We consider scheduling on an unreliable machine that may experience unexpected changes in processing speed or even full breakdowns. We aim for a universal solution that performs well without adaptation for any possible machine behavior. For the objective of minimizing the total weighted completion time, we design a polynomial time deterministic algorithm that finds a universal scheduling sequen...

Research concerning project planning under uncertainty has primarily focused on the stochastic resource-constrained project scheduling problem (stochastic RCPSP), an extension of the basic RCPSP, in which the assumption of deterministic activity durations is dropped. In this paper, we introduce a new variant of the RCPSP for which the uncertainty is modeled by means of resource availabilities t...

We analyzed the most likely cause of 687 bovine tuberculosis (bTB) breakdowns detected in Spain between 2009 and 2011 (i.e., 22% of the total number of breakdowns detected during this period). Seven possible causes were considered: i) residual infection; ii) introduction of infected cattle from other herds; iii) sharing of pastures with infected herds; iv) contiguous spread from infected neighb...

In previous work, we showed that the critical engagement with a decision support system during its implementation by a project team is an important antecedent for the successful later use of the technology. However, the mechanisms that trigger such critical engagement are so far not well understood. Drawing on Heidegger’s modes of Being-in-the-world this paper provides a theoretical frame to un...

The project was conducted in a high quality steel wire manufacturing company with the production capacity of over 120,000 tones/annum. The wire drawn from the high speed wire drawing (KOCH) machine is fed as the raw material for BEKEART (zinc coating galvanization) furnace. The problem faced by the company is the variability in the amount of input to the furnace, which results from the breakdow...

STUDY OBJECTIVES Diagnostic errors in the emergency department (ED) are an important patient safety concern, but little is known about their cause. We identify types and causes of missed or delayed diagnoses in the ED. METHODS This is a review of 122 closed malpractice claims from 4 liability insurers in which patients had alleged a missed or delayed diagnosis in the ED. Trained physician rev...

BACKGROUND Although missed and delayed diagnoses have become an important patient safety concern, they remain largely unstudied, especially in the outpatient setting. OBJECTIVE To develop a framework for investigating missed and delayed diagnoses, advance understanding of their causes, and identify opportunities for prevention. DESIGN Retrospective review of 307 closed malpractice claims in...