Just-in-Time Management in Healthcare Operations

Reducing costs and improving quality are two of the most important goals in managing healthcare operations. In this study, we explore how to improve healthcare operations by integrating Just-in-Time (JIT) management system. We first introduce the JIT management system, and then discuss how it can generate benefits in healthcare operations. We investigate implications for healthcare practice, which include how JIT techniques can be applied to healthcare operations, how hospitals and general practices can use JIT techniques, how JIT can help the patient throughput rate, and how technological advances can speed up healthcare processes. Implications for management and directions for future research are discussed

现代环境伦理的密尔困境及解决路径

Abstract in Chinese: 由于将自然理解为自然物和物理事件的集合，大多数现 代环境伦理理论都无法摆脱密尔所提出的两难困境。无论是对技术 进步的依赖，还是向着原始生活的回归，都不符合环境伦理创立的 初衷。而新兴的环境美德伦理学将自然动态地理解为意义的生成机 制。由此，自然物不仅是现成的资源，而且是意义的载体。这是一 条突破现代环境伦理困境的有效路径。同时，它与儒家的生生思想 有着实质性地共鸣。Abstract in English: Regarding the nature as a collection of natural things and physical events, the most of modern environmental ethics theory cannot get rid of the dilemma raised by Mill. Neither the dependence on the progress of technology nor the regression toward primitive life is in line with the original intention of environmental ethics. However, the environmental virtue ethics has understood the nature as the emergence of meaning. Thus, the natural world is not only available resources, but the carrier of meaning. This is an effective way to break through the modern environmental ethical dilemma. The more important is that it essentially has a Confucian resonance. [pp. 107-108

PROTEOMICS INSIGHTS INTO MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF TRIPTOLIDE AGAINST COLORECTAL CANCER

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Energy Efficiency of Generalized Spatial Modulation Aided Massive MIMO Systems

One of focuses in green communication studies is the energy efficiency (EE) of massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. Although the massive MIMO technology can improve the spectral efficiency (SE) of cellular networks by configuring a large number of antennas at base stations (BSs), the energy consumption of radio frequency (RF) chains increases dramatically. The increment of energy consumption is caused by the increase of RF chain number to match the antenna number in massive MIMO communication systems. To overcome this problem, a generalized spatial modulation (GSM) solution is presented to simultaneously reduce the number of RF chains and maintain the SE of massive MIMO communication systems. A EE model is proposed to estimate the transmission and computation power of massive MIMO communication systems with GSM. Simulation results demonstrate that the EE of massive MIMO communication systems with GSM outperforms the massive MIMO communication systems without GSM. Besides, the computation power consumed by massive MIMO communication systems with GSM is effectively reduced

Foreign Object Detection for Electric Vehicle Wireless Charging

Wireless power transfer technology is being widely used in electric vehicle wireless-charging applications, and foreign object detection (FOD) is an important module that is needed to satisfy the transmission and safety requirements. FOD mostly includes two key parts: metal object detection (MOD) and living object detection (LOD), which should be implemented during the charging process. In this paper, equivalent circuit models of a metal object and a living object are proposed, and the FOD methods are reviewed and analyzed within a unified framework based on the proposed FOD models. A comparison of these detection methods and future challenges is also discussed. Based on these analyses, detection methods that employ an additional circuit for detection are recommended for FOD in electric vehicle wireless-charging applications

Peripheral Processing Facilitates Optic Flow-Based Depth Perception

Li J, Lindemann JP, Egelhaaf M. Peripheral Processing Facilitates Optic Flow-Based Depth Perception. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience. 2016;10(10): 111.Flying insects, such as flies or bees, rely on consistent information regarding the depth structure of the environment when performing their flight maneuvers in cluttered natural environments. These behaviors include avoiding collisions, approaching targets or spatial navigation. Insects are thought to obtain depth information visually from the retinal image displacements (“optic flow”) during translational ego-motion. Optic flow in the insect visual system is processed by a mechanism that can be modeled by correlation-type elementary motion detectors (EMDs). However, it is still an open question how spatial information can be extracted reliably from the responses of the highly contrast- and pattern-dependent EMD responses, especially if the vast range of light intensities encountered in natural environments is taken into account. This question will be addressed here by systematically modeling the peripheral visual system of flies, including various adaptive mechanisms. Different model variants of the peripheral visual system were stimulated with image sequences that mimic the panoramic visual input during translational ego-motion in various natural environments, and the resulting peripheral signals were fed into an array of EMDs. We characterized the influence of each peripheral computational unit on the representation of spatial information in the EMD responses. Our model simulations reveal that information about the overall light level needs to be eliminated from the EMD input as is accomplished under light-adapted conditions in the insect peripheral visual system. The response characteristics of large monopolar cells (LMCs) resemble that of a band-pass filter, which reduces the contrast dependency of EMDs strongly, effectively enhancing the representation of the nearness of objects and, especially, of their contours. We furthermore show that local brightness adaptation of photoreceptors allows for spatial vision under a wide range of dynamic light conditions

The mediating role of cultural intelligence to learning flexibility, cultural difference and expatriate effectiveness

PurposeDrawing on experiential learning theory, this study seeks to understand how the perceived cultural difference in a foreign country and learning flexibility, which enables more integrated experiential learning from international experience, influence expatriates’ cultural intelligence (CQ) and consequently their adjustment and job performance.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from 169 expatriates in China. Polynomial regression analyses were employed to test curvilinear relationships between cultural difference and CQ and between learning flexibility and CQ. Mediation hypotheses were tested either by the MEDCURVE procedure if a curvilinear relationship was confirmed or by the Haye’s Process procedure if a curvilinear relationship was not confirmed and instead a linear relationship was confirmed.FindingsThe results demonstrated a positive relationship between cultural difference and CQ and an inverted U-shape relationship between learning flexibility and CQ. CQ mediated the relationship between cultural difference and expatriate adjustment and partially mediated the relationship between learning flexibility and expatriate adjustment. CQ positively influenced expatriates’ job performance via expatriate adjustment.Practical implicationsOur findings suggest that companies should not hesitate to send expatriates on assignments to culturally very different countries and focus more attention on the selection of expatriates. The findings of this study suggest firms should choose candidates who are moderate or high in learning flexibility and could engage in integrated learning and specialized learning in a more balanced manner.Originality/valueThis research is the first study that examines the influence of learning flexibility on CQ and expatriate effectiveness. It examines cultural difference through the lens of experiential learning theory and argues that cultural difference constitutes “stimuli” in the experiential learning environment for individual learning in an international context. The results advance our knowledge of the role of experiential learning in developing capable global managers.</jats:sec

Local motion adaptation enhances the representation of spatial structure at EMD arrays

Li J, Lindemann JP, Egelhaaf M. Local motion adaptation enhances the representation of spatial structure at EMD arrays. PLOS Computational Biology. 2017;13(12): e1005919.Neuronal representation and extraction of spatial information are essential for behavioral control. For flying insects, a plausible way to gain spatial information is to exploit distancedependent optic flow that is generated during translational self-motion. Optic flow is computed by arrays of local motion detectors retinotopically arranged in the second neuropile layer of the insect visual system. These motion detectors have adaptive response characteristics, i.e. their responses to motion with a constant or only slowly changing velocity decrease, while their sensitivity to rapid velocity changes is maintained or even increases. We analyzed by a modeling approach how motion adaptation affects signal representation at the output of arrays of motion detectors during simulated flight in artificial and natural 3D environments. We focused on translational flight, because spatial information is only contained in the optic flow induced by translational locomotion. Indeed, flies, bees and other insects segregate their flight into relatively long intersaccadic translational flight sections interspersed with brief and rapid saccadic turns, presumably to maximize periods of translation (80% of the flight). With a novel adaptive model of the insect visual motion pathway we could show that the motion detector responses to background structures of cluttered environments are largely attenuated as a consequence of motion adaptation, while responses to foreground objects stay constant or even increase. This conclusion even holds under the dynamic flight conditions of insects