Worcester Polytechnic Institute

About: Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a education organization based out in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Data envelopment analysis. The organization has 6270 authors who have published 12704 publications receiving 332081 citations. The organization is also known as: WPI.

Achieving information integration in supply chain management through B2B e‐hubs: concepts and analyses

Abstract: While supply chain integration is measured at three levels: information, resources and organization, the emphasis of the paper is placed on how information integration can be achieved through B2B e‐hubs. After reviewing the concept of supply chain integration and the evolution of e‐hubs, we examine two groups of e‐hubs classified by supply chain processes, namely procurement and transportation, along with two case studies of each. A value‐gap analysis is performed from the perspectives of facilitating supply chain activities and connecting chain partners, revealing that gaps and limitations do exist in existing e‐hubs. Finally, we present a framework for integrating existing e‐hubs into other advanced information technologies, such as ERP and CRM, to bridge the gaps and to expand their functionality to provide better solutions to supply chain integration.

Measuring Freeze and Thaw Damage in Mortars Containing Deicing Salt Using a Low-Temperature Longitudinal Guarded Comparative Calorimeter and Acoustic Emission

Abstract: Deicing salts are often applied to the surface of pavements and bridge decks in the winter to melt ice, thereby improving safety for the traveling public. In this paper, the influence of NaCl deicing salt on freezing and thawing temperatures of pore solution and corresponding damage of mortar specimens were investigated. A low-temperature longitudinal guarded comparative calorimeter (LGCC) was developed to cool down a mortar sample at a rate of 2°C/h and to re-heat the mortar at a rate of 4°C/h. Heat flux during freezing and thawing cycles was monitored, and the temperatures at which freezing and thawing events occurred were detected. During cooling and heating, acoustic emission (AE) activity was measured to quantify the damage (cracking) caused by aggregate/paste thermal mismatch and/or phase changes. The results show that NaCl solution in a mortar sample freezes at a lower temperature than the value expected from its bulk phase diagram because of under-cooling. Conversely, the frozen solution in mortar melts at the same melting temperature as the bulk frozen NaCl solution. As the salt concentration increases, the freezing temperature is lowered. For samples containing more highly concentrated solutions, an additional exothermic event is observed whose corresponding temperature is greater than the aqueous NaCl liquidus line in the phase diagram. Damage also begins to occur at this temperature. For mortar samples saturated by solutions with 5 % and 15 % NaCl by mass, greater freeze/thaw damage is observed. The AE calorimeter developed herein is applicable for investigating damage behavior during freezing and thawing of different phases in pore solution (in mortars).

A comparison of anisotropic PML to Berenger's PML and its application to the finite-element method for EM scattering

Abstract: The use of an anisotropic material for the boundary truncation of the finite-element method is considered. The anisotropic material properties can be chosen such that a plane-wave incident from free space into the anisotropic halfspace has no reflection. Because there is no reflection, the material is referred to as a perfectly matched layer (PML). The relationship between the anisotropic PML and the original PML proposed by Berenger (see J. Comp. Phys., vol.114, p.185-200, October 1994) is considered. The anisotropic PML is applied to the finite-element solution of electromagnetic (EM) scattering from three-dimensional (3-D) objects. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the PML.

The emerging role of zinc transporters in cellular homeostasis and cancer

Abstract: Zinc is an essential micronutrient that plays a role in the structural or enzymatic functions of many cellular proteins. Cellular zinc homeostasis involves the opposing action of two families of metal transporters: the ZnT (SLC30) family that functions to reduce cytoplasmic zinc concentrations and the ZIP (SLC39) family that functions to increase cytoplasmic zinc concentrations. Fluctuations in intracellular zinc levels mediated by these transporter families affect signaling pathways involved in normal cell development, growth, differentiation and death. Consequently, changes in zinc transporter localization and function resulting in zinc dyshomeostasis have pathophysiological effects. Zinc dyshomeostasis has been implicated in the progression of cancer. Here we review recent progress toward understanding the structural basis for zinc transport by ZnT and ZIP family proteins, as well as highlight the roles of zinc as a signaling molecule in physiological conditions and in various cancers. As zinc is emerging as an important signaling molecule in the development and progression of cancer, the ZnT and ZIP transporters that regulate cellular zinc homeostasis are promising candidates for targeted cancer therapy.