erhaps because networking and microcomputer companies have been so successful during the past few years, the current tendency in Washington, D C , is to give the industrial sector all the credit for the grand successeq in computing of the past half-century In fact, at least as much of the technology that has driven this revolution originated in acadernid, and much 01 the research in both sectors would not have been under taken without the far sighted support of the U S government By far the largest Federal supporter of computer R&D has been the Information Processing Techniques Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa, or, during the first couple years of the Clinton administration, themselves in military terms alone Examples of Darpa-sponsored technologies employed effectively by the Pentagon include such military computer networks as Milnet and Simnet, graphically oriented flight simulators used by the U S Air Force, packet-switching radio and satellite systems for a digital military communications system, and advanced command-and-control systems, among many others Darpa originated in 1958 as a response to the Soviet Union's launch of the first spacc satcllite, Sputnik In setting up the agency, President Dwight D Eisenhower's intention was to transcend the rivalries among the military services in advanced research and development The agency's early years were devoted to the space program and nuclear test verification, and it was not until 1962 that the Information Processing Techniques office was formed But the computing program grew with a vengeance, and within a year its expcriditures were large1 than dll other U S government outlays on computing R&D combined The influence of Darpa's computing office h a s been most not iceable in breakthrough technologies In t h e 19605, for example, it supported the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Project MAC, which built the first timesharing computer The result was that

Inventing the internet

The purpose of this book is to measure and evaluate the supply chain performance of the Volta Aluminium Company and upon the results, make recommendations and suggestions to the management, which can assist also other companies in their decision-making. Once that actually, companies operate their business in an increasingly changeable and unpredictable enviroment, where competition assumes global scale, they need to look for new ideals, new tools and new methods. The proposed framework grounds on the Methodology of performance measuring systems, plying to the measurement of both tangible and intangible assets, and also measuring supply chain performance internally and externally. The framework developed enhance the use of a group of metrics across all organisations, this metrics are a fundamental part of a measuring system adapted to strategy, goals, key performance areas, process elements and activities, enabling evaluating defined goals, leading to decisions making and the implementation of improvement actions.

Measuring Supply Chain Performance

The fifth industrial revolution is known as Industry 5.0 and is being evolved to focus on the personalized demand of customers. This industrial revolution is required to provide better interaction ...

Critical Components of Industry 5.0 Towards a Successful Adoption in the Field of Manufacturing

Purpose of review Urolithiasis in horseshoe and ectopic kidneys presents unique challenges in the decision-making and technical aspects of stone treatment. Specific renal anatomy, stone size and associated conditions such as ureteropelvic junction obstruction are factors that may influence treatment. Detailed review of imaging is important to ensure efficient stone treatment and minimize complications. Recent findings Widespread use of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy for calculi in congenitally abnormal kidneys is now giving way to stone-size and anatomy-appropriate therapeutic decision making. Multiple modalities including shockwave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy and laparoscopy are being employed in this group of patients. Summary Treatment decisions for stones in horseshoe and ectopic kidneys can be challenging, and must be made on an individual basis taking into account multiple variables.

Management of urolithiasis in the congenitally abnormal kidney (horseshoe and ectopic).

Objective: To identify the pre- and intraoperative factors that affect the development of postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) following percutaneous nephrol

Role of Preoperative and Intraoperative Factors in Mediating Infection Complication following Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

The role of supply chain agility (SCA) and its effect on supply chain performance (SCP) is poorly recognised in the operations management literature. As the nature of supply chain is inclining towards high flexibility, the SCA becomes value enhancing, indicating its effective nature. This paper proposes a model linking supply chain orientation (SCO) and SCA with SCP. Cross sectional survey of 122 Indian manufacturers was carried out. The result indicates that SCO and SCA are directly and significantly related with SCP. The main contribution of the study is uncovering the mediation effect of SCA on the SCO–SCP link. The theoretical as well as managerial implications along with scope for future research and limitations of the study are also discussed.

The mediation role of supply chain agility on supply chain orientation-supply chain performance link

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of ureteroscopy for lower ureteric stones without the use of fluoroscopy Patients andMethods: Between June 2001 and January 2005, a total of 110 patients with a mean age of 335 years (range 12–65) suffering from of lower ureteral calculi (below the upper margin of the sacroiliac joint) prospectively underwent ureteroscopic removal Retrograde pyelography was avoided, and no safety guidewire was placed Whenever required, the ureteric meatus was dilated with a ureteric balloon under direct vision Double-J stent placement was done with the aid of ureteroscopy A fluoroscope was kept standby The patients had a postoperative X-ray of the kidney-ureter-bladder region to document the stone clearance Results: The mean stone size was 87 mm (range 6–15) Complete clearance without the use of fluoroscopy was achieved in 99 patients (942%) Fluoroscopy was required in 6 patients (4%) for calcified stricture (n = 1), duplex system (n = 1), narrow and tortuous meatus causing difficulty in passing the 5-Fr balloon dilator (n = 3), and confirmation of spontaneous passage of the stone (n = 1) Of the 13 patients who required balloon dilatation it was successfully achieved without fluoroscopy Double-J stenting was done due to mucosal ulceration (n = 3), polypoid reaction (n = 2), and perforation (n = 1) All these patients had correct placement of the stent, as confirmed by X-ray of the kidney-ureter-bladder region postoperatively Conclusions: To uphold the notion for radiation exposure to be as low as reasonably achievable, ureteroscopic stone retrieval can safely be done without the use of fluoroscopy in a significant number of patients

Is fluoroscopy essential for retrieval of lower ureteric stones

Introduction: Female urethral stricture is an underdiagnosed and overlooked cause of female bladder outlet obstruction. The possible etiologies may be infection, prior dilation, difficult catheterization with subsequent fibrosis, urethral surgery, trauma, or idiopathic. We present our technique and results of dorsal onlay full thickness vaginal graft urethroplasty for female urethral stricture. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 16 female patients with mid-urethral stricture who underwent dorsal onlay vaginal graft urethroplasty from January 2007 to June 2011.Of these, 13 patients had previously undergone multiple Hegar dilatations, three had previous internal urethrotomies. The preoperative work up included detailed voiding history, local examination, uroflowmetry, calibration, and micturating cystourethrogram. Results: All patients had mid-urethral stricture. Mean age was 47.5 years. Mean Q max improved from 6.2 to 27.6 ml/s. Mean residual volume decreased from 160 to 20 ml. Mean duration of follow-up was 24.5 months (6 months to 3 years). Only one patient required self-calibration for 6 months after which her stricture stabilized. None of the patient was incontinent. Conclusion: Dorsal vaginal onlay graft urethroplasty could be considered as an effective way to treat female urethral stricture.

Dorsal onlay vaginal graft urethroplasty for female urethral stricture.

Objective: To assess the feasibility and safety of a laparoscopic approach to pelvic kidneys for ablative and reconstructive surgery Methods: BetweenJanuary 2002

Is laparoscopic approach safe for ectopic pelvic kidneys

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for mapping the Indian Public Distribution System (PDS) using multi-agent system (MAS). The entire PDS supply chain from purchase to the distribution is mapped in detail by integrating stages of PDS supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – Literature related to PDS, food grain supply chain (FGSC) and MAS is reviewed and critically assessed. Based on this a framework is proposed which will help in improving functioning of PDS. Findings – The PDS has many shortcomings arising from its complex structure and practices which are used to implement it. The authors propose an MAS to model it in which each entity will be modelled as an agent. The authors propose two stages of supply chain. First stage models the processes from procurement to storage of food grain and second stage model the distribution process. Practical implications – This paper will be of interest to the policy makers and decision makers involved in the PDS by providing the shortfa...

Rohit Kapoor

Papers

The mediation role of supply chain agility on supply chain orientation-supply chain performance link

Is fluoroscopy essential for retrieval of lower ureteric stones

Dorsal onlay vaginal graft urethroplasty for female urethral stricture.

Is laparoscopic approach safe for ectopic pelvic kidneys

Structural mapping of public distribution system using multi-agent systems