Crew Assignment with Duty Time Limits for Transport Services: Tight Multicommodity Models

Modeling Crew Assignments for Urban Transport Services Using Differentiated Flows Public transit agencies need to judiciously deploy their limited crew members to operate numerous daily scheduled services, while meeting duty and working time regulations for each crew member. Since crew costs account for a large portion of the organizations’ operating expenses, minimizing the total crew and transfer costs is very important. But, with hundreds of daily trips and millions of possible crew itineraries, optimizing trip-to-crew assignment decisions is challenging. In “Crew Assignment with Duty Time Limits for Transport Services: Tight Multicommodity Models,” Balakrishnan, Mirchandani, and Lin propose a novel integer optimization model that represents itineraries as multicommodity flows, differentiated by first trip and depot, to capture the duty time limits and incorporate additional requirements such as selecting equitable schedules. The authors show that this compact model can be tighter than previous formulations, further strengthen the model, and propose a restricted optimization approach combined with an optimality test to generate near-optimal solutions quickly. Extensive computational tests using well-known and real-life problem instances show that the proposed model and solution approach can be very effective in practice.

Assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding Injection safety among staff nurses

Injection is invasive procedure and done frequently in each nurses duty time; therefore, good knowledge and safe practice play important role in avoiding transmission of disease or injuries.1 The present study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice on injection safety among staff nurses in MGM Hospital at Aurangabad. A descriptive research design used to conduct the study. In this study non probability purposive sampling technique has been adopted to select the sample. 100 staff nurses were selected from MGM Hospital Aurangabad. Results of the study show that, among all staff nurses (64%) were having average knowledge, (84%) were having positive attitude, and (69%) were having average practice. The study concludes that the staff nurses working in the clinical area having average knowledge, positive attitude and average practice regarding injection safety.

What A Disaster! The Hydrofluoric Acid Leak in Gumi City in 2012: Lessons What We Have Earned From Review of the Past Hospital’s Disaster Response

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of hydrogen fluoride–exposed patients (HFEPs) treated at an emergency department (ED) at a local university hospital, and to review the hospital's disaster response according to staff, stuff, space, and system (4Ss).Method: This is retrospective observational chart review and descriptive study included 199 HFEPs among 2628 of total ED patient who visited a local university emergency medical center for treatment between September 27 and October 20, 2012, following an HF leak at the Hub Globe factory in Gumi City, Republic of Korea. Descriptive results concerning 4Ss were obtained from interview with ED specialist staff physician on duty during the study period. According to the criteria of the American Burn Association, patients requiring burn center referral were assigned to the major burn group (MBG) as severe condition. Result: During the first 24 h after the accident, 161 (80.9%) HFEPs were treated in the ED. Among the 55 (27.6%) patients in the MBG, 8 (4% of the HFEPs) came to the ED during the acute phase (within the first 8 h after the leak began). During the acute phase, the ED was staffed with three doctors and three nurses. Among the total 2628 patients in the ED during the study period, 262 (9.97%) patients, including 167 (83.92%) of the 199 HFEPs, were there during the subacute phase, defined as the 24 h after the acute phase. During the subacute phase, the ED staff consisted of six doctors and 10 nurses. No concepts according to 4Ss that allowed for the expansion of ED space with securing disaster reserve beds or an increase in manpower with duty time adjustments or duty relocation for ED working personnel were in place as well as reinforcement of logistics such as antidote or PPE or disaster related measures of administration department or decontamination zone setup or decontamination or disaster related diagnostic testing measures or unification and management of the entrances and exits of hospital or implementation of previously designated disaster triage.Conclusion: Hospital disaster response was insufficient for all aspects of 4Ss. Detailed guidance for hospital disaster management plan establishment is required.

ANALYTICAL JUSTIFICATION OF THE OPTIMAL TIME FOR CHANGE OF GUARDS ON DUTY IN FIRE SERVICE DIVISIONS

В организации деятельности оперативных пожарных подразделений существуют исторически сложившиеся подходы к решению различных вопросов, в частности, к определению времени проведения смены дежурных караулов. Применение новых математических методов и информационных технологий позволяет всесторонне рассмотреть целесообразность выбора времени смены караулов, а также его влияние на другие аспекты деятельности пожарных подразделений. В статье описаны основные методические подходы к решению поставленной проблемы, в частности, с применением средств программной среды R. There are historically established approaches for solving various issues, in particular, to determining the change of guard on duty time in the context of operative activities of fire service divisions. The use of new mathematical methods and information technologies allows considering in detail the advisability of choosing the time of changing of guard, as well as its impact on other aspects of activities of fire service divisions. The article describes the main methodological approaches for solving the problem, in particular, using the tools of the R software environment.

Musculoskeletal Injuries and Automation in Aerial Port Operations

INTRODUCTION: Aerial ports are being modernized with automated technologies, but the impact on musculoskeletal injury (MSKI) is unknown.METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study of U.S. Air Force aerial port technicians and traffic management technicians, we compared reported injury rates from January 2006–December 2016 and Veterans Benefits Administration disability compensation claims awarded from January 2001–March 2017. Ton-adjusted injury rates, associated lost/affected duty time, and percent risk attributable to lack of automation were compared at Dover Air Force Base (which features base-specific automation), Travis Air Force Base, Ramstein Air Base, and Yokota Air Base.RESULTS: Injuries most often occurred during aircraft/flight line activities and were typically sprains/strains, with extremities being most affected. Among aerial port technicians there were 8.0 injury reports per 1000 person-years compared to 5.2 per 1000 among traffic management technicians (incidence rate ratio = 1.5; 95% CI: 0.9, 3.0). Of the aerial port technicians with a compensation award, 70.7% included an MSKI component, whereas 75.7% of traffic management awards included an MSKI component. Aerial port technicians at Dover AFB experienced 1.4 injury reports per 1000 personnel per 1000 cargo-tons per year, lower than the other ports: 3.2 (Travis); 3.7 (Ramstein); and 7.6 (Yokota). Overall, 56% of injuries at Travis, 62% at Ramstein, and 82% at Yokota could be attributed to absence of Dover-like automation. However, mean lost/affected duty days at Dover (12.4) far exceeded those at the other bases (range: 4.5–8.6).DISCUSSION: Automating aerial ports may reduce injury rates, but the impact on lost/affected duty time requires further investigation.Bylsma VFH, Webber BJ, Erich RA, Voss JD. Musculoskeletal injuries and automation in aerial port operations. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(8):669–673.

Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube for Baro-Challenge-Induced Otologic Symptoms in Military Divers and Aviators: A Retrospective Analysis

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of balloon dilation (tuboplasty) of the Eustachian tube (BET) in active duty military personnel working in hyper- and hypobaric environments suffering from baro-challenge-induced ETD using functional outcomes. Methods: Military divers and aviators diagnosed with persistent baro-challenge-induced ETD resulting in disqualification from performing flight and dive duties and who elected for treatment with BET were included for analysis. Posttreatment follow-up assessments were undertaken at 1, 6, and 12 months. Outcome measures included successful hyperbaric chamber testing or return to the hyper- or hypobaric environment without significant baro-challenge-induced ETD symptoms and pre- and postdilation Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) scores. Results: Mean pretreatment duration of symptoms was 48 months (range: 3-120 months). Following treatment, 92% (12/13) of patients successfully returned to operational duties with resolution of limiting symptoms. Average return to duty time was 8.5 weeks (range: 6-24 weeks). The ETDQ-7 scores improved from a mean of 4.33 (2.57-6.57) predilation to 2.19 (1.00-4.43) postdilation ( Z = 2.73, W = 70, P = .0063). Mean duration of follow-up was 38 weeks (range: 13-70 weeks). Conclusion: Eustachian tube balloon dilation appears to be a safe and highly effective treatment option for baro-challenge-induced ETD in affected military divers and aviators who work in hyper- and hypobaric environments. Further study is needed to determine whether similar results can be achieved in more diverse subject populations and to assess long-term effectiveness.

12. Performance

This chapter discusses the rules governing contract performance. It covers the standards of contractual duty, time of performance, place of performance, order of performance, payment, vicarious performance, alternative modes of performance, right of party in breach to cure bad or incomplete performance, tender, and partial performance.

USING AUTOMATED BATTERY REPLACEMENT STATIONS FOR THE PERSISTENT OPERATION OF UAV-ENABLED WIRELESS NETWORKS DURING NPP POST-ACCIDENT MONITORING

Motivation. After the Fukushima, nuclear power plant (NPP) accident, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-enabled wireless network (UEWN) is considered to be used for transmitting the data from monitoring stations (MSs) to the crisis center (CrS) during NPP post-accident monitoring missions. Nevertheless, the popular lightweight UAVs have an endurance of about 20–40 minutes only. The last fact presents a significant barrier to use a UEWN in complex, long-term NPP post-accident monitoring missions. The subject matter of the paper is the process of ensuring the persistent operation of UEWN. This paper aims to propose an approach to ensuring the persistent operation of UEWN during NPP post-accident monitoring missions via automatic battery replacement stations (ABRSs). The objectives of the paper are: to propose a scheme of deployment of a UEWN with ABRSs for the given scenario; to give an example of the proposed scheme application for persistent transmitting the data from a MS to the CrS during Zaporizhzhia NPP (ZNPP) post-accident monitoring missions; to discuss an example of the proposed scheme application. The following results were obtained. A simplified scheme of deployment of a UEWN with ABRSs for transmitting the data from the MS to the CrS during NPP post-accident monitoring missions was developed and described. Two segments within the UEWN were considered: 1) Wi-Fi segment, comprising the WiFi equipment of the MS, the onboard WiFi equipment of the UAVs of a multi-rotor type (MUAVs), and onboard WiFi equipment of the UAV of an airplane-type (AUAV); 2) LoRaWAN segment, comprising the LoRaWAN equipment of the AUAV and the LoRaWAN equipment of the CrS. An example of deployment of a UEWN with ABRSs for transmitting the data from an MS of ZNPP to the CrS was given and described. A shift schedule for 2 MUAV fleets ensuring the persistent operation of the UEWN during post-accident ZNPP monitoring missions was built and analyzed. It was evaluated how the flight distance for the MUAV between its location point in the WiFi segment and the ABRS effects: the duty time for the MUAV fleet; the waiting time for the MUAV to flight to the point of its location in the WiFi segment; the number of the MUAV fleets for ensuring the persistent operation of the UEWN. The new research will aim at developing a scheme of deployment of the UEWN with ABRSs for several WiFi segments