Remanufacturing has been characterized as the ultimate form of recycling and an engine of the closed-loop supply chain process. Unfortunately, remanufacturing remains a largely untapped opportunity ...to improve both supply chain productivity and sustainability. Chief among the reasons given for remanufacturing's failure to fully realize its potential is consumer perception of the quality of remanufactured goods. However, little is known about what truly constitutes quality in the context of a remanufactured product. As a first step toward allaying this information asymmetry, this research develops the perceived quality of remanufactured products construct and associated measure. A rigorous instrument development process was followed, consisting of five sequential data-collection efforts from three different countries. Perceived quality of remanufactured products is found to be a multidimensional construct based on four underlying factors: lifespan, features, performance, and serviceability which can be used by both scholars and practitioners. Scholars can use the content valid and reliable instrument as part of future research efforts aimed addressing the dearth of remanufactured focused research addressing behavioral and marketing related issues. Practitioners can use the newly developed measure to aid in their selection of signals best suited to communicate quality expectations and standards.
•Quality in terms of remanufactured products is ill-defined and lacks common measure.•Five data collection efforts culminate in a measure for perceived quality.•Perceived quality of remanufactured products is found to be multi-dimensional.•The four dimensions include: lifespan, features, performance, and serviceability.
Sustainability Careers Boone, Christopher G; Bromaghim, Erin; Kapuscinski, Anne R
Annual review of environment and resources,
11/2023, Letnik:
48, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development are the grand challenges for this century. This review assesses how sustainability and green jobs are changing in response to these ...formidable challenges, with a focus on energy transitions and responsible production and consumption. The energy transition to renewable sources will generate a net increase in employment, although some regions of the world may see net losses. Jobs in responsible consumption and production, motivated by changing consumer demand and savings from circular economy strategies, will increase the number of green and sustainability jobs. Since sustainability and green jobs require higher levels of creative problem-solving, more nonroutine activities, formal education, and on-the-job training than traditional jobs, more training will be necessary to meet skills demands in green and sustainability positions. We review how competency and capacity approaches to learning, credentialing, and on-the-job training have been employed to meet growing demand for sustainability and green jobs.
Overlay of BRZ (magenta) and DRZ (orange) in the active site of CA II. Hydrophobic region, red; hydrophilic region, blue.
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are metalloenzymes that catalyze the ...reversible hydration of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate. Their pivotal role in metabolism, ubiquitous nature, and multiple isoforms (CA I–XIV) has made CAs an attractive drug target in clinical applications. The usefulness of CA inhibitors (CAIs) in the treatment of glaucoma and epilepsy are well documented. In addition several isoforms of CAs (namely, CA IX) also serve as biological markers for certain tumors, and therefore they have the potential for useful applications in the treatment of cancer. This is a structural study on the binding interactions of the widely used CA inhibitory drugs brinzolamide (marketed as Azopt®) and dorzolamide (marketed as Trusopt®) with CA II and a CA IX-mimic, which was created via site-directed mutagenesis of CA II cDNA such that the active site resembles that of CA IX. Also the inhibition of CA II and CA IX and molecular docking reveal brinzolamide to be a more potent inhibitor among the other catalytically active CA isoforms compared to dorzolamide. The structures show that the tail end of the sulfonamide inhibitor is critical in forming stabilizing interactions that influence tight binding; therefore, for future drug design it is the tail moiety that will ultimately determine isoform specificity.
Abstract
Redlining was a racially discriminatory housing policy established by the federal government’s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) during the 1930s. For decades, redlining limited access to ...homeownership and wealth creation among racial minorities, contributing to a host of adverse social outcomes, including high unemployment, poverty, and residential vacancy, that persist today. While the multigenerational socioeconomic impacts of redlining are increasingly understood, the impacts on urban environments and ecosystems remain unclear. To begin to address this gap, we investigated how the HOLC policy administered 80 years ago may relate to present-day tree canopy at the neighborhood level. Urban trees provide many ecosystem services, mitigate the urban heat island effect, and may improve quality of life in cities. In our prior research in Baltimore, MD, we discovered that redlining policy influenced the location and allocation of trees and parks. Our analysis of 37 metropolitan areas here shows that areas formerly graded D, which were mostly inhabited by racial and ethnic minorities, have on average ~23% tree canopy cover today. Areas formerly graded A, characterized by U.S.-born white populations living in newer housing stock, had nearly twice as much tree canopy (~43%). Results are consistent across small and large metropolitan regions. The ranking system used by Home Owners’ Loan Corporation to assess loan risk in the 1930s parallels the rank order of average percent tree canopy cover today.
•Demonstrates how data science and open source software can be exploited to meet growing demand of data-driven decisions across organizational processes.•Application of the presented data science ...approach proved simpler and faster; reducing required sourcing assessment time from 30 to 90 days to less than an hour.•Demonstrates the efficacy of a theory driven data science method in a practical setting and then makes the tool available to other users via open source software.
Data science has emerged as a significant capability upon which firms compete. Although many data scientists and the high-performing companies that employ them seem to have developed robust methods to employ data sciences practices to achieve competitive advantages, there have been few attempts at defining and explaining how and why data science helps firms to achieve desired outcomes. In this paper, we describe how data science, which combines computer programming, domain knowledge, and analytic skillsets to scientifically extract insights from data, can be used to help meet the growing demand of analytic needs across an organization’s value chain. This is done through the illustration of an applied data science initiative to a strategic sourcing problem via the use of open-source technology. In doing so, we contribute to the growing data science literature by demonstrating the application of unique data science capabilities. Moreover, the paper provides a tutorial on how to use a specific R package along with an actual case in which that package use used.
Local parks and walkable neighborhoods are commonly cited as elements of the urban environment that promote physical activity and reduce obesity risk. When those vulnerable to obesity-related ...diseases live in neighborhoods without these qualities, it works against environmental justice goals that aim for a fair distribution of amenities. We use geographic information systems (GIS) to evaluate the relationship between the distribution of populations vulnerable to obesity and proximity to parks and walkable street networks in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Though previous studies have used GIS to assess the distribution of access to opportunities for physical activity, none have analyzed access to both parks and walkable resources at once. Neither have they included data that reflects findings on a smaller scale indicating that perceptions of resource quality, safety, and cultural relevance also affect physical activity levels. We include these safety and quality factors in our study through statistical data on traffic fatalities, crime rates and park size. We find that, counter to predictions, subpopulations generally considered vulnerable to obesity (and environmental injustices more generally) are more likely to live in walkable neighborhoods and have better walking access to neighborhood parks than other groups in Phoenix. However, crime is highest in walkable neighborhoods with large Latino/a and African-American populations and parks are smaller in areas populated by Latino/as. Given the higher prevalence of obesity and related diseases in lower income and minority populations in Phoenix, the results suggest that benefits of built environments may be offset by social characteristics. Our most consistent finding indicates a strong negative relationship between the percentage of the population under 18 years of age living in an area and the likelihood that the structure of the built environment supports physical activity. Children under 18 are significantly underrepresented in regions deemed highly walkable and those with access to parks.
Purpose This research paper aims to examine two hybrid models of logistics service quality (LSQ) and its influence on satisfaction, loyalty and future purchase intention in a business-to-consumer ...(B2C) e-commerce context. This study extends the literature for LSQ by incorporating the second-order assurance quality construct, which comprises personnel contact quality, order discrepancy handling and order returns, into one of the hybrid models. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based approach is used to collect data. Participant responses to questions concerning multiple LSQ dimensions and behavioral perceptions from their most recent online shopping experience are measured using structural equation modeling. Findings Findings highlight the importance of including a second-order construct assurance quality as a more explanatory model. Results illustrate that online ordering procedures and assurance quality impact customer satisfaction more than other prominent LSQ dimensions. Furthermore, the findings revealed a customer loyalty is a partial mediator between customer satisfaction and future purchase intention. This underscores the significance of improved logistics services as a competitive edge for e-commerce retailers. Research limitations/implications Implications are limited to the e-commerce B2C domain. Practical implications The findings of this study underscore critical LSQ dimensions that garner greater satisfaction and retention in the online shopping experience. The results indicate that the effective and efficient handling of the initial order and any order problem significantly influences customer satisfaction and reaps the long-term benefits of customer retention. Originality/value The authors present and empirically test a hybrid model of LSQ in a B2C e-commerce domain that captures many of the important elements of the customer experience as espoused in the literature.
Purpose
– Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a data analysis method of choice for many empirical supply chain management (SCM) researchers. As the statistical technique has evolved, so have its ...applications and reporting guidelines. Consequently, there has been a lack of standardized reporting across the SCM literature. The purpose of this paper is to provide a basis for standardizing reporting conventions.
Design/methodology/approach
– This paper presents a review of recent SEM methods literature. In addition, the authors content analyze articles from International Journal of Logistics Management, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, and Journal of Business Logistics that contained either covariance-based or partial least square structural equation models. Using the aforementioned literature review and content analysis, the authors compare and contrast what is currently reported in extant supply chain literature with suggested reporting protocols in the methods literature.
Findings
– Based on the review and analysis, the authors suggest standardized reporting conventions for the use of SEM in SCM research. In addition, the findings suggest that much more could and should be reported with respect to the decision as to which SEM technique to employ.
Originality/value
– This paper can serve as a useful checklist and set of references for scholars publishing SEM research in supply chain journals.
Rapid urbanization of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area exemplifies the dominant US Southwest urban growth pattern of the past six decades. Using a combination of multitemporal land cover data, gradient ...analysis, and landscape metrics, we quantify and characterize spatiotemporal patterns of land fragmentation observed in Phoenix. We analyze historical, qualitative data to identify five major socio-ecological drivers critical to understanding the urbanization processes and fragmentation patterns: population dynamics, water provisioning, technology and transportation, institutional factors, and topography. A second objective is to assess the applicability and accuracy of National Land cover Database (NLCD)-—a widely used land cover dataset—-to detect and measure urban growth and land fragmentation patterns in the relatively treeless desert biome of the US Southwest. In contrast to studies in the temperate eastern USA where NLCD has proved inaccurate for detection of exurban development, our study demonstrates that NLCD is a reliable data source for measuring land use in the southwest, even in low-density environments. By combining qualitative analyses of social-ecological drivers with fragmentation analyses, we move toward an improved understanding of urbanization and insights on the human modification framework used widely in land change science.
► We quantify and characterize land fragmentation patterns observed in Phoenix. ► Urban growth has been more contiguous than “leap frog” in pattern. ► Fragmentation rates are highest in areas dominated by low-density land cover. ► NLCD is a reliable dataset to detect land change in the arid southwestern region.
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