Neha Choudhary, Chandrachur Ghosh, Varun Sharma, Partha Roy and Pradeep Kumar
The purpose of this paper is to fabricate the scaffolds with different pore architectures using additive manufacturing and analyze its mechanical and biological properties for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to fabricate the scaffolds with different pore architectures using additive manufacturing and analyze its mechanical and biological properties for bone tissue engineering applications.
Design/methodology/approach
The polylactic acid (PLA)/composite filament were fabricated through single screw extrusion and scaffolds were printed with four different pore architectures, i.e. circle, square, triangle and parallelogram with fused deposition modelling. Afterwards, scaffolds were coated with hydroxyapatite (HA) using dip coating technique. Various physical and thermo-mechanical tests have been conducted to confirm the feasibility. Furthermore, the biological tests were conducted with MG63 fibroblast cell lines to investigate the biocompatibility of the developed scaffolds.
Findings
The scaffolds were successfully printed with different pore architectures. The pore size of the scaffolds was found to be nearly 1,500 µm, and porosity varied between 53% and 63%. The fabricated circular pore architecture resulted in highest average compression strength of 13.7 MPa and modulus of 525 MPa. The characterizations showed the fidelity of the work. After seven days of cell culture, it was observed that the developed composites were non-toxic and supported cellular activities. The coating of HA made the scaffolds bioactive, showing higher wettability, degradation and high cellular responses.
Originality/value
The research attempts highlight the development of novel biodegradable and biocompatible polymer (PLA)/bioactive ceramic (Al2O3) composite for additive manufacturing with application in the tissue engineering field.
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Neha Choudhary, Anish Kumar, Varun Sharma and Pradeep Kumar
Additive manufacturing (AM) is expected to significantly transform the operations in manufacturing sector. It is also proposed to have optimistic applications in the medical…
Abstract
Purpose
Additive manufacturing (AM) is expected to significantly transform the operations in manufacturing sector. It is also proposed to have optimistic applications in the medical supply chains (SC). However, its adoption in medical sector is faced with a range of barriers. Motivated by the need to establish an AM-based medical SC in a developing economy, the present paper analyses the potential barriers that would hinder the adoption of AM in medical SC.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an extensive literature review and expert discussions, 12 significant barriers have been identified, which are analysed using an integrated interpretive structural modelling–analytical network process (ISM–ANP) methodology. An interrelationship between these barriers using ISM has been analysed to determine the driving-dependence power of these barriers using MICMAC (Matrice d' Impacts Croises-Multiplication Applique' e a' Classement) analysis. The barriers are then ranked using the ANP approach.
Findings
It has been focussed that the non-availability of a variety of materials, lack of education and training to designers and workers and production technology limitation are the most critical barriers. The results suggest that the managers should give greater significance to the technological and organizational barriers.
Originality/value
An approach to overcome these barriers can help the managers and organizations to develop successful AM-based SCs. The study is the first to identify and analyse the barriers for successful adoption of AM in medical SC context.
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Mahesh Chand, Neha Bhatia and Rajesh Kumar Singh
Industries start focusing on the green concept in supply chain management (SCM) to reduce waste and emission, preserve the quality of natural resources and decrease the…
Abstract
Purpose
Industries start focusing on the green concept in supply chain management (SCM) to reduce waste and emission, preserve the quality of natural resources and decrease the consumption of hazardous/harmful materials for better product life cycle, which not only improve environmental performance but also economic performance. But, for industries, it is still very difficult to understand and analyze the effect of individual activities and their corresponding contribution. The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze selected issues in green supply chain management for the implementation of the green concept in industries.
Design/methodology/approach
To fulfill the objectives of this paper, analytical network process-multi-objective optimization using rational analysis (ANP-MOORA) techniques are used. In the proposed methodologies, different issues, sub-issues, and alternatives are identified for the selection of the best supply chain using ANP which is being followed by the MOORA method.
Findings
Findings of this paper are highly valuable for the Indian manufacturing industries for the management of green supply chain (GSC) issues.
Research limitations/implications
In this research, only selected issues are identified and analyzed for the management of GSCs. Further, it is believed that an ANP-based framework helps to take up the explicit account of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approaches in decision making and for improving and selecting the best supply chain. Other issues in GSC can be analyzed and further extended by other MCDM approaches.
Originality/value
This paper identified different type of supply chains and their issues. The systematic way of analyzing the green concept in supply chain helps the researchers and managers to implement green management practices for improving economic and environmental performance.
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Anurodhsingh Khanuja, Rajan Sreedharan and Neha Sharma
Industrial Revolution 4.0 prompts organizations to adopt emerging technologies, and the healthcare industry is no different from them. Further, it is important to adopt new edge…
Abstract
Purpose
Industrial Revolution 4.0 prompts organizations to adopt emerging technologies, and the healthcare industry is no different from them. Further, it is important to adopt new edge technologies to improve services and the well-being of patients. This research synthesizes the work most influenced by this technology and the trends and usage of Industry 4.0 technologies in the healthcare sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The study has used the Scopus and Web of Science databases to retrieve articles published in healthcare and Industry 4.0 for bibliometric analysis. Specifically, Bibliometrix (R-package) and VOSviewer were used to analyze data related to authors, sources, keywords and content analysis.
Findings
The study found increased research trends in Industry 4.0 and healthcare in recent years. The USA, India and China are top contributors in this field, showing research progress in developed and developing economies. Dwivedi Y and Kumar A. were top researchers in the field. The finding also reveals that predictive analytics, deep technology and sustainable development are emerging areas for healthcare where Industry 4.0 can play a crucial role.
Practical implications
Using Industry 4.0 technologies can help the company improve its services, operational efficiency and patient care.
Originality/value
The study explored the trends in the healthcare sector for using Industry 4.0 technologies through bibliometric analysis.
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Ismaanzira Ismail and Effiezal Aswadi Abdul Wahab
This paper aims to examine whether the cooperation between female chief financial officers (CFO) and the proportion of female directors would impact investment efficiency. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine whether the cooperation between female chief financial officers (CFO) and the proportion of female directors would impact investment efficiency. The investigation is grounded in the increasing number of female top managers globally and the notion that female tends to cooperate more with other female than with male.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses publicly listed firms in Bursa Malaysia from 2016 to 2020, which yielded a sample of 2,022 firm-year observations. The authors used multivariate ordinary least square regression to test the relationship, and to correct for the selection bias, the Heckman selection and PSM test were used.
Findings
The authors find a positive relationship between female CFOs and investment efficiency. A higher proportion of female directors accentuates this result. The findings support the homophily argument that similar characteristics (gender) promote cooperation. This shows that cooperation between female CFOs and directors improves investment efficiency. The results suggest that the improvement in investment efficiency could relate to higher managerial discretion for female CFOs and their ability to collaborate with female directors. These results are robust to a series of additional endogeneity tests. The findings have important implications for policymakers and firms to encourage more appointments of females in top management positions.
Originality/value
By highlighting the cooperation between female CFOs and female directors, this study contributes to the understanding that cooperation among females improves investment efficiency.