Integration of Social Concerns in Collaborative Logistics and Transportation Networks

Part 21: Mobility and LogisticsInternational audienceFreight transport optimization, long based solely on an economic approach, happen today through the integration of environmental and/or social concerns, in line with the objectives of sustainable development. In the case of Small and Very Small Enterprises, these objectives cannot be reached individually, and these companies have to join their efforts to find collective solutions. Therefore, the Fleet Size and Mix Vehicle Routing Problem (FSMVRP) was adapted to take into account social objectives, and results are compared to Vehicle Routing Problem with homogeneous fleet. An exact mathematical formulation of the extended problem was developed. Computational experiments for the problem formulation are performed using CPLEX and give a solution of a small instance to illustrate the problem. The model is tested on a case study of optimal parcel pickup, from many manufacturers to a common depot in the agri-food sector

A Comparison of Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Vehicle Fleet Size in Green Vehicle Routing Problem

Part 1: Knowledge-Based SustainabilityInternational audienceTo balance a fragmented logistics organization, Small and Medium Enterprises have to find collective solutions to decrease their environmental impact. Especially when the demand at each producer takes the form of small packages and low quantities this paper examines the effect of the introduction of a consolidation center on the environmental issue. Therefore, the Fleet Size and Mix Vehicle Routing Problem (FSMVRP) was adapted in order to minimize CO2 emission. An exact mathematical formulation of the extended problem was developed to investigate the difference between homogeneous and heterogeneous fleet size on the environmental issue. Computational experiments for the problem formulation are performed using CPLEX and give a solution of a small instance to illustrate the problem. A case study focuses on optimal parcel picking up, from many producers to a common depot in the agri-food sector

Simultaneous Mutation Detection in 90 Retinal Disease Genes in Multiple Patients Using a Custom-designed 300-kb Retinal Resequencing Chip

Purpose: To develop a high-throughput, cost-effective diagnostic strategy for the identification of known and new mutations in 90 retinal disease genes. Design: Evidence-based study. Participants: Sixty patients with a variety of retinal disorders, including Leber's congenital amaurosis, ocular albinism, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, retinitis pigmentosa, and Stargardt's disease. Methods: We designed a custom 300-kb resequencing chip. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, DNA fragmentation, and chip hybridization were performed according to Affymetrix recommendations. Hybridization signals were analyzed using Sequence pilot module seq-C mutation detection software (2009). This resequencing approach was validated by Sanger sequence technology. Main Outcome Measures: Disease-causing sequence changes. Results: We developed a retinal resequencing chip that covers all exons of 90 retinal disease genes. We developed and tested multiplex primer sets for 1445 amplicons representing the genes included on the chip. We validated our approach by screening 87 exons from 25 retinal disease genes containing 87 known sequence changes previously identified in our patient group using Sanger sequencing. Call rates for successfully hybridized amplicons were 98% to 100%. Of the known single nucleotide changes, 99% could be detected on the chip. As expected, deletions could not be detected reliably. Conclusions: We designed a custom resequencing chip that can detect known and new sequence changes in 90 retinal disease genes using a new high-throughput strategy with a high sensitivity and specificity for one tenth of the cost of conventional direct sequencing. The developed amplification strategy allows for the pooling of multiple patients with non-overlapping phenotypes, enabling many patients to be analyzed simultaneously in a fast and cost-effective manner