List Of Tasks Research Articles

Some constructions for solving routing problems using decompositions and transformations of target sets

Issues related to solving the additive problem of sequential traversal of sets with precedence restrictions and cost functions that allow dependence on the list of tasks are considered. The basic method is a broadly understood dynamic programming (DP), supplemented in the case of problems of appreciable dimension by decompositions of the family of tasks and transformation of the parameters of the original problem. Possible applications are related, in particular, to the problem of tool control in figured sheet cutting of parts on CNC machines. In this problem, an important circumstance is taking into account the precedence conditions, which have, in particular, the following meaning: in the case of a part with holes, cutting of each of the internal contours (corresponding to the holes) should precede cutting of the external contour. The quality criterion itself in this problem, as a rule, is additive. Another type of constraints concerns avoiding thermal deformations of parts. When using the approach with penalties for violating the conditions associated with effective heat dissipation during cutting, cost functions arise that allow dependence on the list of tasks completed to date. Note that in another applied problem, namely, in the problem of dismantling radiation hazardous objects, cost functions arise with dependence on the list of tasks that have not been completed at the moment (and, consequently, concern the objects that have not been dismantled). As a result, we arrive at a very general problem with precedence constraints and cost functions with dependence on the list of tasks. The decomposition applied in the case of a noticeable dimensionality with subsequent implementation of the DP requires, on the one hand, the development of clustering methods, and, on the other, the construction of an adequate structure for distributing global precedence conditions among clusters. In the theoretical part of the work, the case of two clusters is discussed, which makes it possible to cover with a single scheme a number of practically interesting problems of a range (in terms of dimensionality) type. An algorithm for constructing a composite solution is indicated, including a stage of clustering training based on a greedy algorithm. This “composite” algorithm is implemented on a PC; a computational experiment was carried out.

Використання індикативного підходу для оцінки безпеки постачання електричної енергії

Monitoring and assessing the security of electricity supply in Ukraine are becoming increasingly important due to the integration of the integrated power system with the European power system and the need to ensure uninterrupted operation in parallel. This paper aims to test the use of an indicative approach to assessing the security of electricity supply. The paper considers the possibility of using an indicative approach to assessing the security of electricity supply. Within this paper, the indicative approach is understood as a method of management and planning based on the use of indicators or indicators to assess the state and efficiency of a particular process, system, or phenomenon. The main focus is on forming a list of indicators to assess the security of electricity supply. The initial assessment of the level of the indicator for ensuring the balanced reliability of the power system and the quality and level of maintenance of power grids will allow us to assess the security of supply in general. Unlike the existing principles for assessing supply security, this approach allows for systematic monitoring and objective data on which to base strategies and plans, which increases management efficiency. To solve the problem of finding an assessment of the security of the electricity supply, an indicative approach may be proposed for use, which provides a unified indicator that allows further analysis and formation of a list of tasks for the development of the Ukrainian power system. The feasibility of applying the indicative approach is proved by the example of calculating all weighted average integrated indicators and the level of security of electricity supply. The above calculations and conclusions can be extended to the indicators of the Reports of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine for other years. Keywords: indicative approach, security of electricity supply, indicator, indicator, assessment, risk, statistical data, standardization, unified indicator.

QLTI-21. STREAMLINING THE STUDY INTAKE PROCESS AT THE CANCER CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH OFFICE (CCTRO)

Abstract Challenges in the Protocol Intake/Activation process at the Henry Ford Cancer Center, particularly during the budget negotiation and coverage analysis (CA) phases, hamper operational efficiency and financial prospects. This study aimed to improve budget time and process efficiency. Process flow mapping, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), and cause-effect analysis using a fishbone diagram were used to identify and analyze key bottlenecks, focusing on the budget negotiation and CA phases. Budget negotiation took an average of 121.5 days in 2023 due to multiple procedures and a lack of standardized practices. Delays ranged from 127.75 days in August to a low of 69.84 days in November of 2023. The budget build process averaged 13.31 days, with an additional 7.57 days for approval, totaling 20.89 days. The CA phase had an average cycle time of 10.82 days (range 2-10 days). To improve approval times, it was recommended to implement an Electronic Document Management System to automate routing, signing, and tracking of budget and CA-related documents, standardized budget templates to streamline negotiations, a detailed electronic checklist to streamline task lists for document collection and budget negotiation, automated reminders for internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely submission of necessary documents, and timely submission policies enforced by a dedicated finance member on committees. Newly developed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as ‘time to collect documents,’ ‘time between committees,’ and ‘time for budget negotiation process,’ along with a dual tracking system in Excel, were proposed to monitor and improve these metrics. The recommendations are expected to significantly enhance the efficiency of the Protocol Intake/Activation process. By reducing the budget negotiation phase to less than 60 days and optimizing the CA process, faster study initiation, better resource utilization, and improved responsiveness to research opportunities will be achieved. This study underscores the critical need to address operational challenges in clinical trial management to enhance CCTRO’s capability to conduct timely and effective research.

Optimizing trainee handoffs on a busy transfusion medicine service

Abstract Objective Within the healthcare system, handoff processes are critical to maintain safety & continuality of care. Many handoff platforms exist for clinical inpatient housestaff specialties. However, these do not always align with the needs of clinical pathologists. Academic transfusion medicine (TM) services often oversee a hybrid of laboratory management, clinical services including apheresis therapy, and blood product management. To date, the literature is limited in describing the effectiveness of TM handoff in addressing these needs. Methods Our institution transitioned from using Microsoft Word document-based handoff to a Microsoft Sharepoint, browser-based handoff accessible via campus intranet or virtual private network (VPN). A verbal handoff accompanying the document remains unchanged. The previous Word document-based handoff followed the known structured communication framework (situation, background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR)) structure for each patient. This document could only be concurrently edited by one user and was distributed via closed-loop encrypted email to ensure Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. The new Sharepoint-based handoff features an expanded format including patient name/medical record number (MRN), date of contact, category of service, history, assessment and a task (to-do) list. This site can be concurrently edited and viewed by multiple users. It is version-controlled and searchable. It is also customizable to enable tracking of issues that are not associated with a MRN, such as product inventory, on-call staffing, and product investigation. Six months following the handoff transition, trainees’ feedback towards both formats were solicited with a Likert scale-based survey. The survey was open to any trainee that had rotated on the TM service, regardless of whether they had experienced both handoff formats. Handoff measures that were surveyed included effectiveness at communicating important information, ease of use, time spent, impact on patient care, amount of detail, integration in patient management and general attitudes towards TM call. Trainee demographics were also collected. Results Out of 18 potential participants, 15 trainees responded to the survey. Trainees reported that the Word document-based handoff contained significantly more extraneous detail, took excessive time to write and required more time overall to draft compared to the Sharepoint-based handoff (all p=<0.05). They also found that the Sharepoint-based handoff was significantly easier to use compared to the Word document-based handoff (p=<0.05). Additionally, the Sharepoint-based handoff was reported to convey important information more effectively and reduced the duration of verbal handoff compared to the Word document-based handoff, though these were not statistically significant. Conclusions TM services have unique responsibilities and benefit from customized handoffs with discrete categories that reflect the TM service’s distinct role. Such structure can help create a more standardized, focused handoff that requires less drafting time and improves efficiency and user satisfaction.

ОГЛЯД СУЧАСНИХ ПІДХОДІВ ДО УПРАВЛІННЯ МАТЕРІАЛЬНИМИ РЕСУРСАМИ ПРОМИСЛОВОГО ПІДПРИЄМСТВА

The purpose of the article is a general overview of approaches to the management of material resources of a manufacturing enterprise. Approaches to defining the concepts of "material resources" and "material resources of the enterprise" and the composition of the material resources of the enterprise are analyzed. It is agreed that material resources include raw materials, main and auxiliary materials, component products, fuel, work in progress and production waste. Features of material resources as an object of management at the enterprise are highlighted and include material form, usage in production process, transfer of their value to the value of produced products. An analysis of individual approaches to material resource management is carried out, in particular, integral, functional, logistic and reengineering approaches. An improved list of material resource management tasks within the framework of individual functional divisions of the enterprise is proposed. The functional divisions include economic and planning, marketing, procurement, accounting, legal department, production, information department. Areas of activity in the field of management of material resources of an industrial enterprise within the framework of separate management functions are suggested and grouped, including activities aimed at coordinating other management functions. In particular, the market factor is the basis of planning, and the need to implement an information system for the management of material resources and ensure its smooth operation to ensure the coordination of management activities for the management of material resources is emphasized. The place and role of the company's information system is determined as such that helps unification of data sources, serves as information base for management decisions, allows to improve the process of management of material resources, ensures higher level of control and risks prevention, reduces the risk of human factor. Proposals for further scientific research were formed.

아파트 관리 애플리케이션 인터페이스 디자인 비교·분석 연구 - 국내 아파트 앱을 중심으로

Recently, among the O2O mobile application services, apartment management apps that provide convenience have been released. They are digital service apps for residents’ use; inquiry and payment of management fees, energy cost checks and non-face-to-face civil complaints are the main services provided by the apps. However, the usability or user experience of the service has not been studied yet. Thus, the purpose of this study is to present necessary improvements for U.I design for Aptner and Apti, the representative apartment app service in Korea. First of all, In the theoretical background, the concept and current status of apartment management apps and components of interface design were summarized. In addition, previous overseas studies that had been investigated were reviewed and organized, and evaluation factors that can be applied to apartment app U.I usability evaluation criteria were also derived. Second, in the analysis of the study subject, the component analysis of the interface visual design, the apartment management app questionnaire, and the usability evaluation task list were created. Third, in the research results, reasonable improvements were presented by comparing and analyzing usability evaluation factor items.

Outer space (cosmic) private law

The article presents the relevant results of an analysis of the process of regulating private space activities. At the same time, the separate focus is on the development of space law and the main problems that currently exist in space law, including those related to the confrontation between public space law and private space law, for example: regulation of space traffic; determination of ownership of objects obtained as a result of space activities; mining and other aspects of commercialization of space activities. Additionally, a list of the main legal tasks in private space activities that require an early solution is identified, and the steps that have already been taken in this direction are described, namely, new variants of terminology, interpretation, and classification of objects and subjects of space activities, space law, and space legal relations as well as a new theory for determining the legal status of outer space are proposed. In the final analysis, it was concluded that it is necessary to continue research in further formation and improvement of the elements, interpretations, and structure of Space Private Law. To this end, the author proposed an option for further scientific research on the formation of the structure of Space Private Law based on the establishment and definition of the basic principles, concepts, and elements of such law. At the same time, the author identified the main goals, objectives, object, and subject of such research, and also, preliminary, determined the research methodology that is vital to obtain the most effective scientific results. According to the author, the results of the study on the formation of the structure of Space Private Law will be base for future foundations for regulating private space activities and preventing many legal conflicts.

An exploratory study of nursing tasks that induce physical and mental stress among hospital nurses

BackgroundNursing tasks are major contributing factors of nurses' stress. Identifying these stress-inducing tasks by hospital and department is the first step in devising practical strategies to address this issue. ObjectivesThis study aimed to develop a nursing task list by categorizing nursing tasks and identifying the ones that induced physical and mental stress among hospital nurses. MethodsThis descriptive exploratory study was conducted. In the first phase, the nursing task list was formulated based on a literature review and an expert content validity verification. In the second phase, the stress-inducing (both physical and mental) nursing tasks in different departments at two types of hospitals were investigated from 775 nurses. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, χ2 test and ANOVA performed using SPSS/WIN 26.0. ResultsThe nursing task of “exercise and position change” was identified to cause the highest physical stress across all five departments in both advanced general hospitals and general hospitals. Similarly, the nursing task “explanation of patients' condition upon request from the patients' family members” induced the greatest mental stress in both advanced general hospitals and general hospitals. Finally, “substitution for physicians: prescription” was identified as the greatest mental stress-inducing nursing task in general hospitals. ConclusionBased on a nursing task list developed, we determined which nursing tasks induce physical and mental stress in different departments at two types of hospitals. This foundational work will be crucial for exploring practical strategies to relieve nurses' stress.

Optimizing Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) to Maximize Readiness.

The Army utilizes Individual Critical Task Lists (ICTLs) to track and ensure competency and deployment readiness of its medical service members. ICTLs are the various skills and procedures that the Army has deemed foundational for each area of concentration (AOC)/military occupational specialty (MOS). While many ICTLs involve the patient care that military medical providers regularly provide, some procedures are not as commonly performed. This, when coupled with lower patient volume at military treatment facilities (MTF), poses a challenge for maintaining skill competency and deployment readiness. Fort Campbell's Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH) has created a holistic and unique solution to meet many of these standardized requirements and support a ready medical force. By optimizing the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) course curriculum to facilitate ICTL completion, BACH has increased its ICTL completion rates, ATLS® course exposure, and streamlined training requirements. The purpose of this article is to describe this best practice and suggest its applicability to other MTFs. By cross-referencing the ATLS® course curriculum and appendices with ICTLs, BACH has augmented ATLS® course certification with the additional completion of 12 ICTLs. This new approach not only increases ICTL completion, but also increases ATLS® curriculum exposure to medical providers, such as Registered Nurses or Nurse Practitioners, who would not typically take ATLS®. Since starting this new approach in April 2021, 73 military medical personnel have completed the ATLS® course at BACH, with 24 different medical specialties represented. A total of 361 ICTLs have been completed with specific ICTL completion counts ranging from 13 to 48. Each ICTL tested was completed 100% of its annual requirement. ATLS® is a mandatory joint interoperability standard for military physicians and it is also an Army ICTL for many AOCs/MOSs. Only counting completion of this course as one ICTL is a missed opportunity for the time spent by Army medical providers and limits the exposure of ATLS® to select AOCs/MOSs. This optimized and novel approach has been successful at BACH, suggesting its applicability at other MTFs that serve as ATLS® testing sites.

Unlocking maintenance-architecting STEP for maintenance and realizing remountable magnet joints.

The architecture of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) has been developed to enable a hybrid maintenance approach using ports in the vacuum vessel for a limited list of tasks that must be performed shortly after shutdown, and larger openings to simplify and speed up major refits. Robotic handling systems in zero-human entry facilities will prevent workers from being exposed to the most hazardous environments. While the approach is largely grounded in existing technologies, the scale and environment of STEP will require significant technology development. Notably, programmes have been established to develop service connections and in-vessel robotic technologies. The engineering integration of the maintenance strategy into the tokamak remains a priority, as does ongoing work to simplify and reduce the cost of the buildings required to facilitate maintenance. Remountable magnet joints are critical to ensuring life-limited magnet components can be replaced during the STEP lifetime and realizing the STEP maintenance strategy. It is a high-risk endeavour owing to the low technology maturity of the potential solutions and owing to the tough and intertwined technical challenges and constraints imposed by both the fundamental physics and the STEP requirements and architecture. An integrated design approach has been taken to balance many competing factors and integrate with interfacing systems, and a multi-faceted technology development programme has been established to address technical risk and to inform, verify and validate the STEP remountable magnet design. This article is part of the theme issue 'Delivering Fusion Energy - The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP)'.

Analysis of personal psychological characteristics of football coaches as a factor of professional success in sports of higher achievements

The effectiveness of coaching depends on many factors. As is known, a successful coach is a person with a high level of multidisciplinary knowledge, an appropriate personal psychological profile and the ability to perform a wide range of functional responsibilities: from team recruitment to managing the process of sports training and the team. As a result of the rapid commercialization of professional sports in general and football in particular, which has been observed over the past few decades, the structure of football clubs and, accordingly, the role of the head coach have undergone significant changes. Therefore, the subject of analysis in the presented work was the psychological characteristics of the coach in the context of the modern conditions of his professional activity. The basic responsibilities of the coach, which consist of planning, organizing, conducting and monitoring the educational and training process, have been supplemented by functions that are usually attributed to management. Thus, having high-level specialized specialists among his assistants, as well as separate departments responsible for individual areas of ensuring sports training in the team, the coach must be able to effectively use this resource. Formulating adequate goals and objectives, coordinating the work of individual specialists and entire departments, delegating, creating conditions for effective communication of all team members is far from a complete list of tasks facing the head coach of a football team today. Such changes and expansion of the functional responsibilities of the coach have led to the fact that the already considerable importance of the psychological component of the professional profile of the coach has become even greater. In addition to the psychological qualities that ensure the effectiveness of the coach as a teacher, he must possess and successfully demonstrate a number of leadership qualities, which determines the quality of his performance of management functions.

Neuroscientist's Behavioral Toolbox for Studying Episodic-Like Memory.

Episodic memory, the ability to recall specific events and experiences, is a cornerstone of human cognition with profound clinical implications. While animal studies have provided valuable insights into the neuronal underpinnings of episodic memory, research has largely relied on a limited subset of tasks that model only some aspects of episodic memory. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of rodent episodic-like memory tasks that expand the methodological repertoire and diversify the approaches used in episodic-like memory research. These tasks assess various aspects of human episodic memory, such as integrated what-where-when or what-where memory, source memory, free recall, temporal binding, and threshold retrieval dynamics. We review each task's general principle and consider whether alternative non-episodic mechanisms can account for the observed behavior. While our list of tasks is not exhaustive, we hope it will guide researchers in selecting models that align with their specific research objectives, leading to novel advancements and a more comprehensive understanding of mechanisms underlying specific aspects of episodic memory.

A Distributed Task Allocation Method for Multi-UAV Systems in Communication-Constrained Environments

This paper addresses task allocation to multi-UAV systems in time- and communication-constrained environments by presenting an extension to the novel heuristic performance impact (PI) algorithm. The presented algorithm, termed local reassignment performance impact (LR-PI), consists of an improved task inclusion phase, a novel communication and conflict resolution phase, and a systematic method of reassignment for unallocated tasks. Considering the cooperation in accomplishing tasks that may require multiple UAVs or an individual UAV, the task inclusion phase can build the ordered task list on each UAV with a greedy approach, and the significance value of tasks can be further decreased and conflict-free assignments can be reached eventually. Furthermore, the local reassignment for unallocated tasks focuses on maximizing the number of allocated tasks without conflicts. In particular, the non-ideal communication factors, such as bit error, time delay, and package loss, are integrated with task allocation in the conflict resolution phase, which inevitably exist and can degrade task allocation performance in realistic communication environments. Finally, we show the performance of the proposed algorithm under different communication parameters and verify the superiority in comparison with the PI-MaxAsses and the baseline PI algorithm.

Known and Unknown Environmental Impacts Related to Climate Changes in Pakistan: An Under-Recognized Risk to Local Communities

This study prioritized initiatives within the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), foreign funding, and the associated environmental and national issues. Additionally, it analyzed these factors’ effects on improving infrastructure, commerce, and economic cooperation between China and Pakistan. Besides that, it also studies the current climatic, economic, and political challenges, mainly focused on water and agriculture issues. Climate, economic, and political issues affect the environment. These concerns deserve global attention. Pakistan mainly relies on agriculture, and its water scarcity predisposes it to economic losses, urbanization, and many socioeconomic problems. Climate change and the current flood have devastated the agriculture sector. Water scarcity affects agriculture too and significantly impacts the economy and food resources. The nation has not previously experienced such a profoundly distressing epoch. Pakistan has faced several environmental, economic, and political challenges; specifically, the fields of agriculture and water present notable apprehensions. Unfavorable climatic conditions impede the attainment of sustainable agriculture in Pakistan. Considering the strong reliance of agriculture on water resources, it is crucial to acknowledge that industrialization has resulted in substantial water contamination due to the presence of microplastics and heavy metals. Moreover, the South Asian region experiences a significant scarcity of water resources. Besides that, CPEC is the solution for the financial issues, but it is a big challenge for environmental degradation in the current stage, especially since foreign funding is a key challenge for increasing corruption and bringing more burden on the economy. Unfortunately, foreign funding is not good for Pakistan. To ensure safety, security, and sustainability, CPEC projects should follow environmental regulations. This study provides a new list of CPEC initiative priority tasks that more openly disrupt the initiative, serve the whole project, and give appropriate recommendations for future research and policy-making.

Tasks and Visualizations Used for Data Profiling: A Survey and Interview Study.

The use of good-quality data to inform decision making is entirely dependent on robust processes to ensure it is fit for purpose. Such processes vary between organisations, and between those tasked with designing and following them. In this article we report on a survey of 53 data analysts from many industry sectors, 24 of whom also participated in in-depth interviews, about computational and visual methods for characterizing data and investigating data quality. The paper makes contributions in two key areas. The first is to data science fundamentals, because our lists of data profiling tasks and visualization techniques are more comprehensive than those published elsewhere. The second concerns the application question "what does good profiling look like to those who routinely perform it?", which we answer by highlighting the diversity of profiling tasks, unusual practice and exemplars of visualization, and recommendations about formalizing processes and creating rulebooks.

Identifying Community-Based Entrustable Professional Activities for Medical Students Through a Modified Delphi Process.

Recognition of the need for medical education to train physicians who are skilled at supporting population health and work beyond traditional health care settings is growing. Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for medical students typically have centered around activities taking place in the clinical workplace; however, EPAs that involve working with community members in community contexts have not been clearly established. We used a three-stage online modified-Delphi method to identify community-based EPAs for University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health medical students. We recruited key stakeholders to participate and asked them, based on their experience, to generate a list of community-based tasks that they believed graduates should be trusted to perform. Subsequently, using a five-point anchored Likert scale (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree), we asked participants to rate their level of agreement with each identified task becoming an EPA. An a priori definition of consensus was established. Twenty-two tasks reached consensus as potential community-based EPAs. The tasks with the highest mean ratings were "addressing trust issues with the medical community amongst the local population" (mean=4.71), "meeting with community members around a health topic" (mean=4.64), "identifying opportunities for disease prevention" (mean=4.64), and "identifying policies that impact community outcomes" (mean=4.57). The identified community-based tasks can support the augmentation of existing community-based curriculum and help identify areas for novel curriculum and assessment development. Lessons learned from this local effort could be helpful to other programs seeking to establish and refine community-based curricula.

A Method for Human Systems Integration Requirements within Model Based Systems Engineering

AbstractThe Department of Defense (DoD) employs broad human factors requirements across various applications, resulting in a universal application of the same standards to a multitude of DoD acquisition systems. In unconventional warfare, specifically within missions conducted by US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), operators face intensified workloads and domain‐specific challenges that current human factors considerations do not adequately address. The objective of this paper aims to introduce a novel framework, the Relational and Technological Capstone (RTC), designed to expand existing Human Systems Integration (HSI) requirements. The objective is to enhance the consideration of human factors in USSOCOM missions by addressing the unique challenges posed by intensified workloads and domain‐specific ontologies. The RTC employs a methodology‐driven approach utilizing both architectural and parametric diagrams. It integrates with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to improve the design of human‐system interactions, incorporating a Special Operations Task List and Performance Shaping Factors (PSFs) into aggregated parametrics. The results of this paper demonstrate the efficacy of RTC within MBSE, showcasing its value through improved design processes and as a foundation for new programs. The containment tree format aids in developing USSOCOM MBSE and opens possibilities for automation tools. Continual use of RTC contributes to the maturity of MBSE models and diagrams, fostering the evolution of a federation‐of‐models and Program of Record standards. This not only benefits subsequent SOCOM programs and projects but also facilitates cross‐cooperation with other nations in optimizing special operation acquisitions. The ultimate goal is to center the RTC around the operator, ensuring compatibility and optimization across cooperative nations' special operation acquisitions.

Development of Technology for Cleaning Vehicle Radiators

The most common and serious malfunction is engine overheating due to radiator clogging. This can be caused by improper vehicle operation or insufficient radiator cleaning during technical maintenance. The process of cleaning the tubes and internal cavities of the radiator is the most labor-intensive and involves the risk of damage, rendering it unusable. The article presents a technology developed by the authors for restoring the functionality of internal combustion engine cooling system radiators, based on a new method of cleaning the tubes and internal cavities of the radiator using ultrasound. The aim of the research is to develop a maintenance algorithm for engine cooling system radiators, determining the complexity and interdependence of tasks. Based on the analysis of the technological process of radiator maintenance, the authors have developed a list and sequence of tasks, as well as a network schedule for ultrasound cleaning of the vehicle's cooling system radiator.

Teaching Indigenous Content In An Online Environment: An Interview With Two Anishinaabe Instructors

Two Anishinaabe post-secondary educators are interviewed about their experience teaching Indigenous content in an online environment for an institution located on Anishinaabe territory. Specifically, they discuss key components of their institution’s Indigenous content requirement policy framework regarding content and delivery and discuss insights, uncertainties, and lessons learned to stimulate critical thought rather than provide a prescribed structure or task list for success.

Online task allocation and scheduling in multi-manipulator system considering collision constraints and unknown tasks

Compared to a single robot, multi-robot systems (MRS) offer several advantages in complex multi-task scenarios. The overall efficiency of MRS relies heavily on an efficient task allocation and scheduling process. Multi-robot task allocation (MRTA) is often formulated as a multiple traveling salesman problem, which is NP-hard and typically addressed offline. This paper specifically addresses the online allocation problem in multi-manipulator systems within multi-task scenarios. The tasks are initially pre-allocated to alleviate the computational burden of online allocation. Subsequently, considering collision constraints, we search for the current feasible set of manipulators and employ greedy algorithms to achieve local optima as the online allocation result within this set. Our method can handle the online addition of new, unknown tasks to the task list. Moreover, we demonstrate the feasibility of our approach through simulations and on a realistic platform, where multiple manipulators are tasked with polishing the white body of automobile parts. The results demonstrate that our method is effective and efficient for online allocation and scheduling scenarios.