Moussab/ORKG-training-evaluation-set huggingface dataset:
Research field: Science
Title: Lagrangian Relaxation Methods for Solving the Minimum Fleet Size Multiple Traveling Salesman Problem with Time Windows
Abstract: We consider the problem of finding the minimum number of vehicles required to visit once a set of nodes subject to time window constraints, for a homogeneous fleet of vehicles located at a common depot. This problem can be formulated as a network flow problem with additional time constraints. The paper presents an optimal solution approach using the augmented Lagrangian method. Two Lagrangian relaxations are studied. In the first one, the time constraints are relaxed producing network subproblems which are easy to solve, but the bound obtained is weak. In the second relaxation, constraints requiring that each node be visited are relaxed producing shortest path subproblems with time window constraints and integrality conditions. The bound produced is always excellent. Numerical results for several actual school busing problems with up to 223 nodes are discussed. Comparisons with a set partitioning formulation solved by column generation are given.
Extracted statement — Method: Lagrangian relaxation
Research field: Science
Title: Chemical composition and biological activities of a new essential oil chemotype of Tunisian Artemisia herba alba Asso
Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, angiotensin Iconverting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory, antibacterial and antifungal activities of the essential oil of Artemisia herba alba Asso (Aha), a traditional medicinal plant widely growing in Tunisia. The essential oil from the air dried leaves and flowers of Aha were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. More than fifty compounds, out of which 48 were identified. The main chemical class of the oil was represented by oxygenated monoterpenes (50.53%). These were represented by 21 derivatives, among which the cis -chrysantenyl acetate (10.60%), the sabinyl acetate (9.13%) and the α-thujone (8.73%) were the principal compounds. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes, particularly arbusculones were identified in the essential oil at relatively high rates. The Aha essential oil was found to have an interesting antioxidant activity as evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and the β-carotene bleaching methods. The Aha essential oil also exhibited an inhibitory activity towards the ACE. The antimicrobial activities of Aha essential oil was evaluated against six bacterial strains and three fungal strains by the agar diffusion method and by determining the inhibition zone. The inhibition zones were in the range of 8-51 mm. The essential oil exhibited a strong growth inhibitory activity on all the studied fungi. Our findings demonstrated that Aha growing wild in South-Western of Tunisia seems to be a new chemotype and its essential oil might be a natural potential source for food preservation and for further investigation by developing new bioactive substances.
Extracted statement — Country / Plant part CS: Leaves and flowers
Research field: Science
Title: Undifferentiated Sarcoma of the Liver in a 21-year-old Woman: Case Report
Abstract: A successful surgical case of malignant undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver (USL), a rare tumor normally found in children, is reported. The patient was a 21-year-old woman, complaining of epigastric pain and abdominal fullness. Chemical analyses of the blood and urine and complete blood counts revealed no significant changes, and serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were within normal limits. A physical examination demonstrated a film, slightly tender lesion at the liver's edge palpable 10 cm below the xiphoid process. CT scan and ultrasonography showed an oval mass, confined to the left lobe of the liver, which proved to be hypovascular on angiography. At laparotomy, a large, 18 x 15 x 13 cm tumor, found in the left hepatic lobe was resected. The lesion was dark red in color, encapsulated, smooth surfaced and of an elastic firm consistency. No metastasis was apparent. Histological examination resulted in a diagnosis of undifferentiated sarcoma of the liver. Three courses of adjuvant chemotherapy, including adriamycin, cis-diaminodichloroplatinum, vincristine and dacarbazine were administered following the surgery with no serious adverse effects. The patient remains well with no evidence of recurrence 12 months after her operation.
Extracted statement — Surgery: Left lob
Research field: Science
Title: An Integrated Model and Solution Approach for Fleet Sizing with Heterogeneous Assets
Abstract: This paper addresses a fleet-sizing problem in the context of the truck-rental industry. Specifically, trucks that vary in capacity and age are utilized over space and time to meet customer demand. Operational decisions (including demand allocation and empty truck repositioning) and tactical decisions (including asset procurements and sales) are explicitly examined in a linear programming model to determine the optimal fleet size and mix. The method uses a time-space network, common to fleet-management problems, but also includes capital cost decisions, wherein assets of different ages carry different costs, as is common to replacement analysis problems. A two-phase solution approach is developed to solve large-scale instances of the problem. Phase I allocates customer demand among assets through Benders decomposition with a demand-shifting algorithm assuring feasibility in each subproblem. Phase II uses the initial bounds and dual variables from Phase I and further improves the solution convergence without increasing computer memory requirements through the use of Lagrangian relaxation. Computational studies are presented to show the effectiveness of the approach for solving large problems within reasonable solution gaps.
Extracted statement — Method: Linear programming
Research field: Science
Title: A Decision Support System for Fleet Management: A Linear Programming Approach
Abstract: This paper describes a successful implementation of a decision support system that is used by the fleet management division at North American Van Lines to plan fleet configuration. At the heart of the system is a large linear programming (LP) model that helps management decide what type of tractors to sell to owner/operators or to trade in each week. The system is used to answer a wide variety of “What if” questions, many of which have significant financial impact.
Extracted statement — Method: Linear programming
Research field: Science
Title: Optimal liner fleet routeing strategies
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to suggest practical optimization models for routing strategies for liner fleets. Many useful routing and scheduling problems have been studied in the transportation literature. As for ship scheduling or routing problems, relatively less effort has been devoted, in spite of the fact that sea transportation involves large capital and operating costs. This paper suggests two optimization models that can be useful to liner shipping companies. One is a linear programming model of profit maximization, which provides an optimal routing mix for each ship available and optimal service frequencies for each candidate route. The other model is a mixed integer programming model with binary variables which not only provides optimal routing mixes and service frequencies but also best capital investment alternatives to expand fleet capacity. This model is a cost minimization model.
Extracted statement — Method: Linear programming
Research field: Science
Title: A dynamic model and algorithm for fleet planning
Abstract: By analysing the merits and demerits of the existing linear model for fleet planning, this paper presents an algorithm which combines the linear programming technique with that of dynamic programming to improve the solution to linear model for fleet planning. This new approach has not only the merits that the linear model for fleet planning has, but also the merit of saving computing time. The numbers of ships newly added into the fleet every year are always integers in the final optimal solution. The last feature of the solution directly meets the requirements of practical application. Both the mathematical model of the dynamic fleet planning and its algorithm are put forward in this paper. A calculating example is also given.
Extracted statement — Method: Linear programming
Research field: Science
Title: A Model-Based Approach for Designing Location-Based Games
Abstract: Location-Based Games (LBGs) are a subclass of pervasive games that make use of location technologies to consider the players' geographic position in the game rules and mechanics. This research presents a model to describe and represent LBGs. The proposed model decouples location, mechanics, and game content from their implementation. We aim at allowing LBGs to be edited quickly and deployed on many platforms. The core model component is LEGaL, a language derived from NCL (Nested Context Language) to model and represented the game structure and its multimedia contents (e.g., video, audio, 3D objects, etc.). It allows the modelling of mission-based games by supporting spatial and temporal relationships between game elements and multimedia documents. We validated our approach by implementing a LEGaL interpreter, which was coupled to an LBG authoring tool and a Game Server. These tools enabled us to reimplement a real LBG using the proposed model to attest its utility. We also edited the original game by using an external tool to showcase how simple is to transpose an LBG using the concepts introduced in this work. Results indicate both the model and LEGaL can be used to foster the design of LBGs.
Extracted statement — Game Genres: Location-based Games
Research field: Science
Title: The elements of a successful logistics partnership
Abstract: Describes the elements of a successful logistics partnership. Looks at what can cause failure and questions whether the benefits of a logistics partnership are worth the effort required. Concludes that strategic alliances are increasingly becoming a matter of survival, not merely a matter of competitive advantage. Refers to the example of the long‐term relationship between Kimberly‐Clark Corporation and Interamerican group’s Tricor Warehousing, Inc.
Extracted statement — SCM field: Logistics partnership
Research field: Science
Title: Relationship between sports drinks and dental erosion in 304 university athletes in Columbus
Abstract: Acidic soft drinks, including sports drinks, have been implicated in dental erosion with limited supporting data in scarce erosion studies worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental erosion in a sample of athletes at a large Midwestern state university in the USA, and to evaluate whether regular consumption of sports drinks was associated with dental erosion. A cross-sectional, observational study was done using a convenience sample of 304 athletes, selected irrespective of sports drinks usage. The Lussi Index was used in a blinded clinical examination to grade the frequency and severity of erosion of all tooth surfaces excluding third molars and incisal surfaces of anterior teeth. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather details on sports drink usage, lifestyle, health problems, dietary and oral health habits. Intraoral color slides were taken of all teeth with erosion. Sports drinks usage was found in 91.8% athletes and the total prevalence of erosion was 36.5%. Nonparametric tests and stepwise regression analysis using history variables showed no association between dental erosion and the use of sports drinks, quantity and frequency of consumption, years of usage and nonsport usage of sports drinks. The most significant predictor of erosion was found to be not belonging to the African race (p < 0.0001). The results of this study reveal no relationship between consumption of sports drinks and dental erosion.
Extracted statement — efered index: Lussi Index
Research field: Science
Title: Critical success factors for B2B e‐commerce use within the UK NHS pharmaceutical supply chain
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine those factors perceived by users to influence the successful on‐going use of e‐commerce systems in business‐to‐business (B2B) buying and selling transactions through examination of the views of individuals acting in both purchasing and selling roles within the UK National Health Service (NHS) pharmaceutical supply chain.Design/methodology/approach – Literature from the fields of operations and supply chain management (SCM) and information systems (IS) is used to determine candidate factors that might influence the success of the use of e‐commerce. A questionnaire based on these is used for primary data collection in the UK NHS pharmaceutical supply chain. Factor analysis is used to analyse the data.Findings – The paper yields five composite factors that are perceived by users to influence successful e‐commerce use. “System quality,” “information quality,” “management and use,” “world wide web – assurance and empathy,” and “trust” are proposed as potentia...
Extracted statement — Critical success factors: management and use
Research field: Science
Title: A study of supplier selection factors for high-tech industries in the supply chain
Abstract: Amid the intensive competition among global industries, the relationship between manufacturers and suppliers has turned from antagonist to cooperative. Through partnerships, both parties can be mutually benefited, and the key factor that maintains such relationship lies in how manufacturers select proper suppliers. The purpose of this study is to explore the key factors considered by manufacturers in supplier selection and the relationships between these factors. Through a literature review, eight supplier selection factors, comprising price response capability, quality management capability, technological capability, delivery capability, flexible capability, management capability, commercial image, and financial capability are derived. Based on the theoretic foundation proposed by previous researchers, a causal model of supplier selection factors is further constructed. The results of a survey on high-tech industries are used to verify the relationships between the eight factors using structural equation modelling (SEM). Based on the empirical results, conclusions and suggestions are finally proposed as a reference for manufacturers and suppliers.
Extracted statement — Critical success factors: management capability
Research field: Science
Title: A Markov Decision Model and Decomposition Heuristic for Dynamic Vehicle Dispatching
Abstract: We describe a dynamic and stochastic vehicle dispatching problem called the delivery dispatching problem. This problem is modeled as a Markov decision process. Because exact solution of this model is impractical, we adopt a heuristic approach for handling the problem. The heuristic is based in part on a decomposition of the problem by customer, where customer subproblems generate penalty functions that are applied in a master dispatching problem. We describe how to compute bounds on the algorithm's performance, and apply it to several examples with good results.
Extracted statement — approach: Markov decision process
Research field: Science
Title: The Stochastic Inventory Routing Problem with Direct Deliveries
Abstract: Vendor managed inventory replenishment is a business practice in which vendors monitor their customers' inventories, and decide when and how much inventory should be replenished. The inventory routing problem addresses the coordination of inventory management and transportation. The ability to solve the inventory routing problem contributes to the realization of the potential savings in inventory and transportation costs brought about by vendor managed inventory replenishment. The inventory routing problem is hard, especially if a large number of customers is involved. We formulate the inventory routing problem as a Markov decision process, and we propose approximation methods to find good solutions with reasonable computational effort. Computational results are presented for the inventory routing problem with direct deliveries.
Extracted statement — approach: Markov decision process
Research field: Science
Title: Price-Directed Replenishment of Subsets: Methodology and Its Application to Inventory Routing
Abstract: The idea of price-directed control is to use an operating policy that exploits optimal dual prices from a mathematical programming relaxation of the underlying control problem. We apply it to the problem of replenishing inventory to subsets of products/locations, such as in the distribution of industrial gases, so as to minimize long-run time average replenishment costs. Given a marginal value for each product/location, whenever there is a stockout the dispatcher compares the total value of each feasible replenishment with its cost, and chooses one that maximizes the surplus. We derive this operating policy using a linear functional approximation to the optimal value function of a semi-Markov decision process on continuous spaces. This approximation also leads to a math program whose optimal dual prices yield values and whose optimal objective value gives a lower bound on system performance. We use duality theory to show that optimal prices satisfy several structural properties and can be interpreted as estimates of lowest achievable marginal costs. On real-world instances, the price-directed policy achieves superior, near optimal performance as compared with other approaches.
Extracted statement — approach: Markov decision process
Research field: Science
Title: A Price-Directed Approach to Stochastic Inventory/Routing
Abstract: We consider a new approach to stochastic inventory/routing that approximates the future costs of current actions using optimal dual prices of a linear program. We obtain two such linear programs by formulating the control problem as a Markov decision process and then replacing the optimal value function with the sum of single-customer inventory value functions. The resulting approximation yields statewise lower bounds on optimal infinite-horizon discounted costs. We present a linear program that takes into account inventory dynamics and economics in allocating transportation costs for stochastic inventory routing. On test instances we find that these allocations do not introduce any error in the value function approximations relative to the best approximations that can be achieved without them. Also, unlike other approaches, we do not restrict the set of allowable vehicle itineraries in any way. Instead, we develop an efficient algorithm to both generate and eliminate itineraries during solution of the linear programs and control policy. In simulation experiments, the price-directed policy outperforms other policies from the literature.
Extracted statement — approach: Markov decision process
Research field: Science
Title: Dynamic Programming Approximations for a Stochastic Inventory Routing Problem
Abstract: This work is motivated by the need to solve the inventory routing problem when implementing a business practice called vendor managed inventory replenishment (VMI). With VMI, vendors monitor their customers' inventories and decide when and how much inventory should be replenished at each customer. The inventory routing problem attempts to coordinate inventory replenishment and transportation in such a way that the cost is minimized over the long run. We formulate a Markov decision process model of the stochastic inventory routing problem and propose approximation methods to find good solutions with reasonable computational effort. We indicate how the proposed approach can be used for other Markov decision processes involving the control of multiple resources.
Extracted statement — approach: Markov decision process
Research field: Science
Title: Supply chain management: success factors from the Malaysian manufacturer's perspective
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to shed the light on the critical success factors that lead to high supply chain performance outcomes in a Malaysian manufacturing company. The critical success factors consist of relationship with customer and supplier, information communication and technology (ICT), material flow management, corporate culture and performance measurement. Questionnaire was the main instrument for the study and it was distributed to 84 staff from departments of purchasing, planning, logistics and operation. Data analysis was conducted by employing descriptive analysis (mean and standard deviation), reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression. The findings show that there are relationships exist between relationship with customer and supplier, ICT, material flow management, performance measurement and supply chain management (SCM) performance, but not for corporate culture. Forming a good customer and supplier relationship is the main predictor of SCM performance, followed by performance measurement, material flow management and ICT. It is recommended that future study to determine additional success factors that are pertinent to firms’ current SCM strategies and directions, competitive advantages and missions. Logic suggests that further study to include more geographical data coverage, other nature of businesses and research instruments. Key words: Supply chain management, critical success factor.
Extracted statement — Critical success factors: material flow management
Research field: Science
Title: Factors impacting the intention to use emergency
notification services in campus emergencies: an empirical investigation
Abstract: Research problem: This study investigates the factors influencing students' intentions to use emergency notification services to receive news about campus emergencies through short-message systems (SMS) and social network sites (SNS). Research questions: (1) What are the critical factors that influence students' intention to use SMS to receive emergency notifications? (2) What are the critical factors that influence students' intention to use SNS to receive emergency notifications? Literature review: By adapting Media Richness theory and prior research on emergency notifications, we propose that perceived media richness, perceived trust in information, perceived risk, perceived benefit, and perceived social influence impact the intention to use SMS and SNS to receive emergency notifications. Methodology: We conducted a quantitative, survey-based study that tested our model in five different scenarios, using logistic regression to test the research hypotheses with 574 students of a large research university in the northeastern US. Results and discussion: Results suggest that students' intention to use SNS is impacted by media richness, perceived benefit, and social influence, while students' intention to use SMS is influenced by trust and perceived benefit. Implications to emergency managers suggest how to more effectively manage and market the service through both channels. The results also suggest using SNS as an additional means of providing emergency notifications at academic institutions.
Extracted statement — paper: Theory / Concept / Model: media richness