scholarly journals An Integrated Model for the Harvest, Storage, and Distribution of Perishable Crops

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 6855
Author(s):  
Giovanni Giallombardo ◽  
Giovanni Mirabelli ◽  
Vittorio Solina
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Parameter Setting ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Distribution Phase ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency ◽  
Significant Opportunity

Coordination of the production and distribution activities represents a significant opportunity to cut costs and limit waste in the food supply chains. In this paper, we propose two mathematical models. The first one aims to integrate the harvesting, storage, and distribution activities of an agricultural company dealing with perishable products. The second one promotes horizontal collaboration between heterogeneous agri-companies for the distribution phase, in order to achieve cost savings. Computational experiments, conducted on a set of real-life instances, confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed models, which provide multi-level support. At the tactical level, managerial insights suggest the most profitable parameter setting, in terms of harvesting frequency and quality of service. At the operational level, the use of a heuristic framework can support the decision-making of the companies, suggesting when collaboration is profitable.

scholarly journals Answering the Min-Cost Quality-Aware Query on Multi-Sources in Sensor-Cloud Systems

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 4486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan Li ◽  
Yanbin Sun ◽  
Yu Jiang ◽  
Zhihong Tian
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Parameter Setting ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
High Quality ◽  
High Quality Data ◽  
Real Life Data ◽  
Sensor Cloud

In sensor-based systems, the data of an object is often provided by multiple sources. Since the data quality of these sources might be different, when querying the observations, it is necessary to carefully select the sources to make sure that high quality data is accessed. A solution is to perform a quality evaluation in the cloud and select a set of high-quality, low-cost data sources (i.e., sensors or small sensor networks) that can answer queries. This paper studies the problem of min-cost quality-aware query which aims to find high quality results from multi-sources with the minimized cost. The measurement of the query results is provided, and two methods for answering min-cost quality-aware query are proposed. How to get a reasonable parameter setting is also discussed. Experiments on real-life data verify that the proposed techniques are efficient and effective.

scholarly journals An Initial Model for Zero Defect Manufacturing

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 4570
Author(s):  
John Lindström ◽  
Petter Kyösti ◽  
Wolfgang Birk ◽  
Erik Lejon
Keyword(s):  
Cost Function ◽  
Production Process ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Process Industry ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Initial Model ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Production And Distribution

This paper investigates an initial model for Zero Defect Manufacturing (ZDM) using a cost function where the operation and condition of a production process are reflected, and the quality of the output/product and the production process (as well as safety aspects) can be considered. The outset of the study is based on empirical data collected from five manufacturing companies, and proposes an initial model for ZDM with an Industry 4.0 perspective. The initial ZDM model has a generic setup for a real-life system and its replication as a digital twin using system models based on a representation of a generic production process with its connected control system, and potential interconnections between unit processes. It is based on concepts from system theory of dynamic systems and principles from condition monitoring and fault detection. In that way the model is deemed as highly generalizable for manufacturing and process industry companies as well as for some critical infrastructures with production and distribution systems. The proposed model with its cost function setup is analyzed and discussed in the context of ZDM. It is concluded that production processes in the manufacturing and process industry can be made more intelligent and interoperable using this approach. Improved sustainability, competitiveness, efficiency and profitability of companies are foreseen welcomed secondary effects. Finally, the proposed ZDM model further develops the ZDM by adding to it a systematic approach based on a solid mathematical foundation.

scholarly journals Assembling Blockchain and IoT for Smart Food-Supply Chain

2021 ◽  
pp. 49-58
Author(s):  
Utsab Mukherjee ◽  
Shawni Dutta ◽  
Samir Kumar Bandyopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Security Effectiveness ◽  
Packaged Food

Globalization and extreme competition in the market have made the food supply chain more complex than before.  To address the complexities in the food supply chain, blockchain has become more evident than the traditional ways. Use of blockchain technologies can ensure the efficiency, transparency and reliability of the food supply chain starting from the farms to forks. This study focuses on the applicability of blockchain systems to the agriculture field and provides comparative analysis among the existing methodologies that are dedicated to uplift the security, effectiveness and reliability of blockchain based food supply chains. This research has also proposed a novel model that couples blockchain and IoT based sensor modules, which can be applicable in real-life scenarios. The proposed method essentially follows a multi-layer architecture where each layer is presented by means of a blockchain technology. Each layer is fed by the ambient conditions which may impact better quality of crops. The IoT module will ensure better farming as well as the blockchain system will ensure the quality of the end product. If the packaged food degrades in quality, the reason behind the degradation can be located by the model presented in this paper. The presented framework may reach promising efficiency in practical life but the framework implementation cost may create a burden for the investors.

Manajemen Ekonomi Outopilot: Kegagalan Negara Mencari Identitas?

Liquidity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-152
Author(s):  
Mukhaer Pakkanna
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
National Economy ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Democracy ◽  
Economic Democracy ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Economic Disparities ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Production And Distribution

Political democracy should be equivalent to the economic development of the quality of democracy, economic democracy if not upright, even the owner of the ruling power and money, which is parallel to force global corporatocracy. Consequently, the economic oligarchy preservation reinforces control of production and distribution from upstream to downstream and power monopoly of the market. The implication, increasingly sharp economic disparities, exclusive owner of the money and power become fertile, and the end could jeopardize the harmony of the national economy. The loss of national economic identity that makes people feel lost the “pilot of the state”. What happens then is the autopilot state. Viewing unclear direction of the economy, the national economy should clarify the true figure.

Qualitative assessment of equipment failure cause finding and removal

2018 ◽  
pp. 116-126
Author(s):  
E. A. Vakulin ◽  
A. I. Zayats ◽  
V. A. Beklemeshev ◽  
V. A. Ivashkevich ◽  
V. A. Khazhiev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Condition ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Open Pit Mine ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Equipment Failure ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
Failure Investigation

Investigation of failures is one of the critical activities of mining and haulage equipment operability assurance in mining. Maintaining failure investigation at the required quality level, it is possible to identify provisions, rules and procedures that should be revised or changed, operation conditions that should be improved, additional personnel training, if required, etc. Investigation of failures in mines is under responsibility of machine men and electricians of maintenance and operation services. In reality, factory management and setup for production condition weak concernment of these workers in quality investigation aimed at finding of sources of equipment failures. This article describes real-life results achieved in development and use of maintenance service operation, technology and management monitoring. The requirements are substantiated for quality improvement in failure cause finding and removal in mining and haulage equipment at Chernogorsky open pit mine, SUEK-Khakassia. Causes of the present quality of failure investigation by machine men of Chernogorsky Repair and Engineering Works and Chernogorsky open pit mine are revealed. The proposed recommended practices will improve quality of mining and haulage equipment failure investigation.

The Relationship between the Development of Human Capital and the Agricultural Economy in Rural Areas

2020 ◽  
pp. 61-65
Author(s):  
B.A. Voronin ◽  
◽  
I.P. Chupina ◽  
Ya.V. Voronina ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Standard View ◽  
Household Factors ◽  
Economic Transformations ◽  
The Relationship

The article discusses a non-standard view of the formation of human capital for work in organizations of the agricultural sector of the economy, in the context of modern socio-economic transformations. In the classical sense, human capital for agriculture should be formed and developed in rural areas. But in real life, this is not always the case, because there are many factors that prevent the classical solution of this problem. First, the demographic factor affects, second, social and household factors, and third, in many rural areas there are no working agricultural organizations where qualified agricultural specialists can work. All these and other circumstances actualize the problem of the quality of human capital in rural areas in relation to the development of agricultural production.

scholarly journals Whole blood chromium concentration is very rarely elevated independently of whole blood cobalt

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olli Lainiala ◽  
Mari Karsikas ◽  
Aleksi Reito ◽  
Antti Eskelinen
Keyword(s):  
Whole Blood ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Chromium Concentration ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Metal Debris ◽  
Screening Guidelines ◽  
Metal On Metal ◽  
Hip Replacements

AbstractDue to the risk of adverse reactions to metal debris resulting from increased wear of the arthroplasty more than one million metal-on-metal (MoM) hip replacements worldwide are in active follow-up. Follow-up usually includes measurement of both whole blood cobalt (Co) and chromium (Cr) concentrations. Our experience is that Cr is seldom independently elevated. We wanted to ascertain whether blood Cr measurements could be omitted from follow-up protocols without lowering the quality of follow-up. We identified 8438 whole blood Co and Cr measurements performed without or prior to revision surgery. When the cut-off levels 5 µg/L and 7 µg/L were used, Cr was independently elevated in only 0.5% (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.3 to 0.6) and 0.2% (CI 0.1 to 0.3) of the measurements. The models with continuous variables showed that the higher the blood metal concentrations are the lower the percentage of measurements with Cr higher than Co. Our results suggest that whole blood Cr is very rarely independently elevated and therefore the authorities should consider omitting Cr measurements from their screening guidelines of MoM hip replacements. We believe this change in practice would simplify follow-up and lead to cost savings without decreasing the quality of follow-up.

Automated Insulin Delivery Systems: Today, Tomorrow and User Requirements

2021 ◽  
pp. 193229682110299
Author(s):  
Marga Giménez ◽  
Ignacio Conget ◽  
Nick Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Insulin Delivery ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Diabetes Distress ◽  
Glycemic Targets

Automated insulin delivery (AID) is the most recent advance in type 1 diabetes (T1D) management. It has the potential to achieve glycemic targets without disabling hypoglycemia, to improve quality of life and reduce diabetes distress and burden associated with self-management. Several AID systems are currently licensed for use by people with T1D in Europe, United States, and the rest of the world. Despite AID becoming a reality in routine clinical practice over the last few years, the commercially hybrid AID and other systems, are still far from a fully optimized automated diabetes management tool. Implementation of AID systems requires education and support of healthcare professionals taking care of people with T1D, as well as users and their families. There is much to do to increase usability, portability, convenience and to reduce the burden associated with the use of the systems. Co-design, involvement of people with lived experience of T1D and robust qualitative assessment is critical to improving the real-world use of AID systems, especially for those who may have greater need. In addition to this, information regarding the psychosocial impact of the use of AID systems in real life is needed. The first commercially available AID systems are not the end of the development journey but are the first step in learning how to optimally automate insulin delivery in a way that is equitably accessible and effective for people living with T1D.

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