Space Station RT and E Utilization Study

Descriptive information on a set of 241 mission concepts was reviewed to establish preliminary Space Station outfitting needs for technology development missions. The missions studied covered the full range of in-space technology development activities envisioned for early Space Station operations and included both pressurized volume and attached payload requirements. Equipment needs were compared with outfitting plans for the life sciences and microgravity user communities, and a number of potential outfitting additions were identified. Outfitting implementation was addressed by selecting a strawman mission complement for each of seven technical themes, by organizing the missions into flight scenarios, and by assessing the associated outfitting buildup for planning impacts

Multidisciplinarity in the Treatment Process: An Essential Element in Clinical Governance

Clinical governance includes different activities and tools that can be activated to increase problem-solving skills. The Multidisciplinarity in health care is a useful tool for problem-solving and is interwoven with other elements of clinical governance. The study underlines how different points of view and different professional approaches are able to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the treatment process, thus increasing the quality and safety of the patient. Six professions involved in the care process of the examined structure allowed the exploration of the case study and the resolution of a management case. The analysis tests what has already been proposed in the literature and provides some useful reflections for future investigations. Qualitative analysis poses several hypotheses that still need to be deepened and tested through quantitative analyses related to the relapse of the case study

Refinement and standardization of storage procedures for clonal crops. Global Public Goods Phase 2. Part 3: Multi-crop guidelines for developing in vitro conservation best practices for clonal crops

Among the collective actions of the World Bank-funded Global Public Goods Phase II Project (GPG2), the following collaborative activity: “Refinement and standardization of storage procedures for clonal crops” was given to the CGIAR’s In Vitro Genebanks, represented by the Clonal Crop Task Force (CCTF) composed of genetic resources research staff from the four centres: Bioversity International, CIAT, CIP and IITA. These hold the in trust collections of Musa, cassava, potato, sweetpotato, yam and Andean root and tuber crops (ARTCs). The overarching aims of this activity were to: (1) review the status of vitro conservation in the context of the GPG2 project with an emphasis on the mandated clonal crops; (2) survey the facilities, storage protocols and practices of CGIAR’s clonal crop genebanks; (3) collate and review this information with a view to developing quality and risk management systems to support the production and validation of multi-crop best practice guidelines. Outputs from this activity are designated as a three part ‘trilogy’: Part III, “Multi-crop guidelines for developing in vitro conservation best practices for clonal crops” is a compilation of quality and risk management best practices and guidelines from both plant and other bioresources communities. This collective knowledge provided the foundation for developing the GPG2 multi-crop best practice guidelines. They are compiled in two parts. Section I comprises general operational guidelines for quality and risk management in in vitro plant genebanks. Section II provides generic, multi-crop technical guidelines for the medium-term (slow growth) and long-term (cryopreservation) storage of crop germplasm held in In vitro active genebanks (IVAGs) and In vitro base genebanks (IVBGs) respectively

VATIS update : food processing. Vol. 3, No. 65, May-Jun 2004

Highlights: Remote food X-ray imaging • Reaction process improves flavour design • Oxygen and CO2 absorption packaging • In-line poultry processing • Fluidized bed drier • Low-mist viscous spray system •IN THE NEWS... 4 Global database on food science ✓ International organizations demand poultry tests ✓Codex joins GM labelling debate ✓ China’s dairy imports may exceed US$400 million ✓New regional ‘halal’ product and services hub ✓Vegetable oil market in Russia ✓ Breakthrough in liquid engineering ✓Stricter laws to monitor Indian food imports ✓R&D flavours and dairy ingredients ✓New food norms ✓Fortified juice lowers cholesterol ✓Health food ingredients in Japan ✓ Demand for packaging systems SAFETY/QUALITY CONTROL... 7 New test kits ✓Triple pasteurization✓ Rapid analysis of pathogens ✓Test to detect Brucella ✓ Detecting dioxins in fishmeal ✓Metal detectors ✓Remote food X-ray imaging ✓Salmonella detection ✓ Test for E. coli INGREDIENTS... 9 Breakthrough in food technology ✓ Low-carb ingredient from wheat bran ✓ Rice starch resists processing stress ✓ Reaction process improves flavour design ✓Organic catalysts ✓Oil-soluble antioxidant green tea PRESERVATION ... 11 Microwave ovens pasteurize packaging and pallets ✓ Pasteurization to mitigate E. coli concerns ✓Egg safety technology ✓ Oxygen and carbon dioxide absorption packaging ✓ Extending the shelf-life of perishable products MEAT/POULTRY PROCESSING... 12 Quicker meat processing ✓Poultry rendering plant ✓In-line poultry processing✓ New process to eliminate pathogens ✓ New poultry strip cut processing system ✓Beneficial bacteria help eliminate pathogens ✓Food safety reaches a new high ✓ New solutions for meat industry MACHINERY/EQUIPMENT... 15 Fluidized bed drier ✓ Machine vision system for scanning baked products ✓Tunnel technology revised ✓Low-mist viscous spray system ✓New spray system ✓Sniffing out food microbes RECENT PUBLICATIONS RECENT PUBLICATIONS... 17 CATCHING UP WITH EVENTS... 18 <br

ALIGNMENT OF BUSINESS STRATEGY AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: a study of medium-to-large-sized internationalized German companies from an international business student perspective

In an increasingly globalized world, effective supply chain management and its alignment with a company’s business strategy is seen as a firm’s competitive advantage. Existing studies, which were conducted in internationally known companies, suggest three main strategies: Lean, agile and leagile supply chain strategies. Lean supply chain strategies in markets with a stable demand follow a cost-minimizing approach. Agile supply chain strategies in markets with an unpredictable demand focus on differentiation, innovation and flexibility in order to fulfill customer-specific demand. Finally, leagile supply chain strategies try to combine lean aspects for a base demand and agile aspects for more customer specification. This study researches internationalized medium-to-large-sized German companies with the purpose of understanding how companies can improve their supply chain management from an international business perspective. Results are based on the analysis of qualitative data collected through 14 semi-structured interviews with employees from the SC or business department. Findings suggest that lean, agile and leagile supply chains exist as described in the literature. Furthermore, the supply chain strategies called ‘project’ SC and ‘capable’ SC were found. Project SCs are used for a fixed period of time in order to conduct customer-specific ventures. They are a specialized version of agile SCs with the difference that they are constructed from scratch. Capable SCs are characterized by delivery reliability and speed and customer closeness in markets with predictable demand. They can be considered an advancement of leagile SCs. Furthermore risk- hedging SC management was researched. Moreover, the changes in strategies over the years were examined and the meaning of increased automation and usage of computerized systems in the context of industry 4.0 were questioned. The results show that changes and technology play different roles according to industry. In conclusion the findings cannot be generalized due to the small sample size. However, the results give an insight into current supply chain management strategies that can lead to the practical implication of integrating the customer more in the SC. In the future SCs could have increased transparency, flexibility, and simultaneity. Further quantitative research is recommended.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format