Improving Supply Chain Performance Using Lean And Agility Concept

Aim- This management project and research aims to investigate lean and agility approaches in supply chains. Through literature reviews, a framework is proposed where lean approach is focused on suppliers while agility is targeted at customers. The feasibility of the framework will be tested through interaction with real industry. This purpose of this management project is not to solve any particular problems but to draw attention to the lean and agility practices of manufacturing organisation supply chains. Methodology- The research methodology for this management project is divided into five parts. The first part is to define the problem statement, research objectives and scope which will help the reader gain better understanding of the subject and theme of the management project. The second part is to conduct literature review found from relevant academic articles from major science-cited journals. After extensive literature review, the third part involves developing conceptual framework to suggest optimal use of lean and agility approaches. Next, the framework is tested through structured interviews conducted with top management of a single organisation. The last part presents the findings, discussion and conclusion. Results- Interview reveals the current practices engaged by the organisation. Some practices are consistent with literature while some are customised particularly for the organisation on a case by case basis. Value- Originality/value: The originality of this paper lies within the context that this paper seeks to address the key relationships and interdependent linkages between lean and agility concepts and supply chain performance within the FMCG industry in Malaysia. To the author’s knowledge, there are no current studies available

Comparing the Sensitivity and Specificity of Wilson-Sims Fall Risk Assessment Tool, Clinical Judgment and Morse Fall Scale in the Assessment of Fall Risk among Psychiatric Inpatients

Effective fall risk assessment tool is important for preventive measures to be instituted among psychiatric inpatients. Our study aimed to compare the sensitivity and specificity of Wilson-Sims Fall Risk Assessment Tool (WSFRAT), clinical judgment and Morse Fall Scale (MFS) in the assessment of the risk of fall among psychiatric inpatients. All psychiatric inpatients who were admitted to psychiatric ward of Hospital Tuanku Fauziah, Malaysia from April 1st, 2019, till December 31st, 2020 were assessed for their risk of fall using WSFRAT, clinical judgment and MFS. The frequency and characteristics of actual fall event during period of hospitalization was documented. The study included a total of 400 psychiatric inpatients. Clinical judgment stratified 17 patients as high risk of fall (Mean age: 50.9 ± 12.13 years old, male predominance at 76.5 % and otherwise physically healthy), among which, five actually fell. Among these, four were considered as high risk by WSFRAT and two by MFS. The WSFRAT demonstrated higher sensitivity of fall detection as compared to MFS (60 % vs. 40 %), while the sensitivity of clinical judgment alone without specific fall risks tools was 80 % and a specificity of 96.7 %. Clinical judgement is derived from a comprehensive psychiatric assessment. The value of any objective assessment tool proved to be superior when an element of clinical judgement is concurrently added

Improving Supply Chain Performance Using Lean And Agility Concept

Aim- This management project and research aims to investigate lean and agility approaches in supply chains. Through literature reviews, a framework is proposed where lean approach is focused on suppliers while agility is targeted at customers. The feasibility of the framework will be tested through interaction with real industry. This purpose of this management project is not to solve any particular problems but to draw attention to the lean and agility practices of manufacturing organisation supply chains. Methodology- The research methodology for this management project is divided into five parts. The first part is to define the problem statement, research objectives and scope which will help the reader gain better understanding of the subject and theme of the management project. The second part is to conduct literature review found from relevant academic articles from major science-cited journals. After extensive literature review, the third part involves developing conceptual framework to suggest optimal use of lean and agility approaches. Next, the framework is tested through structured interviews conducted with top management of a single organisation. The last part presents the findings, discussion and conclusion. Results- Interview reveals the current practices engaged by the organisation. Some practices are consistent with literature while some are customised particularly for the organisation on a case by case basis. Value- Originality/value: The originality of this paper lies within the context that this paper seeks to address the key relationships and interdependent linkages between lean and agility concepts and supply chain performance within the FMCG industry in Malaysia. To the author’s knowledge, there are no current studies available

Genetic Association Study Of Exfoliation Syndrome Identifies A Protective Rare Variant At Loxl1 And Five New Susceptibility Loci

Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is the most common known risk factor for secondary glaucoma and a major cause of blindness worldwide. Variants in two genes, LOXL1 and CACNA1A, have previously been associated with XFS. To further elucidate the genetic basis of XFS, we collected a global sample of XFS cases to refine the association at LOXL1, which previously showed inconsistent results across populations, and to identify new variants associated with XFS. We identified a rare protective allele at LOXL1 (p.Phe407, odds ratio (OR) = 25, P = 2.9 x 10(-14)) through deep resequencing of XFS cases and controls from nine countries. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of XFS cases and controls from 24 countries followed by replication in 18 countries identified seven genome-wide significant loci (P < 5 x 10(-8)). We identified association signals at 13q12 (POMP), 11q23.3 (TMEM136), 6p21 (AGPAT1), 3p24 (RBMS3) and 5q23 (near SEMA6A). These findings provide biological insights into the pathology of XFS and highlight a potential role for naturally occurring rare LOXL1 variants in disease biology.Wo

A saturated map of common genetic variants associated with human height

Common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are predicted to collectively explain 40-50% of phenotypic variation in human height, but identifying the specific variants and associated regions requires huge sample sizes. Here, using data from a genome-wide association study of 5.4 million individuals of diverse ancestries, we show that 12,111 independent SNPs that are significantly associated with height account for nearly all of the common SNP-based heritability. These SNPs are clustered within 7,209 non-overlapping genomic segments with a mean size of around 90 kb, covering about 21% of the genome. The density of independent associations varies across the genome and the regions of increased density are enriched for biologically relevant genes. In out-of-sample estimation and prediction, the 12,111 SNPs (or all SNPs in the HapMap 3 panel) account for 40% (45%) of phenotypic variance in populations of European ancestry but only around 10-20% (14-24%) in populations of other ancestries. Effect sizes, associated regions and gene prioritization are similar across ancestries, indicating that reduced prediction accuracy is likely to be explained by linkage disequilibrium and differences in allele frequency within associated regions. Finally, we show that the relevant biological pathways are detectable with smaller sample sizes than are needed to implicate causal genes and variants. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive map of specific genomic regions that contain the vast majority of common height-associated variants. Although this map is saturated for populations of European ancestry, further research is needed to achieve equivalent saturation in other ancestries