Optimal Control Policy of an Inventory System with Postponed Demand

This paper deals with the problem of controlling the selection rates of the pooled customer of a single commodity inventory system with postponed demands. The demands arrive according to a Poisson process. The maximum inventory level is fixed at S. The ordering policy is (s,S) policy that is as and when the inventory level drops to s an order for Q( = S − s) items is placed. The ordered items are received after a random time, which is distributed as exponential. We assume that the demands that occur during stock out period either enter a pool of finite size or leave the system according to a Bernoulli distribution. Whenever the on-hand inventory level is positive, customers are selected one-by-one and the selection rate can be chosen from a given set. The problem is to determine a decision rule that specifies the rate of these selections as a function of the on-hand inventory level and the number of customers waiting in the pool at each instant of time to minimise the long-run total expected cost rate. The problem is modelled as a semi-Markov decision problem. The optimal policy is computed using Linear Programming algorithm and the results are illustrated numerically

Quaternion wavelets based rotation, scale and translation invariant texture classification and retrieval

256-263This study addresses problem of classifying rotated, scaled and translated texture image using two stage log polar quaternion wavelet energy signatures. Sum of squared distance is employed to classify a set of 38 distinct natural textures selected from Brodatz album and 48 from Outex texture database. Based on different testing data sets for images with different orientations scales and translation, proposed classification scheme using QWT outperforms other approaches, giving a good classification accuracy and retrieval efficiency (grey scale, > 85% and color textures, > 83%)

<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US">In vitro</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US"> regeneration of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Coelogyne nervosa</i> A.Rich. and <i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Eria pseudoclavicaulis</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style: italic"> Blatt.,<span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US"> threatened orchids of Western Ghats, India</span></span></span>

658-663The seeds of C. nervosa and E. pseudoclavicaulis were germinated asymbiotically on Knudson C (KC) and Schenk and Hildebrandt basal medium (SH). Growth regulators such as 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) individually and in combinations with benzyladenine (BA) and kinetin were used for callus induction from the protocorm like bodies. Coelogyne nervosa showed maximum (90%) callus induction in Knudson C medium supplemented with 2,4-D (2.26 µM) and Eria pseudoclavicaulis showed 60% callus induction in Schenk and Hildebrandt medium supplemented with 2,4-D (2.26 µM)<span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style: italic">. Calli developed a route of production of protocorm-like bodies and eventually developed into plantlets on transfer to growth regulator free half strength basal medium. The well rooted plants were hardened successfully in the potting mixture containing coconut husk, charcoal, and brick pieces in the ratio 2:1:1. </span

Psychological distress and burnout among healthcare worker during COVID-19 pandemic in India-A cross-sectional study.

BackgroundCOVID-19 has inundated the entire world disrupting the lives of millions of people. The pandemic has stressed the healthcare system of India impacting the psychological status and functioning of health care workers. The aim of this study is to determine the burnout levels and factors associated with the risk of psychological distress among healthcare workers (HCW) engaged in the management of COVID 19 in India.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 September 2020 to 30 November 2020 by telephonic interviews using a web-based Google form. Health facilities and community centres from 12 cities located in 10 states were selected for data collection. Data on socio-demographic and occupation-related variables like age, sex, type of family, income, type of occupation, hours of work and income were obtained was obtained from 967 participants, including doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, emergency response teams, lab personnel, and others directly involved in COVID 19 patient care. Levels of psychological distress was assessed by the General health Questionnaire -GHQ-5 and levels of burnout was assessed using the ICMR-NIOH Burnout questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the risk of psychological distress. The third quartile values of the three subscales of burnout viz EE, DP and PA were used to identify burnout profiles of the healthcare workers.ResultsOverall, 52.9% of the participants had the risk of psychological distress that needed further evaluation. Risk of psychological distress was significantly associated with longer hours of work (≥ 8 hours a day) (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI(1.66-3.41), income≥20000(AOR = 1.74, 95% CI, (1.16-2.6); screening of COVID-19 patients (AOR = 1.63 95% CI (1.09-2.46), contact tracing (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI (1.1-3.81), High Emotional exhaustion score (EE ≥16) (AOR = 4.41 95% CI (3.14-6.28) and High Depersonalisation score (DP≥7) (AOR = 1.79, 95% CI (1.28-2.51)). About 4.7% of the HCWs were overextended (EE>18); 6.5% were disengaged (DP>8) and 9.7% HCWs were showing signs of burnout (high on all three dimensions).ConclusionThe study has identified key factors that could have been likely triggers for psychological distress among healthcare workers who were engaged in management of COVID cases in India. The study also demonstrates the use of GHQ-5 and ICMR-NIOH Burnout questionnaire as important tools to identify persons at risk of psychological distress and occurrence of burnout symptoms respectively. The findings provide useful guide to planning interventions to mitigate mental health problems among HCW in future epidemic/pandemic scenarios in the country