Investigating the relationship between supply chain innovation, risk management capabilities and competitive advantage in global supply chains

Purpose- This study aims to propose and validate a theoretical model to investigate whether supply chain innovation positively affects risk management capabilities, such as robustness and resilience in global supply chain operations, and to examine how these capabilities may improve competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach- A theoretical model was developed from extant studies and assessed through the development of a large-scale questionnaire survey conducted with South Korean manufacturers and logistics intermediaries involved in global supply chain operations. The data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) to validate the suggested model. Findings- It was found that innovative supply chains have a discernible positive influence on all dimensions of risk management capability, which in turn has a significant impact on enhancing competitive advantage. Therefore, this work provides evidence for the importance of supply chain innovation and risk management capability in supporting competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications- This study contributes to providing an empirical understanding of the strategic retention of supply chain innovation and risk management capabilities in the supply chain management (SCM) discipline. Further, it confirms and expands existing theories about innovation and competitive advantage. Practical implications- The finding provides firm grounds for managerial decisions on investment in technology innovation and process innovation. Originality/value- This research is the first of its kind to empirically validate the relationships between supply chain innovation, risk management capabilities and competitive advantage. Keywords: Supply Chain Innovation, Robustn

Risk interaction identification in international supply chain logistics: developing a holistic model

International supply chains can be severely disrupted by failures in international logistics processes. Therefore, an understanding of international logistics risks, or causes of failure, how these may interact with each other and how they can be mitigated are imperatives for the smooth operation of international supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to specifically investigate the interactions between international logistics risks within the prevailing structures of international supply chains and highlights how these risks may be inter-connected and amplified. A new dynamic supply chain logistics risk analysis model is proposed which is novel as it provides a holistic understanding of the risk event interactivity

Concrete beams with externally bonded flexural FRP-reinforcement: analytical investigation of debonding failure

This paper studies the problem of early concrete cover delamination and plate-end failure of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with externally bonded FRP-reinforcement. The accuracy of analytical models and finite element (FE) methods for predicting this type of failure is assessed against published experimental data. Two design approaches based on the maximum concrete tensile strength and the shear capacity of concrete beams were examined first and it was found that linear elastic analysis cannot accurately predict the brittle plate-end concrete failure. It was also found that the extent of strengthening that can be achieved is limited by the shear capacity of concrete beams. The FE analysis is used to examine the effects of internal tensile reinforcement on the magnitude of principal tensile stresses in the critical region. The non-linear behaviour of FRP-strengthened beams is also examined in the FE analysis using the smeared crack model for concrete which is shown to adequately display the inelastic deformation of the beam. Finally, the mixed mode of failure due to the combined shear and concrete cover delamination is addressed through modelling plate-end and shear crack discontinuities using the discrete crack approach

Imaging Active Infection in vivo Using D-Amino Acid Derived PET Radiotracers.

Occult bacterial infections represent a worldwide health problem. Differentiating active bacterial infection from sterile inflammation can be difficult using current imaging tools. Present clinically viable methodologies either detect morphologic changes (CT/ MR), recruitment of immune cells (111In-WBC SPECT), or enhanced glycolytic flux seen in inflammatory cells (18F-FDG PET). However, these strategies are often inadequate to detect bacterial infection and are not specific for living bacteria. Recent approaches have taken advantage of key metabolic differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, allowing easier distinction between bacteria and their host. In this report, we exploited one key difference, bacterial cell wall biosynthesis, to detect living bacteria using a positron-labeled D-amino acid. After screening several 14C D-amino acids for their incorporation into E. coli in culture, we identified D-methionine as a probe with outstanding radiopharmaceutical potential. Based on an analogous procedure to that used for L-[methyl-11C]methionine ([11C] L-Met), we developed an enhanced asymmetric synthesis of D-[methyl-11C]methionine ([11C] D-Met), and showed that it can rapidly and selectively differentiate both E. coli and S. aureus infections from sterile inflammation in vivo. We believe that the ease of [11C] D-Met radiosynthesis, coupled with its rapid and specific in vivo bacterial accumulation, make it an attractive radiotracer for infection imaging in clinical practice

Психологическая готовность инвалидов к получению профессионального образования

Представленные результаты пилотажного исследования психологической готовности абитуриентов-инвалидов к получению профессионального образования получены на основе психолого-педагогического общения исследователей с группой молодых инвалидов-слушателей курса довузовской подготовки. Итоги исследования убеждают, что профессиональное образование является для инвалидов ведущей целью, с ним они связывают достижение наиболее важных жизненных целей, возможность самореализации в будущем

Rotary blood pump

A blood pump that comprises a pump housing having a blood flow path therethrough, a blood inlet, and a blood outlet; a stator mounted to the pump housing, the stator having a stator field winding for producing a stator magnetic field; a flow straightener located within the pump housing, and comprising a flow straightener hub and at least one flow straightener blade attached to the flow straightener hub; a rotor mounted within the pump housing for rotation in response to the stator magnetic field, the rotor comprising an inducer and an impeller; the inducer being located downstream of the flow straightener, and comprising an inducer hub and at least one inducer blade attached to the inducer hub; the impeller being located downstream of the inducer, and comprising an impeller hub and at least one impeller blade attached to the impeller hub; and preferably also comprising a diffuser downstream of the impeller, the diffuser comprising a diffuser hub and at least one diffuser blade. Blood flow stagnation and clot formation within the pump are minimized by, among other things, providing the inducer hub with a diameter greater than the diameter of the flow straightener hub; by optimizing the axial spacing between the flow straightener hub and the inducer hub, and between the impeller hub and the diffuser hub; by optimizing the inlet angle of the diffuser blades; and by providing fillets or curved transitions between the upstream end of the inducer hub and the shaft mounted therein, and between the impeller hub and the shaft mounted therein

Three-dimensional visualization of mission planning and control for the NPS autonomous underwater vehicle

The article of record may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/48.107150Oceanic Engineering, IEEE Journal ofThe Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is constructing a small autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with an onboard mission control computer. The mission controller software for this vehicle is a knowledge-based artificial intelligence (AI) system requiring thorough analysis and testing before the AUV is operational. The manner in which rapid prototyping of this software has been demonstrated by developing a controller code on a LISP machine and using an Ethernet link with a graphics workstation to simulate the controller's environment is discussed. The development of a testing simulator using a knowledge engineering environment (KEE) expert system shell that examines AUV controller subsystems and vehicle models before integrating them with the full AUV for its test environment missions is discussed. This AUV simulator utilizes an interactive mission planning control console and is fully autonomous once initial parameters are selecte