Path Selection in Disaster Response Management Based on Q-learning

Suitable rescue path selection is very important to rescue lives and reduce the loss of disasters, and has been a key issue in the field of disaster response management. In this paper, we present a path selection algorithm based on Q-learning for disaster response applications. We assume that a rescue team is an agent, which is operating in a dynamic and dangerous environment and needs to find a safe and short path in the least time. We first propose a path selection model for disaster response management, and deduce that path selection based on our model is a Markov decision process. Then, we introduce Q-learning and design strategies for action selection and to avoid cyclic path. Finally, experimental results show that our algorithm can find a safe and short path in the dynamic and dangerous environment, which can provide a specific and significant reference for practical management in disaster response applications.

Price-Based Residential Demand Response Management in Smart Grids:A Reinforcement Learning-Based Approach

This paper studies price-based residential demand response management(PB-RDRM)in smart grids,in which non-dispatchable and dispatchable loads(including general loads and plug-in electric vehicles(PEVs))are both involved.The PB-RDRM is composed of a bi-level optimization problem,in which the upper-level dynamic retail pricing problem aims to maximize the profit of a utility company(UC)by selecting optimal retail prices(RPs),while the lower-level demand response(DR)problem expects to minimize the comprehensive cost of loads by coordinating their energy consumption behavior.The challenges here are mainly two-fold:1)the uncertainty of energy consumption and RPs;2)the flexible PEVs’temporally coupled constraints,which make it impossible to directly develop a model-based optimization algorithm to solve the PB-RDRM.To address these challenges,we first model the dynamic retail pricing problem as a Markovian decision process(MDP),and then employ a model-free reinforcement learning(RL)algorithm to learn the optimal dynamic RPs of UC according to the loads’responses.Our proposed RL-based DR algorithm is benchmarked against two model-based optimization approaches(i.e.,distributed dual decomposition-based(DDB)method and distributed primal-dual interior(PDI)-based method),which require exact load and electricity price models.The comparison results show that,compared with the benchmark solutions,our proposed algorithm can not only adaptively decide the RPs through on-line learning processes,but also achieve larger social welfare within an unknown electricity market environment.

Hemodynamic monitoring and management of patients undergoing high-risk surgery:a survey among Chinese anesthesiologists

Hemodynamic monitoring and optimization improve postoperative outcome during high-risk surgery.However,hemodynamic management practices among Chinese anesthesiologists are largely unknown.This study sought to evaluate the current intraoperative hemodynamic management practices for high-risk surgery patients in China.From September 2010 to November 2011,we surveyed anesthesiologists working in the operating rooms of 265 hospitals representing 28 Chinese provinces.All questionnaires were distributed to department chairs of anesthesiology or practicing anesthesiologists.Once completed,the 29-item questionnaires were collected and analyzed.Two hundred and 10 questionnaires from 265 hospitals in China were collected.We found that 91.4%of anesthesiologists monitored invasive arterial pressure,82.9%monitored central venous pressure（CVP）,13.3%monitored cardiac output（CO）,10.5%monitored mixed venous saturation,and less than 2%monitored pulse pressure variation（PPV） or systolic pressure variation（SPV） during high-risk surgery.The majority（88%） of anesthesiologists relied on clinical experience as an indicator for volume expansion and more than 80%relied on blood pressure,CVP and urine output.Anesthesiologists in China do not own enough attention on hemodynamic parameters such as PPV,SPV and CO during fluid management in high-risk surgical patients.The lack of CO monitoring may be attributed largely to the limited access to technologies,the cost of the devices and the lack of education on how to use them.There is a need for improving access to these technologies as well as an opportunity to create guidelines and education for hemodynamic optimization in China.

Standardized Management Outlined in Future Response to Emergency Plan

The General Office of the State Council released the 13th Five-Year Plan for China's National Emergency System Construction(Plan for short).According to the Plan,China's emergency management laws and regulations and standards system need to be further improved and the basic capabilities of emergency management should continue to be enhanced.

Effects of cooperative nursing and patient education on postoperative infection and self-efficacy in gastrointestinal tumors

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal tumors have a high incidence rate.The application value of the cooperative nursing care system of medical care has received widespread attention in recent years.However,there are few studies on the value of the joint application of collaborative nursing care and self-efficacy education.AIM To explore the effect of cooperative nursing care management/self-efficacy education on postoperative infection and self-efficacy in gastrointestinal tumor surgery patients.METHODS A total of 102 patients with gastrointestinal tumors treated in our hospital from October 2018 to February 2020 were selected and divided into a conventional group(n=51)and a combined group(n=51)according to the nursing plan.The routine group adopted routine nursing,and the joint group adopted the medical care cooperative responsibility system nursing management combined with selfefficacy education.The self-efficacy scores,coping style scores,self-experience burden scores,and postoperative complication rates of the two groups before and after intervention were counted.RESULTS After intervention,the daily life behavior management,cognitive symptom management,and disease management scores of the two groups were higher than those before the intervention,and those of the combined group were higher than those of the conventional group(all P=0.000).After the intervention,the positive response scores of the two groups were higher than those before the intervention,the negative response scores were lower than those before the intervention,and the combined group was better than the conventional group(all P=0.000).After the intervention,the two groups’emotional,economic,and physical factor scores were lower than those before the intervention,and the combined group was lower than the conventional group(all P=0.000).The incidence of infection in the combined group(1.96%)was lower than that in the conventional group(15.69%)(P=0.036).CONCLUSION Cooperative nursing care management and self-efficacy education improved the physical and mental states of gastrointestinal cancer surgery patients,change the response to disease,and reduce the risk of postoperative infection.

Optimal nitrogen fertilization of boreal conifer forest

Background： Forest fertilization offers a means to increase the production of renewable resources.Nitrogen is the most common fertilizer in boreal upland forests.There is plenty of research on the effect of nitrogen fertilization on volume growth, but less research on the optimal timing of fertilization and optimal management of fertilized stands.Methods： This study used simulation and optimization to analyze the profitability of fertilization, optimal management of fertilized stands and the effects of fertilization on cash flows and timber yields.The management of 100 stands representing the most common growing sites of Scots pine and Norway spruce was optimized.Results： Fertilization improved profitability in most of the analyzed stands.Profitability improved most in spruce stands growing on mesic site.Improving stem quality increased the economic benefit of fertilization.The timber yields of medium-aged conifer stands can be increased by almost 1 m^3·ha^（-1）·a^（-1）（15%） in sub-xeric pine and mesic spruce sites and about 0.5 m^3·ha^（-1）·a^（-1）（5%） in mesic pine and herb-rich spruce sites when the recommended nitrogen dose（150kg·ha^（-1）） is applied once in 30 years.Conclusions： Nitrogen fertilization of boreal conifer forest should be used mainly in spruce-dominated stands growing on medium sites.The gains are the highest in stands where the mean tree diameter is 16–20 cm and stand basal area is 14–20 m^2·ha^（-1）.

Research on Technology Early-Warning System Based on Dynamic Information Monitoring

Relying on the advanced information technologies, such as information monitoring, data mining, natural language processing etc., the dynamic technology early-warning system is constructed. The system consists of technology information automatic retrieval, technology information monitoring, technology threat evaluation, and crisis response and management subsystem, which implements uninterrupted dynamic monitoring, trace and crisis early-warning to the specific technology. Empirical study testifies that the system improves the accuracy, timeliness and reliability of technology early-warning.

Cancer Rehabilitation,A New Discipline Based upon Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Cancer Rehabilitation is a new discipline,a combination of tumor medication,immunology,psychology,nutritional science and exercise physiology etc..The core of cancer rehabilitation is the therapy of natural immunology,which aims at activating T-cells,and restoring the bone marrow function impaired during chemo-radiation therapy.Cancer rehabilitation seeks to achieve the gradual recovery of the immune system,which in turn hinders recurrence and metastasis.In addition,with the help of psychological consultation,nutritional and physical exercise guidance,cancer patients may have a better chance at managing the risk of recurrence and metastasis,extending life expectancy with an improved quality of life.

System Analysis & Incentive Model Design for Enterprise Contract Management

With introducting two testing indices of ECMRS,behavior modal of the contract enterprise and the state in ECMRS are in our paper,then two connive models of ECMRS are made by introducing an audit technique as a means of acquiring information Moreover,a general rule which determines optimal strategy with perfect informtion is also given.

Sharing the post-earthquake situation for emergency response management in transborder areas: The e-Atlas tool

Usually,the response after a disastrous event requires decision-makers in emergency operative rooms to quickly outline and understand the current post-event situation,for planning and defining strategies for a contextualized response.Moreover,in many cases,disastrous events affect cross-border territories and/or involve multiple orga-nizations in responding to the demand generated by the event.These cases require a harmonized and coordinated response by all the institutions/subjects involved in emergency management.To address this challenge,this pa-per proposes the e-Atlas(emergency atlas)tool for showing and sharing information that embraces a response management perspective to explicitly support decision-makers in managing the criticalities of a post-earthquake situation.The e-Atlas has been designed and tested to:i)acquire sensible information for allowing decision-makers to understand in almost real-time the post-earthquake situational picture,and ii)share the representation of the situational picture among different users,allowing each of them to use it according to its specific require-ments.Applications of the tool are illustrated,to show how it is used in a transborder context in the North-East area of Italy.

Advancing the Field of Disaster Response Management:Toward a Design Science Approach

Multiorganizational response to emergencies and disasters requires collaboration.How to improve the collective response is therefore an essential question,but not easy to answer.In disaster research,normative research with a focus on providing evidence for how to improve professional practice has traditionally received less attention than explanatory ones.The aim of this article,using insights from design science where normative research is more common,is to suggest a complementary approach to response management research.Our approach,which combines experimental and explanatory research,is applied to a study of goal alignment.Goal alignment among response actors is often recommended despite literature’s contradictory evidence regarding its effect.We conducted an experiment with 111 participants,who,in groups of three,played a computer game under one of two conditions(goal alignment or not).Our results show that aligning goals did not improve the outcome in the game.Although this may serve as a counterargument to implementing goal alignment interventions,there are concerns with such conclusions.These reservations include,but are not limited to,the lack of validated models to use in experiments.Nevertheless,our suggested research approach and the goal alignment experiment highlight the importance of testing interventions and their effectiveness before implementation.

Development and application of a water pollution emergency response system for the Three Gorges Reservoir in the Yangtze River, China

There are many watercraft and production accidents in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area （TGRA） of the Yangtze River in China every year. Accidents threaten the water quality of the 1085 km 2 surface area of the TGRA and millions of local people if oil and chemical leakage were to occur. A water pollution management system for emergency response （WPMS ER） was therefore designed for the management of pollution in this area. An integrated geographic information system （GIS）-based water pollution management information system for the TGRA, called WPMS ER TGRA, was developed in this study. ArcGIS engine was used as the system development platform, and Visual Basic as the programming language. The models for hydraulic and water quality simulation and the generation of body-fitted coordinates were developed and programmed as a dynamically linked library file using Visual Basic, and they can be launched by other computer programs. Subsequently, the GIS-based information system was applied to the emergency water pollution management of a shipwreck releasing 10 tons of phenol into the Yangtze River during two hours. The results showed that WPMS ER TGRA can assist with emergency water pollution management and simulate the transfer and diffusion of accidental pollutants in the river. Furthermore, it can quickly identify the affected area and how it will change over time within a few minutes of an accident occurring.