Search

Although inventory shrinkage negatively affects firms' operations decisions in nearly every type of industry, it is generally ignored in practice. Most of the available mathematical models are not considering inventory shrinkage caused by lost or misplaced inventory items, because of the mathematical complexity. Therefore, we develop new (r,Q) models addressing shrinkage. Besides misplaced items, we consider perished or lost items, which are common in the retail industry. We further propose an algorithm to solve the models developed. To demonstrate the applicability of our models and solution algorithm, we assume normal and exponential demand distributions. We show that total inventory costs obtained using our models are significantly lower than those from available models, which does not consider misplaced items and the sensitivity analysis leads us to several managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: A metabolism score for visceral fat (METS-VF) is an innovative method to access abdominal fat and visceral fat. So far, the relationship between the METS-VF index and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has remained unclear. We investigated the relationship between the METS-VF index and COPD prevalence utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A binary logistic regression analysis was performed using NHANES 2007-2018 data to assess the relationship between the METS-VF index and COPD prevalence. The relationship was verified by fitted smooth curves, generalized additive models, threshold effect analyses, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: In total, 7,680 subjects were recruited for the study, including 772 self-reported having COPD. The METS-VF index was positively related to COPD prevalence when adjusted for all covariates. The METS-VF index was classified by quartiles, and participants who scored highest on METSVF were at a greater risk of COPD than those who scored lowest. According to a threshold effect analysis, the METS-VF index was negatively correlated with COPD prevalence with a METS-VF index <7.00, without statistical significance. Once the METSVF index exceeded 7.00, there was a robust positive correlation between the METS-VF index and COPD prevalence. In the analysis of subgroups, the METS-VF index was positively correlated with COPD prevalence among subjects who were male, aged 40-59, and without asthma or hypertension. The results were robust in sensitivity analyses. METS-VF showed a significantly better diagnostic value for COPD than Body Mass Index (BMI). CONCLUSIONS: The METS-VF index has a non-linear and positive correlation with COPD prevalence in the middle-aged and elderly American population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a hybrid code GMEC: Gyro-kinetic Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) Energetic-particle Code that can numerically simulate energetic particle-driven Alfvén eigenmodes and energetic particle transport in tokamak plasmas. In order to resolve the Alfvén eigenmodes with high toroidal numbers effectively, the field-aligned coordinates and meshes are adopted. The extended MHD equations are solved with the five-point finite difference method and the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. The gyrokinetic equations are solved by particle-in-cell method for the perturbed energetic particle pressures that are coupled into the MHD equations. Up to now, a simplified version of the hybrid code has been completed with several successful verifications, including linear simulations of toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes and reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nematode communities in the soils of wheat (Triticum aestivum Linn.) rhizosphere grown alone and grown in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) orchard were investigated for three years in Hetian arid area, Xingjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest of China. The results showed that eu-dominant families were Rhabditidae, Cephalobidae and Aphelenchidae among 15 families and 19 genera. Nematode abundance in wheat rhizosphere soil was smaller in wheat/jujube intercropping system, mainly because of lower numbers of bacterial feeders and fungal feeders. Besides, the nematode numbers of cp-1 and cp-2 (cp, colonizer-persister) guilds were significantly lower in wheat/jujube intercropping system than that in monoculture wheat system, due to the markedly lower numbers of Rhabditidae and Cephalobidae, although those of cp-3 and cp-4 guilds had no significant differences between monoculture and intercropping systems. Shannon-Weaver index (H’), genus dominance index (Ig) and structural index (SI), represented soil food web diversity and structure, had no differences between monoculture and intercropping systems. Significantly lower values of Wasilewska index (WI) and PPI/MI in monoculture wheat than in intercropping system. It was concluded that the soil status in monoculture wheat system exhibited better soil ecosystem in compared with wheat/ jujube intercropping system.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of natural killer/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) with multifocal small intestine involvement complicated by intestinal perforation is extremely poor. There is no evidence-based treatment strategy for this intractable condition. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old male was admitted to our hospital in April 2017 and presented with recurrent fever for three months and multiple painless subcutaneous nodules in the abdominal wall. An excision biopsy of the subcutaneous nodules in the abdominal wall revealed NKTCL. The patient was diagnosed with stage IVB NKTCL with skin and multifocal small intestinal involvement according to the imaging results. The first intestinal perforation occurred due to tumor infiltration before the initial treatment. The second intestinal perforation occurred after receiving two cycles of chemotherapy with a modified SMILE regimen. The histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) chidamide was administered as a single-agent therapy after recovery from the second intestinal perforation. Complete remission was achieved. Unfortunately, five months later, the patient was confirmed to have relapsed and received the salvage chemotherapy. The patient suffered from disease progression again after the fourth cycle of chemotherapy. At this point, from May 29, 2018, the patient started to receive injections of the anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) antibody camrelizumab as a salvage treatment. Two months after the initial anti-PD-1 antibody camrelizumab injection, the response was partial remission. Disease progression was confirmed in March 2021, with a progression-free survival time of 34 months. CONCLUSIONS: NKTCL patients with multifocal small intestine involvement have a high risk of intestinal perforation. The possible etiologies of bowel perforation include tumor infiltration, tumor necrosis in response to therapy, and acute inflammation. The anti-PD-1 antibody camrelizumab may be a new candidate agent for treating this type of intractable NKTCL. Further observations are necessary to identify the efficacy and safety of new agents in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]