Bin packing problem is a constrained optimization problem with a huge search space due to large combinations. Bin packing problem has a wide range of applications in multiple fields. This paper presents harmony search algorithm with different initialization and adaptive PAR strategies for solving bin packing problem. The proposed Harmony search (HS) variations tests two partial feasible initialization strategies for bin packing problem. The paper presents adaptive PAR strategies for better exploration and exploitation of HS algorithm. The PAR values are tuned in every iteration. Improved initialization strategy, population initialization after premature convergence and adaptive PAR leads to the better exploration of harmony search algorithm for bin packing problem. The performance of variations are tested over 120 benchmark instances with 100 and 200 objects with varying complexities. The results show that improved HS performs better than basic HS with respect to best, mean, convergence rate. The performance of algorithms is tested with varying harmony memory size and harmony memory considering rate. Results show that variation in these two parameter values has less effect on performance of improved versions.

The research is aiming to enter deeply into studying the implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and measuring the effects on the integration of supply chain at Jordanian Nuqul Group Company. Defining the effects of applying ERP systems in human resource, and production management departments, and how the implementation process will be effective on the integration with suppliers, customers, and processes are representing the main objectives of this research. 185 research questionnaires distributed, collected, and 150 respondents were accepted for the research study analysis. Furthermore, this research used structural equation models with AMOS for testing research hypotheses. The research findings agreed with the result that applying enterprise resource planning systems could affect positively on the supply chain integration with suppliers, customers, and processes.

Patient punctuality significantly impacts resource utilization and patient waiting times, among other quality indicators, within psychiatry clinics. In pursuit of service improvement, this study endeavors to develop effective appointment scheduling systems that optimally distribute patients' needs during clinical sessions, thereby enhancing resource utilization and patient satisfaction. In developing these scheduling rules, three patient-related uncertainties are considered: preference, availability, and punctuality. Various scheduling rules are evaluated based on their average total cost under different scenarios. The HSBGDM rules have emerged as a balanced approach for clinic operations, effectively managing physician time but occasionally leading to overtime variations. Increased patient delays often exacerbate physician idle times, particularly under IBVST and VBVST rules. Hybrid rules, such as the HSBGDM series, adapt well, improving patient wait times and managing unscheduled patients. However, scheduling systems like REPDM may prolong waits, potentially impacting patient satisfaction. Systems prioritizing new appointments can increase physician idle times due to unpredictability. While accommodating unscheduled patients enhances service quality, it may also cause disruptions. This study provides valuable insights into scheduling dynamics, assisting administrators in balancing efficiency, cost, and patient satisfaction.

Five imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidine and pyrimido[1,6-a]pyrimidine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity and cytotoxicity. Primary bioassays in vitro showed that two of five synthesized compounds, 6-benzyl-8-(methylsulfonyl)-2,6-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidin-5(3H)-one, and 9-(methylsulfonyl)-7-propyl-2,3,4,7-tetrahydro-6H-pyrimido[1,6-a]pyrimidin-6-one possessed potent antiviral activity against BKV (EC50: 0.66 μM and 0.96, respectively). The selectivity index of these compounds is similar to that of cidofovir. Although antiviral activity was evident in secondary assays, significant virus inhibition occurred at or near the cytotoxic concentration (SI90=1). Here we show that substituted pyrimidine derivatives are a promising structure class of chemical compounds for the development of antiviral drugs against BKV infections. Hence these compounds may be taken as lead compounds for further development of novel antimicrobial and anticancer agents.

Not only has the COVID-19 outbreak brought about public safety challenges, but there has also been a major disruption in the business world that impacts one and all from small to large businesses. During This pandemic, supply chains (SCs) have witnessed disruptions, and this has inspired the interest of this paper. Therefore, the objective of the paper is to address two research questions pertaining to exploring the emerging SC aspects in the age of COVID-19 and future directions of SCs. To achieve this objective, a methodology is developed entailing three steps as follows. First, data is collected and included documents are identified through PRISMA strategy. Second, document analytics is performed using the web-interface of bibliometrix package in R software,the shiny app. Third, the research questions are addressed accordingly. The results showed that the most prominent terms related to SCs include supply chain disruptions, supply chain management,supply chain resilience, viability, and flexibility. Consequently, the first research question is approached in which the aspects of SC disruptions, resilient SC, viable SC,Sustainable SC, and SC management, are addressed. With more focus on building resilient SC in the short-term to recover from disruptions, viable SC can be created in the long-term perspective, which eventually build sustainable SC accordingly. Subsequently, considering these aspects enable successful SC management. Additionally, the future directions are explored including the transformation from globalization to regionalization perspective, focus on digitalization, need for holding more inventory, managing SCs for high resilience, more dependence on operations research and business analytics, and reconsideration of food SCs. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by providing insightful research agenda to scholars and practitioners concerned in exploring more of the influences of the current pandemic on SCs.

This paper aimed to examine a conceptual model for the relationships between hospital service quality, patient satisfaction, hospital utilization, and hospital financial performance. A total of 176 hospitals was selected from California State for this study. The standardized performance measures were used together with precisely defined specifications and standardized data collection protocols. First, an exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation was performed. The measurement prop-erties were then assessed in a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The analysis results show that quality had a significant effect on satisfaction, which, in turn, affected the financial performance. The results provide support for the previous findings indicated that service quality was positively associated with patient satisfaction and that satisfaction and utilization had a significant positive effect on financial performance. The analysis results provide support for the previous findings that hospital service quality is positively related to patient satisfaction. The findings also show that patient satisfaction and hospital utilization have a significant positive effect on hospital financial performance.

Immediate aid to survivors of a natural disaster is the keynote to crisis management. Providing temporary access is one of the most important principles of immediate relief. However, in the post-disaster conditions, it is not possible to use road construction machinery, especially in rural areas. Therefore, in this study, the feasibility of using a Rapid Assembly Building (RAB) system for the temporary pavement with the possibility of rapid construction, which follows the natural topography of the place, is investigated. The introduced system consists of a high-density polyurethane (PUR) foam core as well as two continuous layers of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) facings. For this purpose, the mechanical properties of the materials and composite pavement were determined by a series of laboratory tests. Then, the mechanical performance and bearing behaviour of an element of the presented pavement system was numerically modelled under AASHTO loading. Since in the post-disaster situation, it is not possible to establish the subgrade, an uncompacted subgrade is used for modelling. The results show that this system can be used well in post-disaster situations to provide a rapid, safe, yet robust road without any permanent deformation.

In this paper, the severe plastic deformation method (SPD) known as constrained groove pressing (CGP) was applied to produce ultrafine-grained microstructure in IF steel sheets. In the CGP technique, samples are subjected to repetitive shear deformation under the plane strain deformation condition using the constrained grooved and flat dies. For assessment of microstructure and mechanical properties of the CGPed IF steel sheet, several testing such as: uniaxial tensile test, hardness measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis have been utilized. Finally, it was observed that the grains are significantly refined after the 16-step pressing of the interstitial free (IF) steel sheets. The grains were reduced from 45µm to 243 nm after four passes.

Strain-softening material models have conventionally had a pathological mesh sensitivity in finite element simulations and composite materials are indifferent to this problem. Spurious localization is inherent to the structural problem in strain-driven softening. This limitation is caused as the partial differential equations (that govern the structural problem) become ill-posed as the tangent modulus becomes negative, for which uniqueness of the solution with respect to the spatial discretization is lost. This causes the numerical results to unrealistically concentrate in a single layer of elements. A basic theory of overcoming mesh sensitivity is the non-local continuum theory. In this work, three different non-local models with isotropic weight function have been proposed and implemented to work in conjunction with a composite micro-mechanical material model. The effect of a weighing function in each of these formulations has been studied in detail. All three non-local formulations have been observed to produce a nice smeared effect of damage unlike the local damage models.

Attributable to high competition in global manufacturing market and outsourcing suppliers, many supply chain systems have become more complex and faced with high risks and low performance. Many financial losses and failures are likely to be due to risks among supply chain's components. As a prescription to improve quality, performance, and profitability of the supply chain, companies would like to measure and optimize the reliability of the entire supply chain system. Also, companies are interested in minimizing the cost of processes and improvement throughout the supply chain system. This paper explains a statistical method that measures the reliability rate of each part in the system as well as the entire supply chain. Moreover, the paper elucidates a mathematical model that improves the reliability of the supply chain through minimization of cost components. The results and findings of this study confirm that the proposed model can be applied to improve the supply chain system. Also, the system can be improved to reach a designed reliability rate as given target to the model. The illustrated methodology can be used as a guide on how to develop a reliable supply chain system plan with low possible costs.