Cost Justification of an Expert System

It is pointed out that, like other projects which spend corporate dollars, an expert system must be analyzed for its economic and strategic worth to the organization. Both traditional engineering economy project analysis and multivariate holistic methods can be applicable. The fundamental strategy of the analyst is to decide upon the evaluation methodologies, gather cost and benefit data, study the project from various perspectives, and present the results and recommendations

Readability, presentation and quality of allergy-related patient information leaflets: a cross sectional and longitudinal study

Objective: Patient information leaflets (PILs) are widely used to reinforce or illustrate health information and to complement verbal consultation. The objectives of the study were to assess the readability and presentation of PILs published by Allergy UK, and to conduct a longitudinal assessment to evaluate the impact of leaflet amendment and revision on readability. Methods: Readability of Allergy UK leaflets available in 2013 was assessed using Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Formula. Leaflet presentation was evaluated using the Clear Print Guidelines of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Patient Information Appraisal System developed by the British Medical Association (BMA). Changes in the leaflets’ readability scores over five years were investigated. Results: 108 leaflets, covering a wide range of allergic conditions and treatment options, were assessed. The leaflets had average SMOG and Flesch-Kincaid scores of 13.9 (range 11-18, SD 1.2) and 10.9 (range 5-17, SD 2.1) respectively. All leaflets met the RNIB Clear Print guidelines, with the exception of font size which was universally inadequate. The leaflets scored on average 10 (median 10, range 7-15) out of a maximum of 27 on the BMA checklist. The overall average SMOG score of 31 leaflets available in both 2008 and 2013 had not changed significantly. The process of leaflet revision resulted in 1% change in readability scores overall, with a predominantly upward trend with six leaflets increasing their readability score by >10% and only three decreasing by >10%. Conclusion: Allergy-related patient information leaflets are well presented but have readability levels that are higher than those recommended for health information. Involving service users in the process of leaflet design, together with systematic pre-publication screening of readability would enhance the accessibility and comprehensibility of written information for people with allergy and their careers

Optimization of a Fast-Pick Area in Cosmetics Distribution Center

Poster 1

Optimization of a Fast-Pick Area in a Cosmetics Distribution Center

Fast-pick areas are commonly used in order picking warehouses to improve labor efficiency by concentrating picking activities within a compact area, thus minimizing the distance traveled by the pickers. One problem that must be solved when a fast-pick area is to be implemented is the so-called assignment-allocation problem. This deals with deciding which products should be assigned to the fast-pick area, and how much space should be allocated to these products. This research was motivated by the picking operation of a cosmetics distribution center where several fast-pick areas are in place. A mixed integer linear programming formulation is proposed for solving the variant of the assignment-allocation problem found in this company. Our computational experiments show that the proposed model is efficient for solving small yet realistic instances of the problem

An Extended Double Row Layout Problem

The double row layout problem (DRLP) seeks to determine optimal machine locations on either side of an aisle, where the objective has been defined as the minimization of material ow cost among ma- chines while meeting machine clearance constraints. In this paper, we extend existing DRLP formulations in two respects. First, we consider the minimization of layout area besides the usual material ow cost objective. Second, we present a mixed integer linear programming formulation that permits non-zero aisle widths. This new formulation also includes new constraints that eliminate layout \mirroring, thus reducing the solution space significantly and thus solution times. Although small-scale problems may be solved optimally by commercial integer programming solvers, solution times are highly sensitive to the number of machines in a layout. A tabu search heuristic is shown to work well for moderately-sized problems. Numerical examples demonstrating the impact of both ow and area objectives, as well as aisle widths, are included

An Empirical Analysis of Backpropagation Error Surface Initiation for Injection Molding Process Control

Backpropagation neural networks are trained by adjusting initially random interconnecting weights according to the steepest local error surface gradient. The authors examine the practical implications of the arbitrary starting point on the error landscape of the ensuing trained network. The effects on network convergence and performance are tested empirically, varying parameters such as network size, training rate, transfer function and data representation. The data used are live process control data from an injection molding plan

Biological Channeling of a Reactive Intermediate in the Bifunctional Enzyme DmpFG

It has been hypothesized that the bifunctional enzyme DmpFG channels its intermediate, acetaldehyde, from one active site to the next using a buried intermolecular channel identified in the crystal structure. This channel appears to switch between an open and a closed conformation depending on whether the coenzyme NAD(+) is present or absent. Here, we applied molecular dynamics and metadynamics to investigate channeling within DmpFG in both the presence and absence of NAD(+). We found that substrate channeling within this enzyme is energetically feasible in the presence of NAD(+) but was less likely in its absence. Tyr-291, a proposed control point at the channel's entry, does not appear to function as a molecular gate. Instead, it is thought to orientate the substrate 4-hydroxy-2-ketovalerate in DmpG before reaction occurs, and may function as a proton shuttle for the DmpG reaction. Three hydrophobic residues at the channel's exit appear to have an important role in controlling the entry of acetaldehyde into the DmpF active site

Biological Channeling of a Reactive Intermediate in the Bifunctional Enzyme DmpFG

AbstractIt has been hypothesized that the bifunctional enzyme DmpFG channels its intermediate, acetaldehyde, from one active site to the next using a buried intermolecular channel identified in the crystal structure. This channel appears to switch between an open and a closed conformation depending on whether the coenzyme NAD+ is present or absent. Here, we applied molecular dynamics and metadynamics to investigate channeling within DmpFG in both the presence and absence of NAD+. We found that substrate channeling within this enzyme is energetically feasible in the presence of NAD+ but was less likely in its absence. Tyr-291, a proposed control point at the channel's entry, does not appear to function as a molecular gate. Instead, it is thought to orientate the substrate 4-hydroxy-2-ketovalerate in DmpG before reaction occurs, and may function as a proton shuttle for the DmpG reaction. Three hydrophobic residues at the channel's exit appear to have an important role in controlling the entry of acetaldehyde into the DmpF active site