Coordination Task Research Articles

Knowledge-oriented leadership for improved coordination as a solution to relationship conflict: effects on innovation capabilities

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes knowledge-oriented leadership and coordination as factors that help organisations to reduce conflicts in workplace relationships, with the aim of improving innovation capabilities. To date, these factors remain underexplored in the hotel industry, the future sustainability of which depends on the development of new services and business processes. This paper proposes a series of hypotheses about the role of knowledge-oriented leadership and coordination in developing an environment that is conducive to reducing conflicts, the result of which is an improvement in the innovation capabilities of hotel establishments. The hypothesised relationships between variables have been tested by means of structural equation modelling using SmartPLS 4.0. The results show that innovation capabilities improve when hotel establishments implement this type of leadership adequately as, with the use of knowledge management tools, the coordination of tasks is improved, thereby reducing the negative effects of workplace relationship conflict.

Working memory load impairs tacit coordination but not inter-brain EEG synchronization.

Coordinating actions with others is thought to require Theory of Mind (ToM): the ability to take perspective by attributing underlying intentions and beliefs to observed behavior. However, researchers have yet to establish a causal role for specific cognitive processes in coordinated action. Since working memory load impairs ToM in single-participant paradigms, we tested whether load manipulation affects two-person coordination. We used EEG to measure P3, an assessment of working memory encoding, as well as inter-brain synchronization (IBS), which is thought to capture mutual adjustment of behavior and mental states during coordinated action. In a computerized coordination task, dyads were presented with novel abstract images and tried selecting the same image, with selections shown at the end of each trial. High working memory load was implemented by a concurrent n-back task. Compared with a low-load control condition, high load significantly diminished coordination performance and P3 amplitude. A significant relationship between P3 and performance was found. Load did not affect IBS, nor did IBS affect performance. These findings suggest a causal role for working memory in two-person coordination, adding to a growing body of evidence challenging earlier claims that social alignment is domain-specific and does not require executive control in adults.

Evaluating Target Expansion for Eye Pointing Tasks

Abstract The idea of target expansion was proposed two decades ago for manual target acquisition, but it is not feasible to implement this idea in traditional user interfaces as the interactive system cannot know exactly which target is the desired one and should be expanded among several candidates. With the increasing maturity of eye tracking technology, gaze input has moved from an academically promising technique to an input method with built-in support in Windows 10; and target expansion has already become very feasible in the context of gaze input, as the user’s eye gaze is inherently an indicator of the desired target due to the natural eye-hand coordination in everyday tasks. However, a comprehensive evaluation is still lacking. In this study, two experiments were conducted, each with a different group of subjects, to investigate the effects of target expansion under different expansion feedback styles (visible vs. invisible), expansion factors, as well as different target appearances (i.e., circular vs. rectangular). The experimental results indicated that (1) the index of difficulty in eye pointing tasks (IDeye) does not depend on the initial size of the target, but on its final size, and that the corresponding human performance can be accurately predicted using the IDeye model instead of Fitts’ law; and that (2) the visible expansion style could disrupt the user’s fixations, making the measured human performance less efficient to some extent, but overall the theoretical predictions using the IDeye model were almost the same as the baselines. Following the experimental results, this study also provided some practical suggestions for UI design.

Ministerial policy roles and mandate letters in the Justin Trudeau government

AbstractThis article examines ministers as policy actors through analysis of tasks in mandate letters. These tasks were coded as involving either policy initiation, supplementation, maintenance, coordination, engagement, or information. The 2021 mandate letters show that policy maintenance tasks are most common, initiation the least, suggesting that most ministers are constrained to passive policy management. Four distinctive ministerial types are also identified. Activists are distinguished by their dominance over policy initiation, advocates are characterized most by policy supplementation and maintenance, managers are mostly tasked with maintaining the policy status quo, and networkers are distinctive in their share of coordination and information tasks.

Neural correlates of transfer of learning in motor coordination tasks: role of inhibitory and excitatory neurometabolites

We aimed to investigate transfer of learning, whereby previously acquired skills impact new task learning. While it has been debated whether such transfer may yield positive, negative, or no effects on performance, very little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms, especially concerning the role of inhibitory (GABA) and excitatory (Glu) (measured as Glu + glutamine (Glx)) neurometabolites, as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Participants practiced a bimanual coordination task across four days. The Experimental group trained a task variant with the right hand moving faster than the left (Task A) for three days and then switched to the opposite variant (Task B) on Day4. The control group trained Task B across four days. MRS data were collected before, during, and after task performance on Day4 in the somatosensory (S1) and visual (MT/V5) cortex. Results showed that both groups improved performance consistently across three days. On Day4, the Experimental group experienced performance decline due to negative task transfer while the control group continuously improved. GABA and Glx concentrations obtained during task performance showed no significant group-level changes. However, individual Glx levels during task performance correlated with better (less negative) transfer performance. These findings provide a first window into the neurochemical mechanisms underlying task transfer.

‘Help, I May Have to Go Home…’ Leaving the Hospital Not Too Early and Not Too Late: Optimising the Discharge Process

Hospital discharge is a complex matter. For patients it often involves insecurity; for hospitals, efficiency plays a major role. The consequences include uncertainty and anxiety among patients, unnecessary readmissions and rising costs for hospitals. Like in hotels where the check-out is the last part of the guest journey, the hospital discharge is crucial for, among other things, image-building. Improving the hospital discharge procedure contributes to a better patient experience and quality of life, word-of-mouth advertising, efficiency and costs for the hospital. In this preliminary study, the hospital discharge in a cancer clinic was studied. It was assumed that the hospital discharge went according to a protocol and a fixed procedure and to everyone’s satisfaction. In order to verify this, the procedure was examined and compliance with the protocol was checked. Amongst others, it became clear that patients experienced the planning of the hospital discharge as unstructured and improvised as there seemed to be no clear moment for discharge. On the staff side, the main focus was on the administrative burden of discharge. Furthermore, a clear coordination and division of tasks between the doctors and nurses was lacking. Hotel management check-out procedures are suggested to improve hospital discharges.

Effects of color cues on eye-hand coordination training with a mirror drawing task in virtual environment.

Mirror drawing is a motor learning task that is used to evaluate and improve eye-hand coordination of users and can be implemented in immersive Virtual Reality (VR) Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) for training purposes. In this paper, we investigated the effect of color cues on user motor performance in a mirror-drawing task between Virtual Environment (VE) and Real World (RW), with three different colors. We conducted a 5-day user study with twelve participants. The results showed that the participants made fewer errors in RW compared to VR, except for pre-training, which indicated that hardware and software limitations have detrimental effects on the motor learning of the participants across different realities. Furthermore, participants made fewer errors with the colors close to green, which is usually associated with serenity, contentment, and relaxation. According to our findings, VR headsets can be used to evaluate participants' eye-hand coordination in mirror drawing tasks to evaluate the motor-learning of participants. VE and RW training applications could benefit from our findings in order to enhance their effectiveness.

CIRCA: Cloud-based intelligent robotic system for chemical analysis in streamlining and automating open-ended measurement tasks

The realm of chemical analysis has witnessed remarkable advancements through the automation of measurement techniques. This automation has played a pivotal role in reducing the labor-intensive and time-consuming aspects associated with chemical analysis, while simultaneously minimizing dependence on specialized knowledge. However, in practical analytical work, automated chemical measurement instrumentation faces persistent challenges due to uncertainties regarding the number and timing of sample measurement tasks reaching the laboratory for analysis. These challenges result in low instrument sharing rates and a deficiency in effective communication mechanisms between sample providers and administrators, impeding the further enhancement of automated chemical measurement efficiency. Here we proposed a Cloud-based Intelligent Robotic System for Chemical Analysis (CIRCA) and demonstrated its application by the analysis of soluble iron in water samples. CIRCA comprises a cloud platform and an analytical robot, which efficiently manages and executes measurement tasks using a Process Simulation Algorithm and a Task Coordination Algorithm. The Process Simulation Algorithm plans the mechanical actions of analytical robot modules, while simulating processing times for each task. Simultaneously, the Task Coordination Algorithm optimizes the timing of each measurement task. By adopting CIRCA, sample providers can remotely submit measurement tasks without negotiation, allowing for the seamless management of open-ended analytical tasks, measurement execution, and analytical result feedback, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of the analytical workflow. CIRCA represents a pioneering cloud-based intelligent robotic system that revolutionizes chemical analysis by addressing persistent challenges in managing open-ended measurement tasks. Its innovative design and distinctive algorithms, coupled with cloud-based communication logic and architecture, as well as the robotic physical framework, empower seamless task coordination, remote synergism, automated execution, and result feedback, ultimately enhancing analytical efficiency.

The effect of different interfaces during virtual game practice on motor performance of individuals with genetic ataxia: A cross-sectional study.

Reaching and coordination tasks are widely used in traditional physical rehabilitation programs for individuals with Ataxia. Virtual reality interventions could optimize the motor performance of these individuals; however, the type of virtual interface may influence performance during virtual practice. We aimed to estimate the extent of the effect of different interfaces (webcam and touchscreen) on the motor performance of individuals with various types of genetic ataxia, compared to a control group, during virtual computer game tasks. Repeated exposure quasi-experimental design, which included seventeen volunteers diagnosed with progressive ataxia between 21 and 64 years of age and sixteen age-matched controls. The virtual game tasks were based on the MoveHero software, performed using different interfaces (webcam or touchscreen). Subgroups of participants with genetic ataxia performed the virtual games using the interfaces in different orders (webcam interface followed by touchscreen interface, or vice-versa). The absolute error (AE), variable error (VE), number of hits, and anticipation were used to reflect the motor performance during the virtual task. Participants with ataxia presented more variable and absolute errors, a lower number of hits, and greater anticipation error than controls (p<0.05). For participants with ataxia, a greater AE was found only in the sequence touchscreen followed by webcam interface (i.e., the sequence webcam before touchscreen presented lower AE). The group of participants with genetic ataxia presented lower performance than the control group regardless of the interface (webcam or touchscreen). The most interesting observation was that although practicing with the webcam interface offers features that make the task more complex than the touchscreen interface, resulting in lower performance, this interface facilitated performance in a subsequent touchscreen task only in individuals with ataxia, suggesting that a virtual interface engenders greater transfer to other tasks. Registered at Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC) database number identifier: RBR-3q685r5.

Research on interaction and trust theory model for cockpit human-machine fusion intelligence.

Based on Boyd's "Observation Orientation-Decision-Action (OODA)" aerial combat theory and the principles of operational success, an analysis of the operational division patterns for cross-generational human-machine collaboration was conducted. The research proposed three stages in the development of aerial combat human-machine fusion intelligence: "Human-Machine Separation, Functional Coordination," "Human-Machine Trust, Task Coordination," and "Human-Machine Integration, Deep Fusion." Currently, the transition from the first stage to the second stage is underway, posing challenges primarily related to the lack of effective methods guiding experimental research on human-machine fusion interaction and trust. Building upon the principles of decision neuroscience and the theory of supply and demand relationships, the study analyzed the decision-making patterns of human-machine fusion intelligence under different states. By investigating the correlations among aerial combat mission demands, dynamic operational limits of human-machine tasks, and aerial combat mission performance, a theoretical model of human-machine fusion interaction and trust was proposed. This model revealed the mechanistic coupling of human-machine interactions in aerial tasks, aiming to optimize the decision-making processes of human-machine systems to enhance mission performance. It provides methodological support for the design and application of intelligent collaborative interaction modes in aviation equipment.

The Mediating Effect of Customer Loyalty in the Relationship Between Supply Chain Performance, Inventory Management and Quality Management

Supply chain management is the systematic, strategic coordination of business tasks engaged in a supply chain to enhance a company’s and a supplier chain’s overall long-term performance. It is also a set of approaches used effectively to integrate suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, or customers to improve the long-term performance of the companies involved and the supply chain itself as a whole. A lack of financial resources is the main obstacle to supply chain management development. This study intends to investigate the mediating effect of customer loyalty on the relationships among supply chain performance, inventory management, and quality management. An electronic manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia, served as the site of this investigation. Consequently, 700 individuals were working at this industrial company. This industrial company’s employees were given the questionnaire, which was created. An analysis of the relationship and effects of quality management, inventory management, supply chain management, and customer loyalty on the performance of the product market was performed via nonprobability sampling on a population of 700 employees to generate a sample of 65 respondents based on the PLS-SEM. Several statistical methods were employed in this study, and SMART PLS3 was utilised to analyse the data. The effectiveness of a product in the market was found to be significantly influenced by variables such as customer loyalty, inventory management, supply chain management, and product market performance. The results showed that seven hypotheses had significant connections for all variables. Business owners and other relevant stakeholders are suggested to improve the supply chain, inventory management, and quality management systems in their organisation’s business operations to promote customer loyalty and product market performance for long-term viability. The effort continued during the RMK-9 period by implementing comprehensive policy because more intense competition had to be faced by the industry, including SMEs, due to the existence of globalisation and trade liberalisation

Különböző gyepkezelések hatásának cönológiai és természetvédelmi vizsgálati eredményei üde gyepen

In grassland management systems, the various agrotechnical elements have to be used in many cases on "primitive grasslands", where the coordination of agricultural and nature conservation tasks is necessary. Here, animal husbandry is the main aspect, which includes the long-term preservation of the quality of the pasture, as well as the most economical use of the pasture and keeping the animals as cheap as possible. The tests were carried out on a grassy area on the border of the settlement of Aba. We examined the vegetation of 8 plots of the same size in the area and the quantitative and qualitative composition of the biomass produced there. In this thesis, we provide data on the vegetation composition and evaluation of the following treatments. The plots and treatments were as follows: I. plot-ventilated; II. parcel-relaxed; III. plot loosened and ventilated; ARC. parcel control; V. plot-ventilated and 15 t/ha manure; VI. plot loosened and 15 t/ha manure; VII. plot loosened, ventilated and 15 t/ha manure; VIII. plot loosened, ventilated and 30 t/ha manure. In each plot, 5 ceenological recordings were made using 4 x 4 m quadrats. The estimated coverage of each species was given in %, taking into account the proportion of grasslands and other species. Among Borhidi's plant ecological indicators, the species were evaluated based on the NB (relative values of nitrogen demand) and WB (relative soil water and soil moisture indicator numbers). The social behavior types (SZMT) were also defined based on Borhidi's work, and the nature conservation value categories (TVK) were defined according to Simon. The lifestyle analysis was performed based on Pignatti's lifestyle types. Based on the data, the composition of the vegetation of each plot changed significantly compared to the data of the control plot IV. A direct proportionality can be discovered between the increase in the cover value of the dominant lawn grasses, primarily Festuca arundinacea, Dactylis glomerata, Alopecurus pratensis, and Fabaeceae species (e.g. Lathyrus tuberosus, Lotus corniculatus) and the amount of applied nutrients. Based on the coenological survey of the eight examined areas, the control area (IV.) showed the most natural state, which was confirmed by the species composition and number of species. The IV. plots are close to I., II. and III. for plot recordings, which proves that aeration and loosening do not worsen the condition of the lawn, but rather promote the preservation of its natural state. The VII-VIII. plots have the smallest number of species, but based on the life form spectrum, naturalness indicators, nature conservation value categories and social behavior types, they are not very disturbed habitats. No significant difference can be detected between the effect of lawn loosening and lawn aeration, but III. plot, where both treatments were carried out, was closer to the control area. Regarding the effect of the lawn management methods, it was possible to produce a starting data set in the long term (with the same environmental conditions). Overall, the study gave valuable results regarding the age of change occurring during the application of different lawn management methods, and was also effective from an economic point of view.

Pediatric resident use, perceptions, and desires for improvement of a clinical secure messaging application

BackgroundHospitals are transitioning away from traditional pagers to secure text messaging (STM) applications. STM is perceived to improve efficiency and accessibility. There is limited research on user's impressions of how STM impacts patient safety, provider wellness, and quality of patient care. ObjectivesTo understand the use and perceptions of a clinical STM by pediatric residents at a free-standing quaternary care children's hospital. MethodsA survey was conducted of pediatric residents regarding their experience with Diagnotes®. Demographic data were obtained along with use patterns, ability to perform tasks, and perceptions of intended purpose. Further questions evaluated agreement with communication strategies and satisfaction with features. Three open-ended questions asked about experience where STM impacted (1) patient care coordination and (2) patient safety. A final question asked for any additional STM feedback. ResultsOf 169 surveys, there were 112 respondents (66.3 % response rate). Respondents unanimously endorsed daily STM use on their personal mobile devices with good knowledge of basic features. Respondents were overall satisfied with Diagnotes® (73.9 %) including the ability to communicate efficiently (84.8 %) and effectively (79.5 %). Yet only 32.1 % were satisfied with Diagnotes® training. Only 59.5 % believed Diagnotes® was appropriate for urgent patient care needs and only 43.2 % believed its purpose was to inform the team of patient emergencies. Key qualitative themes included improved coordination of patient care tasks through STM, but there were concerns raised around sending and receiving messages, the additional cognitive burden placed by STM, and differences in culture of use that created conflict. ConclusionsDiagnotes® is viewed positively including use for effective coordination of patient care and familiarity of functions of Diagnotes®. Barriers included unclear interprofessional expectations for use. Future research should incorporate a broad range of healthcare professionals' perceptions and co-creation of STM best practice guidelines for use, including around urgent or emergent patient care issues.

Artificial Intelligence – Qualification and Competence Development Requirements for Executives

When companies increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI), this changes the world of work and, in particular, the way people and technology work together and divide up their work. Because with the help of AI systems, even cognitively demanding activities can be automated. For example, AI can support executives in their leadership tasks and partially take over administrative coordination and control tasks. Workflows and processes must be redesigned or at least adapted accordingly. This scientific article provides an overview of the necessary changes and presents suitable tools for well-structured change management that is oriented toward human-centered work design and takes AI-specific design criteria into account. Furthermore, the article presents a qualification concept, which helps executives to develop, implement and establish AI applications in a socio-technical and human-oriented manner. With the help of this concept, executives and users of AI, for example, will be able to acquire the necessary competencies. In this context, the results of the practical evaluation of the concept will also be presented.

A Colorectal Coordinate-Driven Method for Colorectum and Colorectal Cancer Segmentation in Conventional CT Scans.

Automated colorectal cancer (CRC) segmentation in medical imaging is the key to achieving automation of CRC detection, staging, and treatment response monitoring. Compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography colonography (CTC), conventional computed tomography (CT) has enormous potential because of its broad implementation, superiority for the hollow viscera (colon), and convenience without needing bowel preparation. However, the segmentation of CRC in conventional CT is more challenging due to the difficulties presenting with the unprepared bowel, such as distinguishing the colorectum from other structures with similar appearance and distinguishing the CRC from the contents of the colorectum. To tackle these challenges, we introduce DeepCRC-SL, the first automated segmentation algorithm for CRC and colorectum in conventional contrast-enhanced CT scans. We propose a topology-aware deep learning-based approach, which builds a novel 1-D colorectal coordinate system and encodes each voxel of the colorectum with a relative position along the coordinate system. We then induce an auxiliary regression task to predict the colorectal coordinate value of each voxel, aiming to integrate global topology into the segmentation network and thus improve the colorectum's continuity. Self-attention layers are utilized to capture global contexts for the coordinate regression task and enhance the ability to differentiate CRC and colorectum tissues. Moreover, a coordinate-driven self-learning (SL) strategy is introduced to leverage a large amount of unlabeled data to improve segmentation performance. We validate the proposed approach on a dataset including 227 labeled and 585 unlabeled CRC cases by fivefold cross-validation. Experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms some recent related segmentation methods and achieves the segmentation accuracy in DSC for CRC of 0.669 and colorectum of 0.892, reaching to the performance (at 0.639 and 0.890, respectively) of a medical resident with two years of specialized CRC imaging fellowship.

GCNet: Ground Collapse Prediction Based on the Ground-Penetrating Radar and Deep Learning Technique

Manual methods to detect and identify potential ground collapse hazards have a high volume of workload and rely on manual skills and experience strongly, with substantial inconsistencies. This paper proposes an automatic recognition method of potential underground hazards and designs an object detection-based algorithm to predict the hidden danger of ground collapse, called GCNet. The GCNet is a ground collapse hazard detection network, which is developed to detect underground hazards, including cavities, poor soil quality, pipelines, and soil background. The GCNet uses the deep residual network ResNet101 and feature pyramid network (FPN) to extract features and a task coordination network (TCN) to identify the category and location of hidden underground hazards. Further, a feature enhancement method based on the regional binary pattern is proposed to improve the accuracy of the proposed model by expanding the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data by adding multi-level features to GPR images. The experiments are conducted on a large amount of real GPR data and experiment results show that the proposed automatic recognition method can surpass the existing deep learning-based methods in hidden underground hazard recognition and identification.

Effects of spectators on the performance of a dance routine

Sports like dancing and gymnastics are often performed in front of an audience. It is therefore an important question whether spectators help or hinder movement execution. Previous research suggests that the influence of spectators on motor performance depends on the type of task, with condition-based tasks being facilitated, and coordination-based tasks being inhibited (for a recent review, see van Meurs, Greve, & Strauss, 2022). We tested a group of female carnival dancers (N = 15, Mage = 19; age range between 15 and 35 years) over the course of a competitive season. The same dance choreography was performed at four timepoints, each time with and without spectators. Dance performances were videotaped and afterwards rated by 7 qualified raters, who were blinded concerning the experimental condition. Raters noted an increased quality of the dance with increasing practice (linear and cubic trend). Concerning social facilitation effects, dance performance was either improved (timepoint 2) or unchanged (timepoints 1, 3, and 4) in front of the audience. Our results indicate that a complex coordination task like the carnival dance may be facilitated when being watched. Future research should address whether these findings can be replicated in other aesthetic sports (like gymnastics), whether they are influenced by gender, and how individual performances influence the group outcome.

Implementing national care coordination guidelines for people with complex care needs: evidence from a pilot study

In 2018, The Norwegian Directorate of Health launched an integrated care pilot project aiming to implement national guidelines for a person-centered and coordinated follow-up of people with complex care needs in six municipalities.&#x0D; Core measures of the pilot are implementing systems for identifying persons in need of interdisciplinary and intersectoral follow-up, implementing structured interdisciplinary follow-up teams as care approach in all services, strengthening the role of care coordinators, and strengthening user involvement and adaption to user needs. The national guidelines are generic and target all services for people with complex needs independent of age and diagnosis. The municipalities participating in the pilot receive financial and process support, and the pilot is monitored closely by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Initially the pilot was planned to last until 2021 but has been extended until 2023. Two of the six municipalities did not apply for continuation of the pilot from 2022.&#x0D; This study report results from a process evaluation of the pilot. The evaluation takes a mixed-methods approach, comprising qualitative interviews and survey data with managers, care coordinators, other municipal employees, as well as service users in the target group. The experiences in putting the national guidelines into practice are discussed based on implementation theory.&#x0D; The implementation has taken considerably longer time than first planned, and the complexity of the intervention (variety of user groups and services/sectors involved, system change requirements etc.) seems to have been underestimated. The municipalities had different starting points regarding which elements were already in place, which again affected their prioritisations in the first phase of the pilot project. Important implementation barriers were a lack of understanding of the intervention among managers and employees in the municipalities, and ambiguity related to the novelty in the work approaches described in the national guidelines. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic as well as processes of municipal amalgamation in four of the pilot municipalities have drawn attention and resources from the pilot project. Implementation facilitators seems to be having a recognised and dedicated implementation team that knows the organisation well. Strong grounding in all levels of the organisation and having a competent and interdisciplinary coordinating unit in the municipality, with authority to delegate coordination tasks via managers of health and welfare services, is key. A shared understanding and acceptance of the role and responsibility of care coordinators and the follow-up team, within and between sectors, is also important.&#x0D; To implement new guidelines, structures and work approaches for follow-up of persons with complex care needs constitute a complex intervention that requires thorough preparations and anchoring, understanding and commitment among managers of the services. Employees’ and leaders’ understanding of the usefulness of the intervention and how it differs from existing practice is an important success criterion in the implementation process. While the main focus the first three years has been on getting the necessary structures and systems in place, the emphasis in the last phase of the pilot project is on gaining experiences from structured interdisciplinary follow-up teams as care approach for different user groups.&#x0D;

The Role of Ventricular Assist Device Coordinator Nurse in Saudi Arabia

Background: The Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Coordinator Nurse plays a vital role in managing patients with end-stage heart failure requiring mechanical circulatory support. However, limited research exists on the specific responsibilities and contributions of VAD coordinators, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Understanding their roles and impact on patient care and organizational outcomes is crucial for healthcare improvement. Objective: This study examined the role of VAD Coordinator Nurse in Saudi Arabia by describing the role characteristics, including demographic information, qualifications, compensation, job preparation, work setting and responsibilities, scope of practice, contributions to patient care, and organizational outcomes. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted to explore the roles of VAD Coordinator Nurses in Saudi Arabia. A survey instrument developed by Casida (2011) was used to collect data from VAD coordinators working in Saudi Arabian centers offering VAD services. Convenience sampling was employed, and the survey was distributed electronically through the hospital's email system. Descriptive statistics, including percentages and frequencies, were calculated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: The study involved VAD coordinators with an average age of 36.47 years, predominantly male (60%), and Arab (80%). Most participants held a bachelor’s degree (60%) and had previous experience as staff nurses. Findings revealed that VAD Coordinator Nurses have diverse responsibilities, including patient monitoring, VAD performance evaluation, medical emergency management, and coordination of ancillary tasks. Conclusions: This study highlights the dynamic and multifaceted roles of VAD Coordinator Nurses in Saudi Arabia. They play a crucial role in bridging the technical and clinical aspects of VADs, ensuring optimal patient care, and contributing to positive organizational outcomes. Understanding their demographics, qualifications, responsibilities, and contributions is essential for healthcare policies and job preparation enhancements. Future research should address challenges faced by VAD coordinators and support their professional growth in delivering high-quality care to patients with end-stage heart failure.

Five-tiered route planner for multi-AUV accessing fixed nodes in uncertain ocean environments

This article introduces a five-tiered route planner for accessing multiple nodes with multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that enables efficient task completion in stochastic ocean environments. First, the pre-planning tier solves the single-AUV routing problem to find the optimal giant route (GR), estimates the number of required AUVs based on GR segmentation, and allocates nodes for each AUV to access. Second, the route planning tier plans individual routes for each AUV. During navigation, the path planning tier provides each AUV with physical paths between any two points, while the actuation tier is responsible for path tracking and obstacle avoidance. Finally, in the stochastic ocean environment, deviations from the initial plan may occur, thus, an auction-based coordination tier drives online task coordination among AUVs in a distributed manner. Simulation experiments are conducted in multiple different scenarios to test the performance of the proposed planner, and the promising results show that the proposed method reduces AUV usage by 7.5% compared with the existing methods. When using the same number of AUVs, the fleet equipped with the proposed planner achieves a 6.2% improvement in average task completion rate. The real-world test confirms the effectiveness of the planner.