Chain Integration Research Articles

Improving Acacia smallholder plantation value chains in Thừa Thien Huế cooperative alliance, Vietnam

Acacia plantations in Vietnam have an important role in supplying the wood processing industry and generating income for small-scale forest owners. However, it is proving difficult to improve their incomes and reduce the vulnerabilities inherent to current production systems. To address this situation, a quantitative and qualitative value chain analysis was undertaken to understand the products and profits from small-scale Acacia plantations in Thừa Thiên Huế province in Vietnam. The results show that Acacia plantations are profitable, require low levels of inputs and have a short minimum rotation time of five years. Harvesting and transport costs account for a large proportion of total production costs. Traders play an important role in linking producers and processors. Most of the pro- ducts traded are Acacia logs for chipping and processing into other products and for saw-wood to produce timber for carpentry and domestic uses. Acacia logs with larger diameters of over 15 cm have a higher added value for wood processing companies producing furniture for export. Vulnerabilities include the highly fragmented value chain with little coordination and few information exchange mechanisms, and differences between ethnic groups that suggest a need for culturally sensitive intervention on value chains. Different options to increase profits – particularly for smallholder plantation owners – include product diversification, chain integration, and increased production to achieve efficiencies of scale.

Securing pharmaceutical supply chain using digital drug serialization

The supply chain process is a very critical process in the pharmaceutical industry, and through digital drug serialization, we can mitigate the risk of counterfeit drug supply and counter the risk of consumers consuming fake drugs. To deliver medicines free of counterfeiting, the pharmaceutical supply chain's integrity must be preserved. In this article, we have focused on how we may employ digital drug serialization in the pharmaceutical supply chain without harming the public's health. Even though pharmaceutical corporations are working hard to combat medication fraud, it is still a persistent and complicated problem in the drug supply chain that costs the pharmaceutical business money and negatively affects patient health. To solve this issue, pharmaceutical companies are implementing a significant digital transformation in the pharmaceutical supply chain by integrating digital traceability and track-and-trace technologies from the initial raw material supplier to the patient.

Towards a closed loop recycling process of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries: Recovery of critical metals and electrochemical performance evaluation of a regenerated LiCoO2

The growing demand for lithium-ion battery technology emphasizes the critical need to establish effective recycling and proper disposal methods for used batteries, ensuring the long-term sustainability and security of the battery supply chain. This study addresses this need by exploring two hydrochemical routes, using sulfuric acid and nitric acid, respectively. The objective is to investigate the influence of the acid used in the leaching process on the properties of the regenerated final product, LiCoO2. Moreover, a novel and simplified approach for extracting lithium as lithium carbonate is proposed.In evaluating the recycled batteries, careful examination of their physicochemical properties and electrochemical performances reveals striking similarities to batteries produced from commercial sources. This comparison provides evidence of the successful recycling process. By optimizing the leaching conditions, we were able to extract more than 98% of both cobalt and lithium from the used cathode materials of cell phone batteries.Significantly, our study demonstrates that nitric acid offers a straightforward method for separating and obtaining a pure product, surpassing the outcomes achieved with sulfuric acid using the same steps. Additionally, we thoroughly investigate and compare the electrochemical performances of the synthesized cathode materials with those synthesized from pure commercial reagents. This systematic analysis confirms the effectiveness and viability of the proposed recycling process.The key advantage of this approach lies in its ability to achieve a complete recycling of the initial spent cathodic elements, which is crucial for establishing a circular economy. This comprehensive recycling method not only addresses the increasing demand for lithium-ion battery technology but also contributes to the sustainable utilization of resources and the preservation of the battery supply chain's integrity.

Study on Intelligently Designed Business Innovation Service Models Driven by Big Data

Although conventional business models have been increasingly affected in front of the big data technology application, it has also brought new opportunities and challenges for enterprise development. In order to create a higher value, enterprises should keep pace with the times and actively develop business innovation service models. The greatest value brought by data is to help enterprises find potential business value. It can provide a broader user market and channels, avoid homogeneous competition, and realize the integration of upstream and downstream value chains. In addition, it abandons the extensive development under the traditional model and allows enterprises to return to real value services, which is also an irresistible trend of business model transformation. This paper studies and analyzes business innovation service models. First, the business model as required is presented, and the management system and risk evaluation method are introduced. Then, the construction of the business service model is discussed, and the typical big data technologies are reviewed. Next, according to the evaluation theory of business model, the index system of business innovation service model is explored, which can examine the development of business model objectively and comprehensively. Last, the operations of the business model under the big data are analyzed. The research on the business model in this paper can be provided with universality and has a certain practical value for the development of business innovation service.

Frameworks of the Maturity Model for Industry 4.0 with Assessment of Maturity Levels on the Example of the Segment of Steel Enterprises in Poland

The aim of the article is to present the author’s concept of steel market enterprises’ maturity for functioning in Industry 4.0. The model is based on the assessment of key technologies or pillars of the new industrial concept. The proposed assessment includes five levels of investment maturity under the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution (a five-point assessment scale was used to measure the degree of maturity of developed enterprises by implemented projects of smart manufacturing (SM). The maturity assessment proposal is based on direct research. The research was carried out in the segment of enterprises from the Polish steel sector. The tool used for the research was a questionnaire survey. The research was carried out with 79 selected steel enterprises in Poland for the pilot study. On the basis of the research, it was established that the segment of enterprises in the Polish steel market are at the third level of maturity in the five-level scale of the model, where level 1 is the “preliminary” level, and 5 represents the optimal maturity level. Within particular pillars of Industry 4.0, according to all respondents, the biggest changes in terms of implementing the industrial concept took place in connection with the use of Internet and mobile technologies in the process of customer service, including EDI, an e-invoicing system. The second position belonged to investments in production automation with the use of individual machines (installation of sensors on devices and sensors for collecting data on the state of the machine). In addition, similar and relatively higher answers were given by respondents to questions about the development and compatibility of IT systems for production support, such as CAx, MRP, MES. The remaining technological pillars, such as data processing from machines, installations of real-time data; network and chain integration (end -to -end engineering); production automation with the use of interoperating machines (production nests); expansion of databases (Big Data) and visualisation of processes together with their optimisation using IoT were found to be initiated as activities in very large and large enterprises. The lowest rated scope of investment changes concerned the block chain in the steel sector. The research of investment of enterprises can be used to assess the maturity of enterprises in this segment of industry in Poland.

Bio‐economy for sustainable growth in developing countries: The case of oil palm in Malaysia and Indonesia

AbstractMalaysia and Indonesia are two vivid examples of economic development built upon land exploitation. The concept of ‘bio‐economy’ illustrates a pathway for countries to move on to a more sustainable course of development by creating added value downstream and diversifying away from primary production. Growing a local oleochemical industry was naturally the first step for Malaysia and Indonesia as the world's largest palm‐oil producers. This was extended to biofuel production, which first aimed for export revenues. The biofuel sector later became an important buffer for the palm‐oil industry to absorb excessive stock with domestic blending targets during low price periods. Meanwhile, the utilization of biomass for power generation has grown significantly for both exports and local use. Converting biomass into second‐generation biofuels and other advanced bio‐based materials has also attracted great interest from foreign investors. However, the high cost of biomass mobilization has limited the deployment of advanced biorefineries. One interesting option is to integrate waste management with the production of high‐value bioenergy and biomaterials, adopting the model of a multi‐feedstock biorefinery. While several bio‐based industrial clusters were set up to attract investment with the consolidation of infrastructure surrounding major ports, more effort is still needed to explore and identify feasible business models with optimized supply chains. Cross‐border cooperation may open new doors for building regional bio‐based value chains. The ongoing digital revolution may provide breakthroughs in chain integration and technology deployment. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

SIPOC-OI: a proposal for open innovation in supply chains

PurposeRegarding the premises of open innovation (OI) in terms of knowledge sources, this paper aims to discuss how to manage the existing sources of knowledge in supply chains.Design/methodology/approachAn integrative review was developed focusing on studies related to supply chain and OI, seeking to understand the relationships between them, supporting the innovative discussion.FindingsThe SIPOC-OI was proposed as a tool to support the management of knowledge sources present in the supply chain, promoting efficiency to the company and improving its innovative capacity.Research limitations/implicationsThe conceptual proposal should be empirically verified to understand the management tool's obstacles and benefits for a company's innovation performance. Additionally, it would be useful to understand the results of this proposal in the relationships between agents of the chain, as well as the direction (inbound, outbound or coupled). Additionally, relevant points were highlighted as future agendas.Practical implicationsThe point of view based on OI treats the collaboration's aspects and its benefits to agents, which becomes an essential factor in improving the entire chain's integration and performance.Originality/valueThe analysis of the flow of knowledge in supply chains from an OI perspective is an innovation in theory. Besides, the multidisciplinary proposal is expressed in the framework developed as it is based on a tool from engineering. Supply chain competencies/mindset is important to develop OI as well as is the contrary – there is a mutual practical and theoretical relevance between the integration of the concepts.

Exploring Data Integrity of Dual-Channel Supply Chain Using Blockchain Technology.

The study intends to solve the problems of complex product circulation caused by information asymmetry and the untimely communication of production and sales information in the process of product sales to reduce the cost in the process of product circulation. Based on blockchain technology, the data integrity of the dual-channel supply chain is studied. First, the data of the supply chain conduct coordinated management to achieve the integrity of the supply chain data. Then, under the background that both retailers and suppliers are risk-neutral individuals, the benchmark model of the dual-channel supply chain is constructed, and the online and offline sales prices of products under different decision-making modes are analyzed. Finally, taking fresh agricultural products as an example, the sales strategies of the online and offline sales channels of fresh agricultural products are studied, and a dual-channel supply chain model is constructed. The profit of each member in the supply chain system under this model is obtained by the inverse method. The simulation results demonstrate that the retailer's revenue and the total revenue of the system increase obviously with the growth of the price discount coefficient after the price discount strategy is applied. When the compensation cost is between 1,000 and 3,000, the profit of retailers in the supply chain system is improved by using the price coordination mechanism, while the profit of suppliers decreases to some extent. When the value of compensation cost is 7,000–9,000, the application of the price coordination mechanism increases the profit of suppliers in the supply chain system, while the profit of retailers declines to a certain extent. The research content reported here effectively alleviates the profit conflict and the double marginal effect between the two channels and enriches the theoretical system knowledge of the coordination of the two channels' supply chain of agricultural products.

Healthcare Chain Network Framework for Monitoring and Verifying Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

Prescription drug abuse and doctor shopping are major problems in the healthcare field that have led to a significant number of deaths as a consequence of drug misuse. Doctors prescribe too much fentanyl, Demerol, and sleeping pills, along with anxiety medications, that are legal and frequently abused. In order to combat prescription drug abuse, it is imperative to develop an efficient monitoring and identification system. Blockchain technology is a promising solution to tracking prescriptions because of its decentralization and auditability, which allow medical records to be more secure as well as more reliable. Blockchain technology can help ensure the authenticity, integrity, and transparency of drug distribution between pharmacies and doctors. In this paper, we aim to develop a system of managing the integrity of the drug supply chain by integrating Hyperledger Fabric blockchain technology with Interplanetary File System (IPFS). Because of its secure encryption framework and anti-fraud and anti-forgery measures, it has prevented prescription abuse. A smart health care ecosystem is created by using smart contracts to track drugs on the blockchain. In addition, by using this approach we are able to recognize and track drugs that may be misused by individuals who shop for doctors and hop between pharmacies. The cryptographically safe and reliable framework created by Healthcare Chain can be used by doctors, pharmacists, and patients to improve how opioid prescriptions and medication are administered.

Digitalization Potential in Production Sphere

Global virtualization of production, new challenges and goals of society informatization made today’s production companies change their own production processes in order to retain competitiveness on market. Standard approaches to production management now cannot guarantee stable profitability of business. The concept of smartproduction and wise factories targets at integration of people, information and value chains in one network. It can provide a new impulse to labour productivity, predetermine new opportunities for improving the work efficiency. Today’s foreign and home literature shows academic interest in new production technologies. In spite of various trends and approaches to the subject, principle priorities of advanced smart production processes have not been revealed adequately, which proves the necessity to continue research in this field. The article substantiates the demand for production process digitalization at Russian enterprises. Possibilities of using artificial intellect and introducing smart-production in industry are studied. Priorities of the advanced Russian production companies in the field of digitalization were highlighted: wider use of cloud technologies; predictive analysis; IaaS-services, i. e. virtual centers of data processing and systems of data storage; centralized dispatcher control and data collection (SCADA) and others. The author characterizes parameters of monitoring development of smart production systems on the territory of the Russian Federation, which has been carried out by Rosstat since 2020. The forecast data on assessing the required resources in respect to support tools on behalf of state were shown, aimed at developing technologies of smart production. Target indicators of developing smart technologies were identified within the frames of the federal project ‘Digital Technologies’. The author systematized science-intensive technological innovations, non-standard solutions and advanced tools of managing production systems, specified target indicators of principle technological trends in smart-production development and substantiated lines in the development of smart-potential of Russian industry.

SUPPLY CHAIN JOINT SCHEDULING AND ALGORITHM USING CONTINUITY OF NONLINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION FUNCTION

To improve the integrity of the supply chain and get the optimal joint scheduling of the complete supply chain, in this exploration, first, the supply chain related theory is elaborated. Then, the dynamic model of product recovery in enterprise joint scheduling is established. Finally, based on the differential game theory (based on the continuity of nonlinear differential equation function) and Hamilton function, the optimal scheduling strategies with manufacturer and retailer as the main recycling body in the complete supply chain are calculated respectively. The results show that the product recovery rate with manufacturer as the main recycling body is higher than that with retailer as the main recycling body. There is no transfer price in the recovery based on the manufacturer. However, in the recovery based on the retailer, if the transfer price increases, the product recovery rate of the system will also increase; if the transfer price increases, the manufacturer’s instant profit will appropriately increase; if the transfer price value is high [Formula: see text], the manufacturer’s instant profit is higher. If the transfer payment is low [Formula: see text], the instant profit of manufacturer with manufacturer as the main recycling body will be first lower and then higher than that with retailer as the main recycling body. When the system is stable, the instant profit with the manufacturer as the main recycling body is higher than that with retailer as the main recycling body; the total profit of the manufacturer with the retailer as the recycling body is first lower and then higher than that with the manufacturer as the main recycling body. Whether the transfer payment is high or low, the retailer’s profit level is higher when the manufacturer is the main recycling body. When the retailer is the main recycling body, the retailer’s profit level is inversely proportional to the transfer payment. Finally, in the centralized supply chain environment, enterprises can maximize their total profits and promote the good development.

Research on Mechanism and Path of High- Quality Development of China's Manufacturing Industry

Promoting high-quality development of manufacturing is not only an important part of promoting highquality economic development, but also an inevitable requirement for deepening supply-side structural reform, as well as an objective requirement for comprehensively building a great modern socialist country. The three driving mechanisms to achieve high-quality development of manufacturing industry are innovation drive, structure optimization and efficiency support. The path to high-quality development of the manufacturing lies in encouraging enterprise innovation; promoting supply-side structural reform; highlighting integrated industrial development; promoting smart manufacturing with the development of the digital economy; accelerating the integration of industrial chains.

Clinical value of MRI in evaluating and diagnosing of humeral lateral condyle fracture in children

BackgroundHumeral lateral condyle fractures (HLCFs) are common paediatric fractures. Radiographs are hard to accurately evaluate and diagnose the damage of articular epiphyseal cartilage in HLCFs.Methods60 children who should be suspected to be HLCFs in clinical practice from Dec 2015 to Nov 2017 were continuously included as the first part patients. Subsequently, 35 HLCFs patients with complete follow-up information who had no obvious displacement on radiograph were the second part patients. The sensitivity and specificity of radiograph and MRI in diagnosing of HLCFs and their stability were calculated respectively. Calculated the sensitivity and specificity of each scan sequence of MRI in diagnosing of HLCFs osteochondral fractures. The degree of fracture displacement was measured respectively. Compared the ratio of surgical treatment, secondary fracture displacement and complications between the stable fracture group and the unstable fracture group on MRI in part 2 patients.ResultsSensitivity of diagnosing HLCFs by MRI was significantly higher than radiograph (100.00% vs. 89.09%, P = 0.03). Sensitivity of diagnosing integrity of trochlear cartilage chain by MRI was 96.30%, which was significantly higher than that by radiograph (62.96%, P < 0.01). The sensitivity of cartilage sensitive sequence (3D-FS-FSPGR/3D-FSPGR) was different with FS-PDWI and FS-T2WI (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). The degree of HLCFs displacement by MRI was higher than radiograph (P < 0.05). In the unstable fracture group, 5 cases (45.45%) had a fracture displacement of more than 2 mm on MRI, which was significantly higher than that in stable fracture group (0.00%, P < 0.01).ConclusionsMRI is superior to the radiograph of elbow joint in evaluating and diagnosing children HLCFs and their stability. The coronal 3D-FS-FSPGR/3D-FSPGR sequence is a significant sequence for diagnosing osteochondral fractures in HLCFs. MRI can provide important clinical value for treatment decisions of HLCFs without significant displacement.

28073 Evaluation of the impact of hyaluronic acid (HA) filler manufacturing technologies on HA chain degradation

Introduction: Hyaluronic acid (HA) chains readily degrade under crosslinking conditions employed to stabilize HA for aesthetic use. Different manufacturing technologies result in fillers that significantly vary in HA chain integrity, which may impact clinical performance and safety of products in situ. HA fragments generated during the manufacturing process are extractable as a soluble HA (sHA) fraction. This study examined sHA chain length and distribution in commercial filler products to understand the impact of filler manufacturing technologies on HA chain degradation.

Suprameatal-transzygomatic root endoscopic approach to the geniculate ganglion: an anatomical and radiological study.

To describe the suprameatal-transzygomatic root endoscopic approach (STEA) to the geniculate ganglion (GG), the labyrinthine facial nerve (FN) and epitympanum. The feasibility and limits of the STEA, maintaining the integrity of the ossicular chain, were analysed. Ten human cadaveric ears were dissected. Step-by-step description of the technique and relevant measurements were taken during the approach. The visualization and surgical working field on the anterior and posterior medial epitympanum, GG, greater superficial petrosal nerve, the labyrinthine FN and suprageniculate area were evaluated. The range of motion through the approach and the rate of the decompression of the GG and the labyrinthine portion of the FN were assessed as well. CT-scan measurements were compared with those obtained during the dissection. A complete exploration of the epitympanum was possible in every specimen. Decompression of the GG and first portion of the FN was achieved without any trauma to the ossicular chain in nine ears. The endoscope movements were mainly limited by the distance between bony buttress-short process of the incus-tegmen. The working space, during GG and labyrinthine FN decompression, was limited by the distance between malleus head-medial epitympanic wall and malleus head-GG. Radiologic measurements were consistent with those obtained during the dissections. The STEA is a promising minimally invasive approach for decompression of the GG and FN's labyrinthine portion. The applications of this corridor include the exploration and surgery of the medial epitympanum, preserving the ossicular chain.

Abstract 2407: Serine and threonine phosphorylation marks proteins for degradation by ClpXP

Abstract The mitochondrial serine protease ClpXP regulates the integrity of the respiratory chain by degrading damaged and/or misfolded proteins. This protease is over-expressed in multiple malignancies and inhibiting or hyperactivating it kills malignant cells in vitro and in vivo. In Bacillus subtilis, the bacterial ClpXP homologue recognizes proteins tagged with phosphor-arginine for degradation. Yet, it is unknown how the mitochondrial ClpXP recognizes proteins for degradation. To determine how phosphorylated amino acids influence ClpXP-mediated protein degradation, we incubated recombinant ClpXP with its unnatural substrate FITC-casein and increasing concentrations of phospho-serine (pSer), phospho-threonine (pThr), phospho-arginine (pArg), or phosphor-tryrosine (pTry) in a cell-free assay and measured release of fluorogenic FITC. In a dose-dependent manner, pSer and pThr free amino acids inhibited casein cleavage by ClpXP while pTyr, pArg, and the dephosphorylated amino acids had no effect on ClpXP activity. Likewise, ApSA and ApTA peptides inhibited ClpXP enzyme activity, while the non-phosphorylated version (ASA and ATA) and no effect. Next, we tested whether the phosphorylation state of full length proteins would influence their degradation by ClpXP. Using gel-based cell-free assays, the phosphorylation enriched α-casein and β-casein were degraded by recombinant ClpXP. In contrast, the κ-casein with low phosphorylation level and dephosphorylated α-casein were not cleaved by ClpXP. In addition, we treated α-casein with lambda-phosphatases to dephosphorylate the protein and confirmed the release of free phosphate by the Malachite green phosphate assay. Phosphatase treated α-casein was resistant to ClpXP cleavage. As ClpXP is an AAA ATPase, we asked if pSer and pThr acted on the ATPase of the enzyme. pSer and pThr did not inhibit the ATPase activity of ClpX, as measured by the malachite green ATPase assay. We also measured the effect of pSer and pThr on the peptidase activity of ClpP alone without its regulatory subunit ClpX. Neither pSer or pThr inhibited ClpP peptidase activity. We investigated if pSer and pThr could bind to ClpX. Using thermal shift binding assays, we demonstrated that pSer and pThr but not pTyr and pArg bind ClpX and none of the phosphorylated amino acids bind ClpP. Finally, we characterized the total and phopho- mitochondrial proteome of T-REX HEK293 wild type and ClpP knockout cells by mass spectrometry. We identified 402 unique mitochondrial proteins and 38 phosphorylated mitochondrial proteins in wild type cells. 20 phosphorylated mitochondrial proteins increased in the ClpP knockout cells compared to wild type with a cut-off of 2 fold. In summary, we discovered that ClpX binds pSer and pThr and phosphorylation of these amino acids mark proteins for degradation by the ClpXP mitochondrial protease. This work highlights a new strategy to develop inhibitors of ClpXP for the treatment of cancer. Citation Format: Yue Feng, Yulia Jitkova, Aaron D. Schimmer. Serine and threonine phosphorylation marks proteins for degradation by ClpXP [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2407.

A Study on Social Change of Tribal Women in Nabarangpur District of Odisha

The tribal communities in Central India are excluded in many ways from accessing and benefiting from the fruits of mainstream development. Within tribal groups, women are more marginalised and sidelined than men despite their multiple roles in the household. Women’s exclusion from the mainstream knowledge systems, market sphere and their limited access and control over the resources affects the overall development of tribal communities. Key for economic growth of tribal communities is the equal participation and promotion of women’s physical and economic rights. This necessitates for a purposive design of activities and institutional mechanisms for both socially inclusive economic empowerment and environmentally sustainable growth by building their knowledge and skills to restore agriculture based value chains for sustainable livelihood. The present article is an attempt to analyse and document the findings of an inclusive cashew livelihood model to address the geographical, social, technological and economic inclusion of 10,000 tribal women in the cashew supply chain and downstream market integration to improve their income in Nabarangpur district of Odisha state. It is found that by employing inclusive strategies, scientific technologies and participative approaches, the socially excluded women could be organised, engaged and integrated successfully by leveraging proven cashew-based livelihood model in the value chains and markets for increasing their income.

The Structural Characteristics of Collagen in Swim Bladders with 25-Year Sequence Aging: The Impact of Age

Aged swim bladders from the yellow drum (Protonibea diacanthus) are considered collagen-based functional food with extremely high market value. The structural integrity of collagen may be crucial for its biological functions. In the current study, swim bladders with 25-year-old sequences were collected and found to be basically composed of collagen. Then, thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) were conducted to evaluate the integrity of the peptide chain and triple helix in the collagen. The structures of microfibers and fiber bundles were revealed with atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electrical microscopy (SEM), and optical spectroscopy. The collagens in the aged swim bladders were found to have similar thermal properties to those of fresh ones, but the relative content of the triple helixes was found to be negatively correlated with aging. The secondary structure of the remaining triple helix showed highly retained characteristics as in fresh swim bladders, and the microfibrils also showed a similar D-period to that of the fresh one. However, the fiber bundles displayed more compact and thick characteristics after years of storage. These results indicate that despite 25 years of aging, the collagen in the swim bladders was still partially retained with structures.

Development of cores acquisition model with two switching mechanisms in a retailer-oriented closed-loop supply chain system

Retailer-Oriented Closed-Loop Supply Chain (ROCLSC) is an integration of forward and reverse supply chains with retailer taking charge of the remanufacturing, distribution, and collecting activities. This type of mechanism is quite effective, since the majority of product returns management is performed by the retailer. However, in practical industries, the implementation of ROCLSC is still limited. In this study, we investigate a ROCLSC system that involves an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and a retailer. OEM plays a role as a producer of new products, while the retailer is in charge of remanufacturing, collecting, as well as selling and distributing both newly manufactured and remanufactured products. We develop a mathematical model to maximize the profit of each party. Although several studies have developed models for cores acquisition, here we apply a different cores switching mechanism. We introduced the fixed rate and flat rate mechanisms used in the business-to-business (B2B) system, where product functions are very important to consumers. In addition, this research focuses on ROCLSC where most of the existing cores acquisition models are Manufacturer-Oriented Closed-Loop Supply Chain (MOCLSC). The result of this study shows that the retailer will get higher profits when the product returns are acquired through the fixed rate mechanism, rather than the flat rate mechanism. Therefore, determining the optimal amount of cores collected through the fixed rate mechanism will increase the retailer’s profit, as well as joint profit of both parties. From the results, we also point out an interesting note that the retailer should increase efforts to sell new products along with the increasing proportion of consumer Willingness to Pay (WTP) for remanufactured products. Hence, both OEM and retailer profits can be increased consecutively

Advanced Concepts in Rheology for the Evaluation of Hyaluronic Acid-Based Soft Tissue Fillers.

Crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA)-based soft tissue fillers possess unique viscoelastic properties intended to match specific product indications. Manufacturing has an impact on HA chain integrity and on filler properties. This study introduces 2 new rheological parameters to evaluate the macroscopic characteristics of fillers. A library of reference commercialized HA fillers was selected to cover the full spectrum of product indications. Gels were assessed in terms of size of released HA fragments as a readout of gel integrity, degree of modification, cohesivity, and rheological properties. The elastic modulus G' often used to characterize fillers was shown not to follow macroscopic mechanical properties. To improve the mechanical characterization of fillers, Strength and Stretch scores were developed and tested. The Strength score defined the ability of a filler to sustain constant viscoelasticity over a wide range of constraints and represented the filler mechanical resilience. The Stretch score measured the propensity of a filler to deform in view to improve implant adaptation to facial animation for natural-looking results. Strength and Stretch scores sorted rheological parameters to macroscopic cohesivity assays more accurately than G' and may thus help predict the gel behavior once implanted and submitted to facial dynamics.