In this policy insight, the author lays out the context of the BRI and its role in global development. He also explains why the US should consider working with China on the BRI. The author opines on China’s possible approach and strategy to get global private investors to come on board for the massive BRI projects. He suggests that the global players can establish a third-party market cooperation and coordination mechanism to turn the BRI into a platform for win-win global collaboration.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is the main leafy vegetable grown in Brazil. Its productivity and quality are limited by the growing season, the nearby environment and the type of cultivar adopted. The objective of this work was to verify at different times of the year the best planting environment for lettuce cultivation in a semi-humid tropical climate. For this purpose, an experiment was set up in three different seasons (October–November 2014, January–March, May–July 2015). The experimental design was randomized blocks, in a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of three seasons, three cultivars (cvs. Vera^®, Tainá^® and Rafaela^®) and two growing environments (low tunnel with beds protected with mulching consisting of soil protection with plastic fabric covering, and beds without protection or conventional cultivation) and four replicates per treatment. Plant biomass, stem length, head diameter, number of leaves per head and crop productivity were evaluated as response parameters. The results showed that the May–July period favored biomass production, head diameter and productivity. Despite the similarity between varieties, the variety Vera^® is more productive in biomass, number of leaves per head, stem length and productivity. The low tunnel planting system with mulching is adequate under the conditions evaluated for lettuce cultivation. This system in the May–July period favors a superior development in the characteristics biomass, head diameter and productivity, if compared to conventional cultivation during the October–November period.

Zero-valent iron is a moderately reducing reagent that is both non-toxic and affordable. In the present work, iron nanoparticles were synthesized using bitter guard leaf extract (Momordica charantia L.) (BGL-Fe NP). Using leaf samples from bitter protectant extract, iron nanoparticles were synthesized with secondary metabolites such as flavonoids and polyphenols acting as capping and reducing agents. Polyphenols reduce Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ to nanovalent iron or iron nanoparticles. Iron nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing iron chloride as a precursor with bitter protective leaf extract in an alkaline environment. The obtained BGL-Fe NPs were calcined for 4 h at various temperatures of 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C. The obtained samples were coded as BGL-Fe NPs-4, BGL-Fe NPs-5, and BGL-Fe NPs-6, respectively. The synthesized BGL-Fe NPs were systematically characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV-Vis and TG-DTA analysis. The obtained BGL-Fe NPs were then used as an adsorbent to remove the aqueous solution of basic methylene blue (MB) dye. MB concentration was monitored using UV-Vis spectroscopy.

Purpose—In the business sector, reliable and timely data are crucial for business management to formulate a company’s strategy and enhance supply chain efficiency. The main goal of this study is to examine how strong brand strength affects shareholder value with a new Supplier Relationship Management System (SRMS) and to find the specific system qualities that are linked to SRMS adoption. This leads to higher brand strength and stronger shareholder value. Design/Methodology/Approach—This study employed a cross-sectional design with an explanatory survey as a deductive technique to form hypotheses. The primary method of data collection used a drop-off questionnaire that was self-administered to the UAE-based healthcare suppliers. Of the 787 questionnaires sent to the healthcare suppliers, 602 were usable, yielding a response rate of 76.5%. To analyze the data gathered, the study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques. Findings—The study’s data proved that SRMS adoption and brand strength positively affected and improved healthcare suppliers’ shareholder value. Additionally, it demonstrates that user satisfaction is the most significant predictor of SRMS adoption, while the results show that the mediating role of brand strength is the most significant predictor of shareholder value. The results demonstrated that internally derived constructs were better explained by the ANN technique than by the PLS-SEM approach. Originality/Value—This study demonstrates its practical value by offering decision-makers in the healthcare supplier industry a reference on what to avoid and what elements to take into account when creating plans and implementing strategies and policies.

Poverty, and especially the widening disparity between the rich and the poor, leads to social unrest that can interrupt the harmonious development of human society. Understanding the reasons for income inequality, and supporting the development of an effective strategy to reduce this inequality, have been major goals in socioeconomic research around the world. To identify the determinants of the income gap, we calculated the Gini coefficients for Chinese provinces and performed regression analysis and contribution analysis for heterogeneity, using data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2002 to 2018. We found that urbanization, higher education, and foreign direct investment in eastern China and energy in central and western China were important factors that increased the Gini coefficient (i.e., decreased equality). Therefore, paying more attention to the fair distribution of the factors that can increase the Gini coefficient and investing more in the factors that can reduce the Gini coefficient will be the keys to narrowing the income gap. Our approach revealed factors that should be targeted for solutions both in China and in other developing countries that are facing similar difficulties, although the details will vary among countries and contexts.

Horticulture is a widespread activity in family farming in the Transamazonian region—Pará, with emphasis on production aimed at the family’s own consumption. The lettuce cultivar Vanda (Lactuca sativa L.) represents a significant part of this production, which prioritizes the use of internal labor. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the development of lettuce CV Vanda grown in beds using organic compost and chemical fertilization (NPK). The criteria considered to evaluate this performance were: Root system development, plant height and total fresh mass production. The best averages in relation to root development occurred in the plots cultivated with organic compost in the proportion of 5 kg/m², due to its characteristics as a fertilizer and soil conditioner. The cultivation with the use of NPK provided the best averages in relation to the production of total fresh mass and plant height, results that were mainly attributed to the extra supply of nitrogen in the covering fertilization, which consisted in the addition of 10 g urea per square meter via soil. Statistical analysis showed no statistically significant difference regarding plant height for both treatments. And in relation to root development, the difference was statistically significant.