The Resource and Leagile Strategy Model for Apparel Export Enterprises

Apparel export enterprises are organizations that are part of the global supply chain. Covid-19, a global pandemic, has emerged as a supply chain disruption since March 2020. The situation is uncertain, and export enterprises at upstream need clear visibility to manage business activities at their end. Due to Covid-19, all global chain stakeholders are at risk, but the apparel chain upstream is more vulnerable than in developing and underdeveloped countries. The situation is exacerbating sustainability and causing labor jobs, excess inventory, production waste, and irresponsible raw material consumption. The paper aims to propose a model based on resource capabilities and a supply chain strategy for exporting enterprises. The model presented in the research is the 'Resource & Leagile Strategy' (RLS) model. The study uses the resource-based view (RBV) to specify resources and leagile strategy to manage the uncertainties created due to Covid-19.

Analysis of the Impact of no Passing Zones on Fuel Costs

The primary task of traffic and transportation planning is to improve the conditions of traffic and level of service on the entire road network. On three sections, which were analyzed in this paper, the possibility of reducing the precentage of no passing zones was noticed, by changing the horizontal signalization on the segments of road section where the clear visibility for overtaking was determined for one direction of the two-way highway. In the first part of the paper, the analysis of traffic conditions on the existing and on the newly designed variants of all three observed road sections was performed. Analysis of the level of service on the intersections that are part of this research are done in chapter 2. Increasing the speed on the newly designed section results in a reduced travel time and this leads to savings in fuel costs as shown in chapter 3. Traffic forecast for the planning 2029 is done in chapter 4, the forecasted traffic load implies future traffic volumes for which adequate capacities of the road network need to be provided. Chapter 5 is based on determination of the relationship between the benefits brought by the newly designed variant and the costs that are realized during its construction. The results of this analysis were used as input data for the economic evaluation of the project solutions, where the savings in fuel costs were analyzed.

COVID-19 and Gender Equality: Achieving SDG5 in Africa

Achieving gender equality has been an utmost priority in the world. Particularly, in Africa, a continent drowned in patriarchy. To facilitate a quick result, the continent adopted and implemented international policies like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, with the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, questions have been raised towards the achievement of the sustainable development goal 5 ‘’achieving gender equality; and empower women and girls” come 2030. Thus, in answering this question, the study utilised a qualitative research method to gather information through secondary sources. The study highlighted that COVID-19 has deepened the existence of inequalities amongst gender, as well as reversing some of the gains of SDG5 before the arrival of COVID-19. The study emphasised the clear visibility of unjust fairness meted towards women, as well as the struggle faced by them in Africa. Going forward, the study recommended that African governments must reset their priorities and partner with grassroots NGOs to enhance appreciable progress towards SDG 5 in 2030.

Detecting Fake Drugs using Blockchain

The existing supply chain for the pharmaceutical industry is obsolete and lacks clear visibility over the entire system. Moreover, the circulation of counterfeit drugs in the market has increased over the years. According to the WHO report, around 10.5% of the medicinal drugs in lower / middle income countries are fake and such drugs may pose serious threats to public health, sometimes leading to death. Keeping these threats in mind, in this paper, we propose a blockchainbased model to track the movement of drugs from the industry to the patient and to minimize the chances of a drug being counterfeit. The reasons for using blockchain technology in our work include its immutability property and easy tracking of an entity in the blockchain. Through this proposed model, the manufacturer would be able to upload the details corresponding to a drug, after which it will be sent for approval to the Government. Thereafter, hospitals and pharmacies, based upon their requirements, can request the approved drugs. In the future, if a patient wants some medication, then he or she has to request it on the blockchain network. The request will be sent to the nearest hospital/pharmacy and thereafter, the patient can collect the medication. To implement this model, we have used Hyperledger fabric due to the presence of many autoimplemented features in it. Our implementation of the proposed blockchain based model highlights that the model can successfully detect any drug being counterfeit. This will be beneficial for the users getting affected with counterfeit drugs. Moreover, with the proposed model, we can also track the movement of the drug beginning from the manufacturer right up to the patient consuming that drug.

Development of Integrated 3-Dimensional Computer Graphics Human Head Model

BACKGROUND Understanding the complex anatomy of neurostructures is very important in various stages of medical education, from medical students to experienced neurosurgeons, and, ultimately, for the knowledge of human beings. OBJECTIVE To develop an interactive computer graphics (CG) anatomic head model and present the current progress. METHODS Based on the prior head 3-dimensional CG (3DCG) polygon model, 23 additional published papers and textbooks were consulted, and 2 neurosurgeons and 1 CG technician performed revision and additional polygon modeling. Three independent neurosurgeons scored the clear visibility of anatomic structures relevant to neurosurgical procedures (anterior petrosal and supracerebellar infratentorial approaches) in the integrated 3DCG model (i model) and patients’ radiological images (PRIs) such as those obtained from computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography. RESULTS The i model consisted of 1155 parts (.stl format), with a total of 313 763 375 polygons, including 10 times more information than the foundation model. The i model was able to illustrate complex and minute neuroanatomic structures that PRIs could not as well as extracranial structures such as paranasal sinuses. Our subjective analysis showed that the i model had better clear visibility scores than PRIs, particularly in minute nerves, vasculatures, and dural structures. CONCLUSION The i model more clearly illustrates minute anatomic structures than PRIs and uniquely illustrates nuclei and fibers that radiological images do not. The i model complements cadaveric dissection by increasing accessibility according to spatial, financial, ethical, and social aspects and can contribute to future medical education.

Ethics, Emotional Quotient, and Interpersonal Connection: Peer-identified Characteristics for Urban High School-based Peer Navigators

Objective: Youth-initiated outreach in schools has the potential to increase utilization of schoolbased health centers (SBHC). We aimed to identify preferred attributes of peer navigators (PNs) working in SBHCs. Methods: We conducted 4 focus groups using the nominal group technique. Participants represented a convenience sample of students. Inclusion criteria included enrollment in SBHC and afterschool availability. Each group was 60 minutes long and reflected on 3 aspects of PNs to define key characteristics. We used a team-based approach for iterative-inductive analysis of data involving open-coding to identify inter-group themes. Results: We recruited 37 participants from a single high school campus. Each group consisted of 8-13 adolescents. The “Who” question identified preferred characteristics: “Having Experience/Knowledge,” “Positive Role Model,” and “High Emotional Quotient.” The “What” question identified preferred content areas: “Mental Health,” “Reproductive Health,” and “Basic Health Information.” The “How” question identified methods of communication: “Clear Visibility,” “Community Participation,” “One-on-One Interactions.” Conclusions: Adolescents provided assessment of what they would hope for from a PN. There is overwhelming emphasis on interpersonal qualities and ethical standards of behavior. This could have important program design and recruitment implications for PNs working with adolescent populations.

A study on the effects of innovation marketing process for Indonesian SMEs’ in food and beverage sector

SMEs in the food and beverage sector should be a responsive business for reaching consumers more effectively, expanding the market, and reducing consumer transaction costs. Still, many SMEs’ in the food and beverage sector are hesitant to use social media due to lack of some aspects in their business platforms. The study aims to give an overview model of the innovation marketing process by emphasizing the characteristics of SMEs’, which is simultaneously associated with marketing mix. The proposed model combined the TOE model and characteristics with a marketing mix using SEM on 198 SMEs in the Indonesian food and beverage sector. The findings proved that each technological, environmental, organizational, and characteristics are positively related to each of the people and processes. The management team roles in innovative solutions and contingencies of a complex environment gave the highest positive effects to technology and environment. However, technology does not always facilitate the work process, the quality of result, and process consistency for more efficiency. There are highlight points, i.e. the clear visibility of employee appraisals process for bridging the gap of competencies; using perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived trust for generating business ideas, and attracting new customers.

Risk Factors and Options of Management for an Incidental Dural Tear in Biportal Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Study Design: Here we perform a retrospective analysis regarding an incidental dural tear (IDT) during biportal endoscopic spinal surgery (BESS).Purpose: This study investigates the causes of IDT specifically related to technical procedures of BESS with the aim of lowering its risk during training.Overview of Literature: The incidence of dural tear is reported 0.5%–18% in open spinal surgery and 1.7%–4.3% during endoscopic spinal surgery. Because conversion to open surgery for direct repair could become necessary during endoscopic spinal surgery, prevention of this complication is essential.Methods: We have retrospectively studied IDTs by four surgeons during 1 or 2 years after starting BESS for lumbar degenerative diseases and analyzed the locations, sizes, and specific endoscopic conditions specific to each.Results: Twenty-five cases (1.6%) of IDTs among 1,551 cases of BESS occurred; 13 cases (52%) of these were within the first 6 months. The locations were dorsal midline in 12 cases, ipsilateral side in 11 cases, and contralateral side in two cases. The tear sizes were <10 mm in 20 cases and ≥10 mm in five cases. IDT commonly occurred due to injury of central dural folding during flavectomy under turbid surgical fields due to small bleeds under water. Twenty cases with IDTs of <10 mm were treated well with the patch technique. Among five cases of ≥10 mm, three underwent open repair within a few days, and two of these which failed to conservative management required a delayed revision operation due to pseudomeningocele. No cases progressed to surgical site infection or infectious spondylitis.Conclusions: IDTs of <10 mm can be successfully treated with the patch technique. To prevent IDT during the early learning period, maintaining clear visibility by securing fluent saline outflow and meticulous hemostasis of small bleeding from exposed cancellous bone and epidural vessels is essential with caution not to injure the central dural folding during midline flavectomy.

Lubricant-infused directly engraved nano-microstructures for mechanically durable endoscope lens with anti-biofouling and anti-fogging properties

While a clear operating field during endoscopy is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective surgery, fogging or biofouling of the lens can cause loss of visibility during these procedures. Conventional cleaning methods such as the use of an irrigation unit, anti-fogging surfactant, or particle-based porous coatings infused with lubricants have been used but proven insufficient to prevent loss of visibility. Herein, a mechanically robust anti-fogging and anti-biofouling endoscope lens was developed by forming a lubricant-infused directly engraved nano-/micro-structured surface (LIDENS) on the lens. This structure was directly engraved onto the lens via line-by-line ablation with a femtosecond laser. This directly engraved nano/microstructure provides LIDENS lenses with superior mechanical robustness compared to lenses with conventional particle-based coatings, enabling the maintenance of clear visibility throughout typical procedures. The LIDENS lens was chemically modified with a fluorinated self-assembled monolayer (F-SAM) followed by infusion of medical-grade perfluorocarbon lubricants. This provides the lens with high transparency (> 70%) along with superior and long-lasting repellency towards various liquids. This excellent liquid repellency was also shown to be maintained during blood dipping, spraying, and droplet condensation experiments. We believe that endoscopic lenses with the LIDENS offer excellent benefits to endoscopic surgery by securing clear visibility for stable operation.

Development of robotic rover with controller & vision system

<p><span>Rover is a robotic system that integrates a simple system implementing electrical and mechanical components together. In this study, we propose a rover using mechanical components which consist of a robotic arm, joint and mechanical gripper, backbone chassis and continues track, while the electrical components include servo motor, servo controller, transmitter and receiver for vision system and wireless controller via USB host as its control system. The purpose of this project is for monitoring and safety purposes. In addition, the main goal of this project is to develop a simple robotic rover that is easy to build and manufacture as well as cost-effective. To add more functionality on this rover, it is equipped with a robotic arm and real-time view camera integration. This rover is equipped with a first-person view (FPV) camera, an integrated camera on the rover that can give clear visibility and direction to the rover pilot. The live feed can be viewed on the monitor inside the command station box. It can be used to assist safety authorities to collect information &amp; insights, work lift to collect and remove the load and to conduct search and rescue operation. As for the result, the mobility system of the robotic rover at terrain surfaces and analyses the capabilities of the chassis during lifting load had been tested.</span></p>