Reorganization Strategies Research Articles

Adaptive Finite-Horizon Group Estimation for Networked Navigation Systems with Remote Sensing Complementary Observations under Mixed LOS/NLOS Environments

Networked navigation system (NNS) enables a wealth of new applications where real-time estimation is essential. In this paper, an adaptive horizon estimator has been addressed to solve the navigational state estimation problem of NNS with the features of remote sensing complementary observations (RSOs) and mixed LOS/NLOS environments. In our approach, it is assumed that RSOs are the essential observations of the local processor but suffer from random transmission delay; a jump Markov system has been modeled with the switching parameters corresponding to LOS/NLOS errors. An adaptive finite-horizon group estimator (AFGE) has been proposed, where the horizon size can be adjusted in real time according to stochastic parameters and random delays. First, a delay-aware FIR (DFIR) estimator has been derived with observation reorganization and complementary fusion strategies. Second, an adaptive horizon group (AHG) policy has been proposed to manage the horizon size. The AFGE algorithm is thus realized by combining AHG policy and DFIR estimator. It is shown by a numerical example that the proposed AFGE has a more robust performance than the FIR estimator using constant optimal horizon size.

Reorganization Strategy of the Automobile Production Bases for the Economic Integration of ASEAN

Reorganization Strategy of the Automobile Production Bases for the Economic Integration of ASEAN

Warehouse reshuffling: Insights and optimization

Warehouse reshuffling is a reorganization strategy that consists of repositioning items by moving them sequentially. This study investigates how to optimize warehouse reshuffling and quantifies the effect of common assumptions. A mathematical programming formulation for the general warehouse reshuffling problem, the complexity of the problem, several heuristics based on the problem structure, a formal proof delimitating instances where double-handling can be a productive move, and managerial insights on the performance of reshuffling policies in various environments are presented. Experimental results suggest that the proposed heuristics improve upon a benchmark heuristic by relaxing how cycles are handled and incorporating double-handling.

Strategies Adopted by Male and Female Entrepreneurs in Italy to Face the Economic Crisis

The current economic and financial crisis has had a profound impact on the Italian economy, and has put Italian companies into great difficulty; however statistical data shows that businesses owned by women seem to have resisted the economic crisis more effectively than those owned by men. This paper seeks to describe the ways in which Italian businesses have responded to the economic crisis and adopted strategies to deal with it. The study also compares the attitudes and behaviours of male and female entrepreneurs, in order to gain insight into their respective ways of dealing with the recession. The literature review shows that firms have faced the economic crisis by adopting either an offensive or defensive approach, and by externally -- or internally -- directed action. Four main types of strategy were identified: restructuring, resizing, reorganization and innovation/development. Drawing from a questionnaire survey given to a sample of 300 (150 male and 150 female) owners of micro-enterprises located in the Marche region of Central Italy, the findings suggest that firms adopted mainly a defensive approach characterized by both restructuring and resizing strategies aimed to improve efficiency and refocus the core business. An offensive approach -- involving innovation, development or reorganization strategies -- was less common. A comparison between men and women shows that female entrepreneurs showed a lower propensity towards investment, innovation, development and growth. Consequently, they were significantly less oriented toward innovation/development strategies than men. Results suggest that under the same external conditions, gender may influence the strategies adopted by entrepreneurs in responding to the economic crisis. The defensive approach adopted by women entrepreneurs may be considered positive in the short-term, as it aims at guaranteeing the survival of the business. However, in the long-term it could undermine the ability of a business to seize new opportunities and to innovate, and consequently weaken competitiveness.

Reorganization Strategy for the Tunisian Central Bank

The analysis of monetary policy in Tunisia highlights three main distinct periods with the support of the IMF: the last in 1987 when the country was in deep recession, after 1989 with the gradual privatization plan launched by the government and recently current period in the end of 2012, after revolution, in which the economic and financial balance recorded major shocks remanding back of the ex-period and the rise in arrow of the inflation. This article aims to provide an overview on key reforms Tunisian financial markets from 1989. These reforms have particularly affected the banking system and the implementation of monetary policy based on the interest rate as an instrument controller for the first phase and also the monetary aggregates, M3 mainly, following the evolution of economic conditions to our days 2014. But from the 90's view that the success recorded by the industrialized countries precursors on Inflation Targeting strategy IT and some developing countries as follower, we will demonstrate the inability of the Tunisian Central Bank TCB to pursue this inflation target announce strategy as a primary objective and the main difficulties before its actual realization in the current difficult economic environment.

Mobility Development through Public Transportation, the Case of Mexico City

In this paper we intend to take the most useful elements of transporting goods and people in order to analyze, diagnose and optimize them, it aims to provide elements of analysis on the info we have identified as priorities diagnosis, the relationship shows direct correlation between population density and the number of trips taken by its inhabitants and consumer products, in addition to deviations due to the characteristics of such areas, many variables are taken to try to diagnose the way they are doing the main, as well as the diagnosis, this analysis is crucial in the design of a reorganization strategy that gives priority of transportation.

의료기관의 환경정보공개 현황에 관한 고찰

이 논문은 환경정보공개에 대한 문헌 고찰과 환경정보공개시스템에 공시된 41개 의료기관의 환경정보(2011)를 바탕으로 제도시행의 개선점과 병원의 적절한 대응방안을 도출하는데 목적이 있다. 분석은 질적분석 방법을 사용하였고, 분석항목은 의무 7개 항목과 자율 11개의 총 18개 항목을 대상으로 하였다. 조사대상병원은 33개 종합병원, 6개 병원, 1개 의원이었다. 연구 결과 제도는 (1) 시민참여 확대, (2) 기업개요항목 개선, (3) 항목의 명확한 정의설정, (4) 입력단위의 통일, (5) 철저한 검증시행, (6) 추가정보에 대한 기준마련 부분에서 개선되어야 할 필요가 있다. 의료기관의 대응방안으로는 (1) 입력항목의 신뢰도 향상, (2) 병원의 친환경 전략 및 녹색경영시스템 정비, (3) 용수/에너지 절감활동 데이터 축적, (4) 온실가스 저감계획 수립, (5) 녹색구매지침의 도입검토, (6) 디지털 환경(지속가능) 보고서 공개가 중요할 것으로 판단된다. Main purpose of this study is to suggest improvement of environmental information disclosure system and to find out counterplan for hospitals based on literal review and 41 hospitals/clinic's environmental information data(2011) released by the Korean ENV-INFO SYSTEM. The research methodology used to analyze 18 items divided between 7 for compulsory and 11 for voluntary was primarily quantitative. Research subjects was comprised of 33 general hospitals, 6 hospitals and 1 clinic. Environmental information disclosure system needs to be improved as follows: (1) enlargement of citizen participation, (2) upgrade of 'Company Overview', (3) clear definition of items, (4) unifying measure unit, (5) close verification, (6) creating standards for additional informations. The following activities are critical for hospitals: (1) reliability enhancement of hospital's data, (2) reorganization strategy & green management system, (3) water/energy reduction data accumulation, (4) greenhouse gas emission reduction planning, (5) introduction of green purchase guidelines, (6) digital publication of environmental(sustainable) report.

Neural Reorganization Accompanying Upper Limb Motor Rehabilitation from Stroke with Virtual Reality-Based Gesture Therapy

Background: Gesture Therapy is an upper limb virtual reality rehabilitation-based therapy for stroke survivors. It promotes motor rehabilitation by challenging patients with simple computer games representative of daily activities for self-support. This therapy has demonstrated clinical value, but the underlying functional neural reorganization changes associated with this therapy that are responsible for the behavioral improvements are not yet known. Objective: We sought to quantify the occurrence of neural reorganization strategies that underlie motor improvements as they occur during the practice of Gesture Therapy and to identify those strategies linked to a better prognosis. Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neuroscans were longitudinally collected at 4 time points during Gesture Therapy administration to 8 patients. Behavioral improvements were monitored using the Fugl-Meyer scale and Motricity Index. Activation loci were anatomically labelled and translated to reorganization strategies. Strategies are quantified by counting the number of active clusters in brain regions tied to them. Results: All patients demonstrated significant behavioral improvements (P < .05). Contralesional activation of the unaffected motor cortex, cerebellar recruitment, and compensatory prefrontal cortex activation were the most prominent strategies evoked. A strong and significant correlation between motor dexterity upon commencing therapy and total recruited activity was found (r2 = 0.80; P < .05), and overall brain activity during therapy was inversely related to normalized behavioral improvements (r2 = 0.64; P < .05). Conclusions: Prefrontal cortex and cerebellar activity are the driving forces of the recovery associated with Gesture Therapy. The relation between behavioral and brain changes suggests that those with stronger impairment benefit the most from this paradigm.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Speech and Language Training in Early Aphasia Rehabilitation: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Pilot Study

Background: Functional neuroimaging studies with poststroke aphasia patients have shown increased activation of the unaffected hemisphere, which hypothetically reflects a maladaptive strategy of brain reorganization. Objective: We investigated whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) inhibiting the right-hemisphere homologue of Broca’s area improves language restitution if combined with speech/language therapy. Methods: Forty aphasic patients during the subacute phase of ischemic stroke were randomized to a 3-week aphasia rehabilitation protocol in combination with real or sham rTMS. Naming, repetition, and comprehension were assessed using the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination at baseline, immediately after therapy, and 15 weeks after completing treatment. Results: Although language functions improved in both experimental and control groups after 3 weeks, only slight group differences in degree of recovery were revealed between patients receiving rTMS and control participants. Follow-up revealed that severely aphasic rTMS patients demonstrated significantly greater improvement than patients receiving sham stimulation in repetition. Conclusions: Inhibitory rTMS applied to the right frontal language homologue is not effective for all poststroke aphasia patients, although it might benefit selected patients.

Abating Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Oxides Emissions from Container Shipping

This paper examines the impacts on the container shipping markets of two future environmental policies aimed at reducing ship-based emissions: the low-sulfur fuel requirements from the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships in sulfur emission control areas (SECA) and a European market-based instrument on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Two regulatory scenarios are defined as well as a cost model for liner services. The paper assesses the cost implications as of the year 2018 of sulfur and CO2 policies for a typical North Europe–Asia service and two feeder lines in North Europe articulated with this transcontinental service through transshipments. The results are examined through a comparative evaluation of the impacts of these policies on deep-sea shipping and feedering (short sea shipping dedicated to transportation on feeder ships), depending on the options of compliance to the low-sulfur fuel requirements. A discussion on the possible strategies of reorganization of the container maritime networks to deal with these environmental extra costs leads to the conclusion that avoiding SECAs and CO2 scope for transcontinental routes and extending the feeder routes to capitalize on the savings from scrubbing in SECAs might rarely prove cost-effective.

Opinião dos graduandos em odontologia diante da estratégia de saúde da família

Saúde da família, Currículo, Saúde bucal

The Impact of HCAʼs 2006 Leveraged Buyout on Hospital Performance

Leveraged buyout (LBO) arrangements are a reorganization strategy whereby a firm assumes a substantial amount of debt to buy back its publicly held stock to become privately held. LBOs offer a firm several advantages and have the potential to increase efficiency. In the past 20 years, several healthcare firms have engaged in LBOs, but the literature on performance changes in healthcare organizations as a result of an LBO is limited. In this article, we report on a study that examined the performance of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) hospitals before and after the LBO that was initiated in 2006. We used data from the Medicare Hospital Cost Report Information System and analyzed data from 130 HCA hospitals and 490 comparison hospitals. Findings show that HCA hospitals reduced expenses and their number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) relative to local competitor hospitals. HCA hospitals' cash-flow-margin ratio was substantially higher when adjusted for its local competing hospitals at the beginning of the LBO as well as at end of the LBO. When compared to local hospitals, HCA hospitals had a significant decrease in their capital investment in fixed assets from 2006 to 2009. These findings underscore the effectiveness of HCA's management strategies to repay debt and increase the value of the company, and they are informative for healthcare firms and their managers who are considering LBOs.

Research on collaborative conceptual design based on distributed knowledge resource

Conceptual design is an early stage of the whole product development process, which involves the generation of solutions to satisfy the design requirements. It is a crucial issue on how to find proper principle solutions from enormous, isomeric, and even distributed knowledge resources repositories and then ally with these correlative distributed knowledge resources providers to collaborative conceptual design. Design is a task-solving process using corresponding resource, so it does not always have an agency in product design. This paper proposes a model of collaborative conceptual design based on distributed knowledge resources, which is centered on design tasks and based on dynamic knowledge alliance without agency. After a model of knowledge resource unit and a model of Web services based on knowledge resource are proposed, a virtual quantitative and qualitative knowledge resource representation based on knowledge grid is then put forward. The mixed knowledge resource repository is also proposed to support collaborative conceptual design. The strategies of knowledge register, publish, storage, reorganization, orientation, and problem solving based on mixed knowledge resource repository are then discussed in detail. The data exchange mode of principle solutions is then described. The selection strategy of dynamic knowledge alliance members is established. The framework of distributed knowledge resource is also put forward to support collaborative conceptual design. The process of collaborative conceptual design based on distributed knowledge resource is then proposed. The conceptual design of new devices for decreasing resistance of amphibious vehicles is given as an example, which demonstrates that the methodology is obviously helpful to produce valuable principle solutions with distributed knowledge for product innovation.

Debt reorganization strategies with complete verification under information asymmetry

This paper examines optimal debt reorganization strategies in the presence of agency problems arising from information asymmetry between a firm and a bank during financial distress. In particular, in the structural model, we incorporate complete verification strategies for private information that the firm holds under information asymmetry. We show that under complete verification strategies, the agency conflict because of information asymmetry delays the debt reorganization, leading to a decrease in equity and debt values. These results fit well with the findings of previous empirical works in this area.

Evaluation of a Fault-tolerant Model for Tactic Operations of Mobile Robotic Groups Using Genetic Algorithms

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This paper addresses the evaluation of a fault-tolerant model for tactic operations of mobile robotic groups. The coordinated action of the group is planned with Genetic Algorithms (GA) and aims to act on an environmental disaster scenario, simulated as a forest fire. The robotic squad should surround the fire and avoid fire's propagation. Initially, we evaluate several parameters in the GA, seeking to obtain the set of parameters that would accomplish the more efficient evolution. Then, we simulate failures in robots operations in order to evaluate strategies of reorganization. The simulation's results1 showed that with an adequate set of parameters it is possible to get satisfactory strategic positions to coordinate and to reorganize the robotic group in case of robot failures.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Reducing Childhood Mortality From Diarrhea and Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Brazil

To evaluate the effects of the Family Health Program (FHP), a strategy for reorganization of primary health care in Brazil, on mortality of children younger than 5 years, particularly from diarrheal diseases and lower respiratory tract infections. Mortality rates and the extent of FHP coverage from 2000 to 2005 was evaluated from the 2601 (of 5507) Brazilian municipalities with an adequate quality of vital information. A multivariable regression analysis for panel data was conducted by using a negative binomial model with fixed effects, adjusted for relevant demographic and socioeconomic covariates. A statistically significant negative association was observed between FHP coverage levels, classified as none (the reference category), low (<30%), intermediate (>or=30% and <70%), or high (>or=70%), and all analyzed mortality rates, with a reduction of 4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2%-6%), 9% (95% CI: 7%-12%), and 13% (95% CI: 10%-15%), respectively, on mortality rates or children younger than 5. The greatest effect was on postneonatal mortality. Reductions of 31% (95% CI: 20%-40%) and 19% (95% CI: 8%-28%) in mortality rates from diarrheal diseases and lower respiratory infections, respectively, were found in the group of municipalities with the highest FHP coverage. The FHP, one of the largest comprehensive primary health care programs in the world, was effective in reducing overall mortality of children younger than 5, and particularly deaths related to diarrheal diseases and lower respiratory tract infections.

FINANCE Court approves new lending for Tronox reorganization

Bankrupt titanium dioxide maker Tronox has more time to pursue its reorganization strategy with new debtor-in-possession and exit financing provided by Goldman Sachs. Tronox filed an emergency motion to obtain new financing on the eve of a planned Dec. 21, 2009, auction of many of its manufacturing assets. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York issued an interim order approving the financing deal and the cancelation of the auction. When it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 12, 2009, Tronox originally obtained 12 months of debtor-in-possession financing from Credit Suisse. With the new $425 million in senior secured loans from Goldman Sachs, Tronox can repay the existing loan and continue to operate while implementing its reorganization plan. Under the plan, Tronox and a committee of bondholders and other unsecured creditors will raise additional debt financing, plus $115 million for environmental remediation trusts and a litigation trust. In a Dec. 22, ...

Reorganization strategies and securities valuation under asymmetric information

This paper examines optimal reorganization strategies during financial distress and securities valuation under asymmetric information. We model strategic interactions between debtholders and equityholders in a game-theoretic setting that can accommodate the varying bargaining powers of the two claimants. Two reorganization strategies are considered: Chapter 11 (debt–equity swap) and private workout (strategic debt service). Using Chapter 11 as a costly state verification device, we characterize in equilibrium which firms choose Chapter 11 and which choose private workout. In particular, we show how the bank's belief about the type of firm evolves by observation of reorganization strategies. We also derive closed-form solutions to both the equity and debt valuation problems under asymmetric information and show that credit spreads increase with the degrees of asymmetric information.

Online reorganization of databases

In practice, any database management system sometimes needs reorganization, that is, a change in some aspect of the logical and/or physical arrangement of a database. In traditional practice, many types of reorganization have required denying access to a database (taking the database offline) during reorganization. Taking a database offline can be unacceptable for a highly available (24-hour) database, for example, a database serving electronic commerce or armed forces, or for a very large database. A solution is to reorganize online (concurrently with usage of the database, incrementally during users' activities, or interpretively). This article is a tutorial and survey on requirements, issues, and strategies for online reorganization. It analyzes the issues and then presents the strategies, which use the issues. The issues, most of which involve design trade-offs, include use of partitions, the locus of control for the process that reorganizes (a background process or users' activities), reorganization by copying to newly allocated storage (as opposed to reorganizing in place), use of differential files, references to data that has moved, performance, and activation of reorganization. The article surveys online strategies in three categories of reorganization. The first category, maintenance, involves restoring the physical arrangement of data instances without changing the database definition. This category includes restoration of clustering, reorganization of an index, rebalancing of parallel or distributed data, garbage collection for persistent storage, and cleaning (reclamation of space) in a log-structured file system. The second category involves changing the physical database definition; topics include construction of indexes, conversion between B + -trees and linear hash files, and redefinition (e.g., splitting) of partitions. The third category involves changing the logical database definition. Some examples are changing a column's data type, changing the inheritance hierarchy of object classes, and changing a relationship from one-to-many to many-to-many. The survey encompasses both research and commercial implementations, and this article points out several open research topics. As highly available or very large databases continue to become more common and more important in the world economy, the importance of online reorganization is likely to continue growing.

Impact of the Family Health Program on Infant Mortality in Brazilian Municipalities

We evaluated the effects of the Family Health Program (FHP), a strategy for reorganization of primary health care at a nationwide level in Brazil, on infant mortality at a municipality level. We collected data on FHP coverage and infant mortality rates for 771 of 5561 Brazilian municipalities from 1996 to 2004. We performed a multivariable regression analysis for panel data with a negative binomial response by using fixed-effects models that controlled for demographic, social, and economic variables. We observed a statistically significant negative association between FHP coverage and infant mortality rate. After we controlled for potential confounders, the reduction in the infant mortality rate was 13.0%, 16.0%, and 22.0%, respectively for the 3 levels of FHP coverage. The effect of the FHP was greater in municipalities with a higher infant mortality rate and lower human development index at the beginning of the study period. The FHP had an important effect on reducing the infant mortality rate in Brazilian municipalities from 1996 to 2004. The FHP may also contribute toward reducing health inequalities.