Multi-objective particle swarm optimisation based integrated production inventory routing planning for efficient perishable food logistics operations

Sustainable and efficient food supply chain has become an essential component of one’s life. The model proposed in this paper is deeply linked to people's quality of life as a result of which there is a large incentive to fulfil customer demands through it. This proposed model can enhance food quality by making the best possible food quality accessible to customers, construct a sustainable logistics system considering its environmental impact and ensure the customer demand to be fulfilled as fast as possible. In this paper, an extended model is examined that builds a unified planning problem for efficient food logistics operations where four important objectives are viewed: minimising the total expense of the system, maximising the average food quality along with the minimisation of the amount of CO₂ emissions in transportation along with production and total weighted delivery lead time minimisation. A four objective mixed integer linear programming model for intelligent food logistics system is developed in the paper. The optimisation of the formulated mathematical model is proposed using a modified multi-objective particle swarm optimisation algorithm with multiple social structures: MO-GLNPSO (Multi-Objective Global Local Near-Neighbour Particle Swarm Optimisation). Computational results of a case study on a given dataset as well as on multiple small, medium and large-scale datasets followed by sensitivity analysis show the potency and effectiveness of the introduced method. Lastly, there has been a scope for future study displayed which would lead to the further progress of these types of models.     

Systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle: Case studies on laundry detergent and milk

This study presents systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle. To design packaging for sustainability, the trade-offs between functional and environmental aspects of packaging throughout the product life cycle should be considered. However, it is difficult for packaging designers to understand the overall trade-offs because the extent of the design consequences on the entire life cycle of packaging and its contents is unclear. We developed two tools for packaging design: the Life Cycle Association Matrix (LCAM) and the Function Network Diagram (FND). The following three steps, based on literature reviews and interviews with industrial experts, were applied. Firstly, we listed the product functions and design variables related to the functions as the attributes allocated to the product life cycle. Secondly, the attributes were connected appropriately based on causal relationships. Lastly, we identified the factors to support decision making in the packaging design procedure. As a result, the LCAM depicts the design consequences on the life cycle, and the FND determines the stakeholders affected by the design consequences. Two case studies were demonstrated to analyze the trade-offs by using our tools. In the case studies, a liquid laundry detergent bottle and a milk carton were redesigned. The tools identified the design consequences and stakeholders affected by the redesign of the usability and protective function for the detergent and milk cases, respectively. The results showed the significance of understanding the design consequences on the product life cycle by integrating the functional and environmental aspects.     

The role of non-visual aesthetics in consumer product evaluation

The present article addresses the impact of non-visual aesthetics of consumer products on the outcomes of usability tests such as perceived usability, user performance and user affect. Building on the research surrounding the impact of visual aesthetics in usability testing, the present work aimed to determine whether the same pattern of effects repeatedly found for visual aesthetics will also be found for non-visual aesthetics. A series of three experiments was carried out, all examining sound and touch as two prominent dimensions of non-visual aesthetics. To increase the robustness of the results, the experiments were conducted with three different consumer products, which were a smartphone (N=60), vacuum cleaner (N=60), and video racing game (N=60). Although manipulation checks confirmed that users generally experienced both sound and tactile product properties as intended by the experimental manipulation, in none of the studies the results showed an effect on perceived usability. Other outcome variables such as affect and performance showed a few selected effects. Overall, this suggests that findings from the field of visual aesthetics cannot be easily transferred to the domain of non-visual aesthetics. The findings of the present studies are discussed within the framework of Schifferstein’s work on sensory dominance.     

疫情背景下的个人防疫产品设计

针对新型冠状病毒的战役仍在继续,人类与病毒的对抗尚未停歇。防护工作是抗击疫情的第一防线,防疫用品则是战“疫”中披荆斩棘的铠甲。面对突然爆发的疫情,如何帮助人们做好防护工作?便捷有效的个人防疫用品是关键。本文针对疫情爆发期间暴露的防疫问题和需求进行分析,应用设计思维与方法,提出针对个人防疫产品设计的解决方案。通过具体的设计案例,为个人疫情预防产品的设计提供相关参考,提高防疫效率,确保民众的生命安全。     

Designer portfolio archetypes in design-intensive industries

ABSTRACT

The paper analyzes the designer portfolio configurations employed by firms, in design-intensive industries, to implement different product design strategies. Using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis methodology, the paper explores how decorative lamps manufacturers, that first adopted the new LED technology, assembled their designer portfolios. The study shows that, in the early phases of LED lamps, four different designer portfolio archetypes were adopted by firms, two of them related to a product language divergence strategy and two to a product language convergence strategy: international design-star archetype, crowd design-innovator archetype, local ambassador archetype, international bridge archetype. These four archetypes are discussed, contributing to a better understanding of the relationship between product design strategies and designers’ management in design-intensive industries.     

Identification of factors that accelerate hydrogen production by Clostridium butyricum RAK25832 using casamino acids as a nitrogen source

The ability of Clostridium butyricum RAK25832 to use casamino acids as a nitrogen source was investigated. Strain RAK25832 showed the capacity to utilize different types of carbon sources. With glucose as a carbon source (10 g/L), the preferred final concentration of casamino acids was 26.67 g/L, with a cumulative hydrogen production, production rate, and yield of 2505 mL H₂/L, 160 mL/h, and 1.81 mol H₂/mol glucose, respectively. Eighteen metal elements were screened to identify the most important metals for biohydrogen production, and four elements were optimized. The optimal medium composition was MgCl₂·6H₂O (0.1 g/L), K₂HPO₄·3H₂O (6.67 g/L), NaHCO₃ (2.6 g/L), and FeCl₂·4H₂O (0.002 g/L). Vitamin supplementation of the medium showed no significant effect on hydrogen production. Under the optimized conditions, cumulative hydrogen production reached 3074 mL H₂/L. This is the first study to demonstrate the use of casamino acids as a nitrogen source by C. butyricum.     

基于ECMWF和WRF的嘉陵江流域面雨量预报精度评估

将降雨数值预报产品运用到水文预报中已经逐渐成为提高洪水作业预报的预见期的重要手段。为充分了解ECMWF(European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts)和WRF(Weather Research and Forecasting model)2种数值天气预报产品对嘉陵江研究区面雨量预报的预报精度和误差分布,且为增强洪水预报精度的稳健性提供科学支持,采用TS评分、空报率、漏报率、正确率等指标,对嘉陵江地区7个气象分区内的2016年汛期面雨量预报结果进行了检验,分析了不同分区内各检验指标与预报时效的关系。结果表明:ECMWF数值预报产品和WRF数值预报产品均可用于该地区晴雨预报,且2种产品的预报精度随降水等级的增大呈增大趋势,随预报时效的增加呈减小趋势。综合而言,ECMWF数值预报产品对嘉陵江研究区的预报效果更好。     

环己烯水合生产精己二酸提质提量的研究

为提高己二酸生产负荷和产品质量,在对环己醇与硝酸反应机理进行研究的基础上,发现环己烯水合生成环己醇、环己醇与硝酸反应生成己二酸的氧化反应产生的热量及NOx气量较大,制约了氧化反应负荷的提升。通过调整NOx总管压力以及吸收塔吸收液输送阀自控条件,提高氧化反应的空气补入量,同时稳定输送吸收塔吸收液,实现了己二酸装置高负荷连续运行。另外,通过增加原料过滤设施,控制己二酸中丁二酸、戊二酸含量等措施,提高了己二酸产品质量。