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Describes how an LP‐based one‐dimensional packing algorithm can be used to minimise costs in three different multiple‐vehicle shipment planning problems. The three applications considered are: (1) shipping industrial trucks by container when weight is the dominant constraint; (2) shipping automotive parts in racks by truck when volume is the dominant constraint; and (3) shipping large rolls of paper in railcars of varying size with incentive rates when volume is the dominant constraint.

A recent article by Marien developed a linear programming model for determining the minimum cost pattern for purchasing and shipping commodities subject to a constraint in the level of service provided. The approach taken is first to describe the problem in terms of network theory. Although this is theoretically correct it leads to an unnecessarily complex discussion of what is basically a very simple problem. More importantly it leads to a mathematical model for the sample problem presented that has 23 constraints when only 4 are needed. This fact can be extremely important to anyone who is considering using the model on a “real” problem involving many more product‐shipment combinations. Following is an alternate representation of the problem in a form which lends itself much more readily to extension to larger problems and to matrix generation.

During the past ten years, product proliferation, the trend toward larger facilities serving more markets, dramatic increases in the cost of labour and of plant and equipment and customers requiring faster, more dependable deliveries of smaller quantities have greatly increased management's awareness of the need for product flow planning and control. It is now well recognised that the movement and storage of goods is a vital link between production and marketing which is capable of having a significant impact on the overall profitability of the firm and, therefore, must be carefully planned and controlled.

The objective of this paper is to present the existing state of research relating to the steel industries.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how probabilistic simulation can be used to assist prospective general partners (GP) and limited partners (LP) of a venture capital limited partnership fund to evaluate alternative investment strategies for the proposed fund. The model presented in the paper is based upon observed characteristics of the venture capital market reported in the finance, economics, and management science literature. The body of the paper is organized as follows. In Section II we review the structural characteristics of the model. In Section III we present the results, in terms of ending wealth, obtained from simulating the fund's operations over its life under selected alternative investment strategies. In Section IV we show evaluations of the fund's simulated results under expected return, mean/variance and four moment approaches. In Section V, we present conclusions and implications of the results for financial management.

Folding cartons are used in myriad consumer products. For some products, such as hair dye kits, a very high-resolution printing is required. This is typically done using a technology known as Gravure printing. Gravure printing utilizes engraved cylinders which are very expensive. As a result, the printer often combines multiple products on one set of cylinders to minimize the total number of cylinders used. Since the demand between products varies, this can result in overproduction of the low demand products. This chapter presents an integer programming formulation that assigns products across multiple sets of cylinders in order to minimize this overproduction. Sample problems, their solutions and solution times are presented.

The article by Mr. Brian J. Vaughan in the January issue of Scientific Lubrication, dealing with the chemical and theoretical qualities necessary in refrigerator oils, was of great interest to users of refrigerating machines, and these notes are submitted as a practical supplement to Mr. Vaughan's paper.

This chapter describes possible effects of the 2017 Endrew F. Supreme Court decision that raised the de minimus standard established in 1982 in Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson School District v. Rowley. In Rowley, the court held school districts provided an appropriate education to students with disabilities by demonstrating that students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are reasonably calculated to provide some educational benefit. In contrast, the Endrew F. decision requires IEPs to be reasonably calculated to provide progress that is appropriately ambitious in light of the child's circumstances. The implications of Endrew F. in the IEP process are delineated, including the importance of meaningful parent involvement; relevant and current statements of present levels of performance; challenging; ambitious and measurable goals; and frequent, systematic progress monitoring used to inform effective instructional changes that maximize student progress toward IEP goals. Finally, the authors discuss ways that Endrew F. may affect future litigation and that school districts may prepare to avoid possible litigation in the post-Endrew era.

While it has long been established that social factors, such as housing, transportation, and income, influence health and health care outcomes, over the last decade, attention to this topic has grown dramatically. Reforms that promote high-quality care as well as responsibility for total cost of care have shifted focus among health care providers toward upstream determinants of health care outcomes. As a result, there has been a proliferation of activity focused on integrating and aligning social and medical care, many of which depend critically on cross-sector alliances. Despite considerable activity in this area, cross-sector alliances in health care remain largely undertheorized. Both literatures stand to gain from more attention to carefully knitting together the theoretical and management literature on alliances with the empirical, health policy and health services literature on cross-sector alliances in health care. In this chapter, we lay out what exists in the current scientific literature as well as a framework for considering much needed work in this area. We organize the literature and our commentary around the lifecycle of alliances: alliance formation, including factors prompting alliance formation, partner selection, and alliance goals; alliance maturity, including the work of these cross-sector alliances, governance, finance and contracts, staffing structure, and rewards; and critical crossroads, including alliance timelines, definitions of success, and dissolution. We also lay out critical areas for future inquiry, including better theorizing on cross-sector alliances, developing typologies of these cross-sector health care alliances, and the role of policy in cross-sector alliances.

Patient engagement has been a focus of patient-centered care in recent years, encouraging health care organizations to increase efforts to facilitate a patient's ability to participate in health care. At the same time, a growing body of research has examined the impact that social determinants of health (SDOH) have on patient health outcomes. Additionally, health care equity is increasingly becoming a focus of many organizations as they work to ensure that all patients receive equitable care. These three domains – patient engagement, SDOH, and health care equity – can intersect in the implementation of social needs screenings among health care organizations. We present a case study on a two-phase social needs screening implementation project and describe how this process focuses on equity. As health care organizations seek to increase patient engagement, address SDOH, and improve health equity, we highlight the need to move away from a siloed approach and view these efforts as interrelated. By approaching efforts to address these challenges and barriers as the duty of all those involved in the patient care process, there may be larger strides made toward equitable health care.