Analytical Method

This study explores how innovations surrounding supply chain communication systems (SCCS) affect channel relationships and market performance. Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, the study hypothesizes that certain SCCS innovations can be viewed as firm resources that enhance channel capabilities, which in turn affect a firm’s market performance. The empirical research is based on 184 responses from a survey with U.S. supply chain and logistics managers using structural equation modeling as the analytic method. The results suggest that the effect of applied technological SCCS innovations on channel capabilities is mediated by interfirm systems integration. In contrast, administrative SCCS innovations enhance information exchange and coordination activities directly. Furthermore, the influence of applied technological innovations for SCCS is not strong enough to affect either responsiveness of the partnership or firm performance, whereas administrative innovations for SCCS affect both.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental carcinogenic compounds that may contaminate vegetable oils and their levels can be reduced by refining. In order to understand the influence of the refining steps, the content of 15 PAHs was assessed throughout alkaline refining in soybean, sunflower and olive oil samples. Eight commercial brands of these oils were also analysed. The analytical method involved a liquid–liquid extraction, a solid-phase clean up (C18 and Florisil) followed by RP-HPLC with fluorimetric detection. The total PAHs content in the studied samples can be considered generally low. The light PAHs (2–4 rings) were predominant. Virgin olive oils showed the highest values (max. 26 μg/kg). An evident decrease of PAHs contents during alkaline refining was observed (71%, 88% and 85% in sunflower, soybean and olive oils, respectively) being more pronounced in light PAHs. Neutralization and, particularly, deodorization were the more effective steps contributing...

With thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) it is possible to have an estimation of vegetable oil resistance to oxidation, having a measure of weight gain percent (Δ%) due to oxygen caption of oil sample during the oxidation, and of initial and final oxidation temperatures (Ti and Tf). The following samples were examined: extra-virgin olive oil, olive oil, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, maize oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, grape seed oil, hazelnut oil, rice oil and four different kinds of oils for frying. An assessment of data obtained so far makes it possible to point out some interesting outcomes. With regard to weight gain percent, the peanut, rice and extra-virgin olive oils showed the lowest values, whereas the highest one has been detected for one of the oils for frying. As concerns the initial oxidation temperature the rice oil has displayed the maximum value, whereas the same oil for frying above said the minimum. The experimental approach and analytical method developed in this...

GaAs, GaAs:Si and GaAs:C films were deposited on GaAs substrates by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition( MOCVD) technique. The vibrational study of the heterostructures was performed by mu-Raman technique, and measurements were made at different temperatures using a sample holder with a micro-heater included within it. The spectral information was used to determine the strain caused in GaAs heterostructure because

The purpose of the study was to optimise analytical methods for determination of the chemical speciation of mercury in studies of protective mechanisms of selenium. Optimisation of the methods was performed using CRM DOLT-2 (Dogfish liver), both in its original form and after separation of various fractions. The sample was homogenised with 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.6) and ultracentrifuged. The soluble phase obtained was applied to a size exclusion chromatography column (Sephadex G-75 column) for separation of various protein fractions. Total mercury (total Hg), monomethyl mercury (MeHg) and selenium (Se) were determined in whole dogfish liver tissue and its soluble and insoluble phases (pellet). Different approaches for determination of total Hg and MeHg were compared. Simultaneous determination of MeHg and inorganic mercury (Hg2+) was based on alkaline dissolution and/or acid leaching, followed by ethylation, room temperature precollection, isothermal gas chromatography (GC), pyr...

The phenomena of machine failures, defects, multiple rework loops, etc., results in much difficulty in modeling rework systems, and therefore the performance analysis of such systems has been investigated limitedly in the past. We propose an analytical method for the performance evaluation of rework systems with unreliable machines and finite buffers. To characterize the rework flow in the system, a new 3M1B (three-machine and one-buffer) Markov model is first presented. Unlike previous models, it is capable of representing multiple rework loops, and the rework fraction of each loop is calculated based on the quality of material flow in the system. A decomposition method is then developed for multistage rework systems using the proposed 3M1B model as one of the building blocks. The experimental results demonstrate that the decomposition method provides accurate estimates of performance measures such as throughput and Work-In-Process (WIP). We have applied this method to several problems, such as the determination of the optimal inspection location and the identification of bottleneck machines in rework systems.► We propose an analytical model for manufacturing systems with multiple rework loops. ► We solve problems such as inspection allocation and bottleneck identification. ► Bottlenecks of rework systems migrate differently compared to systems without rework. ► We propose a continuous improvement strategy in the paper.

In the UK, hospitals are being encouraged to introduce booked admissions policies for elective inpatient services whereby patients are given a date for hospital admission months in advance rather than being put on a waiting list and then informed of their admission date at short notice. We address the question of what level of capacity is required to operate such a system if cancellations of booked elective patients are to be kept to a low level. Methods are presented for quantifying the day to day variation in bed demand due to emergency admissions, patient initiated cancellations and variable lengths of stay amongst patients.

Cavitation damage of the medium carbon steel was performed using the modified vibratory cavitation test set up. Erosion rates were measured by analytical method. The morphology of damage under cavitation action was determined by optical microscopy techniques. Image analysis was used for determination change of the ratio of ferritic phase in the heat treated medium carbon steel during cavitation action. Implementation of image analysis was done by Image Pro Plus Program.

In this paper a novel approach based on Asymptotic Iteration Method (AIM) is presented to solve analytically the light propagation through one-dimensional inhomogeneous slab waveguide. Practically implemented optical slab waveguides based on traditional techniques are usually inhomogeneous and numerical methods are used to obtain guided wave characteristics. In this work, we develop analytical method for modal analysis includes Eigen modes

The behavior of metal and ceramic powders co-sprayed through a plasma jet was simulated using a commercial fluid dynamics model in which the particles are considered as discrete Langrangian entities. Computations were carried out for the plasma jet and the injected particles using (a) a steady-state three-dimensional (3-D) jet and (b) a simplified two-dimensional (2-D) model. An analytical method was used to estimate the appropriate injection velocities for the metal and ceramic particles, injected through opposing nozzles perpendicular to the plasma flow, so that their “mean” trajectories would impinge on the same area on the target surface. Comparison of the model projections with experimental measurements showed that this method of computation can be used to predict and control the behavior of particles of widely different properties.

In 1997, low-level perchlorate contamination (<50 ng mL -1 or parts per billion) was discovered in the western U.S. Since that time, it has been found in sites scattered around the nation. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has not established a regulation for perchlorate in drinking water, it has placed perchlorate on the contaminant candidate list (CCL) and the unregulated