Decentralized supply chain formation using max-sum loopy belief propagation

Supply chain formation is the process by which a set of producers within a network determine the subset of these producers able to form a chain to supply goods to one or more consumers at the lowest cost. This problem has been tackled in a number of ways, including auctions, negotiations, and argumentation-based approaches. In this paper we show how this problem can be cast as an optimization of a pairwise cost function. Optimizing this class of energy functions is NP-hard but efficient approximations to the global minimum can be obtained using loopy belief propagation (LBP). Here we detail a max-sum LBP-based approach to the supply chain formation problem, involving decentralized message-passing between supply chain participants. Our approach is evaluated against a well-known decentralized double-auction method and an optimal centralized technique, showing several improvements on the auction method: it obtains better solutions for most network instances which allow for competitive equilibrium (Competitive equilibrium in Walsh and Wellman is a set of producer costs which permits a Pareto optimal state in which agents in the allocation receive non-negative surplus and agents not in the allocation would acquire non-positive surplus by participating in the supply chain) while also optimally solving problems where no competitive equilibrium exists, for which the double-auction method frequently produces inefficient solutions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The influence of formulation and manufacturing process parameters on the characteristics of lyophilized orally disintegrating tablets

Gelatin is a principal excipient used as a binder in the formulation of lyophilized orally disintegrating tablets. The current study focuses on exploiting the physicochemical properties of gelatin by varying formulation parameters to determine their influence on orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) characteristics. Process parameters, namely pH and ionic strength of the formulations, and ball milling were investigated to observe their effects on excipient characteristics and tablet formation. The properties and characteristics of the formulations and tablets which were investigated included: glass transition temperature, wettability, porosity, mechanical properties, disintegration time, morphology of the internal structure of the freeze-dried tablets, and drug dissolution. The results from the pH study revealed that adjusting the pH of the formulation away from the isoelectric point of gelatin, resulted in an improvement in tablet disintegration time possibly due to increase in gelatin swelling resulting in greater tablet porosity. The results from the ionic strength study revealed that the inclusion of sodium chloride influenced tablet porosity, tablet morphology and the glass transition temperature of the formulations. Data from the milling study showed that milling the excipients influenced formulation characteristics, namely wettability and powder porosity. The study concludes that alterations of simple parameters such as pH and salt concentration have a significant influence on formulation of ODT. © 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Synthesis of hydrazine by the fixation process

A critical review of the literature concerning organic derivatives of hydrazine, the ammonia-chlorine reaction and the electrolytic formation of hydrazine has been carried out. Apparatus was constructed to study the electrolysis of liquid ammonia, the formation of chloramine and the fixation of chloramine with a ketone to form an isohydrazone. In the latter case the reaction was carried out in a 3" diameter stirred tank and also in a 1" diameter, 2' high column reactor where the liquid phase was continuously recirculated. Two methods of analysis of azines and isohydrazones in a ketone solution have been developed. One is a colorimetric technique using p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and the other involves the hydrolysis of the organic derivative to hydrazine sulphate. Hydrazine was detected in low concentration in some of the electrolytic experiments carried out but it was concluded that this method did not show sufficient promise to warrant further investigation. The gas phase formation of chloramine and acetone isohydrazone has also been studied but in this system difficulties were encountered with the chlorine jet blocking with ammonium chloride. The formation of isohydrazones in a stirred tank reactor has been investigated in some detail and the effect of several parameters was determined. The yield was found to be extremely sensitive to chlorine concentration and in order to obtain yields of more than 90 per cent, the molar concentration of chlorine in the gas phase had to be of the order of 5 per cent. An optimum temperature in the region of 0°C was also detected. These results disagree with those quoted in previous studies but extensive experimental work has confirmed the information presented in this thesis. It has also been shown that at high yields the chloramine formation reaction took place in the gas phase.

Strain-facilitated process for the lift-off of a Si layer of less than 20 nm thickness

We report a process for the lift-off of an ultrathin Si layer. By plasma hydrogenation of a molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown heterostructure of SiSb-doped-SiSi, ultrashallow cracking is controlled to occur at the depth of the Sb-doped layer. Prior to hydrogenation, an oxygen plasma treatment is used to induce the formation of a thin oxide layer on the surface of the heterostructure. Chemical etching of the surface oxide layer after hydrogenation further thins the thickness of the separated Si layer to be only 15 nm. Mechanisms of hydrogen trapping and strain-facilitated cracking are discussed. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Pyrolysis study of halogen-containing aromatics reflecting reactions with polypropylene in a posttreatment decontamination process

Halogen-containing aromatics, mainly bromine-containing phenols, are harmful compounds contaminating pyrolysis oil from electronic boards containing halogenated flame retardants. In addition, theirformation increases the potential for evolution of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs) and dibenzofurans (PBDFs) at relatively low temperature (up to 500 °C). As a model compound, 2,4-dibromophenol (DBP) was pyrolyzed at 290-450 °C. While its pyrolysis in a nitrogen flow reactor or in encapsulated ampules yields bromine-containing phenols, phenoxyphenols, PBDDs, and PBDFs, pyrolysis of DBP in a hydrogen-donating medium of polypropylene (PP) at 290-350 °C mainly results in the formation of phenol and HBr, indicating the occurrence of a facile hydrodebromination of DBP. The hydrodebromination efficiency depends on temperature, pressure, and the ratio of the initial components. This thermal behavior of DBP is compared to that of 2,4-dichlorophenol and decabromodiphenyl ether. A treatment of halogen-containing aromatics with PP offers a new perspective on the development of low-environmental-impact disposal processes for electronic scrap. © 2005 American Chemical Society.

Phagocyte oxidation of phospholipids: comparison of hydroperoxide, chlorohydrin and epoxyisoprostane formation by LC-MS

Phagocytic cells produce a variety of oxidants as part of the immune defence, which react readily both with proteins and lipids, and could contribute to the oxidation of low density lipoprotein in atherosclerosis. We have investigated the oxidation of phospholipid vesicles by isolated human polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes, to provide a model of lipid oxidation in the absence of competing protein. PMA-stimulated cells were incubated with phospholipid vesicles contammg dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), palmitoyl-arachidonoyl phosphatidylcholine (PAPC), and stearoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (SOPC), before extraction of the lipids for analysis by HPLC coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry. In this system, oxidized phosphatidylcholines elute earlier than the native lipids owing to their decreased hydrophobicity, and can be identified according to their molecular mass. The formation of monohydroperoxides of P APC was observed routinely, together with low levels of hydroxides, but no chlorohydrin derivatives of P APC or SOPC were detected. However, the major oxidized product occurred at 828 m/z, and was identified as I-palmitoyl-2-(5,6-epoxyisoprostane E2)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. These results show that phagocytes triggered by PMA cause oxidative damage to lipids predominantly by free radical mechanisms, and that electrophilic addition involving HOCl is not a major mechanism of attack. The contribution of myeloperoxidase and metal ions to the oxidation process is currently being investigated, and preliminary data suggest that myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants are responsible for the epoxyisoprostane phospholipid formation. The identification of an epoxyisoprostane phospholipid as the major product following phagocyte-induced phospholipid oxidation is novel and has implications for phagocyte involvement in atherogenesis.

Freezing process optimisation of pharmaceutical formulations for freeze drying

The body of work presented in this thesis are in three main parts: [1] the effect of ultrasound on freezing events of ionic systems, [2] the importance of formulation osmolality in freeze drying, and [3] a novel system for increasing primary freeze drying rate. Chapter 4 briefly presents the work on method optimisation, which is still very much in its infancy. Aspects of freezing such as nucleation and ice crystal growth are strongly related with ice crystal morphology; however, the ice nucleation process typically occurs in a random, non-deterministic and spontaneous manner. In view of this, ultrasound, an emerging application in pharmaceutical sciences, has been applied to aid in the acceleration of nucleation and shorten the freezing process. The research presented in this thesis aimed to study the effect of sonication on nucleation events in ionic solutions, and more importantly how sonication impacts on the freezing process. This work confirmed that nucleation does occur in a random manner. It also showed that ultrasonication aids acceleration of the ice nucleation process and increases the freezing rate of a solution. Cryopreservation of animal sperm is an important aspect of breeding in animal science especially for endangered species. In order for sperm cryopreservation to be successful, cryoprotectants as well as semen extenders are used. One of the factors allowing semen preservation media to be optimum is the osmolality of the semen extenders used. Although preservation of animal sperm has no relation with freeze drying of pharmaceuticals, it was used in this thesis to make a case for considering the osmolality of a formulation (prepared for freeze drying) as a factor for conferring protein protection against the stresses of freeze drying. The osmolalities of some common solutes (mostly sugars) used in freeze drying were determined (molal concentration from 0.1m to 1.2m). Preliminary investigation on the osmolality and osmotic coefficients of common solutes were carried out. It was observed that the osmotic coefficient trend for the sugars analysed could be grouped based on the types of sugar they are. The trends observed show the need for further studies to be carried out with osmolality and to determine how it may be of importance to protein or API protection during freeze drying processes. Primary drying is usually the longest part of the freeze drying process, and primary drying times lasting days or even weeks are not uncommon; however, longer primary drying times lead to longer freeze drying cycles, and consequently increased production costs. Much work has been done previously by others using different processes (such as annealing) in order to improve primary drying times; however, these do not come without drawbacks. A novel system involving the formation of a frozen vial system which results in the creation of a void between the formulation and the inside wall of a vial has been devised to increase the primary freeze drying rate of formulations without product damage. Although the work is not nearly complete, it has been shown that it is possible to improve and increase the primary drying rate of formulations without making any modifications to existing formulations, changing storage vials, or increasing the surface area of freeze dryer shelves.

Labeled EF-Tus for rapid kinetic studies of pretranslocation complex formation

The universally conserved translation elongation factor EF-Tu delivers aminoacyl(aa)-tRNA in the form of an aa-tRNA·EF-Tu·GTP ternary complex (TC) to the ribosome where it binds to the cognate mRNA codon within the ribosomal A-site, leading to formation of a pretranslocation (PRE) complex. Here we describe preparation of QSY9 and Cy5 derivatives of the variant E348C-EF-Tu that are functional in translation elongation. Together with fluorophore derivatives of aa-tRNA and of ribosomal protein L11, located within the GTPase associated center (GAC), these labeled EF-Tus allow development of two new FRET assays that permit the dynamics of distance changes between EF-Tu and both L11 (Tu-L11 assay) and aa-tRNA (Tu-tRNA assay) to be determined during the decoding process. We use these assays to examine: (i) the relative rates of EF-Tu movement away from the GAC and from aa-tRNA during decoding, (ii) the effects of the misreading-inducing antibiotics streptomycin and paromomycin on tRNA selection at the A-site, and (iii) how strengthening the binding of aa-tRNA to EF-Tu affects the rate of EF-Tu movement away from L11 on the ribosome. These FRET assays have the potential to be adapted for high throughput screening of ribosomal antibiotics.

Europeanization from below:the formation of gender equality policies in the Western Balkans

The article argues that, compared with the other countries in the Western Balkans, the Europeanization of gender equality policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina represents an interesting case of "Europeanization from below". It was not the EU, which called for the introduction of gender equality policies in the Stabilization and Association Process, but domestic policy entrepreneurs, who constructed a "shadow of membership conditionality". They framed their requests as element of the accession process tapping into the aspiration of policy-makers to joining the EU. The case illustrates that Europeanization matters in the Western Balkans, not only in terms of a direct influence of the EU but also because it provides opportunities for domestic policy entrepreneurs to further European objectives themselves.

A lean elvek alkalmazása az egészségügyi folyamatok fejlesztésében = Applying lean principles in healthcare process development

A fejlett társadalmak egészségügyi szolgáltató rendszerei napjainkban kettős kihívással néznek szembe: miközben a társadalom a szolgáltatási színvonal emelkedését, a hibák számának a csökkenését várja el, addig a költségvetési terhek miatt a költségcsökkentés is feltétlenül szükséges. Ez a kihívás nagyságában összevethető azzal, amellyel az USA autóipara nézett szembe az 1970-es évektől. A megoldást az autóipar esetében a konkurens „lean” menedzsment elvek és eszközök megértése és alkalmazása jelentette. A tanulmány arra keresi a választ, hogy vajon lehetséges-e ennek a megoldásnak az alkalmazása az egészségügy esetében is. A cikk az egészségügy problémájának bemutatása után tárgyalja a lean menedzsment kialakulását és hogy milyen módon került köztudatba. A tanulmány második felében a szakirodalomban fellelhető, a témával kapcsolatos tapasztalatokat foglalja össze, majd levonja a következtetéseket. = In developed societies healthcare service systems are facing double challenge; society expects service level to rise and the number of mistakes to drop, but at the same time, because of the overloaded budgets, cutting cost is also absolutely necessary. This challenge compares to the one the US automotive industry was facing in the 1970-s. In case of the automotive industry the solution was the comprehension and application of the principles and the tools of lean management. This study aims to answer the question whether it is possible to apply this solution also in the case of the healthcare system. The article first introduces the problems in the healthcare system, than describes the formation of lean management concept and its wide spread. The second half of the study summarizes the available knowledge in the literature and drives conclusions.

Community formation among Asian Indians in southeast Florida

Nearly one million Asian Indians have immigrated to the United States. Asian Indians are scattered across wide geographic areas. While some have chosen transnationalism, most are taking the traditional route of building ethnic communities. Using what the West has to offer in terms of communication and transportation technologies, they are constructing communities without geographic boundaries, with the extensive use of the automobile and air transportation, cellular phones, FAX machines, commercial delivery services, multi-party conference phones. Also, they are incorporating the American tradition of immigrant associations into an Asian Indian syncretism of community. In the process there emerges an Asian Indian identity and concept of kinship and community. ^

Social and cultural influences in the formation of identity: A cross-national/cultural study

This multi-site, multi-ethnic/cultural study examined the effects of variation between ethnic/cultural groups and the effects of institutional variation within ethnic/cultural groups on identity formation. The participants were 892 late adolescent college students from six sites in 5 countries (Brazil, China, Costa Rica, US, and Sweden) representing different linguistic and ethnic/cultural traditions living in the context of varied social conditions. As hypothesized, there were significant differences in the proportion of identity statuses between sites in the Personal domain, $\chi\sp2$(20, N = 858) = 164.78, $p<.001,$ the Interpersonal domain, $\chi\sp2$(20, N = 858) = 145.69, $p<.001,$ and the World View domain, $\chi\sp2$(20, N = 858) = 120.89, $p<.001,$ but the distribution of the differences was more complex than expected. In addition, there were significant differences in Identity Satisfaction among sites, F(15, 2325) = 12.65, $p<.001.$ Further univariate analyses revealed that differences among sites were found on Identity Satisfaction in the personal, interpersonal and world view domain. The direction of the differences, however, were more complex than hypothesized.^ The second hypothesis was confirmed but only with the world view identity status and not for each of the six sites. Stepwise discriminant analyses showed that Identity status in the world view domain was predicted by Institutional Support in Nebraska, gender and Institutional Change in Brazil, and Institutional Access in China. Lastly and as hypothesized, some Institutional Attributes significantly predicted Overall Identity Satisfaction in all sites as revealed by multivariate regression analyses, except in Sweden, F (5, 79) =.660, p =.65. These findings extend the literature on identity formation not only by having investigated how culture influences the process of identity formation with samples representing different ethnic/cultural and linguistically different populations but also by empirically testing the role that social processes play in identity formation at the cross-cultural level. ^

Towards the formation of a sustainable South Florida: An analysis of conflict resolution and consensus building in the South Florida Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Initiative

This dissertation examines the sociological process of conflict resolution and consensus building in South Florida Everglades Ecosystem Restoration through what I define as a Network Management Coordinative Interstitial Group (NetMIG). The process of conflict resolution can be summarized as the participation of interested and affected parties (stakeholders) in a forum of negotiation. I study the case of the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida (GCSSF) that was established to reduce social conflict. Such conflict originated from environmental disputes about the Everglades and was manifested in the form of gridlock among regulatory (government) agencies, Indian tribes, as well as agricultural, environmental conservationist and urban development interests. The purpose of the participatory forum is to reduce conflicts of interest and to achieve consensus, with the ultimate goal of restoration of the original Everglades ecosystem, while cultivating the economic and cultural bases of the communities in the area. Further, the forum aim to formulate consensus through envisioning a common sustainable community by providing means to achieve a balance between human and natural systems. ^ Data were gathered using participant observation and document analysis techniques to conduct a theoretically based analysis of the role of the Network Management Coordinative Interstitial Group (NetMIG). I use conflict resolution theory, environmental conflict theory, stakeholder analysis, systems theory, differentiation and social change theory, and strategic management and planning theory. ^ The purpose of this study is to substantiate the role of the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida (GCSSF) as a consortium of organizations in an effort to resolve conflict rather than an ethnographic study of this organization. Environmental restoration of the Everglades is a vehicle for recognizing the significance of a Network Management Coordinative Interstitial Group (NetMIG), namely the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida (GCSSF), as a structural mechanism for stakeholder participation in the process of social conflict resolution through the creation of new cultural paradigms for a sustainable community. ^

Building better relationships workshop: An intervention fostering identity formation and interpersonal development in middle adolescents

The aim of this study was to further knowledge development concerning the formation of a sense of identity and intimacy. This study drew on the growing recognition by many researchers in the psychosocial development field of the need to target interventions at the interface of the development of identity and intimacy. The specific aim of the study was to address the question of whether it would be possible to develop intervention procedures for fostering identity and intimacy exploration and development. Using both qualitative and quantitative measurements, the results appeared to clearly support an affirmative answer to this question. A total of sixty-three middle adolescent students from an urban, public high school participated in this study. Twenty-nine participants in the treatment group and 34 participants in the comparison group were pre- and post tested on measures of identity and intimacy. Participants in this study consisted of multiethnic, urban youth that presented themselves for relationship counseling. Repeated measures analysis of variance's (RMANOVA's), used to evaluate the impact of the intervention on the quantitative measures of identity and intimacy exploration, clearly supported the efficacy of the intervention. In addition, the findings also provided tentative support for the view that the increase in exploration that results from entering a period of active exploration is associated with a “loosening” of commitment. Finally, the findings of this study also contributed to the empirical knowledge-base about procedures for intervening with respect to the process of intimacy development. More specifically, both the qualitative and quantitative findings of this study began to shed some light on the potential impact of exploration for interpersonal insight as that as a process for fostering intimacy development. ^