Operational Capacity Research Articles

Pengaruh Profitabilitas, Likuiditas, Pertumbuhan Penjualan, dan Operating Capacity terhadap Financial Distress

This study aims to determine the influence of Profitability, Liquidity, Sales Growth, and Operating Capacity on Financial Distribution on the clothing and luxury goods sub-sector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2019-2023 period. The sampling technique used is Non Probability Sampling with a sample of 9 companies in the clothing and luxury goods sub-sector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2019-2023 period. In this study, a multiple linear regression method was carried out assisted by the SPSS version 29 program and Microsoft Excel 2010. The results showed that (1) Profitability had no effect on Financial Distress, (2) Liquidity had an effect on Financial Distress, (3) Sales Growth had no effect on Financial Distress, (4) Operating Capacity had an effect on Financial Distress.

Niepaństwowi aktorzy dyplomacji opartej na wierze w procesie pokojowym na przykładzie inicjatywy pokojowej liderów religijnych Acholi

FAITH-BASED DIPLOMACY NON-STATE ACTORS IN THE PEACE PROCESS – THE EXAMPLE OF THE ACHOLI RELIGIOUS LEADERS PEACE INITIATIVE Parallel to the actors of classical diplomacy, non-state actors are engaged in efforts to restore peace. A particular category among them comprises actors of faith-based diplomacy, whose participation in peace processes incorporates their unique tools of mediation and reconciliation. An illustrative example of the specificity of non-state actors practicing faith-based diplomacy is the activity of a group of religious leaders associated with the Acholi community in promoting the peaceful resolution of the rebellion in Northern Uganda that began in 1986. To understand the operational capacity of non-state actors engaged in faith-based diplomacy, this article will analyse the means employed by members of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative at both the domestic and international levels, as well as the reception of their actions by the conflict parties and the international community.

AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION: HOW THE ACUTE INTRODUCTION OF A SHORT-STAY PATHWAY CAN BENEFIT A PREVIOUSLY COMPROMISED NHS ARTHROPLASTY SERVICE

We report the impact of implementing a new short-stay hip and knee arthroplasty pathway in a National Health Service (NHS) hospital. This was enacted due to existing concerns with a long length of stay (LOS) and reduced elective operating capacity each winter due to emergency bed pressures. The overnight introduction of this pathway was aimed to reduce LOS, alleviate bed pressures, minimise readmission rates and generate financial savings, all combining to facilitate full elective activity during the winter.We conducted a prospective study at a regional tertiary arthroplasty centre. The new pathway was introduced across the service overnight. It includes rigorous preoperative optimisation, specific anaesthetic protocols and uniform changes in surgical practice to allow a focus on early mobilization and discharge on the day of surgery where possible.Data collection spanned 17 months, including the initial six months post implementation of the short-stay pathway. LOS data was collected for the full period and data was compared pre- and post-implementation of the new pathway. Patient satisfaction and 30-day readmission data were also collected.There was an immediate and significant decrease in median LOS from 4 days pre-implementation to 1 day post-implementation. Patient satisfaction was high, and the 30-day readmission rate was unchanged (5.95%), with no readmissions directly related to decreased inpatient stay. Financial analyses revealed substantial cost savings due to reduced LOS and the elimination of routine post-operative blood tests, estimated at over £1.6m per year. Elective activity over winter was significantly higher (79%) than in the same time period in the previous year.An acute introduction of a carefully planned and coordinated short-stay hip and knee pathway is safe, cost-effective and popular with patients, but also contributes to increased efficiency in the delivery of elective healthcare in the context of increasing demand and financial constraints in the NHS.

Publicly subsidized senior housing: the national profile of independent living models in South Korea

ABSTRACT Understanding alternative senior housing arrangements is important because of the expanding global aging population, increasing cost concerns for long-term care, and the desire of older people to age in place (AIP). Using a convergent mixed-method design, we examined the South Korean case using national data on independent living models for older adults. We examined the socioeconomic and health characteristics of residents and the service and operational environment of their housing. Based on quantitative and qualitative information collected by the executive director and key staff in senior housing, we discussed areas of mismatch between aging individuals’ needs and housing resources. Our findings suggest that the current service delivery model of housing needs to be reformed to address (1) the heterogeneous support and care needs of residents, (2) limited operational capacity, and that the spatial design needs to be restructured to ensure privacy. We discuss several programmatic and policy-level reforms to build and expand sustainable publicly subsidized senior housing.

Airport time profile construction driven by flight delay prediction

Slot structure is the equilibrium result of market demand side and slot resource supply side, while slot parameters reflect the operational support capacity of the aviation system. Time parameters reflect the operational support capability of the aviation system. Time structure should not only reflect changes in market demand, but also meet the constraints of operational efficiency. Constructing a reasonable 18–24 h timetable profile for busy airports that meets normal expectations for declared capacity and seasonal scheduling is a challenge in civil aviation slot management. This study utilizes historical data on airport flights and weather conditions to establish a regression prediction model for the time structure using K-means clustering and partial least squares regression. Additionally, ensemble learning is employed to forecast flight delay levels. The findings demonstrate that random forest yields favorable results in regression and prediction tasks, allowing for the integration of upper (good weather) and lower (severse weather) limits of the time profile with delay predictions as time parameter intervals. Consequently, the flights falling within these intervals achieve an average delay level of less than 15 min which meets the expectations of normal flight.

Energy Storage Capacity Utilization in Redox Flow Batteries

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are predicted to be a major contributing technology in the need for four-to-ten-hour energy storage. Other energy storage technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, provide well-documented performance indicators such as efficiency and especially energy storage capacity utilization. While redox flow batteries are compared similarly based on cost and round-trip efficiency, they often neglect a comparison of their operational energy storage capacity utilization. The breakdown of operational losses that represent the current state of operation for RFBs are pivotal to further compare the development of these technologies to the standard of other electrochemical storage devices. Quantifying the current state-of-the-art in relation to the theoretical potential of RFBs allows us to assess the extent of development required to enhance their effectiveness in contributing to future energy storage goals.In this work, we set out to depict the operational energy storage density (W-h L-1) of various redox flow battery technologies based on consideration from experimental parameters and results from literature as key inputs. After reviewing five RFBs including the all-vanadium RFB, Hydrogen-Bromine RFB, All-Iron RFB, Zinc-Bromine RFB, and the Iron-Chromium RFB, results indicate that the VRFB is the most developed technology attaining around 60% of its theoretical energy storage density. While the Zinc-Bromine RFB has approximately the largest theoretical energy storage density (due to its high electroactive species concentration and standard potential difference), it is currently only able to operate at about a lowly 15% of it, dependent on its operational current density. We also assess the volumetric footprint for each RFB electrolyte system by considering a 6 MWh (6 MW, 1 hr) system. This assessment considers how large the electrolyte component of the RFB would be for operation. The Hydrogen-Bromine RFB would require electrolyte tanks to be more than 1600 m3 based on operational parameters, but if it were able to operate at 100% of its capability, the electrolyte tanks would shrink to be about 400 m3.

Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Assisted Flood Navigation of Waterborne Vehicles Using Deep Reinforcement Learning

Abstract During disasters, such as floods, it is crucial to get real-time ground information for planning rescue and response operations. With the advent of technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being deployed for real-time path planning to provide support to evacuation teams. However, their dependency on expert human pilots for command and control limits their operational capacity to the line-of-sight range. In this article, we utilize a deep reinforcement learning algorithm to autonomously control multiple UAVs for area coverage. The objective is to identify serviceable paths for safe navigation of waterborne evacuation vehicles (WBVs) to reach critical location(s) during floods. The UAVs are tasked to capture the obstacle-related data and identify shallow water regions for unrestricted motion of the WBV(s). The data gathered by UAVs is used by the minimum expansion A* (MEA*) algorithm for path planning to assist WBV(s). MEA* addresses the node expansion issue with the standard A* algorithm, by pruning the unserviceable nodes/locations based on the captured information, hence expediting the path planning process. The proposed approach, MEA*MADDPG, is compared with other prevalent techniques from the literature over simulated flood environments with moving obstacles. The results highlight the significance of the proposed model as it outperforms other techniques when compared over various performance metrics.

Pengaruh Operating Capacity dan Working Capital Turnover Terhadap Financial Distress

Financial distress is a decline in a company's financial condition that occurs before bankruptcy or liquidation, which begins with the company's inability to fulfill its obligations. Based on data on the Indonesian Stock Exchange, several companies have experienced bankruptcy for two consecutive years in mining sector companies in 2019-2022. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of operating capacity and working capital turnover on financial distress. This type of research is quantitative with documentation methods. The total population is 86 companies with a sample of 39 companies. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling method, the data used were the annual financial reports of various mining sectors for the 2019-2022 period. Data analysis uses classical assumptions, T test and F test and multiple linear regression analysis using the Altman Z-Score method. The results of this research show that operating capacity has a positive and significant effect on financial distress and working capital turnover has no significant effect on financial distress.

Comparisons between In-Check DIAL® and PF810® in evaluation and training inspiratory capacity for using dry powder inhalers

BackgroundDry powder inhalers (DPIs) rely on both internal resistance and patients’ inspiratory capacity for effective operation. Optimal inspiratory technique is crucial for DPI users. This study assessed the accuracy and repeatability of two available devices, PF810® and In-Check DIAL®, and analyzed their measurement errors and consistency in detecting inspiratory capacity.MethodsThe accuracy and repeatability of peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC) against various internal resistances of the two devices were assessed using standard waveforms generated by a breathing simulator. The agreement of PIF measurements between the two devices in healthy volunteers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients was analyzed with the intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman graphical analysis.ResultsPF810® showed great accuracy and repeatability in measuring PIF, except for square waveforms at the lowest flow rate (20 L/min). In-Check DIAL® exhibited poor accuracy against high resistance levels. In scenarios with no resistance, In-Check DIAL® had significantly smaller measurement errors than PF810®, but larger errors against high resistance levels. The two devices showed excellent agreement (ICC > 0.80, P < 0.05), except for healthy volunteers against medium to high resistance (R3-R5) where the ICC was insignificant. Bland–Altman plots indicated small disagreements between the two devices for both healthy volunteers and COPD patients.ConclusionsIn-Check DIAL® exhibited poor accuracy and larger measurement errors than PF810® when detecting PIFs against higher internal resistances. However, its good performance against lower internal resistances, along with its cost-effectiveness and convenience made it appropriate for primary care. PF810® showed good accuracy and repeatability and could detect additional parameters of inspiratory capacity beyond PIF, though required further studies to confirm its clinical benefits.

Association of Federal COVID-19 Funding Distributions With Workforce and Capacity in Health Centers.

Using novel national data, we examined the association between 2020 federal COVID-related funding targeted to health centers (i.e., H8 funding) and health center workforce and operational capacity measures that may be important for preserving patient access to care and staff safety. We assigned health centers to quartiles based on federal funding distribution per patient and used adjusted linear probability models to estimate differences in workforce and operational capacity outcomes across quartiles from April 2020 to June 2022. We found a nearly 6-fold difference in 2020 H8 funding per patient when comparing health centers in the lowest versus highest quartiles. Despite this difference, health centers' outcomes improved similarly across quartiles over time, with the lowest-funded health centers having the greatest staffing and service capacity challenges. Our findings suggest that COVID-related health center funding may have contributed to stabilization of health centers' workforce and operations. Amid concerns about staff turnover, sustained investments targeted to supporting workforce retention at health centers can help to ensure ongoing delivery of critical services.

Hydraulic characteristics of a large rotation-angle baffle-drop shaft through synergetic discharge from dry and wet sides

To enhance the operational capacity and space utilization of baffle-drop shafts, this study improved the traditional baffle-drop shaft by expanding the wet-side space, incorporating large rotation-angle baffles, and installing overflow holes in the dividing wall. A three-dimensional turbulent model was developed using ANSYS Fluent to simulate the hydraulic characteristics of both traditional and new baffle-drop shafts across various flow rates. The simulation results demonstrated that the new shaft design allowed for discharge from both the wet and dry sides, significantly improving operational capacity, with the dry side capable of handling 40% of the inlet flow. Compared to the traditional shaft, the new design reduced shaft wall pressures and decreased the mean and standard deviation of pressure on typical baffles by 21% and 63%, respectively, therefore enhancing structural safety. Additionally, the new shaft achieved a 2%–12% higher energy dissipation rate than the traditional shaft across different flow rates. This study offers valuable insights for the design and optimization of drop shafts in deep tunnel drainage systems.

Evaluating Operational Efficiency and Capacity of Park-and-Ride Facilities around Urban Rail Transit Stations Using Data Envelopment Analysis

Evaluating Operational Efficiency and Capacity of Park-and-Ride Facilities around Urban Rail Transit Stations Using Data Envelopment Analysis

With uncertainty comes opportunity: Repurposing coal assets to create new beginnings in the U.S.

Coal power plants are retiring in the United States due to a sharp decline in natural gas prices along with an aging fleet, the rising cost of coal, and decarbonization goals. In the last five years alone (2019–2023), more than 58 gigawatts (GW) of coal power capacity retired in the United States, while almost 30 percent of the remaining 194 GW of operating capacity is expected to retire by 2040. The cessation of operations at an existing power plant can have important impacts on the local economy, including job loss and a potential reduction in total economic output. Repurposing these assets effectively, including conversion into other power generation technologies, industrial manufacturing facilities, or commercial buildings, among others, can at least partially offset any negative economic impacts. This paper provides a review of ongoing and planned repurposing activities related to former coal power plants (not including repurposing related to fuel-switching from coal to natural gas) being pursued by utilities across the United States and discusses the costs, benefits, and challenges presented by types of repurposing assets or prospects.22Some of the concepts/metrics described have standard language and the authors have tried to stick to the use of these terms for consistency. The review shows that the repurposing type and capacity of the new projects is typically unrelated to the asset type and capacity being retired. The decision to repurpose a retiring power plant or unit is a result of a combination of factors that include, among others, decommissioning costs, land availability, and financial and regulatory incentives directed towards a clean and just energy transition. A list of current planned, in-process (under construction), or completed repurposing projects for energy and non-energy alternatives is presented, including several reference examples of repurposing from fuels other than coal. Relevant factors to consider in repurposing existing retiring assets, including the relevance of incentives for retiring assets in a just energy transition, are identified and described.

Understanding barriers and facilitators to integrated HIV and hypertension care in South Africa

BackgroundThe burden of hypertension among people with HIV is high, particularly in low-and middle-income countries, yet gaps in hypertension screening and care in these settings persist. This study aimed to identify facilitators of and barriers to hypertension screening, treatment, and management among people with HIV in primary care clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa. Additionally, different stakeholder groups were included to identify discordant perceptions.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional study design, data were collected via interviews (n = 53) with people with HIV and hypertension and clinic managers and focus group discussions (n = 9) with clinic staff. A qualitative framework analysis approach guided by COM-B and the Theoretical Domains Framework were used to identify and compare determinants of hypertension care across stakeholder groups.ResultsData from clinic staff and managers generated three themes characterizing facilitators of and barriers to the adoption and implementation of hypertension screening and treatment: 1) clinics have limited structural and operational capacity to support the implementation of integrated care models, 2) education and training on chronic care guidelines is inconsistent and often lacking across clinics, and 3) clinicians have the goal of enhancing chronic care within their clinics but first need to advocate for health system characteristics that will sustainably support integrated care. Patient data generated three themes characterizing existing facilitators of and barriers to clinic attendance and chronic disease self-management: 1) the threat of hypertension-related morbidity and mortality as a motivator for lifestyle change, 2) the emotional toll of clinic’s logistical, staff, and resource challenges, and 3) hypertension self-management as a patchwork of informational and support sources. The main barriers to hypertension screening, treatment, and management were related to environmental resources and context (i.e., lack of enabling resources and siloed flow of clinic operations) and patients’ knowledge and emotions (i.e., lack of awareness about hypertension risk, fear, and frustration). Clinical actors and patients differed in perceived need to prioritize HIV versus hypertension care.ConclusionsThe convergence of multi-stakeholder data highlight key areas for improvement, where tailored implementation strategies targeting motivations of clinic staff and capacity of patients may address challenges to hypertension screening, treatment, and management recognized across groups.

The deposit insurer’s capacity assessment in the context of impact on the financial system stability

The paper is devoted to the development of a scientific and methodological approach to determining the indicators of the deposit insurer's ability to influence the financial system stability. The scale and complexity of the tasks of ensuring the immediate and gradual reconstruction of Ukraine, high dynamics and proper quality of economic growth, the functioning of the economy in the conditions of war and a constant external threat actualize the issue of increasing domestic investment potential and intensifying the transformation of household savings into investments. It creates challenges for the deposit insurance system. In the research structural and logical analysis, induction, comparison, and relative values were used. The capacity of a deposit insurer in the context of its impact on financial stability should be considered in the context of operational, resource and payment capacity, each of which can be assessed by an appropriate indicator. The operational capacity reflects the ability of the deposit insurer to influence the situation in the deposit market and perform the function of deposit guaranteeing. The normative value of the operational capacity indicator in Ukraine is proposed to be set at the level which, in the conditions of the dynamic banking sector of Ukraine and the deposit market as its component, will allow considering the slightest deviations of the indicator (μ+2σ). The resource capacity reflects the coverage level of guaranteed deposits by the insurer's financial resources. The normative value of the resource capacity indicator in Ukraine is proposed to be set at the level of 0.8%, which meets the requirements of Directive 2014/49/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council. The payment capacity reflects the sufficiency of the deposit insurer's financial resources to pay compensation to depositors in the future. The normative value of the payment capacity indicator in Ukraine, by analogy with the indicator of the ratio between insurance technical reserves and the average value of insurance payments, is proposed to be set at least 1 in annual terms and not less than 12 in monthly terms.

Increasing variable renewables in coal-based energy systems under high electrification in the transport and heating sectors: The case of Kosovo

The increasing penetration of variable renewables poses major challenges in energy systems with limited flexibility. However, there are many solutions to support variable renewable integration when utilizing potential synergies among the different energy sectors. This research examines the technical and environmental effects of electrifying the transport and heating sectors in a coal-based energy system with limited flexibility, aiming to support the integration of variable renewable energy. Scenario analysis is employed to evaluate the use of heat pumps with thermal storage (power-to-heat) for individual heating solutions, electric vehicles, and Vehicle-to-Grid in the transport sector. These measures are evaluated as the primary means for enhancing the energy system flexibility to accommodate a larger share of variable renewables. Additionally, a dynamic analysis was conducted on thermal power plant operational capacities and efficiencies under varying electrification rates and renewable energy shares. The analysis is developed in the EnergyPLAN model using Kosovo energy system as a case study. The results confirm that the electrification of the heating and transport sectors positively impacts the integration of variable renewable energy by reducing critical excess electricity production and CO2 emissions, while power-to-heat and Vehicle-to-Grid facilitate synergies among different energy sectors. However, scenarios with high shares of variable renewable energy present challenges for the nominal operation of thermal power plants, potentially leading to lower operational efficiencies and slightly higher CO2 emissions compared to scenarios where thermal power plant part-load efficiency remains unchanged.

Operation strategy and capacity configuration of digital renewable energy power station with energy storage

As the utilization of renewable energy sources continues to expand, energy storage systems assume a crucial role in enabling the effective integration and utilization of renewable energy. This underscores their fundamental significance in mitigating the inherent intermittency and variability associated with renewable energy sources. This study focuses on the involvement of photovoltaic (PV) plants in medium and long-term transactions. It also explores the participation of battery energy storage system (BESS) in electricity trading and frequency regulation ancillary services. The objective is to establish a strategic research model for maximizing the benefits of PV plant and the BESS in the energy arbitrage and frequency regulation markets. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact of variations in both the rated power and maximum continuous energy storage duration of the BESS. Base on the NSGA-II algorithm and TOPSIS algorithm, an optimization model for energy storage capacity configuration is developed. The optimal capacity configuration and maximum continuous energy storage duration are determined through computational analysis, yielding values of 30.8 MW and 4.521 h, respectively. At this configuration, the daily average revenue is 2.362 × 105 yuan, the initial investment cost is 1.45 × 109 yuan, and the payback period is 4.562 years.

Emergency repairs downstream of earth and rockfill dams with water spring with indication of internal erosion

During periodic dam safety assessments, various anomalies are identified through field inspections, project documentation analysis, and structural behavior monitoring. These assessments aim to detect non-conformities, and engineering design firms propose technical solutions to address these issues. The primary goal of these reviews is to evaluate the overall state of conservation and structural safety, ensuring compliance with updated design criteria, revised standards, changing weather conditions, and technological advances. Dam renovations are crucial for enhancing operational capacity and preventive care. Implementing filtering materials within the dam's body establishes a drainage system to relieve internal pressures on the embankments and foundations. This prevents the washing away of soil particles due to internal erosion, known as "piping," a major cause of dam failures. Piping occurs when soil particles are displaced towards the outside of the embankment through the percolation process, particularly in the upstream area near the dam's base, where high hydraulic gradients and flows make it susceptible. This article presents a set of emergency or long-term solutions to address anomalies related to the onset of internal erosion in dams, with a focus on preventing piping. These solutions are vital for safeguarding the structural integrity and safety of these critical infrastructure components.

Comprehensive Study of Load Characteristics of O-type Rotor Car Dumper Based on Measurements

The car dumper, an essential apparatus for unloading bulk materials, is increasingly critical across various sectors such as electricity generation, metallurgy, and operations at port terminals. This significance stems from its continuous operational capacity, which significantly boosts the efficiency of bulk material handling and optimizes the overall processes at industrial sites. This research paper delves into the power quality problems associated with car dumper applications, particularly focusing on the harmonic disturbances caused by inverters used within these systems. Such disturbances can degrade the quality of power within the industrial grid, potentially leading to inefficiencies and safety hazards. To address these issues, the paper proposes the use of parallel active power filters (APF). These filters are renowned for their efficiency in controlling and mitigating harmonic disruptions in electrical systems. The implementation of APFs has shown promising potential to stabilize power quality by filtering unwanted harmonic frequencies and allowing for a smoother power flow. Through detailed measurements conducted on an O-type rotor quad car dumper, the study systematically analyzes the operational characteristics of the dumper, thereby forming a comprehensive database. This database aids in the optimization of electrical control strategies and operational methodologies for car dumpers.The primary objectives of this research are to enhance the operational efficiency of car dumpers, minimize their energy consumption, and improve overall safety measures. By integrating advanced harmonic control technologies such as APF, this study not only addresses the immediate issues of power quality but also contributes to the broader goal of sustainable and efficient industrial practices. The findings are expected to influence future designs and operations of car dumpers, making them more energy-efficient and less prone to electrical disturbances, thereby ensuring a safer working environment in industries dependent on heavy machinery for bulk material handling.

Analysis of Yili Corporation's Operating Capacity

Analysis of Yili Corporation's Operating Capacity