Foam made panels as efficient building elements are becoming a major role player in modular construction with a variety of applications worldwide. However, construction accuracy, technology, and method can have serious effects on the panels’ behavior. In this study, using a unique pneumatic pressure testing rig, bending tests are conducted on the two types of rigid polyurethane panels. The panels are categorized based on the existence of construction cold joints (seams) as S (Seamless) type and TS (Transverse Seams) type. The S type panels are tested under monotonic uniform loading with a maximum nominal pressure of about 1 atm as the witness specimens. The TS panels are tested under both monotonic and cyclic uniform loading, and the deflections-pressure behavior obtained. The results show that S panels could resist up to 0.77 atm under monotonic uniform loading, while the minimum tensile strength of the foam is 13 MPa. In addition, panels with transverse seams collapsed under monotonic and cyclic loads at an average of 0.46 atm and 0.33 atm respectively but at the same position, located on the seamed section, which represent the same failure mode. Based on the results, the seamed section exhibited a maximum tensile strength of about 33.1% of an intact section under monotonic loading; and 27.9% lower results under cyclic loading.

Today, most industrial managers in the world are interested in protecting the environment and biological resources. On the other hand, current technologies are getting momentum towards specialization and globalization. Thus, in order to remain in a highly competitive world market, producers have to respond to the customers' demands under different circumstances. The leading role of distribution centers to deliver products to customers on time and to reduce the costs of stock maintenance has attracted the attention of many supply chain managers in current competitive conditions. Cross docking is a logistic strategy aiming to reduce the stock and increase the level of customer's satisfaction. Products are delivered from the supplier to the customers through cross docking. In this paper, a nonlinear multiproduct vehicle location-routing model is presented with heterogeneous vehicles. Each truck can carry one or more types of products. In other words, compatibility between product and vehicle has been accounted for here. This model aims to find out the possible minimum number of cross dockings among the existing set of discrete locations and minimize the total cost of opening cross docking centers as well as vehicle transportation (distribution and operation cost) costs. In sum, the model aims to find the number of cross docking centers, the number of vehicles and the best route in the distribution network. Since the model is mixed integer programming, to apply the model to medium and large scale problems, meta innovative genetic and particle swarm optimization algorithms are introduced. The results obtained from examining various problems show high efficiency of the proposed methods.

The reaction of lithiation of 2-bromo-4-(1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-1,3-thiazole with in position 5 of the thiazole ring and double lithiation with t-butyllithium (t-BuLi) in positions 2 and 5 lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) are investigated. When lithiated and dilithiated thiazoles were treated with different electrophiles, a number of trifunctional 1,3-thiazoles were obtained with high yields.

There is a little research about the relationship between risk and technology by using the DEMATEL model in a complex systems such as maritime port. Those studies neither include nor identify the relationships of technological risk generated between a Port Community and all the other actors who interact with it. This study presents the potential advantage of applying the DEMATEL to identify the synergic relationships at strategic and business levels produced by technological risk. The results determine the causes and the effects of decisions made by managers of port engineering community. They also affect the processes of information and communication logistics chains’ export and import.

This study examined the relationship between ICT and Accounting system of SMEs in Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research design, which involves the collection of data from the Accounting department of SMEs in Nigeria. Primary data was employed and copies of ques-tionnaire were administered to respondents for the purpose of this study. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient at a significant level of 1%. Findings revealed a significant relationship between ICT knowledge (Microsoft tools) and accounting system of SMEs in Nigeria also, the study further reviewed significant re-lationship between ICT adoption (accounting packages) and Accounting system of SMEs in Ni-geria. The study therefore recommended that Management of SMEs must periodically send em-ployees on training in the use of ICT.

This paper provides a review on recent works in the field of competitive facility location models based on the following seven components: 1) Variables, 2) Competition type, 3) Solution space, 4) Customer behavior, 5) Demand type, 6) Number of new facilities and 7) Relocation and redesign possibility. First, the components are introduced and then based on these components; different studies are compared with each other via a proposed taxonomy and finally a review on work of each paper is provided.

The total synthesis of mycophenolic acid (MPA), a potent immunosuppressant, was modified. The obtained mycophenolic acid was suitable for further preparation of new prospective immunosuppressants with improved therapeutic properties.

In this article, a manpower allocation and cell loading problem is studied, where demand is sto-chastic. The inter-cell and intra-cell movements are considered and attention is focused on as-signing operators with different skill levels to operations, because cell performance in addition to load cell is dependent on manpower. The purpose of this article is manpower allocation in cellu-lar manufacturing with consideration to learning and training policies. The manpower skill levels are determined in order to enhance production rate. The main contribution of this approach is the scenarios of training and learning in addition to the combination of training and learning being simulated. By using these three scenarios, the skill level of workers increase which reduces the processing time. In this regard cell layout is static where processing times and customer demand follow a normal distribution. As one of the significant costs of industrial unit is related to pro-duction cost, this study has attempted to reduce these costs by increasing the skill level of opera-tor which causes to reduce the processing time. Scenarios are evaluated by using a simulation method that finally attained results indicate this simulation provides better manpower assign-ments.

This work aims to present the application of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods to the process of recruiting candidates for the position of project manager, considering aspects of the decision maker's preferences in uncertain and risk scenarios. Applied, descriptive and experimental, made up of the combined employment TODIM-FSE methods for multi-criteria classification of available candidates, and the method Behavioral TOPSIS, to choose the ideal project manager. The hybrid application of the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods TODIM-FSE, method based on Prospect Theory, and Behavioral TOPSIS, which considers the concept of loss aversion of Economic Behavior, is essentially innovative. When using TODIM-FSE and Behavioral TOPSIS, it was verified the explicit incorporation of the risk profile of the decision maker - aggressive, neutral, or conservative - in the context of aversion or propensity to the risks associated with the management of a project. Through the personal recruiting process from a large Brazilian organization, the possibility of adopting the hybrid model resulting from the combination of the two methods in a real situation was validated. Such validation allowed us to conclude that the candidates' classifications and choices, previously normally accepted, were at odds with the profile and risk propensity of the decision makers.

This research discusses and analyzes scientific, macroeconomic, financial risk management, audit views, stock returns, investment decisions, funding decisions, and good corporate governance as a moderator. There are 147 samples of manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The results of this study indicate that there are four insignificant hypotheses. The results indicate: Macroeconomics does not have a substantial effect on Financial Risk Management, Good corporate governance (GCG) is having no significant impact on Going Concern Audit Opinion. Stock Return is having no significant effect on Going Concern Audit Opinion; GCG does not moderate the impact of Stock Return on Going Concern Audit Opinion when the level of significance is five percent.