Network design decisions in supply chain planning

Structuring global supply chain networks is a complex decision-making process. The typical inputs to such a process consist of a set of customer zones to serve, a set of products to be manufactured and distributed, demand projections for the different customer zones, and information about future conditions, costs (e.g. for production and transportation) and resources (e.g. capacities, available raw materials). Given the above inputs, companies have to decide where to locate new service facilities (e.g. plants, warehouses), how to allocate procurement and production activities to the variousmanufacturing facilities, and how to manage the transportation of products through the supply chain network in order to satisfy customer demands. We propose a mathematical modelling framework capturing many practical aspects of network design problems simultaneously. For problems of reasonable size we report on computational experience with standard mathematical programming software. The discussion is extended with other decisions required by many real-life applications in strategic supply chain planning. In particular, the multi-period nature of some decisions is addressed by a more comprehensivemodel, which is solved by a specially tailored heuristic approach. The numerical results suggest that the solution procedure can identify high quality solutions within reasonable computational time

Location problems with multiple criteria

This chapter analyzes multicriteria continuous, network, and discrete location problems. In the continuous framework, we provide a complete description of the set of weak Pareto, Pareto, and strict Pareto locations for a general Q-criteria location problem based on the characterization of three criteria problems. In the network case, the set of Pareto locations is characterized for general networks as well as for tree networks using the concavity and convexity properties of the distance function on the edges. In the discrete setting, the entire set of Pareto locations is characterized using rational generating functions of integer points in polytopes. Moreover, we describe algorithms to obtain the solutions sets (the different Pareto locations) using the above characterizations. We also include a detailed complexity analysis. A number of references has been cited throughout the chapter to avoid the inclusion of unnecessary technical details and also to be useful for a deeper analysis

What does the “slow” stand for? : an analysis of slow journalism’s relationship with time

O objetivo deste texto é iniciar uma investigação sobre a temporalidade do slow journalism. Partimos de definições formuladas em âmbito acadêmico e analisamos produtos jornalísticos que são considerados parte do movimento. Recorremos à tipologia desenvolvida por Charron e Bonville, que descreve o jornalismo de transmissão, opinião, informação e comunicação, para observar, entre outros elementos, a relação de cada modelo com o tempo. Concluímos que, assim como no movimento slow food, as questões éticas se mostram mais relevantes ao slow journalism do que propriamente sua relação com o tempo.The purpose of this paper is to investigate the temporality of slow journalism. We review academic approaches and describe some of the journalistic products that are considered part of the movement. We use the typology developed by Charron and Bonville, which describes transmission,opinion, information and communication journalism, to observe, among other elements, the relationship of each ideal type with time. We conclude that, as in the slow food movement, ethical issues are more relevant to slow journalism than its relationship to time

Pregnant women with bronchial asthma benefit from progressive muscle relaxation: A randomized, prospective, controlled trial

Background: Asthma is a serious medical problem in pregnancy and is often associated with stress, anger and poor quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on change in blood pressure, lung parameters, heart rate, anger and health-related quality of life in pregnant women with bronchial asthma. Methods: We treated a sample of 64 pregnant women with bronchial asthma from the local population in an 8-week randomized, prospective, controlled trial. Thirty-two were selected for PMR, and 32 received a placebo intervention. The systolic blood pressure, forced expiratory volume in the first second, peak expiratory flow and heart rate were tested, and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory and Health Survey (SF-36) were employed. Results: According to the intend-to-treat principle, a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and a significant increase in both forced expiratory volume in the first second and peak expiratory flow were observed after PMR. The heart rate showed a significant increase in the coefficient of variation, root mean square of successive differences and high frequency ranges, in addition to a significant reduction in low and middle frequency ranges. A significant reduction on three of five State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory scales, and a significant increase on seven of eight SF-36 scales were observed. Conclusions: PMR appears to be an effective method to improve blood pressure, lung parameters and heart rate, and to decrease anger levels, thus enhancing health-related quality of life in pregnant women with bronchial asthma. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

ESCOLAS FAMÍLIAS AGRÍCOLAS: UMA DEMONSTRAÇÃO DA NATUREZA COOPERATIVA E COMUNITÁRIA DO HOMEM

A ideia de que o ser humano é por natureza egoísta, propenso ao conflito e que tende sempre a buscar o prazer e fugir da dor é, na primeira parte do trabalho, desmistificada através de autores como Piotr Kropotkin, Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis e Yuval Noah Harari. A segunda parte do trabalho aborda o comunitarismo, que tem como um de seus expoentes, Amitai Etzioni. Referida abordagem trabalha a partir do equilíbrio entre Estado, mercado e comunidade. Por fim, a terceira parte do trabalho, aborda as Escolas Famílias Agrícolas – EFAS, como expressão do comunitarismo

Estudo in silico de sítios de restrição enzimática de genes da proteína capsidial e análise de diversidade genética de Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus em fruteiras de semente e caroço.

Cultivares comerciais de macieiras são infectadas por 3 espécies principais de vírus: Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) e Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV), geralmente em infecções complexas. O objetivo do estudo foi caracterizar a diversidade genética de genes da proteína capsidial (CP) de isolados de ACLSV.(Embrapa Uva e Vinho. Documentos, 99

Leisure-time walking among adult population from Pelotas, RS

O objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever a população praticante de caminhada no lazer, assim como os motivos, adesão às recomendações, cuidados e preferências quanto à prática desta atividade em uma amostra de base populacional de adultos residentes na zona urbana da cidade de Pelotas-RS. Foi conduzido um estudo transversal, de base populacional, com 1697 adultos. O Questionário Internacional de Atividades Físicas (IPAQ) foi utilizado para a mensuração da prática da caminhada no lazer (PCL). Do total da amostra, 21,1% relatou alguma PCL, no entanto apenas 6% alcançaram a recomendação de prática de atividade física através da caminhada (cinco sessões/semana, pelo menos 30 minutos/ dia). Os motivos mais relatados pelos indivíduos para praticar caminhada no período de lazer são, respectivamente, considerá-la importante para saúde (45,1%); praticar porque gosta (21,2%) e por indicação médica (14,4%). Aproximadamente 30% da amostra realizou alongamentos e/ou aquecimento como preparação para caminhada e mais da metade não modificou a velocidade, tempo e distância da mesma. Essas informações poderão contribuir na promoção de intervenções efetivas no estímulo à prática de atividades físicas, especificamente a caminhada.The aim of the study was to describe in leisure-time walkers the reasons, adherence to recommendations, precautions and preferences to walking in a sample of Pelotas/RS adult population living in a urban area. A population based cross-sectional study was conducted with 1697 adults. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to measure leisure-time walking practice (LWP). Twenty-one percent of all sample mentioned some LWP (usual week, at least 10 consecutive minutes, independent of frequency), meanwhile only 6% reached the physical activity practice recommendation through walking (five sessions/week at least 30 minutes/day). The reasons more told by the individuals to practice walked in the period of leisure time are, respectively, considering it important for health (45.1%); to practice because feel pleasure (21.2%) and for medical indication (14.4%). Approximately 30% realize stretching and/or warming as preparation to walking and more than half did not modify speed, time and distance. These information will contribute to promote effective intervention to stimulate physical activity practice, specially walking