title: A bi-objective model for supply chain design of dispersed manufacturing in China

authors: Zhang, Abraham

subjects: supply chain management

abstract: Dispersed manufacturing achieves the greatest cumulative competitive advantage by dissecting a supply chain and assigning each process to an optimal location. Dispersed manufacturing has been an integral part of global manufacturing in China. This paper presents a bi-objective model for the supply chain design of dispersed manufacturing in the context of rising business operating costs in coastal China. It considers essential trade-offs between supply chain cost and lead time to determine optimal facility locations of manufacturing steps. The model is applied to a representative case to illustrate the cost benefits of dispersed manufacturing as opposed to performing all manufacturing steps of a product at a single facility location. It provides explanations in several factors that have benefited manufacturing growth in China, and offers insights in the emerging global manufacturing trends.

text: A bi-objective model for supply chain design of dispersed manufacturing in China Dispersed manufacturing achieves the greatest cumulative competitive advantage by dissecting a supply chain and assigning each process to an optimal location. Dispersed manufacturing has been an integral part of global manufacturing in China. This paper presents a bi-objective model for the supply chain design of dispersed manufacturing in the context of rising business operating costs in coastal China. It considers essential trade-offs between supply chain cost and lead time to determine optimal facility locations of manufacturing steps. The model is applied to a representative case to illustrate the cost benefits of dispersed manufacturing as opposed to performing all manufacturing steps of a product at a single facility location. It provides explanations in several factors that have benefited manufacturing growth in China, and offers insights in the emerging global manufacturing trends.

year: 2013

title: Maintained generalization of delay-specific remembering

authors: White, K. Geoffrey

subjects: memory

abstract: According to the discrimination hypothesis (White, 2002), remembering is a delay-specific discrimination made at the time of retrieval. In the present experiment the delay-specific nature of the discrimination was made explicit by making correct choices in a delayed matching-to-sample task performed by pigeons conditional on whether the retention interval was short or long. Retention interval was varied over several durations in a maintained generalization test without reinforcement for correct matching responses. Opposing gradients demonstrated generalization of delay-specific remembering, consistent with the view that the temporal dimension of the retention interval can be treated in the same way as non-temporal dimensions of the sample stimulus.

text: Maintained generalization of delay-specific remembering According to the discrimination hypothesis (White, 2002), remembering is a delay-specific discrimination made at the time of retrieval. In the present experiment the delay-specific nature of the discrimination was made explicit by making correct choices in a delayed matching-to-sample task performed by pigeons conditional on whether the retention interval was short or long. Retention interval was varied over several durations in a maintained generalization test without reinforcement for correct matching responses. Opposing gradients demonstrated generalization of delay-specific remembering, consistent with the view that the temporal dimension of the retention interval can be treated in the same way as non-temporal dimensions of the sample stimulus.

year: 2011

title: Ecological, genetic and cultural status of Solanum aviculare, poroporo (Solanaceae)

authors: Weavers, Graeme Morris

subjects: Solanum aviculare

abstract: Solanum aviculare, endemic to Australasia, is an opportunist pioneer secondary successional plant occupying disturbed and open lowland habitats, and was an important medicinal and cultural species to Māori known as poroporo. It is currently in 'decline', the ecological decline appearing to correspond to a decline in knowledge and cultural use of the species. To gain understanding of the reasons for the decline, enhance ecological knowledge, assist conservation and cultural restoration of Solanum aviculare this research documented the successional role and cycle of regeneration dynamics and tactics, established morphological characteristics, investigated the genetic diversity and recorded cultural and conservation information.
The successional status and role was identified. Growth data identified cohort development and inter-site differences, metadata found height and crown spread growth to be significantly correlated and likely part of an early reproduction and dispersal strategy. Germination of soil cores from differing depths confirmed a viable seed bank exists sufficient for species maintenance. Viable seed spread via animal gut passage was determined by germination and chemical tests, results showed rats passed higher rates of viable seed than birds. Seed germination trials with stratified and fresh seed confirmed temporal and depth behaviour, flowering observation documented temporal differences with the closely allied species Solanum laciniatum, indicating a relationship to stasis induction. Leaf morphology studies documented differences between the two allied species and proposed further nomenclature.
Genetic diversity was investigated through the use of PCR/ISSR techniques. Chloroplast DNA was extracted by CTAB and DNA kit protocols. CTAB extraction was unable to effectively remove RNA, although use of DNA samples with high quantities of RNA confirmed that RNA was not an inhibiting factor in PCR production. The production of consistent reliable ISSR bands proved difficult, with no technical explanation found. ISSR findings indicate that Solanum aviculare is highly monomorphic, consisting of predominant invariant monomorphic loci. Twenty primers were tested with no polymorphic loci
identified and no intra species variation documented. Indications were also that Solanum aviculare and Solanum laciniatum are inter species invariant on monomorphic loci. Monomorphic loci may possibly be the evolutionary markers of generic differentiation within Solanum.
Surveys identified Solanum aviculare as uncommon and rare, existing mainly as single plants or small groups in the majority of areas surveyed. The Threatened and Uncommon Plant listing of Solanum aviculare as an 'at risk declining' species is confirmed and a further Recommendation category proposed. Ecological decline and corresponding decline in cultural use and knowledge of Solanum aviculare was identified through specialist interviews; appearing to be related to removal from Māori of control over their land. The name poroporo being now associated mainly with non indigenous Solanum species. Māori cultural concepts in practice were highlighted as fundamentally important to reversing the decline, with an example of a successful traditional practice based (tikanga) integrative collaborative restoration program being documented.
This research forwards that optimal collaborative solutions, programs integrating scientific and tikanga knowledge and practices, provide the best opportunity of reversing the declining trend and for increasing and maintaining knowledge associated with the traditional role of poroporo.

text: Ecological, genetic and cultural status of Solanum aviculare, poroporo (Solanaceae) Solanum aviculare, endemic to Australasia, is an opportunist pioneer secondary successional plant occupying disturbed and open lowland habitats, and was an important medicinal and cultural species to Māori known as poroporo. It is currently in 'decline', the ecological decline appearing to correspond to a decline in knowledge and cultural use of the species. To gain understanding of the reasons for the decline, enhance ecological knowledge, assist conservation and cultural restoration of Solanum aviculare this research documented the successional role and cycle of regeneration dynamics and tactics, established morphological characteristics, investigated the genetic diversity and recorded cultural and conservation information.
The successional status and role was identified. Growth data identified cohort development and inter-site differences, metadata found height and crown spread growth to be significantly correlated and likely part of an early reproduction and dispersal strategy. Germination of soil cores from differing depths confirmed a viable seed bank exists sufficient for species maintenance. Viable seed spread via animal gut passage was determined by germination and chemical tests, results showed rats passed higher rates of viable seed than birds. Seed germination trials with stratified and fresh seed confirmed temporal and depth behaviour, flowering observation documented temporal differences with the closely allied species Solanum laciniatum, indicating a relationship to stasis induction. Leaf morphology studies documented differences between the two allied species and proposed further nomenclature.
Genetic diversity was investigated through the use of PCR/ISSR techniques. Chloroplast DNA was extracted by CTAB and DNA kit protocols. CTAB extraction was unable to effectively remove RNA, although use of DNA samples with high quantities of RNA confirmed that RNA was not an inhibiting factor in PCR production. The production of consistent reliable ISSR bands proved difficult, with no technical explanation found. ISSR findings indicate that Solanum aviculare is highly monomorphic, consisting of predominant invariant monomorphic loci. Twenty primers were tested with no polymorphic loci
identified and no intra species variation documented. Indications were also that Solanum aviculare and Solanum laciniatum are inter species invariant on monomorphic loci. Monomorphic loci may possibly be the evolutionary markers of generic differentiation within Solanum.
Surveys identified Solanum aviculare as uncommon and rare, existing mainly as single plants or small groups in the majority of areas surveyed. The Threatened and Uncommon Plant listing of Solanum aviculare as an 'at risk declining' species is confirmed and a further Recommendation category proposed. Ecological decline and corresponding decline in cultural use and knowledge of Solanum aviculare was identified through specialist interviews; appearing to be related to removal from Māori of control over their land. The name poroporo being now associated mainly with non indigenous Solanum species. Māori cultural concepts in practice were highlighted as fundamentally important to reversing the decline, with an example of a successful traditional practice based (tikanga) integrative collaborative restoration program being documented.
This research forwards that optimal collaborative solutions, programs integrating scientific and tikanga knowledge and practices, provide the best opportunity of reversing the declining trend and for increasing and maintaining knowledge associated with the traditional role of poroporo.

year: 2010