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ISOLDE's Offline 2 laboratory has been upgraded to facilitate development for the production and study of molecular ion beams. New gas injection systems have been implemented for both molecular formation in the ion source and in the radio-frequency quadrupole ion trap used for beam preparation. MagneToF detectors and time-resolved single ion counting data acquisition have been implemented for low intensity beams and studies of laser-atom or laser-molecule interactions. We present a study of the formation and ionization of BaF + using the upgraded facility. • ISOLDE's Offline 2 mass separator facility has been upgraded for studies of molecular ion beams. • High-power laser light interacts with molecules to ionize and dissociate. • Barium and barium fluoride ions are ionized using laser light at 355 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern objectives of libraries could facilitate the provision and use of prison library services and resources. The purpose of the research was to investigate how academic library resources and services are available and accessible to prison inmates in distance education programme. The descriptive survey design was employed in the collection and analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data. The study was conducted at the Nsawam Maximum Prison involving fifty-seven (57) student inmates in the distance education programme of the University of Cape Coast and two (2) Prison Library staff. The study found that facilities and information resources in prison libraries do not meet the learning and research needs of inmates in the higher distance learning programme. The study suggests that academic libraries should come to the aid of prison students with collaborative efforts to extend their resources and services to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persons with disabilities have physical or intellectual limitations on doing things they want, especially finding information and increasing knowledge at the library. As an information center, the academic library must provide facilities and services for persons with disabilities. This study aims to analyze the perceptions of academic librarians regarding facilities and services for people with visual impairments. This study uses a qualitative approach through interviews with ten people: head librarians, librarians, functional persons in the disability service unit, and persons with visual impairments. The analysis revealed that, from the 12 conceptual themes identified in the qualitative data, the library's services remain suboptimal and essential facilities for visually impaired people are lacking. Data was gleaned through three methodologies: observation, interviews, and documentary analysis. There is no collaboration between university libraries, faculty libraries, disability service units, and students with disabilities, which affects the knowledge of the head of the library and librarians. The study concludes that the lack of accessibility and library policies for people with visual impairments and the lack of collaboration with disability service providers have impacted the librarians' professionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of structural and demographic changes in rural areas, fewer facilities and meeting places exist in Denmark. In this article, we assess which role facilities and meeting places in rural areas might have for the self-assessed Quality of Life (QoL) of the individuals living in the rural areas. Based on 27 semi-structured qualitative interviews with persons from three different rural areas in Denmark, we show how facilities and meeting places in rural areas play a role in relation to self-assessed QoL via two different types of mechanism: 1) through providing a framework for activities and 2) through the symbolic role facilities and meeting places might have to indicate that one is part of a thriving village. We argue that it is important to acknowledge both mechanisms when assessing the role of facilities and meeting places for QoL in rural areas. The findings in this study focus on the users of the local facilities. Further qualitative research could explore which role the presence of facilities and meeting places might play for the inhabitants who do not use the local facilities and meeting places to the same extent as the interview persons in this study. • Facilities and meeting-places provide physical spaces for meeting with other inhabitants in rural areas. • Too little is known about which role facilities and meeting-places might have for self-assessed Quality of Life (QoL). • Facilities and meeting-places in rural areas influence individuals lself-assessed QoL via two types of mechanisms: 1) through providing a framework for activities and 2) through the symbolic role facilities and meeting places have to indicate that one is part of a thriving village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a variant of the classic facility location game called the k -product facility location game with penalties. In this game, each facility can only produce at most one kind of product and each customer must be supplied with k different products or be rejected by paying the penalty cost. The authors propose a 2-approximate cross-monotonic cost-sharing scheme for the game when k = 2 , and a (3 2 k − 3 2)-approximate cross-monotonic cost-sharing scheme when k ≥ 3 , respectively. Furthermore, the lower bound is obtained for the k -product facility location game with penalties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The JANNuS-Saclay multi-irradiation platform includes a triple beam facility coupled to an in-situ Raman spectrometer, established at CEA Saclay in 2009. In addition to the triple-beam chamber, two single-beam chambers are set up. Sample temperature can be varied from −180 °C to 800 °C, and at −260 °C or at 1200 °C in dedicated devices. The platform is also equipped with a multi-ion Beam Analysis chamber. JANNuS Saclay facility is a powerful tool to understand the changes generated by irradiation in materials, especially in nuclear application fields. This paper presents the recent facility developments since 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the production of γ p → ϕ (2170) p is studied for the first time by using the two gluon exchange model and effective Pomeron exchange model under the assumption that ϕ (2170) is a conventional s s ¯ state. On the whole, the numerical results show that the total cross section of ϕ (2170) through γp scattering can reach more than 70 nb at a center-of-mass energy of W =7 GeV. A comparison between the outcomes of the two models reveals subtle discrepancies. Moreover, base on the cross section of ϕ (2170) photoproduction, we systematically analyzed the production of ϕ (2170) at Ultra-Peripheral Collisions (UPCs) and Electron-Ion Colliders (EICs) by using the STARlight and eSTARlight program developed by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Accordingly, the cross section, event number and rapidity distribution of ϕ (2170) through EICs and UPCs are predicted based on the accelerator experiments. These projections offer valuable theoretical insights for forthcoming experiments at EicC, EIC-US, RHIC, and LHC facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Enhanced filtration and back-flushing via innovative ultrasound integration. • Synergetic ultrasound filtration enhancement and high-frequency back-flushing. • Ultrasound-induced turbulent mixing helps clean the filter tube surface. • Evaluation confirms ultrasound promising and safety for refinery facilities. Refinery filtration processes often face challenges related to rapidly increasing permeate pressure differentials and the consequent need for frequent back-flushing. This study investigates the impact of high-intensity immersed sonotrode ultrasound device on flow patterns to address these issues, both numerically and experimentally. Numerical simulations reveal that ultrasound promotes axial circular mixing of the bulk fluid, increasing average flow velocities around the filter tube from 5.11 × 10-5 m/s to 8.76 × 10-3-6.09 × 10-2 m/s, thereby facilitating cleansing of filter tube surfaces. Additionally, high-frequency pressure fluctuations contribute to enhancing the filtration process during positive pressure phases, while robust online back-flushing effects are generated during negative pressure phases. Although the wire-wrapped filter tube attenuates ultrasound energy as it penetrates the tube gaps, ultrasound still induces turbulent mixing inside and outside the filter tubes, aiding in the removal of impurities from the gaps. The utilization of ultrasound is demonstrated to not inflict harm on upstream and downstream facilities. Experimental results demonstrate that ultrasound-assisted filtration with 600 W and 1000 W power inputs reduces filtration pressure differences by 18 % and 73 %, respectively, affirming ultrasound's effectiveness in mitigating and preventing blockages, highlighting its significance for industrial applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the capacitated facility location problem, we are given a set F of potential facilities and a set D of clients, where each facility has a capacity and an open cost, and each client has a demand to be served by the facilities with service costs. The goal is to open some facilities in F and assign all clients in D to these open facilities such that the total cost is minimum. Based on the natural integer programming formulation, Levi et al. [8] presented an LP-based 5-approximation algorithm for this problem under the assumption that the facility costs are uniform. Based on the same integer programming formulation, we remove the uniformity assumption and present an (R + R 2 + 8 R 2 + 3) -approximation algorithm for the capacitated facility location problem, where R is the upper bound of the ratio between facility costs. Our result is a slight extension of the corresponding result in [8] , as when R = 1 the worst-case ratio of our algorithm is R + R 2 + 8 R 2 + 3 = 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain is a major cause of disability. Outpatient pain management services take a multidisciplinary approach based on a biopsychosocial framework, providing assessment and management of patients who suffer from chronic pain. The emphasis is on education and promotion of self-management. Appropriate facilities, management and cohesive working is essential to provide evidence-based effective pain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a truthful two-facility location problem in which a set of agents have private positions on the line of real numbers and known approval preferences over two different facilities. Given the locations of the two facilities, the cost of an agent is the total distance from the facilities she approves. The goal is to decide where to place the facilities from a given finite set of candidate locations so as to (a) approximately optimize desired social objectives, and (b) incentivize the agents to truthfully report their private positions. We focus on the class of deterministic strategyproof mechanisms and show bounds on their approximation ratio in terms of the social cost (i.e., the total cost of the agents) and the max cost for several classes of instances depending on the preferences of the agents over the facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape components are essential in the design and fruition of any urban green space (UGS). This is particularly relevant considering the growth rate of the urban population worldwide, the increase in the number and intensity of severe weather episodes due to climate change, and the relevance of UGSs for global human well-being, as highlighted by the United Nations in their Sustainable Development Goals. This study examines users' perceptions of UGSs regarding the importance of landscape components, which can influence users' preferences for UGS use. The research was conducted in a major urban park subdivided into 10 landscape units in Oporto, Portugal. The paper uses information gathered through face-to-face surveys from stationary park users (n = 500) engaged in diverse activities, through which 13 landscape elements were assessed for their relevance in determining choice of location. The results show significant differences between the assessed landscape units at the user level for all socio-demographic variables, with the exception of the gender variable. Significant differences between landscape units were also identified in terms of the relevance attributed to the different landscape components. Exploratory factor analysis identified five main factors influencing user preferences: comfort and security (including vegetation density , tranquillity of space , availability of shade , good maintenance , and forest coverage), landscape diversity (diversity of open spaces , diversity of flora and fauna, and presence of shrubs), water presence , recreational facilities , and open spaces for activities. The results also highlight an issue related to distributional justice regarding the assessed study area. Our results have relevant implications for the design and management of UGSs. We propose diverse actions, addressing issues related to the balance between open spaces and rich greenery, multifunctional design, shade coverage, maintenance, forest coverage, vegetation diversity, the incorporation of water features, and the provision of recreational facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of fingermark research is to advance the quantity and quality of fingermarks detected using novel techniques or improvements on existing methods. Subsequently, there is a need to evaluate these methods to determine the quality of the developed mark, which is mostly done by the use of a numerical scale with descriptors to assist in the evaluation. However, this evaluation is often complicated due to a wide range of variables that impact the way quality assessment is performed. This is particularly true when considering it is currently unknown what assessment parameters are required to encompass the overall definition of quality. Likewise, the definition of fingermark quality is not universally agreed upon, which leads to significant subjective interpretation when a researcher chooses a scale. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors contributing to fingermark quality in order to generate a deeper understanding of current approaches and definitions. A survey was created through a dataset that consisted of over 500 fingermarks detected in controlled laboratory conditions with a range of techniques. The images selected for the survey were based upon representing a full range of quality, each with a varying range of attributes. The survey looked at different parameters and descriptions used in current assessment protocols, asked participants to grade marks based on chosen parameters, and investigated current chosen methods by researchers in fingermark definition. The survey relied upon the participation of both examiners and researchers in fingermark detection. The results indicate that quality assessment methods implemented by researchers are not utilising all parameters that fingermark researchers and examiners deem important. This is especially true for contrast and background development, considered as two of the top parameters by examiners and researchers, which are not regularly used in most quality scale assessment methods. The survey ultimately demonstrated that the current subjective quality assessment methods were not always suitable and highlighted more appropriate parameters and descriptors that should be considered when assessing the quality of a fingermark. • Survey of researchers and examiners about fingermark quality evaluation. • Ridge detail, flow, visibility, contrast, technique development most important parameters. • Current scales often don't utilise parameters assessors consider important. • Continuous grading is too variable in comparison to traditional categorical scales. • Assessors' experience should be stated to help study cross-comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather has a direct and significant impact on buildings and infrastructure, resulting in billions of dollars of damage each year. This problem continues to grow as climate patterns change and buildings are exposed to new and different hazards than what they were designed to withstand. In order to better plan for the long-range sustainment, restoration, modernization, and eventual recapitalization of these buildings, organizations with large building portfolios, such as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), must have an awareness of the risks that these extreme weather events present. This research aimed to develop an approach to estimate condition loss and reduction in service life for the components of a building due to extreme weather hazards, to understand the risks that may be present in certain buildings and building systems. To achieve this objective, a damage association matrix was developed that categorizes climate hazards, the damage modes that they produce, and the individual component types impacted. This damage matrix formally links state-of-the-art climate model output, which provides projections of the probability of various climate hazards with a damage effects model that quantifies the consequence on component-level condition and service life. This method is applied to an actual portfolio of buildings in a particular geographic location and with a pre-defined component inventory that comprises the building. This approach can be aggregated to the system-, facility-, and site-level thus helping support billions of dollars in recapitalization decisions related to restoration/modernization of facilities. • The BUILDER Sustainment Management System forecasts facility conditions across the U.S. Department of Defense • Lifecycle assessment tools, like BUILDER, generally do not consider vulnerability to extreme weather and climate change. • We developed a plug-in for BUILDER that evaluates the impact of future extreme weather on facility lifespans and associated costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to explore the impact of fixed input or the non-discretionary inputs on estimating the input of individual farmland water conservation facilities and its effect on the performance of regional agricultural area in China. The present study developed the production function model and the occasional cost boundary function from the duality of the production, to estimate the technical efficiency of the benefitted farmland area from constructing and improving irrigation and drainage facilities by using Statistics in Taiwan and Zhejiang Province. Considering the presence of fixed inputs or non-discretionary inputs in the investment, construction, and operation of water conservation facilities, the present study estimated the production efficiency of individual farmland water conservation facilities. The empirical results showed that fixed input, or non-discretionary inputs, had a significant impact on the efficiency estimation of farmland water conservation facilities. Technical efficiency would be underestimated if fixed inputs is not considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the Online Facility Location problem in an extended version. Fotakis showed a lower bound of Ω (log ⁡ n log ⁡ log ⁡ n) for the original Online Facility Location problem, where n is the number of clients. This bound holds even on the real line and for randomized algorithms against oblivious adversaries. We propose randomized online algorithms in the following setting: We consider the Euclidean space of arbitrary dimension and allow the facilities to either move arbitrarily or to move at most a constant distance m in each time step. The costs for moving a facility from a to b is D ⋅ d (a , b) where D ≥ 1 is a constant. Clients are assigned to facilities instantly and irreversibly. The cost for serving the clients is either calculated as soon as a client arrives or at the end of the computation. The algorithms for these two cost models achieve the same competitiveness on the line, which, in contrast to the original Online Facility Location problem, is independent of n. In the case of arbitrary movement, it only depends on D. In the case of a limited movement distance m , it additionally depends on m and the opening costs of the facilities. We show that our results are asymptotically tight on the real line. For the Euclidean space of higher dimensions, we give an algorithm for the model where costs for clients are evaluated immediately. The competitive ratio of our algorithm depends on the above parameters and additionally on the number of optimal facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Expanding access to medical abortion through pharmacies is a potential strategy to promote safe abortion care. To compare the effectiveness and safety of medical abortion offered in pharmacy settings with clinic-based medical abortion.Study Design: We searched multiple databases and the gray literature through November 2020. No language restrictions were applied. We included randomized and nonrandomized comparative studies. We applied standard risk of bias tools to each included study and used GRADE methodology to assess certainty of evidence. The primary outcomes were completion of abortion without additional intervention, need for blood transfusion, and presence of uterine or systemic infection within 30 days of medical abortion.Results: Our search yielded 2030 studies. One prospective cohort study from Nepal met inclusion criteria. This study collected data on 605 women obtaining medical abortion rom either a clinic or pharmacy, and was judged to have low risk of bias for our primary outcome. For women who received medical abortion in a pharmacy compared to a clinic there was probably little or no difference in complete abortion rates (adjusted risk difference 1.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.8 to 3.8, 1 study, 600 participants; low certainty of evidence). No cases of blood transfusion were reported in the study and a composite outcome comprised mainly of infection complications showed little or no difference between settings (adjusted risk difference 0.8; 95% CI -1.0 to 2.8, 1 study, 600 participants; very low certainty of evidence).Conclusion: Evidence from just one nonrandomized study provides low certainty evidence that the effectiveness of medical abortion is probably not different between the pharmacy or clinic setting.Implications: Provision of medical abortions through pharmacy-based models of care may improve access to safe abortion. Comparative studies examining each model of care and outcomes on safety, effectiveness, and patient experience are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider conditional facility location problems with unreliable facilities that can fail with known probabilities. The demand is uniformly distributed over a convex polygon in the rectilinear plane where a number of facilities are already present, and it is required to optimally locate another facility. We analyze properties of the exponential family of incremental Voronoi diagrams associated with possible realizations of the set of operational facilities, and, based on this analysis, present polynomial algorithms for three conditional location problems. The approach can be extended to various other conditional location problems with continuous demand and unreliable facilities, under different probabilistic models including ones with correlated facility failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geometry comparison between ITER-WCLL-WCS and Water Loop. • Water Loop secondary loop has some differences from ITER-WCLL-WCS. • Water loop is capable to reproduce the WCLL-WCS normal operational state. • LOFA affecting the secondary loop is investigated as incidental transient. • Few differences between the two facilities due to the geometrical differences. The Water-Cooled Lead-Lithium (WCLL) is one of the two candidate concepts for the Breeding Blanket (BB) of DEMO. A Test Blanket Module (TBM) together with its Water Cooling System (WCS) is going to be installed and tested in the ITER reactor. The WCS acts as primary cooling circuit of the TBM module, and it is designed to reproduce the water thermodynamic conditions expected at the DEMO BB inlet. During last years, ENEA and the DIAEE of Sapienza University of Rome have carried out the conceptualization of the Water Loop (WL) facility, belonging to the W-HYDRA experimental platform planned at C.R. Brasimone. The W-HYDRA platform is composed by three individual facilities called: Water Loop, Steam, and LIFUS5/Mod4. Water Loop replicates the salient thermal-hydraulic features of the ITER WCLL WCS, and it is equipped with a test section placed inside a Vacuum Vessel (VV) to investigate mock-ups of the whole TBM or its individual parts. This paper assesses the relevancy of the WL facility with respect to ITER WCLL TBM System comparing their thermal-hydraulic performances during selected operational and accidental conditions. Two RELAP5/Mod3.3 models were developed, and the outcomes of the simulations showed a good agreement, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of WL facility to support the ITER TBM program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the mechanism design for a two-facility-location game involving two types of agents. Type I agents only prioritize the facility closer to their location, while type II agents are concerned with the overall distance to both facilities. The objective is to minimize the total cost of all agents. In a game setting, agents have the option to strategically report their locations or types. Therefore, a mechanism which ensures that agents do not have any incentive to misreport their private information is considered strategy-proof. We design strategy-proof mechanisms with approximation ratios for both continuous and discrete facility locations, which are designed with respect to various restrictions on misreporting. Furthermore, we establish lower bounds on approximation ratios. • We study a novel model of two facility location games with mixed types of agents. • The goal is to design strategy-proof mechanisms to minimize the total cost. • We present upper and lower bounds on the approximation ratio of strategy-proof mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid Compression Machines (RCMs) are well-established facilities to validate kinetic models in the mid-to-low-temperature regime for moderate to high pressures. The wide range of measurable ignition delay times (IDTs) is a substantial extension to shock tubes and other facilities. However, the interpretation of RCM experiments is challenging and therefore the reliability of such measurements might be questioned. This study aims to prove the value of RCM experiments as validation targets. Firstly, a newly elaborated kinetic model for ethanol is validated against the widest experimental space performed for ethanol IDT experiments within a single facility, including six pressures between 10 and 40 bar, nine dilution ratios between f D i l = 2–10 ( f D i l = X D i l / X O 2 ) and seven equivalence ratios ranging from φ = 0.5 to 2.0 within a temperature range between 780 K and 980 K. The kinetic model resulting from the validation process is used to explore potential limitations in the experimental spectrum of the studied RCM. Therefore, modification of the facility towards unconventional operational conditions are used to prove the applicability of the adiabatic core hypothesis and therefore the legitimization of RCM experiments even under critical operational circumstances. These modifications include the variation of the compression characteristic from a distinct piston creep towards an almost abrupt stopping and the usage of different crevice geometries, including an uncreviced piston. Additionally, the influence of the initial temperature was investigated separately and the dead volume of the reactor was drastically decreased and also increased. This huge amount of experiments and corresponding simulations are a profound and reliable basis for statistical analysis to formulate meaningful statements about the validity of the comparison of kinetic simulation against RCM experiments. For the developed model, 93 % of all simulated IDTs are within ± 25 % of measured IDT between 5–150 ms. Novelty and significance statement This is the first study to experimentally prove the validity of RCM ignition delay time experiments for the broadest validation space and operational parameter space on ethanol within a single facility so far. Significant changes in the compression characteristic and the break-behavior of the piston system, the reactor piston crevice geometry, the reactor dead volume, and the initial temperature could show the direct effect of the measured ignition delay time but also the ability of a single kinetic model to cover these facility effects. Here, the special design of the HGD RCM allows the variation of all these parameters under otherwise similar boundary conditions and thus a direct experimental comparison, which makes this the first comprehensive study of the most essential facility-related effects in RCM experiments on the measured ignition delay time and their corresponding simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end of the Brazilian state monopoly in 2006, allowing private enterprises to act in producing and commercializing short half-life radiopharmaceuticals, the country observed a growth in the laboratories that use 18F-FDG to PET/CT exams. Considering the radiological protection and safety techniques applied to radioisotope-producing facilities or units, this study assembled the current situation of radiological protection showing the received doses of the professionals of four facilities with cyclotrons for 18F-FDG located in south and southeast Brazil in the years 2020 and 2021. The dose values observed are below the dose limits established by national and international regulatory entities but can still be optimized considering differences between the production units. • PET/CT exams using 18F-FDG has grown since the end of the Brazilian state monopoly. • A dose survey was performed at Brazilian South and Southeast producing facilities. • We discussed radiological protection from dosimetry analyses at cyclotrons in Brazil. • Dose levels are lower than regulatory limits, but optimization can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate a two player scenario, in which a decision maker locates some facilities in a network, while a second player, called the interdictor, may disrupt the infrastructure by deleting some edges in the network in order to worsen the first player's objective value. For the case that the locational decision is assessed with the covering objective function, we show that the problem of the interdictor is NP -complete while the one of the locator is Σ 2 p -complete. We also present a variant of the problem obtained by changing the order of the players' actions, which is shown to be Σ 2 p -complete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We present the location-or-routing problem. • A customer can be covered either by 'location' or by 'routing'. • Applications in location of retail stores, shopping malls, schools, urban delivery centers and medical testing centers. • We develop a set covering model and a branch-and-price algorithm. • We find that the total cost decreases linearly by increasing facility coverage range. We introduce the location-or-routing problem (LoRP), which integrates the facility location and the vehicle routing problems by uncovering a new connection from the customer coverage perspective. In the LoRP, open facilities cover the customers in their neighborhood and the uncovered customers are transported to open facilities by capacitated vehicles. Each facility has a maximum coverage range and each vehicle route is constrained by a maximum length. In this setting, a customer can be covered either by 'location' or by 'routing', hence the problem name. We discuss several application areas of LoRP and present its relation to the location and routing problems. We develop a set covering model and a branch-and-price algorithm as an exact solution methodology. The results show that the facility coverage range is an important determinant of the number and location of open facilities. We find that the vehicle routes play a decreasing role on the total cost as facility range increases. Furthermore, trade-off analyses on random graphs show that the total cost decreases almost linearly by increasing facility coverage range. We investigate the reasons behind this observation using arguments from asymptotic analysis and find that it is a common property when the customers are uniformly distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We study deterministic mechanism design for k -facility location games with envy ratio. • For the homogeneous setting, the best deterministic strategyproof mechanism is obtained. • For the heterogeneous setting, an optimal and group strategyproof mechanism is devised when k is even. We study deterministic mechanism design without money for k -facility location games with envy ratio on a real line segment, where a set of strategic agents report their locations and a social planner locates k facilities for minimizing the envy ratio. The objective of envy ratio, which is defined as the maximum over the ratios between any two agents' utilities, is derived from fair division to measure the fairness with respect to a certain facility location profile. The problem is studied in two settings. In the homogeneous k -facility location game where k facilities serve the same purpose, we propose a 2 k 2 k − 1 -approximate deterministic group strategyproof mechanism which is also the best deterministic strategyproof mechanism. In the heterogeneous k -facility location game where each facility serves a different purpose, when k is even, we devise an optimal and group strategyproof mechanism; when k is odd, we provide a k + 1 k − 1 -approximate deterministic group strategyproof mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the K -Facility Reallocation problem on the real line, where we maintain K facility locations over T stages, based on the stage-dependent locations of n agents. Each agent is connected to the nearest facility at each stage, and the facilities may move from one stage to another, to accommodate different agent locations. The objective is to minimize the connection cost of the agents plus the total moving cost of the facilities, over all stages. The K -Facility Reallocation problem was introduced by de Keijzer and Wojtczak, where they mostly focused on the special case of a single facility. Using an LP-based approach, we present a polynomial time algorithm that computes the optimal solution for any number of facilities. We also consider the online K -Facility Reallocation problem, where the algorithm becomes aware of agent locations in a stage-by-stage fashion. By exploiting an interesting connection to the classical K -server problem, we present a constant-competitive algorithm for K = 2 facilities. • Polynomial time algorithm for K -Facility Reallocation problem on the line. • O (1) -competitive algorithm for online K -Facility Reallocation problem on the line. • Lower bound for online K -Facility Reallocation problem on the line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bicycle facilities with greater separation were perceived positively. • Those that are more accepting of risks are less impacted by separated facilities than the risk-cautious. • Risk tolerance was a better delineator for perceptions of comfort and safety than bike enjoyment. While many professionals support bicycling for transportation to reduce traffic congestion and improve public health, many potential cyclists see the risks from traffic injuries as a major barrier. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of bicycle facilities on perceptions of bikeability, and how these perceptions vary among different groups. Data comes from surveys (N = 2157) deployed in ten study neighborhoods as part of two research projects. Respondents were asked to rate a series of images of hypothetical roadways in terms of perceived comfort, perceived safety, and willingness to try bicycling. Latent-class regression was used to model these responses, with bicycle facility type and roadway characteristics as explanatory variables and sociodemographics and attitudinal factors (car preference, bike enjoyment, risk tolerance, and anti-exercise) as covariates for class membership. A recurring theme among the presented solutions is the emergence of two pro-bicycle classes - risk-embracing and risk-cautious - together with a pro-car class. Results indicate that the impact of protected bicycle facilities on perceptions are much higher for the pro-bike/risk-cautious group. The major implication of these findings is that there likely exists a sizeable segment of the population that, although perhaps just as interested in bicycling as the typical pro-bicycle class, is more cautious in their perceptions of comfort and safety. Those belonging to this subgroup generally view minimal facilities as much more unsafe and uncomfortable than their risk-accepting counterparts, but have comparable perceptions regarding high-quality protected bicycle facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first consider a dynamic k -level facility location problem, which is a generalization of the k -level facility location problem when considering time factor. We present a combinatorial primal-dual approximation algorithm for this problem which finds a constant factor approximate solution. Then, we investigative the dynamic k -level facility location problem with submodular penalties and outliers, which extend the existing problem on two fronts, namely from static to dynamic and from without penalties (outliers) to penalties (outliers) allowed. Based on primal-dual technique and the triangle inequality property, we also give two constant factor approximation algorithms for the dynamic problem with submodular penalties and outliers, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Drug Quality and Security Act passed in 2013 created a new voluntary category of compounders, referred to as outsourcing facilities. The regulatory landscape allows these facilities to compound on a larger scale in comparison with the typical compounding pharmacies, which positions them to potentially serve a role in overcoming drug shortages.Objective: The purpose of this article is to identify the number of drug products on shortage as reported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that were also compounded by outsourcing facilities.Methods: All current and resolved drug shortages through January 27, 2020, as reported by FDA, were compared with the 503B product reports from July 2018 through June 2019 submitted to FDA by outsourcing facilities. The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and dosage form for each product on shortage were compared with the 503B product reports to identify similarities.Results: There were 344 unique APIs on the FDA drug shortage list and 774 unique APIs on the 503B product reports. After comparison of the APIs on the drug shortage list with those on the product reports, 27% of unique APIs (74 of 272) were included on both lists, and of these, 18% (50 of 272) of the APIs on the drug shortage list were compounded by outsourcing facilities in the same dosage form as what was on shortage.Conclusion: The regulatory landscape positions outsourcing facilities to play an important role in providing access to medications while on shortage. However, when comparing the drugs on shortage as reported by FDA with the 503B product reports, there was minimal overlap. Additional research into why outsourcing facilities are not taking on a larger role in overcoming drug shortages should be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this commentary is to describe the differences between 503A and 503B facilities and the policies and restrictions for compounding from bulk drug substances. Due to the 2012 meningitis outbreak linked to compounded steroid injections, the landscape of pharmacy compounding was changed in the United States. This event led to the creation of two distinct types of compounding pharmacies, 503A and 503B facilities. 503B facilities are restricted from compounding using bulk drug substances unless they are on the Food and Drug Administration drug shortage list or appear on the 503B Bulk Drug Substance list. This commentary hopes to bring more attention to the development of the 503B Bulk Drug Substance list being developed by the FDA and to encourage practitioners and pharmacists to provide insight into the drug substances nominated for the list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the optional preference model of the facility location game problem with two heterogeneous facilities on a line. The preference of each agent is one of the two facilities or both facilities, and the cost of each agent is a function of the distances to the facilities that the agent prefers. We consider two cost functions: Minimum Distance and Maximum Distance functions. Aiming at minimizing the maximum cost or the social cost of agents, we propose different strategyproof mechanisms without monetary transfers and derive both lower and upper bounds of the approximation ratios with respect to strategyproof mechanisms. In the variant of Minimum Distance, we propose a 2-approximation deterministic strategyproof mechanism for the maximum cost objective, and prove a lower bound of 4/3, while for the social cost objective we propose a (n / 2 +1)-approximation deterministic strategyproof mechanism and prove a lower bound of 2, also a lower bound of 3/2 for randomized mechanisms. In the variant of Maximum Distance, we propose an optimal deterministic strategyproof mechanism for the maximum cost objective and a 2-approximation deterministic strategyproof mechanism for the social cost objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the effects of settlement-induced downdrag on geosynthetic liner systems for a waste containment facility with steep side slopes for different design scenarios, and conducts the stability analysis of the waste mass during waste filling operations. Without the presence of a reinforcing layer above a geomembrane (GMB) liner, the liner experiences unacceptable tensile strains under both short- and long-term downdrag waste settlements. It is shown that an anchored high strength/stiffness geotextile (HS-GTX) reinforcement over the GMB can reduce the GMB tensile strains to less than 3%, but the HS-GTX itself may be overloaded. A geosynthetic slip layer over the full or partial HS-GTX reinforcement overlying the GMB can reduce the tensile strains of the GMB to less than 3% and of the HS-GTX to less than 5% by providing a preferential slip plane between the geosynthetic slip layer and the HS-GTX. A rupture of the geosynthetic slip layer is likely to occur resulting in the exposure of the HS-GTX to the waste, but the protection of the GMB by the HS-GTX is still expected. The results from the stability analysis show that, during waste filling operations under a given factor of safety, there is a critical relationship between the width of the top of the waste pile and the total waste thickness. • Examines the strains developed in a geomembrane due to downdrag together with stability considerations. • Examines role of a preferential slip plane and high stiffness reinforcement. • First evaluation of the effect of geonet composite as a drainage layer on downdrag strains developed in the geomembrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Most suitable locations for an inner-city freight consolidation facility are in zones that offer excellent accessibility to major roads and goods receivers particularly in affordable industrial land in the study area. • Although transport-related decision criteria are critical in determining the suitability of the facility location, freight land use-related factors also influence the operational environments and suitability of the location. • The study findings highlight the challenges of identifying optimal location for the facility in the inner-city area as adjoining zones display completely different values of the decision criteria. Location analysis for a consolidation facility is a multi-criteria challenge, compounded by spatial constraints in real-world scenarios such as those found in inner-city areas. However, most decision support models in location studies of consolidation facilities are limited to numerical computation or multi-criteria analysis while ignoring spatial factors in location selection. This study aims to characterise suitable locations for an inner-city consolidation facility based on spatial aspects, operational requirements, and societal concerns. Accordingly, this study presents an integrated spatial multi-criteria location framework to identify and rank optimal sites for a proposed freight consolidation facility in an inner-city area using 11 decision criteria identified from key stakeholders. Real geographic data from Inner Melbourne, Australia, are used to identify 20 candidate sites which are then evaluated and ranked using the TOPSIS method. The suitability analysis confirms that the most suitable locations are in zones with affordable industrial land with excellent accessibility to major roads and goods receivers. Sensitivity analysis indicates that assigning more significance to the operational requirements and decreasing the priority weight for proximity to residential areas tip favourability towards areas with low real estate costs and more industrially-zoned parts. The multi-criteria spatial modelling allows decision-makers and transport researchers to apply value-decisions at the onset of the process, and it also allows for improved understanding and visualisation of the results and of the significance of the chosen criteria in the evaluation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the start-up of an exploratory study for optimising an ISOL-target geometry towards isotopes production at driver-beam energies in the range of 100 MeV. A 1D algorithm that determines the optimal target thickness, as well as a partially algorithmic method that combines the particle-transport calculations with thermo-mechanical simulations have been developed. Further developments are planned in order to integrate an isotope-release model, as well as to provide a degree of automation, in order to facilitate optimisation. In the future this will allow easier determination of the optimal target design for the production of a specific isotope. To illustrate the optimisation process, the exploratory study for the production of scandium beams at an ISOL facility with a 100 MeV proton driver-beam is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although decommissioning of offshore oil and gas facilities is a well-established global practice, it is in the early stages of development and exploration in China. With the continuous expansion of offshore oil and gas production in China, several facilities are now in life extension or urgent decommissioning stages. It is estimated that over the next two decades, more than 100 facilities will need decommissioning. In this study, we reviewed and evaluated the plan and process of the first offshore decommissioning project, the Weizhou 11-4C platform in the Beibu Gulf of the South China Sea, and the potential environmental impacts that may arise from the decommissioning process. We have also proposed corresponding recommendations, specifically related to standard-setting, scheme selection, and environmental protection measures. By analyzing the Weizhou 11-4C decommissioning project, we aimed to provide experience-based insights to support innovation in future decommissioning work of offshore oil and gas facilities in China. • The scenario of complete removal for recycling or refurbishment is currently adopted. • Plan and process of a decommissioned platform have been thoroughly explained. • The environmental impacts during the decommissioning work cannot be ignored. • Rigs-to-reefs solution should be considered for decommissioning work in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]