Truckload shipments constitute a significant portion of the freight transportation industry. In recent years, truckload industry is facing a serious problem of high driver turn over rate. In this research, we present a mathematical model for multi-zone dispatching method to solve this issue. Multi-zone dispatching is a method in which a service area is divided into many zones. Truckload within a zone is carried by local drivers and the truckload between zones is carried by lane drivers. Apart from reducing the driver tour length to a desirable level, the model for multi-zone also contains some unique constraints to address some issues from the perspectives of the company and the customer. The binary integer program is solved by exact methods. As the problem size increases, exact methods fail quickly. Hence, a construction heuristic within tabu search framework is developed to solve the model. Analysis of various parameters concerned is provided to gain better insights of varied aspects of the problem. Computational results for analysis of parameters and comparison of exact and heuristic methods are provided.

In the microprocessor development, the high performance microprocessor applies the x86 complex instruction set is used widely. And the signal-core architecture towards slowly to multi-core one .But the variable-length instruction still creates the difficulties in instruction fetching and affects the whole executive- performance. There has the mechanism which supported the split-line and fetched fleetly the variable-lengths instruction. It has the problem in high time and hardware complexity, because it was accomplished with additional hardware. Accordingly, this paper proposed a fixed-length instruction set with design in compatible and extended x86 instruction set used the fixed-length instruction form to solve the difficulties in fetching the variable-length instructions. We considered the factor an overall arrangement of memory space and decided the length 4 bytes and 8 bytes to formulate the fixed-length instruction set. And we used the following six transitionary rules to complete the formulation for the coded form of the fixed-length instructions.(1)We used the auxiliary registers to save the value to decrease the data dependence between the original registers.(2)If it could use a few instructions to complete the translation with the original registers, we used the original registers to do it.(3)The complex case instructions were coded with eight bytes.(4)It did sign-extension by itself when displacement and immediate were moved to the auxiliary registers.(5)The auxiliary registers with the diacritic prefix were only coded in the r/m field or the index field.(6)One of displacement field and immediate field was moved first when its length was longer. And we considered the hardware complexity of saving memory space and fetching instructions, we analyzed the categories of instruction packages to compress the program space to decrease the space loss which the fixed-lengths of instructions created. In the case of verifiable and experimental framework, the CINT2006 was used to be benchmarks. And the function which translated the fixed-length instructions was succeeded to execute. It was successful to achieve the purpose the program space was compressed efficiently in the instruction package mechanism.

Head circumference and leg length are two important markers for disease outcomes in later life. It has been reported that head circumference values in childhood may be closely related to the brain development and future intellectual functioning. Short leg length in childhood is suggested to have association with an increasing risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Given the potential childhood length and adult disease linkage, it is important to identify the determinants of childhood head circumference and leg length. Breastfeeding is suggested to be a potential postnatal factor that affects head circumference and leg length. However, some studies examining impacts of breastfeeding on leg length and head circumference in childhood reported inconsistent or null findings, indicating that the association between breastfeeding, head circumference and leg length remains controversial. Here we reviewed several studies that investigated the relationship between breastfeeding, head circumference and leg length, and in some but not all studies there was controlling for the effects of other potential early life influences, including parental height, prenatal factors and other postnatal factors on head circumference and leg length. Collectively, the illustrations on these relationships would be useful in investigating the leg length/head circumferencelater disease outcomes associations. / text

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The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between schizophrenic patients' length of stay in a state psychiatric hospital and readily available intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sociodemographic factors. The factors selected for study were:1. Admission Legal Basis2. Relationship of Responsible Person3. Previous Episodes of Hospitalization 4. Sex5. Admission Age. 6. Marital Status7. Race8. Education9. DiagnosisThe subjects were 461 patients admitted to the Richmond, Indiana State Hospital from July 1, 1974 to June 30, 1979. All patients who met the criteria for selection were included.The design for the study was the ex post facto approach. It was essentially a Design 3 situation using only one group and holding to the assumption of random distribution of nonmanipulated variables. Two null hypotheses were tested using stepwise hierarchical multiple regression. The .05 level of significance was required.FindingsThe multiple regression analysis yielded a significant multiple correlation (R = .26, R2 = .07, P <.05) between length of stay as the dependent variable and the composite predictor variable. However, an inspection of the results showed that Admission Legal Basis was the only variable found to be individually significant. In view of the low amount (7%) of variance explained by the composite predictor variable, the analysis was terminated at that point and the results were not interpreted or considered to have a practical use.ConclusionThe only conclusion made was that the results of this study were inconclusive due to the small percentage of variance explained. Thus it was hypothesized that there were factors which remained unidentified that were in operation and greatly influenced length of stay.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1959.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1959.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Civil Engineering / Robert J. Peterman / A comprehensive study was conducted to determine the variation in transfer length of pre-tensioned prestressed concrete railroad ties with different parameters, including prestressing steel type and concrete variables. The in-depth evaluation included different prestressing reinforcement types that are employed in concrete railroad ties worldwide. The study consisted of two phases; Lab-Phase and Plant-Phase. Throughout the study, transfer lengths were determined from surface strain measurements of pre-tensioned concrete members. During the Lab-Phase, pre-tensioned concrete prisms were fabricated to replicate plant manufactured crossties. Different groups of prisms were fabricated during this phase, with each group used to determine the influence of selected prestressing steel or concrete variables on transfer length. A special jacking arrangement was employed to ensure that each of the reinforcements was tensioned to the same force. During the Lab-Phase, an 8-inch Whittemore gage was utilized to determine concrete surface displacements and thereby calculate surface strains. Later, during the Plant-Phase, pre-tensioned concrete railroad ties were fabricated at a concrete crosstie manufacturing plant with the same group of reinforcements. In-plant concrete surface strains were determined by utilizing both the Whittemore gage and two automated laser-speckle imaging (LSI) devices. Later, a long-term study was conducted on plant-manufactured crossties that were cast exclusively to utilize the mechanical (Whittemore) gage system. Various results from both the Lab-Phase and Plant-Phase are presented along with discussion. Potential benefits of laboratory prisms in estimating transfer lengths is also discussed. Results from both phases indicated that large variations in transfer lengths are due primarily to variations in the bond quality of the different prestressing tendons and the concrete strength at detensioning. Results pertaining to the variation in bond quality due to other concrete variables are also presented.

No description available.

No description available.