Integration of decision support systems to improve decision support performance

Decision support system (DSS) is a well-established research and development area. Traditional isolated, stand-alone DSS has been recently facing new challenges. In order to improve the performance of DSS to meet the challenges, research has been actively carried out to develop integrated decision support systems (IDSS). This paper reviews the current research efforts with regard to the development of IDSS. The focus of the paper is on the integration aspect for IDSS through multiple perspectives, and the technologies that support this integration. More than 100 papers and software systems are discussed. Current research efforts and the development status of IDSS are explained, compared and classified. In addition, future trends and challenges in integration are outlined. The paper concludes that by addressing integration, better support will be provided to decision makers, with the expectation of both better decisions and improved decision making processes

A Webibliomining Analysis of PPC in the Perspective of Creating an Educational Software for Brazilian University Education

The teaching of practical subjects such as PPC (Production Planning and Control) can be enhanced through the use of suitable educational software as it engenders aspects of dynamism and interactivity in the learning process. The present article aims to develop a webibliomining analysis in order to expose the theoretical framework and to explain the state of art of research related to PPC in scientific literature. The key content of PPC topics will be used as a guideline for the development of an specific educational software framework. As for the methodology, bibliographic and bibliometric research resources were used to compose the webibliomining analysis, thus making the article acquire the character of qualitative and quantitative research. The renowned Web of Science database and Nails software were used in order to formulate and prioritize the PPC content. As a result of this, the product of the article consists of the framework of the referred software which has highly relevant content because it is aligned with the inputs generated by the use of webibliomining resource as a facilitating tool on content selection of PPC subjects seeking to increase the learning process efficiency by students of engineering and business at Brazilian universities

A Case Study for Financial Feasibility of Automated Costing Support in A Small Machine Shop

A knowledge-based cost estimating expert system is chosen by a Mexican machine shop. Differences between the traditional experience-based system employed and the automated system are studied. Data is gathered to analyze time effectiveness, accuracy and payback of the software. Data from seventy part models is recorded to study the time experiment, and data from fifty part models is used to study the accuracy and consistency. Data is analyzed by calculating mean, standard deviation, and test of hypothesis. The results indicate that the software is faster than the traditional quoting system; however, the payback point is high. Also, results show the software has a smaller average time-to-manufacture percentage difference between the automated system and the actual time-to-manufacture (TTM) compared to the percentage difference between the traditional’s TTM and actual TTMs, and this difference is statistically significant. The standard deviation for the automated system is also less implying better consistency

Development and Characterisation of Novel Biocomposites Fabricated Using Natural Fibres and Rapid Prototyping Technology

This research project was motivated by the current development in the field of biocomposites and aims to explore various materials and techniques in the production of environmentally friendly composites. Initially, this study focused on establishing innovative methods of flax reinforcement with different polymeric compounds biodegradable and non-biodegradable based such as poly-lactic acid (PLA), polypropylene (PP), maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) and put them under mechanical testing. One method which was employed here is comingling flax fibres with thermoplastic slivers forming continuous tapes and to be processed via thermal consolidation. Comparisons were made to their woven counterparts based off the tensile and flexural properties achieved by each category. The effects of fibre contents on the mechanical performance have also been evaluated. Similar approach was adopted for reinforcement with thermoset resins as both non-biodegradable unsaturated polyester (UPE) and biodegradable furan poly-furfural acid (PFA) resins were also considered for their development and characterisation. Effect of in-situ temperature on the tensile properties have also been studied for a selection of these biocomposites and their failure mechanisms discussed. A general trend of property decrease with temperature increase was observed as the combination of reinforcement architecture and thermal stability of the matrix control the tensile performance. Another area of focus in this project is the Fused Depostion Modelling (FDM) of PLA parts using readily available 3D-printers. Tensile specimens were built and tested to correlate build parameters to internal configurations. Furthermore, the combined effects of in -situ temperature and filament build orientation have been investigated in terms of constitutive material parameters and final failure mechanism. The investigation involved the evaluation of properties deterioration including tensile strength, modulus, stress at failure, strain-to-failure and energy absorbed. They indicate that the internal structures coupled with in-situ temperature conditioning significantly affect the mechanical behavior of the specimens. The findings of this study are useful in defining the most appropriate raster orientation for FDM components on the basis of their expected in-service loading. Lastly, three designs of lattice cores were proposed to assess the feasibility of using FDM process to produce lightweight polymer-based sandwich panels for structural applications. Effects of the shape topology on the compression in-plane and out of plane, shear and bending strength and stiffness have been experimentally investigated through a full mechanical characterisation. This category of core structures is well suited to compete with high performing honeycomb structures used for aerospace applications

The Political Economy of Ceramic Production in Barbados: From plantation industry to craft production

This project examines archaeological, historical, and ethnographic data regarding ceramic production in Barbados during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. The project uses multiscalar analysis, microhistory, and craft and industrial production as lenses for examining the production, distribution and use of local ceramics to explore changes in local craft production. The local production of ceramics allowed sugar plantation managers and owners to use local resources by providing ceramics used in the production of sugar which facilitated economic production on the island\u27s plantations. Sugar pots and cones were used directly in the production of sugar and other ceramic items like tiles and brick were used in the construction of industrial buildings used to boil and store sugar, the primary cash crop that was exported. Sugar contributed significantly to the emergence of the sugar economy and the emergence of a reliance on enslaved laborer, which had profound impacts on social and economic systems in Barbados and the broader Atlantic world. The ceramics produced contributed a relatively low cost medium of sugar storage that fulfilled the planter\u27s objective of maximizing financial profits associated with sugar production. In addition, the marketing of ceramics contributed to parallel forms of economic production as from the inception the plantation operated kilns also produced a small proportion of domestic wares. In time, these domestic wares were incorporated into internal marketing systems developed for and by the islands domestic population. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, independently operated kilns were being operated by free blacks who specialized in the production of utilitarian domestic and household wares. This study focuses on archaeological and historical data associated with two pothouses located in the Parish of St. John, Barbados. The study includes an analysis of the two sites and their associated ceramic assemblages. It also, draws upon the rich historic accounts recorded in the detailed records of Codrington Plantation. This is perhaps the most detailed primary source for information on eighteenth and nineteenth-century industrial pottery production in the Caribbean. The study also draws upon an array of historical information for the island including ethnographic data collected by Jerome Handler in the 1960s from the village of Chalky Mount in the Parish of St. Andrew. The Codrington records and the ethnographic accounts provide details regarding the ware types, production systems, and marketing of Barbadian made ceramics. The site data and historical analyses combine to inform about the relationships of people involved in organizing, producing, selling wares as well as their changing role in the local economy. A typological schema has been produced that will assist researchers in understanding both industrial and local ceramic production. This scheme involves three types of ceramics production in Barbados; the first is plantation based and relied generally on enslaved labor to produce architectural and industrial wares for plantation use. The second involves independent or off-plantation production producing domestic, industrial and architectural wares for the plantations and also the open market relying on either free or enslaved potters. The third type involves the production by free potters of domestic and craft items for the local and tourist markets

Ann Am Thorac Soc

The Sixth Jack Pepys Workshop on Asthma in the Workplace focused on six key themes regarding the recognition and assessment of work-related asthma and airway diseases: (1) cleaning agents and disinfectants (including in swimming pools) as irritants and sensitizers: how to evaluate types of bronchial reactions and reduce risks; (2) population-based studies of occupational obstructive diseases: use of databanks, advantages and pitfalls, what strategies to deal with biases and confounding?; (3) damp environments, dilapidated buildings, recycling processes, and molds, an increasing problem: mechanisms, how to assess causality and diagnosis; (4) diagnosis of occupational asthma and rhinitis: how useful are recombinant allergens (component-resolved diagnosis), metabolomics, and other new tests?; (5) how does exposure to gas, dust, and fumes enhance sensitization and asthma?; and (6) how to determine probability of occupational causality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: epidemiological and clinical, confirmation, and compensation aspects. A summary of the presentations and discussion is provided in this proceedings document. Increased knowledge has been gained in each topic over the past few years, but there remain aspects of controversy and uncertainty requiring further research.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2017-12-28T00:00:00Z28862493PMC57455827184vault:2740