A Type of Transportation Problem to be Solved Following the Time Criterion and Considering Vehicle Features

The formulation of classical minimax transport-type problems involves the search for an optimal transportation plan considering only time of delivery of resources. The inevitable additional costs of processing resources at the origin and destination are usually not considered. This approach is fully justified given incommensurability of delivery times of resources along available routes and times of preliminary/subsequent processing of resources. At the same time, in a number of practical problems, the time spent on loading/unloading (for example, when organizing loading of packaged mineral fertilizers from port warehouses onto ships) can be of significant importance. In such cases, when searching for an optimal transportation plan, it is necessary to take into account not only travel times of vehicles used along the set routes, but also the costs of loading and unloading operations, considering the number of available vehicles and their characteristics, for example, payload.In this regard, the objective of the study is not only to develop a method for calculating the optimal transportation plan, but also a method for distributing vehicles, considering their number and features.At the same time, another no less important objective of the study is to substantiate the application of the method of successive reduction of residuals, considering the form of the objective function, which considers not only the main parameters of classical minimax transport-type problems, but also the quantitative characteristics of vehicles involved in the transport operation. It is fundamentally important that the use of the method of successive reduction of residuals determines the polynomial computational complexity of the algorithm, which makes it possible to use it in the operational solution of problems of practical dimension.To solve the problem of distributing available vehicles according to the origin points, considering payload of vehicles, it is proposed to use the method of dynamic programming. An illustrative example of distribution of delivery vehicles, adapted for the use in MS Excel, is considered.

Ten Years Trend of Malaria Prevalence in Ziway Dugda District, Arsi Zone, Ethiopia 2011-2020

Background: Malaria has been one of the major public health problems in Ethiopia for decades. Recent reports from different part of the country showed that the trend of malaria is declining. However, there is a need for periodic assessing the trend of malaria in different malaria endemic areas of the country as part of the planed malaria elimination strategies. Methods: Ten years retrospective data of blood film examination was collected from the laboratory registration book and monthly report of Ogolcho health center and analyzed to assess the trend of malaria prevalence in Ziway dugda distric, one of the malaria endemic areas in Arsi zone, Ethiopia. Result: From the total of 38,094 malaria suspected patients, 4,863(12.8%) patients were malaria positive microscopically, with 3,301(67.9%) P.vivax, 1545(31.8%) P.falciparum and 17(0.35%) mixed infection. There was a fluctuating trend of malaria within the last ten years, with annual total cases of malaria ranged from 1685 in 2013 to 103 in 2020 and there was successive reduction in malaria prevalence from 2013 onwards. Conclusion: Trend of malaria was declining in Ziway dugda district with shift in dominancy of the circulating species (P.vivax).

Analysis of active system operation optimization in office buildings

The aim of this paper is to present a solution for optimizing the operation of the Szentágothai Research Center. This building has several different functions at a high degree, so it can represent most of the difficulties in achieving an ideal level of operation energy consumption while assuring an adequate comfort level.As a first stage of a generic office building optimization research, a monitored reference building of common type was chosen. Various active operation optimization experiments were carried out. The successive reduction of operation intensity and schedules resulted in 63.3% operation energy savings. The results provide considerable potential in generic office design applications.

Boron: the first p-block element to fix inert N2 all the way to NH3

Borylene is able to activate inert dinitrogen to the ammonium ion. The entire conversion was established through a successive reduction-cum protonation sequence, through the isolation of all intermediate species.

Tuning the Integration Rate of Ce(Ln)O2 Nanoclusters into Nanoparticulated ZrO2 Supports: When the Cation Size Matters

Three nanostructured catalysts with low total rare earth elements (REEs) content (i.e., 15 mol.%) were prepared by depositing CeO2 or Ln3+-doped CeO2 (Ln3+ = Y3+ or La3+; Ln/Ce = 0.15) on the surface of ZrO2 nanoparticles, as nanometre-thick, fluorite-type clusters. These samples were subjected to successive reduction treatments at increasing temperatures, from 500 to 900 °C. A characterisation study by XPS was performed to clarify the diffusion process of cerium into the bulk of ZrO2 crystallites upon reduction to yield CexZr1−xO2−δ surface phases, and the influence of the incorporation of non-reducible trivalent REE cations, with sizes smaller (Y3+) and larger (La3+) than Ce4+ and Ce3+. For all nanocatalysts, a reduction treatment at a minimum temperature of 900 °C was required to accomplish a significant cerium diffusion. Notwithstanding, the size of the dopant noticeably affected the extent of this diffusion process. As compared to the undoped ZrO2-CeO2 sample, Y3+ incorporation slightly hindered the cerium diffusion, while the opposite effect was found for the La3+-doped nanocatalyst. Furthermore, such differences in cerium diffusion led to changes in the surface and nanostructural features of the oxides, which were tentatively correlated with the redox response of the thermally aged samples.

Using a 4K-3D Exoscope for Upper Airway Stimulation Surgery: Proof-of-Concept

Objective: Demonstrate the potential of the 4K-3D exoscope during upper airway stimulation surgery (UAS). Methods: A proof-of-concept study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of the exoscope during three consecutive UAS. Results: The exoscope was employed during UAS including cuff electrode and sensing lead placement. Three cases were successfully completed without adverse perioperative event; mean operative time was 200 minutes (range 188-218 minutes) with a successive reduction in operative time. Conclusion: This experience demonstrates the potential viability of the exoscope for UAS; it is a safe, innovative, and effective alternative or adjunct to existing visualization modalities. Notable advantages include improved ergonomics, unobstructed surgical field access, wide depth of field visualization, and short learning curve. Future technological enhancements could allow the exoscope to become a promising next-generation tool in the armamentarium of the contemporary sleep surgeon.