This paper demonstrates a new methodology for designing a virtual factory model and model execution on the basis of a real schedule plan. The main characteristic of the developed method is that the ...inputs are regarded as one of the main parameters of the production process, and the main objective is to create a low-cost production process model. The methodology is adjusted for use in SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) with individual or unique type of production. For such companies, the method represents an ability to optimize existing production processes through detecting and eliminating possible errors and disturbances before the real production process is executed at an acceptable cost. The applicability and suitability of the developed method for virtual production performance has been proven with the verification process, where the input data for the simulation was obtained from a real company. The simulation results have shown that the presented methodology is a useful tool for the optimization of the production process.
Simulations are necessary to assess the performance of home-range estimators because the true distribution of empirical data is unknown, but we must question whether that performance applies to ...empirical data. Some studies have used empirically based simulations, randomly selecting subsets of data to evaluate estimator performance, but animals do not move randomly within a home range. We created an empirically based simulation using a behavioral model, generated a probability distribution from those data, and randomly selected locations from that distribution in a chronological sequence as the simulated individual moved through its home range. Thus, we examined the influence of temporal patterns of space use and determined the effects of smoothing, number of locations, and autocorrelation on kernel estimates. Additionally, home-range estimators were designed to evaluate species that use space with few restrictions, traveling almost anywhere on the landscape. Many species, however, confine their movements to a geographical feature that conforms to a relatively linear pattern. Consequently, conventional analysis techniques may overestimate home ranges. We used simulations based upon coastal river otters (Lontra canadensis), a species that primarily uses the aquatic-terrestrial interface, to evaluate the efficacy of fixed and adaptive kernel estimates with various smoothing parameters. Measures of shoreline length within contours from fixed kernel analyses and the reference smoothing parameter were best for estimates of 95% home ranges, because smoothing with least squares cross validation (LSCV) often resulted in inconsistent results, excessive fragmentation, and marked underestimates of linear home ranges. Core areas (50% density contours) were best defined with fixed kernel LSCV estimates. Fewer locations underestimated linear home ranges, and there was a subtle positive relation between home-range size and autocorrelation. Generally, as location numbers increased, autocorrelation increased, but differences from the "true" home range decreased. Results were similar for our simulations and empirical data from 13 river otters. Examination of empirical data revealed that data with high positive autocorrelation illustrated seasonal reproductive activities. Because autocorrelation does not negatively influence estimates of linear home ranges, assessment of independence between data points may be more appropriately viewed as a means to identify important behavioral information, rather than as a hindrance.
We studied the pollination ecology and assemblage structure of 31 species of Stylidium (Stylidiaceae) at 25 sites in Western Australia. The number of species per study site varied between two and ...size. Stylidium species are pollinated by a variety of nectar-seeking solitary bees and bombyliid flies. Within and among species there is significant variation in nectar-tube length (and therefore in the insects that visit the flowers) and in pollen placement on pollinators. Pollen is placed "explosively" on the insect by a motile column of fused staminate and pistillate tissues; the position and reach of the column varies within and among species, thereby causing variation in site of pollen deposition. When discrete pollination niches were defined for all species, only one niche overlap was observed across the 86 interacting pairs of Stylidium species at the 25 sites. To determine whether this was a nonrandom assemblage structure we compared our observation with the outcome of null models. We developed three null models to cover the most likely structuring processes: that communities are organized by (1) ecological sorting, (2) evolution of plant phenotypes, or (3) both processes. We concluded that it was unlikely (P = .055-.002) that so few overlaps in pollination niches would occur by chance. We developed another null model to test whether chance could have created the apparent pattern of character displacement in pollination niches exhibited by the nine species showing intraspecific variation. The analysis indicated that character displacement has probably occurred (P = .014). This study is one of the clearest demonstrations to date of reproductive interactions generating assemblage structure and character displacement in plants.
In this paper, we present and propose the interactive push-pull lean game with a specific approach for training/testing of production processes. With our approach of combining the psychologically ...effective physical lean game and the simulation lean game for deeper analyses of the production process, we can successfully overcome the communication and motivation problems of production and management workers when new production strategies are being introduced into the company to raise the competitiveness. The game only takes two hours and it has been proven to be effective with leadership teams and shop floor workers alike in more than 50 real-case production environments. The game is played in two parts where each part is in sharp contrast to the other with respect to results. Once the participants of the game see the effects of both production strategies, they become extremely engaged and motivated, and it becomes much easier to manage organizational improvements. In the third chapter of the paper, we present the Virtual factory computer models of the game dynamic, showing the same results as obtained with groups. The two simulation models serve to test and verify the interactive game. The paper ends with the discussion and conclusions.
The repeated evolution of fused carpels (syncarpy) is one of the dominant features of angiosperm macroevolution. We present results of new phylogenetic and theoretical analyses to assess the ...frequency and nature of transitions to syncarpy, and the possible advantages of syncarpy over apocarpy under a variety of ecological conditions. Using a recent molecular estimate of angiosperm phylogeny, we ascertained that a minimum of 17 independent evolutionary transitions from apocarpy to syncarpy have occurred; about three‐quarters of these transitions allowed pollen tubes to cross between carpels and fertilize ovules that would otherwise be left unfertilized. Most of these transitions also intensified competition between pollen, potentially enhancing offspring fitness. The high proportion of evolutionary transitions promoting pollen competition and pollen‐tube access to all carpels supports the hypothesis that the main advantage of syncarpy is in increasing offspring quality and quantity. The potential advantages of syncarpy were more thoroughly evaluated by analytical and simulation studies. These showed that the advantage of syncarpy over apocarpy involving increased offspring‐quantity held under conditions of marginal pollination and declined with increasing pollination. The offspring‐quality advantage persisted over a wider range of conditions, including under quite high pollination rates.
The role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in the treatment of patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was not clear. A systematic review and individual participant ...data meta-analysis was undertaken to evaluate available evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs). These results were first published in Lung Cancer in 2013.
To evaluate the effects of PORT on survival and recurrence in patients with completely resected NSCLC. To investigate whether predefined patient subgroups benefit more or less from PORT.
We supplemented MEDLINE and CANCERLIT searches (1965 to 8 July 2016) with information from trial registers, handsearching of relevant meeting proceedings and discussion with trialists and organisations.
We included trials of surgery versus surgery plus radiotherapy, provided they randomised participants with NSCLC using a method that precluded prior knowledge of treatment assignment.
We carried out a quantitative meta-analysis using updated information from individual participants from all randomised trials. We sought data on all participants from those responsible for the trial. We obtained updated individual participant data (IPD) on survival and date of last follow-up, as well as details on treatment allocation, date of randomisation, age, sex, histological cell type, stage, nodal status and performance status. To avoid potential bias, we requested information on all randomised participants, including those excluded from investigators' original analyses. We conducted all analyses on intention-to-treat on the endpoint of survival.
We identified 14 trials evaluating surgery versus surgery plus radiotherapy. Individual participant data were available for 11 of these trials, and our analyses are based on 2343 participants (1511 deaths). Results show a significant adverse effect of PORT on survival, with a hazard ratio of 1.18, or an 18% relative increase in risk of death. This is equivalent to an absolute detriment of 5% at two years (95% confidence interval (CI) 2% to 9%), reducing overall survival from 58% to 53%. Subgroup analyses showed no differences in effects of PORT by any participant subgroup covariate.We did not undertake analysis of the effects of PORT on quality of life and adverse events. Investigators did not routinely collect quality of life information during these trials, and it was unlikely that any benefit of PORT would offset the observed survival disadvantage. We considered risk of bias in the included trials to be low.
Results from 11 trials and 2343 participants show that PORT is detrimental to those with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer and should not be used in the routine treatment of such patients. Results of ongoing RCTs will clarify the effects of modern radiotherapy in patients with N2 tumours.
In the period 1988–1992, 74 consecutive radically resected patients with NSCLC were randomised to postoperative radiotherapy or surgery alone in order to evaluate the influence of postoperative ...radiotherapy on survival. There were 61 males and 13 females, aged 35–80 years, median 59 years. Their distribution by stage was as follows: pT1N2 = 19, pT2N2 = 54, pT3N2 = one patient; histology: 32 squamous, 32 adeno and 10 large cell carcinomas; surgery: atypical resection in six, lobectomy in 27, bilobectomy in ten, and pneumonectomy in 31 patients. In 27 patients, only one lymph node in a single mediastinal lymph node site was affected; in 31 patients more than one lymph node in one site; in 16 patients more sites were affected. In
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74
patients radiotherapy of hilar and mediastinal sites with 3000 cGy in 2 weeks was performed. On December 31, 1994, 19 patients (26%) were still alive;
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55
patients died of the following causes: locoregional failure—10 (26%), distant metastases—25 (64%), other tumor-unrelated causes—four patients (10%). Five-year survival rates did not show statistically significant differences between the irradiated and surgically treated patients only with respect to sex, pTNM stage, histology and frequency of locoregional failure. The number of metastatic mediastinal lymph nodes was the only significant prognostic factor (
P < 0.005) in both randomised groups.
Mapping resin secretion and pollination ecology onto the estimated phylogeny of species of the euphorb vine Dalechampia generated two historical hypotheses: resin rewards offered to pollinators by ...Dalechampia flowers evolved by minor modification of a preexisting, resin-based, floral defense system, and resin defense of leaves in advanced species evolved by modification of the preexisting resin-reward system. From these hypotheses, we derived two predictions: floral reward resins are chemically similar to putative floral defense resins and exhibit antiherbivore activities, and foliar resins are chemically similar to reward resins and also exhibit antiherbivore activities. We tested these predictions by chemical analyses and by using a broad sample of Neotropical herbivorous insects in a series of bioassays. All floral and foliar resins were chemically similar. Tests with two generalist (Orophus tesselatus, Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Atta colombica, Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and four Dalechampia-specialist herbivores (Syphraea sp., Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae; Ectima rectifasciata, Hamadryas ipthime, and Hamadryas amphinome, Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) showed floral and foliar resin to deter significantly feeding or leaf cutting. These results support our two hypotheses and indicate that, in this system, biochemical exaptations have played a major role in the evolution of plant-insect relationships, adaptations reducing herbivory have affected the evolution of plant-pollinator relationships, and adaptations for pollination have affected the evolution of plant-herbivore relationships.
The role of postoperative radiotherapy in treatment of patients with completely resected non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of the ...available evidence from randomised trials.
Updated data were obtained on individual patients from all available randomised trials of postoperative radiotherapy versus surgery alone. Data on 2128 patients from nine randomised trials (published and unpublished) were analysed by intention to treat. There were 707 deaths among 1056 patients assigned postoperative radiotherapy and 661 among 1072 assigned surgery alone. Median follow-up was 3·9 years (2·3–9·8 for individual trials) for surviving patients.
The results show a significant adverse effect of postoperative radiotherapy on survival (hazard ratio 1·21 95% Cl 1·08–1·34). This 21% relative increase in the risk of death is equivalent to an absolute detriment of 7% (3–11) at 2 years, reducing overall survival from 55% to 48%. Subgroup analyses suggest that this adverse effect was greatest for patients with stage 1/ll, NO–N1 disease, whereas for those with stage III, N2 disease there was no clear evidence of an adverse effect.
Postoperative radiotherapy is detrimental to patients with early-stage completely resected NSCLC and should not be used routinely for such patients. The role of postoperative radiotherapy in the treatment of N2 tumours is not clear and may warrant further research.
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