Improving Just-in-Time Delivery Performance of IoT-Enabled Flexible Manufacturing Systems with AGV Based Material Transportation.

Autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) are driverless material handling systems used for transportation of pallets and line side supply of materials to provide flexibility and agility in shop-floor logistics. Scheduling of shop-floor logistics in such systems is a challenging task due to their complex nature associated with the multiple part types and alternate material transfer routings. This paper presents a decision support system capable of supporting shop-floor decision-making activities during the event of manufacturing disruptions by automatically adjusting both AGV and machine schedules in Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMSs).

Effects of Bufei Yishen Granules Combined with Acupoint Sticking Therapy on Pulmonary Surfactant Proteins in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Rats.

Our previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of Bufei Yishen granules combined with acupoint sticking therapy (the integrated therapy) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Dysfunction of pulmonary surfactant proteins (SPs, including SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, and SP-D) may be included in pathophysiology of COPD. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of the integrated therapy on SPs.

Bufei Jianpi granules improve skeletal muscle and mitochondrial dysfunction in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Bufei Jianpi granules has been confirmed effective in improving pulmonary function, alleviating acute exacerbations, improving six-minute walk distance and quality of life, and benefited in 12-month follow-up in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with syndrome of lung-spleen qi deficiency. Skeletal muscle dysfunction (SMD), an important extrapulmonary complication, occurs in the very initiation of COPD and is closely related to morbidity and mortality. To evaluate the efficacy of Bufei Jianpi granules on SMD, we observed skeletal muscular function and histomorphology, mitochondrial morphormetry and proteins in COPD rats induced by cigarette-smoke and Klebsiella pneumoniae.