Advanced Management Techniques Research Articles

Rational trade-offs between yield increase and fertilizer inputs are essential for sustainable intensification: A case study in wheat–maize cropping systems in China

In order to feed a population of nearly 1.4 billion people with limited arable land resources, China's high crop production has been maintained by an intensive cropping system with excessive inputs of chemical fertilizers, resulting in high environmental costs. This study attempted to explore the reasonable balance between yield increase and nitrogen (N) inputs in the intensive wheat–maize cropping system in the North China Plain, which is one of the most important grain production regions in China. Based on yield simulations with the DSSAT-CERES-Wheat and DSSAT-CERES-Maize models and a household survey of 241 farmers' fields, we conducted a coupled analysis of the regional crop yields, N fertilizer inputs, and farmers' technical conversion efficiency with respect to winter wheat and summer maize production in four representative study areas. We also conducted a quantitative analysis of the equilibrium relationship between fertilizer application rates and expected yields, and the optimum N fertilization amounts for wheat and maize were recommended. The results indicated that farmers' average yields had reached almost 80% of the attainable yields, which meant that there was little room for farmers to increase their yields. However, we found that the yield gaps among the different farmers were still large, and most farmers applied excessive amounts of N while obtaining unsatisfactory yields due to poor fertilizer management techniques. Only 15% of winter wheat and 4% of summer maize on farmers' fields had achieved the synergy of high crop yields and efficient fertilization, and farmers' technical conversion efficiency was still relatively low. Therefore, farmers should be guided to appropriately lower their yield expectations and reduce the overuse of N fertilizer. In the future, if farmers receive necessary education and training and adopt advanced fertilizer management techniques, sustainable intensification of agricultural production with lower environmental costs will be feasible in China.

QIM19-116: Barriers and Trends in Cancer Patients’ referrals to Pain Management in Qatar: A Randomized Cohort Prospective Study

Background: Studies showed that 40%–50% of patients with cancer pain receive insufficient analgesia due to different factors (Beyeler et al, Support Care Cancer 2008; Salminen et al, Support Cancer Care 2008), beside the challenges to accurately assess pain, which might affect drug selection and pain control (Stewart, Ulster Med J 2014). In NCCCR, the treating primary physicians (PP) may prescribe analgesics to their patients or refer them to the Pain Management Team (PMT), based on evaluation or as requested by patients. This study will address the clinical concerns of PP, which may lead to refer the patients to PMT, moreover the clinical judgement of PMT on the referred cases whether they need to be refereed or not. Objectives: To determine the efficiency of the referral pathway to the pain clinic by PMT. Methods: PMT is going to assess the referred patient to their clinics according to pain assessment methods. Patients will be evaluated whether they have been appropriately referred or not, any unnecessary referral will be documented based on the following;• If the patient was referred by hematologist or oncologist• If the patient required specialized treatment• If the patient required urgent treatment/prescription or advanced pain management techniques• If the patient required further consultation by pain management• If the patient could be managed by PP Results: 195 patients were newly referred to the pain clinic during the period from March 8, 2018 to August 31, 2018. 12% (23/195) were deemed as unnecessary referrals based on PMT assessment; 43% (10/23) of them were hematology patients, while 57% (13/23) were oncology. The majority was for breast cancer and sickle cell disease patients with 35% for each. According to the PMT assessment, 61% (14/23) patients (95% CI, 40.79%–77.84%) considered unnecessary referrals due to improper basic pain assessment and management by PP, while 30% (7/23) patients (95%CI, 15.60%–50.87%) asked for refill medications. Conclusion: There is 12% unnecessary referrals to PMT, which need further improvement in the referral pathway, via the development of a definite referral criteria to PMT. PP should be encouraged to provide basic pain treatment and to consider multidisciplinary management with appropriate coordination for better improvements in patients’ quality of life.

Parental acceptance of advanced behaviour management techniques in normal treatment and in emergency situations used in paediatric dentistry.

Behaviour management techniques (BMT) in children are essential to achieve a successful dental treatment, but parents are not equally accepting BMT. To investigate the parental acceptance of advanced behaviour management techniques used in paediatric dentistry in normal and in emergency situations in Germany. Parents bringing their children for dental care answered a questionnaire on the acceptance of four advanced BMT: passive restraint, active restraint, nitrous oxide sedation and general analgesia. The study was conducted in five university dental clinics in Germany. Parents rated overall acceptance of each technique using a five points Likert scale. 136 parents answered the questionnaire. The acceptance of all advanced BMT was significantly higher when the treatment was urgent (p < 0.001, paired sample t test). Nitrous oxide sedation was rated as the most acceptable technique in normal treatment (52.6%) and in emergency situation (68.2%), while passive restraint was the least acceptable technique in both normal (19.9%) and emergency situation (37.8%). Parents in Germany are more willing to accept advanced BMT in emergency situations, with nitrous oxide being generally the most preferred technique.

Parental acceptance of the advanced behavior management techniques in pediatric dentistry: A comparative study in North Indian population

Introduction: An integral aspect of pediatric dental care is to initially provide parents with the information of behavior management techniques (BMTs) and a mechanism by which parents can participate in treatment decisions of their child. The present study aims to assess the parental acceptance of the advanced BMTs in North Indian population and its association with several possible factors. Materials and Methods: A study sample of 200 parents accompanying their children aged 3–9 years who were demonstrating Frankl's 1 and 2 behavior and could not be managed by basic BMTs were randomly selected. The parents were verbally explained, and then, a video was demonstrated about the two included techniques – protective stabilization (PS) and sedation/general anesthesia; and subsequently asked to mention their preference between the two techniques in the questionnaire. Results: The parents of children in the age group of 3–6 years were more accepting to PS than sedation/general anesthesia as the preferred BMT with a statistically significant difference (P Conclusion: Parents of younger children (3–6 years) and those belonging to rural areas showed more acceptance for PS oversedation/general anesthesia. It is hoped that the data presented here will be valuable to the dentist for planning treatment and allow its completion effectively and efficiently.

A Short-Term Energy Management of Microgrids Considering Renewable Energy Resources, Micro-Compressed Air Energy Storage and DRPs

The extensive penetration of renewable resources and utilizing advanced energy management techniques as well as enabling demand response programs (DRPs), especially in microgrids and active distribution networks, has had an impressive impact on the operation of such grids. Thus, with respect to the active and influential role of distribution grids in the restructured environment and the objective of achieving optimal operation of microgrids, energy management in this new environment requires more comprehensive analytic studies and rigorous researches. In this regard, the present research proposes a new strategy of optimal energy management and the subsequent day-ahead scheduling of a microgrid in the presence of micro compressed air energy storage (MCAES) and considering the uncertainties of renewable energy resources. The minimization of operation costs of energy storage facilities, environmental emission, the costs corresponded with the energy not supplied (ENS) and excess generation capacity are the main objectives of this study while the load satisfaction constraints are imposed. The technical constraints of distributed generation resources and energy storage facilities are imposed on this optimization problem. Besides, the execution of demand-side management programs is modelled to flatten the demand curve and to close the operational condition on the most optimum point. Employing the teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithm, the proposed method is simulated for a test microgrid. The simulation’s results show that the utilization of MCAES facilities and executing DRPs have been concluded to the mitigation of generation cost, alleviation of emission, and reduction of ENS and excess generation capacity of the microgrid.

Emerging Trends in Hybrid Wireless Communication and Data Management for the Industry 4.0

With the fast-paced realization of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, completely centralized networking solutions will no longer be sufficient to meet the stringent requirements of the related industrial applications. Besides requiring fast response time and increased reliability, they will necessitate computational resources at the edge of the network, which demands advanced communication and data management techniques. In this paper, we provide an overview of the network communications and data management aspects for the Industry 4.0. Our global perspective is to understand the key communication and data management challenges and peculiarities for the effective realization of the fourth industrial revolution. To address these challenges, this paper proposes hybrid communications management and decentralized data distribution solutions supported by a hierarchical and multi-tier network architecture. The proposed solutions combine local and decentralized management with centralized decisions to efficiently use the available network resources and meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 applications. To this end, the distributed management entities interact in order to coordinate their decisions and ensure the correct operation of the whole network. Finally, the use of Radio Access Network (RAN) slicing is proposed to achieve the required flexibility to efficiently meet the stringent and varying communication and data management requirements of industrial applications.

Physiology, not modern operative approach, predicts mortality in extremity necrotizing soft tissue infections at a high-volume center

Multiple factors are associated with mortality in necrotizing soft tissue infection, such as organ dysfunction and underlying medical comorbidities, but are not often modifiable. Operative interventions are an attractive modifiable variable in modern management of extremity necrotizing soft tissue infection, but the influence of amputation and advanced wound management techniques on mortality is unknown. A single-institution review was performed of extremity necrotizing soft tissue infection . Admission demographics, organ dysfunction, and operative interventions were investigated. The primary outcome was mortality. Advanced wound management techniques were considered flap creation or use of a dermal matrix substitute for coverage of neurovascular structures, tendon, or bone. Overall, 124 patients with extremity necrotizing soft tissue infection were included, with 112 of 124 (90.3%) patients living and 12 of 124 (9.7%) patients dying. Patients who lived had a lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (1.00 [interquartile range, 5] vs 10.50 [interquartile range, 11], P < .001), but no difference in use of amputation (11.6% vs 25.0%, P = .19) or advanced wound management techniques (12.5% vs 0%, P = 0.36), respectively. Indications for amputation in the 16 patients who underwent amputation included nonsalvageable limb in 13 of 16 (81.3%), medical comorbidity in 2 of 16 (12.5%), and a nonsalvageable limb and medical comorbidity in 1 of 16 (6.3%) patients. In multivariate analysis, only the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score remained associated with mortality (odds ratio 1.315, 95% confidence interval 1.146-1.509, P < .001) CONCLUSION: Use of amputation or advanced wound management techniques was not associated with mortality in patients with extremity necrotizing soft tissue infection. At centers able to provide the critical care support, aggressive use of limb salvage may not affect mortality.

Decision-Making in Management of the Complex Trauma Patient: Changing the Mindset of the non-trauma Surgeon

BackgroundEuropean surgeons are frequently subspecialized and trained primarily in elective surgical techniques. As trauma leaders, they may occasionally have to deal with complex polytrauma, advanced management techniques, differing priorities, and the need for multidisciplinary care. There is a lack of expertise, experience, and a low trauma volume, as well as a lack of research, with limited support as to the decision-making and teaching challenges present. We studied what experienced trauma experts describe as the challenges that are specific to the advanced surgical decision-making required, whether civilian, humanitarian, or military.MethodsDesign-based research using combined methods including interviews, reviews of authentic trauma cases, and video-recorded resuscitations performed at a high-volume civilian academic trauma center.ResultsSeveral educational dilemmas were identified: (1) thinking physiologically, (2) the application of damage control resuscitation and surgery, (3) differing priorities and time management, (4) impact of environment, (5) managing limited resources, (6) lack of general surgical skills, (7) different cultural behavior, and (8) ethical issues.ConclusionThe challenges presented, and the educational domains identified, constitute a basis for improved development of education and training in complex surgical decision-making. This study contributes new knowledge about the mindset required for decision-making in patients with complex multisystem trauma and competing priorities of care. This is, especially important in countries having a low intensity of trauma in both military and civilian environments, and consequential limited skills, and lack of expertise. Guidelines focused on the same decision-making process, using virtual patients and blended learning, can be developed.

Spherically curved layer (SCL) model for metal 3-D printing of overhangs

Directed energy deposition (DED), equipped with 5-axis tool mechanism and no additional machining process, turned out to be able to deposit overhang/undercut features with no support directly on a part in multiple directions. When performing the deposition, two additional axes of rotating and tilting newly added to the working table where the part is typically fixed need to be precisely controlled using an advanced process management technique. The previous approach for slicing algorithm corresponding with multi-axis tool paths along the part and providing a simple stepwise two dimensional layering process of repetitive ±90 degree tilting of the base table can cause unavoidable process delay whenever the base table needs to be tilted for conforming the geometry of overhang/undercut features. Another clear and present barrier to the approach, in addition, is the physical interferences between the tool and the workpiece moving separately during the build. This study proposes a Spherically curved layer (SCL) model providing interference-free 5-axis tool-part movement, a continuous and synchronized interaction between the tool and the part each separately but precisely controlled while kept contacted together, for the build of overhangs. A methodological approach generating SCL information directly from an STL model, followed by the implementation onto various overhang problems as case studies using the proposed methodology, will be discussed in this paper.

Efficient Measurement of Thermal Coupling Effects on Multichip Light-Emitting Diodes

With the emerging market for multichip module based high-power LED systems, the demand for advanced thermal management techniques has been steadily growing. This paper presents a model developed by the authors for thermal coupling matrix that can calculate temperature distribution at a given heat power of each chip. The model significantly simplifies the task of measuring thermal coupling effect on multichip light-emitting diodes with symmetrical structure, while simultaneously preserving temperature accuracy. The modeling technique was validated experimentally on three-, four-, and six-chip rectangular modules, and a ten-chip circular module, by infrared thermography and transient thermal measuring system, respectively. The modeling technique was found to be more efficient especially for large systems. The model offers a rapid way to predict thermal coupling behaviors of multichip LED systems.

The extent possibility of implementing balanced scorecard within manufacturing industries sector in Sulaymaneyah Governorate

This research is part of a broader investigation into disclosing the reasons behind the impossibility of applying advanced management techniques and tools in developing countries. The aim of this research is to find out the availability of requirements and then obstacles in applying the balanced scorecard method in the manufacturing sector because of the importance of this sector in economic development. The importance of choosing the province of Sulaymaneyah as a research population place is due to according to the industrial indicators of the Kurdistan Region Statistics Authority and the Iraq's Central Statistics Organization; the province is considered a more developed model in the industrial sector in Iraq and contains high proportion of small, medium and large, miscellaneous enterprises. The research adopted an analytical descriptive method, where secondary data was collected through a comprehensive survey and access to what was written previously on relevant and then collecting primary data through conducting the questionnaire, in addition to field visits and access to the archive of information on these projects in the relevant directorates. Then the descriptive and inferential statistics were used to organize, display and analyze the data and to arrive at accurate results and realistic conclusions and so that the researcher formulated a set of recommendations according to the conclusions. The results showed that the financial perspective remains the highest priority among all other perspectives (Customers, Internal processes, learning and growth) perspective. And most of the firms lack strategic management and they do not have the basic requirements and there are actually a number of obstacles to the application of this tool. It is expected that the results and recommendations help the decision makers of industrial enterprises to adopt and move towards the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard more broadly. The results of the research confirm some of the prevailing theoretical concepts and recommendations provide possible solutions or help for institutional changes to enhance performance management generally. Finally, the numbers of the future research were proposed.

Gen 3 “Embedded” Cooling: Key Enabler for Energy Efficient Data Centers

The achievement of high computational efficiency in the operation of data centers, server farms, and high-performance computers is intimately tied to the development and application of advanced thermal management techniques, capable of addressing high power dissipation, on-chip hotspots, and high heat density in chip stacks. The current Gen-2 remote cooling paradigm is shown to be incapable of meeting these challenges and to have exacerbated the demise of the venerable Moore’s law. It is argued that completion of the “inward migration” of thermal packaging technology, through the development and application of Gen-3 embedded cooling techniques, utilizing local on-chip microfluidic and thermoelectric heat extraction, can enable highly efficient computational platforms.

Airway emergencies presenting to the paediatric emergency department requiring advanced management techniques

BackgroundAirway emergencies presenting to the emergency department (ED) are usually managed with conventional equipment and techniques. The patient group managed urgently in the operating room (OR) has not been described.AimsThis...

CHIS: A big data infrastructure to manage digital cultural items

In this paper, we describe CHIS (Cultural Heritage Information System), a big data infrastructure that can be used to query, browse, analyze and process digital contents related to cultural heritage from a set of heterogeneous and distributed repositories. CHIS is characterized by the following technical features: capability to gather information from distributed and heterogeneous data sources (e.g., Sensor Networks, Social Media Networks, Digital Libraries and Archives, Multimedia Collections, Web Data Services, etc.); advanced data management techniques and technologies; ability to provide useful and personalized data to users based on their preferences and context; advanced information retrieval facilities, data analytics and other utilities/services, according to the SOA paradigm. By means of a set of ad-hoc APIs, and value-added data processing and analytics services, our system can support several applications: mobile multimedia guides for cultural environments, web portals to promote the cultural heritage of a given organization, multimedia recommender and storytelling systems and so on. We discuss the main ideas that characterize the system, showing its use for several applications.

Optimal operation of stationary and mobile batteries in distribution grids

The trending integrations of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS, stationary battery) and Electric Vehicles (EV, mobile battery) to distribution grids call for advanced Demand Side Management (DSM) technique that addresses the scalability concerns of the system and stochastic availabilities of EVs. Towards this goal, a stochastic DSM is proposed to capture the uncertainties in EVs. Numerical approximation is then used to make the problem tractable. To accelerate the computational speed, the proposed DSM is tightly relaxed to a convex form using second-order cone programming. Furthermore, in light of the continuous increasing problem size, a distributed method with a guaranteed convergence is applied to shift the centralized computational burden to distributed controllers. To verify the proposed DSM, real-life EV data collected on UCLA campus is used to test the proposed DSM in an IEEE benchmark test system. Numerical results demonstrate the correctness and merits of the proposed approach.

Children's Responses to Sensory Stimuli and their Behavior in the Dental Office.

To evaluate children's behavior during dental examinations, their reactions to various selected sensory stimuli and the association between them. Sixty-three children (28 boys and 35 girls) aged 5-12 years (mean age 7.9 ± 1.6 years) participated in the study. Their parents were asked to complete a questionnaire while in the dentist's waiting room. The dentists evaluated the children's behavior in the dental office using Frankl's behavioral scale and noted the children's reactions to the sensory stimuli of touch, noise, smell and backward tilting of the examination chair. Most of the children cooperated during the dental examination. Lack of cooperation was associated with adverse reactions to all selected sensory stimuli. There was also an association between resistance to brushing teeth and adverse reaction to touch. Children who reacted negatively to sensory stimuli during dental examinations were more likely to have needed advanced management techniques during past dental treatment. Children's behavior during dental examinations is known to be affected by many factors, including age, previous experiences, anxiety and fear and others. This investigation demonstrates that it is also associated with their reactions to various sensory stimuli.

THE APPLICATION OF MODERN HR- TECHNOLOGIES AS АN EFFECTIVE TOOL IMPROVEMENT OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ENTERPRISES IN UKRAIN

Relevance of the research topic. The importance of studying HR-technologies in the system of personnel management has become paramount for modern domestic enterprises. Problem setting. There is a critical need to develop and implement relevant HR-technologies as practical tools in effective personnel management practices at domestic enterprises. Recent research and publications analysis. Within the national research papers exploring effective personnel management methods we should mention the following scholars: L. Balabanov O. Vasilieva, Z. Imasheva, H. Shchokin, O. O. Petrashchak, O. M. Rudenko, L. M. Usachenko, S. V. Shturkhetskyi. Among the foreign authors considerable contribution was made by John Berzin, D. Diakov, P. Loikova, Yu. Pass, O. Svergun, P. Ward D. Ulrich etc. Unresolved issues. Current trends in personnel management at domestic enterprises reveal the low quality of employees and management staff replacement and development process, thus triggering the need to work out new efficient approaches and tools to enhance the HRM system. Research objective. The paper is aimed at developing a well-grounded framework of personnel management optimization system through the use of the proposed tool set. Research findings. The personnel management system is a cornerstone in any enterprise management paradigm, since its effectiveness influences the overall business performance and the achievement of a company objectives. Domestic enterprises in their human resources management strategies were mainly affected by their own experience and partial transfer of some elements of advanced foreign personnel management practices and techniques. The paper substantiates the transition from the traditional personnel management system to the contemporary concept of human resources management through the use of modern tools aimed at continuous improvement of technology, subject to turbulent environments challenges. Conclusion. The introduction of modern HR-technologies is a critical and reliable basis for management process optimization which enables to enhance the existing approaches to personnel selection at domestic enterprises.

Advanced endoscopic ultrasound management techniques for preneoplastic pancreatic cystic lesions

Pancreatic cystic lesions can be benign, premalignant or malignant. The recent increase in detection and tremendous clinical variability of pancreatic cysts has presented a significant therapeutic challenge to physicians. Mucinous...

The Effect of Regulatory and Risk Management Advancement on Non-Performing Loans in European Banking, 2000–2011

We study whether the implementation of advanced risk management techniques in compliance with the internal ratings-based (IRB) approaches in the Basel Capital Accord reduced non-performing loans (NPLs) and, hence, had a significant impact in controlling credit risk in emerging and advanced European banks during 2000–2011. Our analysis reveals that there exists wide variation in terms of adoption of such advanced techniques across European banks. Emerging Europe, which suffered the most from the surge in NPLs in the post-crisis period, lags significantly behind the Eurozone economies in terms of the intensity of IRB adoption rates. We employ dynamic generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation methods in our panel regressions to investigate the effect of such regimes on the level of NPLs on a country level. Our findings confirm that the intensity of IRB usage within a banking system leads to a statistically significant decrease in the aggregate amount of NPLs in the post-crisis period, after controlling for macroeconomic and bank-specific characteristics of individual economies. This result is consistent with the view that the efficiency of credit risk management may turn out to be a critical factor in avoiding widespread banking distress and for improving the profitability and solvency of banking systems as a whole.

Management of postoperative pain in 164 hospitals in Shandong Province

Objective To investigate current situation of postoperative pain mamagement in 164 hospitals in Shandong Province. Methods A questionnaire was developed on the basis of guidelines of acute pain and pain quality assessment. The questionnaire was used to obtain information regarding the nature and scale of the medical institution, the structure of pain management organization, the structure of acute pain service(APS), the model of APS, the implementation of pain assessment, and the analgesic techniques and processes used in clinical practice. A multi-stage stratified and cluster sampling method were employed to investigate the current situation of postoperative pain management in 164 medical institutions in Shandong Province. Results For APS, 32.9% of the hospitals established postoperative pain management organizations similar to APS. For pain evaluation, 58.5% of the hospitals evaluated pain as the fifth vital sign, and 42.7% of the hospitals evaluated pain at rest and during activity. Furthermore, 44.5% of the surveyed hospitals employed patient-controlled analgesia mode, of which hospitals employing brachial plexus block, lumbar plexus block, and femoral nerve block analgesia accounted for 4.9%, 1.2%, and 4.3%, respectively. The survey revealed that 52.4% of the hospitals educated patients about pain and pain management, of which patients were postoperatively educated by ward nurses in 11.0% and patients were educated by APS during ward rounds in 1.2%. Conclusions There is a lack of standardized postoperative pain management. The involvement of nurses in pain management is scarce, and the pain assessment and education and application of advanced analgesic management techniques were found to be inadequate in medical institutions in Shandong Province. Proposed Establish specification evaluation system and postoperative pain management in order to improve the postoperative pain management. Key words: Medical institution; Pain management; Acute pain service