Operations Research Approach Research Articles

Modeling recreational systems using optimization techniques and information technologies

Due to intrinsic complexity and sophistication of decision problems in tourism and recreation, respective decision making processes can not be implemented without making use of modern computer technologies and operations research approaches. In this paper, we review research works on modeling recreational systems.

Crop management based on field observations: Case studies in sugarcane and coffee

For millennia farmers have continually improved their crop management and production practices through their observations and experience. More recently modern science and research methods based on controlled experiments became the most visible instrument of technological change in agriculture, nevertheless farmers continued to develop and implement new technologies based on their own observations made under commercial conditions. Modern information technology and social organization of producers make it possible to use operational research, which is based on the observation and analysis of operations so as to improve them, to manage crops better. The article describes two cases, coffee and sugarcane, in which observation of the results obtained by farmers, with the natural variation in the environment and the distinct management practices they apply can be used to determine site specific crop management practices. The basis of the methodology is to (a) obtain data from a series of cropping events that characterizes the conditions under which each crop is grown, how it is managed and how it performs under commercial conditions ( data capture), (b) to manage and analyze the data in centralized databases ( data management and analysis) and (c) make the information derived from the data analysis available to growers so that they can use it to make better informed decisions ( interpretation). All aspects of the methodology depend on the social organization of the growers and the supply chain of which they form a part, and hence social organization is an integral part of the methodology. The processes of characterization of the growing conditions, including both environmental and management parameters, the establishment of databases, the data analysis and interpretation, and mechanisms of interacting with producers are described with emphasis on the importance of social organization and farmers’ groups. Examples are given of how this approach can be used to better understand the crop response to variation in the environment and management, and how this can be used by farmers to improve productivity and quality in two contrasting crops. The paper demonstrates that operational research can be used to evaluate farmers’ experiences and to share that knowledge amongst them so as to improve their production practices in the context of their particular environment. It is suggested that the operation research approach is particularly effective in heterogeneous landscapes with perennial crops that have not been the subject of intense research. Furthermore operational research is effective in determining the crop response to variables that are not readily studied in small plots and in determining optimal combinations of multiple variables. Producers believe in the results obtained as there are none of the problems of scaling up from experimental plots to commercial conditions. It is proposed that the approaches described can readily be applied to other crop species.

How do we know who to include in collaborative research? Toward a method for the identification of experts

Collaborative research, defined as research involving actors participating in the problem situation under study, has an important role in operational research, strategic management and systems thinking. In a recent study, we found that a strong organizational focus incorporated into many soft operational research (OR) approaches is inadequate for studying societal problem situations, which are fragmented and have no clear boundary. Specifically, we failed to find a process of identifying individuals that is capable of representing the perspectives of actors and sufficient for research into societal problem situations. We found no clear terminology accounting for ontological differences between actors, individuals representing them and conceptual representations of acting entities. In response to this gap in the literature, we propose terminology that differentiates among actors (individuals or collective entities in the real world), experts (individuals capable of representing the perspective of an actor) and agents (ideal-typical representations of actors). Based on this terminology, we propose an iterative method to guide the assembly of an expert group to undertake collaborative research into societal problem situations. To demonstrate the application of our method, we present selected insights from our study in an electronic supplement.

Integrating human factors and operational research in a multidisciplinary investigation of road maintenance

There has been limited collaboration between researchers in human factors and operational research disciplines, particularly in relation to work in complex, distributed systems. This study aimed to investigate work at the interface between human factors and operational research in the case example of road resurfacing work. Descriptive material on the factors affecting performance in road maintenance work was collected with support from a range of human factors-based methods and was used to inform operational research analyses. Investigation of the case example from a different perspective, for the supply of asphalt from a distribution centre to multiple work locations, gave a broader picture of the complexity and challenges for the improvement of road maintenance processes. Factors affecting performance in the road maintenance context have been assessed for their potential for further investigation using an integrated human factors and operational research approach. Relative strengths of the disciplines and a rationale for ongoing, collaborative work are described. Statement of Relevance: The paper provides evidence of the potential benefits of greater collaboration across human factors and operational research disciplines, using investigation of a case example in the complex, distributed system of road resurfacing.

Case study: modelling passenger flows in Heathrow Terminal 5

This paper is an expanded version of a presentation given at the final of the president's medal during the Operations Research Society's 50th conference held in York. The paper describes how simulation was adopted to model passenger flows in a new airport terminal and how the model is being used post opening. The paper gives an overview of some of the ways simulation has been employed at British Airways. The problem that had to be solved is described and why simulation was used. It then gives an overview of the model used to solve the problem and how it has been applied. The factors that had to be considered when carrying out the work are outlined. The paper also covers how the model was adopted for easier use and what non-simulation Operations Research approaches were used. Before looking at the lessons learnt, the paper looks at what impact the modelling has had and is still having.

An operational research approach to identify cardiac surgery patients at risk of severe post-operative bleeding

Severe post-operative bleeding can lead to adverse outcomes for cardiac surgery patients and is a relatively common complication of cardiac surgery. One of the most effective drugs to prevent such bleeding, aprotinin, has been withdrawn from the market due to concerns over its safety. Alternative prophylactic drugs which can be given to patients to prevent bleeding can result in significant side effects and are expensive. For this reason it is difficult to make a clinical or economic case for administering these drugs to all cardiac surgery patients, and the prevailing view is that their use should be targeted at patients considered to be at relatively high risk of post-operative bleeding. However, there is currently no objective method for identifying such patients. Over the past 7 years, a team of clinicians and researchers at Papworth Hospital has collected data concerning post-operative blood loss for each cardiac surgery patient, totalling 11,592 consecutive records. They approached a team of operational researchers (MU, ACP, BR) with extensive experience of developing clinical risk models with the aim of devising a risk stratification scheme that could potentially be used to identify a cohort of higher risk patients. Such patients could be treated with the available prophylactic drugs or recruited to studies to evaluate new interventions. This paper is intended to describe the Operational Research process adopted in the development of this scheme. A concise description of the scheme and its clinical interpretation is published elsewhere.

Ownership and control in shareholding networks

This paper aims to provide a network analysis of the relationships of shareholders in the Italian stock market for understanding the relevance of portfolio diversification in integrated ownership and firms control. The analysis combines both a complex network and an operational research approach. The former is used for statistical analyses on portfolio diversification. The latter estimates integrated ownership considering the paths on the network, and it emphasizes the difference between ownership and control. The dataset consists of nearly 300 companies traded on the Italian Stock Market. Data were retrieved through CONSOB and AIDA database, and they are adjourned at 2008. The dataset is completed with information on banks and insurance companies. Such data were retrieved through BANKSCOPE and ISIS databases.

Making it happen: prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in rural Malawi

HIV and AIDS, in resource-limited settings, contribute to increased maternal and infant mortality where such vital indicators are already high. In these settings, babies born to HIV-positive women continue to have added risks of acquiring HIV infection and dying from it before their fifth birthdays if no interventions are employed. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) is an international initiative whose implications within the local context need to be known. An operational research approach was adopted to study the demand and adherence of key components within the PMTCT Programme among women in rural Malawi. This study was carried out at Malamulo SDA Hospital in rural Malawi and employed the mixture of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. While the introduction of innovative policies in antenatal care (ANC) that has positive impact particularly on marginalised women's access to the services, negative effects are also inevitable. Marginalised women in resource-poor settings fail to deliver at the health facility due to lack of transportation, economic difficulties, gender inequalities, tradition and negative attitude of health workers. Integration of HIV testing and opt-out testing in ANC coupled with the introduction of free maternal care resulted in more women accessing maternal services and PMTCT services. It is as a result of this that institutional delivery facilitates increased adherence to antiretroviral prophylaxis and is supported by both women and the communities. The paper summarises the research conducted and elaborates on how it contributed to actions to improve staff attitude, increase male involvement in reproductive health care and discussions on how available resources can be maximised.This article has been commented on by Thorkild Tylleskär. Please follow this link – http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/5370 – to read his Commentary.

Operational research applied to health services: a special volume dedicated to the international conference ORAHS’2007

This special volume is composed of extended versions of selected papers presented at the 33rd annual conference of the EURO Working Group on Operational Research Applied to Health Services (ORAHS’2007, July 15–20, 2007, Saint Etienne, France). Other quality papers are also included to have a more comprehensive view of applications of operations research to health services. The EURO Working Group on Operational Research Applied to Health Services was formed in 1975 as part of a program for developing special interest groups within the European branch, EURO, of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies, IFORS. The group meets every summer, for one week in a different host country, usually in Europe. Meetings are open to anyone with a quantitative background and an interest in the subject area. The objectives of the group are communication of ideas, knowledge, and experience concerning the application of Operational Research (OR) approaches and methods to problems in the area of health services, as well as mutual assistance among members, co-operation on joint projects, and inspiration with regard to approaches and attitudes in this field.

Modeling of Linear and Exponential Growth and Decay Equations and Testing Them on Pre- and Post-War-Coal Production in Nigeria: An Operations Research Approach

Despite Nigeria's huge reserves in coal resource, the vanishing coal production over the years has been a source of grave concern to many who are interested in witnessing the diversification of Nigeria's energy sector to non-petroleum resources. Within the framework of Operations Research, linear growth and decay equations on one hand, and exponential growth and decay equations on the other hand, were modeled for coal production in Nigeria. Subsequently, the growth and decay models for linear and exponential considerations were tested on the annual coal production data with a view to establishing the appropriate characters/features of the profiles of Nigeria coal production from 1916 to 2001, under two scenarios, namely: Scenario 1—pre-Nigerian civil war period, 1916–1966; and Scenario 2—post-Nigerian civil war period, 1973–2001. The findings gave fascinating insights into the features of the Nigerian coal production. Thus in a nutshell, it was found that the pre-war period of coal production, 1916–1966 approximated to the linear growth trend. While the post-war period of coal production, 1973–2001 was close to the feature of exponential-decay curve. It is expected that the findings obtained from this investigation would help in planning for the rebirth of Nigerian coal production and its utilization in energy generation.

SOFT OR APPROACHES

This paper is an inquiry into the nature and characteristics of the so-called soft approaches in Operational Research (OR). After a first outline of soft approaches, six wellknown and widely applied soft approaches are selected for further study and characterisation applying a multi-dimensional framework. In addition, some reflexions about the limitations of such a framework are discussed.

Operational research applied to health services 2007 special issue

The EURO Working Group on Operational Research Applied to Health Services was formed in 1975 as part of a programme for developing special interest groups within the European branch, EURO of the International Federation of Operational research Societies, IFORS. The group meets every year, each summer, for one week in a different host country, usually in Europe. Meetings are open to anyone with a quantitative background and an interest in the subject area. The objectives of the group are communication of ideas, knowledge and experience concerning the application of Operational Research (OR) approaches and methods to problems in the area of health services, mutual assistance among members, co-operation on joint projects as well as inspiration with regard to approaches and attitudes in this field. ORAHS came back to France 27 years after ORAHS’80 in Paris. Since then, French health systems have changed drastically and health care delivery engineering has attracted the interests of many academics. Many French hospitals have engaged in major re-engineering projects. The French speaking working group GISEH (Gestion et Ingenierie des SystEmes Hospitaliers) attracts over 192 members in management and engineering of healthcare systems. Since 2000, the region of Rhone-Alps has funded several major research programmes on health services engineering (HRP (2000–2003), HRP2 (2004–2006), HRP3 (2006–2009)). In Saint Etienne, the Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne (ENSM.SE, one of the top engineering schools in France), the University of Jean Monnet (UJM) and the university hospital complex CHU-SE have created a joint research institute in health and health care. ORAHS’2007 was sponsored by EURO, ROADEF, GDR-RO, and GDR-MACS. ORAHS’2007 was supported by the following French organisations, institutions and companies: ILOG, Cluster GOSPI, Region Rhone-Aples, Conseil General de la Loire, Saint Etienne Metropole, Ville de Saint Etienne, Ministere de la recherche. ORAHS’2007 offered a scientific program including six tutorial lectures, 8 invited plenary talks, and 102 technical presentations covering various aspects of health care delivery engineering. ORAHS’2007 introduced some innovations that, we hope, contribute to make ORAHS an international conference in a domain of increasing demands. Feature sessions were organized by several national/regional working groups on management and engineering of health care systems. A “Project Ideas” section included 10 min presentations highlighting challenges of health care delivery that would benefit from joint European and international research efforts. Tutorial talks of 2 h each by six experts were organized to give young researchers and health professionals a comprehensive view of healthcare delivery engineering. This special issue contains eight papers selected from 20 submissions. The review process was handled by the three Health Care Manag Sci (2009) 12:117–118 DOI 10.1007/s10729-009-9102-2

Can modeling of HIV treatment processes improve outcomes? Capitalizing on an operations research approach to the global pandemic

BackgroundMathematical modeling has been applied to a range of policy-level decisions on resource allocation for HIV care and treatment. We describe the application of classic operations research (OR) techniques to address logistical and resource management challenges in HIV treatment scale-up activities in resource-limited countries.MethodsWe review and categorize several of the major logistical and operational problems encountered over the last decade in the global scale-up of HIV care and antiretroviral treatment for people with AIDS. While there are unique features of HIV care and treatment that pose significant challenges to effective modeling and service improvement, we identify several analogous OR-based solutions that have been developed in the service, industrial, and health sectors.ResultsHIV treatment scale-up includes many processes that are amenable to mathematical and simulation modeling, including forecasting future demand for services; locating and sizing facilities for maximal efficiency; and determining optimal staffing levels at clinical centers. Optimization of clinical and logistical processes through modeling may improve outcomes, but successful OR-based interventions will require contextualization of response strategies, including appreciation of both existing health care systems and limitations in local health workforces.ConclusionThe modeling techniques developed in the engineering field of operations research have wide potential application to the variety of logistical problems encountered in HIV treatment scale-up in resource-limited settings. Increasing the number of cross-disciplinary collaborations between engineering and public health will help speed the appropriate development and application of these tools.

The transmission and control of XDR TB in South Africa: an operations research and mathematical modelling approach

Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) has emerged as a threat to TB control efforts in several high-burden areas, generating international concern. XDR TB is now found in every region of the world, but appears most worrisome in the context of HIV and in resource-limited settings with congregate hospital wards. Here, we examine the emergence and transmission dynamics of the disease, incorporating the mathematical modelling literature related to airborne infection and epidemiological studies related to the operations of TB control programmes in resource-limited settings. We find that while XDR TB may present many challenges in the setting of resource constraints, the central problems highlighted by the emergence of XDR TB are those that have plagued TB programmes for years. These include a slow rate of case detection that permits prolonged infectiousness, the threat of airborne infection in enclosed spaces, the problem of inadequate treatment delivery and treatment completion, and the need to develop health systems that can address the combination of TB and poverty. Mathematical models of TB transmission shed light on the idea that community-based therapy and rapid detection systems may be beneficial in resource-limited settings, while congregate hospital wards are sites for major structural reform.

The changing landscape: ecosystem responses to urbanization and pollution across climatic and societal gradients

Urbanization, an important driver of climate change and pollution, alters both biotic and abiotic ecosystem properties within, surrounding, and even at great distances from urban areas. As a result, research challenges and environmental problems must be tackled at local, regional, and global scales. Ecosystem responses to land change are complex and interacting, occurring on all spatial and temporal scales as a consequence of connectivity of resources, energy, and information among social, physical, and biological systems. We propose six hypotheses about local to continental effects of urbanization and pollution, and an operational research approach to test them. This approach focuses on analysis of “megapolitan” areas that have emerged across North America, but also includes diverse wildland-to-urban gradients and spatially continuous coverage of land change. Concerted and coordinated monitoring of land change and accompanying ecosystem responses, coupled with simulation models, will permit robust foreca...

A decision support system for fisheries management using operations research and systems science approach

In this paper, we present a general framework, using a systems science approach, for developing a decision support system (DSS) for fisheries management. Decision support systems are quantitative tools for managers to evaluate outcomes of their policies prior to implementation. Our fishery model considers multiple stocks and fisheries simultaneously in balancing catch among targeted and protected fish abundances. Since in the Northeastern US multispecies fishery the distribution of abundance, catch-per-unit-effort and bycatch vary geographically, we focus on a spatial management approach to address their spatial variability. The core component of this DSS applies operations research techniques of simulation and optimization to determine the optimal inter-annual and intra-annual fishing plans in terms of fishing efforts in each sub-area and the time period. The result is the recommended amount to catch from each fish species at each sub-area at any time period so that while management objectives for sustainability of fish stocks are satisfied, the value of landings is maximized. The graphical user interface of the proposed DSS helps users to define inputs, to set constraints and sub-area boundaries, and to visualize the outcomes.

Operations Research Advances Cancer Therapeutics

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), the world's oldest private cancer center, seeks next-generation cancer treatment advances to enhance its ability to treat patients effectively by improving care and reducing costs. Using operations research approaches, our team has devised sophisticated optimization modeling and computational techniques for real-time (intraoperative) treatment of prostate cancer using brachytherapy (the placement of radioactive “seeds” inside a tumor). The resulting system offers significantly safer and more reliable treatment outcomes. In addition, it eliminates the need for preoperative simulation and postimplant dosimetric analysis, resulting in savings of hundreds of millions of dollars per year in the United States alone. Posttreatment quality of life is improved through drastic reduction (up to 45–60 percent) of complications. The reason for this is twofold: (a) treatment plans thus devised deliver less radiation to adjacent healthy structures, and (b) the ability to perform midimplant replanning eliminates the unavoidable discrepancies between planned and actual seed placement in the target. This has a profound impact on the cost of managing treatment-associated morbidity. The procedure uses approximately 20–30 percent fewer seeds and 15 percent fewer needles (used to place seeds inside the prostate gland). As a result, the operating-room time is shortened, and the entire procedure is less invasive. The system has the potential to establish standards and guidelines for cancer treatment quality control and quality assurance of the implantable plan. Wide distribution of our system should allow consistent treatment planning across different clinics and significantly reduce variability in treatment plan quality. The next phase of this effort will expand the applicability of our system to other forms of brachytherapy, such as treatment of breast, cervix, esophagus, biliary tract, pancreas, head and neck, and eye.

The least-cost low-carbohydrate diet is expensive

This article describes the use of operations research methods to study the minimum possible cost of a low-carbohydrate diet. The study compares this cost to the minimum cost of a diet with no limitation on carbohydrate. The rationale for this study is the popularity of the low-carbohydrate diets and their perceived high cost. The method used was an operations research approach to find a set of least cost diets, varying the required carbohydrate. This method was chosen to avoid potential concerns with real diets that may be nutritionally deficient or could be had for a lower cost. The major finding is that the cheapest possible low-carbohydrate diet costs about triple the cost of the cheapest diet with no constraint on carbohydrate. Furthermore, the minimum cost of a diet low in both carbohydrate and fat is 5 to 10 times the cost of the cheapest diet, depending on the relative amounts of these nutrients. As carbohydrate and fat are constrained, cost increases dramatically and nonlinearly. The study identifies which nutrients had the greatest effect on cost for a low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet.

Hunger and Containment: How India Became “Important” in US Cold War Strategy

Hunger and Containment: How India Became “Important” in US Cold War Strategy

Logistics and supply chain management: a review of some operations research approaches

Business managements make daily decisions for supply chains and logistics, such as how much and where to produce, for which market, what prices to set, and how much stock to keep. Often, a system with many components must be analysed as a whole. Operations Research, sometimes called the 'Science of Better', is concerned with mathematical models to make the best decisions among alternatives. A survey of the historical developments in modelling relating to inventory and supply chain management is provided to give perspective to the emergence and the prospect of modelling supply chain management. The questions discussed are what assumptions are made, when they are appropriate, and some conclusions that follow from the models.