1,123 research outputs found
A Strategy Oriented Framework for Food and Beverage E-Supply Chain Management
No full textSeveral authors have emphasized the importance of analysing the impact of e-business, e-commerce and online-shopping on supply chain and operations management; however, it seems that to date no one has suggested a comprehensive framework that could help identify and support supply chain design decisions for companies about to enter the online-business in the consumer goods retail trade, encompassing the business drivers at a strategic level. This paper aims to bridge the gap between theoretical taxonomies or abstract models and the concrete supply chain design problems encountered by logistics managers who need to take their Food & Beverage retail company into the internet business while also preserving a consistent alignment with their current company strategy. Some insights on this area are presented along with a field study approach and a proposal of a 6-phase framework to jointly manage all the relevant strategic and functional aspects of supply networks
Supply chain network design for the diffusion of a new product
No full textSupply Chain Network Design (SCND) deals with the determination of the physical configuration and infrastructures of the supply chain. Specifically, facility location is one of the most critical decisions: transportation, inventory and information sharing decisions can be readily re-optimized in response to changes in the context, while facility location is often fixed and
difficult to change even in the medium term. On top of this, when designing a supply network to support a new product diffusion (NPD), the problem becomes both dynamic and stochastic. While literature concentrated on approaching SCND for NPD separately coping with dynamic and stochastic issues, we propose an integrated optimisation model, which allows warehouse positioning decisions in concert with the demand dynamics during the diffusion stage of an innovative product/service. A
stochastic dynamic model, which integrates a Stochastic Bass Model (SBM) in order to better describe and capture demand dynamics, is presented. A myopic policy is elaborated in order to solve and validate on the data of a real case of SCND with 1,400 potential market points and 28 alternatives for logistics platforms
A business process modeling approach to support production systems analysis and simulation
No full textIn this paper we propose a reference model conceived to simplify the development of production simulation paradigms as well as to support software houses in formalizing the main functions and properties of manufacturing systems simulation software. The proposed model results from a research project aiming to the design of a new manufacturing systems simulation tool, embedding the main production and logistics processes archetypes. Indeed, the designed tool natively entrenches several well-known production and inventory control policies on top of the greatest part of the typical processes and work methods in a manufacturing plant; the model is formally represented in Business Process Modelling Notation, which increase its clearness and the related benefits for industrial users.
The proposed reference model architecture and working logic has been validated on a manufacturing company case study
Manufacturing Systems Modelling and Simulation Software Design: a Reference Model
No full textNowadays production environments request standard efficient frameworks in order to map and simulate manufacturing processes which literature or market can barely provide. A generalized reference model is necessary to highlight the differences and affinities among manufacturing systems resources, so as to examine the possibilities of modelling of such concepts and their respective roles. {OPUS} project formalizes a new modelling and simulation language for productive manufacturing systems through the support of an optimization tool development. On a practical level a {BPMN} approach has been useful to conceive a model strictly related to business processes, in addition to the simplification of the implementation/coding of the simulation tool
A stochastic dynamic programming approach for integrating supply chain network design and new product diffusion
No full textWe focus on the problem of designing a supply chain for a new product. We propose a stochastic dynamic program based on a Stochastic Bass Model of the product demand dynamics. We heuristically solve our model using Monte Carlo simulation and math programming techniques. We apply our approach to the case of a new distribution service for Made-in-Italy wine and food products, benchmarking the performance of our heuristic policy against the performance of an easier to compute heuristic policy and a lower bound
Issues in integrating MRP in production systems simulation tools
No full textLiterature review suggests concentrating on the development of new reference model for manufacturing system simulation, which may implement an operation logic much closer to real industrial contexts. A production system modelling tool should be designed with the aim of standardizing and simplifying the simulation of manufacturing processes and to widespread this approach in {SMEs.} Pursuing this aim, the authors got committed in designing a reference model for providing a structural framework to support shop-floor simulation and optimization. This paper presents the basic framework logic and structure of the simulation tool, showing how it is possible to represent it in Business Process Modelling Notation {(BPMN).} The efforts of implementing an {MRP} module on top of a simulation tool, which was originally conceived to embed look-back material handling policies, are described together with the operative solutions chosen to reach the integration
BRCA2 deletion induces alternative lengthening of telomeres in telomerase positive colon cancer cells
No full textBRCA1/2 are tumor suppressor genes controlling genomic stability also at telomeric and subtelomeric loci. Their mutation confers a predisposition to different human cancers but also sensitivity to antitumor drugs including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and G-quadruplex stabilizers. Here we demonstrate that BRCA2 deletion triggers TERRA hyperexpression and alternative lengthening mechanisms (ALT) in colon cancer cells in presence of telomerase activity. This finding opens the question if cancer patients bearing BRCA2 germline or sporadic mutation are suitable for anti-telomerase therapies, or how ALT activation could influence the short or long-term response to anti-PARP inhibitors or anti-G-quadruplex therapies
PARP1 allows proper telomere replication through TRF1 poly (ADP-ribosyl)ation and helicase recruitment
No full text: Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures at eukaryotic chromosome termini. Their stability is preserved by a six-protein complex named shelterin. Among these, TRF1 binds telomere duplex and assists DNA replication with mechanisms only partly clarified. Here we found that poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) interacts and covalently PARylates TRF1 in S-phase modifying its DNA affinity. Therefore, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of PARP1 impairs the dynamic association of TRF1 and the bromodeoxyuridine incorporation at replicating telomeres. Inhibition of PARP1 also affects the recruitment of WRN and BLM helicases in TRF1 containing complexes during S-phase, triggering replication-dependent DNA-damage and telomere fragility. This work unveils an unprecedented role for PARP1 as a "surveillant" of telomere replication, which orchestrates protein dynamics at proceeding replication fork
Does Smartphone Use Affect a Subsequent Swimming Training Session? Preliminary Results in Amateur Triathletes
No full textTo date, the literature has failed to individuate a clear motivation for the performance decrement after a mental fatigue-inducing task. This study aimed to evaluate biomechanical and perceptual variables during a swimming training session in different mental fatigue states. Seven amateur triathletes watched a documentary, utilized a smartphone, or performed an AX-CPT for 45 min randomly on three different days. After, they performed a 15-min warm-up followed by 6 x 200 m at constant pre-set speed plus one 200 m at maximal effort. The mental fatigue status was assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS) and short-Stroop task results before, post-mental task, and post-swimming session. The biomechanical and motor coordination variables during swimming were assessed using five IMU sensors and video analysis. The heart rate and rate of perceived exertion were monitored during the task. No differences in biomechanical and perceptual variables were found between and within conditions. Higher mental fatigue was found only in the AX-CPT condition at post task by VAS. In this preliminary study, no changes in swimming biomechanics were highlighted by mental fatigue, but the warm-up performed may have counteracted its negative effects. Further studies are recommended
The experiences of the emergency triage nurse: A phenomenological study
No full textThe purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of emergency triage nurses and the mechanisms triage nurses use to make triage decisions. The sample consisted of 1 o triage nurses, three men and seven women. Two participants worked in a rural setting, two in an urgent care/minor emergency department, two in suburban settings, and four in urban emergency departments, all located within the southeast Texas region. Semistructured audio-taped interviews were used to obtain data. Transcripts of the interviews were read and reread numerous times to gain an understanding of the essence of emergency triage nursing. Two major facets of triage nursing emerged: Roles of the Triage Nurse and Stressors of Decision Making. Roles of triage nursing encompassed rituals used to start the triage shift, the process of triaging, control aspects of gatekeeping for the emergency department, and serving as the complaint department for all who are unhappy about the perceived obstacles to receiving prompt care. Stressors of triage decision making was directly influenced by the volume of patients needing to be seen, the fear of a decision making error, and the role that intuition played in the ways in which nurses responded to their gut feelings for emergent situations
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