Evaluating the impact of design decisions on the financial performance of manufacturing companies

Product design decisions can have a significant impact on the financial and operation performance of manufacturing companies. Therefore good analysis of the financial impact of design decisions is required if the profitability of the business is to be maximised. The product design process can be viewed as a chain of decisions which links decisions about the concept to decisions about the detail. The idea of decision chains can be extended to include the design and operation of the 'downstream' business processes which manufacture and support the product. These chains of decisions are not independent but are interrelated in a complex manner. To deal with the interdependencies requires a modelling approach which represents all the chains of decisions, to a level of detail not normally considered in the analysis of product design. The operational, control and financial elements of a manufacturing business constitute a dynamic system. These elements interact with each other and with external elements (i.e. customers and suppliers). Analysing the chain of decisions for such an environment requires the application of simulation techniques, not just to any one area of interest, but to the whole business i.e. an enterprise simulation. To investigate the capability and viability of enterprise simulation an experimental 'Whole Business Simulation' system has been developed. This system combines specialist simulation elements and standard operational applications software packages, to create a model that incorporates all the key elements of a manufacturing business, including its customers and suppliers. By means of a series of experiments, the performance of this system was compared with a range of existing analysis tools (i.e. DFX, capacity calculation, shop floor simulator, and business planner driven by a shop floor simulator)

Pterodactyl: Control Architectures Development for Integrated Control Design of a Mechanically Deployed Entry Vehicle

The need to return high mass payloads is driving the development of a new class of vehicles, Deployable Entry Vehicles (DEV) for which feasible and optimized control architectures have not been developed. The Pterodactyl project, seeks to advance the current state-of-the-art for entry vehicles by developing a design, test, and build capability for DEVs that can be applied to various entry vehicle configurations. This paper details the efforts on the NASA-funded Pterodactyl project to investigate multiple control techniques for the Lifting Nano-ADEPT (LNA) DEV. We design and implement multiple control architectures on the LNA and evaluate their performance in achieving varying guidance commands during entry.First we present an overview of DEVs and the Lifting Nano-ADEPT (LNA), along with the physical LNA configuration that influences the different control designs. Existing state-of-the-art for entry vehicle control is primarily propulsive as reaction control systems (RCS) are widely employed. In this work, we analyze the feasibility of using both propulsive control systems such as RCS to generate moments, and non-propulsive control systems such as aerodynamic control surfaces and internal moving mass actuations to shift the LNA center of gravity and generate moments. For these diverse control systems, we design different multi-input multi-output (MIMO) state-feedback integral controllers based on linear quadratic regulator (LQR) optimal control methods. The control variables calculated by the controllers vary, depending on the control system being utilized and the outputs to track for the controller are either the (i) bank angle or the (ii) angle of attack and sideslip angle as determined by the desired guidance trajectory. The LQR control design technique allows the relative allocation of the control variables through the choice of the weighting matrices in the cost index. Thus, it is easy to (i) specify which and how much of a control variable to use, and (ii) utilize one control design for different control architectures by simply modifying the choice of the weighting matrices.By providing a comparative analysis of multiple control systems, configurations, and performance, this paper and the Pterodactyl project as a whole will help entry vehicle system designers and control systems engineers determine suitable control architectures for integration with DEVs and other entry vehicle types

Pterodactyl: Development and Comparison of Control Architectures for a Mechanically Deployed Entry Vehicle

The Pterodactyl project, seeks to advance the current state-of-the-art for entry vehicles by developing novel guidance and control technologies for Deployable Entry Vehicles (DEVs) that can be applied to various entry vehicle configurations. This paper details the efforts on the NASA-funded Pterodactyl project to investigate and implement multiple control techniques for an asymmetric mechanical DEV. We design multiple control architectures for a Pterodactyl Baseline Vehicle (PBV) and evaluate their performance in achieving varying guidance commands during entry. The control architectures studied are (i) propulsive control systems such as reaction control systems and (ii) non-propulsive control systems such as aerodynamic control surfaces and internal moving masses. For each system, state-feedback integral controllers based on linear quadratic regulator (LQR) optimal control methods are designed to track guidance commands of either (i) bank angle or (ii) angle of attack and sideslip angle as determined by the desired guidance trajectory. All control systems are compared for a lunar return reference mission and by providing a comparative analysis of these systems, configurations, and performance, the efforts detailed in this paper and the Pterodactyl project as a whole will help entry vehicle system designers determine suitable control architectures for integration with DEVs and other entry vehicle types

Outcome of Hyperkalemia in the Emergency Department: Impact of Hyperkalemic Severity, Renal Function and CHF on Survival

Background: Hyperkalemia is common and lethal electrolyte disorder with little known long-term consequences. This was retrospective, observational study of hospitalized patients with initial serum K \u3e 5.3 mEq/L. 143 consecutive episodes of hyperkalemia were analyzed in 133 patients. Survival was analyzed by parameters of renal dysfunction (admit eGFR), CHF, admit K and EKG abnormalities. Methods: Hazard ratios (HR) for mortality were computed by Cox proportional hazards multivariate regression. Primary end point, all-cause mortality determined by Social Security Death Index and medical record review. Results: Admit eGFR was the most powerful predictor of mortality. The effect of renal function was nonlinear(figure 1). Highest mortality is eGFR group of 15-59 HR 6.92. More severe renal impairment with eGFR(HD) HR 3.67. ESRD had lower mortality HR 1.33(table 1). Hyperkalemic severity had a modest effect(figure 2). Compared to patients Admit K 5.3-5.9 mEq/L, patients with K 6-7, HR 2.21 (p=0.0210) and K \u3e7.0, HR 2.62 (p=0.0521). History of CHF, increased mortality by univariate analysis (p Conclusions: Survival in hyperkalemic patients is predicted by lower admit eGFR in a non-linear fashion. ESRD patients exhibited lower mortality perhaps reflecting adaptation to chronic hyperkalemia. CHF has an additive effect on mortality in non HD patients. We emphasize that 86% of the mortality was after discharge. This extraordinary mortality necessitates the need to develop risk stratification strategies in the long-term care of the hyperkalemic patients

Vertical Impedance Measurements of Concrete Bridge Deck Cover Condition without a Direct Electrical Connection to the Reinforcing Steel

Vertical impedance measurements provide significant quantitative information about the ability of concrete cover to slow the penetration of chloride ions that can corrode steel reinforcement in a bridge deck [1]. The primary limitations preventing the widespread adoption of vertical impedance for assessment of concrete bridge decks are (1) the necessity to have a direct electrical connection to the embedded steel reinforcement and (2) the low speeds of data acquisition. This work presents solutions to both limitations. In previous work, our group developed a vertical impedance testing apparatus that was used to collect data from a continuously moving platform in the field [2]. While that apparatus greatly increased the speed of data collection, it required a direct electrical connection to the reinforcing steel; making a direct electrical connection to the rebar generally requires drilling through the concrete surface and tapping the reinforcing steel, which is a time-consuming process and therefore a major limitation to rapid data acquisition. In this work, a method using a large area electrode as a reference electrode for vertical impedance testing is proposed and validated using numerical finite-element simulations to demonstrate how a direct rebar connection can be eliminated. Based on these successful simulations, this work additionally reports how a large area electrode was constructed and incorporated in a continuously moving platform. When used in a multichannel arrangement, the use of a large area electrode allows rapid measurements of a full lane width of a bridge deck in a single pass. This development simplifies the entire vertical impedance testing process and greatly reduces the total time necessary to obtain measurements. Field data, including comparisons to direct electrical connections, demonstrate the utility of this technique and its general applicability to impedance-based measurements for quantitatively assessing the ability of the concrete cover to protect the reinforcing steel from corrosion

The Impact of Prior Authorization on Buprenorphine Dose, Relapse and Cost of Opioid Addiction Treatment

This presentation discusses the impact of prior authorization on Buprenorphine dose, relapse, and cost for opioid addiction treatment for Massachusetts Medicaid members. Presented at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting 2013

Some extremal functions in Fourier analysis, III

We obtain the best approximation in $L^1(\R)$, by entire functions of exponential type, for a class of even functions that includes $e^{-\lambda|x|}$, where $\lambda >0$, $\log |x|$ and $|x|^{\alpha}$, where $-1 < \alpha < 1$. We also give periodic versions of these results where the approximating functions are trigonometric polynomials of bounded degree.Comment: 26 pages. Submitte

High resolution photon time-tagging lidar for atmospheric point cloud generation.

The application of time-correlated single photon counting hardware and techniques to atmospheric lidar is presented. The results establish the viability of adapting photon time-tagging techniques to atmospheric lidar systems, facilitating high-range resolution (millimeter-level precision) and dynamic system observing capabilities that address the variety of atmospheric scatterers often present in atmospheric lidar profiles. The technique is demonstrated through measurements made by a high repetition rate, low pulse energy, elastic scattering, photon counting lidar. Detection probabilities with a non-zero system dead-time are derived and tested using acquired data. Atmospheric point cloud generation and the statistical implications on data retrievals utilizing this approach are presented. The results show an ability to preserve backscattered intensities while generating photon detections at picosecond resolution from a variety atmospheric scatterers

Self-reported Adherence with the Use of a Device in a Clinical Trial as Validated by Electronic Monitors: the VIBES Study

Background: Adherences to treatments that require a behavioral action often rely on self-reported recall, yet it is vital to determine whether real time self reporting of adherence using a simple logbook accurately captures adherence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether real time self-reported adherence is an accurate measurement of device usage during a clinical trial by comparing it to electronic recording. Methods: Using data collected from older adult men and women (N=135, mean age 82.3 yrs; range 66 to 98 yrs) participating in a clinical trial evaluating a vibrating platform for the treatment of osteoporosis, daily adherence to platform treatment was monitored using both self-reported written logs and electronically recorded radio-frequency identification card usage, enabling a direct comparison of the two methods over one year. Agreement between methods was also evaluated after stratification by age, gender, time in study, and cognition status. Results: The two methods were in high agreement (overall intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.96). The agreement between the two methods did not differ between age groups, sex, time in study and cognitive function. Conclusions: Using a log book to report adherence to a daily intervention requiring a behavioral action in older adults is an accurate and simple approach to use in clinical trials, as evidenced by the high degree of concordance with an electronic monitor