With its inherent characteristics of decentralization, immutability, and transparency, blockchain technology presents a promising opportunity to revolutionize the South African food supply chains. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized, immutable, and secure nature, offers solutions to these challenges by improving traceability and accountability across the supply chain. This study investigates the role of blockchain technology in enhancing transparency in the food supply chain among small and medium enterprises in South Africa. SMEs form a critical part of the country’s agri-food sector but face challenges such as food fraud, inefficient inventory management, and lack of transparency, which impact food safety and trust. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, utilizing the Technology-Organization-Environment framework and Institutional Theory to explain blockchain adoption among SMEs. The results demonstrate that blockchain-enabled practices, such as smart contracts, records traceability, production tracking, and distribution monitoring, significantly enhance supply chain transparency. The findings highlight blockchain’s potential to increase operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder trust. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the need for regulatory support and strategic investment in blockchain solutions to promote sustainability and competitiveness in the agri-food sector.

The current manuscript overviews the potential of inimitable zero dimensional carbon nanoentities, i.e., nanodiamonds, in the form of hybrid nanostructures with allied nanocarbons such as graphene and carbon nanotube. Accordingly, two major categories of hybrid nanodiamond nanoadditives have been examined for nanocompositing, including nanodiamond-graphene or nanodiamond/graphene oxide and nanodiamond/carbon nanotubes. These exceptional nanodiamond derived bifunctional nanocarbon nanostructures depicted valuable structural and physical attributes (morphology, electrical, mechanical, thermal, etc.) owing to the combination of intrinsic features of nanodiamonds with other nanocarbons. Consequently, as per literature reported so far, noteworthy multifunctional hybrid nanodiamond-graphene, nanodiamond/graphene oxide, and nanodiamond/carbon nanotube nanoadditives have been argued for characteristics and potential advantages. Particularly, these nanodiamond derived hybrid nanoparticles based nanomaterials seem deployable in the fields of electromagnetic radiation shielding, electronic devices like field effect transistors, energy storing maneuvers namely supercapacitors, and biomedical utilizations for wound healing, tissue engineering, biosensing, etc. Nonetheless, restricted research traced up till now on hybrid nanodiamond-graphene and nanodiamond/carbon nanotube based nanocomposites, therefore, future research appears necessary for further precise design varieties, large scale processing, and advanced technological progresses.

We present an innovative enthalpy method for determining the thermal properties of phase change materials (PCM). The enthalpy-temperature relation in the “mushy” zone is modelled by means of a fifth order Obreshkov polynomial with continuous first and second order derivatives at the zone boundaries. The partial differential equation (PDE) for the conduction of heat is rewritten so that the enthalpy variable is not explicitly present, rendering the equation nonlinear. The thermal conductivity of the PCM is assumed to be temperature dependent and is modelled by a fifth order Obreshkov polynomial as well. The method has been applied to lauric acid, a standard prototype. The latent heat and the conductivity coefficient, being the model parameters, were retrieved by fitting the measurements obtained through a simple experimental procedure. Therefore, our proposal may be profitably used for the study of materials intended for heat-storage applications.

Objectives: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the stress on blood banks and deprived the blood sources due to the containment measures that restrict the movement and travel limitations among blood donors. During this time, Malaysia had a significant 40% reduction in blood supply. Blood centers and hospitals faced a huge challenge balancing blood demand and collection. The health care systems need a proactive plan to withstand the uncertain situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the psychosocial factors that affect blood donation behavior during a pandemic and aims to propose evidence-based strategies for a sustainable blood supply. Study design: Qualitative design using focus group discussion (FGD) was employed. Methods: Data were acquired from the two FGDs that group from transfusion medicine specialists (N = 8) and donors (N = 10). The FGD interview protocol was developed based on the UTM Research Ethics Committee’s approval. Then, the data was analyzed using Nvivo based on the General Inductive Approach (GIA). Results: Analysis of the text data found that the psychology of blood donation during the pandemic in Malaysia can be classified into four main themes: (i) reduced donation; (ii) motivation of donating blood; (iii) trends of donation; and (iv) challenges faced by the one-off, occasional, and non-donors. Conclusions: Based on the emerging themes from the FGDs, this study proposes four psycho-contextual strategies for relevant authorities to manage sustainable blood accumulation during the pandemic: (1) develop standard operating procedure for blood donors; (2) organize awareness campaigns; (3) create a centralized integrated blood donors database; and (4) provide innovative Blood Donation Facilities.

In this research, we employed multivariate statistical methods to investigate the perspectives of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) concerning the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation and their apprehensions related to EPR compliance. The EPR regulation, which places the responsibility of waste management on producers, has significant financial and administrative implications, particularly for SMEs. A sample of 114 businesses was randomly selected, and the collected data underwent comprehensive analysis. Our findings highlight that a notable proportion of businesses (44.7%) possess knowledge of the EPR regulation’s provisions, whereas only a marginal fraction (1.8%) lacks sufficient familiarity. We also explored the interplay between opinions on the EPR regulation and concerns regarding its financial and administrative implications. Our results establish a significant correlation between EPR regulation opinions and concerns, with adverse opinions prominently influencing concerns, particularly regarding financial burdens and administrative workloads. These outcomes, derived from the application of multivariate statistical techniques, provide valuable insights for enhancing the synergy between environmental regulations and business practices. EPR regulation significantly affects SMEs in terms of financial, administrative, and legal obligations, thus our study highlights that policymakers may need to consider additional support mechanisms to alleviate the regulatory burden on SMEs, fostering a more effective and sustainable implementation of the EPR regulation.

The pressing need to redefine the tourism industry’s relationship with nature and local communities has never been more critical. Ecotourism, as a paradigm of sustainable travel, holds transformative potential—not only for preserving our planet’s fragile ecosystems but also for fostering local cultural and economic development. In this context, the integration of circular economy principles offers innovative pathways to enhance sustainability across the tourism sector. The application of circular economy frameworks in tourism not only reduces environmental impact but also enhances economic viability by creating closed-loop systems. My interest in this topic stems from a personal conviction: Tourism should leave a positive mark, one that enriches rather than diminishes the destinations we visit. This study delves into how the hotel industry can align itself with ecotourism principles by embracing innovative, sustainable practices that minimize environmental impact while delivering authentic, high-quality experiences for travelers. Through the lens of green energy, resource optimization, and cultural integration, the research demonstrates that sustainability is both an ethical responsibility and a pathway to long-term competitiveness in tourism. By supporting local economies and protecting natural heritage, the industry can shift from being a passive observer of environmental degradation to a proactive steward of change. This work serves as a call to action for stakeholders: Our choices today will define the landscapes and cultural legacies available to future generations.