Investigating Brexit Implications on the Irish Agri-Food Exports: A Simulation-Based Scenario Mapping Model

The Irish economy is highly dependent on the UK market with a total export value surpassing e 14 billion. Several reports have warned of severe bottlenecks at the Irish and British ports if new customs checks are reintroduced. A significant disruption is also expected to the traffic flow between Ireland and Britain because of the lack of proper checking infrastructure at some ports. This situation will cause devastating impact on the competitive advantage of various Irish exports to the UK market, particularly limited-shelf-life products. Hence, a simulation model has been developed to investigate three Brexit scenarios: 1) applying non-tariff barriers at ports, 2) replacing the UK Landbridge with direct routes to continental Europe, and 3) lack of checking infrastructure at the UK ports. The scenarios’ implications on the transportation time and shelf life of Irish Cheese exports to the UK are investigated, leading to one recommendable scenario

Post-Brexit Implications on Irish Freight Transport and Logistics Sector

The study quantifies the impact that new custom checks and Agri/SPS inspection procedures could have on agri-food supply chains. It is possible that these checks will be introduced at both EU27 and UK ports. The analysis shows the potential risks to the Irish agri-food supply chain. These risks are explained through a range of non-tariff barriers and Ireland/EU transport connectivity scenarios. There is potential for disruption in the long-established transportation routes between Ireland, the UK and Continental European markets. Direct shipping routes (i.e. links directly between Ireland and the EU26) have therefore been considered in this case. This consideration comes from the perspective of both practitioners in the field and experts from social, environmental, and economic disciplines. The study demonstrates how Irish agri-food supply chains are uniquely exposed to Brexit. Ireland has had strong ties with the UK market and has been a supplier for many decades. In 2018, agri-food exports from Ireland to the UK reached €5.6 billion, while imports from the UK yielded €4.5 billion. Overall, this provided Ireland with a trade surplus of more than €1 billion.1 In addition, about 38% of Irish unitised exports to Continental Europe transits via the UK land- bridge.2 Brexit poses an unprecedented risk to the competitive advantage that Irish agri-food products have cultivated in UK markets. This study reveals that the delivery time for all products will increase, in each scenario, which will diminish product shelf-life. This risk, of course, will affect both the value and quality of certain products, which in turn affects their competitiveness

Towards fostering the role of 5G networks in the field of digital health

A typical healthcare system needs further participation with patient monitoring, vital signs sensors and other medical devices. Healthcare moved from a traditional central hospital to scattered patients. Healthcare systems receive help from emerging technology innovations such as fifth generation (5G) communication infrastructure: internet of things (IoT), machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI). Healthcare providers benefit from IoT capabilities to comfort patients by using smart appliances that improve the healthcare level they receive. These IoT smart healthcare gadgets produce massive data volume. It is crucial to use very high-speed communication networks such as 5G wireless technology with the increased communication bandwidth, data transmission efficiency and reduced communication delay and latency, thus leading to strengthen the precise requirements of healthcare big data utilities. The adaptation of 5G in smart healthcare networks allows increasing number of IoT devices that supplies an augmentation in network performance. This paper reviewed distinctive aspects of internet of medical things (IoMT) and 5G architectures with their future and present sides, which can lead to improve healthcare of patients in the near future

Fast simulations of patient-specific haemodynamics of coronary artery bypass grafts based on a POD-Galerkin method and a vascular shape parametrization

In this work a reduced-order computational framework for the study of haemodynamics in three-dimensional patient-specific configurations of coronary artery bypass grafts dealing with a wide range of scenarios is proposed. We combine several efficient algorithms to face at the same time both the geometrical complexity involved in the description of the vascular network and the huge computational cost entailed by time dependent patient-specific flow simulations. Medical imaging procedures allow to reconstruct patient-specific configurations from clinical data. A centerlines-based parametrization is proposed to efficiently handle geometrical variations. POD-Galerkin reduced-order models are employed to cut down large computational costs. This computational framework allows to characterize blood flows for different physical and geometrical variations relevant in the clinical practice, such as stenosis factors and anastomosis variations, in a rapid and reliable way. Several numerical results are discussed, highlighting the computational performance of the proposed framework, as well as its capability to carry out sensitivity analysis studies, so far out of reach. In particular, a reduced-order simulation takes only a few minutes to run, resulting in computational savings of 99% of CPU time with respect to the full-order discretization. Moreover, the error between full-order and reduced-order solutions is also studied, and it is numerically found to be less than 1% for reduced-order solutions obtained with just O(100) online degrees of freedom. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

A continuous improvement approach for outsourced after-sales field repair services contracting

Manufacturers are forced to shift their traditional business focus from product offerings to integrated products and services to face the increasing competition in the market. Hence, they engage in service supply chains by hiring suppliers to efficiently provide services to their customers. Service supply chains are more complex and challenging than manufacturing supply chains and require more intense buyer-supplier collaboration; however, few studies addressed such collaboration and its implementation. Based on formal interactions with a multinational computer manufacturer who provides integrated products and services solutions to its customers in Europe; the Middle East; and Africa, it was found that the company’s goal is to improve after-sales field repair services contracting, with a particular focus on the Middle Eastern emerging markets which are growing fast. Research work in this thesis was carried out in three phases. The first phase aims at developing a contracting methodology for the outsourcing of field repair services. The second phase aims at exploring field repair service practices in the Middle Eastern emerging markets using a multi case study which showed both cultural and economic differences but little operational difference between both established and emerging markets. Due to little operational differences, data from an established market was used in the third phase to test the developed contracting methodology. This methodology extends the traditional supplier selection by adding an application feedback stage at the concluding stages of the selection process including a continuous improvement element that supports strategic and performance-based contracting and enables improving the current, not the subsequent, contracting process. A framework is proposed to allow for a buyer-supplier collaborative negotiations including an execution approach for the implementation of continuous improvement over the contract lifecycle with agreement on benefits sharing. Business process modelling and simulation is used to model the service provision and simulate the predicted improvements as it offers a quick, easy to use, and understandable approach for all users. Framework testing using case company data has shown to provide significant improvements in terms of ongoing cost reductions and improved service quality. The combined use of business process modelling and simulation has shown to be a practical and effective decision support tool that allows for rapid evaluation of improvements at the pre-signing stage of the contract

Developments and Clinical Applications of Biomimetic Tissue Regeneration using 3D Bioprinting Technique

Tissue engineers have made great strides in the past decade thanks to the advent of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology, which has allowed them to create highly customized biological structures with precise geometric design ability, allowing us to close the gap between manufactured and natural tissues. In this work, we first survey the state-of-the-art methods, cells, and materials for 3D bioprinting. The modern uses of this method in tissue engineering are then briefly discussed. Following this, the main benefits of 3D bioprinting in tissue engineering are outlined in depth, including the ability to rapidly prototype the individualized structure and the ability to engineer with a highly controllable microenvironment. Finally, we offer some predictions for the future of 3D bioprinting in the field of tissue engineering

Impact of Crossover Probability on Symmetric Travel Salesman Problem Efficiency

Genetic algorithm (GA) is a powerful evolutionary searching technique that is used successfully to solve and optimize problems in different research areas. Genetic Algorithm (GA) considered as one of optimization methods used to solve Travel salesman Problem (TSP). The feasibility of GA in finding TSP solution is dependent on GA operators; encoding method, population size, number of generations in general. In specific, crossover and its probability play a significant role in finding possible solution for Symmetric TSP (STSP). In addition, crossover should be determined and enhanced in term reaching optimal or at least near optimal. In This paper, we spot the light on using modified crossover method called Modified sequential constructive crossover and its impact on reaching optimal solution. To justify the relevance of parameters value in solving TSP, a set comparative analysis conducted on different crossover methods values