Supply chain digitization using GS1 standards : research results

PURPOSE: Assessment of the level of products and services offered by the GS1 Poland organization to its customers - companies-participants of the GS1 system. Assessment of the needs of companies - customers of the GS1 system in relation to the solution provider - the GS1 organization.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research was a direct interview. It was conducted with an expert - representative of the company: owner/manager, manager/specialist. The survey covered 775 companies that are members of GS1 Poland.FINDINGS: Digitization of the supply chain is mainly related to the use of barcodes. The most useful digital tool is My GS1. The companies-participants of the system expect in the future from GS1 organizations first of all individual approach and increase of the number of educational actions.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The obtained assessment constitutes a ranking of popularity of solutions in the offer of GS1 Poland organization. Understanding expectations of companies-participants of GS1 system will allow to improve existing products and services, as well as introduce new ones - expected by market.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The presented results fill a gap in the form of a lack of published research on supply chain digitalization in the Polish logistics market.This article is co-financed by the European Union under the Operational Programme Knowledge, Education, Development 2014-2020 within the realization of “The Integrated Programme of Poznan School of Logistics” (no. POWR.03.05.00-00-Z089/17).peer-reviewe

REFLECT – Research flight of EURADOS and CRREAT: Intercomparison of various radiation dosimeters onboard aircraft

Aircraft crew are one of the groups of radiation workers which receive the highest annual exposure to ionizing radiation. Validation of computer codes used routinely for calculation of the exposure due to cosmic radiation and the observation of nonpredictable changes in the level of the exposure due to solar energetic particles, requires continuous measurements onboard aircraft. Appropriate calibration of suitable instruments is crucial, however, for the very complex atmospheric radiation field there is no single reference field covering all particles and energies involved. Further intercomparisons of measurements of different instruments under real flight conditions are therefore indispensable. In November 2017, the REFLECT (REsearch FLight of EURADOS and CRREAT) was carried out. With a payload comprising more than 20 different instruments, REFLECT represents the largest campaign of this type ever performed. The instruments flown included those already proven for routine dosimetry onboard aircraft such as the Liulin Si-diode spectrometer and tissue equivalent proportional counters, as well as newly developed detectors and instruments with the potential to be used for onboard aircraft measurements in the future. This flight enabled acquisition of dosimetric data under well-defined conditions onboard aircraft and comparison of new instruments with those routinely used. As expected, dosimeters routinely used for onboard aircraft dosimetry and for verification of calculated doses such as a tissue equivalent proportional counter or a silicon detector device like Liulin agreed reasonable with each other as well as with model calculations. Conventional neutron rem counters underestimated neutron ambient dose equivalent, while extended-range neutron rem counters provided results comparable to routinely used instruments. Although the responses of some instruments, not primarily intended for the use in a very complex mixed radiation field such as onboard aircraft, were as somehow expected to be different, the verification of their suitability was one of the objectives of the REFLECT. This campaign comprised a single short flight. For further testing of instruments, additional flights as well as comparison at appropriate reference fields are envisaged. The REFLECT provided valuable experience and feedback for validation of calculated aviation doses

Axiological and Praxeological Dimensions of Marketing Communication Effectiveness – A Conceptual Framework

Analyzed from the sender’s perspective, marketing communications aim to engage audiences and create benefit-oriented relationships. In order to adequately assess the reciprocal efforts of the sender and receiver of the communication process, one cannot limit oneself to its purely economic analysis, but should pay attention to its broader praxeological context – take into account factors such as efficiency, effectiveness, and expediency. It is also crucial to evaluate parameters beyond the purely usability characteristics of communication practices used in the marketing aspect. Their ethical evaluation from current and potential customers, the social environment, and other stakeholders poses significant challenges for communicators but should also spur potentially beneficial transformations – toward a new view of socially engaged marketing and the ethical dimension of marketing. The purpose of this inquiry is to identify a conceptual framework for measuring the efficiency of marketing communications based on axiological and praxeological dimensions. Five research hypotheses were formulated, which can be verified in the future research

BADANIE OSŁONNOŚCI RADIACYJNEJ BETONÓW SPECJALNYCH

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań właściwości osłonnych betonów eksperymentalnych przed promieniowaniem gamma, z wykorzystaniem zamkniętego źródła promieniotwórczego 137Cs. Do analiz sporządzono i opisano specjalne stanowisko badawcze o określonej geometrii. Do badań wykorzystano odpowiednio przygotowane próbki betonów ciężkich o zróżnicowanym składzie. W ramach prac przebadano piętnaście rodzajów betonów różniących się przede wszystkim zawartością kruszyw oraz gęstością objętościową. Na podstawie uzyskanych danych pomiarowych, dla poszczególnych prób betonów, otrzymano wartości grubości kolejnych warstw połówkowych (HVL) i dziesięciochłonnych (TVL). Z przeprowadzonych analiz wynika, iż najlepsze parametry osłonne w polu promieniowania gamma dla izotopu 137Cs mają betony, z których kruszywem magnetytowym oraz barytowym. Betony te miały bardzo wysoką gęstość - powyżej 3300 kg/m3. Gorszymi parametrami charakteryzowały się natomiast mieszanki zawierające w składzie tylko kruszywa zwykłe (serpentynit lub amfibolit), a ich gęstość nie przekraczała 2450 kg/m3. Otrzymane wyniki badań, zgodnie z wcześniejszymi założeniami, wskazują, że wraz ze wzrostem gęstości materiału osłonowego warstwa HVL (odpowiednio TVL) zmniejsza się, co oznacza, że właściwości osłonowe materiału przed promieniowaniem gamma ulegają poprawi

Neutron Radiation Dose Measurements in a Scanning Proton Therapy Room: Can Parents Remain Near Their Children During Treatment?

PURPOSE: This study aims to characterize the neutron radiation field inside a scanning proton therapy treatment room including the impact of different pediatric patient sizes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Working Group 9 of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) has performed a comprehensive measurement campaign to measure neutron ambient dose equivalent, H*(10), at eight different positions around 1-, 5-, and 10-year-old pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms irradiated with a simulated brain tumor treatment. Several active detector systems were used. RESULTS: The neutron dose mapping within the gantry room showed that H*(10) values significantly decreased with distance and angular deviation with respect to the beam axis. A maximum value of about 19.5 µSv/Gy was measured along the beam axis at 1 m from the isocenter for a 10-year-old pediatric phantom at 270° gantry angle. A minimum value of 0.1 µSv/Gy was measured at a distance of 2.25 m perpendicular to the beam axis for a 1-year-old pediatric phantom at 140° gantry angle.The H*(10) dependence on the size of the pediatric patient was observed. At 270° gantry position, the measured neutron H*(10) values for the 10-year-old pediatric phantom were up to 20% higher than those measured for the 5-year-old and up to 410% higher than for the 1-year-old phantom, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Using active neutron detectors, secondary neutron mapping was performed to characterize the neutron field generated during proton therapy of pediatric patients. It is shown that the neutron ambient dose equivalent H*(10) significantly decreases with distance and angle with respect to the beam axis. It is reported that the total neutron exposure of a person staying at a position perpendicular to the beam axis at a distance greater than 2 m from the isocenter remains well below the dose limit of 1 mSv per year for the general public (recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection) during the entire treatment course with a target dose of up to 60 Gy. This comprehensive analysis is key for general neutron shielding issues, for example, the safe operation of anesthetic equipment. However, it also enables the evaluation of whether it is safe for parents to remain near their children during treatment to bring them comfort. Currently, radiation protection protocols prohibit the occupancy of the treatment room during beam delivery