Instrumental methods of analysis of quality of automated control systems

The article reveals the problem of analysis of automated control systems in oil refineries was addressed through creation of models, techniques and tools for analyzing and evaluation the quality of automated control systems. These models can help refiners in the creation, operation and development of Information Systems. The scientific novelty of the research is the development of methodological and instrumental support for the analysis and evaluation of the quality of automated control systems of oil refineries.peer-reviewe

Which doctor? Combining vignettes and item response to measure doctor quality

The authors develop a method in which vignettes-a battery of questions for hypothetical cases-are evaluated with item response theory to create a metric for doctor quality. The method allows a simultaneous estimation of quality and validation of the test instrument that can be used for further refinements. The authors apply the method to a sample of medical practitioners in Delhi, India. The method gives plausible results, rationalizes different perceptions of quality in the public and private sectors, and pinpoints several serious problems with health care delivery in urban India. The findings confirm, for instance, that the quality of private providers located in poorer areas of the city is significantly lower than those in richer neighborhoods. Surprisingly, similar results hold for providers in the public sector, with important implications for inequities in the availability of health care.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Disease Control&Prevention,Health Systems Development&Reform,Public Health Promotion,Educational Sciences,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Educational Sciences,Information and Records Management,Health Systems Development&Reform,Health Economics&Finance

Laboratory Test Bench for Research Network and Cloud Computing

At present moment, there is a great interest in development of information systems operating in cloud infrastructures. Generally, many of tasks remain unresolved such as tasks of optimization of large databases in a hybrid cloud infrastructure, quality of service (QoS) at different levels of cloud services, dynamic control of distribution of cloud resources in application systems and many others. Research and development of new solutions can be limited in case of using emulators or international commercial cloud services, due to the closed architecture and limited opportunities for experimentation. Article provides answers to questions on the establishment of a pilot cloud practically "at home" with the ability to adjust the width of the emulation channel and delays in data transmission. It also describes architecture and configuration of the experimental setup. The proposed modular structure can be expanded by available computing power.Comment: 5 page

Application of First Principle Modeling in Combination with Empirical Design of Experiments and Real-Time Data Management for the Automated Control of Pharmaceutical Unit Operations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the guidelines put forth by the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH-Q8) that allow for operational flexibility within a validated design space. These Quality by Design initiatives have allowed drug manufacturers to incorporate more rigorous scientific controls into their production streams. Fully automated control systems can incorporate information about a process back into the system to adjust process variables to consistently hit product quality targets (feedback control), or monitor variability in raw materials or intermediate products to adjust downstream manufacturing operations (feedforward control). These controls enable increased process understanding, continuous process and product improvement, assurance of product quality, and the possibility of real-time release. Control systems require significant planning and an initial investment, but the improved product quality and manufacturing efficiency provide ample incentive for the expense. The fluid bed granulation and drying unit operation was an excellent case study for control systems implementation because it is a complex unit operation with dynamic powder movement, high energy input, solid-liquid-gas interactions, and difficulty with scale-up development. Traditionally, fluid bed control systems have either used first principle calculations to control the internal process environment or purely empirical methods that incorporate online process measurements with process models. This dissertation was predicated on the development of a novel hybrid control system that combines the two traditional approaches. The hybrid controls reduced the number of input factors for the creation of efficient experimental designs, reduced the variability between batches, enabled control of the drying process for a sensitive active pharmaceutical ingredient, rendered preconditioned air systems unnecessary, and facilitated the collection of data for the development of process models and the rigorous calculation of design spaces. Significant variably in the inlet airstream was able to be mitigated using feedforward controls, while process analytical technology provided immediate feedback about the process for strict control of process inputs. Tolerance surfaces provided the ideal tool for determining design spaces that assured the reduction of manufacturing risk among all future batches, and the information gained using small scale experimentation was leveraged to provide efficient scale-up, making these control systems feasible for consistent use

Multi-Lane Perception Using Feature Fusion Based on GraphSLAM

An extensive, precise and robust recognition and modeling of the environment is a key factor for next generations of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and development of autonomous vehicles. In this paper, a real-time approach for the perception of multiple lanes on highways is proposed. Lane markings detected by camera systems and observations of other traffic participants provide the input data for the algorithm. The information is accumulated and fused using GraphSLAM and the result constitutes the basis for a multilane clothoid model. To allow incorporation of additional information sources, input data is processed in a generic format. Evaluation of the method is performed by comparing real data, collected with an experimental vehicle on highways, to a ground truth map. The results show that ego and adjacent lanes are robustly detected with high quality up to a distance of 120 m. In comparison to serial lane detection, an increase in the detection range of the ego lane and a continuous perception of neighboring lanes is achieved. The method can potentially be utilized for the longitudinal and lateral control of self-driving vehicles

Wireless communication, identification and sensing technologies enabling integrated logistics: a study in the harbor environment

In the last decade, integrated logistics has become an important challenge in the development of wireless communication, identification and sensing technology, due to the growing complexity of logistics processes and the increasing demand for adapting systems to new requirements. The advancement of wireless technology provides a wide range of options for the maritime container terminals. Electronic devices employed in container terminals reduce the manual effort, facilitating timely information flow and enhancing control and quality of service and decision made. In this paper, we examine the technology that can be used to support integration in harbor's logistics. In the literature, most systems have been developed to address specific needs of particular harbors, but a systematic study is missing. The purpose is to provide an overview to the reader about which technology of integrated logistics can be implemented and what remains to be addressed in the future

Peranan Sistem Akuntansi Manajemen terhadap Pengendalian Kualitas Produk

In the business world increasingly fierce competition, companies are required to make a good quality product. SAM is the formal procedures and systems that use information to maintain and provide an alternative to the various activities of the company. In SAM, there are four characteristics: broad scope, aggregation, integration and timeliness. Product quality control is an effective system for integrating the activities of maintenance and development of quality within an organization so as to obtain production and service in the most economical and satisfying consumers. In controlling the quality of the product, there are three components of the SAM is quality control goals, quality feedback, and quality incentives. Companies must exercise control over the resulting product to minimize the production of a defective or damaged products. All the information can be presented using the SAM to determine the condition of product quality and performance of the production employees in producing goods. Companies that implement SAM will be able to manage both the data into information so that it can present a report. The report is used to help managers to take a decision

Assessing health centre systems for guiding improvement in diabetes care

BACKGROUND: Aboriginal people in Australia experience the highest prevalence of diabetes in the country, an excess of preventable complications and early death. There is increasing evidence demonstrating the importance of healthcare systems for improvement of chronic illness care. The aims of this study were to assess the status of systems for chronic illness care in Aboriginal community health centres, and to explore whether more developed systems were associated with better quality of diabetes care. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 Aboriginal community health centres in the Northern Territory of Australia. Assessment of Chronic Illness Care scale was adapted to measure system development in health centres, and administered by interview with health centre staff and managers. Based on a random sample of 295 clinical records from attending clients with diagnosed type 2 diabetes, processes of diabetes care were measured by rating of health service delivery against best-practice guidelines. Intermediate outcomes included the control of HbA1c, blood pressure, and total cholesterol. RESULTS: Health centre systems were in the low to mid-range of development and had distinct areas of strength and weakness. Four of the six system components were independently associated with quality of diabetes care: an increase of 1 unit of score for organisational influence, community linkages, and clinical information systems, respectively, was associated with 4.3%, 3.8%, and 4.5% improvement in adherence to process standards; likewise, organisational influence, delivery system design and clinical information systems were related to control of HbA1c, blood pressure, and total cholesterol. CONCLUSION: The state of development of health centre systems is reflected in quality of care outcome measures for patients. The health centre systems assessment tool should be useful in assessing and guiding development of systems for improvement of diabetes care in similar settings in Australia and internationally

The significance of logistics in servicing growing volumes of e-commerce

Purpose: The article highlights the multi-task nature and prospects of the development of the transit potential of warehouse logistics systems, reveals the theoretical and methodological foundations of logistics in the storage and cargo handling system, indicates and confirms the importance of warehousing logistics in the context of servicing the growing volumes of electronic commerce. Design/Methodology/Approach: For the purposes of developing logistics in the storage and cargo handling system we study the technical and technological support and design developments that have significant potential for increasing the efficiency of logistics processes, and to study consumer behavior in the warehouse services market and transport market trends - warehouse activities. Findings: Automation significantly simplifies logistics processes, information exchange, remote control and management, optimizes costs by combining various market entities and objects, target groups and parameters of logistics processes on electronic platforms. Integration in modern logistics allows synchronizing the complex information component of electronic services and platforms and activating the formation of a system interface that is common for all elements of the logistics system of warehousing, cargo processing and inventory management. Practical implications: The results of the study can be implemented in the activities of Russian companies in order to develop the transit potential of warehouse logistics systems. Originality/value: The significance of this study lies in shifting the emphasis to the need to switch to improved customer service systems taking into account the needs and development of online retail and fulfillment of logistics operators (full-cycle operator: taking goods from the customer’s warehouse, responsible storage, packaging, delivery, work with returns), tied to the development of infrastructure, as the foundation for increasing the efficiency, speed and quality of logistics processes.peer-reviewe