Pandemic impact on supply chains: strategies to minimize supply chain disruption

Working Paper del Departament d’Organització d’Empreses de la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.Covid-19 pandemic has challenged all the areas of living of people in the last year, supply chains were not excluded by it. Restriction measures, global health concerns and drastic-unreasonable demand changes were the main issues supply chains had and still have to face in the most globalized world ever seen. The aim of this work is to understand how the pandemic impacted in the supply chains, the first reactions of companies to minimize the disruption of the production, logistic and supply shock and finally the measures to be taken in order to prevent future problems. The question of this study is, in fact: how did supply chains react to pandemic and what can they do to be more resilient? To answer this question, in the first section we show the chronological development of the pandemic, starting from China’s outbreak and its expansion to the rest of the world, keeping in mind the economical context in which the event takes place. In the second section we first review literature on natural disasters, since it are the most similar events to a pandemic in terms of their effects. Moreover, in the third section we depict the suggestions to move to a more resilient management of the supply chain and the possible measures to be taken by supply chain managers. The focus will be on the improvements and weaknesses of current supply chain management techniques, such as Just-In-Time methodology, in-shoring possibilities and demand management. At this study publishing, supply chains are still struggling with uncertainty associated with the pandemic situation and need to change some of their features and strengthen others to prevent future disruptions. Future researches could take advantage of more specific and updated information on this topic.Preprin

Association Between Preexisting Versus Newly Identified Atrial Fibrillation and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) may exist before or occur early in the course of pulmonary embolism (PE). We determined the PE outcomes based on the presence and timing of AF. Methods and Results Using the data from a multicenter PE registry, we identified 3 groups: (1) those with preexisting AF, (2) patients with new AF within 2 days from acute PE (incident AF), and (3) patients without AF. We assessed the 90-day and 1-year risk of mortality and stroke in patients with AF, compared with those without AF (reference group). Among 16 497 patients with PE, 792 had preexisting AF. These patients had increased odds of 90-day all-cause (odds ratio [OR], 2.81; 95% CI, 2.33-3.38) and PE-related mortality (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.37-4.14) and increased 1-year hazard for ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 5.48; 95% CI, 3.10-9.69) compared with those without AF. After multivariable adjustment, preexisting AF was associated with significantly increased odds of all-cause mortality (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.57-2.32) but not PE-related mortality (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.85-2.66). Among 16 497 patients with PE, 445 developed new incident AF within 2 days of acute PE. Incident AF was associated with increased odds of 90-day all-cause (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.75-2.97) and PE-related (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.01-6.59) mortality but not stroke. Findings were similar in multivariable analyses. Conclusions In patients with acute symptomatic PE, both preexisting AF and incident AF predict adverse clinical outcomes. The type of adverse outcomes may differ depending on the timing of AF onset.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The relationship between direct and indirect cross-group friendships and outgroup humanization: Emotional and cognitive mediators

In the current study, we tested a model in which cross-group friendships and extended contact are related to improved outgroup humanization through the mediation of emotional, identity, and normative factors. As first-level mediators, we used ingroup norms, outgroup norms, and the inclusion of the outgroup in the self mechanism (IOS); as second-level mediators, we used intergroup anxiety, trust, and empathy. The outcome variable was outgroup humanization, namely the attribution of uniquely human traits to the outgroup. The intergroup context investigated was that between Northern and Southern Italians. Participants were Northern Italian students. Data — correlational — were analyzed by using structural equation models, and bootstrap procedures for mediation. Findings revealed that IOS was the only significant first-level mediator for direct friendships, and ingroup norms was the only significant first-level mediator for extended contact. All the three emotions were involved in the relationship between friendships and outgroup humanization. Limitations of the study, future research, and potential applications of findings are discussed

The relationship between direct and indirect cross-group friendships and outgroup humanization: Emotional and cognitive mediators

In the current study, we tested a model in which cross-group friendships and extended contact are related to improved outgroup humanization through the mediation of emotional, identity, and normative factors. As first-level mediators, we used ingroup norms, outgroup norms, and the inclusion of the outgroup in the self mechanism (IOS); as second-level mediators, we used intergroup anxiety, trust, and empathy. The outcome variable was outgroup humanization, namely the attribution of uniquely human traits to the outgroup. The intergroup context investigated was that between Northern and Southern Italians. Participants were Northern Italian students. Data \u2014 correlational \u2014 were analyzed by using structural equation models, and bootstrap procedures for mediation. Findings revealed that IOS was the only significant first-level mediator for direct friendships, and ingroup norms was the only significant first-level mediator for extended contact. All the three emotions were involved in the relationship between friendships and outgroup humanization. Limitations of the study, future research, and potential applications of findings are discussed

Improving Intergroup Relationships Within and Outside the Contact Situation: The Role of Common Ingroup Identity and Emotions of Empathy and Anxiety

We proposed a model which explains the processes leading from contact to improved relationships with known and unknown outgroup members. The aim was to test the basic propositions of the common ingroup identity model by acknowledging the importance of emotions for the generalization of contact effects. We predicted that: (a) one-group identity would act as a mediator between contact and emotions (anxiety, empathy) felt for known outgroup members; (b) emotions toward known outgroup members would allow generalization to the whole outgroup. To test these hypotheses, a study was performed by considering working contexts. Participants were Italian nurses and Italian workers. The outgroup was the category of immigrants. Results generally supported predictions. The theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed

Attachment styles in organizations: A study performed in a hospital.

none6Recent research has shown that adult attachment theory may be usefully applied to the organizational domain. Our aim in this study was to analyze the influence of attachment styles (secure, avoidant, and anxious) on employees’ perceptions, attitudes, and intentions. Participants were nurses, working in a hospital in Italy. Models were tested in which the outcome variables were: turnover intentions, organizational citizenship behaviors, and burnout perceptions (exhaustion and cynicism). The mediational effect of affective organizational commitment was also evaluated. Results showed that attachment security was associated with lower levels of intentions to quit and lower levels of job burnout through the mediation of affective commitment. The secure style was also directly linked to helping behaviors in favor of supervisors and colleagues. Reliable relationships were also found for the avoidant style, which was associated with exhaustion and cynicism. The novelty of findings and usefulness of studying attachment in organizations are discussed.noneFalvo; R.; Favara; I.; Di Bernardo; G.A.; Boccato; G.; Capozza; D.Falvo, Rossella; Favara, I.; Di, Bernardo; G. A., Boccato; G., Capozz

Probing bulky ligand entry in engineered archaeal ferritins

Background: A set of engineered ferritin mutants from Archaeoglobus fulgidus (Af-Ft) and Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf-Ft) bearing cysteine thiols in selected topological positions inside or outside the ferritin shell have been obtained. The two apo-proteins were taken as model systems for ferritin internal cavity accessibility in that Af-Ft is characterized by the presence of a 45Å wide aperture on the protein surface whereas Pf-Ft displays canonical (threefold) channels. Methods: Thiol reactivity has been probed in kinetic experiments in order to assess the protein matrix permeation properties towards the bulky thiol reactive DTNB (5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid) molecule. Results: Reaction of DTNB with thiols was observed in all ferritin mutants, including those bearing free cysteine thiols inside the ferritin cavity. As expected, a ferritin mutant from Pf-Ft, in which the cysteine thiol is on the outer surface displays the fastest binding kinetics. In turn, also the Pf-Ft mutant in which the cysteine thiol is placed within the internal cavity, is still capable of full stoichiometric DTNB binding albeit with an almost 200-fold slower rate. The behaviour of Af-Ft bearing a cysteine thiol in a topologically equivalent position in the internal cavity was intermediate among the two Pf-Ft mutants. Conclusions and general significance: The data thus obtained indicate clearly that the protein matrix in archaea ferritins does not provide a significant barrier against bulky, negatively charged ligands such as DTNB, a finding of relevance in view of the multiple biotechnological applications of these ferritins that envisage ligand encapsulation within the internal cavity