Iman Kardan, Alireza Akbarzadeh and Ali Mousavi Mohammadi
This paper aims to increase the safety of the robots’ operation by developing a novel method for real-time implementation of velocity scaling and obstacle avoidance as the two…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to increase the safety of the robots’ operation by developing a novel method for real-time implementation of velocity scaling and obstacle avoidance as the two widely accepted safety increasing concepts.
Design/methodology/approach
A fuzzy version of dynamic movement primitive (DMP) framework is proposed as a real-time trajectory generator with imbedded velocity scaling capability. Time constant of the DMP system is determined by a fuzzy system which makes decisions based on the distance from obstacle to the robot’s workspace and its velocity projection toward the workspace. Moreover, a combination of the DMP framework with a human-like steering mechanism and a novel configuration of virtual impedances is proposed for real-time obstacle avoidance.
Findings
The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method in real-time implementation of the velocity scaling and obstacle avoidance concepts in different cases of single and multiple stationary obstacles as well as moving obstacles.
Practical implications
As the provided experiments indicate, the proposed method can effectively increase the real-time safety of the robots’ operations. This is achieved by developing a simple method with low computational loads.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a novel method for real-time implementation of velocity scaling and obstacle avoidance concepts. This method eliminates the need for modification of original DMP formulation. The velocity scaling concept is implemented by using a fuzzy system to adjust the DMP’s time constant. Furthermore, the novel impedance configuration makes it possible to obtain a non-oscillatory convergence to the desired path, in all degrees of freedom.
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Alexander Komashie, Ali Mousavi and Justin Gore
The purpose of this paper is to review the historical development of quality assessment methods in manufacturing industry and healthcare. It examines the gap between methods…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the historical development of quality assessment methods in manufacturing industry and healthcare. It examines the gap between methods across the two sectors, as well as the extent to which industrial techniques have been successfully adopted in healthcare. Finally, a proposal for a new approach is presented.
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, a review of the evolution of quality assessment was conducted, based on books written by prominent experts in the field. Secondly, a study of the current approaches in healthcare was undertaken. Publications from varied sources, including worldwide operations research and healthcare sources were selected according to criteria and reviewed.
Findings
While, the concept of quality has a long history, quality management in healthcare is not as advanced as in industry. There are a number of reasons for this, such as differences in concerns and processes across the two sectors. Further, quality researchers have differing views towards the best approaches. It was deduced that the way forward in healthcare quality is the enhancement of staff ownership and pride in a way akin to the era of the craftsmen, but with the use of new technology.
Practical implications
The findings provide a picture of how far quality management has advanced in industry and healthcare. There is a note of caution for the use of industrial techniques in healthcare, which may provide useful direction for further research and implementation.
Originality/value
This work uniquely examines the origins of the concern for quality, and follows the changes in demand and supply in industry and healthcare. It argues that understanding this historical review, and the nature of processes across both areas, is key to the future of healthcare quality. Finally, a new approach based on discrete event simulation is proposed.
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E. Agheb, E. Hashemi, S.A. Mousavi and H.K. Hoidalen
The purpose of this paper is to study very fast transient overvoltages (VFTOs) in the secondary winding of air‐cored Tesla transformers and also study the resulting electric field…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study very fast transient overvoltages (VFTOs) in the secondary winding of air‐cored Tesla transformers and also study the resulting electric field stresses.
Design/methodology/approach
An exhaustive model based on Multi‐conductor Transmission Lines (MTLs) theory has been used. The governing telegraphist's equations have been solved by Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method.
Findings
The results demonstrated that there are some overvoltages at the end and middle turns that should be considered in insulation design. The magnitudes of these overvoltages are several times more than the steady state value of the corresponding turn which cause very high electric field stresses.
Originality/value
The paper describes results obtained from an original and innovative implementation of FDTD method in transmission line modelling and is applied properly to air‐cored pulse transformers.
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Yuancheng Zhao, Qingjin Peng, Trevor Strome, Erin Weldon, Michael Zhang and Alecs Chochinov
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a method of the bottleneck detection for Emergency Department (ED) improvement using benchmarking and design of experiments (DOE) in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a method of the bottleneck detection for Emergency Department (ED) improvement using benchmarking and design of experiments (DOE) in simulation model.
Design/methodology/approach
Four procedures of treatments are used to represent ED activities of the patient flow. Simulation modeling is applied as a cost-effective tool to analyze the ED operation. Benchmarking provides the achievable goal for the improvement. DOE speeds up the process of bottleneck search.
Findings
It is identified that the long waiting time is accumulated by previous arrival patients waiting for treatment in the ED. Comparing the processing time of each treatment procedure with the benchmark reveals that increasing the treatment time mainly happens in treatment in progress and emergency room holding (ERH) procedures. It also indicates that the to be admitted time caused by the transfer delay is a common case.
Research limitations/implications
The current research is conducted in the ED only. Activities in the ERH require a close cooperation of several medical teams to complete patients’ condition evaluations. The current model may be extended to the related medical units to improve the model detail.
Practical implications
ED overcrowding is an increasingly significant public healthcare problem. Bottlenecks that affect ED overcrowding have to be detected to improve the patient flow.
Originality/value
Integration of benchmarking and DOE in simulation modeling proposed in this research shows the promise in time-saving for bottleneck detection of ED operations.
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Mohammad Hossein Rahmati and Mohammad Reza Jalilvand
Current models of organizational excellence are appropriate for the private organizations. It is evident that if an appropriate model is not adopted, the process of excellence in…
Abstract
Purpose
Current models of organizational excellence are appropriate for the private organizations. It is evident that if an appropriate model is not adopted, the process of excellence in the organizations fails and some dimensions of the organization get affected by unpredictable damages. This research aims to identify an appropriate excellence model for public organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the excellence criteria and models. Second, the models were through an expert-oriented questionnaire, analyzed by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique. Participants were experts in the two domains of excellence models and public sector management. A sample of 15 experts was selected using purposive sampling. In order to emphasize on reliability, 10 questionnaires were adopted for analysis.
Findings
The findings showed that the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model is the most appropriate model for excellence measurement in the public organizations based on the five selected indices.
Originality/value
The identification of a model for measuring organizational excellence for public sector can significantly contribute to existing literature on excellence measurement.
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Shazia Riaz Dar and Sobia Bano
This study intends to unveil the imbalance in gender portrayal, reflected in English textbooks, used at the primary level in the four provinces of Pakistan.
Abstract
Purpose
This study intends to unveil the imbalance in gender portrayal, reflected in English textbooks, used at the primary level in the four provinces of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
Within the framework of feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA), this paper aims to explore the ways in which gender stereotypes and ideologies are inculcated through the discursive schemes in the selected textbooks. The methodology adopted is to connect the linguistic features in the texts (the Micro) to the social factors (the Macro). The analysis has been done on two levels: on the first level, the content analysis was employed to quantify the gender representation in the textbook. On the second level, the discourse analysis was carried out to view gender stereotypes in the wide spectrum of social norms.
Findings
The results of this study reveal a significant disproportion and imbalance in gender representation in the four books. They clearly show that the textbooks in Pakistan contribute to the socialization of children in a very traditional and stereotypical way. The findings of the study recommend extensive awareness at societal level in general, and particular reforms in the education sector for a step toward a progressive and prosperous society.
Originality/value
The current paper is innovative as it demystifies how gendered ideologies are ingrained in the curriculum, used for English language teaching in a developing country like Pakistan. It fosters the value addition in existing research since it investigated the gender disparity systematically by employing quantitative content and qualitative FCDA.
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Mohammad Khajeh Mehrizi, Mostafa Jokar and Zahra Shahi
Natural colorants are believed to be safe because of their nontoxic, noncarcinogenic and biodegradable nature, and also, the demand for natural dyes is steadily increasing. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Natural colorants are believed to be safe because of their nontoxic, noncarcinogenic and biodegradable nature, and also, the demand for natural dyes is steadily increasing. This study aims to investigate the dyeing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics under cold plasma and ultraviolet (UV) radiation conditions with Prangos ferulacea.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first, some PET fabrics were modified using UV radiation and some others by cold plasma (oxygen/argon), and then the dyeing of fabrics with the natural dye was done (100°C/130°C) without using metallic mordant. Dyeability (color strengths) of the treated samples, colorfastness to washing, light and rubbing, water absorption time, crease recovery angle, air permeability and mechanical behavior were investigated.
Findings
The maximum color strength (k/s = 4.87) was achieved for the fabric exposed to UV radiation for 2 h and then dyed with Prangos ferulacea at 130 °C. The results indicated that the dyed fabric showed acceptable colorfastness (very good–excellent) properties in washing and rubbing fastness except for colorfastness to light (moderate). The strength and the angle of crease recovery of treated and dyed samples have increased, while the time of water absorption and air permeability have decreased.
Originality/value
The surface modification of PET (UV radiation and plasma treatment) provides a new idea to improve the dyeability of PET with Prangos ferulacea natural dye without using metallic mordant.
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Kirandeep Chahal, Tillal Eldabi and Terry Young
The purpose of this paper is to develop a generic framework for hybrid (integrated deployment of system dynamics and discrete event simulation) simulation which can be applied in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a generic framework for hybrid (integrated deployment of system dynamics and discrete event simulation) simulation which can be applied in the healthcare domain.
Design/methodology/approach
As hybrid simulation in an organisational context is a new topic with limited available data on deployment of hybrid simulation in organisational context, an inductive approach has been applied. On the basis of knowledge induced from literature, a generic conceptual framework for hybrid simulation has been developed. The proposed framework is demonstrated using an explanatory case study comprising an accident and emergency (A&E) department.
Findings
The framework provided detailed guidance for the development of a hybrid model of an A&E case study. Findings of this case study suggest that the hybrid model was more efficient in capturing behavioural impact on operational performances.
Research limitations/implications
The framework is limited to only SD and DES; as agent‐based is another simulation method which is emerging as a promising tool for analysing problems such as spread of infectious diseases in healthcare context, inclusion of this into the framework will enhance the utility of the framework.
Practical implications
This framework will aid in the development of hybrid models capable of comprehending both detail as well as dynamic complexity, which will contribute towards a deeper understanding of the problems, resulting in more effective decision making.
Social implications
It is expected that this research will encourage those engaged in simulation (e.g. researchers, practitioners, decision makers) to realise the potential of cross‐fertilisation of the two simulation paradigms.
Originality/value
Currently, there is no conceptual framework which provides guidance for developing hybrid models. In order to address this gap, this paper contributes by proposing a conceptual framework for hybrid simulation for the healthcare domain.
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Mohamed Marzouk and Dina Hamdala
The aggressive competition in the real estate market forces real estate developers to tackle the challenge of selecting the best project construction phasing alternative. The real…
Abstract
Purpose
The aggressive competition in the real estate market forces real estate developers to tackle the challenge of selecting the best project construction phasing alternative. The real estate industry is characterized by high costs, high profit and high risks. The schedules of real estate projects are also characterized by having large number of repetitive activities that are executed over a long duration. The repetitiveness, long duration of execution, the high amounts of money involved and the high risk made it desirable to leverage the impact of changes in phasing plans on net present value of amounts incurred and received over the long execution and selling duration. This also changes the project progress, and delivery time as well as their respective impact on customer degree of satisfaction. This research addresses the problem of selecting the best phasing alternative for real estate development projects while maximizing customer satisfaction and project profit.
Design/methodology/approach
The research proposes a model that generates all construction phasing alternatives and performs decision-making to rank all possible phasing alternatives. The proposed model consists of five modules: (1) Phasing Sequencing module, (2) Customer Satisfaction module, (3) Cash-In calculation module, (4) Cost Estimation module and (5) Decision-making module. A case study was presented to demonstrate the practicality of the model.
Findings
The proposed model satisfies the real estate market's need for proper construction phasing plans evaluation and selection against the project's main success criteria, customer satisfaction and project profit. The proposed model generates all construction phasing alternatives and performs multi-criteria decision making to rank all possible phasing alternatives. It quantifies the score of the two previously mentioned criteria and ranks all solutions according to their overall score.
Research limitations/implications
The research proposes a model that assist real estate market's need for proper construction phasing plans evaluation and selection against the project's main success criteria, customer satisfaction and project profit. The proposed model can be used to conclude general guidelines and common successful practices to be used by real estate developers when deciding the construction phasing plan. In this study the model is based on business models where all the project units are sold, rental cases are not considered. Also, the budget limitations that might exist when phasing is not considered in the model computations.
Originality/value
The model can be used as a complete platform that can hold all real estate project data, process revenues and cost information for estimating profit, plotting cash flow profiles, quantifying the degree of customer satisfaction attributable to each phasing alternative and providing recommendation showing the best one. The model can be used to conclude general guidelines and common successful practices to be used by real estate developers when tackling the challenge of selecting construction phasing plans.