Time Resource Allocation Research Articles

Discrete-time, economic lot scheduling problem on multiple, non-identical production lines

This paper deals with a general discrete time dynamic demand model to solve real time resource allocation and lot-sizing problems in a multimachine environment. In particular, the problem of apportioning item production to distinct manufacturing lines with different costs (production, setup and inventory) and capabilities is considered. Three models with different cost definitions are introduced, and a set of algorithms able to handle all the problems are developed. The computational results show that the best of the developed approaches is able to handle problems with up to 10000 binary variables outperforming general-purpose solvers and other randomized approaches. The gap between lower and upper bound procedures is within 1.0% after about 500 seconds of CPU time on a 2.66 Ghz Intel Core2 PC.

Optimum time resource allocation for TDMA-based differential decode-and-forward cooperative systems: a capacity perspective

It is widely recognized that differential decode-and-forward (DDF) cooperative transmission schemes are capable of achieving a cooperative diversity gain, while circumventing the potentially excessive-complexity and yet inaccurate channel estimation, especially in mobile environments. In this letter, we find the optimum transmit-interval duration for the source and relay in the context of TDMA-based DDF-aided half-duplex systems for the sake of maximizing the achievable network throughput. We also demonstrate from a pure capacity perspective, in what scenarios the introduction of cooperation improves the achievable throughput.

배우자간 의사결정력에 따른 노부모로의 시간자원 이전

This paper investigates whether intra-household bargaining power affects couples` caregiving decisions during instances of competing parental demands for assistance. The primary focus is on examining how partners` bargaining power influences the relative allocation of time resources between parents and parents-in-law, assuming that children prefer to transfer caregiving resources toward their own parents over their parents-in-law. The findings in this study reject the bargaining theory that couple`s parental care behavior results from a bargaining process between the husband and the wife. More specifically, the results did not clearly show that children prefer to transfer caregiving resources toward their own parents over their parents-in-law. Decision-making power, measured by final decision-making authority, also failed to affect the relative care transfers.

Primary medical care in Irish prisons.

BackgroundAn industrial dispute between prison doctors and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) took place in 2004. Part of the resolution of that dispute was that an independent review of prison medical and support services be carried out by a University Department of Primary Care. The review took place in 2008 and we report here on the principal findings of that review.MethodsThis study utilised a mixed methods approach. An independent expert medical evaluator (one of the authors, DT) inspected the medical facilities, equipment and relevant custodial areas in eleven of the fourteen prisons within the IPS. Semistructured interviews took place with personnel who had operational responsibility for delivery of prison medical care. Prison doctors completed a questionnaire to elicit issues such as allocation of clinician's time, nurse and administrative support and resources available.ResultsThere was wide variation in the standard of medical facilities and infrastructure provided across the IPS. The range of medical equipment available was generally below that of the equivalent general practice scheme in the community. There is inequality within the system with regard to the ratio of doctor-contracted time relative to the size of the prison population. There is limited administrative support, with the majority of prisons not having a medical secretary. There are few psychiatric or counselling sessions available.ConclusionsPeople in prison have a wide range of medical care needs and there is evidence to suggest that these needs are being met inconsistently in Irish prisons.

Surveillance for epidemic of enterovirus infections in Taiwan in 2008

Background: The emergence of enterovirus 71 (EV71) in Taiwan in October, 2007 resulted in a large epidemic of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) or herpangina in young children in 2008. EV71 patients may suffer from serious neurological complications or even deaths. The aims of this study were to describe the framework of the surveillance systems for enterovirus infections and to characterize this epidemic in Taiwan in 2008. Methods: At Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), there were four systems established for the surveillance of enterovirus infections. First, we used the sentinel surveillance with more than 650 clinics for reporting the number of HFMD or herpangina in outpatient weekly. Second, the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) was used for reporting the hospitalized cases with severe complications. Third, the laboratory surveillance consisted of 13 contract laboratories and 286 clinics for testing and collecting samples, respectively. Fourth, Taiwan CDC cooperated with the University of Pittsburgh to develop a syndromic surveillance, which is called the Real-time and Outbreak Surveillance (RODS) system, covering 80% of the emergency visits nationally. The Taiwanese RODS system used the ICD-9-CM code of 074.0 and 074.3 to monitor enterovirus infections. A web-based decision support system for this epidemic was also developed for displaying the statistics and epidemic curves of the four systems in real time. Results: The epidemic started in week 11, peaked in week 25, and was subsiding gradually. The sentinel physicians reported 72,610 visits in one epidemic wave, which represents 18% of the ones nationally. 373 cases of severe complications (including 14 deaths) were reported through the NNDSS. Among those, 347 cases (93%) were EV71. A web-based system with automated updates daily for the public to browse the statistics and epidemic curves of the reported cases in the NNDSS was also released then. There were 11,150 specimens tested and 3,724 (33%) enterovirus isolated in the laboratory surveillance. The three most isolated types were Coxsackie A2 (CA2), EV71 (B5 was the major subtype), and Coxsackie B4 (CB4). The real-time data from the RODS helped us better track the trend of the epidemic. During the large epidemic of enterovirus infections, our established surveillance systems are helpful for informing decisions about control measures, resource allocation, and risk communication in real time. Abstracts for SupplementInternational Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 14Preview Full-Text PDF Open Archive

On the Performance, Complexity, and Fairness of Suboptimal Resource Allocation for Multiuser MIMO–OFDMA Systems

The combination of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) is a promising solution to the flexible and spectrally efficient provision of data services in future wireless communication systems. However, adaptive resource allocation (RA) in frequency, time, and space in multiuser MIMO-OFDMA systems is very complex due to the inclusion of the space dimension and the large number of resources to be managed. Indeed, an optimal RA for maximizing the sum rate is usually too complex for practical application, and suboptimal strategies are required. In this paper, the performance, complexity, and fairness of suboptimal RA strategies aiming at the maximization of the sum rate are investigated. A model for suboptimal RA strategies is proposed, and two new RA strategies are introduced. The proposed strategies are compared in terms of the sum rate, complexity, and throughput fairness and are shown to present better performance-complexity and performance-fairness tradeoffs than some existing suboptimal strategies, as well as to achieve almost the same sum rate as that obtained through an exhaustive search.

Wireless Communication and Broadcasting Convergence Network Throughput

Wireless communication and broadcasting convergence networks provide a potential solution to greater traffic throughput in the future. In this paper, the throughput of a convergence network is analyzed based on the standardization project for specific requirements for local and metropolitan area networks in China, referred to as broadband wireless multimedia systems. The convergence network is modeled as a combination of a broadcasting channel and a multi-access channel with interference. The throughput is then given as a function of the time resource allocation by calculating the channel capacity with interference. The maximum throughput and the optimal time resource allocation are then determined for a given delay constraint and traffic requirements. The results give guidelines for time resource allocation and system design for convergence networks.

Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture on Childhood Obesity: Implications for Prevention and Treatment

Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture on Childhood Obesity: Implications for Prevention and Treatment

The ever-changing role of information professionals in pharmaceutical R&D

The role of the information professionals in the pharmaceutical industry is explored with particular reference to the author’s current role leading a team at a small pharmaceutical company. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of establishing a good relationship with the customers for the searches, but topics such as time management, training and resource allocation for example are also covered.

Joint International Hospitality Management Programs: The Case of Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management, Singapore

New models for the internationalization of higher hospitality education are emerging, as education becomes a global business. The challenges for implementing these are considerable. Universities seeking to internationalize must address diverse cultures, multiple time zones, disparate economies, resource allocation, institutional compatibilities and new markets. These challenges form the context for forging a vision with a viable plan for international success. One approach for internationalization is through joint programs offered by two universities. The parameters for this model and how it was applied by Cornell University in the United States of America and Nanyang Technological University in the Republic of Singapore are discussed.

Mechanism-based resource allocation for multimedia transmission over spectrum agile wireless networks

We propose to add a new dimension to existing wireless multimedia systems by enabling autonomous stations to dynamically compete for communication resources through adjustment of their internal strategies and sharing their private information. We focus on emerging spectrum agile wireless networks, where developing an efficient strategy for managing available communication resources is of high importance. The proposed dynamic resource management approach for wireless multimedia changes the passive way stations are currently adapting their joint source-channel coding strategies according to available wireless resources. Each wireless station can play the resource management game by adapting its multimedia transmission strategy depending on the experienced channel conditions and user requirements. The resource allocation game is coordinated by a network moderator, which deploys mechanism-based resource management to determine the amount of transmission time to be allocated to various users on different frequency bands such that certain global system metrics are optimized. Subsequently, the moderator charges the various users based on the amount of resources it has allocated to them, in order to discourage them from being dishonest about their resource requirements. We investigate and quantify both the users' and the system performance when different cross-layer strategies, and hence users' levels of smartness, are deployed by wireless stations. Our simulations show that mechanism-based resource management outperforms conventional techniques such as air-fair time and equal time resource allocation in terms of the obtained system utility. They also provide insights that can guide the design of emerging spectrum agile network protocols and applications

Fuzzy-logic optical optimization of mainframe CPU and memory

The allocation of CPU time and memory resources is a familiar problem in organizations with a large number of users and a single mainframe. Usually the amount of resources allocated to a single user is based on the user's own statistics not on the statistics of the entire organization, therefore patterns are not well identified and the allocation system is prodigal. A fuzzy-logic-based algorithm to optimize the CPU and memory distribution among users based on their history is suggested. The algorithm works on heavy and light users separately since they present different patterns to be observed. The result is a set of rules generated by the fuzzy-logic inference engine that will allow the system to use its computing ability in an optimized manner. Test results on data taken from the Faculty of Engineering of Tel Aviv University demonstrate the capabilities of the new algorithm.

A Scheduling Method Based on Time Resource Allocation

A Scheduling Method Based on Time Resource Allocation

A model for availability analysis of distributed software/hardware systems

System availability is a major performance concern in distributed systems design and analysis. A typical kind of application on distributed systems has a homogeneously distributed software/hardware structure. That is, identical copies of distributed application software run on the same type of computers. In this paper, the system availability for this type of system is studied. Such a study is useful when studying optimal testing time or testing resource allocation. We consider both the case of simple two-host system, and also the more general case of multi-host system. A Markov model is developed and equations are derived to obtain the steady-state availability. Both software and hardware failures are considered, assuming that software faults are constantly being identified and removed upon a failure. Although a specific model for software reliability is used for illustration, the approach is a general one. Comparisons show that system availability changes in a similar way to single-host based software/hardware systems. Sensitivity analysis is also presented. In addition, the assumptions used in this paper are discussed.

Encouraging schools to promote health: impact of the Western Australian School Health Project (1992-1995).

The Western Australian School Health (WASH) Project, a school health promotion intervention operating over a four-year period (1992-1995), provided a comprehensive, year-long intervention to help successive groups of schools develop health promotion programs. The WASH Project worked with self-selected school communities and used community development strategies to support participating schools in identifying and responding to health concerns relevant to their students. This paper reports the school impact results of the WASH Project. School impact data involved 24 variables categorized into two areas: school organizational factors supportive of health promotion, and school health promotion factors. Two methods of analysis were used: logistic regression indicating the direction of change, and linear regression indicating the magnitude of change. Results demonstrated that schools successfully made organizational changes, such as the allocation of additional time, personnel, and monetary resources, to support health promotion.

Time? money? both? the allocation of resources to older Parents

We provide estimates of a reduced-form model of the allocation of household time and money resources. We consider four demands for these resources: time spent working, time spent providing care for noncoresident elderly parents, time spent performing housework, and monetary transfers to noncoresident elderly parents. We focus on the effects of wage rates and parental characteristics on the allocation decisions of adult children and their households concerning these four demands. We find that households with individuals earning high wages rely relatively more on cash transfers and relatively less on time transfers than do lower-wage households. We also find evidence consistent with an unmeasured tendency of some families to provide multiple sources of support.

Haddad, Lawrence, John Hoddinott, and Harold Alderman, eds. Intrahousehold Resource Allocation in Developing Countries: Models, Methods, and Policy. Baltimore MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997, 384 pp., $@@‐@@55.00

In this volume economists, demographers, sociologists and anthropologists collaborate in the study of how resources are allocated within households in developing countries and why it matters from a policy perspective. Surveying a broad range of theory and evidence, the contributors examine the many social and cultural factors that influence decisions about the family and household level about the allocation of time, income, assets and other resources. Ths contributors show that a more complete understanding of intrahousehold behaviour can increase the likelihood that policies will reach the people they are intended to affect.

A Model for Qualitative Action Research Amongst Illicit Drug Users

Qualitative research, by providing rich descriptive data, is valuable in informing the development of interventions aimed at effecting behaviour change amongst injecting drug users. This paper describes an inductive analytical model that utilises a range of qualitative research techniques for data gathering and hypothesis generation. These include participant observation, focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Central to the model is the use of ex- and current drug users as Indigenous Fieldworkers, who perform a range of research tasks. The need for any model of qualitative research to contain multi-indicators is stressed, as is the need for flexibility according to time available and resource allocation. Hence, both “standard” and “enhanced” options of the model are presented. The further application of the model in the context of action research is discussed, particularly in relation to extending the role of Indigenous Fieldworkers to that of peer educating health advocates.

Time and Energy Budgets of American Black Ducks in Winter

We used scan sampling techniques to quantify behavior and energy expenditure of American black ducks (Anas rubripes) at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Virginia, during the winters of 1985-86 and 1986-87. Time, tide, and habitat influenced black duck behaviors; therefore, diurnal time budgets were constructed by distributing scans over a time-tide matrix within refuge pool, saltmarsh, and tidal-water habitats. Black ducks observed during the day fed least and rested most when in refuge pools, and fed most and rested least when in tidal waters. Estimated daily energy expenditure (DEE) of American black ducks wintering at Chincoteague NWR was similar to values reported in Maine at a given temperature. Although DEE of undisturbed and disturbed flocks were similar, black ducks curtailed feeding and increased time spent in alert and locomotion behaviors in response to disturbance. We suggest that human disturbance of wintering black ducks impairs their physiological condition, thereby reducing winter survival and/or nutrient reserves carried to the breeding grounds. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 53(2):401-410 The decline in populations of American black ducks over the past 3 decades (Steiner 1984) has prompted behavioral research of wintering black ducks. Albright et al. (1983) investigated behavioral responses of wintering black ducks in Maine to temperature, wind chill, and availability of ice-free foraging habitat. Black ducks rested more and fed less with decreasing temperature and increasing ice, even as total DEE increased due to the demands of thermoregulation. Albright et al. (1983) suggested that black ducks in northern wintering areas experience extreme food shortages and that there was evidence of a physiological set-point below which it is more advantageous to rely on energy reserves than to expend energy searching for food. Hickey and Titman (1983) employed scan sampling to study black ducks wintering on Prince Edward Island; ducks fed less and rested more with increased wind chill and tide level. More information is needed to determine the amount of time black ducks spend in various habitats and to measure nocturnal activity (Hickey and Titman 1983). Brodsky and Weatherhead (1985a,b) demonstrated that local food availability can determine black duck behavioral responses to low temperatures in Canada. Brodsky and Weatherhead (1984) also studied the posturing of black ducks while resting and roosting as a mechanism for reducing thermoregulatory costs. They suggested that the management of energy expenditure is as much a consideration as management of energy intake by black ducks. We used the time-budget approach to quantify behavior and energy expenditure of black ducks wintering on, and in the vicinity of, Chincoteague NWR, Virginia. Objectives were to estimate time and energy expenditure within different habitats, identify environmental factors that influence behavioral response, and contrast black duck allocation of time and energy resources in tidal Virginia with results of studies conducted at higher latitudes. We thank M. R. Vaughan and D. R. Stauffer for suggestions and criticisms during the study and D. W. Howerter for field assistance. This study was supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Values and Resource Allocation: Imaging the Future

The need to explicitly allocate resources in the Great Lakes basin has been growing in response to policies of greater social equity, amelioration of degradative uses of the resource and ensuring adequate long-term supplies of the resource. At the same time resource allocation decisions have been increasing in complexity in relation to population growth, bureaucratic regulatory mechanisms, and the types of human activity. This paper will advance the idea that any effective concept of resource allocation in this sort of social and institutional environment must involve an understanding of the essential role of values. A concept of values is developed by adapting Calabresi and Bobbit’s notion of "tragic choice," namely an allocation decision which threatens some underlying, deeply-held social value or belief. An alternative to short-term forecasting approaches to allocation decisions is proposed to allow a wider perspective on value concerns. This approach involves formulating desired "images" of the future and incremental "backcasting" to determine possible approaches to implementation of more value-responsive decisions.