scholarly journals Inventory Management at a Chilean Hospital Pharmacy: Case Study of a Dynamic Decision-Aid Tool

Mathematics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1962
Author(s):  
Fabián Silva-Aravena ◽  
Irlanda Ceballos-Fuentealba ◽  
Eduardo Álvarez-Miranda
Keyword(s):  
Inventory Management ◽  
Decision Aid ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Operational Cost ◽  
Computational Point ◽  
Planning Strategy ◽  
The One ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Critical Process

Pharmacy inventory management is a critical process in healthcare centers. On the one hand, effective drug procurement is fundamental for fulfilling the therapeutic requirements of patients. On the other hand, as hospital pharmacies’ purchasing and storage costs comprise an important share in the hospital budgets, efficient inventory management may play a central role in operational cost containment. Therefore, healthcare centers should design and implement decision-aid strategies for planning the purchase of drugs with the aim of avoiding excessive purchasing volumes and optimizing warehouse capacity, while also meeting forecast demand and ensuring critical stock levels. In this study, we present the methodological features of a decision-aid tool for planning the purchases and inventory levels for the controlled medication pharmacy of the Regional Hospital of Talca, Chile. We report the results obtained after 1 year of operation; these results show that our strategy produced more than 7% savings compared to the regular inventory planning strategy and was more effective in preserving critical stock levels. Furthermore, from a computational point of view, our strategy outperforms a recently published approach for a similar application.

scholarly journals Fast nonlinear model predictive control of a chemical reactor: a random shooting approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Bakaráč ◽  
Michal Kvasnica
Keyword(s):  
Model Predictive Control ◽  
Predictive Control ◽  
Nonlinear Model ◽  
Chemical Reactor ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Nonlinear Model Predictive Control ◽  
Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor ◽  
Computational Point ◽  
The One

Abstract This paper presents a fast way of implementing nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) using the random shooting approach. Instead of calculating the optimal control sequence by solving the NMPC problem as a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem, which is time consuming, a sub-optimal, but feasible, sequence of control inputs is determined randomly. To minimize the induced sub-optimality, numerous random control sequences are selected and the one that yields the smallest cost is selected. By means of a motivating case study we demonstrate that the random shooting-based approach is superior, from a computational point of view, to state-of-the-art NLP solvers, and features a low level of sub-optimality. The case study involves a continuous stirred tank reactor where a fast multi-component chemical reaction takes place.

Redesigning initial teacher’s education practices with learning scenarios

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Pedro ◽  
João Piedade ◽  
João Filipe Matos ◽  
Neuza Pedro
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Planning Strategy ◽  
Learning Scenarios ◽  
The One

PurposeThe construction of learning scenarios is a way to plan for teaching activities, promoting the development of skills related to problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. Using learning scenarios as a lesson planning strategy becomes a powerful tool in initial teacher education. On the one hand, it mobilizes teaching-related scientific concepts, and on the other hand, it offers opportunities to think on innovative pedagogic approaches involving strategies and capacities essential for the future teacher. Research shows that teacher education programs within real school contexts enriched with digital technologies represent an important factor in increasing the quality of teachers’ preparation and their future professional practice. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors present the analysis of practice of design and implementation of learning scenarios in teachers’ initial education courses developed with students of teaching master degrees. Activity theory is used in the analysis of a case study of a student-teacher in Computer Science.FindingsThe results have been analyzed, contributing to the specification of the principles underlying the learning scenarios in initial teacher education.Research limitations/implicationsResults show the affordances and possibilities of using learning scenarios as structuring resources for the initial teacher education practice.Originality/valueTherefore, the use of learning scenarios brings a set of potentialities to teacher training given its prospective nature.

scholarly journals Country Case Study. Who Owns a Video Game in Spain?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAURA CABALLERO TRENADO
Keyword(s):  
Video Game ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Country Case Study ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Audiovisual Work ◽  
The One ◽  
Gray Areas ◽  
Program Software

<p>How is a video game legally protected? In Spain there is no specific regulation that shields the creation of a video game. This absence implies that we have to conceive a video game as a mosaic of separate pieces and treat them as different works, in order to grant it comprehensive protection. Thus, on the one hand, it is necessary to process and register the computer program (software) that supports the video game. On the other, the same must be done with the visual part (audiovisual work). This Article deals with the protection of the software and the graphic part, as well as the catalog of rights inherent to both. There are many “gray areas” presented by the abundant casuistry, which is a challenge from the legal point of view. Due to the above, given that the legislation on the subject is insufficient to answer all the questions, it is necessary to resort to the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in order to clarify and delimit the scope of the different ways of protecting a video game, since, according to what has been pointed out, there is no glimpse of a proposal to standardize this matter on the near horizon.</p>

scholarly journals Country Case Study. Who Owns a Video Game in Spain?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAURA CABALLERO TRENADO
Keyword(s):  
Video Game ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Country Case Study ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Audiovisual Work ◽  
The One ◽  
Gray Areas ◽  
Program Software

<p>How is a video game legally protected? In Spain there is no specific regulation that shields the creation of a video game. This absence implies that we have to conceive a video game as a mosaic of separate pieces and treat them as different works, in order to grant it comprehensive protection. Thus, on the one hand, it is necessary to process and register the computer program (software) that supports the video game. On the other, the same must be done with the visual part (audiovisual work). This Article deals with the protection of the software and the graphic part, as well as the catalog of rights inherent to both. There are many “gray areas” presented by the abundant casuistry, which is a challenge from the legal point of view. Due to the above, given that the legislation on the subject is insufficient to answer all the questions, it is necessary to resort to the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in order to clarify and delimit the scope of the different ways of protecting a video game, since, according to what has been pointed out, there is no glimpse of a proposal to standardize this matter on the near horizon.</p>

scholarly journals Optimal Maintenance for Degrading Assets in the Context of Asset Fleets-A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Schulze Spüntrup ◽  
Giancarlo Dalle Ave ◽  
Lars Imsland ◽  
Iiro Harjunkoski
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Optimal Decision ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Computational Point ◽  
Optimal Maintenance

Decision-making for maintenance of engineering assets is a common challenge in the process industry due to ongoing degradation. With an increasing company-size, this problem becomes more complex from an operational and computational point of view. This paper introduces a case study to the academic community that represents the problem of optimal decision-making in the context of large asset fleets. The case study poses a large fleet of offshore compressors for gas production with a specific network structure. Two exemplary discrete-time mixed integer linear programming models following the Resource Task Network framework are presented. They address asset deterioration due to effects such as fouling by suggesting specific maintenance actions as a set of different countermeasures. Novel enumerator formulations are a computationally efficient and extendable way to model the various degradation types. Results show the benefit of optimal maintenance in the application to asset fleets. The decision-support that is delivered by the scheduling and planning approach helps to determine which maintenance type should be conducted and at what time. The paper demonstrates the benefits of optimal (long-term) schedules for maintenance, but indicate at the same time the need for efficient algorithms in the context of large asset fleets, in contrast to common industrial case studies that are rather small-scale.

Sustainability Assessment of Products: A Comparative Study of Sustainability Assessment Tools

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Borja ◽  
Javier Ávila ◽  
Marcelo López-Parra ◽  
Alejandro Ramírez-Reivich ◽  
Adrián Espinosa
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Software Tools ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Potential Toxicity ◽  
Home Appliance ◽  
The One ◽  
Sustainability Assessment Tools

The number of existing tools, principles and approaches to assess sustainability in products is growing to meet industry and society needs. For those related to design and development in universities, research institutes and companies it is a fundamental issue to recognize features and details of the sustainability assessment tools in order to select the one that best fits their particular needs. This paper describes the outcomes of a product sustainability assessment carried out at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM. The approach followed by the authors in this assessment was aimed at comparing the results provided by a set of software tools and a previous sustainability integrated-criteria tool developed by the research group. The main contribution of this paper is the insight on the software tools used and on the results of the assessment since the design point of view. The results of the assessment included metrics such as: carbon footprint, energy use, end of life potential, toxicity, eco-toxicity, human toxicity, recyclability, and others. In the first part of the paper, an introduction of the criteria and the software based tools for sustainability assessment used by the authors is presented. Then a justification of the tools used and an explanation on how the comparison was achieved are given. The product used as a case study and the results of its sustainability assessment are presented. The case study part is a home appliance subsystem. In the end of the paper conclusions, insights and further work are given.

scholarly journals Traces of French Culture in the Narratives of the Residents of Palanga

Lituanistica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julija Paškevičiūtė
Keyword(s):  
Life Stories ◽  
World View ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Current Perspective ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
French Culture ◽  
The One ◽  
The Town

The article focuses on the traces of French culture in the town of Palanga in the first decade of independent Lithuania. It is based on the stories of the residents of Palanga that represent their relationship with French culture. Palanga was chosen due to the fact that it was among the first cities in Lithuania where the ‘FrenchLithuanian Centre of Culture’ was established in 1992. The case study reveals the traces of French culture through the point of view of the main personalities (the founding members of the cultural centre in Palanga); two positions are examined. On the one hand, they represent similar discourses regarding the phenomenon of Francophony, but, on the other hand, they differ when the informants reflect on the situation from the current perspective. In one case, French culture becomes the dominant narrative as it has had a high impact on the informant’s world view. In another case, this culture is seen from a more distant point of view, as if it was a dream not completely fulfilled. The narratives were presented as personal experiences of two different genders, as particular parts of their life stories. Following the circular story, selective memory is revealed.

scholarly journals La primera entrada episcopal como reclamo turístico: la Diócesis de Orihuela-Alicante, caso de estudio | The first episcopal entrance as tourist attraction: the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante, case study.

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 07
Author(s):  
Mª del Carmen Portugal Bueno
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Tourist Attraction ◽  
Religious Ceremony ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Great Attraction ◽  
The One

La primera entrada episcopal a la Diócesis de Orihuela-Alicante es una ceremonia oficial cívico-religiosa única en España. Esta singularidad convierte la celebración en un reclamo turístico de la ciudad.Junto al estudio de la primera entrada episcopal realizamos un análisis desde el punto de vista antropológico con la finalidad de plasmar con datos concretos dicha publicidad.Por un lado, descubrimos cuáles son las características propias de esta celebración. En consecuencia, redactamos el ceremonial de la primera entrada solemne del obispo en la Diócesis de Orihuela-Alicante.Por otro lado, recopilamos la información que demostró cómo la primera entrada episcopal es una ceremonia de gran atractivo para el público en general.Su análisis se realizó a partir de una investigación descriptiva y de fuentes primarias y terciarias. Todo ello determinó la particularidad de la ceremonia y en consecuencia el atractivo turístico de la misma.________________The first episcopal entrance to the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante is an official civic-religious ceremony unique in Spain. This uniqueness makes the celebration a tourist attraction of the city.With the study of the first episcopal entrance, we carried out an analysis from the anthropological point of view with the purpose of expressing this advertising with concrete data.On the one hand, we discover what are the characteristics of this celebration. Consequently, we wrote the ceremonial of the bishop´s first solemn entrance in the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante.On the other hand, we collect the information that showed how the first episcopal entrance is a ceremony of great attraction for the general public.It´s analysis was made from a descriptive investigation and from primary and tertiary sources. All this determined the particularity of the ceremony and consequently the tourist attraction of it.

Crowdfunding as a new collaborative process in the knowledge economy

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Paoloni ◽  
Niccolò Paoloni ◽  
Giuseppe Modaffari
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Social Economy ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
The One ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Startup Firms

Purpose The transition from industrial to social economy and from knowledge produces a paradigm shift, which is the space in which new professions, new values and even new forms of financing are shaped. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the phenomenon of crowdfunding, and the specific focus is the small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) dimension, typical in startups firms. This work discusses the main thematic areas in the scientific literature on the phenomenon of crowdfunding (RQ1) and how is crowdfunding treated in SMEs’ dimension (RQ2). Design/methodology/approach To analyze the literature, this study uses structure literature review methodology. To answer RQ1, the articles in the SCOPUS database on the theme of crowdfunding were surveyed. To RQ2, the analysis focused on the combined theme between the crowdfunding phenomenon and the SMEs’ dimension. Findings The study shows that from the scientific point of view, the treatment of the crowdfunding phenomenon is strongly developing in many research areas. The most recurrent are those that deal with studies linked to socio-geographical and institutional contexts and those that analyze individual behavior of investors and crowd funders. Residual area remains the one dedicated to SMEs, where this research has led to poor results. Originality/value This paper implements the studies on crowdfunding, a phenomenon that is rapidly expanding worldwide. Particular attention is paid to startup firms, and the business dimension was studied for SMEs, for which it was initially conceived and investigated. Future work will try to apply the results of this research into a case study about an Italian startup firm.

scholarly journals Short food supply chains – a growing movement. The case study of the Viseu Dão Lafões Region

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 806-816
Author(s):  
Maria Lúcia Pato
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
The One ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Short Food Supply Chains

AbstractIn spite of the increasing attention being paid to short food supply chains (SFSCs), research in the area is still scarce, particularly in Portugal. Thus, based on a case study in Viseu Dão Lafões Region (VDLR), we intend to identify and discuss (emphasizing potentialities and constraints) the movement of SFSCs in the region. This case study is based on document analysis and interviews with agrifood baskets’ promotors. On the one hand, the results show the wide variety of SFSCs that exist in the region and the emergence of new forms of SFSCs like the agrifood baskets. On the other hand, the empirical research also emphasizes the environmental, economic, and sociocultural benefits of SFSCs that will have a positive impact on the well-being of producers, consumers, and/or on the whole region. However, the interviews have also exposed a (certain) limitation in terms of communication and marketing that may constraint these initiatives. From a practical point of view, it became clear that producers must do their best to develop their communication and marketing strategies; from a political point of view, local authorities should provide the necessary assistance to help implement training programmes and develop suitable communication and marketing skills.

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