A novel decision model based on mixed chase and level strategy for aggregate production planning under uncertainty: case study in beverage industry

The present study proposes a novel decision model to aggregate production planning (APP) decision making problem based on mixed chase and level strategy under uncertainty where the market demand acts as the main source of uncertainty. By taking into account the novel features, the constructed model turns out to be stochastic, nonlinear, multi-stage and multi-objective. APP in practice entails multiple-objectivity. Therefore, the model involves multiple objectives such as total revenue, total production costs, total labour productivity costs, optimum utilisation of production resources and capacity and customer satisfaction, and is validated on the basis of real world data from beverage manufacturing industry. Applying the recourse approach in stochastic programming leads to empty feasible space, and therefore the wait and see approach is used instead. After solving the model using the real-world industrial data, sensitivity analysis and several forms of trade-off analysis are conducted by changing different parameters/coefficients of the constructed model, and by analysing the compromise between objectives respectively. Finally, possible future research directions, with regard to the limitations of current study, are discussed

Deletion of heat shock protein 60 in adult mouse cardiomyocytes perturbs mitochondrial protein homeostasis and causes heart failure.

To maintain healthy mitochondrial enzyme content and function, mitochondria possess a complex protein quality control system, which is composed of different endogenous sets of chaperones and proteases. Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) is one of these mitochondrial molecular chaperones and has been proposed to play a pivotal role in the regulation of protein folding and the prevention of protein aggregation. However, the physiological function of HSP60 in mammalian tissues is not fully understood. Here we generated an inducible cardiac-specific HSP60 knockout mouse model, and demonstrated that HSP60 deletion in adult mouse hearts altered mitochondrial complex activity, mitochondrial membrane potential, and ROS production, and eventually led to dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and lethality. Proteomic analysis was performed in purified control and mutant mitochondria before mutant hearts developed obvious cardiac abnormalities, and revealed a list of mitochondrial-localized proteins that rely on HSP60 (HSP60-dependent) for correctly folding in mitochondria. We also utilized an in vitro system to assess the effects of HSP60 deletion on mitochondrial protein import and protein stability after import, and found that both HSP60-dependent and HSP60-independent mitochondrial proteins could be normally imported in mutant mitochondria. However, the former underwent degradation in mutant mitochondria after import, suggesting that the protein exhibited low stability in mutant mitochondria. Interestingly, the degradation could be almost fully rescued by a non-specific LONP1 and proteasome inhibitor, MG132, in mutant mitochondria. Therefore, our results demonstrated that HSP60 plays an essential role in maintaining normal cardiac morphology and function by regulating mitochondrial protein homeostasis and mitochondrial function

Loss of Jak2 Selectively Suppresses DC-Mediated Innate Immune Response and Protects Mice from Lethal Dose of LPS-Induced Septic Shock

Given the importance of Jak2 in cell signaling, a critical role for Jak2 in immune cells especially dendritic cells (DCs) has long been proposed. The exact function for Jak2 in DCs, however, remained poorly understood as Jak2 deficiency leads to embryonic lethality. Here we established Jak2 deficiency in adult Cre+/+Jak2fl/fl mice by tamoxifen induction. Loss of Jak2 significantly impaired DC development as manifested by reduced BMDC yield, smaller spleen size and reduced percentage of DCs in total splenocytes. Jak2 was also crucial for the capacity of DCs to mediate innate immune response. Jak2−/− DCs were less potent in response to inflammatory stimuli and showed reduced capacity to secrete proinflammatory cytokines such as TNFα and IL-12. As a result, Jak2−/− mice were defective for the early clearance of Listeria after infection. However, their potency to mediate adaptive immune response was not affected. Unlike DCs, Jak2−/− macrophages showed similar capacity secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting that Jak2 selectively modulates innate immune response in a DC-dependent manner. Consistent with these results, Jak2−/− mice were remarkably resistant to lethal dose of LPS-induced septic shock, a deadly sepsis characterized by the excessive innate immune response, and adoptive transfer of normal DCs restored their susceptibility to LPS-induced septic shock. Mechanistic studies revealed that Jak2/SATA5 signaling is pivotal for DC development and maturation, while the capacity for DCs secretion of proinflammatory cytokines is regulated by both Jak2/STAT5 and Jak2/STAT6 signaling

Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program: A New International Ocean Observing System

For decades oceanographers have understood the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to be primarily driven by changes in the production of deep-water formation in the subpolar and subarctic North Atlantic. Indeed, current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections of an AMOC slowdown in the twenty-first century based on climate models are attributed to the inhibition of deep convection in the North Atlantic. However, observational evidence for this linkage has been elusive: there has been no clear demonstration of AMOC variability in response to changes in deep-water formation. The motivation for understanding this linkage is compelling, since the overturning circulation has been shown to sequester heat and anthropogenic carbon in the deep ocean. Furthermore, AMOC variability is expected to impact this sequestration as well as have consequences for regional and global climates through its effect on the poleward transport of warm water. Motivated by the need for a mechanistic understanding of the AMOC, an international community has assembled an observing system, Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP), to provide a continuous record of the transbasin fluxes of heat, mass, and freshwater, and to link that record to convective activity and water mass transformation at high latitudes. OSNAP, in conjunction with the Rapid Climate Change–Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array (RAPID–MOCHA) at 26°N and other observational elements, will provide a comprehensive measure of the three-dimensional AMOC and an understanding of what drives its variability. The OSNAP observing system was fully deployed in the summer of 2014, and the first OSNAP data products are expected in the fall of 2017

A review of grout materials in geothermal energy applications

Ground heat exchangers are surrounded by grout material, making it one of the most important components in geothermal energy applications since it significantly affects the system's thermal performance. The current study reviews the different types of grout materials and compares their thermophysical properties. The most critical parameter is the grout's thermal conductivity in which it always presents a proportional relation with the system's efficiency. Numerous factors are involved in this review to ascertain theier impact on the grouts’ performance such as flowability, shrinkage, moisture content, freezing, heat capacity, strength, permeability, solubility and thermal imbalance. The different grouts compared are bentonite, cement, sand, graphite, controlled low-strength material, dolomite, and phase change materials. The literature shows that phase change materials are the best choices of grouting since they can provide high storage capacity, stability and temperature uniformity. The major problem of such materials is their low thermal conductivity. Thus, it is recommended to use composite phase change materials to enhance their thermal conductivity and increase the storage/retrieval rate

Thermoelectric energy harvesting for personalized healthcare

Abstract In recent decades, there has been increased research interest in miniaturizing and decentralizing diagnostic platforms to enable continuous personalized healthcare and free patients from long‐term hospitalization. However, the lack of reliable and portable power supplies has limited the working time of the personalized healthcare platform. Compared with the current power supplies (e.g., batteries and supercapacitors) that require manual intervention, thermoelectric devices promise to continuously harvest waste heat from the human body to satisfy the energy consumption of personalized healthcare platforms. Herein, this review discusses thermoelectric energy harvesting for personalized healthcare. It begins with the fundamental concepts of different thermoelectric materials, including electron thermoelectric generators (TEGs), ionic thermogalvanic cells (TGCs), and ionic thermoelectric capacitors (TECs). Then, the wearable and implantable applications of thermoelectric devices are presented. Finally, future directions of next‐generation thermoelectric devices for personalized healthcare are discussed. It is hoped that developing high‐performance thermoelectric devices will change the landscape of personalized healthcare in the future

Aggregate production planning under uncertainty: a comprehensive literature survey and future research directions

This is the first literature survey of its kind on aggregate production planning (APP) under uncertainty. Different types of uncertainty, such as stochasticity, fuzziness and possibilistic forms, have been incorporated into many management science techniques to study APP decision problem under uncertainty. In current research, a wide range of the literature which employ management science methodologies to deal with APP in presence of uncertainty is surveyed by classifying them into five main categories: stochastic mathematical programming, fuzzy mathematical programming, simulation, metaheuristics and evidential reasoning. First, the preliminary analysis of the literature is presented by classifying the literature according to the abovementioned methodologies, discussing about advantages and disadvantages of these methodologies when applied to APP under uncertainty and concisely reviewing the more recent literature. Then, APP literature under uncertainty is analysed from management science and operations management perspectives. Possible future research paths are also discussed on the basis of identified research trends and research gaps