Functional Design of Physical Internet Facilities: A Road-rail Hub

As part of the 2010 IMHRC, Montreuil, Meller and Ballot enumerated the type of facilities that would be necessary to operate a Physical Internet (PI, π), which they termed, “π-nodes.” This paper is part of a three-paper series for the 2012 IMHRC where the authors provide functional designs of three PI facilities. This paper covers a PI road-rail hub. The purpose of a PI road-rail node is to enable the transfer of PI containers from their inbound to outbound destinations. Therefore, a road-rail π-hub provides a mechanism to transfer π-containers from a train to another one or a truck or from a truck to a train. The objective of the paper is to provide a design that is feasible to meet the objectives of this type of facility, identify ways to measure the performance of the design, and to identify research models that would assist in the design of such facilities. The functional design is presented in sufficient detail as to provide an engineer a proof of concept

Advanced Rover Chassis

Background: The six wheeled rover vehicle detailed in this design is intended as an upgrade test bed for the sensor array and autonomous navigation algorithms in use by Utah State University\u27s Center for Self-Organizing and Intelligent Systems (CSOIS). The CSOIS\u27s sensor suite can successfully detect and avoid unnavigable obstacles up to five vehicle lengths in front of the vehicle. The center presently uses a modified RC type chassis and only supports two wheel drive. This chassis was adequate to bring the CSOIS\u27s algorithms to a proof-of-principles state, but in order to place the system in any practical application, a full mobility chassis must be implemented. Although the purpose of the sensor is to detect obstacles, the chassis must still be able to crawl over small obstacles since the navigation system will indicate a best route to goal, not a perfectly smooth path. Parameters: The rover proposed by CSOIS is six wheeled in nature. The chassis must fit inside a 35 x 45 x 7.5 cm envelope. The total mass can not be any more than 2.5 kg and must be strong enough to support a 2.0 kg payload. The payload is designed to fit on a 20 x 22 cm platform centered over the chassis. Each of the six wheels must be individually driven. The rover msut be able to carry the payload up a 20° slope. The chassis must be capable of Ackerman steering (like on a car) and slip/skid steering (like on a tank). It must have a turning radius of 35 cm radius and have a total budget of $2000.00 or less. Final Design The format of the final design discussion in this report will precede by discussing the wheel and hub design first (section 1 ), followed by the steering and drive train (section 2), and finally the frame and suspension (section 3). Discussions of the system drivers, failure modes, maufacturing schedule, and cost are contained in section 4

Spécificité des PME de services supérieurs françaises à l'international : le rôle des technologies de l'information et de la communication

International audienceThis article deals with International SMEs and their strategic management linked with information and communication technologies. We would like to know how International SMEs manage their distance and proximity with clients, when they are themselves in peripherical area. We will take as an example the case of French International SMEs. We will compare the difference in terms of ICT management between local or regional SMEs and European or International SMEs. First of all, we will present the state of Art of International Management Studies, then we will focus on the relations between ICT and Entreprises. Secondly, we will focus on the DISCOTEC study, with the development of the methodology, the sample chosen and the analysis of the ground. Finally we will discuss the results and open new perspectives and we will compare our work with other countries such as the Czech RepublicCet article s'intéresse aux PME Internationales et à la façon dont leur management mobilise les technologies de l'information et de la communication. Il s'agit de voir comment des PME à dimension internationale gèrent la distance et leur éloignement vis-à-vis de leurs clients, alors même qu'elles sont elles-mêmes situées dans des zones d'activités périphériques, dispersées sur un territoire donné en prenant le cas de la France comme exemple. Nous pourrons ainsi voir les différences existantes entre des entreprises à dimension régionale, voire nationale et des entreprises à dimension européenne ou mondiale, et comment elles gèrent leurs technologies de l'information et de la communication sur un territoire donné. Nous présenterons dans un premier temps un état de l'art sur la théorie du management des entreprises internationales et leurs relations à la proximité et/ou distance avec les TIC dans différentes régions françaises, surtout lorsque ces PME sont dans des zones blanches, c'est-à-dire exclues des grands axes et réseaux de communication (privées de fibre optique par exemple). Puis nous nous présenterons la méthodologie de l'enquête, le questionnaire et son traitement par le cabinet ENOV Research, les analyses menées et enfin nous nous concentrons sur les perspectives de recherche et notamment envisager la poursuite de ces travaux avec d'autres pays européens comme la république tchèque

Phosphofructokinase 1 Glycosylation Regulates Cell Growth and Metabolism

Cancer cells must satisfy the metabolic demands of rapid cell growth within a continually changing microenvironment. We demonstrated that the dynamic posttranslational modification of proteins by O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAcylation) is a key metabolic regulator of glucose metabolism. O-GlcNAcylation was induced at serine 529 of phosphofructokinase 1 (PFK1) in response to hypoxia. Glycosylation inhibited PFK1 activity and redirected glucose flux through the pentose phosphate pathway, thereby conferring a selective growth advantage on cancer cells. Blocking glycosylation of PFK1 at serine 529 reduced cancer cell proliferation in vitro and impaired tumor formation in vivo. These studies reveal a previously uncharacterized mechanism for the regulation of metabolic pathways in cancer and a possible target for therapeutic intervention

Leaf concentrate compared with skimmed milk as nutritional supplementation for HIV-infected children:a randomized controlled trial in Burundi

AbstractObjectiveThe effectiveness of leaf concentrate powder (LCP) as a nutritional supplement was established in trials conducted among adolescent girls and pregnant women in India. Here we evaluate LCP, compared with skimmed milk powder (SMP), as a supplement for antiretroviral-naïve children living with HIV in a sub-Saharan African country.DesignRandomized controlled, two-arm, 6-month trial comparing effects of isoproteic (5 g) LCP (10 g daily) and SMP (15 g daily) on HIV-1 viral load, CD4+cell count/percentage, weight/height-for-age, general blood parameters, diarrhoea, respiratory and HIV-related opportunistic infections.SettingBujumbura and Kirundo, Burundi.SubjectsEighty-three HIV-positive, antiretroviral-naïve children aged 5–14 years: median (range) CD4+count, 716 (361–1690) cells/mm3; log10HIV-1 viral load, 4·39 (1·79–6·00).ResultsLCP was equivalent to SMP in relation to HIV-specific blood parameters and did not demonstrate superiority over SMP in relation to Hb. Three children in each arm (LCP, 7·1 % (3/42); SMP, 7·3 % (3/41)) proceeded to antiretroviral therapy because their CD4+counts fell below 350 cells/mm3. Children in the LCP group reported higher levels of appetite and overall health at 6 months. There were no differences in clinical events or any other outcome measures. LCP was less palatable than SMP to the children in this population, but there were few negative perceptions of appearance, texture and taste.ConclusionsLCP appears to be equivalent to SMP as a nutritional supplement in this population, despite slightly lower palatability. In relation to viral load and CD4+count, equivalence may indicate no effect in either group. Effectiveness relative to no supplementation remains to be determined.</jats:sec

Use of data loggers to investigate temperature trends above and below cover objects used by plethodontid salamanders

Amphibians utilize microhabitats to find refugia that will keep them functioning properly by regulating thermoregulatory behavior and for respiration. Microclimates of cover objects and the influence they may have in the selection of refugia by plethodontid salamanders are inherently difficult to study over long periods of time. Herein we provide a case study in which we used U23-003 HOBO Pro v2 2X Temperature Data Loggers to investigate temperature trends under and above cover objects selected by plethodontid salamanders in the field. Overall, data loggers were user-friendly for setup, deploymentt, and data offload and provided abundant data

: Preoperative Patient-centric Predictors of Postoperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Meniscectomy

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is a valid and efficient means of collecting patient outcomes in patients with meniscal tears. The studies purpose was to define the minimally clinical important difference (MCID) for PROMIS domains following meniscectomy procedures. Secondary aims included determining the role of pre-operative PROMIS computer adaptive test (CAT) scores in predicting achievement of MCID following meniscectomy. Patients undergoing arthroscopic meniscectomy who completed PROMIS CAT forms for physical function (PROMIS-PF), pain interference (PROMIS-PI), and depression (PROMIS-D), from July 2017 to July 2019, at a single institution were utilized. MCID was calculated according to the distribution methodology, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were utilized to determine if pre-operative scores were predictive of post-operative outcomes. A total of 135 patients met inclusion criteria. Postoperative PROMIS-PF (45.6), PROMIS-PI (54.6), and PROMIS-D (44.1) significantly improved 3 months after surgery (