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is the milk supply safe?

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A Tollgate farm employee milks cows in Ancramdale, New York.

Cows are milked on a farm in New York State.Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty

The outbreak of avian influenza in US dairy cattle shows no signs of slowing. Over the past three weeks, the number of states where cows infected with bird flu have been detected has risen from six to eight. A preprint1 posted on 16 April reported the discovery of the virus in raw milk from infected cows, and US federal authorities said on Wednesday that the virus had been found in lung tissue collected from a seemingly healthy cow.

Also on Wednesday, US officials confirmed at a media briefing that genomic material from the H5N1 strain, which is causing the outbreak, had been detected in milk sold in shops.

Detection of viral particles in milk sold to consumers suggests that avian flu in cows could “be more widespread than initially thought”, says food scientist Diego Diel at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. “Increased surveillance and testing in dairies should be an important part of control measures going forward.” Nature looks at the implications for human health and the future of the outbreak.

What does it mean that H5N1 is in retail milk?

It’s still unclear how many milk samples the FDA has tested or where the samples were collected. The agency said that it would release more information in the coming days and weeks.

After it leaves the farm and before it hits the shelves, milk is pasteurized to inactivate pathogens. To detect H5N1, the FDA used a test called quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), which picks up viral RNA. Because it detects fragments of the viral genome, the test cannot distinguish between living virus and the remnants of dead virus, says dairy scientist Nicole Martin at Cornell University.

“The detection of viral RNA does not itself pose a health risk to consumers, and we expect to find this residual genetic material if the virus was there in the raw milk and was inactivated by pasteurization,” she says.

The presence of viral material in commercially available milk does have broader implications, however. There are several possible explanations, says virologist Brian Wasik, also at Cornell University. It could be that the outbreak is more pervasive than farmers realized, and that milk from infected animals is entering the commercial supply. Another possibility, he says, is that “asymptomatic cows that we are not testing are shedding virus into milk”. But it’s also possible that both scenarios are true.

US federal rules require milk from infected cows to be discarded, but it’s not yet clear whether cows often start shedding the virus before they look sick or produce abnormal milk. The 16 April preprint, which has not yet been peer reviewed, includes reports that milk from infected cows is thicker and more yellow than typical milk and that infected animals eat less and produce less milk than usual.

Is milk with traces of H5N1 in it a threat to humans?

There is no definitive evidence that pasteurization kills H5N1, but the method kills viruses that multiply in the gut, which are hardier than flu viruses, says Wasik. “Influenza virus is relatively unstable,” he says, “and is very susceptible to heat.” Pasteurization of eggs, which is done at a lower temperature than pasteurization of milk, does kill H5N1.

It’s possible that pasteurization would be less effective at killing relatively high viral concentrations in milk, says Wasik. Finding out whether this is the case requires experimental data. In the absence of a definitive answer, keeping milk from infected cows out of the commercial supply is extremely important.

When Nature asked when to expect more evidence on whether pasteurization kills H5N1, Janell Goodwin, public-affairs specialist at the FDA in Silver Spring, Maryland, said that the agency and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) “are working closely to collect and evaluate additional data and information specific to” H5N1.

Is milk spreading bird flu among cows?

USDA researchers have tested nasal swabs, tissue and milk samples of cows from affected dairy herds and have found that milk contained the highest viral concentrations. This indicates that the virus could be spreading through milk droplets.

If so, milking equipment could be involved. “The teat cups of a milking machine could transfer remnants of H5N1-containing milk from one cow to the teats of the next cow being milked,” says virologist Thijs Kuiken at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. “Even if they are washed and disinfected, the levels of virus in the milk of infected cattle are so high that one could not exclude the possibility of infectious virus being transferred from cow to cow by this route.” In fact, in some equipment set-ups, workers spray down milking machines with high-pressure hoses to clean them, which would aerosolize any infected milk, says Wasik.

The USDA website concurs that viral spread is “likely through mechanical means”.

Is enough being done to stop the spread?

The FDA announced on Wednesday that cows must test negative for bird flu before they can be moved across state lines. That might help to stem the outbreak, scientists say. Animals in the US dairy industry move around a lot, Wasik says. Calves are moved to be raised into milk cows, cows are moved when they stop producing milk and farmers sell the animals. Such movement is probably “a main driver” of the outbreak, Wasik says.

Diel would like to see surveillance of bulk milk samples at farms. Wastewater testing and environmental sampling could be useful, too, Wasik says, particularly around farms near outbreaks or farms where cows have been moved. He also advocates for a quarantine or observation period of 24 or 48 hours when cattle are moved to a new farm.

Such surveillance measures “could really buy us time, slow down the outbreak”, says Wasik, so researchers and agencies can “get a better handle on it. Because time is what’s of the essence.”

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Business Industry

Apple’s new iPad Pro 11-inch could be in short supply due to Samsung

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Apple is ready to launch its new flagship iPads, and the company has teased its next launch event for May 7. That’s when Apple’s new OLED-equipped iPad Pros will likely be unveiled, but one of those iPads could be in short supply due to Samsung.

Apple’s OLED 11-inch iPad Pro could face shortages

Samsung Eco 2 OLED Plus Display Panel Power Consumption Efficiency

Apple is expected to launch two versions of the iPad Pro, one with an 11-inch OLED screen and the other with a 12.9-inch OLED screen. The 11-inch variant reportedly uses LG Display’s and Samsung Display’s OLED panels, while the 12.9-inch variant exclusively uses LG Display’s OLED panel. However, according to industry insider Ross Young (via 9To5Mac), the shipments of the 12.9-inch OLED iPad Pro seem to be higher than those of the 11-inch variant.

Ross Young claims that Samsung has been facing technical challenges in producing 11-inch OLED panels for new iPad Pros. He also claims that this situation could persist throughout May and affect the availability of the upcoming iPad Pro. A 9To5Mac report claimed that drivers found in iPadOS 17.5 reveal that the upcoming iPad Pros use display panels from LG and Samsung.

Previous reports claim that upcoming iPad Pro models from Apple use a completely new type of OLED panel. It is called a two-stack tandem OLED panel with two emissive layers. Such a panel is said to offer longer life, higher brightness, and a lower chance of pixel burn-in.



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Bisnis Industri

11.1-inch iPad Pro might be in short supply at launch

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2024 OLED iPad Pro mockup
It could be hard to get your hands on the 11.1-inch iPad Pro at launch.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple will soon debut the M3 iPad Pros with OLED screens. A new rumor suggests the smaller 11.1-inch model could be in short supply at launch.

This is due to the panels being in limited supply initially. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro apparently won’t have any supply issues.

Apple to soon get a second OLED iPad Pro supplier

Apple’s upcoming M3 iPad Pros will supposedly use 11.1-inch and 12.9-inch OLED displays. This would be a big upgrade from the current gen models’ LCD and mini LED panels.

Display analyst Ross Young, in an X post, claims the 11.1-inch iPad Pro’s panel production is significantly behind the 12.9-inch model. Samsung Display is currently the sole supplier of the screen. LG Display will start production of the 11.1-inch OLED panels later this month, which should ease supply issues.

So, the 11.1-inch iPad Pro might be in short supply initially, but its availability should improve in the following weeks. LG is already the secondary supplier of 12.9-inch OLED screens for Apple, so the bigger iPad Pro should have better availability at launch.

M3 iPad Pro won’t start shipping before April

Previous reports indicate Apple could launch the M3 iPad Pro in late March or early April. Ross reaffirmed this, saying the panel shipments started in February, and the new iPads won’t start shipping until April.

Apart from an OLED screen, a faster M3 chip, and a thinner chassis, Apple’s 2024 iPad Pro lineup is unlikely to sport other significant changes. We wish Apple would improve the battery life or add extra ports to the tablet, but the chances appear slim.

Alongside new M3 iPad Pros, Apple will purportedly also refresh its iPad Air lineup. Besides an internal spec bump, the company will add a 12.9-inch iPad Air to the lineup, whose design recently leaked in CAD renders. A new revamped Magic Keyboard should debut alongside the new tablets with an aluminum casing.



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Computers

Solar-Powered Farming Is Quickly Depleting the World’s Groundwater Supply

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That is certainly the case in Yemen, on the south flank of the Arabian Peninsula, where the desert sands have a new look these days. Satellite images show around 100,000 solar panels glinting in the sun, surrounded by green fields. Hooked to water pumps, the panels provide free energy for farmers to pump out ancient underground water. They are irrigating crops of khat, a shrub whose narcotic leaves are the country’s stimulant of choice, chewed through the day by millions of men.

For these farmers, the solar irrigation revolution in Yemen is born of necessity. Most crops will only grow if irrigated, and the country’s long civil war has crashed the country’s electricity grid and made supplies of diesel fuel for pumps expensive and unreliable. So, they are turning en masse to solar power to keep the khat coming.

The panels have proved an instant hit, says Middle East development researcher Helen Lackner of SOAS University of London. Everybody wants one. But in the hydrological free-for-all, the region’s underground water, a legacy of wetter times, is running out.

The solar-powered farms are pumping so hard that they have triggered “a significant drop in groundwater since 2018 … in spite of above average rainfall,” according to an analysis by Leonie Nimmo, a researcher who was until recently at the UK-based Conflict and Environment Observatory. The spread of solar power in Yemen “has become an essential and life-saving source of power,” both to irrigate food crops and provide income from selling khat, he says, but it is also “rapidly exhausting the country’s scarce groundwater reserves.”

In the central Sana’a Basin, Yemen’s agricultural heartland, more than 30 percent of farmers use solar pumps. In a report with Musaed Aklan, a water researcher at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, Lackner predicts a “complete shift” to solar by 2028. But the basin may be down to its last few years of extractable water. Farmers who once found water at depths of 100 feet or less are now pumping from 1,300 feet or more.

Some 1,500 miles to the northeast, in in the desert province of Helmand in Afghanistan, more than 60,000 opium farmers have in the past few years given up on malfunctioning state irrigation canals and switched to tapping underground water using solar water pumps. As a consequence, water tables have been falling typically by 10 feet per year, according to David Mansfield, an expert on the country’s opium industry from the London School of Economics.

An abrupt ban on opium production imposed by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers in 2022 may offer a partial reprieve. But the wheat that the farmers are growing as a replacement is also a thirsty crop. So, water bankruptcy in Helmand may only be delayed.

“Very little is known about the aquifer [in Helmand], its recharge or when and if it might run dry,” according to Mansfield. But if their pumps run dry, many of the million-plus people in the desert province could be left destitute, as this vital desert resource—the legacy of rainfall in wetter times—disappears for good.

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Copilot AI added to Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management

Microsoft AI Copilot added to Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management

As businesses grapple with increasingly complex supply chains and rapidly changing market conditions, technology giant Microsoft has stepped up to offer innovative solutions. The company recently announced the introduction of new Copilot AI and demand planning capabilities for its Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management platform. The move demonstrates Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovation in supply chain management, aiming to improve productivity and resilience for businesses amidst rising costs and labor pressures.

Copilot AI

Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management platform is known for its focus on delivering AI-first capabilities. These capabilities are designed to manage risk, inventory, and agile planning, thereby enabling businesses to make quick, informed decisions across their entire supply chain. The introduction of the new Copilot AI capabilities is a testament to Microsoft’s recognition of the potential of generative AI to reinvent business processes.

The newly introduced Copilot AI capabilities for Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management mark a significant milestone for Microsoft. The company has shipped its first set of these capabilities, reflecting its commitment to leveraging AI technology to enhance supply chain management. The copilot capabilities are designed to provide businesses with a more efficient way to manage their supply chains, helping them navigate the complexities and changes inherent in today’s market.

Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management

Other articles you may find of interest on the subject of Microsoft Copilot AI technologies and services :

AI Demand Planning features

In addition to the Copilot AI capabilities, Microsoft has also introduced a new demand planning capability. Currently available in public preview, this feature uses AI and machine learning models to predict demand. It does this by incorporating external data sources, providing a more comprehensive and accurate forecast.

The AI-powered forecast model is designed to automatically select the best algorithms and parameters for each product. This allows planners to fine-tune parameters based on their specific business needs, offering a level of customization that’s not commonly found in similar platforms. Moreover, users can tailor forecast inputs using a guided no-code approach. This enables them to simulate the impacts of changing forecast models before application, and even plug in their own custom-built machine-learning models if they so choose.

The new demand planning capabilities aim to enhance the user experience by making it more flexible, simplified, and intuitive. The goal is to reduce excess inventory and increase working capital, thereby improving overall business efficiency.

The introduction of the new Copilot AI and demand planning capabilities for Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management platform represents a significant step forward in supply chain management technology. By leveraging AI and machine learning, Microsoft is helping businesses navigate the complexities of supply chain management, make more informed decisions, and ultimately, drive growth and innovation. As the platform continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these new capabilities are received by businesses and what impact they have on the supply chain management landscape.

Source: Microsoft

Filed Under: Technology News, Top News





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Defining Supply Chain Management: Highlighting Its Role in Global Trade

Supply chain management is converting raw materials into a final product. Due to its systematic work, we swiftly get essential items like food, health products, and other vital aspects. Supply chain management aims to serve a quality service with minor risks. The principles that support SCM are Planning, managing, sourcing, logistics, and more. 

Role of supply chain management in global trade

Global trade lets you know about the thinking, perspectives, and needs of people around the globe. You need exceptional management to provide and receive quality service. Supply chain management definition simply explains it is a connecting bridge between seller and buyer. With the help, the seller can quickly locate and get the buyer’s needs, and accordingly, he can initiate a plan; similarly, in global trade, supply chain management exchanges goods and services internationally. To know more about management skills, supply chain management courses are available; opt for them and make your supply chain management fruitful. 

Highlighting points that make an easy delivery

  1. Smooth and efficient flow of goods

This process contributes to transportation, distribution, management, and final delivery. Due to this discipline, customers get their service quickly without damaging the product. Smooth and efficient flow of goods brings complete security and sureness.

  1. Minimises the cost

Supply chain management helps companies reduce costs connected with global trade. Businesses can minimise the cost associated with storage, transportation, and tariffs by analysing the transportation route, strategies, and inventory levels.

  1. Risk management

When transportation has a long route to cover, risks emerge frequently. The threats like supply chain disruption, geopolitical issues, and natural disasters may affect the delivery process. With advanced technology, supply chain management has built strategies like backup plans, notifying the customer, tracking the process, and making real-time delivery. Management of delivering the product safely in the given period can be easily optimised with the help of supply chain management. 

  1. Laws and regulations

As we know, every country is bound to a specific rule. Not all the countries have the same rules to follow. Moreover, customer requirements, laws, and documentation change as the country changes. Supply chain management has effective tactics that follow the laws and regulations of each country and make a smooth flow of goods.

  1. Accurate flow of information

As it is a global trade, the time flow of information changes frequently. Supply chain management manages the accurate flow of information. Furthermore, it contributes to real-time communication and quickly adapts to supply demand and market fluctuation changes. 

Final words 

Supply chain management helps to crack and enhance global trade—the techniques and adequate management result in an effective flow of goods. To know more about it, you can opt for the supply chain management courses or approach the internet for more insights. We have brought five strategies that reflect the best part of supply chain management. Know more about it and make an effective deal here with supply chain management.