Fixation of the Cemented Stem: Clinical Relevance of the Porosity and Thickness of the Cement Mantle

The aim of this review paper is to define the fixation of the cemented stem. Polymethyl methacrylate, otherwise known as “bone cement”, has been used in the fixation of hip implants since the early 1960s. Sir John Charnley, the pioneer of modern hip replacement, incorporated the use of cement in the development of low frictional torque hip arthroplasty. In this paper, the concepts of femoral stem design and fixation, clinical results, and advances in understanding of the optimal use of cement are reviewed. The purpose of this paper is to help understanding and discussions on the thickness and the porosity of the cement mantle in total hip arthroplasty. Cement does not act as an adhesive, as sometimes thought, but relies on an interlocking fit to provide mechanical stability at the cement–bone interface, while at the prosthesis– cement interface it achieves stability by optimizing the fit of the implant in the cement mantle, such as in a tapered femoral stem

Sensory Input Pathways and Mechanisms in Swallowing: A Review

Over the past 20 years, research on the physiology of swallowing has confirmed that the oropharyngeal swallowing process can be modulated, both volitionally and in response to different sensory stimuli. In this review we identify what is known regarding the sensory pathways and mechanisms that are now thought to influence swallowing motor control and evoke its response. By synthesizing the current state of research evidence and knowledge, we identify continuing gaps in our knowledge of these mechanisms and pose questions for future research

Modeling the drivers of post-harvest losses - MCDM approach

Post-harvest losses (PHL) in India are significant and cause massive economic deficit. The reduction of PHL can help achieve sustainability in balancing economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The objective of this research article is to identify the crucial causal factors of PHL in the fruits and vegetables (F&V) supply chain in the Indian context. From the exhaustive literature review and expert opinions, sixteen causal factors were identified, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to ascertain the relative importance of these factors on a comparative basis. The developed model highlighted the most critical factors that should be prioritized for progressive PHL reduction. The top three significant causal factors are lack of linkages between institution, industry, and Government (F8) with an intensity of 0.164313, climate and weather conditions (F15) with a magnitude of 0.103817, and lack of linkages in the marketing channel, from farm gate to the market because of small land sizing fanners (F9) with a value of 0.101895. In future studies, for improving the accuracy and reliability of the developed model, other Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tools may be employed along with the AHP. Also, for validation purpose, the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) methodology, which is a statistical approach, may be applied. The proposed model is intended to guide various supply chain members and decision-makers for reducing PHL and improving the performance of the F&V supply chain

Big data driven supply chain innovative capability for sustainable competitive advantage in the food supply chain: Resource‐based view perspective

AbstractThe food supply chain (FSC) is becoming more sustainable as companies aim to meet demand with lower waste and emissions. Big data analytics (BDA) can help achieve sustainability goals by extracting meaningful information from past data to help create sustainable strategies. However, in the sustainability literature, BDA's role in enabling sustainable FSC innovations is not explored. Thus, this study investigates how data‐driven analytics might improve FSC innovation by adopting creative tactics in every triple bottom line (TBL) component – green, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and financial – to gain a competitive edge. A resource‐based view (RBV) perspective was used to evaluate the links between supply chain (SC) innovation capabilities and competitive advantage (CA) in FSC innovation and sustainability. Indian food processing enterprises were surveyed using a questionnaire to collect data from 200 respondents. Adopting a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach, six hypotheses were evaluated for significance on the surveyed data using AMOS V.20. Since both goodness and badness fit indices were above cut‐off values, the measurement model was robustly evaluated and found to fit the survey data well. Structural model findings supported all study hypotheses. The results indicate that BDA strongly impacts food supply chain TBL and FSC innovation. Data‐driven innovative TBL methods were shown to boost FSC competitiveness. With the growing demand for value‐added innovation in FSC sustainable development, this study uniquely contributes to the current literature by linking BDA and TBL practice innovation to FSC CA.</jats:p

Risks to Big Data Analytics and Blockchain Technology Adoption in Supply Chains

Supply chains (SCs) are susceptible to risks because of their dynamic and complex nature. Big data analytics (BDA) through blockchain technology (BCT) can significantly contribute to managing SC risks. However, to date, the combined effect of BDA-BCT for SC risks has not been investigated extensively in the literature. This paper aims to identify the risk factors of the BDA-BCT initiative for Indian manufacturing organisations. Through the literature and experts’ judgments, sixteen risk factors were identified. Data was collected from machine tool, automobile component, and electrical manufacturing organisations. Further interrelations between risk factors were evaluated using the grey DEMATEL approach. The results show that ‘supply chain visibility risks’, ‘infrastructure and development costs’, ‘demand forecasting and sensing risks’, ‘data privacy and security risks’, ‘policy and legality related risks’, and ‘supply chain resilience’ were identified as common factors in the adoption of BDA-BCT practices by the three organisations. The cause-effect relationship between risk factors can assist managers, suppliers, service providers, and policymakers in the significant adoption of BDA-BCT in the context of manufacturing organisations. The study provides a novel way to utilise BDA-BCT in minimising supply chain risks. Limitations of the study are that it was conducted only for Indian organizations. In the future, the findings of the study can be validated through empirical analysis

Adopting net-zero in emerging economies

In recent years, rapid reduction in natural resources alongside climate change has prompted industries to adopt sustainable operational practices. Globalization is arguably a boon for people and societies worldwide but has also led to significant disruptions to our natural ecosystem. Consequently, it has caused environmental concerns and issues around public health. The net-zero economy has recently emerged as a pivotal way to conserve the environment, mitigate health issues and address sustainable development goals (SDGs). The extant literature and relevant industrial reports have shown that automobiles significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the current study is conducted to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of net-zero adoption with respect to the automobile industry. The fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique is applied to establish a dyadic relationship (cause-effect) among the identified CSFs. The top three CSFs are found to be focus on research and development activities, International Collaborations and Strategic Planning and Effective Roadmap. Finally, this study provides theoretical and practical implications for relevant industries to implement net-zero effectively