The Effect of Green Supply Chain Management Practices on the Sustainable Performance of the Textile Industry

The aim of the current study is to examine the effect of green supply chain management practices (GSCMP) on the sustainable performance (SP) of the textile industry of Indonesia. For this purpose, data was collected from the supply chain mangers of the textile industry through the questionnaire by using a convenient sampling technique. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) has shown that there is positive and significant relationship between the green manufacturing (GM) and SP. In the same vein, it is also found that green design (GD), green distribution (GD), eco-design (ED) and green manufacturing (GM) also have a positive and significant relationship with the SP in the textile industry of Indonesia. These findings indicate that textile industry in Indonesia has a greater importance on the GSCMP to increase the SP. Therefore, it could be explained that GSCMP are considered to be an important predictor to enhance the SP. The findings of the current study could contribute a body of literature in the form of empirical findings which could become a new area of research in future. The research limitations and future directions are also discussed at the end of the study

MEGA: merger graphs of structure formation

When following the growth of structure in the Universe, we propose replacing merger trees with merger graphs, in which haloes can both merge and split into separate pieces. We show that this leads to smoother mass growth and eliminates catastrophic failures in which massive haloes have no progenitors or descendants. For those who prefer to stick with merger trees, we find that trees derived from our merger graphs have similar mass growth properties to previous methods, but again without catastrophic failures. For future galaxy formation modelling, two different density thresholds can be used to distinguish host haloes (extended galactic haloes, groups and clusters) from higher-density subhaloes: sites of galaxy formation

Nonlinear Bias of Cosmological Halo Formation in the Early Universe

We present estimates of the nonlinear bias of cosmological halo formation, spanning a wide range in the halo mass from $\sim 10^{5} M_\odot$ to $\sim 10^{12} M_\odot$, based upon both a suite of high-resolution cosmological N-body simulations and theoretical predictions. The halo bias is expressed in terms of the mean bias and stochasticity as a function of local overdensity ($\delta$), under different filtering scales, which is realized as the density of individual cells in uniform grids. The sampled overdensities span a range wide enough to provide the fully nonlinear bias effect on the formation of haloes. A strong correlation between $\delta$ and halo population overdensity $\delta_h$ is found, along with sizable stochasticity. We find that the empirical mean halo bias matches, with good accuracy, the prediction by the peak-background split method based on the excursion set formalism, as long as the empirical, globally-averaged halo mass function is used. Consequently, this bias formalism is insensitive to uncertainties caused by varying halo identification schemes, and can be applied generically. We also find that the probability distribution function of biased halo numbers has wider distribution than the pure Poisson shot noise, which is attributed to the sub-cell scale halo correlation. We explicitly calculate this correlation function and show that both overdense and underdense regions have positive correlation, leading to stochasticity larger than the Poisson shot noise in the range of haloes and halo-collapse epochs we study.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, in press for publication in MNRAS; supplementary material (additional 16 figures) separately supplied (supplement.pdf) as a part of source file

COMPLEXITIES IN A FLEXIBLE SUPPLY CHAIN AND THE ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Purpose: The current study is interested in exploring the nexus between product complexities, external and internal knowledge and supply chain flexibility of Indonesian manufacturing firms. Methodology: The study has employed the knowledge-based view to conceptualize the relationship between product complexities, external and internal knowledge and supply chain flexibility of Indonesian manufacturing firms. The complexity of manufacturing flexibility has made this concept difficult to comprehend yet delimit. To date, agreement on how to practice this concept has not yet been resolved. Employing the survey-based methodology, the SEM-PLS technique is used to test the hypothesized relationships. So, the current study has used SEM-PLS as a statistical tool to answer the research questions raised in this study and research objectives envisaged in the current study. Results: The findings of the study have provided support to the theoretical foundation and proposed hypothesis of the current study. Current study will be helpful for policymakers and practitioners in understanding the issues related to supply chain risk, supply chain integration and supply chain agility. In the author's knowledge this is among very few pioneering studies on this issue

A Linear Programming for Sugarcane Cultivation and Harvest Planning with Cane Survival Rate

In Thailand, sugarcane mills have faced supply and demand imbalance problems. Solving such problems is complicated due to various substantial factors. Sugarcane cultivation and harvest are important processes since they are the early stages of the sugarcane industry. Cultivation and harvest planning can be designed by using optimization model in order to balance supply and demand. This paper proposes a linear optimization model used in sugarcane cultivation and harvest planning with multiple suppliers. Sugarcane survival rate is one of the important factors considered in the presented model. A case study of the large-size sugarcane mills in Thailand was investigated. Many other significant factors were considered such as cultivating land size, sugarcane type, harvesting capacity, and delivery contract with the mill. The objective function was to maximize commercially recoverable sugar content in sugarcane (C.C.S.) of the total amount of sugarcane supplied to mill. This model can be applied as a supply management tool for both farmers and the mill management based on real situation

Stress Analysis of Rib-to-Deck Joints in Orthotropic Steel Deck Based on Nominal and Effective Notch Stress Approaches

This paper presents the stress analysis of the rib-to-deck (RD) joint in an orthotropic steel deck. Finite element models were developed to evaluate the effects of the wheel load location and weld penetration ratio on the nominal and effective notch stresses at the RD joint. The critical wheel load locations for fatigue-sensitive locations of the RD joint were investigated comprehensively. The potential locations of fatigue crack initiation were evaluated for weld penetration ratios ranging from 0% to 100% at different transverse locations of single- and double-wheel loads. The analytical results indicated that the critical location of fatigue crack initiation was influenced by the weld penetration ratio and transverse wheel load location. An increase in the weld penetration ratio decreased the root notch stress and significantly increased the potential for toe-deck cracking, as the wheel loads were applied at the RD joint and close to the adjacent rib. The nominal stress approach was used to identify the fatigue crack type accurately only for relatively high weld penetration ratios, with the wheel loads applied at the RD joint and over the rib. For the condition of 100% weld penetration ratio with the loads applied at the joint, the fatigue life corresponding to the effective notch stress approach ranged from 66% to 73% of the fatigue life obtained using the nominal stress approach

Business Success for Sustainability Indicator Development of One Tambon One Product

The objective of this research was to develop indicators and conduct a confirmatory factor analysis for successful sustainable business among OTOP product entrepreneurs, checking the agreement of the developed model with empirical data. The determination of the appropriate sample size for 1-5 star OTOP operators in 6 regions of Thailand was derived from a proportional stratified random sampling. It was determined that a sample group of 500 OTOP entrepreneurs would be suitable. A questionnaire was developed and used as a tool for data collection, while confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were carried out by computer program and AMOS. The results showed that there were 9 indicators and 45 sub-elements for sustainable business success in the context of OTOP products. These indicators were ranked in order of importance to be the environment, communication, products, personnel, innovation, processes, price, knowledge, and leadership, respectively.The model of indicators for sustainable business success among OTOP products was found to be in good agreement with the empirical data with the chi-square goodness of fit equal to 647.377, with degrees of freedom (df) = 637, p = 0.379, GFI = 0.95, CFI = 0.99, NFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.99, and RMSEA = 0.00

A Fabricator Competency for Engineering Students in Tertiary Education

This article presents the development of fabricator competency for engineering students in tertiary education during the seamless era. This study explored the approach to synthesizing, designing, and developing fabricator competency. The study identified six key components of fabricator competency: 1) Knowledge of materials, 2) Problem-solving and design, 3) Using design software, 4) Using hardware and machines, 5) Safety knowledge and awareness, and 6) Communication and publication. This study emphasizes the importance of human potential development, specifically in the case of engineering students in tertiary education. A competency framework for a fabricator in the seamless era has been developed by synthesizing, designing, and developing fabricator competencies based on published research on fabricator competency

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Proteomics Literature on the Response of Human Skeletal Muscle to Obesity/Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) Versus Exercise Training.

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of proteomics literature that reports human skeletal muscle responses in the context of either pathological decline associated with obesity/T2DM and physiological adaptations to exercise training. Literature was collected from PubMed and DOAJ databases following PRISMA guidelines using the search terms 'proteom*', and 'skeletal muscle' combined with either 'obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance' or 'exercise, training'. Eleven studies were included in the systematic review, and meta-analysis was performed on a sub-set (four studies) of the reviewed literature that reported the necessary primary data. The majority of proteins (n = 73) more abundant in the muscle of obese/T2DM individuals were unique to this group and not reported to be responsive to exercise training. The main response of skeletal muscle to exercise training was a greater abundance of proteins of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, tricarboxylic acid cycle and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I assembly. In total, five proteins were less abundant in muscle of obese/T2DM individuals and were also reported to be more abundant in the muscle of endurance-trained individuals, suggesting one of the major mechanisms of exercise-induced protection against the deleterious effects of obesity/T2DM occurs at complex I of the electron transport chain