Combating Malaria

Author(s):  
Narjès Bellamine-BenSaoud ◽  
Fatima Rateb

In this chapter, we investigate how complexity theory and more particularly how agent-based modeling and simulation can benefit the explanation of the impact of education on malaria health care in Haiti. Our model includes: (1) the environment, encompassing mainly cities, roads, hospitals and schools; (2) the agents, modeling the human actors, who can be safe or infected by malaria disease according to their location in the environment; and (3) a modelled agent can also be mobile or not, can reproduce, and can die. We run four kinds of experiments over a 50-year period each. Our main emerging results are growing total agent, susceptible, and immune populations in a “cyclic” fluctuation form. Furthermore, we confirm the positive impact of both education and hospitals in combating malaria disease.

Author(s):  
Ran Zhang ◽  
◽  
Jie Lin ◽  

The series of subsidy policies launched by the Chinese government has affected supply chain members’ profits distribution. To explore this influence, an agent-based model was designed, and experiments were conducted under different subsidy levels. Our model focused on the ordinary business entities and their activities in the supply chain. By investigating the real world and other researchers’ studies, agent simulation class library (e.g., control agents, cooperation/collaboration agents, and fractal simulation agents) and their decision knowledge bases were designed to simulate the supply chain members’ behaviors, decision processes, and operation and production activities and behaviors. Price model, demand model and profit model under the subsidy were built to evaluate the supply chain members’ profits under different subsidy scenarios. Finally, a multi-echelon appliance supply chain model was constructed, and experiments were performed with different levels of subsidy limit. Results showed that the supply chain members’ profits increased under the government subsidy policy. The agent-based modeling and simulation method provides a novel approach to explore the impact on profit distribution.


Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Marek Zanker ◽  
Vladimír Bureš ◽  
Petr Tučník

System dynamics, as a methodology for analyzing and understanding various types of systems, has been applied in research for several decades. We undertook a review to identify the latest application domains and map the realm of system dynamics. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA methodology. We analyzed and categorized 212 articles and found that the vast majority of studies belong to the fields of business administration, health, and environmental research. Altogether, 20 groups of modeling and simulation topics can be recognized. System dynamics is occasionally supported by other modeling methodologies such as the agent-based modeling approach. There are issues related to published studies mostly associated with testing of validity and reasonability of models, leading to the development of predictions that are not grounded in verified models. This study contributes to the development of system dynamics as a methodology that can offer new ideas, highlight limitations, or provide analogies for further research in various research disciplines.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 101-110
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Mabey ◽  
Andrew G. Armstrong ◽  
Christopher A. Mattson ◽  
John L. Salmon ◽  
Nile W. Hatch

AbstractThe impact of products is becoming a topic of concern in society. Product impact may fall under the categories of economic, environmental, or social impact and is defined by the effect of a product on day-to-day life. Design teams lack sufficient tools to predict the impact of products they are designing. In this paper we present a framework for the prediction of product impact during product design. This framework integrates models of the product, scenario, society, and impact into an agent-based model to predict product impact. Although this paper focuses on social impact, the framework can also be applied to economic or environmental impacts. An illustration of using the framework is also presented. Agent-based modeling has been used previously for adoption models, but it has not been extended to predict product impact. Having tools for impact prediction allows for optimizing the product design parameters to increase potential positive impact and reduce potential negative impact.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Abu-Rumman ◽  
Ata Al Shraah ◽  
Faisal Al-Madi ◽  
Tasneem Alfalah

Purpose This study aims to explore if the application of the customer results criteria contained within the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence (KAIIAE) is correlated with high levels of patient satisfaction within a large hospital based in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach Using a mixed methodology, supported by a pragmatist theoretical approach, a satisfaction survey was conducted with patients accessing the hospital as an in-patient across a range of specialities gathering feedback about different aspects of their care. The results were compared with a self-assessment completed by different speciality teams about the existence and maturity of customer result arrangements implemented as a result of the (KAIIAE). Findings The findings confirmed that quality awards such as the KAIIAE can effectively be applied in a health-care setting and can help provide a framework for improving patient experience and satisfaction. A correlation was found with those specialties that self-assessed themselves more highly in terms of these arrangements and the overall levels of patient satisfaction with that specialty, suggesting that the products of working towards the KAIIAE such as establishing effective patient experience monitoring arrangements and improved learning from complaints, has a positive impact on patient satisfaction. Originality/value There are limited studies which focus specifically on customer results and on the use of the KAIIAE more generally. This study therefore makes a valuable contribution in adding to the debate about the strategic value of working towards formal quality improvement models and awards in health-care settings.


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