Hidden in Plain Sight: Why Sustainment is So Critical to the Circular Supply Chains for Technical Products

Technical products are typically complex, long-lived and high-cost equipment—such as: aircraft, vehicles, ships, capital equipment/machinery and utilities infrastructure. While many technical products are manufactured via traditional linear supply chains, their useful lives often rely upon sustainment systems incorporating significant aspects of circular supply chains. This webinar takes a closer look at technical products and the critical role of systems sustainment to achieve and fulfill circular supply chains. The key takeaways from this webinar are: The Earth is running out of resources which will have a direct impact upon maintaining/improving our quality of life. The circular economy philosophy has definite relevance for supply chains -- especially “technical” product supply chains. Sustainment networks and practices are all around us yet they often go unnoticed. While there’s been a lot of research and thought into how companies can evolve their business strategy to become more circular, not as much attention has been paid to how to actually perform the circular activities needed to keep technical products serviceable. Benefits of Viewing the Webinar: Develop an understanding of the circular supply chain concept. Provide learners with an explanation of, and examples from, technical product sustainment processes. Help learners explore how to leverage proven system sustainment principles as they transition their technical product support from linear to circular supply chains. Outcomes from Viewing the Webinar: Define the circular supply chain and its component elements. Define sustainment and walk through an example of technical product sustainment. Understand the critical role that system sustainment plays in a technical product’s circular supply chain

Fourth Circuit Fumbles the Ball: Spirit of Disability Rights Compromised in the Wake of Class v. Townson University

The Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in Class v. Towson University threatens the rights guaranteed to disabled persons under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Rehab Act”). The Acts demand that disabled persons not be excluded from activities based on unsubstantiated paternalistic concerns, and, where exclusion occurs, the Acts entrust courts to evaluate whether exclusion was warranted in light of the best available objective evidence. This Comment argues that by deferring to the speculative fears and subjective judgment of Towson University—the very entity accused of violating the ADA and Rehab Act in Class v. Towson—the Fourth Circuit abandoned its duties and rendered an improper decision. This Comment begins with a critique of the Fourth Circuit’s reasoning in Class v. Towson and demonstrates that the factual record was devoid of evidence supporting the court’s decision to exclude Gavin Class—a disabled athlete—from Towson’s football team. This Comment continues by arguing that the Fourth Circuit employed an incorrect standard of analysis when determining that Class’s disqualification did not violate the ADA or Rehab Act. The conclusion of this Comment implores the legal community to reject the Fourth Circuit’s holding and reaffirm disabled persons’ right to live free from paternalistic authorities

THE ROLE OF SCIENTIFIC AND BUSINESS INTEGRITY IN THE FUTURE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY: A SCENARIO ANALYSIS

The emergence of biotechnology in crop and livestock applications has been an issue of great controversy. Proponents argue that the potential benefits are dramatic while opponents have raised many concerns about the technology's risks. The Starlink debacle is a prime example of the undesirable outcomes which the debate has created. Given the controversy, what is the future of biotechnology for food uses? This paper is designed to address this question with a focus on the feasible range of alternative futures (scenarios) that could emerge. As a major variable in this analysis, the integrity of the scientific and business communities plays a critically important role. The paper begins with a description of three key uncertainties-food security, environmental/health impacts, and consumer reaction-that will define the future for biotechnology's use in food applications. Based on these uncertainties, four alternative future scenarios for biotechnology are presented. The role of messenger integrity is then introduced. The integrity of various possible messengers (scientists, businesses, government, and non-profits) is examined. The concept of integrity is then used to address a series of current biotechnology issues. Throughout the paper, comparisons and contrasts between the developed and developing world are made.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

ALTERNATIVE ITALIAN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE SYSTEMS IN THE CHANGING EU FOOD SYSTEM

The European food system is undergoing significant change driven both by global competitive forces and local conditions. Market globalization and technological innovation are interacting with the reform of EU's agricultural policies (CAP) and a renewed interest by the European society in the social and environmental functions of agriculture. These factors have created a new and challenging economic environment both for farmers and the food industry across Europe (Tarditi, 1997).Agribusiness,

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY: A SCENARIO ANALYSIS

Over the years agricultural technology has created remarkable commodity production growth rates and enhanced general economic growth through food production, manufactured goods and trade for most nations. Biotechnology holds the promise of continuing this remarkable record. There is a long list of potential benefits of biotechnology but unfortunately the perceived costs/risks are also many. These concerns have lead to significant consumer reluctance to accept the technology and, in some cases, outright consumer rejection of the technology. To discuss the future of biotechnology, scenario analysis is used to examine the social and economic impact of biotechnology on industrialized and emerging nations. Four scenarios are discussed in detail: biotechnology may be formally or informally banned (Scenario 1), fully accepted (Scenario 2), marketed through strict labeling (Scenario 3), or limited to non-food applications (Scenario 4). Consumer acceptance of this technology will be key to determining which scenario becomes the future for each nation. The likelihood of each scenario is different for each nation, the U.S. will most likely evolve into scenario 2 or 3, while in the EU scenarios 1 or 4 are more likely. Determining the future for emerging nations is extremely complex and dependent on several factors like malnutrition rates, environmental safety and historical trading routes. Each scenario has a major impact on small producers worldwide which ultimately influences the health of rural communities. The analysis indicates that emerging nations are the most sensitive to the timing of decisions being made about the future of biotechnology. If biotechnology becomes a reality, new data will be required to assess the social and economic impact of this technology.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

MEMBERS' FINANCIAL EVALUATION AND COOPERATIVES' DECISION PROCESSES

The paper presents an analysis of cooperative investment decision based on the coalition theoretical framework (Staatz 1983, 1987, 1989). According to this framework, cooperatives can be considered as coalitions of groups with different interests. The behavior of any cooperative is determined by the interaction of its many groups (different types of farmers, managers, lenders, input suppliers, buyers, etc.) with different objectives. The group that can impose its will on the coalition will determine the cooperative's strategy. The other parties may accept this leadership, leave the cooperative or try to use their bargaining power to modify the final outcome. The paper discusses the impact of group bargaining on cooperatives' decision process. In particular, the paper addresses the issues related to the consequences of members' heterogeneity on cooperative efficiency. The proposed model utilizes tools from financial theory already successfully applied in the literature (Peterson 1992, Hendrikse 1998) providing a more detailed insight into the determinants of the cooperative decision process. The paper shows that cooperatives evaluate investments differently from IOFs due to the unique characteristics of their patrons compared to other types of investors.Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance,

EFFECTS OF MANAGERS' POWER ON CAPITAL STRUCTURE: A STUDY ON ITALIAN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES

Agribusiness,

Potential Effects of Climate Change on Mixed Severity Fire Regimes

The frequency, severity, and extent of wildfire are strongly related to climate, and increasing temperatures with climate change will likely lead to changes in fire regimes in many types of ecosystems. Increased spring and summer temperatures with climate change will result in relatively early snowmelt, lower summer soil and fuel moisture, and longer fire seasons in the West. These conditions will lead to increased fire frequency and extent. Higher temperatures may also interact with vegetation and fuel characteristics to increase fire intensity and severity. Mixed severity fire regimes may be uniquely influenced by these climate-induced changes in the frequency, extent, intensity, and/or severity of fire. For example, more frequent fire may result in more uniform fire return intervals in forest types currently characterized by mixed severity fire regimes, potentially altering fire severity patch structure, and influencing the associated ecosystem response. Changes in fire regimes will likely interact with other disturbance agents, such as insects and drought, resulting in further changes in ecosystems characterized by mixed severity fire regimes. Adapting management for changing fire regimes will be a major challenge for resource managers in the face of climate change. Examples of strategies for adapting to changing fire regimes include increasing resilience at large spatial scales, increasing biological diversity, planning for post-disturbance management, implementing early detection/rapid response, and anticipating big surprises through scenario planning

Arrow 227: Air transport system design simulation

The Arrow 227 is a student-designed commercial transport for use in a overnight package delivery network. The major goal of the concept was to provide the delivery service with the greatest potential return on investment. The design objectives of the Arrow 227 were based on three parameters; production cost, payload weight, and aerodynamic efficiency. Low production cost helps to reduce initial investment. Increased payload weight allows for a decrease in flight cycles and, therefore, less fuel consumption than an aircraft carrying less payload weight and requiring more flight cycles. In addition, fewer flight cycles will allow a fleet to last longer. Finally, increased aerodynamic efficiency in the form of high L/D will decrease fuel consumption

Backyard wildlife habitat and fire safety: A guide for residents of Flagstaff

This booklet describes how to design our backyards and larger properties to promote wildlife habitat, reduce water use, and minimize risk to property from unnatural wildfire. It also provides information about local and state resources that can be useful in such efforts