality. The vegetable market is one of the strategic markets of Ukraine, which ensures national food security. Fundamentally important tasks for its reproductive development are to ensure access of individual producers, who grow 87% of vegetable products, to the profitable link of distribution and sale of products by introducing organizational mechanisms for the formation of efficient market logistics. Aim and tasks. The purpose of this article is to improve the organizational mechanisms for the formation of efficient logistics of the vegetable market of Ukraine. Research results. During the study, the main indicators and parameters of the vegetable market of Ukraine were analyzed. The main directions and drivers of development of the vegetable market are established, problems of the given market and ways of the decision are defined. The article analyzes the content analysis of the category �vegetable market� on the basis of management-coordination, reproduction, object-subject, elemental and structural approaches; the scheme of elements and tools that ensure the functioning of the vegetable market according to the structural-institutional approach is built. The territorial boundaries of the vegetable market are studied, the author 's model of the quality infrastructure of the vegetable market of Ukraine is given. The comparative characteristics of parameters and types of products of the vegetable market of Ukraine and their influence on the logistical support of the market are given, the model of formation of logistic expenses under the influence of factors of internal and external environment is formed. The prospects of development of the vegetable market of Ukraine in the context of implementation of the European experience are outlined, the comparative characteristic of organizational mechanisms of development of logistics of the vegetable market of Ukraine is carried out, namely: wholesale trade, cooperation, interaction of individual producers with processing enterprises. Conclusion. The logistic chains of formation of commodity batches of vegetable products are offered and constructed, namely: perspective logistic chain on the basis of reproductive function ����, completed cooperative logistic chain of vegetable market, logistic chain of contractual relations between production cooperative and processing enterprises. large consignments of vegetable products and providing the population with vegetable products. The formed scheme of the vegetable market of Ukraine on the basis of interaction of individual producers with the processing enterprises will allow to keep perishable products of the given market at the expense of their processing and preservation. And the constructed scheme of organizational mechanisms of production and distribution of vegetable market products on the basis of "export-oriented approach" will allow to carry out market exchange through integration into European and world markets.