Direct and indirect effects of risks on service-oriented supply chain: a covid-19 pandemic perspective

Purpose - A solid service-oriented foundation is required to make supply chain management a competitive advantage, especially in this Covid-19 pandemic. A well-established service-oriented supply chain becomes more adaptable to changing client expectations. This study aims at analysing the direct and indirect impact of risks on the service-oriented supply chain from a pandemic perspective. Design/methodology/approach - The Q-sort method is applied with the participation of nine top-level managers to initially review the reliability, validity, and unidimensionality of research concepts. Then a questionnaire containing these measuring variables is developed to obtain the opinions of those who are experienced in logistics and supply chain management. These empirical data are analysed based on Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to evaluate direct and indirect effects of risks on supply chain performance. Findings - The risk is inherent in service-oriented supply chains, affecting both direct and indirect performance. The proposed risk model explains 33.6 percent of Supplier performance, 46.4 percent of Operational performance, 47.1 percent of Customer satisfaction, and 46.5 percent of Finance variation. We found that service-oriented supply chains effectively monitor demand risk. External risk has the smallest impact on supply chain performance measures, whereas demand risk has the smallest effect. That a service-oriented supply chain is focused on meeting customer demand and managing demand-related risks is reinforced by these findings. Research limitations/implications - In the literature on supply chain risk management, resilience studies and disruption management receive less attention than studies on risk assessment and risk mitigation (Katsaliaki et al., 2021). Future supply chain risk management research should differentiate between risk-as an event and/or risk-as a process since they have different periodic effects on response management and resilience. Originality/value - This is a pioneering study lookingJICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency(undefined)This work was supported by the project of “An Empirical Study on Services Value Chain based on the Experiential and Credibility Values” (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) No.25240050), and Japanese Government by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through AUN/SEED-Net Project: 022674.242.2015/JICA-A

Understanding drop spreading behaviour on WC-10wt%Co cutting tools – an experimental and numerical study

WC-Co cutting tools performance under demanding cutting conditions largely depend on the efficiency of the cutting fluid, mainly its ability to remove heat and reduce friction, both highly dependent on the wettability and drop spreading behaviour of the fluid. In this context, this study focuses on the spreading behaviour of machining cutting fluid and water in WC-10 wt%Co cutting tools surface. Contact angles were experimentally measured and then used for performing numerical simulations by the level set method. A contact angle of 75.3˚ and 92.8˚ were measured for the machining cutting fluid and distilled water, respectively, and coincident values were found by numerical simulation, as well as a strong agreement in the drop shape. It was also possible to observe that machining cutting fluid has a lower spreading time than water, due to a lower contact angle and higher viscous dissipation, allowing to reach equilibrium phase sooner. Also, the machining cutting fluid presents a higher drop radius than water, meaning a 24.2% contact area increase over 50 ms of spreading time. Furthermore, numerical simulation showed that the drops spreading over the capillary-inertial time, at the early stage of spreading, follow an exponential dependency with a spreading factor of approximately t1/2, which indicates that the initial spreading of both drops is driven and controlled by the balance between inertial and capillary forces. This work intends to contribute to the knowledge on the phenomena that drive the drop spreading behaviour on WC-10 wt%Co cutting tools, being the development of numerical models to predict this behaviour of utmost importance, since it can lead to the development of novel surface improved tools, with an enhanced lubrification effect and heat removal capacity closer to the cutting zone during machining processes, and consequently allowing an improvement in the tribological and cutting performance of these toolspublishe

Immobilization of b-galactosidase from kluyveromyces lactis onto a polysiloxane–polyvinyl alcohol magnetic (mPOS–PVA) composite for lactose hydrolysis

β-Galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis was covalently immobilized onto a mPOS–PVA, using glutaraldehyde as activating agent and its properties were evaluated. The enzymatic water insoluble derivative displayed the same optimum pH (6.5) and optimum temperature (50 °C) of the soluble enzyme. The apparent Km app and activation energy for both soluble and immobilized enzyme derivative were found to be not significantly different. The mPOS–PVA β-galactosidase preparation presented a higher operational and thermal stability than the soluble enzyme. This immobilized β-galactosidase also was effective in hydrolyzing lactose from milk. Hence, one can conclude that mPOS–PVA is an attractive and efficient support for β-galactosidase immobilization.Alban, the European Union Programme of High Level Scholarships for Latin America; Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq)

Phenotypic and immunohistochemical characterization of sarcoglycanopathies

INTRODUCTION: Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy presents with heterogeneous clinical and molecular features. The primary characteristic of this disorder is proximal muscular weakness with variable age of onset, speed of progression, and intensity of symptoms. Sarcoglycanopathies, which are a subgroup of the limb-girdle muscular dystrophies, are caused by mutations in sarcoglycan genes. Mutations in these genes cause secondary deficiencies in other proteins, due to the instability of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. Therefore, determining the etiology of a given sarcoglycanopathy requires costly and occasionally inaccessible molecular methods. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify phenotypic differences among limb-girdle muscular dystrophy patients who were grouped according to the immunohistochemical phenotypes for the four sarcoglycans. METHODS: To identify phenotypic differences among patients with different types of sarcoglycanopathies, a questionnaire was used and the muscle strength and range of motion of nine joints in 45 patients recruited from the Department of Neurology - HC-FMUSP (Clinics Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo) were evaluated. The findings obtained from these analyses were compared with the results of the immunohistochemical findings. RESULTS: The patients were divided into the following groups based on the immunohistochemical findings: a-sarcoglycanopathies (16 patients), b-sarcoglycanopathies (1 patient), y-sarcoglycanopathies (5 patients), and nonsarcoglycanopathies (23 patients). The muscle strength analysis revealed significant differences for both upper and lower limb muscles, particularly the shoulder and hip muscles, as expected. No pattern of joint contractures was found among the four groups analyzed, even within the same family. However, a high frequency of tiptoe gait was observed in patients with a-sarcoglycanopathies, while calf pseudo-hypertrophy was most common in patients with non-sarcoglycanopathies. The a-sarcoglycanopathy patients presented with more severe muscle weakness than did y-sarcoglycanopathy patients. CONCLUSION: The clinical differences observed in this study, which were associated with the immunohistochemical findings, may help to prioritize the mutational investigation of sarcoglycan genes.CNP

PROP1 overexpression in corticotrophinomas: evidence for the role of PROP1 in the maintenance of cells committed to corticotrophic differentiation

OBJECTIVE: The expression of transcription factors involved in early pituitary development, such as PROP1 and POU1F1, has been detected in pituitary adenoma tissues. In this study, we sought to characterize the transcriptional profiles of PROP1, POU1F1, and TBX19 in functioning and nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas in an attempt to identify their roles in tumorigenesis and hormone hypersecretion. METHODS: RT-qPCR analyses were performed to assess the transcriptional pattern of PROP1, POU1F1, TBX19, and hormone-producing genes in tissue samples of corticotrophinomas (n = 10), somatotrophinomas (n = 8), and nonfunctioning adenomas (n = 6). RESULTS: Compared with normal pituitary tissue, POU1F1 was overexpressed in somatotrophinomas by 3-fold. PROP1 expression was 18-fold higher in corticotrophinomas, 10-fold higher in somatotrophinomas, and 3-fold higher in nonfunctioning adenomas. TBX19 expression was 27-fold higher in corticotrophinomas. Additionally, the level of TBX19 mRNA positively correlated with that of pro-opiomelanocortin (r = 0.49, p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that PROP1 is overexpressed in pituitary adenomas, mainly in corticotrophinomas. Together with previously published data showing that patients who harbor PROP1 loss-of-function mutations present a progressive decline in corticotrope function, our results support a role for PROP1 in pituitary tumor development and in the maintenance of cell lineages committed to corticotrophic differentiation

Electrospun nanofibers of polyCD/PMAA polymers and their potential application as drug delivery system

Herein, we used an electrospinning process to develop highly efficacious and hydrophobic coaxial nanofibers based on poly-cyclodextrin (polyCD) associated with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) that combines polymeric and supramolecular features for modulating the release of the hydrophilic drug, propranolol hydrochloride (PROP). For this purpose, polyCD was synthesized and characterized, and its biocompatibility was assessed using fibroblast cytotoxicity tests. Moreover, the interactions between the guest PROP molecule and both polyCD and $\beta$CD were found to be spontaneous. Subsequently, PROP was encapsulated in uniaxial and coaxial polyCD/ PMAA nanofibers. A lower PROP burst effect (reduction of approximately 50%) and higher modulation were observed from the coaxial than from the uniaxial fibers. Thus, the coaxial nanofibers could potentially be a useful strategy for developing a controlled release system for hydrophilic molecules.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures + Supplementary Data (4 pages, 6 figures

Intrauterine undernutrition - renal and vascular origin of hypertension

A large number of clinical and experimental studies supports the hypothesis that intrauterine undernutrition is an important determinant of hypertension, coronary heart disease and non-insulin-dependent diabetes in the adult offspring. in this review, the renal and vascular repercussions of maternal undernutrition are emphasized, and the physiopatologic mechanisms discussed. the origin of hypertension is detailed based upon the findings of kidney functional parameters and endothelium function studies. A working model linking hypertension to intrauterine undernutrition is proposed. (C) 2003 European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Univ São Paulo, ICB 1, Dept Farmacol, Lab Hipertensao, BR-05508900 São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Avaliação do Potencial do Impacto das Emissões Industriais nas Concentrações de Ozônio Simuladas pelo Modelo SPM-Brams sobre a Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro

Results of ozone concentrations simulated by SPM-BRAMSmodel for the RMRJ were evaluated for the period between October 31and November 01, 2006. Only industrial emissions, provided by FEEMA’semission inventory, were considered. The impact of these sources wasquite significant, especially in the region near to the industrial areas ofDuque de Caxias and Santa Cruz. In these areas ozone values were higherthan the national air quality standard (160 μg.m-3).Os resultados das concentrações de ozônio simuladas pelomodelo SPM-BRAMS para a RMRJ foram avaliadas para o período entre31 de outubro e 01 de novembro de 2006. Apenas as emissões industriais,fornecidas através de um inventário realizado pela FEEMA, foramconsideradas. O impacto destas foi bastante significativo, principalmente,na região próxima às áreas industriais de Duque de Caxias e SantaCruz. Nessas áreas os valores de concentração de ozônio foram superioresao padrão nacional de qualidade do ar (160 μg.m-3)

Effectiveness of different cellulose-based filtration materials against inhalation of SARS-CoV-2-like particles

The respiratory protection equipment (RPE) used by health professionals consists of an essential device to prevent infectious diseases, especially those caused by biological agents such as the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The current epidemiological panorama is worrying, and the context of creation and production of the mask has emerged as an alternative to RPE to face the public health crisis worldwide. The aim of this work is to present a low-cost alternative as an FFP2-like filter for a reusable respirator face mask. This study presents the comparison of different cellulose-based filtering materials performed by retention testing, time saturation testing, aerosol penetration testing, nanoparticle (~140 nm) filtration testing, bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE), analysis of material morphology and usability. The reusable respirator face mask used in this study is an open-source innovation, using 3D printing. Cotton disc proved to be the best filter material for the reusable mask, with satisfactory results and a performance similar to that shown by the N95-type mask. The cotton disc ensured effectiveness over 6 h of use, and after that, the reusable respirator face mask (here, Delfi-TRON®) needed to be sanitized and replenished with a new cotton disc. Upon preliminary analyses of filtration efficiency, the selected filter was shown to be a low-cost biodegradable and biocompatible alternative.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Hematological analysis of Micropogonias Furnieri, Desmarest, 1823, Scianidae, from two estuaries of Baixada Santista, São paulo Brazil

Alterações hematológicas em peixes são consideradas uma importante ferramenta para avaliar processos patológicos decorrentes da exposição a poluentes ambientais. Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823) (corvina) é comumente encontrada em regiões estuarinas e eventualmente está exposta a inúmeros contaminantes. No presente estudo foi avaliado o quadro hematológico de indivíduos de M. furnieri coletados na Baixada Santista: o Sistema Estuarino de Santos, considerado poluído, e o estuário do Rio Itanhaém (controle). Foram avaliados o número de Eritrócitos (Er), o Hematócrito (Ht), a taxa de Hemoglobina (Hb), o Volume Corpuscular Médio (VCM) e a Concentração de Hemoglobina Corpuscular Média (CHCM). Nos peixes coletados no Sistema Estuarino de Santos, os níveis de Ht foram significativamente menores, enquanto os níveis de CHCM e Hb foram significativamente mais altos, indicando que os prováveis efeitos estejam atribuídos aos diferentes níveis de contaminação encontrados nos estuários.Hematological alterations in fish are considered a useful tool to evaluate pathological processes resulting from the exposure to environmental pollutants. The whitemouth croaker Micropogonias furnieri is a common species in estuarine areas and potentially exposed to many contaminants. In the present study, the hematological characteristics of fish collected at two sites in Baixada Santista (Santos Estuarine System - SES, a polluted site; and the Estuary of Itanhaém River - EIR, unpolluted site) del was analysed. The following blood descriptors were analyzed: number of Erythrocytes (Er), Hematocrit (Ht), Hemoglobin (Hb), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Fish from SES exhibited significant lower levels of Ht and increase on MCHC and Hb. Such differences are likely related to the different contamination levels found in these estuaries