Logistic Procedures Research Articles

The impact of multiplex relationships on households’ informal farmland transfer in rural China: A network perspective

Over the last three decades, farmland transfers in rural China have significantly increased. Despite this rise, informal farmland transfers within social networks continue to be common in many villages, underscoring the need for a more nuanced understanding of their determinants. Existing literature extensively explores the influence of social networks on farmland transfers, it often overlooks the distinction between formal and informal transactions and primarily focuses on binary relationships. Limited data availability and constraints in econometric methodology have impeded quantitative estimation of the impact of farmers’ interactions on informal farmland transfers at the local levels. To address this issue, we developed a framework that integrates embeddedness theory and social interaction theory to uncover the mechanism between multiplex relationship and informal farmland transfers from a network perspective. Using survey data collected from all 341 households in a village in central China, we constructed both relationship networks and informal farmland transfer network among peasant households. We then employed the logistic regression quadratic assignment procedure (LRQAP) to quantify the impact of multiplex relationships and network structures on informal farmland transfers. The results reveal a significant positive correlation between multiplex relationships and informal farmland transfer behaviors among peasant households. Specifically, households are more likely to engage in informal farmland transfer through relationships characterized by emotional connections and reciprocal exchanges, rather than through relationships based on cooperative support. Furthermore, our findings indicate that multiplex relationships influence informal farmland transfer behaviors through network structure effects, such as reciprocity and preferential attachment, rather than through transitivity. These results highlight the importance of leveraging multiplex relationships to facilitate and regulate informal farmland transfers amid rural decline and land use change.

Improving the Efficiency of Logistics Activities: Current Situation and Prospects

By looking at recent changes, strategic initiatives, and logistics performance indicators, the study examines Uzbekistan's logistics industry. There is a knowledge vacuum about these measures' efficacy in a worldwide setting. The study employs analytical and functional-structural techniques to pinpoint the main elements influencing Uzbekistan's logistics operations' effectiveness, such as infrastructure development, digitization, and multimodal transport system integration. The results show that digital innovation and infrastructural improvements have enhanced logistics performance and international ranking; yet, there are still issues with maximizing operational effectiveness and service quality. This study offers policymakers guidance for creating effective logistics frameworks by indicating that specific enhancements to Uzbekistan's logistics procedures and international collaborations can promote sustained economic growth in the country.

62 Relationship between feed efficiency and reproductive measures in beef heifers

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the influence of residual feed intake (RFI) classification on reproductive measures and pregnancy rates in beef heifers. During an 8-yr period, 1,090 heifers were tested for feed efficiency in 70-d trials using a GrowSafe system. Heifers had ad libitum access to water and diets designed to meet NRC requirements for 0.90 kg/d gain. Diets, fed as a total mixed ration, were 85% forage and 15% concentrate which included vitamin and mineral supplements. Heifers were weighed at weaning, the beginning of the RFI trial, at yearling, end of the RFI trial and at breeding. Residual feed intake values were calculated, and heifers were grouped into RFI categories of Average (AVG), Efficient (EFF) or Inefficient (INE). At 13 mo of age, reproductive tract scores (RTS) and pelvic areas were measured. In 5 of the years, heifers (n = 487) also had antral follicle counts (AFC) determined via transrectal ultrasonography. Heifers were estrous synchronized and artificially inseminated (AI) with AI bulls balanced across efficiency categories. Estrus response to synchronization was recorded at fixed-time AI. Pregnancy status and fetal age were determined via transrectal ultrasonography at 60 d and 100 d after AI. Records from 1,078 heifers were used in the analysis (AVG = 428; EFF = 317; INE = 333). Dry matter intake (DMI), body weights, average daily gain (ADG), RTS, and AFC were analyzed using Mixed procedures in SAS. Estrus response and pregnancy rates were evaluated using Logistic procedures. Differences among RFI categories (P < 0.0001) were a result of differences in DMI (P < 0.001) averaging 12.5, 11.5, and 10.2 kg/d (SE = 0.44 kg/d) for INE, AVG and EFF heifers, respectively. In addition, ADG was greater (P < 0.05) for AVG compared with INE heifers. Prior to RFI classification, birth weight was less (P < 0.03) in EFF compared with AVG heifers, and weaning weight (P < 0.01) greater in EFF compared with AVG or INE heifers. However, yearling weight and breeding weight were similar (P = 0.60) across RFI category. Indicators of reproductive development, RTS (P = 0.24) and AFC (P = 0.79) were not different among RFI category. Estrus response to synchronization increased (P < 0.04) for INE (77.3%) compared with AVG (69.1%) or EFF (70.1%) heifers. However, fixed-time AI and final pregnancy rates were similar (P > 0.69) among RFI categories and averaged 54.7%, 54.5%, 52.7% and 89.7%, 88.8%, 87.8% for AVG, EFF and INE heifers, respectively. In conclusion, differences in feed efficiency as indicated by RFI had limited influence on measures of reproductive development in beef heifers and did not alter pregnancy rates. Therefore, placing emphasis on feed efficiency in developing beef heifers should not alter reproductive performance.

Patterns and determinants of patient sharing in end-of-life health services: Empirical evidence from the Italian National Health Service

ABSTRACT End-of-life (EoL) care is critical for cancer patients, who tend to have high service needs that are dispersed across organizations and different levels of care. Although EOL has been widely studied, little is known about the patterns of coordination among EoL health care providers and how they contribute to the care of cancer patients. This study adopts a network perspective to examine the complex patterns of patient sharing among health care providers involved in EoL care, using data on the use of EoL health care services by 266 cancer patients in a large Local Health Authority in Italy. We conducted a social network analysis of the structural properties of the emerging network and used logistic regression-quadratic assignment procedures (LR-QAP) to explore how characteristics of health care providers, their collaborative network, and their distances predict the likelihood of observing patient sharing relationships. Our results show that complementarities in terms of medical specialization and co-location of services positively predict the likelihood of cancer patient sharing. This probability is also positively related to the difference in terms of eigenvector centrality as well as the degree of network transitivity. We discuss the policy implications of our findings.

Social determinants and pre-arrest care patterns associated with cardiac arrest and mortality

BackgroundUnderstanding the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on CA, including access to care pre-cardiac arrest (CA) can improve outcomes. Large databases, such as Epic Cosmos, can help identify trends in patient demographics and SDOH that identify gaps in care. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of CA and subsequent mortality in a large national database across patient demographics and social determinants and characterize pre-arrest care patterns. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study using a large national deidentified electronic health database (Epic Cosmos) with 227 million patients. Inclusion criteria was ED encounter for CA (ICD-10-CM: I46). Patient demographics and social determinants included age, sex, race, ethnicity, social vulnerability index (SVI, a composite measure with greater SVI representing more vulnerability). The primary outcome was difference in CA incidence between groups, reported as odds ratios (ORs). The secondary outcomes were 1) incidence of pre-arrest care within 30 days and 2) post-arrest mortality at 7,30, and 180 days. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-squared analysis (unadjusted OR) and aggregated logistic procedure (adjusted OR). ResultsThere were 201,846 ED visits for CA between April 20, 2020, and April 19, 2023 (0.11% incidence). For all ages, males had a higher incidence of CA (OR 1.76, p < 0.0001). Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native had a higher OR of CA while Asian patients were less likely than White patients (adjusted OR 1.85, 1.44,1.51, and 0.81 respectively, all p < 0.0001). Hispanic/Latino patients had a lower OR of CA (adjusted OR 0.72, p < 0.0001). CA was more common in the highest SVI quartile compared to the lowest (adjusted OR 1.71, p < 0.0001). Significant heterogeneities were identified in pre-arrest care across patient demographics and social determinants, where ED visits were more common than office visits among male patients, patients in the highest SVI, Hispanic/Latino, and minority patients, except for Asian patients. Post-arrest mortality after 30 days was highest in females, Black patients, and patients in the highest SVI. ConclusionsSDOH have a significant impact on the risk of CA, pre-arrest care patterns, and post-arrest mortality. Determining the impact that SDOH have on the CA care continuum provides can provide actionable targets to prevent CA and subsequent mortality.

IMPROVING A CIRCULAR REVERSE LOGISTICS TO HANDLE PRODUCT RETURN: INSIGHTS FROM A GLOBAL ELECTRONICS SERVICES PROVIDER

In the retail industry, consumers often return goods for various reasons, including damage, flaws, or plain dissatisfaction. The storing of returned goods can result in insufficient arrangement of the existing storage space and capacity. Such issue can cause problems like longer processing times, higher operating costs, and reduced customer satisfaction, hence necessitating prompt response. Therefore, this case study was conducted in a global electronics services provider to examine how circular reverse logistics can enhance the handling of product returns as well as developing a smart product return strategy. It is believed that creating a plan for product returns and integrating internal process improvements with external collaboration are highly important. The results showed that the organisation can establish a circular reverse logistic process to lower the cost and amount of product returns, enhance consumer service, and boost profitability. Such findings can benefit organisations wishing to establish circular reverse logistics procedures to handle product returns.

Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia in Older Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: A Post Hoc Analysis of the WISDM Study.

Up to one-third of older adults with type 1 diabetes experience impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH), yet the factors associated with IAH remain underexplored in older adults. This post hoc analysis evaluated the clinical and glycemic correlates of IAH in adults ≥60 years old with type 1 diabetes in the WISDM study. IAH and normal awareness of hypoglycemia (NAH) were defined by a Clarke score of ≥4 or <4, respectively. Demographic, clinical, and glycemic metrics were compared in those with IAH and NAH at baseline and in whom IAH did or did not improve over 26 weeks, using descriptive statistics and a multiple logistic regression variable selection procedure. Of the 199 participants (age 68.1 ± 5.7 years, 52% female), 30.6% had IAH. At baseline, participants with IAH had a longer diabetes duration and greater daytime hypoglycemia and glycemic variability, and more participants had nondetectable C-peptide levels than those with NAH. Logistic regression associated longer diabetes duration (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05; P = 0.008) and greater daytime hypoglycemia (OR 1.31, 95% CI, 1.15-1.51; P < 0.0001) with a greater odds of IAH. A similar modeling procedure identified less daytime hypoglycemia (OR per additional percentage point 0.55, 95% CI 0.32-0.94; P = 0.029) and shorter diabetes duration (OR per additional year 0.96, 95% CI 0.91-1.004; P = 0.07) as predictors of restored awareness at 26 weeks, although the effect size for diabetes duration was not statistically significant. In older adults with type 1 diabetes, longer diabetes duration and greater daytime hypoglycemia are drivers of IAH. Dedicated research can personalize IAH management.

Serological and epidemiological investigation of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in bovines in Pakistan.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of paratuberculosis in cattle and buffaloes at twelve public dairy farms in Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 2,181 more than two-year-old animals (1,242 cattle and 939 buffaloes) were tested by avian tuberculin, i.e., killed purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis and indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Blood and fecal samples were collected from tuberculin positive animals. These samples were further processed by indirect ELISA. The data were analyzed using frequency analysis and logistic analysis procedures. The prevalence of paratuberculosis at public dairy farms was 3.8%, as determined by tuberculin+ELISA test. It varied from 0.71% to 13.5% with a 100% herd prevalence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that species, milk production, total animals, total small ruminants, and total buffaloes were significantly associated with the occurrence of paratuberculosis. Odd ratio analysis revealed that with a one-kilogram increase in body weight, there will be a 0.006% increase in disease occurrence. With the increase in one animal in small ruminants and buffaloes, there will be 0.008% and 0.42% greater chances of developing paratuberculosis, respectively. Bivariate logistic regression analysis of cattle and buffaloes revealed that farm number, age, and total number of cattle were significantly associated with the occurrence of paratuberculosis. A one-month increase in lactation length increases the chance of tuberculosis by 0.004%; similarly, a one-liter increase in milk production increases the chance of disease by 10%. With each additional buffalo in the herd, there will be a 0.007% greater chance for the occurrence of paratuberculosis. This study concluded that tuberculin testing can be used in conjunction with ELISA to screen animals for paratuberculosis in countries with scarce resources, such as Pakistan. The efficacy of disease diagnosis can be improved by combining multiple tests.

Mitigasi Risiko Pengadaan Bahan Baku di PT Inalum dengan Metode House of Risk (HOR)

PT Inalum is a company specializing in aluminum production, focusing on smelting business and raw material development into aluminum. Annually, PT Inalum produces approximately 250 thousand tons of aluminum. The procurement of primary raw materials plays a significant role in its production chain. Delay in the delivery of primary raw materials can hinder aluminum production. The aim of this research is to identify the risks that may affect the arrival of primary raw materials at PT Inalum and to develop mitigation strategies to minimize the impact of these risks. The research method used is the House of Risk, consisting of two phases. The first phase involves identifying potential risk events that may affect the arrival of primary raw materials, as well as the involved risk agents. The second phase involves determining the relationship between risk events and risk agents, as well as developing mitigation strategies based on the highest risk ranking. From this research, 35 risk events and 21 risk agents that may affect the arrival of primary raw materials at PT Inalum have been identified. Furthermore, through the analysis of House of Risk phase 2, 7 recommendations for mitigation actions with the highest ranking were obtained, including budget monitoring, inventory management improvement, and enhancement of procurement and logistics procedures. The findings of this research can be implemented in the procurement of primary raw materials at PT Inalum to improve efficiency and reduce the risk of aluminum production delays.

Enhancing Logistics Distribution Efficiency for Indonesian Navy Warships in Operations Area

The Indonesian Navy faces challenges in maintaining the readiness of warships deployed in external operation areas due to inefficiencies in logistics distribution. Understanding current practices and identifying bottlenecks is crucial for devising strategies to enhance logistics efficiency. This study aims to investigate the current logistics distribution practices of the Indonesian Navy, identify primary bottlenecks and inefficiencies, explore opportunities for optimization, and propose strategies for increasing logistics distribution efficiency to support warships in external operation areas. Utilizing Creswell's qualitative research framework, this study analyzes existing secondary data from academic journals, reports, and governmental documents related to naval logistics in Indonesia. The study reveals the current logistics distribution practices and procedures of the Indonesian Navy, identifies primary bottlenecks and inefficiencies within the existing system, explores opportunities for optimization of logistics processes and infrastructure, and proposes a comprehensive strategy for increasing logistics distribution efficiency to support the readiness of Indonesian Navy warships in external operation areas. By leveraging qualitative research methods and secondary data analysis, this study provides valuable insights into enhancing logistics distribution efficiency for Indonesian Navy warships, contributing to improved readiness and operational effectiveness in external operation areas.

ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST MODEL URBAN SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS DISTRIBUTION PATH DECISION USING AN IMPROVED GENETIC ALGORITHM

The proposed way of estimating the associated macroeconomic index based on a supply chain network is a novel strategy that might give useful insights for firms and organizations trying to enhance their supply chain logistics operations. To aid in this process, the suggested technique utilizes multiple regression analysis and adaptive extreme learning machine models to determine the relative importance of each indicator in the supply chain logistics decision-making process. Firms may be able to save expenses and boost economic value by employing enhanced genetic algorithms and mathematical modeling to develop a logistics distribution model for urban supply chains based on reconstructive genetic algorithms. It is possible that the paper's study of the issues plaguing the current distribution of logistics in metropolitan areas would prove valuable to organizations that are seeking to improve their own supply chain logistics procedures. This paper appears to take a thorough strategy that might assist assure the accuracy of the forecasting method by preprocessing macroeconomic indicators using imputation, classification, and other approaches to generate a time series consistency model. Some novel ways that may shed light on logistics in the supply chain include using a two-dimensional discrete mesh structure built on wireless sensors to depict the national economic development scenario and using a coding matrix to convey the extent of economic growth. A thorough and all-encompassing way that might aid organizations in making better judgments about their supply chain logistics strategies is to employ multiple regression analysis, an adaptive extreme learning machine model, and other approaches to examine the effect degree of each key indicator. Experiments demonstrating excellent and steady prediction accuracy of the algorithm model are encouraging and point to the possible usefulness of the suggested forecasting approach. The paper's contributions, including its analysis of supply chain logistics cost accounting, determination of the basic path optimization, improvement of the genetic algorithm, and design of the mathematical model of supply chain logistics distribution path decision, all look promising in terms of their potential to help businesses cut costs and boost economic value. The positive outcome of the successful design of the mathematical model demonstrates the possible efficacy of the suggested technique.

From Organizational Gossip to a Corporate Crisis: A Network Analysis of Anonymous Online Communication on the Blind Application

This study examined an anonymous online community, Blind, while focusing on the role of social networks in information flow, to explain how internal organizational gossip is diffused to employees of other companies and even to the public through its distinctive network structures. We analyzed three cases of gossip networks that differed in terms of the organizations involved and issue severity. The findings suggest that online gossip networks with a large size, low connectedness, and high centralization can easily diffuse information to community members and the outside public. Logistic regression Quadratic Assignment Procedures (QAPs) were used to examine the endogenous and exogenous effects in each network. The results showed that the receiver effect of company size negatively predicted tie formation in NAVER and Samsung’s gossip networks, indicating that gossip diffusion was more likely facilitated by members of smaller companies actively commenting on gossip. The homophily effect of working for the same company predicted tie formation in Samsung’s gossip network, indicating the difficulty of gossip diffusion to external members. Finally, the results of the structural hole analysis suggest that journalists play an important role in issue delivery and gossip diffusion in NAVER’s case. The findings reveal that internal workplace gossip can spill over an organizational boundary online and develop into a corporate crisis.

Clinical and pathological factors associated with Ehrlichia canis in companion dogs.

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) is a disease caused by the Gram-negative bacteria Ehrlichia canis, a bacterium that affects domestic dogs but can also infect humans. The diagnosis implies a challenge due to its diversity in clinical manifestations. The frequency of E. canis infection, risk factors, and clinical-pathological parameters associated with seropositivity were calculated with the PROC FREQ TABLES and PROC LOGISTIC procedures of the SAS statistical software. The study showed a seroprevalence of 26.62% (156/586). Association between seropositivity and risk factors was found. The age and the presence of ticks including clinical signs such as anorexia, seizures, cough, petechiae, epistaxis, and hematochezia, as well as multiple blood and biochemical alterations were analyzed. The logistic regression analysis showed a high predictive power (c = 0.98) for CME for thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and anemia. The high prevalence of E. canis in endemic areas makes its diagnosis difficult. Thus, clinical signs must be considered, along with blood and biochemical alterations, as a possible predictor of the disease.

162 Evaluating the Potential of a Thermal Imaging System to Identify Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Cattle

Abstract The objective was to evaluate the potential for the use of a thermal imaging system for the identification of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows. Multiparous Holstein dairy cows (n = 131) within 150 days in milk (DIM; range 65 to 155) were enrolled in the study at a commercial dairy farm in central Texas. Milk samples (10 mL) were collected from each quarter separately and evaluated for somatic cell counts (SCC; n*1000), fat (%), protein (%), lactose (%), SNF (%), BHBA (mM/L), acetone (mM/L), and milk urea nitrogen (MUN; mg/dL). A minimum of four thermal images per cow representing all four quarters were captured using a handheld infrared camera (Fluke TiS 75+) from approximately one-meter distance from the cow. All images were taken inside the milking parlor and after the morning milking during February 2023 to minimize the impact of daily ambient temperatures. Skin temperatures from each quarter (maximum, minimum, average) were extracted using Fluke Connect software. A total of 524 quarter-level milk samples and corresponding udder images were obtained, and 10 images were discarded from analyses due to the lack of appropriate resolution and focus. To prevent collinearity, a correlation matrix was developed using PROC CORR in SAS and variables with significant correlations were removed from the model. Subclinical mastitis was defined at the quarter level when SCC &amp;gt; 250,000. Statistical analyses were performed using mixed linear regression models (PROC MIXED) with cow and DIM as random effects in the model, and logistic regression model (PROC LOGISTIC) was fitted to evaluate the probability of the disease based on temperature and milk variables. Maximum and average udder temperatures did not demonstrate a significant relationship with subclinical mastitis status whereas minimum udder temperature was greater in sick quarters (29.6 ± 0.52 vs 27.5 ± 0.45; P = 0.003). Increased minimum udder temperature was also associated with BHBA (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), acetone (P &amp;lt; 0.0004), and MUN (P &amp;lt; 0.0007) concentrations in milk. Cows with subclinical mastitis had decreased BHBA (0.14 ± 0.037 vs 0.28 ± 0.031; P = 0.0036) and acetone (0.017 ± 0.003 vs 0.044 ± 0.003; P &amp;lt; 0.001). Odds of subclinical mastitis were associated with MUN values in milk (OR 0.94; CI 0.89 - 0.98) but not with any udder surface temperature variables. We conclude that an increase in the minimum temperature of the udder could be used as an indicator of subclinical mastitis but studies with larger datasets and using advanced image analysis techniques are warranted to validate these results.

Preening cups increase apparent wet preening behaviors, but have no impact on other behaviors, body condition, growth, or body morphometrics of grow-out Pekin ducks

Preening cups may be a form of open water that would allow ducks to express preening behaviors. We set out to test the hypothesis that preening cups would not have detrimental effects on ducks or their environment. Control pens (N=6, 65 ducks/pen) had nipple lines while experimental pens (N=6, 65 ducks/pen) had the same nipple line plus one preening cup (PC). Body weights of 30 ducks per pen, and body condition scores on 50 ducks per pen were recorded weekly. On d 18 and 43, 5 ducks per pen were euthanized and their spleens, Bursas, liver, and uropygial glands were weighed. Behavior data were collected using scan sampling with video being recorded for 72 continuous hours at 4 different ages: 25 d, 30 d, 36 d, and 40 d. Body morphometrics were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Body condition scoring was analyzed by Pearson's chi-square. The GLIMMIX procedure (SAS 9.4) was used for behavioral analyses to examine treatment differences in the proportion of ducks performing dry preening, wet preening, eating, drinking, standing, and laying down. Feather pecking, feather picking, preening conspecifics (also known as allopreening), dunking head, and drinking from preening cup were analyzed using PROC LOGISTIC with the Firth bias correction for quasi-complete separation and odds ratios were calculated. More PC ducks housed with PC performed wet preening compared to control ducks (25 d: F1,26=6.90, P=0.0143; 30, 36, and 40 d; F1,78=24.53, P < 0.0001). Ducks in the PC group were also more likely to lay down compared to controls (25 d: F1,33=4.95, P=0.0330). No differences were observed for any other behavior, body condition score, body weight or morphometrics at any age. Although ducks in the preening cup group showed an increase in wet preening, our data suggest that open water is not necessary to maintain feather condition or uropygial gland size.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell mitochondrial enzyme activity in calves is associated with average daily gain, reproductive outcomes, lactation performance, and survival

Mitochondria are central to metabolism and are the primary energy producers for all biosynthesis. The objective of this study was to determine if the mitochondrial enzyme activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in heifers were associated with ADG, reproductive outcomes, first lactation milk production and survival. Twenty-three Holstein and 23 Jersey heifer calves were enrolled, and blood and body weight data were collected at 1, 2, 8, 36, 52 and 110 wk of age. Respiratory and fecal scores were recorded daily for the first 30 d of life. Milk production data were collected from herd management software through first lactation and health events were tracked to the fourth lactation on surviving animals. Mitochondrial isolation and enzyme activities for citrate synthase, complex I, complex IV, and complex V were determined using kits from Abcam. Data were analyzed using GLM and the Logistic procedure of SAS (Version 9.4). Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to determine if calf mitochondrial enzymatic activity and covariate health indices (fecal and respiratory scores, number of treatments, hematology) were associated with ADG (8, 36, 52 and 110 wk), lactation performance (milk yield, fat yield, solids yield, ECM, 305ME and relative value) and reproduction (age at first service, age at first conception, age at first calving and number of services). For Holsteins and Jerseys, mitochondrial enzyme activities and health indices were correlated to all ADG and milk production outcomes (R2 ≥ 0.63, and R2 ≥ 0.45, respectively). Reproduction outcomes were correlated with bodyweight gain, mitochondrial function and red blood cell traits for Holsteins and Jerseys (R2 ≥ 0.47, and R2 ≥ 0.55, respectively). Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine if early life enzymatic activity impacted survival outcomes in the herd. Calves below the median for complex V enzyme activity at 1 wk were more likely to be removed from the herd compared with calves above the median by lactation 1, 2, 3 and 4 (odds ratio = 4.7, 7.7, 7.0 and 6.9, respectively). Calves below the median for the difference in hematocrit from 2 to 1 wk were more likely to be removed from the herd compared with calves above the median by lactation 1, 2, 3 and 4 (odds ratio = 13, 10, 5.2 and 4.7, respectively). These findings suggest that predictions of cow performance could be improved by considering the impact of early life mitochondrial enzymatic activity and health indices.

A new approach to sustainable logistic processes with q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft information aggregation.

In recent years, as corporate consciousness of environmental preservation and sustainable growth has increased, the importance of sustainability marketing in the logistic process has grown. Both academics and business have increased their focus on sustainable logistics procedures. As the body of literature expands, expanding the field's knowledge requires establishing new avenues by analyzing past research critically and identifying future prospects. The concept of "q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft set" (q-ROFSS) is a new hybrid model of a q-rung orthopair fuzzy set (q-ROFS) and soft set (SS). A q-ROFSS is a novel approach to address uncertain information in terms of generalized membership grades in a broader space. The basic alluring characteristic of q-ROFS is that they provide a broader space for membership and non-membership grades whereas SS is a robust approach to address uncertain information. These models play a vital role in various fields such as decision analysis, information analysis, computational intelligence, and artificial intelligence. The main objective of this article is to construct new aggregation operators (AOs) named "q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft prioritized weighted averaging" (q-ROFSPWA) operator and "q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft prioritized weighted geometric" (q-ROFSPWG) operator for the fusion of a group of q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft numbers and to tackle complexities and difficulties in existing operators. These AOs provide more effective information fusion tools for uncertain multi-attribute decision-making problems. Additionally, it was shown that the proposed AOs have a higher power of discriminating and are less sensitive to noise when it comes to evaluating the performances of sustainable logistic providers.

Urinary incontinence prevalence and factors associated with patients talking with doctors about urine control.

Patient perceptions of their doctors may influence talking to them about urinary incontinence (UI). We estimated prevalence of UI among Medicare beneficiaries and assessed association between beneficiaries' demographic and clinical characteristics and whether they spoke to their doctor about UI and association between beneficiaries' perceptions of their doctor and whether they spoke to their doctor about UI. This study was approved by the Purdue University Institutional Review Board (IRB) and determined exempt, category 4 (protocol number 1907022503, approval on August 5th, 2019). Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) 2016 data were analyzed. Beneficiaries who indicated that they lost urine control 2-3 times a month or above were classified as experiencing UI. An 11-item patient perception of their physician scale was created based on MCBS items. Perceptions were categorized as favorable or unfavorable. SAS version 9.4 for Unix was used for all analyses. PROC LOGISTIC was used to assess multi-variable association between beneficiaries' perceptions of their doctors and talking to their doctor about UI. Among 7466 persons meeting inclusion criteria, 1856 (24.9%) had UI. The perception of doctor scale scores ranged from 15 to 44, with mean score = 36.57 (standard deviation = 5.29). The scale Cronbach alpha reliability was 0.93. Using sensitivity and receiver operating characteristic analysis, a cutoff of 30 or higher was identified as a favorable perception. Beneficiaries with favorable perceptions of their doctor were more likely to speak to their doctor about experiencing UI than beneficiaries with unfavorable perceptions (odds ratio = 1.55, 95% confidence interval = 1.03 to 2.35, P-value = 0.038). Overall, the more favorable the perception of their physicians, the more likely beneficiaries were to speak to them about their UI.

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Vietnam's Marine Fisheries

Vietnam’s capture fisheries play a significant role in the country’s socioeconomic development. However, COVID-19 has seriously impacted Vietnam’s coastal communities and marine fisheries. This study aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Vietnam’s marine fisheries, recommend solutions to help fishers recover their operations and suggest long-term policies for similar pandemics in the future. A survey was conducted in 12 coastal provinces across Vietnam’s North, North Central, South Central and South West regions using mixed methods, including online questionnaires and group discussions via Google Meet from June to August 2021. The study involved 109 fishing vessel captains, fishers and owners who participated when social distancing in most coastal provinces was still enforced. The results showed that 87% of the fishers experienced negative to strongly negative impacts of COVID-19 on their fisheries activities. The most significant difficulties faced by fishers were accessing the fishing port and dealing with the logistics procedures of docking and departure, accounting for 77.1 %, 72.5 % and 76.1 %, respectively. The fishers also reported reduced seafood demand and price, and difficulties in seafood transportation. Most respondents expected the government to effectively support fisheries activities and facilitate seafood marketing during an ongoing pandemic. The results of this study are crucial in developing policy solutions to restore disrupted fish supply chains, enhancing online selling or e-commerce in fisheries marketing, and implementing timely subsidy policies to support Vietnam’s marine fisheries sectors during a pandemic.

Developing Prediction Model of Travel Times of the Logistics Fleets of Large Convenience Store Chains Using Machine Learning

Convenience store chains are many people’s top choice for dining and leisure and have logistics procedures that involve each store receiving multiple deliveries because of the varying delivery periods and suitable temperatures for different goods. The estimated arrival time for each delivery has a huge impact on the route arrangement and convenience store preparation for dispatchers to schedule future deliveries. This study collected global positioning system travel data from a fleet of one of the top convenience store chains in Taiwan between April 2021 and March 2022 and proposed machine learning to establish a model to predict travel times. For unavailable data, we proposed the nonlinear regression equation to fill in the missing GPS data. Moreover, the study used the data between April 2022 and September 2022 with mean absolute percentage error to validate the prediction effects exceeding 97%. Therefore, the proposed model based on historical data and the machine learning algorithm in this study can help logistics fleets estimate accurate travel times for their scheduling of future delivery tasks and arranging routes.