Impact of cost sharing on quality improvement and profits under uncertain demand: The case of a textile and garment supply chain.

The study explores the strategic pricing and quality improvement decisions under uncertain demand in a three-layer textile and garment supply chain. According to whether the fabric manufacturer (FM) invests in quality or not and whether the garment manufacturer (GM) or garment retailer (GR) is willing to share the costs or not, five game models are constructed to investigate the impact of different members' cost sharing on the optimal decisions and profits. By conducting a theoretical and numerical analysis, we find that: (1) The GM's or GR's cost sharing plays a positive effect on the quality improvement, as for whose cost sharing performs better in improving the quality depending on the proportion of cost sharing, and the quality improvement is highest with both members share the costs simultaneously. (2) The FM receives the highest profit when both members share the costs simultaneously, however, whose cost sharing is more profitable for the FM is also related to the proportion of cost sharing; in short, the FM always benefits from the cost sharing, no matter one member does this or two members do this. (3) The GM (GR) gains the highest profit when only the GR (GM) shares the costs, and the results indicate that if one member has shared the costs, whether the other member engaging in cost sharing could benefit the former depending on their proportions. Specifically, when the GM (GR) chooses to share the costs and the proportion is relatively low, the GR(GM) joining in cost sharing is beneficial to the former; otherwise, is harmful.

Factory benefits to paying workers more: The critical role of compensation systems in apparel manufacturing.

While many stakeholders believe worker wages in global supply chains are too low, there is disagreement about what, if anything, can be done to raise wages. Through a two-year quasi-experiment in an operating apparel factory, we assess the effects on productivity and profits of raising worker wages with a re-designed compensation system. We show that, even within current factory margins and constraints, important wage gains (4.2-9.7%) are possible and profitable. Productivity increased 8-10%-points while turnover decreased markedly. Workers were motivated by the potential for increased wages from an accelerating group rate as well as increased engagement and sense of fair compensation. Workers focused their increased effort on reducing quality defects and tardiness, two behaviors which individual workers largely control. Additional productivity-increasing behaviors were constrained by skill, position, and conflicts arising from free riders. Advanced apparel manufacturing demands a more engaged workforce; this research provides early evidence that compensation systems can be a critical tool to meet multiple needs.

A little good is good enough: Ethical consumption, cheap excuses, and moral self-licensing.

This paper explores the role of cheap excuses in product choice. If agents feel that they fulfill one ethical aspect, they may care less about other independent ethical facets within product choice. Choosing a product that fulfills one ethical aspect may then suffice for maintaining a high moral self-image in agents and render it easier to ignore other ethically relevant aspects they would otherwise care about more. The use of such cheap excuses could thus lead to a "static moral self-licensing" effect, and this would extend the logic of the well-known dynamic moral self-licensing. Our experimental study provides empirical evidence that the static counterpart of moral self-licensing exists. Furthermore, effects spill over to unrelated, ethically relevant contexts later in time. Thus, static moral self-licensing and dynamic moral self-licensing can exist next to each other. However, it is critical that agents do not feel that they fulfilled an ethical criterion out of sheer luck, that is, agents need some room so that they can attribute the ethical improvement at least partly to themselves. Outsiders, although monetarily incentivized for correct estimates, are completely oblivious to the effects of moral self-licensing, both static and dynamic.

[Use of Reusable Textile Undergloves for Medical Procedures: A Feasibility Study]. / Einsatz wiederaufbereitbarer textiler Unterziehhandschuhe für medizinische Tätigkeiten: eine Machbarkeitsstudie.

OBJECTIVE: Undergloves are a way to reduce moisture-related skin damage. The aim of this feasibility study was to gain experience with logistics, applicability, acceptability and cost of the routine use of reusable textile undergloves in a hospital setting. METHODS: Undergloves were tested with 18 health-care workers on an intensive care unit over three months. Data on usage as well as logistics were recorded. At baseline, personal data and knowledge and use of cotton undergloves, existing skin problems and the nursing behaviour of the hands by the subjects were determined by means of an input questionnaire. After each wearing, data on usage were collected by a questionnaire. Participants were interviewed by means of a questionnaire with respect to their experience with the use of the undergloves. RESULTS: Acceptance and compliance with the use of undergloves was remarkably good. This was partly due to the properties of the gloves, and partly to the reduction of sweating and very positive effect on the skin of the hands. In the study period 2165 underglove uses were documented, resulting in an average daily consumption of four pairs per person per day. The average wearing time was 28.6 min. The undergloves were suitable for application as well as reprocessing. Reprocessment-related fatigue was relatively low and did not lead to the loss of the properties, only few gloves had to be sorted out. Even if one assumes a complete write-off of the gloves with end of the study, costs for reprocessing were about 0.46 € or 64 % less than the single use. CONCLUSION: The routine use of textile, reprocessable undergloves is feasible. Major challenges for broad usage are within logistics and acceptance by the user.

A comparison of reusable and disposable perioperative textiles: sustainability state-of-the-art 2012.

Contemporary comparisons of reusable and single-use perioperative textiles (surgical gowns and drapes) reflect major changes in the technologies to produce and reuse these products. Reusable and disposable gowns and drapes meet new standards for medical workers and patient protection, use synthetic lightweight fabrics, and are competitively priced. In multiple science-based life cycle environmental studies, reusable surgical gowns and drapes demonstrate substantial sustainability benefits over the same disposable product in natural resource energy (200%-300%), water (250%-330%), carbon footprint (200%-300%), volatile organics, solid wastes (750%), and instrument recovery. Because all other factors (cost, protection, and comfort) are reasonably similar, the environmental benefits of reusable surgical gowns and drapes to health care sustainability programs are important for this industry. Thus, it is no longer valid to indicate that reusables are better in some environmental impacts and disposables are better in other environmental impacts. It is also important to recognize that large-scale studies of comfort, protection, or economics have not been actively pursued in the last 5 to 10 years, and thus the factors to improve both reusables and disposable systems are difficult to assess. In addition, the comparison related to jobs is not well studied, but may further support reusables. In summary, currently available perioperative textiles are similar in comfort, safety, and cost, but reusable textiles offer substantial opportunities for nurses, physicians, and hospitals to reduce environmental footprints when selected over disposable alternatives. Evidenced-based comparison of environmental factors supports the conclusion that reusable gowns and drapes offer important sustainability improvements. The benefit of reusable systems may be similar for other reusables in anesthesia, such as laryngeal mask airways or suction canisters, but life cycle studies are needed to substantiate these benefits.

Feet and fabrication: footbinding and early twentieth-century rural women's labor in Shaanxi.

The early twentieth-century transformations of rural Chinese women's work have received relatively little direct attention. By contrast, the former custom of footbinding continues to fascinate and is often used to illustrate or contest theories about Chinese women's status. Arguing that for rural women at least, footbinding needs to be understood in relation to rural economic conditions, the authors focus on changes in textile production and in footbinding in two counties in Shaanxi province. Drawing on historical sources and their own interview data from rural women who grew up in this period, the authors find evidence that transformations in textile production undercut the custom of footbinding and contributed to its rapid demise.

A pair of little gilded shoes: commission, cost, and meaning in Renaissance footwear.

This article focuses on women's luxury footwear to examine issues of economic, material, and familial life in Renaissance Italy. It uses graphic work by Albrecht Dürer to explore footwear design, and draw from disparate sources to propose a new method for evaluating its cost. The article argues that sumptuous footwear was available for a range of prices that are not reflected in surviving payment records, and that it was largely less expensive than moralists and legislators implied. In conclusion, it employs Minerbetti documentation to consider the role particular shoes may have played in developing personal subjectivity.

Evaluation of economically important traits from sixteen parental strains of the silkworm Bombyx mori L (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae).

The classification and characterization of silkworm strains are important for sericulture, which is supported by the constant development of new hybrids. In this study, 16 parental strains of Bombyx mori L from the germplasm banks of the Universidade Estadual de Maringá--UEM, and Associação dos Criadores de Bicho-da-Seda de Nova Esperança e Regiões Sericícolas do Paraná--ACESP, were evaluated regarding biological and productive traits economically important. The Chinese C122-B and C121-A, and the Japanese HA-A and HA-B strains yielded the highest cocoon weight, which is related to the raw silk percentage. Our data will be useful in breeding programs for the production of superior silkworm strains and hybrids.

Evaluation of economically important traits from sixteen parental strains of the silkworm Bombyx mori L (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) / Avaliação de características economicamente importantes de dezesseis linhagens do bicho-da-seda Bombyx mori L (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae)

The classification and characterization of silkworm strains are important for sericulture, which is supported by the constant development of new hybrids. In this study, 16 parental strains of Bombyx mori L from the germplasm banks of the Universidade Estadual de Maringá - UEM, and Associação dos Criadores de Bicho-da-Seda de Nova Esperança e Regiões Sericícolas do Paraná - ACESP, were evaluated regarding biological and productive traits economically important. The Chinese C122-B and C121-A, and the Japanese HA-A and HA-B strains yielded the highest cocoon weight, which is related to the raw silk percentage. Our data will be useful in breeding programs for the production of superior silkworm strains and hybrids.

A classificação e caracterização de linhagens de Bombyx mori L é importante para a sericicultura, uma vez que essa atividade é sustentada pelo constante desenvolvimento de novos híbridos da espécie. Neste trabalho, 16 linhages parentais de B. mori do banco de germoplasma da Universidade Estadual de Maringá - UEM, e da Associação dos Criadores de Bicho-da-Seda de Nova Esperança e Regiões Sericícolas do Paraná - ACESP, foram avaliadas em relação às características biológicas e produtivas consideradas economicamente importantes. As linhagens C122-B e C121-A, de origem Chinesa, e as HA-A e HA-B, Japonesas, apresentaram o maior peso de casulo (CW), o qual é associado ao teor de seda (RSP). Os resultados apresentados neste trabalho podem ser utilizados em vários programas de melhoramento visando à produção de linhagens e híbridos geneticamente superiores.

Application of cost/benefit analysis for surgical gown and drape selection: a case study.

BACKGROUND: The selection of medical textiles is an important subject for the health care sector in terms of benefits and costs. The basic cost calculation does not always yield to proper results in product selection; it would even mislead. It is usually a complicated task to give a decision whether to use reusable or single-use products, especially when the patient and surgeons lives are in consideration. The objective of the present paper is to carry out a cost/benefit study to help hospital managers and surgical team in comparing reusable and single-use surgical gowns and drapes. METHODS: A detailed case study was carried out to determine the net benefits and costs associated with reusable and single-use surgical gown and drape use in the University of Gaziantep Hospital. The Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to evaluate qualitative benefit data. The relevant data were determined through the literature research and interviews with the doctors, administrators, and personnel of related departments (such as infection control, cleaning, and others) in the hospital. The benefit/cost ratios of the alternatives have been examined, and a sensitivity analysis has been carried out to measure the impact of changes in costs and benefits. CONCLUSION: After the study, it is concluded that, even though cost is relatively higher, single-use gown and drape sets provide the highest benefit rates. Reduction of prices of single-use sets will make them more competitive and attractive in the health care sector.

Reuse of reactive dyes for dyeing of jute fabric.

The aim of the work was to find out suitable method of dyeing so that costly reactive dye can be reused without draining them. The bleached jute fabric was dyed with four different class of reactive dyes namely, cold brand, hot brand, vinyl sulphone and high exhaustion (HE) brand. It is found that the two-step two-bath method of reactive dyeing, where exhaustion and fixation step is separated, is most ideal for reuse of dye bath. Separate original samples produced K/S value same as that of original sample and the K/S value of separate reuse sample varied from 50% to 80% of the original sample depending on the class of dye. In case of same bath method, colour yield of original reuse samples varies from only 10% to maximum 30% of the original samples depending on the class of dyes. Reuse of reactive dyes following separate bath method is particularly suitable for higher depth of shade (4% and above). This process not only utilises costly reactive dyes to the maximum extent but it also produces low water pollution as the effluent contain minimum amount of dye. So the process is economic and eco-friendly as well.