The food supply chain in South Africa faces significant challenges related to transparency, traceability, and consumer trust. As concerns about food safety, quality, and sustainability grow, there is an increasing need for innovative solutions to address these issues. Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising tool to enhance transparency and accountability across various industries, including the food sector. This study sought to explore the potential of blockchain technology in revolutionizing through promoting transparency that enable the achievement of sustainable food supply chain infrastructure in South Africa. The study found that blockchain technology used in food supply chain creates an immutable and decentralized ledger of transactions that has the capacity to provide real-time, end-to-end visibility of food products from farm to table. This increased transparency can help mitigate risks associated with food fraud, contamination, and inefficiencies in the supply chain. The study found that blockchain technology can be leveraged to enhance supply chain efficiency and trust among stakeholders. This technology used and/or applied in South Africa can reshape the agricultural sector by improving production and distribution processes. Its integration in the food supply chain infrastructure can equally improve data management and increase transparency between farmers and food suppliers.There is need for policy-makers and scholars in the fields of service delivery and food security to conduct more research in blockchain technology and its roles in creating a more transparent, efficient, and trustworthy food supply chain infractructure that address food supply problems in South Africa. The paper adopted a qualitative methodology to collect data, and document and content analysis techniques were used to interpret collected data. 

This study examines the determinants of stunting prevention among toddlers in fishing families residing in the coastal areas of Bengkulu City. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, the research combined survey data from 70 respondents and in-depth interviews with 11 informants. Findings indicate that health behavior and genetic factors from health status, alongside education level and occupation from socioeconomic status, play pivotal roles in stunting prevention. Consumption patterns, particularly the consistent provision of animal protein and vegetables in daily meals, significantly contribute to the absence of stunting cases in the studied population. However, limited fruit intake persists due to economic barriers. The study underscores the necessity of integrated strategies, including nutrition education, enhanced access to nutritious foods, and economic support for fishing families, to sustain stunting prevention in coastal communities.

This study investigated the students’ perceptions of a self-paced fitness program that is integrated with SitFit, a fitness tracker that measures body inclination during sit-up exercises, and their acceptance of digital innovation in physical education. The data was gathered from a survey of 1001 Thai undergraduates. Results revealed that attitudes toward using the technology and the perceived ease of use were important predictors of behavioral intention to use the sit-up fitness tracker. consistent with previous TAM studies. Subsequently, SitFit was developed based on exercise principles and expert advice to enable users to exercise more effectively while reducing injury risk.

Qatar FIFA 2022 was the first FIFA Football World Cup to be hosted by an Arab state and was predicted by some to fail. However, it did not only succeed but also showed a new display of destination sustainability upon hosting mega-sport events and linked tourism. Yet, some impacts tend to be long-term and need further analysis. The study aims to understand both positive and negative impacts on destination sustainability resulting from hosting mega-sport events, using bibliometric analysis of published literature during the last forty-seven years, and reflecting on the recent World Cup 2022 tournament in Qatar. A total of 2519 sources containing 665 open-access articles with 10,523 citations were found using the keywords “sport tourism” and “mega-sport”. The study found various literature researching the economic impacts in-depth, less on environmental impacts, and much less on social and cultural impacts on host communities. Debates exist in the literature concerning presumed economic benefits and motivations for hosting, and less on actual results achieved. Although World Cup 2022 is considered the most expensive among previous versions, destination sustainability seems to have benefited from the event’s hosting. Socio-cultural impacts of hosting mega-sport events seem to be addressed to an extent in the Qatar version of the World Cup, as well as environmental impacts while creating a unique image for FIFA 2022 and the destination itself. FIFA showcased this as using carbon-neutral technologies to create the micro-climate including perforated walls in the eight state-of-the-art stadiums, with the incorporation of a circular modular design for energy and water efficiency and zero-waste deconstruction post-event. The global event also drew attention and respect to the local community and underprivileged groups such as people with disabilities. Further research is needed to understand the demand-side perspective including the local community of Qatar and the event’s participants, and to analyze the long-term impacts and lessons learned from the Qatari experience.

The gravure printing process is widely utilized for large-scale, high-quality, multi-colored printing tasks executed at high press speeds. This includes a diverse range of products such as art books, greeting cards, currency, stamps, wallpaper, magazines, and more. This thesis addresses the fire risks associated with gravure printing, acknowledging the use of highly flammable materials and the potential for static charge-related incidents. Despite its prevalence, there is limited research on fire prevention and control in gravure printing. The study employs field observations, stakeholder interviews, and an extensive review of literature on fire risk and control in printing press operations in India. It analyzes the causes of fires using the fire triangle model, emphasizing the role of heat, combustible materials, and oxygen in fire incidents within the printing press environment. The thesis categorizes preventive measures into fire prevention and fire suppression actions, focusing on reducing fire load, static charge mitigation, and implementing firefighting systems. It observes that poor housekeeping, lack of awareness, and inadequate emergency control plans contribute significantly to fire hazards in press facilities. Additionally, the research identifies key factors such as high press temperatures, low humidity, improper storage, and inadequacies in firefighting systems as potential causes of fires. It emphasizes the need for optimal environmental conditions, proper storage practices, and effective firefighting infrastructure within press facilities. The study concludes with comprehensive guidelines for loss prevention and control, including management programs, housekeeping, operator training, pre-emergency planning, preventive maintenance, and plant security. It also addresses safety measures specific to gravure printing presses, such as automatic sprinkler systems, fire hydrant system, carbon dioxide flooding systems, and portable fire extinguishers. In summary, this thesis provides valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of fire risks in gravure printing presses and recommends a holistic approach for effective fire prevention and control.