Measuring operational and quality-adjusted efficiency of Chilean water companies

The path to a sustainable management of the urban water cycle requires the assessment of both operational and quality-adjusted efficiency in a unified manner. This can be done by the use of non-radial Data Envelopment Analysis models. This study used Range Adjusted Measure models to evaluate the operational, quality-adjusted, and operational & quality-adjusted efficiency (O&QAE) scores of the Chilean water industry including water leakage and unplanned interruptions as undesirable outputs. It was found that on average water utilities presented large O&QAE scores over time. The mean O&QAE score was 0.964 which means that water utilities could further reduce costs and undesirable outputs by 3.6% on average, while trying to expand the scale of operation. This finding suggests that excellent quality-adjusted efficiency at an efficient expenditure could be feasible. It was also evidenced that customer density, mixed water resources, and ownership influenced the O&QAE of Chilean water companies.

Influence of regeneration process parameters on geometry and defects of clearance surface of planer knives used in wood planing process

A properly implemented strategy regarding the planer knife regeneration process, may not only restore the original cutting ability of the tool, but even increase its operational quality, including its durability for industrial woodworking processes. This article presents experimental results and discussion in respect of sharpening planer knives with cubic boron nitride grinding wheels. Both the grinding conditions and machining surface quality were analyzed. Application of improper size or loads of abrasive grains may lead to the appearance of grinding burns on a machined surface, or result in a surface with cracks and grooves. The results of the measurements carried out indicate that surfaces with reduced values of roughness and waviness parameters can be obtained, even up to 22% (as in the case of the reduced peak height parameter, Spk) in relation to new knives, prepared at a factory. The value of St and Sds parameters are almost the same as reference knife (deviation up to 3%). Due to machining marks, the total waviness exceeds 33%. Our research also shows that due to the technological quality of the knife surfaces, it is beneficial to use CBN grains with a low depth of cut (ae no more than 0.02 mm), but a moderate or high feed rate (the best choice is about 470 mm/min for vft). Presented results constitute an important know-how for the grinding process with the use of grinders used by operators (like WEINIG Rondamat 980) during the sharpening of planer cutter heads in the wood industry.

The Black Sea Physics Analysis and Forecasting System within the Framework of the Copernicus Marine Service

This work describes the design, implementation and validation of the Black Sea physics analysis and forecasting system, developed by the Black Sea Physics production unit within the Black Sea Monitoring and Forecasting Center as part of the Copernicus Marine Environment and Monitoring Service. The system provides analyses and forecasts of the temperature, salinity, sea surface height, mixed layer depth and currents for the whole Black Sea basin, excluding the Azov Sea, and has been operational since 2016. The system is composed of the NEMO (v 3.4) numerical model and an OceanVar scheme, which brings together real time observations (in-situ temperature and salinity profiles, sea level anomaly and sea surface temperature satellite data). An operational quality assessment framework is used to evaluate the accuracy of the products which set the basic standards for the future upgrades, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the model and the observing system in the Black Sea.

Determination of Land Fund for the Development of Static Road Traffic Demand in Hanoi (Vietnam)

Determining a reasonable proportion of land fund for urban static traffic will meet the currentneeds and future development of urban areas, contributing to improving the operational quality of urbantransport systems and improve the quality of life of people in urban areas [1]. Hanoi, the capital of VietNam, is facing difficulties in meeting the land fund for static traffic development. In 2020, the city's landfund meets only 38.73% of the demand for traffic system development in general, static traffic in particular[2]. By using a regression model on the relationship between GDP per capita and demand for means oftransport in Hanoi, the article forcats the demand for urban static traffic development in Hanoi city,demand demand for land fund for its static traffic development to 2025 and 2030. From the forecast results,the article proposes some solutions on meeting the land fund demand for static traffic development inorder to achieve efficiency of the government's policis on static traffic development in Hanoi.

Assessment of Technical Means Quality Indicators for Smart Transport Systems

The purpose of this article is to show that it is necessary to assess the quality indicators for the technical means of smart transport systems. The quality of technical means, including smart transport systems, is associated with the selection of rational information processing technologies. Data in information systems is processed in different sections. The authors suggest an assessment technology for the operational quality of technical means of automated transport information systems. They identify the key quality indicators for the operation of technical means of information systems. The authors demonstrate that the operation of technical means can be characterized by the system task time, output data accuracy, and system implementability. They present the calculation of technical means quality indicators for smart transport systems

Devising a method to control the operational quality and reliability of fiber-optical communication lines

The lack of recommendations in the normative and technical documentation related to fiber-optic communication lines (FOCL) for assessing their technical condition necessitated devising a method to control the lines' quality and reliability of operation. The method creates the basis for calculating the quality and reliability indicators of FOCL operation and suggests measures to improve them. It determines the methods of control, as well as the acquisition, accounting, and analysis of damage statistics with and without interruption of communication. The graphic sequence of implementation of the stages of the method demonstrates that resolving the task to control these indicators should involve: – managing the acquisition and actual acquisition of operational data on damages (the causes, nature, quantity, the duration of communication breakdown and complete elimination of damage); – determining the quality and reliability indicators of FOCL operation annually; – analysis of the obtained results and the development (correction) of measures to comply with the norms of these indicators; – the implementation of measures to comply with the norms of quality and reliability of FOCL operation (if necessary). Based on the operational data from a line operator acquired over three years in the specified climatic zone (a cable of the type OKLBg-3 DA12-3×4E-0.4F3.5/0.22N18-12/0), the methodical component of the method was examined. The obtained results on the operational quality (damage density, average damage duration, break (downtime) of communication) and reliability indicators (FOCL readiness factor) of a subscriber access network without reservation showed that the line had low efficiency. The communication breakdown over three years amounted to K=12,569.8 stream∙hours. The downtime at this volume of digital stream∙hours has led to significant economic losses. Line operators have been given recommendations for the proper FOCL operation and ensuring a normalized value of the line readiness coefficient. To this end, it is necessary to reduce the time to re-link and prolong the line's failure-free operation

PROFESSIONALLY IMPORTANT QUALITIES OF THE MODERN TEACHER OF PRIMARY SCHOOL

The article has theoretically substantiated the social portrait of the teacher of the New Ukrainian School and highlighted the professionally important qualities of a modern teacher. The purpose of the research has been to identify the opinions and ideas of various social groups about the professionally important qualities of a modern primary school teacher in order to improve their professional training in the implementation of various educational programs. In order to highlight the dominant professional qualities of a modern primary school teacher, we have used empirical research methods, such as arbitrary interviews, author's questionnaires according to the method of S. Shevchenko and statistical processing of the obtained results. The authors have established an integrative definition of professionally important qualities as a set of important general personal qualities of a person that are necessary for the successful performance of professional activities, directly affected by the quality of performed work. The authors have revealed the components of the category “professionally important personality traits of a primary school teacher”, such as integrative, psychophysiological, emotional and volitional, personal, which contribute to its successful professional implementation in the chosen activity. They have studied the results of teachers' questionnaires, junior schoolchildren and their parents concerning professionally important qualities of a modern primary school teacher. Keywords: modern primary school teacher; junior students; professionally operational quality; professional quality of primary school teacher; communicativeness; tolerance; efficiency; creativity.

Adaptive modeling of experimental conditions in the processing of food products (chilled fish) by the flow of accelerated electrons

The use of mathematical modeling in various branches of the food industry as an effective tool for the policy of resource conservation of food systems is an innovative solution in the field of improving the efficiency of existing food production technologies based on established patterns in the production process. The issues of operational quality control in the process of processing food products with a stream of accelerated electrons in the absence of radiation doses regulated by standards, except for certain types of spices, to ensure the safety and quality of food products, in particular chilled fish, require a constructive approach with the general predictability of technological parameters in specialized radiation centers – operators of the irradiator. It was found that the dose absorbed by the samples of common carp scales with a high degree of correlation of 0.94 depends on the actual radiation dose and increases to 7.51±0.04 kGy when irradiated with a dose of 12 kGy or 25.9 times compared to samples treated with a stream of accelerated electrons with a radiation dose of 1 kGy. It is revealed that the operational quality is determined by the reproducibility of the results under the established conditions of the production processing process. As a result of experimental testing, mathematical models of various types were developed to predict the absorbed dose from experimental conditions on the example of samples of chilled carp scales: polynomial, 3D-graph and arccos. The practical significance is determined by the possibility of designing experimental conditions for processing chilled fish with a stream of accelerated electrons without performing trial processing of small batches of food products in radiation centers and using emitters as a model for technological runs.

Vehicle design – Influence on operational quality

The design of rail vehicles, in particular the boarding area and the interior, has a significant influence on the passenger exchange time. The vehicle design is overlaid with passenger-specific characteristics such as age, mobility restrictions and, in particular, baggage. Poorly designed vehicle layouts mean that some of the seats cannot be used and the degree of capacity utilization achievable and thus customer comfort are noticeably reduced. In particular, however, poorly designed vehicles significantly prolong passenger exchange times, which leads to frequent delays and thus to a decline in operating quality. Based on almost twenty years of intensive research in the field of passenger behaviour in passenger trains, the technical paper will show clear approaches to solutions, how a good design of rail vehicles can increase the degree of utilisation and at the same time the customer comfort, how the passenger exchange time and thus the dwell time can be significantly reduced and thus the operational quality can be significantly increased in addition to other important advantages

Quality indicators development and prioritisation for emergency medical call centres: a stakeholder consensus

IntroductionEmergency medical regulation is a risky activity. In France, emergency medical societies have proposed activity and performance indicators, but their lists are non-exhaustive, unstructured and used heterogeneously among emergency medical call centres (Centres de Réception et de Régulation des Appels, CRRA). Our objective was to build by means of regional stakeholder consensus an operational quality dashboard for CRRAs.MethodsWe conducted an observational step in a French CRRA from June to September 2018 and at the same time listed existing activity and quality indicators through a rapid international literature review. We adapted and classified all indicators identified in a structured table. We prioritised them from April to September 2019 by seeking consensus with one regulator physician and one medical regulation assistant from the 13 CRRAs of the largest French region. We used an adapted Delphi method with a prioritisation scale from 1 to 9.ResultsThe rapid review of literature included 33 studies among the 414 identified and, with the first observational step, resulted in a list of 360 quality indicators covering the following areas: material resources, human resources, quality approach, call handling and postcall support. 15 of the 26 members participated in the entire process. Seventy indicators were considered as priorities with strong agreement among participants. We built an operational dashboard of quality indicators deemed high priority and provided 70 descriptive indicator sheets.ConclusionOur study allowed to build an operational quality dashboard for CRRAs as a ready-to-use support for an internal audit, for prioritisation of quality approach actions and for national and international benchmarking.