Rapid manufacturing as a tool for agile manufacturing: applications and implementation perspectives

Manufacturing engineers and technologists around the globe are already well familiar with manufacturing methodologies and systems developments in the last part of the twentieth century. Many are probably also familiar with the current state of Rapid Prototyping (RP) technologies, especially in the areas of concept model making and prototype development. They may not however, be so familiar with the more recent developments of these technologies towards Rapid Manufacturing (RM) and the directions which the applications of RM technologies are taking for agile manufacturing purposes in particular. This paper critically reviews the various technologies currently available, outlines development trends in RM, discusses the approach, application and implementation perspectives by which these RM technologies are applied for increasing agility and responsiveness in manufacturing. Furthermore, the paper describes two case study examples to further illustrate the application scenarios in agile manufacturing before concluding remarks

Extending the product portfolio with ‘devolved manufacturing’: Methodology and case studies

Current research by the developers of rapid prototyping systems is generally focused on improvements in cost, speed and materials to create truly economic and practical economic rapid manufacturing machines. In addition to being potentially smarter/faster/cheaper replacements for existing manufacturing technologies, the next generation of these machines will provide opportunities not only for the design and fabrication of products without traditional constraints, but also for organizing manufacturing activities in new, innovative and previously undreamt of ways. This paper outlines a novel devolved manufacturing (DM) ‘factory-less’ approach to e-manufacturing, which integrates Mass Customization (MC) concepts, Rapid Manufacturing (RM) technologies and the communication opportunities of the Internet/WWW, describes two case studies of different DM implementations and discusses the limitations and appropriateness of each, and finally, draws some conclusions about the technical, manufacturing and business challenges involved

Leveraging concepts of masculinity for better mental health outcomes for men

This item is only available electronically.Masculinity is argued to impact negatively upon men’s health and mental health with men half as likely to be diagnosed with depression, the disparity in diagnoses has been linked to masculinity and differing gendered expectations of behavior. Masculinity has been presented by the media and psychology as toxic, or maladaptive with research focusing on how masculinity is a barrier to accessing psychological help. Recent research has focused on how mental health providers can utilize concepts of masculinity and help individuals use these traits in adaptive ways. The study aims to expand on and explore how masculinity can be leveraged to create better mental health outcomes. A thematic analysis (Bruan and Clarke (2013)) was undertaken on a recording of the Australian Men’s Health Forum workshop held in November 2018. The workshop was presented by three prominent researchers working within the men’s health field. Key themes that emerged from the data is the need for gender competent practitioners and the importance of viewing masculinity as ‘masculinities’ and acknowledging the flexible and multi-faceted nature of men and their different experiences of masculinity.Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 201

Relativistic ideal Fermi gas at zero temperature and preferred frame

We discuss the limit T->0 of the relativistic ideal Fermi gas of luxons (particles moving with the speed of light) and tachyons (hypothetical particles faster than light) based on observations of our recent paper: K. Kowalski, J. Rembielinski and K.A. Smolinski, Phys. Rev. D, 76, 045018 (2007). For bradyons this limit is in fact the nonrelativistic one and therefore it is not studied herein

NJL interaction derived from QCD: vector and axial-vector mesons

In previous works effective non-local $SU(2)\times SU(2)$ NJL model was derived in the framework of the fundamental QCD. All the parameters of the model are expressed through QCD parameters: current light quark mass $m_0$ and average non-perturbative $\alpha_s$. The results for scalar and pseudo-scalar mesons are in satisfactory agreement to existing data. In the present work the same model without introduction of any additional parameters is applied for a description of masses and strong decay widths of $\rho$- and $a_1$-mesons. The results for both scalar and vector sectors agree with data with only one adjusted parameter $m_0$, with account of average $\alpha_s \simeq 0.415$, which is obtained in a previous work as well.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

Calculation of some determinants using the s-shifted factorial

Several determinants with gamma functions as elements are evaluated. This kind of determinants are encountered in the computation of the probability density of the determinant of random matrices. The s-shifted factorial is defined as a generalization for non-negative integers of the power function, the rising factorial (or Pochammer's symbol) and the falling factorial. It is a special case of polynomial sequence of the binomial type studied in combinatorics theory. In terms of the gamma function, an extension is defined for negative integers and even complex values. Properties, mainly composition laws and binomial formulae, are given. They are used to evaluate families of generalized Vandermonde determinants with s-shifted factorials as elements, instead of power functions.Comment: 25 pages; added section 5 for some examples of application

HIV infection and domestic smoke exposure, but not human papillomavirus, are risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Zambia: a case-control study

(c) 2015 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Investigations into the potential effects of pedoturbation on luminescence dating

Much effort has been focussed on understanding the luminescence properties of natural minerals to achieve a reliable, accurate and precise dating technique. However, some field related aspects, such as the influence or effect of post-depositional disturbance on luminescence dates, are as yet underexplored. In the case of pedoturbation, depending on its intensity, the rate of sedimentation and unit thicknesses, potentially the whole sedimentary record at a site can be affected. This may lead to distorted OSL chronologies and erroneous sediment burial ages. Pedoturbation can result in sediment mixing and/or exhumation that affect luminescence both at the bulk and single grain level. Effects of these two principle processes on luminescence ages are examined using standard multigrain and single grain protocols. High resolution sampling of surface gopher mounds was used to determine the efficiency of bio-exhumation in resetting luminescence signal. Results show this is an inefficient mechanism for onsite sediment bleaching. The effects on luminescence signal of bio-mixing were explored by comparing a sample collected from within a krotovina (infilled burrow) to an adjacent undisturbed sample. Results show the difficulties in identifying pedoturbated samples at the single aliquot level and the possible inaccuracies in using the lowest palaeodose values to calculate OSL ages. Where pedoturbation of samples is suspected, use of probability plots of palaeodoses data is recommended. From these plots it is proposed that only data falling within a normal distribution centred on the peak probability be used to calculated OSL ages and to mitigate problems arising from pedoturbation

An approach to acute vertigo

There can be few physicians so dedicated to their art that they do not experience a slight decline in spirits when they learn that their patient’s complaint is giddiness. This frequently means that after exhaustive enquiry it will still not be entirely clear what it is that the patient feels wrong and even less so why he feels it. (W B Mathews)Contrary to this prevalent view, in recent years advances in the diagnosis and management of common vestibular disorders have made the clinical evaluation of the dizzy patient more rewarding. An accurate diagnosis may be possible in the majority of patients presenting with acute vertigo when a directed history is taken and an examination is performed. Specific and effective treatments are available for many patients. This article describes the clinical evaluation of a patient with acute vertigo, and highlights selected common and important conditions

Instant luminescence chronologies? High resolution luminescence profiles using a portable luminescence reader

Establishing a robust chronology is fundamental to most palaeoenvironmental studies. However, the number and positioning of dated points is critical. Using a portable luminescence reader, it is possible to rapidly generate high resolution down core relative age profiles. Profiles of portable luminescence data from two coastal dunes were evaluated and compared with the results of particle size analysis, stratigraphy, and an independent historical chronology. Results show that, even in young samples, portable luminescence data is dominated by an age related signal which in homogeneous sediment need not be corrected for moisture, feldspar content changes or grain size. Profiles therefore provide relative chronologies from which accumulation phases can be established, and from which better targeted sampling and comparison to other sites could be undertaken. Even though they do not provide instant absolute chronologies, field-based portable luminescence profiling of Late Quaternary sites hold much potential to improve the resultant chronologies