This paper studies the challenging problem of scheduling single-arm multi-cluster tools with wafer residency time constraints. They have a linear topology and their bottleneck tool is process-bound. ...This work aims to find an optimal one-wafer cyclic schedule. With the Petri net model developed in our previous work and the minimal cycle time for a multicluster tool without wafer residency time constraints, it derives the necessary and sufficient schedulability conditions for multicluster tools with wafer residency time constraints for the first time. Then, it gives an algorithm to find an optimal one-wafer cyclic schedule if schedulable. This is done by simply setting the robots' waiting time for each tool. Thus, it is very computationally efficient and applicable to practical problems. An example is presented to illustrate the proposed method.
With the increasing environmental issues, now cleaner production has been implemented across all the regions of China. During this process, regional governments have played a leading role for ...promoting cleaner production. Main measures include coordinating the various stakeholders, providing financial support, stipulating appropriate policies and conducting capacity building programs. Such an innovative initiative is quite unique and should be further studied. This paper reflects such a perspective through a case study of Liaoning province. We first introduce the main initiatives for the promotion of cleaner production in Liaoning and then identify the key barriers. Our focus is to provide suggestions for future improvements. Finally we make our conclusions.
In the field of autonomous driving, obstacle avoidance is of great significance for safe driving. At present, in addition to traditional obstacle avoidance algorithms including VFH algorithm, ...artificial potential field method, a large number of related researches are focused on algorithms based on vision and neural networks. Researches on these algorithms have achieved some results, and some of which have completed real road tests. However, most of algorithms consider only local environmental information which may cause local optimum in complex driving environments. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the environmental information beyond the sensor's perceptual ability for autonomous driving in complex environment. In the network-assisted automated driving system, networked vehicles can obtain road obstacles’ and condition information through roadside sensors and mobile network, so as to gain extra sensing ability. Therefore, network-assisted automated driving is of great significance in obstacle avoidance. Under this background, this paper presents an automatic driving obstacle avoidance strategy combining path planning and reinforcement learning. At first, a global optimal path is planned through global information, then merge the global optimal path and vehicle information into a vector. Use this vector as input of reinforcement learning neural network and output vehicle control signals to follow optimal path while avoiding obstacles.
Institutional pressures drive manufacturers to implement sustainable production (SP) practices. Support from an industrial zone where a manufacturer is located is also important, but the role of ...industrial zones for SP practices lacks of related studies. This paper aims to understand how institutional pressures (coercive, normative and mimetic) and support from industrial zones, respectively and collectively, motivate SP practices. Using 422 samples of Chinese manufacturers from 31 provinces, an exploratory factor analysis indicates five factors on SP related to efficient consumption of materials, water, energy and land from the life cycle perspective. Results of hierarchical regression analysis reveal that normative pressure motivates most SP practices except land saving practices without the need of support from industrial zones. Coercive pressure can bring SP practices related to saving of resources including water, land and energy while support from industrial zones is needed for land and energy saving practices. Mimetic pressure only motivates SP practice on land saving while support from industrial zones is necessary. This paper defines SP considering the Chinese context, including practices on efficient consumption of materials, water, energy and land from the life cycle perspective. It also extends institutional theory to include support from industrial zones to examine motivation mechanism for SP practices among manufacturers, especially in emergent economies. Empirical results provide implications for governments that support from industrial zone should be highlighted to promote SP practices among manufacturers.
This paper aims to explore the green supply chain management (GSCM) initiatives (implementation) of various manufacturing industrial sectors in China and examine the links between GSCM initiatives ...and performance outcomes. We conducted a survey to collect data from four typical manufacturing industrial sectors in China, namely, power generating, chemical/petroleum, electrical/electronic and automobile, and received 171 valid organizational responses for data analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results are consistent with our prediction that the different manufacturing industry types display different levels of GSCM implementation and outcomes. We specifically found that the electrical/electronic industry has relatively higher levels of GSCM implementation and achieves better performance outcomes than the other three manufacturer types. Implications of the results are discussed and suggestions for further research on the implementation of GSCM are offered.
Streptomyces niveus SCSIO 3406 was isolated from a sediment sample collected from South China Sea at a depth of 3536 m. Four new sesquiterpenoid naphthoquinones, marfuraquinocins A-D, and two new ...geranylated phenazines, i. e. phenaziterpenes A and B, were isolated from the fermentation broth of the strain. Here, we present its genome sequence, which contains 7,990,492 bp with a G+C content of 70.46% and harbors 7088 protein-encoding genes. The genome sequence analysis revealed the presence of a 28,787 bp gene cluster encoding for 24 open reading frames including 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalene synthase and monooxygenase, seven phenazine biosynthesis proteins, two prenyltransferases and a squalene-hopene cyclase. These genes are known to be necessary for the biosynthesis of both marfuraquinocins and phenaziterpenes. Outside the gene cluster (and scattered around the genome), there are seven genes belonging to the methylerythritol phosphate pathway for the biosynthesis of the essential primary metabolite, isopentenyl diphosphate, as well as six geranyl diphosphate/farnesyl diphosphate synthase genes. The strain S. niveus SCSIO 3406 showed type I PKS, type III PKS and nonribosomal peptide synthetase cluster. The sequence will provide the genetic basis for better understanding of biosynthesis mechanism of the above mentioned six compounds and for the construction of improved strain for the industrial production of antimicrobial agents.
Intrapartum fever is a well-known predisposing factor for severe perinatal outcomes. Herein, we explored the intrapartum features, obstetric outcomes, and neonatal outcomes in relation to the extent ...of intrapartum fever
three group analyses.
A retrospective cohort analysis consisting of 575 term, singleton live births in one medical center from January 1st to December 31st, 2020 was carried out. Parturients who had experienced a maximal intrapartum fever of <38.0 °C were compared with two sub-groups of parturients who had experienced respective maximal fevers of 38.0-38.9 °C and ≥39.0 °C. We computed the adjusted risks for adverse perinatal outcomes
multiple logistic regression models to control for confounders.
There were statistically remarkable differences among the three groups in 13 items including body mass index, epidural, and WBC before delivery (
< 0.05). In contrast with intrapartum fevers of 37.5-37.9 °C, intrapartum fevers of 38.0-38.9 °C were linked to an elevated risk of neonatal sepsis and neonatal intensive care unit admission with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.28 (95% CI 2.162-8.479) and 1.73 (95% CI 1.125-2.666), nonetheless, the relationship was remarkably higher for intrapartum fever ≥39.0 °C, with an OR of 6.40 (95% CI 2.450-16.725) and 2.23 (95% CI 1.021-4.854). Additionally, intrapartum fevers of 38.0-38.9 °C and ≥39.0 °C were related to remarkably higher risk for operative deliveries (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.373-3.648; OR 3.59, 95% CI 1.398-9.226; respectively) and histological chorioamnionitis (OR 3.77, 95% CI 2.261-6.271; OR 19.24, 95% CI 7.385-50.111, respectively).
Intrapartum fever is an important indicator of adverse perinatal outcomes. The higher the temperature, the higher risk of histological chorioamnionitis, as well as the risk of neonatal sepsis and neonatal intensive care unit admission.
Intrapartum fever is a well-known risk factor for adverse perinatal outcomes. In this study, we evaluated the clinical features for intrapartum maternal fever and investigated the risk factors for ...neonatal early-onset sepsis (EOS) with intrapartum maternal fever.
This retrospective cohort study involved a total of 568 neonates born to mothers with intrapartum maternal fever (temperature peak ≥38 degree Celsius) in Hangzhou Women's Hospital from January 1st to December 31st, 2019. Neonates were assigned to the EOS and non-sepsis groups based on the diagnostic criteria for early-onset neonatal sepsis,. Demographic data, clinical information and laboratory test results were evaluated to assess the risk factors for EOS.
A total of 568 neonates were included in this study, 84 of whom were diagnosed with EOS. The EOS group was significantly different from the non-sepsis group in 11 items including the both white blood cell (WBC) count and C-reactive protein (CRP) level of the mother before delivery (
< 0.05). A logistic regression analysis revealed that a high maternal WBC count before delivery (OR = 3.261,
= 0.019) and a maternal histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) diagnosis (OR = 5.608,
= 0.002) were independent risk factors for EOS. The optimal cut-off value for WBC (before delivery) was 16.75 × 10*
/L for EOS, according to receiver operating characteristic analysis (area under curve was 0.821).
Elevated prenatal maternal WBC counts and maternal HCA diagnosis are both independently associated with EOS. Prenatal maternal WBC counts can be used as a sensitive indicator to predict EOS early.
Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults were facing more mental health issues that may cause complex impacts on pandemic prevention, and turning to the internet for health information ...is a double-edged sword for them. This study aimed to investigate the reciprocal relationship between negative emotions and prevention behaviors in older adults, as well as the direct and moderating effects of online health information seeking (OHIS) on negative emotions and prevention behaviors. Methods Based on the common-sense model of self-regulation (CSM) and a sample of more than 20,000 participants from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), this study first used an autoregressive cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) to analyze the longitudinal effect of negative emotions on prevention behaviors. Second, the study used ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to explore the influence of OHIS usage frequency changes on negative emotions and prevention behaviors. Third, the study used multigroup analysis to examine the moderating effect of OHIS usage frequency changes on the CLPM. Results The findings indicate a significant longitudinal association where initial negative emotions predicted later prevention behaviors ( β = 0.038, p < 0.001), and increased OHIS frequency was linked to positive changes in prevention behavior ( β = 0.109, p < 0.001). Multigroup analysis revealed that the connection between negative emotions or increased negative emotions and prevention behaviors remained significant for those with no change or an increase in OHIS frequency but not for those with a decrease. Conclusion This study suggested that negative emotions may drive older adults to engage more in prevention behaviors and that OHIS can augment this effect. These results underscore the importance of addressing mental health and providing reliable online health information to support older adults in managing infectious disease risks.
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