Vertical Integration Research Articles

Compressibility characteristics of municipal solid waste considering multiple factors.

Borehole samples were collected from a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill in Xi'an, China, and subjected to a series of basic geotechnical and compression tests. This study aims to investigate the influence of composition, dry unit weight, moisture content, organic content, and landfill age on the compressibility of MSW. The results show that with increasing landfill age, the compressible components and organic content exhibit a decreasing trend while the dry unit weight increases. The moisture content does not vary significantly. There is also a linear trend between the logarithm of the primary compression strain and vertical stress. In addition, with an increase in compressible components content, moisture content, and organic content, the modified primary compression index (Cc') shows an increasing trend, whereas with an increase in dry unit weight and landfill age, Cc' shows a decreasing trend. Furthermore, regarding the 34 sets of data, authors only selected five data points for a detailed comparative analysis, this decision was made on the basis that these data points are representative. A modified primary compression index prediction model that considers the dry unit weight, moisture content, and landfill age of the MSW as influencing factors results in a fitting coefficient of 0.797. The Cc' values in this study are within the range of 0.12 to 0.36. These findings provide a reference for the vertical expansion design of existing landfills.

Considering economic-environmental dimension in the integrated strategic and tactical optimization of Ethiopia's bioethanol supply chain coupled with operational planning

The global supply chain has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its intricate nature and operational challenges. Companies face the crucial task of integrating various components to maintain competitiveness and enhance overall performance across the supply chain. Achieving this goal necessitates vertical integration to ensure coherence and coordination among decision-making processes at different temporal and spatial scales, bridging the gap between strategic, tactical, and operational decisions. This article proposes a mathematical model that integrates the three previous decisions within the supply chain context, aiming to maintain coherence while considering economic and environmental objectives (few papers cover this challenge). By addressing the complexities of multi-scale modeling and optimization, the model seeks to provide a holistic view of supply chain operations. The model focuses on the transport decisions at the operational level, resulting in the coupling between a strategic and tactical model and a vehicle routing problem. Nonetheless, achieving this integration effectively from a modeling and resolution point of view leads to computational and methodological challenges due to the multi-scale, multi-site, and multi-objective nature of the problem, requiring an innovative approach for effective model resolution. The contributions of this article pave the way towards more sustainable and efficient supply chain operations. The model capabilities are exemplified through the real case study of the bioethanol supply chain in Ethiopia. For the location of the different firms of the supply chain, the country is divided into 58 zones (second level administrative subdivision in Ethiopia) to have a precise mapping of the area. The result of the case study shows that in adding the operational level decisions to the strategic-tactical ones has not only changed the topology of the network configurations but has greatly affected the economic and environmental criteria due to more precise estimation of all activities. The results put also in highlight that there is a compromise to find between both previous objectives by identifying Pareto alternative scenarios.

Hydrodynamics of artificial and oyster-populated breakwaters: A laboratory study with scaled-down oyster castles under unidirectional flow

Oyster populations within the Chesapeake Bay have been drastically reduced over the last century mainly due to unregulated human activities and diseases. Regulations and restoration efforts have focused on restoring oyster populations while also considering their ability to provide ecosystem services, such as coastal protection and water quality improvement, among others. To promote oyster growth and the settlement of new populations, a recent technique adopted along the east coast of the US is the use of oyster castles (OCs). OCs have proven effective in recruiting and retaining oysters and in promoting both vertical growth and horizontal expansion of oyster habitats. OCs are widely used in coastal protection as greener alternative to common engineering solutions. We quantified hydrodynamic differences that occur around these OCs during their early stage (i.e. castles without oysters), and with fully developed oysters covering the surface of the castles through a series of laboratory experiments. The experiments were conducted in a recirculating Odell-Kovasznay type channel at the Ecohydraulics and Ecomorphodynamics Laboratory (EEL) at the University of Illinois. OCs (both with and without oysters) were 3D printed at 1:7 scale to fit the canal, and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used for 2D flow characterization. Data showed noticeable differences in flow acceleration atop the castles when covered with oysters, as well as an increase in the generation and distribution of turbulent kinetic energy atop and around the oyster-covered castles. Magnitudes and spatial distribution of Reynolds stresses were also affected by the presence of oysters in both submerged and near-emergent conditions. Challenges associated with the estimation of the drag coefficient for both gray and oyster-covered OCs highlighted the need for more data besides the centerline 2D PIV output. Further research involving the whole three-dimensional structure of the flow, in both unidirectional and oscillatory conditions, will allow us to provide relevant guidelines on the design and use of oyster-populated breakwaters as a viable nature-based solution for coastal protection within low-energy environments.

The feasibility and usability of mixed reality teaching in a hospital setting based on self-reported perceptions of medical students

BackgroundClinical teaching during encounters with real patients lies at the heart of medical education. Mixed reality (MR) using a Microsoft HoloLens 2 (HL2) offers the potential to address several challenges: including enabling remote learning; decreasing infection control risks; facilitating greater access to medical specialties; and enhancing learning by vertical integration of basic principles to clinical application. We aimed to assess the feasibility and usability of MR using the HL2 for teaching in a busy, tertiary referral university hospital.MethodsThis prospective observational study examined the use of the HL2 to facilitate a live two-way broadcast of a clinician-patient encounter, to remotely situated third and fourth year medical students. System Usability Scale (SUS) Scores were elicited from participating medical students, clinician, and technician. Feedback was also elicited from participating patients. A modified Evaluation of Technology-Enhanced Learning Materials: Learner Perceptions Questionnaire (mETELM) was completed by medical students and patients.ResultsThis was a mixed methods prospective, observational study, undertaken in the Day of Surgery Assessment Unit. Forty-seven medical students participated. The mean SUS score for medical students was 71.4 (SD 15.4), clinician (SUS = 75) and technician (SUS = 70) indicating good usability. The mETELM Questionnaire using a 7-point Likert Scale demonstrated MR was perceived to be more beneficial than a PowerPoint presentation (Median = 7, Range 6–7). Opinion amongst the student cohort was divided as to whether the MR tutorial was as beneficial for learning as a live patient encounter would have been (Median = 5, Range 3–6). Students were positive about the prospect of incorporating of MR in future tutorials (Median = 7, Range 5–7). The patients’ mETELM results indicate the HL2 did not affect communication with the clinician (Median = 7, Range 7–7). The MR tutorial was preferred to a format based on small group teaching at the bedside (Median = 6, Range 4–7).ConclusionsOur study findings indicate that MR teaching using the HL2 demonstrates good usability characteristics for providing education to medical students at least in a clinical setting and under conditions similar to those of our study. Also, it is feasible to deliver to remotely located students, although certain practical constraints apply including Wi-Fi and audio quality.

Perception of MBBS Students to the New Competency-based Medical Education Curriculum in a Tertiary Care Hospital in North East India

Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, experience, and perception of the students of our institute toward the newly implemented competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum. Materials and Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among the Phase II Students of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, Barpeta, Assam. A self-administered feedback questionnaire was used for the study after acquiring written informed consent from the students. The responses to the questions were based on the knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives of the students and were assessed on a 3-point Likert scale. Results: The questions were categorized under four broad headings. Under the first category, 49.3% were in assent as to their general awareness of the new curriculum and its structure and in agreement as to the changes proposed by it. In the second category, 55.7% were in agreement as to the beneficial effects of early clinical exposure and problem-based learning. 51.7% of the students in the next category were in agreement on the role of vertical and horizontal integration in the new curriculum in making them understand the topic better. Finally, 55.2% of Phase II students were in agreement on the importance of attitude, ethics, and communication and the role of assessment to improve the learning of the students. Conclusion: As we got positive responses from most of the students, we can conclude that CBME is the need of the hour. The few negative and equivocal responses indicate the challenges to be considered while implementing CBME.

Anoxic waters constrain the vertical distribution of fish developmental stages in an oxygen minimum zone

AbstractIn the Eastern Tropical North Pacific Oxygen Minimum Zone (ETNP‐OMZ), fish larvae undergo development amidst highly variable dissolved oxygen environments. As OMZs expand, understanding the implications of low‐oxygen environments on fish development becomes increasingly relevant for fisheries management and ecosystem modeling. Using horizontal zooplankton tows to track five oxygen levels (oxic [200 μmol/kg], hypoxic [100 μmol/kg] suboxic [10 μmol/kg], anoxic [<1 μmol/kg], and deep [10 μmol/kg at ~ 1000 m depth]), this study analyzed the three‐dimensional distribution of fish larvae and adults across the ETNP‐OMZ. Results revealed a wide midwater anoxic core, extending from Costa Rica to Baja California, that was almost devoid of fish larvae (< 1 larvae/1000 m3). Early larval stages primarily inhabited the oxic and hypoxic levels above the core, while postflexion and transformation stages occurred across a wider oxygen gradient, including the deep level below the anoxic core. Epipelagic species (e.g., Auxis sp.) were predominantly found in the surface oxic level, whereas coastal‐demersal species (e.g., Bregmaceros bathymaster, Ophidion spp.) were prevalent in the hypoxic level above the core. Meso‐bathypelagic species (e.g., Diogenichthys laternatus, Cyclothone spp.) were present throughout the study area, including below the anoxic core as transformation larvae and juveniles. These findings indicate that a vertical expansion of anoxic waters in OMZs could further constrain the habitat of epipelagic species, while also affecting the ontogenic vertical movements of meso‐bathypelagic species.

Bedding effect on progressive crack propagation in layered sandstone grotto roof

Roof failure significantly threatens the safety and stability of grottoes. For the layered roof of sandstone grottoes, the failure process is closely related to bedding effects of crack propagation. Taking the Yuanjue Cave as an example, the progressive failure process of the layered roof was summarized. The mechanisms of crack propagation in the roof were analyzed theoretically, and bedding effects together with influencing factors of crack propagation were explored. Results showed that the instability process of the layered roof in sandstone grottoes can be summarized into four stages: tensile fracture of the roof, vertical expansion of cracks, horizontal deflection of cracks, and instability collapse of blocks. The development and propagation of cracks constituted the intrinsic cause of the instability of layered roofs. A fracture mechanics model for crack propagation in layered roofs was established considering the bedding effect, and the criteria for vertical expansion of cracks in grotto roofs was derived. Moreover, the fracture criterion of crack competition was modified in combination with the bedding effect, revealing that an increase in interlaminar cohesion inhibited the crack deflection mode. The crack deflection mode in grotto roofs was jointly determined by the stress at the crack-tip (σfxx and σfyy), the strength of the rock layers and bedding plane (σ't, μ and c). To control the crack propagation in roofs, the engineering reinforcement of grotto roofs can be achieved by weakening bedding effects and indirectly reducing the roof span. This study is of great significance for revealing the progressive failure process and optimizing the reinforcement scheme of layered roofs in grottoes.

Supply-Chain Antitrust and Being Too Big in the Context of AT&T’s 1984 Breakup

In 1984, due to a US Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit, AT&T, the U.S. telecommunications monopoly, split into eight entities, including long-distance and local service providers known as Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs). Vertical integration of suppliers typically benefits consumers by avoiding the issues associated with successive monopolies, where prices may be excessively high. The separation of long-distance and local services by the Department of Justice may seem counterintuitive, potentially driven by concerns over AT&T's size rather than economic rationale. This paper suggests that integrated monopolies have more willingness to build demand rigidity due to an absence of the free-riding problem, leading to higher prices. The implications extend to regulated firms and social media, highlighting the complexity of antitrust actions and their economic consequences on market dynamics and consumer welfare.

Analyzing the Eucalyptus Timber Value Chain in Thailand: Profit Distribution and Opportunities for Improvement

The Thai forestry sector relies greatly on Eucalyptus as a raw material. The rapid expansion of plantations during the last few decades and the high demand for Eucalyptus for several purposes has led to numerous supply chain practices. A comprehensive understanding of the Eucalyptus value chain is lacking in Thailand, which has consequences for optimization, sustainability, and profitability aspects. This study analyzed actors and their activities along the value chain and estimated added value and profit margin benefit distributions. The study method involved a value chain analysis approach, whereby input data were collected from the following groups: seedling suppliers and developers, farmers and tree growers, timber traders and collectors, intermediaries, processors, wholesalers, and consumers via key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, and group discussions. The results revealed the vertical integration of Eucalyptus timber businesses, where sapling breeders were the major input suppliers with a significant role in the value chain based on the role of controlling the majority of seedling production, promoting cultivation, and ensuring the raw material supply for the pulp industry through a full-cycle membership program. Total gross marketing margin was highest (90.6%) in the path of the pulp mill industry and lowest in the path of the biomass power plant (73.4%). The profit share of growers varied between 9.9% and 26.6% depending on the path and chain. The overall benefit distribution analysis demonstrated a positive gross profit margin but minor distribution to the growers. Our study determined that decision-makers should create supportive programs, funding opportunities, and infrastructural support for research and development, capacity building, and regulation to ensure suitable benefits for all actors in the Eucalyptus timber value chain in Thailand.

Innovative Stacked Yellow and Blue Mini-LED Chip for White Lamp Applications.

This study introduces a novel approach for fabricating vertically stacked mini-LED arrays, integrating InGaN yellow and blue epitaxial layers with a stress buffer layer to enhance optoelectronic characteristics and structural stability. This method significantly simplifies the LED design by reducing the need for RGB configurations, thus lowering costs and system complexity. Employing vertical stacking integration technology, the design achieves high-density, efficient white light production suitable for multifunctional applications, including automotive lighting and outdoor signage. Experimental results demonstrate the exceptional performance of the stacked yellow and blue mini-LEDs in terms of luminous efficiency, wavelength precision, and thermal stability. The study also explores the performance of these LEDs under varying temperature conditions and their long-term reliability, indicating that InGaN-based yellow LEDs offer superior performance over traditional AlGaInP yellow LEDs, particularly in high-temperature environments. This technology promises significant advancements in the design and application of lighting systems, with potential implications for both automotive and general illumination markets.

Firm Boundaries and Voluntary Disclosure

ABSTRACT We study how vertical integration shapes firms’ public disclosures. Theory suggests that firms can use public disclosure to coordinate with supply chain partners and predicts a substitution between vertical integration and public disclosure of future strategic plans, since the internalization of production reduces the need to publicly coordinate. Using data on the extent of vertical integration, we find that firms that become more vertically integrated reduce their public disclosures about their product strategies and that the reduction is most pronounced for vertically integrated firms with greater internalization of production and those with the largest informational and strategic frictions along the supply chain. JEL Classifications: D83; G14; L14; M41.

Supply chain resilience and international manufacturing strategy: a case study from the semiconductor industry

PurposeThis paper studies the interrelations between the concepts of supply chain resilience and international manufacturing strategy. On the basis of an in-depth case study of a company in the semiconductor industry, the paper seeks to integrate the concept of resilience into international manufacturing strategy.Design/methodology/approachIn an explorative qualitative single case study of a semiconductor manufacturer, a systems thinking model is developed from expert interviews and literature research that displays the interrelations of constituent constructs of supply chain resilience and international manufacturing strategy.FindingsForecast accuracy and organizational inertia are identified as barriers to resilience, whereas information technology (IT) capabilities and vertical integration are identified as major levers. Causal relations between constructs are identified, and a concrete suggestion for theory refinement of the manufacturing strategy framework of Miltenburg (2009) is provided.Originality/valuePrior literature on international manufacturing networks (IMNs) has not sufficiently taken into account the importance of resilience in the formulation of international manufacturing strategies. This paper aids in the integration of this increasingly important concept, in a critical industry that has recently been subject to major disruptions.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine-Flettner Rotor Integration as Hybrid Propulsion Power on a Model Ship

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine-Flettner Rotor Integration as Hybrid Propulsion Power on a Model Ship

Influence of policymakers and civil society stakeholders on sewage sludge management strategies: Empirical results from European utilities

Sewage sludge management is crucial for water utilities to move towards a circular valorisation of resources. The current literature focuses mainly on the technological aspects of sludge management strategies. However, the current discussion of these strategies does not consider possible pressures arising from the utilities' civil society stakeholders and from policymakers. To fill this gap, this paper develops a conceptual framework, based on the current literature, that identifies the utility's key decisions on sludge management strategies (valorisation route, overperformance and vertical integration), and links them to possible pressures arising from civil society and existing regulations. Subsequently, the study validates the framework through a multiple explanatory case study, investigating the empirical relevance of such pressures in six water utilities across Europe. The influence of citizens and municipalities is found to be crucial in the choice of sludge valorisation routes. Economic instruments, command and control instruments and, new to the literature, regulatory uncertainty are found to be key policy features influencing utilities' decisions on sludge management. The paper provides a first-of-its-kind investigation that highlights the mechanisms through which policymakers and civil society stakeholders shape utilities' sewage sludge management strategies. The results complement and extend existing theoretical knowledge on the role of institutional pressures in the implementation of sustainable environmental systems.

Building resilience or maintaining robustness: Insights from relational view and information processing perspective

Drawing upon the relational view and information processing perspective, we investigate how supply chain integration (SCI) comprising supplier integration and customer integration influence supply chain risk management (SCRM) practices embracing supply chain (SC) resilience and supply chain (SC) robustness, and subsequently influence supply chain (SC) performance. We further examine how big data analytics (BDA)-enabled agility moderates the impacts of SCI on SC resilience and SC robustness. Based on data collected from 121 match-paired surveys of manufacturing firms in China, we find that supplier integration positively impacts SC resilience, whereas customer integration positively impacts on SC robustness. BDA-enabled agility complements supplier integration while substitutes customer integration to improve SC resilience and SC robustness. Besides, our results reveal that SC resilience and SC robustness both improve SC performance, and SC robustness mediates the relationship between SC resilience and SC performance.

Liam tackles complex multimodal single-cell data integration challenges.

Multi-omics characterization of single cells holds outstanding potential for profiling the dynamics and relations of gene regulatory states of thousands of cells. How to integrate multimodal data is an open problem, especially when aiming to combine data from multiple sources or conditions containing both biological and technical variation. We introduce liam, a flexible model for the simultaneous horizontal and vertical integration of paired single-cell multimodal data and mosaic integration of paired with unimodal data. Liam learns a joint low-dimensional representation of the measured modalities, which proves beneficial when the information content or quality of the modalities differ. Its integration accounts for complex batch effects using a tunable combination of conditional and adversarial training, which can be optimized using replicate information while retaining selected biological variation. We demonstrate liam's superior performance on multiple paired multimodal data types, including Multiome and CITE-seq data, and in mosaic integration scenarios. Our detailed benchmarking experiments illustrate the complexities and challenges remaining for integration and the meaningful assessment of its success.

Monolithic Layered Silicon Composed of a Crystalline-Amorphous Network for Sustainable Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes.

While nanostructural engineering holds promise for improving the stability of high-capacity silicon (Si) anodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), challenges like complex synthesis and the high cost of nano-Si impede its commercial application. In this study, we present a local reduction technique to synthesize micron-scale monolithic layered Si (10-20 μm) with a high tap density of 0.9-1.0 g cm-3 from cost-effective montmorillonite, a natural layered silicate mineral. The created mesoporous structure within each layer, combined with the void spaces between interlayers, effectively mitigates both lateral and vertical expansion throughout repeated lithiation/delithiation cycles. Furthermore, the remaining SiO2 network fortifies the layered structure, preventing it from collapsing during cycling. Half-cell tests reveal a capacity retention of 92% with a reversible capacity of 1130 mAh g-1 over 500 cycles. Moreover, the pouch cell integrated with this Si anode (with a mass loading of 3.0 mg cm-2) and a commercial NCM811 cathode delivers a high energy density of 655 Wh kg-1 (based on the total mass of the cathode and anode) and maintains 82% capacity after 200 cycles. This work demonstrates a cost-efficient and scalable strategy to manufacture high-performance micron Si anodes for the ever-growing demand for high-energy LIBs.

Noradrenergic current responses of neurons in rat oculomotor neural integrators.

The prepositus hypoglossi nucleus (PHN) and the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC) are involved in the control of horizontal and vertical gaze, respectively. A previous study showed that PHN neurons exhibit depolarized or hyperpolarized responses to noradrenaline (NA). However, the adrenoceptor types that participate in NA-induced responses and the effects of NA on INC neurons have not yet been investigated. Furthermore, the relationship between NA-induced responses and neuron types defined by neurotransmitter phenotypes has not been determined. In this study, we investigated NA-induced current responses in PHN and INC neurons and the relationships between these responses and neuron types using whole cell recordings in wild-type and transgenic rat brainstem slices. Local application of NA to the cell soma induced slow inward (SI) and slow outward (SO) currents that were mainly mediated by α1 and α2 adrenoceptors, respectively. These current responses were observed in both PHN and INC neurons, although the proportion of INC neurons that responded to NA was low. Analyses of the distributions of the current responses revealed that in the PHN, all fluorescently identified inhibitory neurons exhibited SI currents, whereas glutamatergic and cholinergic neurons exhibited both SI and SO currents. In the INC, glutamatergic and inhibitory neurons preferentially exhibited SI and SO currents, respectively. When the PHN and INC neurons were characterized by their firing pattern, we found that the proportions of the currents depended on their firing pattern. These results suggest that various modes of noradrenergic modulation in horizontal and vertical neural integrators are dependent on neuron type.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Noradrenergic modulation of oculomotor neural integrators involved in gaze control has not been elucidated. Here, we report that noradrenaline (NA)-induced slow inward (SI) and outward (SO) currents are mediated mainly by α1 and α2 adrenoceptors in neurons that participate in horizontal and vertical gaze control. The NA-induced current responses differed depending on the neurotransmitter phenotype and firing pattern. These results suggest various modes of noradrenergic modulation in horizontal and vertical integrator neurons.

An end-Permian two-stage extinction pattern in the deep-water Dongpan Section, and its relationship to the migration and vertical expansion of the oxygen minimum zone in the South China Basin

The diversity and last appearance patterns of different taxa, inhabiting varied palaeo-water depths, can provide significant insights into the deterioration process of palaeoecosystems. This paper systematically summarizes the last appearance of the end-Permian planktons (including deep-water, intermediate-water, and shallow-water radiolarians) and benthos (including ostracods, foraminifers, brachiopods and bivalves) from Dongpan, a deep-water section of South China. Results show that the deep-water radiolarian Albaillellaria was the first order to go extinct, quickly followed by the intermediate- and shallow-water radiolarians and bottom-water ostracods and foraminifers. This was followed by the extinction of the bottom-water brachiopods and bivalves. We propose that the two-stage extinction pattern was related to the end-Permian migration and vertical expansion (both upward and downward) of an oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) along the southern margin of South China.

Consumer Preferences and Reactions to Brand Expansion

Abstract Consumer purchasing power is one of the key determinants of consumer behavior, among other factors. Acceptance of new brands or product line extensions of existing brands is influenced by perceived value. New products can be added to existing product lines by introducing new products within them, or brands can expand horizontally by entering entirely new categories or product lines. Any vertical expansion, whether to a higher or lower level, comes after a price shift and a product quality achievement relative to its base product. While survey-based research provides valuable insights that support the growth of the Premium brand, building a strong relationship with customers, quickly identifying preferences, personalizing the offer and fostering a climate of trust remain its main sources of value. The purpose of the paper is to show the positive relationship that exists between the vertical growth of the brand and the increase in customer loyalty, as shown by the research conducted on a deliberate sample.