A proposed simulation optimization model framework for emergency department problems in public hospital

The Emergency Department (ED) is a very complex system with limited resources to support increase in demand.ED services are considered as good quality if they can meet the patient’s expectation.Long waiting times and length of stay is always the main problem faced by the management.The management of ED should give greater emphasis on their capacity of resources in order to increase the quality of services, which conforms to patient satisfaction.This paper is a review of work in progress of a study being conducted in a government hospital in Selangor, Malaysia.This paper proposed a simulation optimization model framework which is used to study ED operations and problems as well as to find an optimal solution to the problems. The integration of simulation and optimization is hoped can assist management in decision making process regarding their resource capacity planning in order to improve current and future ED operations

Emerging development of nanocellulose as an antimicrobial material: An overview

The prolonged survival of microbes on surfaces in high-traffic/high-contact environments drives the need for a more consistent and passive form of surface sterilization to minimize the risk of infection. Due to increasing tolerance to antibiotics among microorganisms, research focusing on the discovery of naturally-occurring biocides with low-risk cytotoxicity properties has become more pressing. The latest research has centred on nanocellulosic antimicrobial materials due to their low-cost and unique features, which are potentially useful as wound dressings, drug carriers, packaging materials, filtration/adsorbents, textiles, and paint. This review discusses the latest literature on the fabrication of nanocellulose-based antimicrobial materials against viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa by employing variable functional groups, including aldehyde groups, quaternary ammonium, metal, metal oxide nanoparticles as well as chitosan. The problems associated with industrial manufacturing and the prospects for the advancement of nanocellulose-based antimicrobial materials are also addressed