Purchasing policy model based on components/parts unification

This paper presents a mathematical model for components/parts unification (CPU) policy. This model considers two components/parts that are functionally interchangeable but purchased from suppliers with different prices and quality characteristics. Because of the buyer's quality preference and suppliers' discount rates for bulky purchases, the model assists the procurement manager to determine how best to purchase the components/parts to meet its demand while minimizing the total acquisition costs.

Road Impacts on Spatial Patterns of Land Use and Landscape Fragmentation in Three Parallel Rivers Region,Yunnan Province,China

The structure and function of network is a central issue in landscape ecology.Road networks with hierarchical structure are crucial for understanding landscape dynamics.In this study,we compared the distribution of national road,provincial road,county road and rural road in the Three Parallel Rivers Region(TPRR)in Yunnan Province of China,and estimated the effect of roads(and other factors)on the spatial patterns of land use and land cover with logistic regression.In addition,we analyzed the land use and land cover change(LUCC)and landscape fragmentation in 1989–2005 along a buffer zone of the primary traffic corridor,national road G214.The results showed that,county and rural roads had much higher percentage of length extending into more natural habitats at higher elevation and steeper slope,compared with the higher level roads in this region.While the distributions of natural land cover types were dominated by environmental factors,human land use types i.e.,building land and farmland types were significantly related with roads,linking more closely with lower level roads.The LUCC dynamics(1989–2005)of the G214 buffer zone showed a general trend of land transformation from conifer forests and valley arid shrubs to building land and farmland,and from ice and snow to alpine shrubs and forests.With the length of G214 unchanged during the time,the overall landscape pattern changed little in the buffer zone,but habitat fragmentation and area decrease had occurred for the natural vegetation types,in contrast to patch mergence and expansion of human land use types,and landscape fragmentation was intensified above 2500 m a.s.l.but declined below the elevation.The results indicated the dynamics of landscape composition and patch type level distribution in spite of the stability of the overall landscape pattern,and implied the potential role of roads,especially the low level roads on landscape changes.

Clinical study of acupuncture plus Dang Gui Bu Xue Qu Feng Tang for benign essential blepharospasm

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture plus Dang Gui Bu Xue Qu Feng Tang for benign essential blepharospasm(BEB).Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed.A total of 105 participants were randomized 1:1:1 into an acupuncture group,a herbal medicine group and an acupuncture plus herbal medicine group.Participants in the acupuncture group received manual acupuncture treatment,twice a week.Participants in the herbal medicine group received Dang Gui Bu Xue Qu Feng Tang,oral administration,once a day.Participants in the acupuncture plus herbal medicine group received both treatments.The therapeutic effects of the three groups were evaluated after four weeks of treatment.The primary outcome was the Jankovic rating scale(JRS)score,and the secondary outcome was the blepharospasm disability index(BSDI)score.Results:After four weeks of treatment,the JRS total scores significantly decreased in all three groups versus baseline(P<0.05).A greater reduction in the JRS total score was reported in participants in the acupuncture plus herbal medicine group(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference between the acupuncture group and the herbal medicine group(P>0.05).The acupuncture plus herbal medicine group had a greater decrease in the JRS severity score than the herbal medicine group(P<0.05).The reduction in the JRS frequency score was not significantly different among the three groups(P>0.05).The BSDI scores significantly decreased in all three groups versus baseline(P<0.05),but the reduction in the BSDI score was insignificantly different among the three groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:It is effective in the treatment of BEB either to use acupuncture and Dang Gui Bu Xue Qu Feng Tang alone or in combination.The combination therapy shows a more significant effect than either of the treatment alone.

Neural network and principal component regression in non-destructive soluble solids content assessment:a comparison

Visible and near infrared spectroscopy is a non-destructive,green,and rapid technology that can be utilized to estimate the components of interest without conditioning it,as compared with classical analytical methods.The objective of this paper is to compare the performance of artificial neural network(ANN)(a nonlinear model)and principal component regression(PCR)(a linear model)based on visible and shortwave near infrared(VIS-SWNIR)(400-1000 nm)spectra in the non-destructive soluble solids content measurement of an apple.First,we used multiplicative scattering correction to pre-process the spectral data.Second,PCR was applied to estimate the optimal number of input variables.Third,the input variables with an optimal amount were used as the inputs of both multiple linear regression and ANN models.The initial weights and the number of hidden neurons were adjusted to optimize the performance of ANN.Findings suggest that the predictive performance of ANN with two hidden neurons outperforms that of PCR.

Inadvertent advancement of guide wire across the knee caused by incarcerated bone fragment at the nail tip during femoral nailing

Fracture of femoral shaft in adults is common and mostly managed with intramedullary interlocking nails. Complications during closed intramedullary femoral nailing are uncommon, and mostly of them are caused by technical reasons. We describe a case of closed nailing for a femoral shaft fracture in which a jammed intramedullary guide wire, due to an incarcerated bone fragment at the nail tip, was inadvertently advanced across the knee. Forceful attempt of nail insertion caused this complication, which was probably attributed to nail design.