Search

In anticipation of price hikes and shortages caused by supplier disruptions and manufacturer production stops, customers might stockpile extra products. In the case of a supplier disruption, a manufacturer may decide to continue producing using a contingent source. Capturing the price dynamics in four disruption-related periods (i.e., responding, rising, recovering, and recovered), we derive optimal hoarding policies for customers. The results indicate that customer hoarding decisions fall into multiple patterns depending on the interactions between disruption events, market responses (quick and slow), and market recovery (instant, quick, slow, and never). We next present contingent sourcing tactics for manufacturers to mitigate disruptions with and without customer hoarding. We find that future price increases could induce contingent sourcing even if it is unprofitable to resume production during the price-responding phase. Our results offer recommendations regarding when and how to use hoarding and contingent sourcing accounting for uncertain disruption duration and asymmetric information along with disruption- and recovery-driven price dynamics. These recommendations can be of particular value for supply chain decision-making at times of growing inflation. We also demonstrate the impacts of customer hoarding and disruption information on the value of contingent sourcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the supply chain network design (SCND) problem with multiple suppliers, warehouses and retailers in the presence of random disruptions using a two-stage approach. The first stage addresses the SCND problem without disruption, employing a genetic algorithm-based heuristic. This approach is integrated with the induced backorder for inventory coordination. In the second stage, simulation is used to evaluate several reactive strategies whilst introducing disruptions in the network and to adjust the inventory control parameters obtained in the first stage as part of a proactive strategy. The numerical results show that neglecting the risk of disruptions may lead to network designs with low fill rates and the proposed approach is able to make the supply chain network more resilient in the presence of disruptions. Based on the simulation results, a localized-reactive strategy is able to suppress the spread of disruptions to other supply channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wynwood, Miami, is a world-renowned global art canvas of street art and cultural production site. The rise of Miami as a global arts city and its hosting of Arts Basel enhanced the place marketing of Wynwood. Wynwood's recent trajectory is driven by the confluence of art, real estate, and urban planning. Its redevelopment over time has been dramatic, transitioning from a low‐income immigrant neighborhood and warehouse district into innovative artistic milieu. In the 2020s the neighborhood is being highly commodified, resulting in the loss of artistic capital replaced by trendy retail, condo, and hotel projects. Our analysis is primarily based on interviews with gallery owners in 2016 and 2022, as well as planning documents and business census data. Wynwood as an art venue has peaked, and artists and galleries are exiting. Nonetheless, Wynwood continues to be marketed as an arts neighborhood by property developers and retail and entertainment businesses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing growth of industrial facilities calls for sustainable planning and design. In this research, the multiple objective optimization model is developed to plan for Eco-Industrial Parks, in which economic, social, and environmental criteria are evaluated. Our proposed optimization model is integrated with the simulation-based risk profile based on emergency scenarios. Varied chemical substances and explosive locations are further analyzed to assess the impact of risk. Then, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process technique is applied to examine uncertain decisions. Next, this study presents the proposed model with the case study of selective industrial-building types in an industrial park, in which industrial plants, hazardous material plants, warehouse buildings, and office space are included. Our analysis reveals that tradeoffs exist in designing an industrial estate with various industrial plants under conflicting objectives. Finally, tradeoffs are investigated using Pareto analysis resulting in sustainable planning for an industrial estate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction accuracy of precast components in prefabricated buildings has received sufficient attention in the context of the high-quality development of the construction industry. However, various unknown factors in the production, transportation, and installation stages lead to significant deviations in construction, and have not been systematically identified and dynamically analyzed in previous studies. This study aims to improve the construction accuracy of precast components by unlocking the causal relationships among these factors and revealing top-sensitive factors among them. Thus, based on the theory of system dynamics (SD), an SD model is established from the perspective of a supply chain consisting of the production, transportation, and installation stages. The 14 factors and their causal relationships involved in the SD model are identified through literature review and expert consultation methods. The sensitivity analysis method based on dynamic simulation is adopted to analyze the data output from the SD model. Finally, a real prefabricated building project is used for demonstrating and validating this SD model. The significant findings indicate that the installation stage is the most critical stage affecting the construction accuracy of precast components, and the precision of cast-in-situ structure is the most sensitive factor. The formwork system of cast-in-situ structure and construction personnel quality are the root causes of the precision of cast-in-situ structure. The suggestions corresponding to these findings are made. These findings and suggestions can facilitate general contractors in allocating relevant resources to more critical factors for efficiently improving the construction accuracy of precast components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction techniques and building materials are greatly affected by traditions and local factors which makes each historical structure unique. Therefore, the structural evaluation of these structures should be a structure-specific evaluation rather than a common-precise acceptance. The first step is to set the aim of the evaluation such that it would increase the level of knowledge through field studies and non-destructive experimental methods. This paper presents a formal and structural evaluation of the traditional timber structure, an impressive Turkish Storage Building known as 'Serender', in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. The formal assessment includes an analysis of construction materials and techniques. The structural evaluation consists of non-ambient vibration test which help determine the dynamic responses of the structure. The method details the natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios, representing the dynamic behavior of the structures. For this purpose, 8 Serender buildings were analyzed and detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses several promising policies in the electronic parts industry for disrupting the flow of counterfeit electronic parts. A socio-technical electronic part supply-chain network model has been developed to facilitate policy analysis. The model is used to understand the technical and social dynamics associated with the insertion of counterfeit electronic components into critical systems (e.g., aerospace, transportation, defense, and infrastructure) and to analyze the impact of various anti-counterfeiting policies and practices. This network model is used to assess the effectiveness of mandatory original component manufacturer buyback programs and the debarment of distributors found to provide counterfeit components. In this agent-based model, each participant in the supply chain is modeled as an independent entity governed by its own motivations and constraints. The entities in the model include the original component manufacturers, distributors, system integrators, operators, and counterfeiters. Each of these entities has dynamic behaviors and connections to the other agents. Since time is an integral factor (lead times and inventory levels can be drivers behind the appearance of counterfeits), the simulation is dynamic. The model allows the prediction of the risk of counterfeits making it into an operator's system and the length of time between relevant supply-chain events/disruptions and the appearance of counterfeits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThird-party logistics (3PL) services are essential in many supply chains and aim at providing flexible and cost-effective transport and warehouse solutions. This study focuses on Warehouse Service Providers (WSPs) with shared, multi-client warehouses. We investigate how the main internal resources should be shared among clients. We focus on labor (order pickers and sorters) and pick storage space (zones) as the main internal resources in the order picking process in such a warehouse. We evaluate different possible resource-sharing configurations and develop a model to find the configuration that can satisfy set service-level agreements at minimum cost. The cost consists of labor and space cost, whereas the service-level requirements are based on the mean and tail of the order-throughput-time distribution. The results show that whether to share the resources or not highly depends on the clients’ characteristics, such as the order demand rate. Generally, for low-demand clients, sharing all the resources is optimal, whereas for high-demand clients, dedicating all resources is preferred. In addition, the decision to share resources depends on the warehouse’s characteristics, similarities between clients’ product and order picking characteristics. The findings of this article provide valuable insights for WSPs to minimize cost, while meeting the service-level requirements of clients by optimally selecting the warehouse configuration. This may, in turn, benefit their clients by offering better pricing policies to them, which can also be a compelling selling point, ultimately contributing to business growth and attracting more clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart warehouses require software-based decision-making tools to manage the receiving, storing, and picking of products. A major challenge in achieving efficient operations is deciding where to store products associated with incoming orders. The storage location assignment problem (SLAP) is more complex in large-size warehouses due to several functional objectives and numerous possible shelving solutions. This paper introduces an artificial intelligence algorithm that seeks to find an acceptable solution to SLAP with presented linear and nonlinear objective functions. The near-optimal technique exploits basin-hopping and simulated-annealing algorithms to find a solution when considering four functional objectives including worker safety, which has not been optimized using similar approaches. The algorithm is experimentally evaluated, and results demonstrate that reasonablely achieved solutions are comparable to those obtained by well-known existing solvers. Furthermore, the problem could be solved with non-linear objectives which is beyond the commercial solvers' like SCIP capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Skewed Exponential Power Distribution is used to construct a bidimensional array of graphics in which kurtosis varies when moving horizontally and skewness when moving vertically. The Normal distribution lies in the center of the mosaic. Given a sample, the null hypotheses that it comes from each distribution in the mosaic are tested and the cell of each distribution is filled with a color that is a function of the obtained p-value. In this way, a dark area is obtained on the mosaic to indicate the distributions with which the sample is compatible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution center is a transit place for goods in the logistics network, used to achieve the distribution of goods. Compared with ordinary logistics, cold chain logistics has higher requirements for timeliness due to the low temperature or ultra-low temperature requirements of transport objects. Aiming at the problems of high cost and low efficiency of cold chain distribution center location, a new location model of cold chain distribution center is developed. The Affinity Propagation (AP) clustering algorithm is used to simplify location selection. And combine the binary semantics with entropy to reduce the subjectivity of the binary semantics in the process of experiment. The results show that the location selection using the research method is optimal, and the problem that multiple secondary distribution centers are the same retailer will not appear. The research method is more objective and scientific for the location of cold chain distribution centers. Compared with ordinary logistics, cold chain logistics has higher requirements for timeliness. Distribution center is the transfer place of goods in the logistics network, which plays an important role in the logistics supply chain system. A new location model of cold chain distribution center is developed. Using Affinity Propagation (AP) clustering algorithm to simplify location selection and combining binary semantics with entropy method can further improve the objectivity of influencing factor index weights. The results show that the problem of multiple secondary distribution centers providing logistics services for the same retailer will not occur in the research method, and the location selection results are optimal. And the logistics cost can be reduced by 0.042%. This study improves the distribution efficiency, enhances the customer experience of cold chain logistics distribution, and provides certain technology and reference value for the development of cold chain logistics distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the dynamics of a two-product closed-loop supply chain with realistic assumptions on production capacity constraints. The closed-loop supply chain is also subject to unpredictable disruptions, which lead to the non-stationarity of customer demand. The factory employs a production control policy to decide the product type to be processed. We propose a novel production control policy, named the Adaptive Hedging Corridor Policy, which makes decisions on production capacity based on the demand evolution. The proposed strategy is compared with well-known production control policies widely used in literature, such as DDMRP. Simulation results demonstrate the benefits of implementing an adaptive production control as it enables the closed-loop supply chain to enhance customer service level and bullwhip effect. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis is provided to assess the influence of experimental factors on the performance. The analysis highlights the significance of return flows and manufacturing operations for the closed-loop supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein oxidation of soybean meal (SBM) during storage may have adverse effects on the intestinal health of laying hens. Moreover, rutin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which might be used as a feed additive to mitigate the intestinal damage caused by oxidised protein of SBM. This study aimed to investigate the effects of rutin supplementation on intestinal morphology, antioxidant capacity, immunity and caecal microbiota in laying hens fed a diet containing stored SBM. A total of 384 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (220 days) were randomly allocated into four groups with eight replicates of 12 laying hens each according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 types of SBM (FSM: SBM was stored in the cold storage warehouses at −20 °C for 45 days, and was considered as fresh and control SBM; RTSM: SBM was stored in room temperature warehouse (15 °C to 25 °C), average temperature was 20 °C for 45 days) and 2 levels of rutin (0 and 500 mg/kg). The results showed that the RTSM diet decreased the ileal glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, the jejunal superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and ileal NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) mRNA expression levels (p < 0.05), and tended to decrease the jejunal superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), ileal glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) and increase the jejunal interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) mRNA expression levels. Dietary rutin decreased the jejunal crypt depth (CD) (p < 0.05), increased the jejunal total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and GSH-Px activities (p < 0.05), decreased the content of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the jejunum (p < 0.05), and significantly reduced levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IL-1β, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IFN-γ, and IL-4 in the ileal mucosa (p < 0.05). Dietary rutin increased SOD2, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and NQO1 mRNA expression levels in the jejunum and GPX1, Nrf2 and NQO1 mRNA expression levels in the ileum, and decreased nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), IL-1β, IFN-γ and IL-4 mRNA expression in the jejunum and NF-κB, IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-4 mRNA expressions in the ileum. What's more, dietary rutin changed the caecal microbiota. PCoA analysis indicated significant structural differences among four groups (p < 0.05), and SBM × Rutin interactions were found in Actinobacteriota and unclassifiedk_norank_d_ Bacteria at the phylum level (p < 0.05). These results suggested that RTSM had slight adverse effects on the intestinal health, and dietary rutin improved intestinal morphology, exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects via Nrf2 and NF-κB signal pathways, and changed the composition of caecal microbiota. The RTSM diet has adverse effects on the intestinal health of laying hens compared with the FSM diet. Dietary rutin improved the intestinal health by increasing the intestinal morphology, antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory effects. Dietary soybean meal and rutin changed the composition of caecal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of rutin on laying performance, egg quality, serum biochemical parameters, serum immunoglobulin, and antioxidant status in laying hens fed a diet containing stored soybean meal (SBM). The dietary treatments used were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 types of SBM (FSM: SBM was stored in the cold storage warehouses at −20 °C for 45 days and was considered as fresh SBM; RTSM: SBM was stored in room temperature warehouse (15 °C to 25 °C), average temperature was 20 °C for 45 days) and 2 levels of rutin (0 and 500 mg/kg). In total, 384 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (220 days of age) were randomly divided into 4 groups with eight replicates. Pre-feeding period was 1 week, and the experiment lasted for 8 weeks. The results showed that the RTSM diet had no effect on laying performance (p > 0.05). Compared with the diet without rutin, diet with 500 mg/kg rutin exhibited a tendency to increase egg mass compared with the diet without rutin (p = 0.096), and there was a trend of interaction effect on average egg weight (p = 0.061). The RTSM diet decreased the egg Haugh unit significantly compared with the FSM diet at the end of 8th week (p < 0.05). Compared with the diet without rutin, dietary rutin supplementation could affect egg quality as evidenced by increased eggshell thickness, albumen height, egg yolk colour at the end of 4th week and increased eggshell strength and eggshell thickness at the end of 8th week (p < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary rutin supplementation increased urea nitrogen, decreased the immunoglobulin M (IgM) content in serum compared with the diet without rutin (p < 0.05). Compared with the diet without rutin, dietary supplementation with rutin improved the total antioxidant capacity in the serum and liver (p < 0.05). The interactions of SBM × Rutin were observed on egg yolk ratio at the end of 8th week, and the urea nitrogen and IgM content in serum. These findings suggested that diet with RTSM had adverse effects on egg quality in laying hens. The RTSM diet negatively impacted egg quality of laying hens over time when compared to the FSM diet. Dietary rutin supplementation could improve the egg quality, and antioxidant capacity of laying hens. Dietary with soybean meal stored in room temperature warehouse reduced egg quality of laying hens. Dietary rutin supplementation improved egg quality and antioxidant capacity of laying hens independent of stored SBM. There was a significant interaction between stored soybean meal and rutin on egg yolk ratio, serum UN and IgM levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the potential impact of information technology (IT) on supply chain management (SCM) in the Nigerian petroleum industry. Specifically, the study seeks to identify the IT systems utilized by the key actors in the industry, the challenges facing SCM operations, and the potential benefits of IT for addressing these challenges. The field survey used 266 individuals, comprising regulators, production units, transporters, vendors, and customers. The study employed inferential statistics, and hypotheses were tested using the chi-square statistical test. The findings reveal that enterprise social networks, real-time track and tracking systems, warehouse management systems, and electronic invoice and fund transferring systems are the IT systems most commonly utilized by the key actors in the Nigerian petroleum industry. However, monitoring and evaluation remain the most challenging area for IT development in SCM operations. The study recommends that the government implement policies that encourage the adoption of IT in SCM operations, as well as incentives to encourage industry players to digitize data. The original contribution of this research is that it identifies the key IT systems utilized by the actors in the Nigerian petroleum industry and the challenges facing SCM operations, as well as proposing policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural heritage structures reflect the lifestyles and creative aspects of our ancestors. Indeed, they contain the cultural roots of today's societies and connect the past to the present. There is no doubt that architectural and structural evaluation plays important role in the conservation of these structures for the future. This paper focuses on an architectural evaluation and current usage of the specific timber vernacular structure, the Turkish Storage Building 'Serender', which has not yet been protected in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. The architectural assessment includes morphological analysis, material, and construction techniques of the timber storage buildings. We believe that this assessment will contribute to the preservation of the authenticity and integrity of these structures, and also will contribute to sustaining the skills of craftworker and their traditional and cultural knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picking tasks in logistics warehouses requires handling many objects of various types, increasing daily. Therefore, high generalization performance is required for object detection in bin-picking systems in logistics warehouses, but conventional methods have yet to meet this requirement. We propose a Multi-modal Mask R-CNN (M3R-CNN) and its training method for that aim. M3R-CNN is a network for the instance-segmentation task that takes RGB and depth as input and obtains high generalizability with small training data. We trained this network with 561 scenes of training data using our proposed method and obtained a recognition accuracy of F1-score = 0.631 and mAP = 0.958 for unknown objects. We also performed an object-grasping experiment with a robot using the M3R-CNN and obtained an availability-score of 0.97. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the term 'desert' in the context of urban redevelopment. The essay draws out the contradictions of our contemporary planning condition that enables a massive new food distribution center to be placed in a beleagured community labeled a food and mobility desert—such that the new distribution center does not change life, food, or transit access for anyone who lives there. Theorizing a spatial-temporal mismatch between place and region that effectively starves communities to feed broader markets, this essay complicates the politics and potentials of food in the struggle for space against market logics that frame community access to food otherwise. The essay posits that to understand the violence of the contemporary American 'desert,' even the construction of the term itself, we should look critically at those most celebrated sites of regional economic growth—battleground sites that architects and planners are invariably complicit in reproducing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research report examined the use of a voice-directed warehouse management system (WMS) to increase worker performance in a large industrial setting. Order selectors in distribution centers that use voice-directed systems (listening to instructions via a headset and speaking into a microphone and receiving immediate audio feedback) were tracked for units per hour performance of products selected for store orders. The voice-directed application was enhanced with a personal performance productivity prompt so that each order selector now heard their units per hour performance after each completed store order assignment. Upon activation of the newly developed personal performance productivity prompt, selector performance increased to match and exceed the labor standards established for three warehouse zones (accessories, batteries, and tires). This is an example in which an Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) professional can play a vital role in helping large industrial settings adapt to new technologies for the workforce, in this case, for increased performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the raticidal effect of the powder and the two extracts of Daphne gnidium against Wistar rats at the laboratory level and Rattus norvegicus in wheat storage warehouses. A quantitative phytochemical study was conducted alongside a histopathological study of the liver, lungs, kidneys, and intestine. The yield values obtained from the methanolic and aqueous fractions were 18% and 21.2% respectively. The content of polyphenols (mg EqAG/g DM (Dry Matter)), flavonoids (mg EqQr/g DM (Dry Matter)) and tannins (mg EqCat/g DM (Dry Matter)) were 23.02 ± 2.02, 21.22 ± 1.24; 8.64 ± 0.87, 5.94 ± 0.19 and 6.37 ± 0.26, 4.14 ± 0.17 in the methanolic and aqueous extract. Clinical signs were noted. The powder caused the highest dose-dependent mortality rate with LD50 and LD90 values of 2754, 3981 mg/kg/d and 3020, 4365 mg/kg/d in males and females respectively. The powder recorded a reduction rate of 53% against the R. norgevicus in wheat storage warehouses. The histopathological examination revealed the presence of abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategies to densify urban fabric for both environmental and market purposes, place built heritage under increasing pressure. Over the last decade, a shift can be noted in the discourse on built heritage in Norway, where the requirements for 'dynamic management' that recognises these pressures is emphasised. There is also an increasing awareness of the connection between cultural heritage and sense of place. This paper examines the row of wooden warehouses in the historic core of Trondheim, how cultural heritage values are interpreted by different actors. The paper concludes that despite unanimous agreement about the need to preserve the warehouses, reasoning and solutions vary depending on differences and positions in the cultural heritage discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite all the technological progress in the arena of automated and robotized systems, humans will continue to play a significant role in the warehouse of the future, due to their distinctive skills and economic advantages for certain tasks. Although industry and engineering have mainly dealt with the design and functionalities of automated warehouses, the role of human factors and behavior is still underrepresented. However, many novel warehousing systems require human–machine interactions, leading to a growing scientific and managerial necessity to consider human factors and behavior, particularly for operational activities. This is the first study that comprehensively identifies and analyzes relevant behavioral issues of interactions between warehouse operators and machines. To do so, we develop a systematic framework that links human–machine interactions with behavioral issues and implications on system performance across all operational warehouse activities. Insights generated by interviews with warehousing experts are applied to identify the most important issues. We develop a comprehensive research agenda, consisting of a set of potential research questions associated to the identified behavioral issues. The discussion is enriched by providing theoretical and managerial insights from related domains and existing warehousing research. Ultimately, we consolidate our findings by developing overarching theoretical foundations and deriving unifying themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Step-wise analysis of core variability in centers of origin and distribution can resolve conflicts over the taxonomic status of any plant species. Ash gourd [Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.] and tinda [Praecitrullus fistulosus (Stocks) Pangalo] are vegetables in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Identification of unique genotypes under Benincasa has led to a situation that requires verifying the monotypic status of this genus. Tinda, also known as round melon, was recommended to be included as a second species in Benincasa. This study tested the hypothesis that Benincasa is monotypic. Morphological evaluation of a mini-core collection comprising 26 ash gourd and 5 tinda entries exhibited variability. Ash gourd and tinda genotypes varied for multiple morphological traits. Cluster analysis differentiated ash gourd and tinda, with nearly 70% dissimilarity. All ash gourd accessions were freely crossable in both directions, ruling out the possibility of any new species. Non-cross-ability of tinda with ash gourd has confirmed its genetic distinctiveness. Nine barcodes distinctly differentiating the genera were identified from the matK and ITS2 loci. With the characteristic morphological traits, non-crossable nature and distinct barcodes that are not shared with any of the members of Praecitrullus, Benincasa should be considered monotypic and a separate genus status retained for Praecitrullus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the coordination efficiency of vehicle routing problem, a multi-level stochastic demand in ventory routing problem was established in this paper, which minimizes the total cost of the system by determining the relation among inventory of distribution center, fleets, and customer needs. Solving the Lagrangian dual problem by the traditional subgradient Lagrangian relaxation algorithm may easily cause oscillation and then slow down the solving speed. To tackle the problem, an improved subgradient Lagrangian relaxation algorithm was proposed. Compared with the traditional subgradient algorithm , the proposed method is faster and improves the quality of the approximate solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of safety stock placement in a supply chain with market selection decisions. A manufacturer with deterministic, load-dependent lead time supplies multiple warehouses, each serving multiple retailers. Each retailer has access to a set of potential markets with different characteristics. Serving more markets increases revenues, but also increases the manufacturer's lead time, resulting in higher inventory costs. Adopting the Guaranteed Service Approach, we present a nonlinear mixed-integer programming model and reformulate it to eliminate integer variables related to service times at warehouses. We then propose a successive piecewise linearization algorithm and a mixed-integer conic quadratic formulation to solve the resulting nonlinear binary formulation. Computational experiments show that the successive piecewise linearization algorithm outperforms two state-of-the-art solvers, BARON and CPLEX, which are used to solve instances of the original formulation and the mixed-integer conic quadratic reformulation, respectively. The value of incorporating load-dependent lead times is greatest when capacity is limited relative to available demand. The benefit of integrating market selection and safety stock decisions is greatest when capacity is limited and marginal revenue is relatively low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last three decades, sustainability has been increasingly essential and it is a crucial facilitator for building resilient warehouse inventory systems. Uncertainty influences qualitative criteria for evaluating Green Warehouse Inventory Management performance. According to researchers, technological innovations such as the Internet of Things could be used to help warehouse inventory operations achieve long-term sustainability. An Internet of things-based fuzzy set theory model is developed in this paper for dealing with language inaccuracy and uncertainty in human judgment. It is also the first to use the Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System to assess a company's Green Warehouse Inventory Management performance in terms of green metrics. The suggested model reveals that the green delivery dimension has the greatest impact on firm performance, based on data gathered from a case company. Numerous defuzzification approaches have been used to demonstrate the resilience of the proposed FIS model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a coordinated inventory model for a deteriorating item. The buyer side consists of the warehouse and shelf, and items deteriorate in both levels of the buyer's stocking points. For the first time, this article develops a multi-echelon deteriorating model under vendor-managed inventory with consignment stock where the demand depends on stock and price. Although considering multi-echelon deterioration makes the mathematical model complicated, a heuristic algorithm is developed to obtain the optimal values of the delivered batches at each echelon and price to maximize the total profit. Analysis shows that two-echelon deterioration does not significantly affect price, but does affect the number of displayed items. When items deteriorate at the buyer's warehouse and shelf, the shelf size should be larger than the situation in which items only deteriorate on the shelf. Furthermore, the number of shipments at both buyer and vendor levels decreases as the deterioration rate increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, well known disnormality or kurtosis indexes are decomposed into contributions to the measure of disnormality of the center, sides and tails of distributions. The results of this study confirm that the above indexes measure mainly the length and thickness of distribution tails at the expense of the distribution center, which may be more or less peaked or flat. The nature of this decomposition suggests the adoption of new and more appropriate measures of disnormality to capture the various forms in which disnormality occurs. The purpose is to put forward new indexes which are able to measure the aspects of disnormality more appropriately. The proposed indexes are less biased when compared to the structure of well-known indexes and are able to value not only the tail characteristics of distributions, but also those of the sides and the center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a motion planning method with strict obstacle avoidance constraints among polygonal-shaped objects for a tractor–trailer mobile robot. The conventional method generally expresses collision-free constraints by approximating a robot as one circle or several circles or ellipsoids. However, accomplishing moving tasks with minimum margins is desirable, with improved efficiency of space availability when multiple robots operate in one area such as a factory, restaurant, office, or warehouse. The target of this study is a tractor–trailer mobile robot that can transport more goods efficiently, while significantly reducing margins during movement. To control the target, multiple convex polygonal objects expressing the mobile robot and surroundings are transformed into linear simultaneous inequalities using 'Farkas' lemma.' Embedding inequalities into model predictive control yields a motion planner that allows tractor–trailer mobile robot movement and possesses non-holonomic constraints. The proposed model is validated through simulation and real machine experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling grain temperatures is the main approach employed in large commercial warehouses to maintain quality and prevent infestation by insects and fungi. Large commercial warehouses in northeast China have been utilizing inner cyclic cooling aeration (ICCA), a newly developed method for managing summertime temperatures, haphazardly and without tight standards. We utilized a homemade detector to track the temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentrations of maize that was held for four years under ICCA treatment. The monitoring occurred every week, specifically from July 1st to September 30th. In addition, we conducted weekly tests to determine the moisture content (MC) and free fatty acids (FFA) of the stored maize samples. Without the use of ICCA, the average temperature of the stored maize above a depth of 3.5 m ranged from 20°C to 28°C, and the relative humidity (RH) in the headspace was typically higher than 75%. However, when ICCA was applied, the average temperature could be maintained at 22°C, and the RH was below 65% for most of the time. In the first year, the MC of the stored maize at a depth of 1.0 m experienced a loss of approximately 0.5%. However, for one year, there was no significant loss in the MC of the maize stored at the same depth. Furthermore, the FFA in the stored maize at a depth of 1 m increased by 1–5 mg KOH/100 g. The use of ICCA effectively controls the temperature and RH in the stored maize, reducing the risk of insect and fungal reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow field data generated by ocean models are important for simulating ocean currents and circulation patterns, which are essential components in digital Earth construction. To evaluate the accuracy of model-simulated flow fields, Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (Argo) float observations can be considered benchmarks. In this study, a novel method for comparing Argo profiles with 3-dimensional trajectories obtained by simulating Argo floats in Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM)-provided flow fields was proposed. Surface and subsurface trajectories were calculated, and their spatial matching characteristics were analyzed. The results demonstrated that (1) the HYCOM surface and subsurface flow fields generally conform to the basic characteristics and trends of ocean currents; (2) the HYCOM sea surface current field error pattern exhibits a symmetrical distribution centered on the equator in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and increases with increasing latitude; and (3) the HYCOM subsurface flow field exhibits regional differences, with the largest differences in the Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Warm Current, and Westerly Wind Drift region. Through analysis of the disparities between HYCOM and Argo data, the effectiveness of using model simulation data can be enhanced, and the accuracy and dependability of ocean models can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symptoms of yellow discoloration, curling of leaves, and little leaves with excessive branching were observed on Withania somnifera and Capsicum annum plants, with an average incidence of 5 and 8%, respectively, in Hardoi District of Uttar Pradesh, India during 2016–17 and 2017–18. The little leaf and excessive branching suggested the possibility of phytoplasma association. However, the presence of whiteflies in the vicinity and leaf curling suggested begomovirus infection. Three leaf samples from Withania -somnifera and Capsicum annum symptomatic plants and one from non-symptomatic leaf were used for DNA isolation and were subjected to PCR using P1/P6 primers and nested PCR R16F2n/R16r2 primers, respectively, for the detection of phytoplasma. The begomovirus coat protein-specific primer AV1F/AV1R was used to detect begomovirus infection. Nested PCR amplified the ∼1.2 kb amplicon in all six symptomatic leaves and no amplification was observed in non-symptomatic leaves. The CP region primer yielded ∼800 bp amplicons in all three symptomatic samples of each plant. Amplified products from both primers were eluted, purified, and sequenced. The phytoplasma sequence obtained from Withania somnifera (MH789552) shared the highest sequence identity (99.92%) with other isolates of a clover proliferation group (16SrVI-D) group of phytoplasmas. However, Capsicum annum plants shared the highest identity (99%) with the Ca. P. asteris-related (16SrI-B) group of phytoplasma. In silico RFLP analysis of the 1.2 kbp product of the 16S rRNA sequence of the W. somnifera and C. annum phytoplasma strains submitted to the pDRAW32 tool () and phylogenetic analysis through the MEGA 6.0 tool confirmed that it as a member of the 16SrVI-D subgroup and 16SrI-B subgroup, respectively. The CP gene sequence of the W. somnifera isolate (MW176071) showed maximum identity (99%) with several isolates of the Tomato leaf curl virus reported from various places in India. However, the C. annum isolate (MW420480) shared maximum identity with the Ageratum enation virus. The investigation confirmed the mixed infection of ToLCV and 16SrVI-D group phytoplasma in the W. somnifera plant and 16SrI-B alongwith AEV in C. annum plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new transformation is proposed for treated-minus-control matched pair differences that leaves the center of their distribution untouched, but symmetrically and smoothly transforms and shortens the tails. In this way, the center of the distribution is interpretable, undistorted and uncompressed, yet outliers are clear and distinct along the periphery. The transformation of pair differences, y ↦ ϱ (y) ,is strictly increasing, continuous, differentiable and odd, ϱ (− y) = − ϱ (y) , so its action in the extreme upper tail mirrors its action in the extreme lower tail. Moreover, the center of the distribution—typically 90% or 95% of the distribution—is not transformed, with ϱ (y) = y for − β ≤ y ≤ β , yet the nonlinear transformation of the tails is barely perceptible as it begins at ± β , in the sense that 1 = ϱ ′ (β) = ϱ ′ (− β) , where ϱ ′ (·) is the derivative of ϱ (·) . The transformation is applied to an observational study of the effect of light daily alcohol consumption on the level of HDL cholesterol. The study has three control groups intended to address specific unmeasured biases; so, several types of pair differences require coordinated depiction focused on unmeasured bias, not outliers. An R package tailTransform implements the method, contains the data, and reproduces aspects of the graphs and data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building function type is an important parameter for urban planning and disaster management. However, existing identification methods do not always correctly recognize all building functions because of missing point of interest (POI) data in private areas. In this study, we proposed a hierarchical data-mining model to identify building function types using accessible auxiliary data, which was then applied to a case study. Residential building property was assessed to address missing residential POIs. The building functions were assigned to one of five different types, or a mixed-function type. Standard deviation and mean values extracted from remotely sensed images, distances to major roads, and building shape parameters were used to infer the function types of buildings without assigned function types. The proposed model was able to identify 65% of buildings not previously assigned as residential through the POI, with an overall accuracy of 87%. In addition, all buildings were successfully assigned a function type of residential, commercial, office, warehouse, public service, or mixed-function, with an overall accuracy of 85% for unclassified buildings. Our results demonstrated that missing POI data in private areas could be addressed by integration with multisource data using a simple method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-demand warehousing platforms match companies with underutilized warehouse and distribution capabilities with customers who need extra space or distribution services. These new business models have unique advantages, in terms of reduced capacity and commitment granularity, but also have different cost structures compared with traditional ways of obtaining distribution capabilities. This research is the first quantitative analysis to consider distribution network strategies given the advent of on-demand warehousing. Our multi-period facility location model – a mixed-integer linear program – simultaneously determines location-allocation decisions of three distribution center types (self-distribution, 3PL/lease, on-demand). A simulation model operationally evaluates the impact of the planned distribution strategy when various uncertainties can occur. Computational experiments for a company receiving products produced internationally to fulfil a set of regional customer demands illustrate that the power of on-demand warehousing is in creating hybrid network designs that more efficiently use self-distribution facilities through improved capacity utilization. However, the business case for on-demand warehousing is shown to be influenced by several factors, namely on-demand capacity availability, responsiveness requirements, and demand patterns. This work supports a firm's use of on-demand warehousing if it has tight response requirements, for example for same-day delivery; however, if a firm has relaxed response requirements, then on-demand warehousing is only recommended if capacity availability of planned on-demand services is high. We also analyze capacity flexibility options leased by third-party logistics companies for a premium price and draw attention to the importance of them offering more granular solutions to stay competitive in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve picking performance, many warehouses apply order batching and/or zoning in their picking areas. The former policy collects multiple customer orders jointly on a picker tour to increase picking density, and the latter partitions the picking area into smaller zones to enable a parallel order processing. Both picking policies require an additional consolidation stage, where bins filled with partial orders arriving from multiple zones are sorted according to customer orders. To connect both stages, a conveyor system is applied on which the picked products, each being a piece of a specific Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), move from the picking area toward the consolidation stage. If multiple pieces of the product sequence, approaching the consolidation area on the conveyor, refer to the same SKU, these products are interchangeable among customer orders, and our product-to-order assignment problem arises: Given a product sequence where each product refers to some SKU, we assign products to customer orders, such that demands are fulfilled and order-related objectives, e.g., the sum of completion times, are optimized. We investigate different objectives for this very basic optimization task and show that some problem versions are solvable in polynomial time, whereas others turn out to be NP-hard. Furthermore, we provide exact and heuristic solution approaches. By applying these algorithms in a comprehensive simulation study, we show that our product-to-order assignment problem can be an impactful lever to improve consolidation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We address the operational planning problem of loading and scheduling outbound trucks at a dispatch warehouse shipping goods to several customers. This entails, first, assigning shipments to outbound trucks given the trailers' capacities and, second, scheduling the trucks' processing at the dock doors such that the amount of required resources at the terminal (e.g., dock doors and logistics workers) does not exceed the available levels. The trucks should be scheduled as late as possible within their time windows, but no later than the deadlines of the loaded shipments. Such planning problems arise, e.g., at dispatch warehouses of automotive parts manufacturers supplying parts to original equipment manufacturers in a just-in-time or even just-in-sequence manner. We formalize this operational problem and provide a time-indexed mixed-integer linear programming model. Moreover, we develop an exact branch-and-price algorithm, which is shown to perform very well, solving most realistically sized problem instances to optimality within a few minutes. In a numerical study, we also look into the interplay between the time window policy for trucks and just-in-time deliveries. Finally, we find evidence that too small a workforce or too few outbound dock doors in the dispatch warehouse can substantially compromise the punctuality of the deliveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariate data is often visualized using linear projections, produced by techniques such as principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and projection pursuit. A problem with projections is that they obscure low and high density regions near the center of the distribution. Sections, or slices, can help to reveal them. This article develops a section pursuit method, building on the extensive work in projection pursuit, to search for interesting slices of the data. Linear projections are used to define sections of the parameter space, and to calculate interestingness by comparing the distribution of observations, inside and outside a section. By optimizing this index, it is possible to reveal features such as holes (low density) or grains (high density). The optimization is incorporated into a guided tour so that the search for structure can be dynamic. The approach can be useful for problems when data distributions depart from uniform or normal, as in visually exploring nonlinear manifolds, and functions in multivariate space. Two applications of section pursuit are shown: exploring decision boundaries from classification models, and exploring subspaces induced by complex inequality conditions from a multiple parameter model. The new methods are available in R, in the tourr package. for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the use of iron in industrial buildings constructed in the first industrial age in Rijeka. Since the middle of the 19th century, the structural use of cast iron in internal skeleton structures in place of timber created opportunities for improved functional design of these multi-storey buildings. The analysis of some buildings indicates a lack of experience in the application of new structural typologies, while in others it indicates experimental and innovative structural solutions which reflected the progress of science, technology and high-quality workmanship in that period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the integration of order batching and picker scheduling decisions while taking into account two objectives that have been considered in the literature, namely the minimization of both total travel time to collect all items and makespan of the pickers. This integrated problem not only occurs naturally in wave picking systems in which the latest picking time of orders becomes the key performance metric, but also arises when there is a limit on the picker operating time. We present models that result from combining these objectives and analyze their relationship through bounds. We propose a column generation-based exact algorithm for the integrated problem. The novelty of the proposed approach lies in the ability of efficiently solving the integrated order batching and picker scheduling problem to optimality by designing a column generation subproblem based on the set of batches, which makes it a challenging optimization problem due to its size. We alleviate this difficulty by reformulating this subproblem, which allows efficient implicit enumeration of its variables. We have also devised a Variable Neighborhood Search algorithm used as a subprocedure within the proposed exact solution algorithm. Finally, we conduct experiments on randomly generated instances and show that the proposed algorithms are capable of solving instances with up to 100 orders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robot that picks and places the wide variety of items in a logistics warehouse must detect and recognize items from images and then decide which points to grasp. Our Multi-task Deconvolutional Single Shot Detector (MT-DSSD) simultaneously performs the three tasks necessary for this manipulation: object detection, semantic segmentation, and grasping detection. MT-DSSD is a multi-task learning (MTL) method based on DSSD that reduces the amount of computation and achieves high speed compared to when separate models perform each task. Evaluations using the Amazon Robotics Challenge dataset showed that our model has a better object detection and segmentation performance than comparable methods, and an ablation study showed that MTL could improve the accuracy of each task. Further, robotic experiments for grasping demonstrated that our model could detect the appropriate grasping point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revitalisation of historic cores is beset with complexity, especially when seen in linear terms of development, as backward versus modern. The order of spontaneous physical development has become obsolete in the modern world. Yet in Tehran's Historic Core, the traditional bazaar has shown resilience and continues to grow and thrive. Oudlajan, the residential area has been gradually abandoned, however, and the decaying houses are warehouses for the bazaar. This study uses Laurie Baker's approach to affordable housing, to understand what is required to revitalise the historic residential area for ordinary citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of chemical weapons has turned into an increasing risk for the world. In this study, a hybrid approach on the basis of fuzzy VIKOR and the optimal search model to cope with an important case study called the detection of illegal chemical warehouses is introduced. It is obvious that such illegal activities are accomplished under high secret considerations. Therefore, we have several types of ambiguity and uncertainty in this problem. First, fuzzy VIKOR is used to prioritize the suspicious warehouses based on time and cost of a search under fuzzy environment. Also the probability of existence of chemical agents in each warehouse (P i) and the probability of detection (α i) in case materials exist in warehouse, are estimated. Next, the output of VIKOR i.e., Q is assumed as an input of optimal search model and optimal strategy for searching is achieved by solving a stochastic dynamic programming. According to this hybrid approach, we start from the location that has the maximum value of α i P i Q i . Although we get benefits of fuzzy logic, VIKOR, and classical optimal search, the suggested method is easy to understand and straightforward to utilize in real-world problems. Also this model can enhance the robust nature of hybrid approach and reduces its sensitivity to the change of weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a green product dual-channel supply chain with a manufacturer and a retailer. The service free-riding is considered, and the channel price difference is also introduced as a strategic tool to adjust the channel conflict. In centralized and decentralized models, we give the optimal decisions of the supply chain members and analyse the effects of the service free-riding and the price difference on the related decisions. In order to coordinate the dual-channel green supply chain, we also design a two-part tariff contract coordination model, which allows both the manufacturer and the retailer to obtain a win–win result. From the analytical and numerical results, we find that the proper service free-riding degree and price difference are beneficial to the decision makers and the greening of supply chain. And in the centralized model, when the degree of service free-riding is small, the increase of the channel price difference can stimulate the manufacturer to provide the lower price product with lower service and green degree, otherwise, it is the opposite. Besides, the result also shows that, except for consumers, the centralized model always performs better than the decentralized model in the profit and social welfare aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with cycle time calculation of Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS). Cycle time has a high impact on the operating performance of an AS/RS, and its knowledge is essential, both at the operational and design level. The novelty of this work concerns the peculiar kind of system that is considered, as the focus is on the Shuttle-Lift-Crane AS/RS. This solution, common in the steel sector, is used to store bundles of long metal bars, which are automatically handled by cranes, lifts, and shuttles. The functioning of these machines, which can operate in parallel and independently, is stochastically modeled, and the probability distribution function of the cycle time is computed, both for single and dual command cycles. The model, assessed via discrete event simulation, ensures a high average accuracy of 96% and 98%, under single and dual command cycles, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-dimensional data analysis, the curse of dimensionality reasons that points tend to be far away from the center of the distribution and on the edge of high-dimensional space. Contrary to this, is that projected data tends to clump at the center. This gives a sense that any structure near the center of the projection is obscured, whether this is true or not. A geometric transformation to reverse the curse, is defined in this article, which uses radial transformations on the projected data. It is integrated seamlessly into the grand tour algorithm, and we have called it a burning sage tour, to indicate that it reverses the curse. The work is implemented into the tourr package in R. Several case studies are included that show how the sage visualizations enhance exploratory clustering and classification problems. Supplementary files for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy demand in buildings has been steadily increasing in the recent past. The majority of energy is used to heat and cool the building envelope to maintain a conducive thermal environment for habitation. Integration of Phase Change Materials (PCM) in buildings has improved the structure's energy efficiency by absorbing and discharging energy as latent heat. In this work, Cenosphere–Capric Acid (CeCA) composite PCM was developed by the technique of impregnating capric acid (CA) into the hollow core of the cenosphere (Ce) under vacuum followed by sealing it with SiO2. The morphology of the prepared CeCA composite was investigated by FESEM. Mineralogical characterization by XRD suggested that the mineral structure of the CeCA composite has remained unaltered. Phase change temperature and latent heat of CeCA composite were evaluated as 27.60°C and 69.07 J/g for melting and 23.16°C and 71.30 J/g for freezing, respectively. Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) of CeCA indicated the enhanced thermal stability of the composite. CeCA composite indicated good chemical compatibility between Ce, CA, and SiO2; hence, the composite is chemically stable, as revealed by FTIR analysis. Accelerated thermal cycling of CeCA composite indicates a relatively modest change in phase change temperature of 0.6°C for melting and 0.1°C for solidification. Further characterization by TGA and FTIR, suggested that the CeCA composite is reliable for the long term. It implies that the CeCA composite has significant potential as a PCM for thermal energy storage application in construction materials and structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban stormwater systems consist of structural characteristics including topological structure, pipe capacity, low impact developments and storage tanks, and these characteristics are important in the planning and the retrofitting stage. Therefore, this study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of each structural characteristic for enhancing resilience, based on simulation of massive virtual stormwater systems. The results show that it is more cost-effective to enhance resilience by finding better topological structure. Enlarging pipe capacity is also a fairly good choice, since it is more effective than building storage tanks, and more economical than building low impact development. Further, we find that improving topological structure and enlarging pipe capacity have potential in bringing extra resilience in the retrofitting stage for building low impact development and storage tanks. Therefore, the planning stage of urban stormwater systems should be considered seriously. Furthermore, we should pay more attention to the topological structure of urban stormwater systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies integration between pricing and coordinated inventory decisions for a two-echelon supply chain in a competitive environment. To the best of our knowledge, these problems have traditionally been solved separately. Therefore, we aim to support the decision-making process by following an integrated approach. First, we develop a novel mathematical model that coordinates inventory policies between one warehouse and N retailers and determines the selling price using multinomial logit (MNL) demand functions. Then, given the conditions of high nonlinearity in the resulting discrete-continuous problem, we implement three well-known metaheuristics to solve the integrated problem. Last, to quantify the impact of such integration, 180 instances are randomly generated, and the problem is solved using both sequential and integrated approaches. Computational experiments demonstrate the economic benefits of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the cooperative task planning problem of heterogeneous multi-robot systems in an order picking warehouse, with challenging characteristics such as heterogeneous agents, interrelated utilities and complex intertask dependencies. These characteristics bring great challenges for modelling and optimization of the problem. This study establishes a novel mapping mechanism to describe the problem as open shop scheduling with sequence-dependent set-up and transportation times, and develops an efficient mixed-integer linear programming model to obtain the optimal task planning scheme for small-size problems. To increase the size of solvable problems and improve the performance of the solution, an effective hybrid artificial bee colony algorithm is proposed, which introduces some concepts from the tabu search algorithm and the artificial immune algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by simulation experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]