The optimal ordering policy with trade credit under two different payment methods

[[abstract]]Suppliers’ offering delay payment terms to retailers can be regarded as a type of price reduction. In today’s ever competitive marketplace, offering delay payments has become a commonly adopted method to suppliers. Most of the inventory models with permissible delay in payments assumed that the entire lot size is delivered at the same time. However, in practice, goods ordered are usually arrived overtime in separate batches. In this study, we discuss an inventory problem with a finite replenishment rate under trade credit for two payment methods. We establish a theorem to find the optimal solution for each payment method. Numerical examples are also given to illustrate the solution procedure. Finally, to investigate the effect of changes of some main parameter values on the optimal solution, a sensitivity analysis is performed and some management interpretations are proposed.[[journaltype]]國外[[incitationindex]]SCI[[ispeerreviewed]]Y[[booktype]]紙本[[countrycodes]]DE

A Fuzzy Inventory System with Deteriorating Items under Supplier Credits Linked to Ordering Quantity

[[abstract]]The inventory problem associated with trade credit is a popular topic in which interest income and interest payments are important issues. Most studies related to trade credit assume that the interest rate is both fixed and predetermined. However, in the real market, many factors such as financial policy, monetary policy and inflation, may affect the interest rate. Moreover, within the environment of merchandise storage, some distinctive factors arise which ultimately affect the quality of products such as temperature, humidity, and storage equipment. Thus, the rate of interest charges, the rate of interest earned, and the deterioration rate in a real inventory problem may be fuzzy. In this paper, we deal with these three imprecise parameters in inventory modeling by utilizing the fuzzy set theory. We develop the fuzzy inventory model based on Chang et al.'s [1] model by fuzzifying the rate of interest charges, the rate of interest earned, and the deterioration rate into the triangular fuzzy number. Subsequently, we discuss how to determine the optimal ordering policy so that the total relevant inventory cost, in the fuzzy sense, is minimal. Furthermore, we show that Chang et al.'s [1] model (the crisp model) is a special case of our model (the fuzzy model). Finally, numerical examples are provided to illustrate these results.[[notice]]補正完畢[[journaltype]]國內[[incitationindex]]SCI[[incitationindex]]EI[[ispeerreviewed]]Y[[booktype]]紙本[[countrycodes]]TW

Advance sales system with price-dependent demand and an appreciation period under trade credit

[[abstract]]With globalization, companies are facing fierce competition. Offering an appreciation period has become a commonly adopted method by retailers to sustain competitive advantage. During the appreciation period, customers can request to return products for any reason. In addition, retailers provide advance sales to attract additional customers. The supplier usually provides the retailer with a trade credit, which they can use as a type of price reduction to attract additional customers. Price is viewed as an important vehicle to sell products and enhance revenues. Therefore, in this article, we establish an inventory model with price-dependent demand for a retailer who simultaneously receives trade credit from its supplier, and offers advance sales and an appreciation period to its customers. We first establish a proper model and then provide an easy-to-use method to obtain an ordering policy for the retailer to achieve its maximum total profit. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the solution procedure

Wnt proteins regulate acetylcholine receptor clustering in muscle cells

Background: The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a cholinergic synapse that rapidly conveys signals from motoneurons to muscle cells and exhibits a high degree of subcellular specialization characteristic of chemical synapses. NMJ formation requires agrin and its coreceptors LRP4 and MuSK. Increasing evidence indicates that Wnt signaling regulates NMJ formation in Drosophila, C. elegans and zebrafish. Results: In the study we systematically studied the effect of all 19 different Wnts in mammals on acetylcholine receptor (AChR) cluster formation. We identified five Wnts (Wnt9a, Wnt9b, Wnt10b, Wnt11, and Wnt16) that are able to stimulate AChR clustering, of which Wnt9a and Wnt11 are expressed abundantly in developing muscles. Using Wnt9a and Wnt11 as example, we demonstrated that Wnt induction of AChR clusters was dose-dependent and non-additive to that of agrin, suggesting that Wnts may act via similar pathways to induce AChR clusters. We provide evidence that Wnt9a and Wnt11 bind directly to the extracellular domain of MuSK, to induce MuSK dimerization and subsequent tyrosine phosphorylation of the kinase. In addition, Wnt-induced AChR clustering requires LRP4. Conclusions: These results identify Wnts as new players in AChR cluster formation, which act in a manner that requires both MuSK and LRP4, revealing a novel function of LRP4.NeurosciencesSCI(E)24ARTICLEnull

Identifying early decline of daily function and its association with physical function in chronic kidney disease: performance-based and self-reported measures

Objective To verify self-reported basic and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) with a disability and the results of performance-based tests (namely the Taiwan performance-based IADL (TPIADL), the 2-minute step test (2MST), the 30-second chair-stand test (30-s CST), and handgrip dynamometer measurement) to identify disability early and assess the associations with functional fitness in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods A cross-sectional study of 99 patients with stage 4–5 CKD and 57 healthy elderly adults were recruited. Self-reported measures were used to collect information on basic (Barthel Index) and IADL (Lawton–Brody scale). Objective measures of the TPIADL and functional fitness (2MST, 30-s CST, handgrip dynamometer) were also assessed. Results Only IADL, as detected by the TPIADL, were impaired to a greater extent in the CKD patients than those of healthy elderly adults. Among all the patients with CKD, a greater impairment in the TPIADL remained statistically associated with a lower ability in the 2MST. A one step increase in the 2MST score was significantly associated with an improvement of 0.2 s in the total performance time of the TPIADL. Conclusion Performance-based measures, such as the TPIADL, may detect a functional limitation before it becomes measurable by traditional self-reported basic and IADL scales; functional limitation is mainly associated with cardiac endurance for advanced CKD

A Chinese Herbal Decoction, Modified Yi Guan Jian, Induces Apoptosis in Hepatic Stellate Cells through an ROS-Mediated Mitochondrial/Caspase Pathway

The Chinese herb modified Yi Guan Jian (mYGJ) is an effective regimen that is usually used in outpatients with chronic liver diseases such as fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, the mechanism for the action of mYGJ on liver fibrosis is not yet clear. In this study, we found that mYGJ induced hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) apoptosis concomitant with the downregulation of Bcl-2 expression and slight elevation of Bax level. Moreover, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated in the early stages of mYGJ-induced HSCs apoptosis to facilitate calcium and cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to cytosol. Subsequently, caspase 9 and caspase 3 were activated. Furthermore, the activation of ER stress-associated caspase 12 in HSCs was also evaluated. Together, we report the first evidence-based study to demonstrate that mYGJ decoction induces HSCs apoptosis through ROS accumulation and the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. These findings provide rationale for further clinical investigation of traditional Chinese medicine recipes against liver fibrosis

Life expectancies and incidence rates of patients under prolonged mechanical ventilation: a population-based study during 1998 to 2007 in Taiwan

[[abstract]]Introduction: The present study examined the median survival, life expectancies, and cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of patients undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) stratified by different underlying diseases.Methods: According to the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, there were 8,906,406 individuals who obtained respiratory care during the period from 1997 to 2007. A random sample of this population was performed, and subjects who had continuously undergone mechanical ventilation for longer than 21 days were enrolled in the current study. Annual incidence rates and the CIR were calculated. After stratifying the patients according to their specific diagnoses, latent class analysis was performed to categorise PMV patients with multiple co-morbidities into several groups. The life expectancies of different groups were estimated using a semiparametric method with a hazard function based on the vital statistics of Taiwan.Results: The analysis of 50,481 PMV patients revealed that incidence rates increased as patients grew older and that the CIR (17 to 85 years old) increased from 0.103 in 1998 to 0.183 in 2004 before stabilising thereafter. The life expectancies of PMV patients suffering from degenerative neurological diseases, stroke, or injuries tended to be longer than those with chronic renal failure or cancer. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease survived longer than did those co-morbid with other underlying diseases, especially septicaemia/shock.Conclusions: PMV provides a direct means to treat respiratory tract diseases and to sustain respiration in individuals suffering from degenerative neurological diseases, and individuals with either of these types of conditions respond better to PMV than do those with other co-morbidities. Future research is required to determine the cost-effectiveness of this treatment paradigm

Apoptosis in Hepatic Stellate Cells through an ROS-Mediated Mitochondrial/Caspase Pathway

The Chinese herb modified Yi Guan Jian (mYGJ) is an effective regimen that is usually used in outpatients with chronic liver diseases such as fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, the mechanism for the action of mYGJ on liver fibrosis is not yet clear. In this study, we found that mYGJ induced hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) apoptosis concomitant with the downregulation of Bcl-2 expression and slight elevation of Bax level. Moreover, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated in the early stages of mYGJ-induced HSCs apoptosis to facilitate calcium and cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to cytosol. Subsequently, caspase 9 and caspase 3 were activated. Furthermore, the activation of ER stress-associated caspase 12 in HSCs was also evaluated. Together, we report the first evidence-based study to demonstrate that mYGJ decoction induces HSCs apoptosis through ROS accumulation and the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. These findings provide rationale for further clinical investigation of traditional Chinese medicine recipes against liver fibrosis

POINeT: protein interactome with sub-network analysis and hub prioritization

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are critical to every aspect of biological processes. Expansion of all PPIs from a set of given queries often results in a complex PPI network lacking spatiotemporal consideration. Moreover, the reliability of available PPI resources, which consist of low- and high-throughput data, for network construction remains a significant challenge. Even though a number of software tools are available to facilitate PPI network analysis, an integrated tool is crucial to alleviate the burden on querying across multiple web servers and software tools.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have constructed an integrated web service, POINeT, to simplify the process of PPI searching, analysis, and visualization. POINeT merges PPI and tissue-specific expression data from multiple resources. The tissue-specific PPIs and the numbers of research papers supporting the PPIs can be filtered with user-adjustable threshold values and are dynamically updated in the viewer. The network constructed in POINeT can be readily analyzed with, for example, the built-in centrality calculation module and an integrated network viewer. Nodes in global networks can also be ranked and filtered using various network analysis formulas, i.e., centralities. To prioritize the sub-network, we developed a ranking filtered method (S3) to uncover potential novel mediators in the midbody network. Several examples are provided to illustrate the functionality of POINeT. The network constructed from four schizophrenia risk markers suggests that EXOC4 might be a novel marker for this disease. Finally, a liver-specific PPI network has been filtered with adult and fetal liver expression profiles.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The functionalities provided by POINeT are highly improved compared to previous version of POINT. POINeT enables the identification and ranking of potential novel genes involved in a sub-network. Combining with tissue-specific gene expression profiles, PPIs specific to selected tissues can be revealed. The straightforward interface of POINeT makes PPI search and analysis just a few clicks away. The modular design permits further functional enhancement without hampering the simplicity. POINeT is available at <url>http://poinet.bioinformatics.tw/</url>.</p