Importance of reverse logistics services as an antecedent for building a green supply chain

An important antecedent for building a green supply chain are customer requirements. For the time being, however, it is unclear how the demands for providing reverse logistics services contribute to green supply chain building. The aim of the research was therefore to specify the degree of importance of reverse logistics services compared to typical services provided by the supplier during order fulfilment. Based on the survey of purchasing managers’ attitudes in 100 food companies, reverse logistics services were found to have a significant role in the portfolio of services evaluated. Return of defective goods was evaluated as the most important reverse logistics service. At the same time, it was found that the perception of the importance of the services provided is affected by the item purchased. Reverse logistics services are more important when purchasing chemicals than when purchasing the main raw material. Thus, primary research has shown that the greatest opportunity to build a green supply chain will arise when purchasing items that inherently show environmental hazards

Importance of reverse logistics services as an antecedent for building a green supply chain

An important antecedent for building a green supply chain are customer requirements. For the time being, however, it is unclear how the demands for providing reverse logistics services contribute to green supply chain building. The aim of the research was therefore to specify the degree of importance of reverse logistics services compared to typical services provided by the supplier during order fulfilment. Based on the survey of purchasing managers’ attitudes in 100 food companies, reverse logistics services were found to have a significant role in the portfolio of services evaluated. Return of defective goods was evaluated as the most important reverse logistics service. At the same time, it was found that the perception of the importance of the services provided is affected by the item purchased. Reverse logistics services are more important when purchasing chemicals than when purchasing the main raw material. Thus, primary research has shown that the greatest opportunity to build a green supply chain will arise when purchasing items that inherently show environmental hazards

COLLABORATION BETWEEN SMALL RETAIL STORES AND SUPPLIERS OF FOOD PRODUCTS

Small grocery stores are forced to look for ways to retain customers. One possibility is through collaboration with suppliers. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the forms of collaboration between small Czech grocery stores and suppliers and to specify the differences in this collaboration depending on store location and the possible affiliation of the store with a retail chain. To achieve this goal, quantitative research was carried out among 65 Czech retail stores using face-to-face interviews with predetermined questions. Collaboration was assessed on the basis of four criteria defined by the authors. It was found that the most frequently occurring element of collaboration was the provision of trade credit to retailers – less often, long-term contracts and synchronization of replenishment. The least used was information sharing. The research results show that the form of collaboration is significantly affected by customer value. Therefore, the level of collaboration can be improved by building horizontally interconnected retail chains. The paper enriches theoretical knowledge by specifying possible elements of collaboration between small retail stores and suppliers and mapping the frequency of their implementation

COLLABORATION BETWEEN SMALL RETAIL STORES AND SUPPLIERS OF FOOD PRODUCTS

Small grocery stores are forced to look for ways to retain customers. One possibility is through collaboration with suppliers. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the forms of collaboration between small Czech grocery stores and suppliers and to specify the differences in this collaboration depending on store location and the possible affiliation of the store with a retail chain. To achieve this goal, quantitative research was carried out among 65 Czech retail stores using face-to-face interviews with predetermined questions. Collaboration was assessed on the basis of four criteria defined by the authors. It was found that the most frequently occurring element of collaboration was the provision of trade credit to retailers – less often, long-term contracts and synchronization of replenishment. The least used was information sharing. The research results show that the form of collaboration is significantly affected by customer value. Therefore, the level of collaboration can be improved by building horizontally interconnected retail chains. The paper enriches theoretical knowledge by specifying possible elements of collaboration between small retail stores and suppliers and mapping the frequency of their implementation

COLLABORATION BETWEEN SMALL RETAIL STORES AND SUPPLIERS OF FOOD PRODUCTS

Small grocery stores are forced to look for ways to retain customers. One possibility is through collaboration with suppliers. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the forms of collaboration between small Czech grocery stores and suppliers and to specify the differences in this collaboration depending on store location and the possible affiliation of the store with a retail chain. To achieve this goal, quantitative research was carried out among 65 Czech retail stores using face-to-face interviews with predetermined questions. Collaboration was assessed on the basis of four criteria defined by the authors. It was found that the most frequently occurring element of collaboration was the provision of trade credit to retailers – less often, long-term contracts and synchronization of replenishment. The least used was information sharing. The research results show that the form of collaboration is significantly affected by customer value. Therefore, the level of collaboration can be improved by building horizontally interconnected retail chains. The paper enriches theoretical knowledge by specifying possible elements of collaboration between small retail stores and suppliers and mapping the frequency of their implementation

Rownoczesne zarazenie makrofagow przez Leishmania donovani i wirus HIV-1

The observation that hypophosphoglycan (LPG) from Leishmania donovani can lead to TNF-alfa mediated induction ofHIV-1 expression supports the idea that these protozoan parasites can be envisaged as putative cofactors in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection

Effect of initial pH, different nitrogen sources, and cultivation time on the production of yellow or orange Monascus purpureus pigments and the mycotoxin citrinin

Monascus purpureus was grown in submerged liquid culture using ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, and peptone as nitrogen sources while initial medium pH was adjusted to 2.5, 5.5, 6.5, or 8.0. The combined effect of culture pH and nitrogen source on the biosynthesis of yellow (ankaflavin and monascin) and orange (rubropunctatin and monascorubrin) pigments, plus the mycotoxin citrinin, was evaluated chromatographically. Optimum cultivation conditions, that is, initial pH 2.5 and 8.8 g/L peptone as a nitrogen source, resulted in high levels of production of yellow and orange pigments (sum of pigment concentration 1,138 mg/L) and negligible citrinin concentration (2 mg/L)

Continuous production of n-butanol by Clostridium pasteurianum DSM 525 using suspended and surface-immobilized cells

For n-butanol production by Clostridium pasteurianum DSM 525, a modified reinforced Clostridium medium was used, where glucose was alternated with glycerol and two kinds of continuous fermentation were tested using suspended and surface immobilized cells on corn stover pieces. A steady state, with butanol productivity of 4.2g/Lh, was reached during the packed-bed continuous fermentation at a dilution rate of 0.44h(-1). The average n-butanol concentration, yield and the ratio of n-butanol/liquid by-products were 10.4g/L, 33 % and 2.5, respectively. Unexpectedly, during continuous fermentation with suspended cells, at a dilution rate of 0.01h(-1), steady-state was not achieved and regular oscillations occurred in all measured variables, i.e. concentrations of glycerol, products and the number of cells stained with the fluorescent dyes carboxy fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide. A possible explanation for oscillatory/steady-state behavior of suspended/surface-attached cells, respectively, may be specific butanol toxicity (toxicity per cell), which was higher/lower in respective cases, and which might be caused by lower/higher cell numbers respectively in both systems