Dominant Models in a E-supply Chain When Concerning Fairness

Although the development of e-commerce can expand market for manufacturers, it requires more fairness. With the rising of consumers’ awareness, an enterprise who does not concern fairness will loss reputation and customers immediately, especially in e-supply chain system. Based on this great significance, the paper introduces fairness concern into e-supply chain, constructs two dominant models in Stackelberg game and discusses the decision-making processes respectively. Results show that: (1) The profit of network platform increases with the growth of commission, as well as the service level, but the profit of manufacturer decreases. Therefore, manufacturer does not prefer a higher commission when she dominates. (2) In a certain range, the service level and sales price both reach the highest point with a dominant network platform who concerns fairness, at the same time, they have positive correlation with fairness degree. (3) Fairness concern is beneficial for poaching consumers, so dominant enterprises should concern it forwardly even though sacrifice profit

Forecasting return of used products for remanufacturing using graphical evaluation and review technique (GERT)

This research develops a forecasting model that can predict the quantity, time and probability of product return, recyclable parts/components/materials and disposal. It adopts the Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT) by translating the remanufacturing operational process into a stochastic network. This stochastic network possesses two characteristics: activities having a probability of occurrence associated with them; and time to perform an activity. Together with the GERT method, Mason’s rule is applied to calculate the equivalence transfer function of the system, therefore predicting the desired outcomes. A generic eight-step process on how to implement this method in any structure of return products and remanufacturing network is provided. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the result of using GERT on forecasting printer remanufacturing outcomes. The main contribution of this research is: Instead of giving one result such as either return quantity, or time, or probability, our research can forecast three of these outcomes simultaneously, and the algorithm is generalised to be applicable to any product structure and remanufacturing network

Coordination contracts of dual-channel with cooperation advertising in closed-loop supply chains

On the background of an online/offline dual channel, this paper studies contract coordination of centralized and decentralized dual-channel closed-loop supply chains. With the feature of recycle rate fluctuation, we develop a revenue-sharing mechanism by taking the relationship between the recycle rate and the recycle revenue sharing ratio into consideration. After comparing of centralized decision and the manufacturing led decentralized decision, the optimal online/offline price, wholesale price and advertising investment are derived. The influence of revenue sharing ratio in forward and reverse channels on the online/offline prices and wholesale prices is discussed. The numeric example is used for observing the relationship between variables, and between the optimal profit and variables through analysis of changing parameter valuations

Analysis of the non-volatile components and volatile compounds of hydrolysates derived from unmatured cheese curd hydrolysis by different enzymes

peer reviewedFifteen cheese protein hydrolysates were produced by using four different proteases. Then, the free amino acids (FAAs), molecular weight distribution (MWD), electronic tongue evaluation, and 45 volatile compounds of the corresponding products were evaluated, respectively. The results 46 suggested that 2SD had the strongest hydrolysis characteristic, followed by 6SD and FN. Samples 47 hydrolyzed for less than 6 h or more than 18 h contained great defects of taste. Peptides with 150 48 Da – 450 Da were mainly responsible for bitterness, saltiness, umami, and aftertaste in some enzyme 49 hydrolysis. Under the same total enzyme concentration condition, the sample hydrolyzed by 50 Flavourzyme and Neutrase for 18 h released more richness and less bitterness than the other systems, 51 which were characterized by butter and cream odor. Notably, it was found for the first time that 52 tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) was detected in cheese proteolysis with the highest content of 17.59 53 µg/g in Protease 2SD for 30 h. 2-Undecanone and acetoin played a key role in the flavor formation 54 of the tested samples. Regarding the different chemical families of volatiles, acids were more 55 abundant in the samples hydrolyzed by Protease 2SD and 6SD, while FN systems can achieve high 56 ketone content

Free fatty acid hydrolyzed with lipases and their effects on enzyme-modified cheese flavor

peer reviewed: This study investigated the effects of five lipases on enzyme-modified cheese (EMC) flavor development. Results showed that lipase 30SD contained high hydrolytic activity for short, medium, and long-chain fatty acids within 24 h incubation time, and the highest content of them among different times could reach 47.24, 475.90, 1 563.92 mg/100 g fat, respectively. Lipase DF15 and MER showed moderate capacity to hydrolyze volatile fatty acids, while lipase F3G had a stronger ability to produce long-chain fatty acids. Twenty-seven new volatiles were formed during lipolysis, most of them were acids and esters. Principal component analysis results showed that EMC produced by lipase 30SD for 18 h was similar to the commercial product with a pungent, rancid, and cheddar flavor. EMCs produced by lipase DF15 were significantly distinguished from other products by their high content of ethyl heptanoate, ethyl nonanoate, and ethyl tridecanoate. The findings might be useful for the researchers who focus on lipolysis or EMC product

3-Phosphoinositide–Dependent Kinase 1 Potentiates Upstream Lesions on the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Pathway in Breast Carcinoma

Lesions of ERBB2, PTEN, and PIK3CA activate the phosphati- dylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway during cancer development by increasing levels of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3). 3-Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) is the first node of the PI3K signal output and is required for activation of AKT. PIP3 recruits PDK1 and AKT to the cell membrane through interactions with their pleckstrin homology domains, allowing PDK1 to activate AKT by phosphorylating it at residue threonine-308. We show that total PDK1 protein and mRNA were overexpressed in a majority of human breast cancers and that 21% of tumors had five or more copies of the gene encoding PDK1, PDPK1. We found that increased PDPK1 copy number was associated with upstream pathway lesions (ERBB2 amplification, PTEN loss, or PIK3CA mutation), as well as patient survival. Examination of an independent set of breast cancers and tumor cell lines derived from multiple forms of human cancers also found increased PDK1 protein levels associated with such upstream pathway lesions. In human mammary cells, PDK1 enhanced the ability of upstream lesions to signal to AKT, stimulate cell growth and migration, and rendered cells more resistant to PDK1 and PI3K inhibition. After orthotopic transplantation, PDK1 overexpression was not oncogenic but dramatically enhanced the ability of ERBB2 to form tumors. Our studies argue that PDK1 overexpression and increased PDPK1 copy number are common occurrences in cancer that potentiate the oncogenic effect of upstream lesions on the PI3K pathway. Therefore, we conclude that alteration of PDK1 is a critical component of oncogenic PI3K signaling in breast cancer

A Responsive Pricing Grid Operator Sourcing from Competing Generators under Uncertain Supply and Demand

Electricity supply chains involve more sources of uncertainty than typical production and manufacturing supply chains, owing to the intermittent nature of renewable energy generation. Therefore, it is critical but challenging to mitigate supply disruption risks by improving management methods. The extant literature has mainly investigated the sourcing strategies of manufacturers with price-taking suppliers. Where there is an option to source from multiple generators, including regular but unreliable generators and reliable backup generators, a flexible sourcing strategy is usually regarded as the best tactic for the grid operator. Our objective is to evaluate the costs and benefits of flexible sourcing and sole sourcing when generators are strategic price-setters. In this paper, we develop a Stackelberg game with wholesale prices contingent on the dominant grid operator’s sourcing strategy. We describe and analyze the resulting equilibriums under different scenarios. The results show that the grid operator does not necessarily benefit from a backup generator and that the flexible sourcing mode is not in fact optimal, except when the disruption ratio of the unreliable generator is medium and the penalty-sharing ratio of the unreliable generator is low. The model is applied to a numerical case study of a real-word electricity supply chain to illustrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed conclusions

Dynamic Evolutionary Analysis of the Impact of Outward Foreign Direct Investment on Green Innovation Heterogeneity—From the Perspective of Binary Innovation

In the current era of increasingly frequent international exchanges and countries’ increasing emphasis on green development, exploring the complex relationship between outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and green innovation has become an important research topic. Taking the binary innovation perspective as an entry point, this paper is devoted to exploring the heterogeneous impact and dynamic evolution of OFDI on green innovation since China’s accession to the WTO. The purpose is to form a more comprehensive and specific understanding of how OFDI affects green innovation. By sorting out the characteristics of economic development at the early stage of China’s WTO accession and implementation of the “going out” strategy, the period of counter-trend growth of OFDI after the financial crisis, and the “new normal” period of China’s transformation and development, this paper analyzes in detail the impact of OFDI on green innovation and green binary innovation in each stage. According to the study, the coefficients of the effects of OFDI on green innovation in the three stages are 0.214 (fully significant at the 1% level), −0.057 (insignificant), and 0.137 (significant at the 5% level), showing an overall effect of promoting–insignificant–promoting; In addition, the fact that the development orientation of OFDI is different at different stages leads to significant heterogeneity in its impact on green innovation and green binary innovation. The coefficients of OFDI on green exploratory innovation at the three stages are 0.064 (insignificant), −0.107 (significant at 10% level), and 0.099 (significant at 5% level), and the coefficients of OFDI on green exploitative innovation are 0.258 (fully significant at 1% level), −0.036 (insignificant) and 0.142 (significant at 5% level), respectively. The results reveal that OFDI on green binary innovation shifts from focusing on promoting green exploitative innovation to taking green binary innovation into account, and this heterogeneous performance effect matches the development characteristics of each stage. The results of the study show more clearly the association between OFDI and green innovation in China and provide new references for subsequent academic research and management practice