Service Level Research Articles

Estimation of time delay functions for design of traffic systems

Main aim of this research was to apply multiple approaches for the development of time delay functions on three highways in Bahrain, namely; Dry Dock Highway, Arad Highway and Zallaq Highway. Four equations were obtained from previous studies and two equations were, additionally, tailored for each of the three highways. The results were used to obtain two parameters that aid in design, optimum flow rate and level of service.

Assessment of the levels of service for roads in the Central Business District (CBD) of Akure, Nigeria

Assessment of the levels of service for roads in the Central Business District (CBD) of Akure, Nigeria

ANALISIS KEMACETAN SIMPANG TAK BERSINYAL JALAN PADAT KARYA – JALAN SUMATERA KOTA PRABUMULIH MENGGUNAKAN PKJI 2023

There will undoubtedly be heavy traffic in this location, especially at the intersection of Jalan Padat Karya, as Prabumulih is one of the cross-Sumatra cities with heavy traffic. The second economic hub of Prabumulih City is the Karya Intensive Road. When primary data collecting takes place in the field, descriptive and quantitative research methodology is employed. 7 days a week, Monday through Sunday, from 07.00 to 18.00. Road width measurements are made on the spot at each approach using a measuring tool. Following the collection of all primary and secondary data, analysis will be conducted utilizing PTV Vissim Version Student for traffic modeling and the 2023 PKJI Book. Intersection performance analysis using PKJI 2023 produces results traffic flow is 836.2 pcu/hour, free flow speed is 43.70 km/hour, capacity of 1468 pcu/hour, degree of saturation of 0.85. Based on the results above, the service level flow section is D. The intersection model after being given a signal changes if using APILL with 2 phases because of the level of service that occurs changed to level A.

SECURITY IN CLOUD COMPUTING

By offering scalable and easily available computer resources over the internet, cloud computing has radically changed IT infrastructures all around. Ensuring the security of cloud systems remains a major difficulty even if they are used widely in many different fields. This abstract explores the intricate elements of cloud computing security including technical advancement, challenges, and methods. Data breaches, insider threats, and compliance complexities are among the main challenges; strong protections like authentication, authorization, and encryption will help to maintain data integrity and security. By redefining trust models and access restrictions in cloud systems, blockchain and zero-trust architecture are absolutely essential in increasing security. Emphasizing the importance of tying security measures with legal obligations, regulatory compliance systems such GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO/IEC 27001 set rigorous demands on cloud providers and users. Service level agreements (SLAs) help to define and explain providers' and customers' security obligations. They list procedures for problem resolution and service guarantees. This abstract ends with stressing the always shifting nature of challenges in cloud security and the pressing need of adaptive security solutions to effectively lower developing hazards. It offers a whole view that is absolutely essential for comprehending and controlling the complexity of protecting cloud computing systems.

Effect of Education Level, Personal Income, and Accessibility of Banking Services on Personal Financial Management among Working Women in West Java

This quantitative study examines the influence of education level, personal income, and accessibility of banking services on personal financial management practices among working women in West Java, Indonesia. Data were collected from a sample of 180 working women using structured questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) 3. The findings reveal significant positive relationships between education level, personal income, accessibility of banking services, and personal financial management practices. Moreover, banking services accessibility partially mediates the relationships between education level and personal financial management and between personal income and personal financial management. These results underscore the importance of financial literacy, economic empowerment, and access to formal financial services in fostering financial well-being among working women in West Java. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the socio-economic factors influencing personal financial management and informs evidence-based interventions to promote financial inclusion and gender equity in the region.

Selecting a transport and forwarding company for meeting a customer’s needs when organizing international road cargo transportation

The object of this study is the process of planning the work of a manufacturing enterprise that needs transport and forwarding services when exporting goods to counterparties in different countries of the world. The problem being solved is predetermined by the need to devise recommendations for choosing a transport and forwarding company when serving an individual customer, based on its individual needs and conditions of cooperation. A simulation model for the selection of a transport and forwarding company was constructed and implemented to meet the customer’s needs when exporting goods, applying the GPSS World simulation automation package. The model provides for the optimization of the choice of a transport and forwarding company for servicing counterparties based on the assessment of their activity indicators over previous periods of cooperation. When building the model, the types of commercial conditions of the exporter’s cooperation with the transport and forwarding company, indicators of the quality assessment of the basic level of service and the duration of service at all stages of the foreign trade operation were taken into account. The application of the constructed model in practice will enable exporters and importers to choose a transport and forwarding company depending on the individual needs of customers in the delivery of goods. The simulation results reflect the performance indicators of the provision of transport and forwarding services by various specialized enterprises. This will make it possible to involve in the transport and forwarding service of a separate counterparty an organization that will meet all the requirements of goods buyer in accordance with the terms of the international economic contract. At the same time, the duration of choosing and agreeing the terms of cooperation could be reduced by 12–15 % while the efficiency of transport and forwarding services would increase by 13–16 %

C-SLA-MLO: Enhancing SLA Compliance in Industrial Wi-Fi through Cooperative Multilink Operation

In the dynamic landscape of Industry 4.0, robust wireless connectivity emerges as a critical enabler for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. With the advent of Wi-Fi 7’s multilink operation (MLO), the demand for schedulers capable of meeting diverse Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirements within industrial environments becomes paramount. Addressing this need, this paper introduces Cooperative SLA-MLO (C-SLA-MLO), a novel distributed multilink scheduler that balances data across MLO channels to fulfill the SLA of STAs operating within the same BSS. We provide a simulation-based evaluation where we compare C-SLA-MLO with other benchmark approaches, in terms of SLA compliance when varying the SLA characteristics, the level of QoS, or background traffic, showcasing an average reduction of 90% in SLA deviation in the industrial use case. This study contributes practical insights for enhancing wireless connectivity in IIoT, offering potential benefits for industrial network optimization by exploiting the MLO feature brought by the new IEEE 802.11be.

Enhancing Electric Shuttle Bus Efficiency: A Case Study on Timetabling and Scheduling Optimization

As transit authorities increasingly adopt electric buses (EBs) to mitigate air quality concerns and greenhouse gas emissions, new challenges arise in bus scheduling and timetabling. Unlike traditional buses, EBs face operational obstacles due to their shorter range and extended charging times. Existing mathematical optimization models for operation planning of traditional buses must be revised to address these unique characteristics of EBs. This study introduces a new approach to integrate timetabling and bus scheduling to enhance the level of service and minimize operational costs, using a case study of a University shuttle bus service in Montreal, Canada. The level of service will be enhanced by reducing students waiting time and improving their in-vehicle comfort through seat availability. The scheduling aspect seeks to reduce the total operational costs, which include travel, electricity consumption, and usage costs of EBs. The proposed algorithm calculates the waiting time and seat availability for different headway values and addresses the scheduling problem using a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model with an arc-based approach, solved using the Cplex Optimization Studio software version 12.8. A normalized weighted sum technique is then applied to select the optimal headway, balancing waiting time, seat availability, and operational costs. The effectiveness of our approach was tested through a case study of Concordia University’s shuttle bus service. Comparative analysis of the current and proposed schedules shows that our approach significantly improves service quality by decreasing waiting times and increasing seat availability while optimizing cost-effectiveness compared to the existing timetable of the Concordia shuttle bus. The proposed approach ensures a smooth transition to a fully electric transit system for shuttle bus services.

Traffic Management on The Cikereteg-Pancawati Road in The Caringin District Tourism Area Bogor District

Traffic as part of transportation planning is a vital indicator of tourism development. Bogor Regency is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Jabodetabek. One of the tourist attractions in Bogor Regency is natural tourism around the Puncak Bogor area. This study aims to analyze land use around Jalan Cikereteg-Pancawati, analyze the performance and level of traffic service on the road, and conduct a SWOT analysis for traffic management strategies. The study used GIS to analyze changes in land use and analyzed the level of road service on Jalan Cikereteg-Pancawati. The traffic performance analysis was conducted by analyzing the volume values and degrees of saturation on Sundays and Thursdays. The land use analysis showed that the area is dominated by forests, plantations, and rice fields, indicating great potential as a tourist area. The traffic performance analysis revealed that Sundays have higher volume values and degrees of saturation than Thursdays, with the highest degree of saturation occurring on Sunday segment 3. The study concludes that the traffic management strategy for Jalan Cikereteg-Pancawati should focus on managing pavement repairs and road widening, providing bus and car parking, and utilizing available human resources and supporting regulations for the development of Bogor Regency as a natural tourism area. The study's findings suggest that effective traffic management is crucial for the sustainable development of natural tourism in Bogor Regency. The proposed traffic management strategies can help alleviate traffic congestion and improve the overall tourist experience, ultimately contributing to the region's economic growth and social well-being.

Analyzing the Traffic Operational Performance of School Pick-Up and Drop-Off Dynamics in Saudi Arabia

In seeking sustainable, safe, and efficient school commuting tours as non-recurring sources of congestion, it is essential to investigate the dynamic interaction between school students’ pick-up and drop-off (P&D) movements and the traffic operational performance of the surrounding area. This study investigates the traffic operational performance in the vicinity of schools at various P&D time intervals. The Travel and Planning Time indices (TTI, PTI), along with the Level of Service (LOS) are utilized as traffic operational performance indices in this article. A Python script was developed to employ the Google API for estimating the travel times from a real traffic dataset comprising 40 schools distributed across six cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The results indicate that LOS varies from C to D for all cities except Riyadh, which exhibits the poorest traffic performance during P&D time intervals. This paper serves as a guideline for city planners and policymakers seeking to provide valuable insights to enhance traffic operational performance in Saudi Arabia.

Optimal Price Discrimination for Randomized Mechanisms

We study the power of price discrimination via an intermediary in bilateral trade, when there is a revenue-maximizing seller selling an item to a buyer with a private value drawn from a prior. Between the seller and the buyer, there is an intermediary that can segment the market by releasing information about the true values to the seller. This is termed signaling, and enables the seller to price discriminate. In this setting, Bergemann et al. [ 7 ] showed the existence of a signaling scheme that simultaneously raises the optimal consumer surplus, guarantees the item always sells, and ensures the seller’s revenue does not increase. Our work extends the positive result of Bergemann et al. to settings where the type space is larger, and where the optimal auction is randomized, possibly over a menu that can be exponentially large. In particular, we consider two settings motivated by budgets: The first is when there is a publicly known budget constraint on the price the seller can charge [ 12 ] and the second is the FedEx problem [ 19 ] where the buyer has a private deadline or service level (equivalently, a private budget that is guaranteed to never bind). For both settings, we present a novel signaling scheme and its analysis via a continuous construction process that recreates the optimal consumer surplus guarantee of Bergemann et al. and further subsumes their signaling scheme as a special case. In effect, our results show settings where even though the optimal auction is randomized over a possibly large menu, there is a market segmentation such that for each segment, the optimal auction is a simple posted price scheme where the item is always sold. The settings we consider are special cases of the more general problem where the buyer has a private budget constraint in addition to a private value. We finally show that our positive results do not extend to this more general setting, particularly when the budget can bind in the optimal auction, and when the seller’s mechanism allows for all-pay auctions. Here, we show that any efficient signaling scheme necessarily transfers almost all the surplus to the seller instead of the buyer.

Geometric features and traffic dynamic analysis on 4-leg intersections

AbstractWith the escalating density of vehicles converging at road intersections, the surge in road accidents, traffic conflicts, and traffic congestion has emerged as a pressing concern. This research paper addresses these challenges by employing MC (manual control) techniques to mitigate encroachment issues at three selected intersections. These intersections were identified through a comprehensive analysis of the Ranking-based Instance Selection (RIS), enabling the design of suitable measures to facilitate smooth traffic flow and minimize the occurrence of crashes. In order to gather pertinent data, the study incorporates various parameters such as traffic volume, peak flow rate (PFR), traffic conflicts, accidents, and intersection inventory. Through the implementation of our proposed approaches, which involve both MC techniques and signalized operation, a supreme level of service (LOS) is attainable. Notably, our findings demonstrate a remarkable reduction in the volume-to-capacity ratio (v/c ratio) of up to 0.62. This paper thus serves as a significant contribution to the field of traffic management, offering practical insights for optimizing intersection design and effectively addressing the challenges posed by increased traffic density.

E2SVM: Electricity-Efficient SLA-aware Virtual Machine Consolidation approach in cloud data centers.

Cloud data centers present a challenge to environmental sustainability because of their significant energy consumption. Additionally, performance degradation resulting from energy management solutions, such as virtual machine (VM) consolidation, impacts service level agreements (SLAs) between cloud service providers and users. Thus, to achieve a balance between efficient energy consumption and avoiding SLA violations, we propose a novel VM consolidation algorithm. Conventional algorithms result in unnecessary migrations when improperly selecting VMs. Therefore, our proposed E2SVM algorithm addresses this issue by selecting VMs with high load fluctuations and minimal resource usage from overloaded servers. These selected VMs are then placed on normally loaded servers, considering their stability index. Moreover, our approach prevents server underutilization by either applying all or no VM migrations. Simulation results demonstrate a 12.9% decrease in maximum energy consumption compared with the minimum migration time VM selection policy. In addition, a 47% reduction in SLA violations was observed when using the medium absolute deviation as the overload detection policy. Therefore, this approach holds promise for real-world data centers because it minimizes energy waste and maintains low SLA violations.

Concurrent service auto-scaling for Knative resource quota-based serverless system

Serverless computing platforms currently provide application developers with two ways to control their services’ resource usage cost: resource usage-based and resource quota-based. In usage-based systems, resources are assigned to services based on the amount they consume. Meanwhile, a fixed resource amount is reserved and shared between services for quota-based systems. Several studies have been proposed to enhancing the default serverless auto- scaling algorithms to optimize resource usage and service quality. However, almost all previous works targeted usage-based systems and optimized auto-scaling performance for each separate service. In contrast, this work targets auto-scaling of concurrent services in serverless quota-based systems. In serverless quota-based systems, over-quota resource usage and latency Service Level Objective (SLO) violation may occur when auto-scaling new instances during burst traffic moments. Hence, we aim to find an optimal hybrid auto-scaling decision to minimize over-quota resource usage and latency SLO violation. To solve this problem, We applied deep reinforcement learning and traffic prediction techniques. Our solution is developed and implemented based on the characteristics of the most popular open-source serverless platform Knative. For evaluation, we compared our solution with the default Knative auto-scaler and our previously proposed usage-based hybrid Knative auto-scaler. We configured the default Knative auto-scaler with two different settings that can optimize the total resource usage of all services or minimize service latency. Compared to the optimized resource usage version, our solution traded a slightly higher resource usage for an 11.3% latency SLO violation duration reduction. Meanwhile, compared with the optimized latency version, our solution reduced the over-quota resource usage rate by 18.25% while achieving a similar latency SLO preservation performance. Compared to the usage-based hybrid auto-scaler, the latency SLO violation rate and over-quota resource usage were approximately reduced by half.

Study on fatigue-healing performance and life prediction of hot recycled asphalt mixture

The extensive application of recycled asphalt mixtures (RAM) requires a better understanding of its fatigue performance and there is need to establish an accurate prediction model for fatigue life. The fatigue-healing performance of RAM containing different recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) contents was investigated by using four-point bending test with virgin mixtures as a reference. The linear portion during the steady decline of the flexural stiffness was utilized to establish a linear method for fatigue life prediction. The effects of RAP content, aging, and immersion factors on the fatigue-healing performance of RAM were studied. A fatigue-healing life prediction model considering RAP content, initial flexural stiffness (E0), strain level, long-term aging at 85 °C and moisture immersion at 60 °C was developed through regression analysis of data obtained from various fatigue tests. The test results indicated that E0 at the 500th loading cycle exhibited higher accuracy for life prediction based on linear rule when compared with the traditional E0 at the 50th loading cycle. With an increase in RAP content, the fatigue life of RAM decreased, while the E0 showed a linear increase and the healing index gradually decreased. The decrease in fatigue life of RAM due to moisture effect was greater than that due to long-term aging effect. Aging effect for 5 d and moisture immersion for 7 d reduced the fatigue life of RAM by 17.9 % and 47.4 % respectively. The fatigue-healing life prediction model can accurately predict the fatigue life of RAM within the range of 0–45 % RAP content. Aging was found to have the greatest negative effect on the healing performance of RAM, followed by moisture effect, while the effect of RAP content was minimal. This study contributes to the prediction of remaining fatigue life for RAM after long-term service and improving its service levels.

Online reviews and spillover effects in the dual-channel supply chain: A choice strategy of sales format

We investigate strategy choice of sales format considering online reviews and the spillover effect in a dual-channel supply chain. Generally, online and offline consumers read online reviews before purchasing, and thus offline retailers will be subjected to the spillover effect of online reviews. We develop joint product quality and service level decision models in reselling and agency selling with online reviews and the spillover effect. There are some interesting findings: first, the optimal service level and product quality increase with online reviews and spillover effect. Second, counterintuitively, the spillover effect of online reviews benefits not only the offline retailer and manufacturer but also the online retailer in some circumstances. Moreover, the win-win sales format for the manufacturer and online and offline retailers exists in some circumstances. Finally, it is interesting to find that consumers’ channel preference in the agency sales format is more important than in the resales.

Disability level and use of long-term care services in Norway: a nation-wide registry study.

In Norway, disability level is an important criterion when deciding the type and level of long-term care services. Each care recipient can be scored on 20 different disability level measures. Our aims were to investigate completeness in disability level information in the Norwegian Registry of Primary Health Care (NRPHC), to group disability level measures into meaningful groups, and to study the relationship between grouped disability scores and the type of services received. We retrieved information on type of care and disability level from the NRPHC on individuals who received long-term care services in 2022. Type of care was divided into hierarchical and mutually exclusive groups, with long-term institutional care as the most complex service group. We used principal components analysis to summarise and visualise the information in the 20 different disability level measures, and to create grouped scores. A total of 386,697 persons aged 0-104 years were registered as recipients of long-term care services in Norway on 31 December 2022. Information on disability measures were of high completeness (72.4 % of the population were registered with all 20 measures) but was lower for younger age groups in which the number of recipients was lower. Principal components analyses identified two groups of measures, which we termed physical and cognitive functioning. Physical and cognitive functioning were poorest for individuals receiving the most complex and extensive services. NRPHC disability data are reasonably complete, the 20 measures readily fall into two distinct categories, and seem to reflect real life differences in disability.

Mapping models of care for children, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: A scoping review.

e13793 Background: Young cancer survivors, with decades of life ahead, encounter substantial risks for treatment-related late effects. Achieving optimal outcomes requires a comprehensive multi-dimensional approach. This scoping review aimed to systematically map the evidence on models of survivorship care for Child (0-14) and Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA, 15-39) cancer survivors aligning with the Framework for Quality Cancer Survivorship. Methods: Conducted according to PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, this study systematically searched MEDLINE, CINAHL and Embase for English articles from Jan 2006 to Jan 2024. Inclusion criteria were studies describing patient and health service domain for Child and AYA cancer survivorship models of care. Dual processes were used for article screening, selection, and data extraction. A deductive analysis, using Content Analysis informed results, presented in a narrative synthesis. Results: Of the 5,298 records screened 38 described Child and 10 described AYA models of care. The majority were cohort and cross-sectional studies from the USA, Canada, and the UK representing 6,101 Child and 5,283 AYA cancer survivors. Across these diverse studies, a broad range of outcomes were identified with most domains of the Framework represented. No model of care described more domains than another. Across the 13 possible elements of care and outcomes, most (68%) reported on less than five of these. The domains most represented included elements of care rather than outcomes at the service level such as the clinic structure (52%), communication and decision making (52%) and patient/carer satisfaction (50%). At the patient level, quality of life outcomes and assessment and management of physical symptoms were represented in 40% of studies. There were few studies reporting on health promotion (23%), chronic conditions (13%), mortality and healthcare utilization (5% each) and none reported on costs. In terms of outcomes, oncologist long-term follow up care showed higher adherence to risk-based recommendations compared to primary care models in some studies. Other studies suggest a shared care model increases adherence and decrease lost to follow-up. At the service level, high satisfaction with care was common in all models. Overall, there was not enough to evidence to support one model over another in either Child or AYA survivorship care. Conclusions: Despite decades of research in survivorship care, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness and efficiency of different models of care. No single model stands out as superior, and there are notable gaps in understanding the economic and value proposition of different models. Addressing these gaps is crucial for the future development, and provision of quality survivorship care tailored for this patient population.

Performance Evaluation of Signalized Intersection- A Case study of Prithivi Chowk, Pokhara

Prithivi Chowk, a heavily trafficked signalized intersection in Pokhara, Nepal, currently relies on manual traffic control, leading to significant issues during peak hours. This study employs the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) methodology to evaluate the intersection's performance, aiming to address congestion and recommend improvements. Data collected from July 10-12, 2023, during peak hours, indicated traffic volumes of 6369.5 PCU/h in the morning and 6275.5 PCU/h in the evening, demonstrating over-saturation. The analysis included 12 vehicular and 4 pedestrian directions, with peak hour factors of 0.942 and 0.954, respectively.Initial assessments of three lane configurations and signal phasing plans revealed all phase plans exceeded capacity, resulting in a Level of Service (LOS) 'F'. Subsequent evaluations involved geometric enhancements, such as adding lanes. Increasing lanes in the Eastbound Through, Northbound Right Turn, and Westbound Right Turn directions significantly improved performance, achieving LOS 'D' in the third iteration of Phase Plan I. Optimal signal timings were designed using the Webster method, resulting in cycle lengths of 123 seconds for the morning peak and 116 seconds for the evening peak. The study highlights critical challenges and proposes targeted measures to enhance traffic flow at Prithivi Chowk, offering valuable contributions to transportation engineering and urban planning in Nepal. These findings emphasize the need for systematic traffic management improvements to mitigate congestion and enhance intersection performance.

Research on Consumer Needs of LINE Brand Based on Internet Brand Cultural Code and Touchpoint Design Theory

Brand image design is a personalized image design created based on the recognition of the brand. A complete brand image includes product level, visual level, cultural level, service level, etc. How to help consumers find a sense of brand belonging is an issue that companies should consider. Extending the communication of brand information to various media to achieve comprehensive and in-depth brand communication is the top priority of brand design and communication. With the rapid increase in mobile Internet users, digital marketing of brand image has attracted the attention of more and more enterprises and design companies. The diversification of new media channels has driven the constant growth of mobile brand advertising design. Mobile marketing technology has changed the design model of brand image. The development of mobile Internet has fundamentally changed the traditional way of brand image design. When a brand has a powerful mobile Internet platform, the ways to enhance the recognition of the brand’s visual image and the value of the brand become more diverse. Today, mobile devices have become a necessity for young people. Attracted by mobile new media, young people have rediscovered their self-worth, subverted traditional lifestyles, and become a generation that changes mass consumption behavior. Therefore, we should pay attention to changes in the environment of brand image design, grasp the living habits and consumption needs of consumers, especially young consumers, and analyze the underlying consumer behavior. These are required courses for studying the trends of brand image design and brand strategies under the Internet wave. LINE is an important social software that is popular in Asia, and its unique Internet development model is worthy of study and reference. Especially in Japan and South Korea, where the anime industry is developed, this brand design style based on anime characters is highly sought after by young people. The main focus of this study is LINE’s brand touchpoint design and cultural code. The research methods mainly include conceptual analysis, theoretical research, and comparative research. By analyzing LINE’s touchpoint design, the origin and derivative functions of LINE’s brand design, the roles of LINE’s consumer environment and individual influencing factors in the cultural code, and the analysis of LINE’s consumer needs based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to grasp its Internet brand design strategy and marketing model, so as to provide important insight and reference for the development of other Internet brands.