Simulation analysis of cold chain performance based on time–temperature data

Perishable goods are a fundamental source of revenue for the retail sector; their management, however, constitutes a severe challenge for retailers and supply chain partners. A significant cost in particular is the fraction of products perished through the supply chain, which also constitutes an ethical and environmental concern. Supply chain organisation and operative characteristics have a significant influence on this matter, as in fact ensuring suitable temperature conditions for the stock-keeping units throughout the supply chain is mandatory for perishable products. Recent developments in sensing and communication technologies allow detailed monitoring and control of cold chain; however, depending on the characteristics of the supply chain, an inherent risk of perished products is often inevitable, even in the hypothesis of perfect control. This article proposes a methodology to evaluate the performance of a cold chain in terms of expected product quality at the retail store, and to estimate the expected fraction of perished products, according to the supply chain configuration. The approach is based on Monte Carlo simulation, and implements referenced shelf-life models. A real application is also presented, involving a preliminary analysis and mapping of the supply chain activities based on time–temperature data, in order to demonstrate the practicability of the approach proposed.     

Negotiating cultural values and expectations within the public child welfare system: A look at familismo and personalismo

This paper examines, from the perspective of parents and child welfare workers, how cultural values and expectations are integrated and negotiated in public child welfare cases. The study focuses on the experiences and interactions of Mexican families with the public child welfare system in Southern California. Grounded theory is used to complete the content analysis. Findings indicate that workers' efforts to provide culturally congruent services are limited by organizational structural factors. Consistent with the value of personalismo, parents stress the importance of a good relationship with their worker and the implications to their case. Specific recommendations to enhance service delivery include (1) developing services models that are informed by families served; (2) developing/providing ongoing training and evaluation to ascertain if services are in fact culturally competent; and (3) promoting a change in child welfare policy that reflects the diverse needs of families.     

African Drumming: a perfect tool for a more open and inclusive approach to intercultural education and development

Children are born with rhythm, no matter what their cultural ancestry. Rhythm is the lifeline uniting every child in the macro‐society of the human world. In this article I describe the vast potential of using rhythm, especially that associated with African drumming, when working with young people, both within and outside educational settings.     

Household dynamics and fuelwood consumption in developing countries: a cross-national analysis

Previous research has suggested a link between household dynamics (i.e., average household size and number of households) and environmental impacts at the national level. Building on this work, we empirically test the relationship between household dynamics and fuelwood consumption, which has been implicated in anthropogenic threats to biodiversity. We focus our analysis on developing countries (where fuelwood is an important energy source). Our results show that nations with smaller average households consume more fuelwood per capita. This finding indicates that the household economies of scale are, indeed, associated with the consumption of fuelwood. In addition, we found that number of households is a better predictor of total fuelwood consumption than average household size suggesting a greater relative contribution to consumption levels. Thus, insofar as declining average household sizes result in increased number of households and higher per capita consumption, this trend may be a signal of serious threats to biodiversity and resource conservation. We also found further support for the ??energy ladder?? hypothesis that economic development reduces demand for traditional fuels.     

WHO CAN SPEAK TO RACE AND NATION?

This article examines the production and publication of the Parekh Report (2000) by drawing upon two related current debates – the decline of the public intellectual and the necessity for a public sociology. It argues that both of these debates have failed to engage with concrete examples of public intellectual labour, with the complexities of public communication sociologically and have been reticent as to which particular intellectual voices are able to enter the public sphere. The article argues that the intellectually orientated, multiculturally constituted Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain Commission which authored the report and the report's moment of publication both offer sites in which these critiques can be developed. The article foregrounds the question as to who is entitled to inaugurate, participate in and shape public debates on race, nation, and national identity and evidences the difficulties of attempting to do so in a ‘race volatile’, anti-intellectual and heavily mediated political milieu.