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. 

Recently, carbon nanocomposites have garnered a lot of curiosity because of their distinctive characteristics and extensive variety of possible possibilities. Among all of these applications, the development of sensors with electrochemical properties based on carbon nanocomposites for use in biomedicine has shown as an area with potential. These sensors are suitable for an assortment of biomedical applications, such as prescribing medications, disease diagnostics, and biomarker detection. They have many benefits, including outstanding sensitivity, selectivity, and low limitations on detection. This comprehensive review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the recent advancements in carbon nanocomposites-based electrochemical sensors for biomedical applications. The different types of carbon nanomaterials used in sensor fabrication, their synthesis methods, and the functionalization techniques employed to enhance their sensing properties have been discussed. Furthermore, we enumerate the numerous biological and biomedical uses of electrochemical sensors based on carbon nanocomposites, among them their employment in illness diagnosis, physiological parameter monitoring, and biomolecule detection. The challenges and prospects of these sensors in biomedical applications are also discussed. Overall, this review highlights the tremendous potential of carbon nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensors in revolutionizing biomedical research and clinical diagnostics.

Modified chitosan hybrids were obtained via chemical reaction of chitosan with two pyrazole aldehyde derivatives to produce two chitosan Schiff bases, Cs-SB1, and Cs-SB2, respectively. FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed both chemical structures and morphology of these Schiff bases. Thermal gravimetric analysis showed an improvement of thermal properties of these Schiff bases. Both chitosan Schiff bases were evaluated in a batch adsorption approach for their ability to remove Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Energy dispersive X-ray for the Schiff bases adsorbed metal ions in various aqueous solutions was performed to confirm the existence of adsorbed metal ions on the surface substrate and their adsorptive efficiency for Cu(II) ions. Results of the batch adsorption method showed that prepared Schiff bases have good ability to remove Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The Langmuir isotherm equation showed a better fit for both adsorbents with regression coefficients (R² = 0.97 and 0.99, respectively) with maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(II) of 10.33 and 39.84 mg/g for Cs-SB1 and Cs-SB2, respectively. All prepared compounds, pyrazoles and two chitosan Schiff bases, showed good antimicrobial activity against three Gram +ve bacteria, three Gram –ve bacteria and Candida albicans, with varying degrees when compared to the standard antimicrobial agents.

This study examines the challenges and needs faced by non-profit organisations (NPOs) in Colombia regarding the adopting of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly focusing on sections 3 and 4. Employing a mixed-method approach, the research combines qualitative and quantitative methods. Surveys were conducted with Colombia NPOs, official documents were analysed, and comparative case studies were performed. In-depth interviews and participant observation were also utilised to gain a comprehensive understanding of the obstacles and current practices within the Colombian context. The findings reveal that NPOs in Colombia encounter significant difficulties in adopting IFRS due to the complexity of the standards, lack of specialised resources, and the need for specific training. Internal challenges such as deficiencies in staff qualifications and training, resistance to change, and technological limitations were identified. Externally, ambiguities in the legal framework and donor requirements were highlighted. The case study illustrated that, while there are similarities between IFRS for SMEs and the IFR4NPO project, specific adaptations are essential to address the unique needs of NPOs. This research underscores the necessity of developing additional guidelines or modifying existing ones to enhance the interpretation and application of IFRS in Colombia NPOs. It is recommended to implement proactive strategies based on education and legislative reform to improve the transparency and comparability of financial information. Adopting a more tailored and supported accounting framework will facilitate a more relevant and sustainable implementation, benefiting Colombian NPOs in their resource management and accountability efforts.

Urban facilities and services are essential to human life. Access to them varies according to the geographical location of the population, whether urban, peri-urban or rural, and according to the modes of transport available. In view of the rapid development of peri-urban areas in developing countries, questions are being asked about the ability of the inhabitants of these areas to access these facilities and services. This study examines the ability of the inhabitants of Hêvié, Ouèdo and Togba, three peri-urban districts of Abomey-Calavi in the Republic of Benin, to access commercial, educational, school and health facilities. To this end, we have adopted a GIS-based methodology. It is a combination of isochronal method and accessibility utility measurement. The isochrones were produced according to the main modes of travel recorded on the study area and over a time t ≤ 20 min divided into intervals of 05 min. Analysis of the data enabled us to understand that the main modes of travel adopted by residents are walking, motorcycle and car. Access to educational and health facilities is conditioned by the mode of travel used. Access to commercial and entertainment facilities in t ≤ 20 min is not correlated with the modes of transport used.