An EOQ model for a deteriorating item with non-linear demand under inflation and a trade credit policy

This paper develops an infinite time-horizon deterministic economic order quantity (EOQ) inventory model with deterioration based on discounted cash flows (DCF) approach where demand rate is assumed to be non-linear over time. The effects of inflation and time-value of money are also taken into account under a trade-credit policy of type "α/T1 net T". The results are illustrated with a numerical example. Sensitivity analysis of the optimal solution with respect to the parameters of the system is carried out

A novel hardware approach to integrating active and passive rehabilitation in a single exoskeleton

The proposed exoskeleton is based on the elbow joint where patients can have active and passive rehabilitation in a single structure without changing its configuration. The structural formation of the exoskeleton has been designed in such a way that it offers two working regions namely; actuator based active rehabilitation in the first phase and passive rehabilitation in the second phase. The solution for integrating these two phases has been implemented using an innovative passive locking mechanism which uses a spring-based system for transformation. The stiffness of the spring is utilized to switch between active and passive rehabilitation regions. Besides this there are some other advantages this exoskeleton offers such as reduction of the actuation torque as well as ease of control. The paper is divided into three parts: the first part describes the existing designs, the second part gives an overview of the developed mechanism with structural description and the last part provides the solution with technical specification

Design Proposal for a Portable Elbow Exoskeleton

Exoskeleton based rehabilitation for post-stroke recovery is being aggressively pursued due to unavailability of adequate number of caregivers and huge investment for the manual treatment [1]. The structural framework for providing different training exercises is not similar for all exoskeletons and there is no standardized protocol for rehabilitation following stroke [2]. Various approaches have been undertaken to come up with customized exoskeleton design for implementing a specific type of exercise. Though a few exoskeletons have proved to be beneficial in terms of clinical outcomes, there is still a long way to go before a useful rehabilitation device becomes acceptable to the users. After reviewing the 46 exoskeletons (commercial or prototypes) [3], two key requirements can be considered for the design of an exoskeleton; the structural parameter which decides the size, weight and the ease of control and the other is the nature of rehabilitation therapy which defines the type and intensity of the exercises performed during training

Assessment of joint parameters in a Kinect sensor based rehabilitation game

Copyright © 2019 ASME. A Kinect sensor based basketball game is developed for delivering post-stroke exercises in association with a newly developed elbow exoskeleton. Few interesting features such as audio-visual feedback and scoring have been added to the game platform to enhance patient’s engagement during exercises. After playing the game, the performance score has been calculated based on their reachable points and reaching time to measure their current health conditions. During exercises, joint parameters are measured using the motion capture technique of Kinect sensor. The measurement accuracy of Kinect sensor is validated by two comparative studies where two healthy subjects were asked to move elbow joint in front of Kinect sensor wearing the developed elbow exoskeleton. In the first study, the joint information collected from Kinect sensor was compared with the exoskeleton based sensor. In the next study, the length of upperarm and forearm measured by Kinect were compared with the standard anthropometric data. The measurement errors between Kinect and exoskeleton are turned out to be in the acceptable range; 1% for subject 1 and 0.44% for subject 2 in case of joint angle; 5.55% and 3.58% for subject 1 and subject 2 respectively in case of joint torque. The average errors of Kinect measurement as compared to the anthropometric data of the two subjects are 16.52% for upperarm length and 9.87% for forearm length. It shows that Kinect sensor can measure the activity of joint movement with a minimum margin of error

A mechanism for elbow exoskeleton for customised training.

It is well proven that repetitive extensive training consisting of active and passive therapy is effective for patients suffering from neuromuscular deficits. The level of difficulty in rehabilitation should be increased with time to improve the neurological muscle functions. A portable elbow exoskeleton has been designed that will meet these requirements and potentially offers superior outcomes than human-assisted training. The proposed exoskeleton can provide both active and passive rehabilitation in a single structure without changing its configuration. The idea is to offer three levels of rehabilitation; namely active, passive and stiffness control in a single device using a single actuator. The mechanism also provides higher torque to weight ratio making it an energy efficient mechanism

Optimal pricing and lot-sizing decisions under Weibull distribution deterioration and trade credit policy

In this paper, we consider the problem of simultaneous determination of retail price and lot-size (RPLS) under the assumption that the supplier offers a fixed credit period to the retailer. It is assumed that the item in stock deteriorates over time at a rate that follows a two-parameter Weibull distribution and that the price-dependent demand is represented by a constant-price-elasticity function of retail price. The RPLS decision model is developed and solved analytically. Results are illustrated with the help of a base example. Computational results show that the supplier earns more profits when the credit period is greater than the replenishment cycle length. Sensitivity analysis of the solution to changes in the value of input parameters of the base example is also discussed

Efficacy of a low-cost, inactivated whole-cell oral cholera vaccine: results from 3 years of follow-up of a randomized, controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Killed oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) have been licensed for use in developing countries, but protection conferred by licensed OCVs beyond two years of follow-up has not been demonstrated in randomized, clinical trials. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled trial of a two-dose regimen of a low-cost killed whole cell OCV in residents 1 year of age and older living in 3,933 clusters in Kolkata, India. The primary endpoint was culture-proven Vibrio cholerae O1 diarrhea episodes severe enough to require treatment in a health care facility. Of the 66,900 fully dosed individuals (31,932 vaccinees and 34,968 placebo recipients), 38 vaccinees and 128 placebo-recipients developed cholera during three years of follow-up (protective efficacy 66%; one-sided 95%CI lower bound = 53%, p<0.001). Vaccine protection during the third year of follow-up was 65% (one-sided 95%CI lower bound = 44%, p<0.001). Significant protection was evident in the second year of follow-up in children vaccinated at ages 1–4 years and in the third year in older age groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The killed whole-cell OCV conferred significant protection that was evident in the second year of follow-up in young children and was sustained for at least three years in older age groups. Continued follow-up will be important to establish the vaccine's duration of protection.Dipika Sur ... Stephen Attridge ... et al

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters

Measurement of isolated photon production in pp and PbPb collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV

Isolated photon production is measured in proton-proton and lead-lead collisions at nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energies of 2.76 TeV in the pseudorapidity range |eta|<1.44 and transverse energies ET between 20 and 80 GeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The measured ET spectra are found to be in good agreement with next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions. The ratio of PbPb to pp isolated photon ET-differential yields, scaled by the number of incoherent nucleon-nucleon collisions, is consistent with unity for all PbPb reaction centralities.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters

Search for a W ' boson decaying to a muon and a neutrino in pp collisions at √s =7 TeV

This is the Pre-Print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2011 ElsevierA new heavy gauge boson, W', decaying to a muon and a neutrino, is searched for in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass of 7 TeV. The data, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns. No significant excess of events above the standard model expectation is found in the transverse mass distribution of the muon-neutrino system. Masses below 1.40 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level for a sequential standard-model-like W'. The W' mass lower limit increases to 1.58 TeV when the present analysis is combined with the CMS result for the electron channel.This work is supported by the FMSR (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); Academy of Sciences and NICPB (Estonia); Academy of Finland, ME, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF and WCU (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); PAEC (Pakistan); SCSR (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); MST and MAE (Russia); MSTD (Serbia); MICINN and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA)