The application of Just-In-Time techniques to small to medium sized manufacturing companies

Bibliography: leaves 82-84.Just-In-Time (JIT) Production evolved in Japan as a result-of the need to increase both productivity and manufacturing flexibility. It was initially applied by the large, repetitive manufacturing companies, but was soon adopted by the manufacturer. JIT has only relatively recently found its way into Western manufacturing industries. JIT aims to only produce the products that a customer requires, and at a rate which will just satisfy demand. Organizations run under JIT should produce perfect quality products with minimum lead time There should be little manufacturing waste, and the personal development of people should be encouraged. There are a number of techniques which enable these requirements to be met. Workstation setup times must be reduced. The establishment of a preventive maintenance programme helps increase machine availability and process capability. Employees should be trained to operate as many machines as possible, thus increasing their flexibility. Mutually beneficial deals can be arranged with suppliers for the Just-In-Time delivery of purchased parts. And finally, a pull system should be installed. All of these measures aim at reducing waste and increasing plant flexibility and productivity. Although the understanding of the principles behind JIT is simple; its application in practice is difficult. To compound the problem, certain aspects of JIT tend to be more difficult for the small than the large manufacturer to apply. Yet it is necessary to go this route if industrial productivity in this sector is to be improved. In order to determine which aspects of JIT Production are the most difficult for the small manufacturer to apply, and in order to be able to set out general guidelines for the organization wanting to implement JIT Production, the redesign of a press shop in a small manufacturing plant was undertaken. From this a number of significant points emerged

Analysis of surface tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate on chlorobutyl rubber SCAPE suits

Tris (2,30-dibromopropyl) phosphate was used to confer flame retardant properties on butyl rubber formulations used in protective clothing such as the self-contained atmospheric protective ensembles (SCAPE suits) worn at Kennedy Space Center in support of Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo-Soyuz missions since 1966. Because tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate is mutagenic, surface concentrations of the compound in SCAPE suits were investigated as were as potential methods of removing or isolating it. Analytical procedures for determining surface concentrations of the tris compound on non-porous materials are described. Soap-and-water washing is the most efficient method of removing the compound from fabricated SCAPE suits and unused material

Effective Hamiltonian Approach to Hyperon Beta Decay with Final-State Baryon Polarization

Using an effective Hamiltonian approach, we obtain expressions for hyperon beta decay final-state baryon polarization. Terms through second order in the energy release are retained. The resulting approximate expressions are much simpler and more compact than the exact expressions, and they agree closely with them.Comment: 1 Figure Will appear in Phys Rev D 60 Article 117505 (Dec 1, 1999

Plumage colour and feather pecking in laying hens, a chicken perspective?

International audience1. This study investigated whether feather damage due to feather pecking and bird behaviour were influenced by plumage colour in Oakham Blue laying hens (black, white, grey colour variants). The reflectance properties of feathers and spectral composition of light environments experienced by the hens were also examined. 2. 979 birds were inspected and scored for feather damage. 10.5 hours of video recordings were examined to record feather pecking and bird behaviour. Feathers and light environments were measured using a USB-2000 spectrometer and DH-2000-CAL-DTH lamp. 3. Oakham Blue birds with white plumage had less feather damage due to feather pecking than black or grey birds. There was more severe feather pecking in the mornings than in the afternoon and white birds severe feather pecked more than black or grey birds, although there were no other behavioural differences between plumage colours. White feathers reflected at a higher intensity than black or grey feathers. However, black and grey feather spectra were relatively flat and the contribution of UV wavelengths to plumage reflection was proportionally greater than that for white feathers. Light intensity inside a poultry house was 100 x (UW/cm2/nm) less than on the range and there was low or no UV reflectance. 4. Under the dim, artificial lights inside a poultry house, Oakham Blue hens with black and grey feathers may be less visible to conspecifics than white birds because their plumage reflects at a lower intensity. Furthermore, the lack of available UV light inside versus outside and the higher contribution of UV reflectance to black and grey plumage, may make black and grey birds appear more different inside the house than white birds. It is possible that this novel/unusual appearance may make black or grey Oakham Blue hens more susceptible to feather pecking

Metabolism of nitrogen and sulfur in ectosymbiotic bacteria of marine nematodes (Nematoda, Stilbonematinae)

Nematodes of the family Stilbonematinae are known for their highly specific association with ectosymbiotic bacteria. These worms are members of the meiofauna in marine, sulfide-rich sediments, where they migrate around the redox boundary layer. In this study, bacterial ectosymbionts of 2 species of marine nematodes, Stilbonema sp. and Laxus oneistus, were shown to be capable of the respiratory reduction of nitrate and nitrite (denitrification). The use of these alternative electron acceptors to oxygen by the bacteria allows the animals to migrate into the deeper, anoxic sediments, where they can exploit the sulfide-rich patches of the deeper sediment layers. The accumulation of thiols (sulfide, thiosulfate, sulfate and glutathione) in body tissues of the worms was determined following incubation in the presence of various electron donors (sulfide, thiosulfate) and acceptors (nitrate). In their chemoautotrophic metabolic potential, the ectosymbionts of the 2 nematode species were found to resemble the phylogenetically related, intracellular symbionts of macrofaunal hosts of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and other sulfide-rich habitats

Early Growth and Development Impairments in Patients with Ganglioside GM3 Synthase Deficiency

Ganglioside GM3 synthase is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of gangliosides. GM3 synthase deficiency (GSD) causes a complete absence of GM3 and all downstream biosynthetic derivatives. The individuals affected by this disorder manifest severe irritability, intractable seizures and profound intellectual disability. However, we have found that most newborns seem symptom-free for a period of time after birth. In order to further understand the onset of the disease, we investigated the early growth and development of patients with this condition through this study. We compared 37 affected individuals with their normal siblings and revealed that all children with GSD had relatively normal intrauterine growth and development, as their weight, length and head circumference were similar to their normal siblings at birth. However, the disease progresses quickly after birth and causes significant constitutional impairments of growth and development by 6 months of age. Neither breastfeeding nor gastrostomy tube placement made significant difference on growth and development as all groups of patients showed the similar pattern. We conclude that GSD causes significant postnatal growth and developmental impairments and the amount of gangliosides in breast milk and general nutritional intervention do not seem to alter these outcomes

Using the forces of hydrodynamic countercurrent chromatography for the study of bacteriophages

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that target bacteria, with the ability to lyse and kill host bacterial cells. Due to this, they have been of some interest as a therapeutic since their discovery in the early 1900s, but with the recent increase in antibiotic resistance, phages have seen a resurgence in attention. Current methods of isolation and purification of phages can be long and tedious, with caesium chloride concentration gradients the gold standard for purifying a phage fraction. Isolation of novel phages requires centrifugation and ultrafiltration of mixed samples, such as water sources, effluent or faecal samples etc, to prepare phage filtrates for further testing. We propose countercurrent chromatography as a novel and alternative approach to use when studying phages, as a scalable and high-yield method for obtaining phage fractions. However, the full extent of the usefulness and resolution of separation with this technique has not been researched; it requires optimization and ample testing before this can be revealed. Here we present an initial study to determine survivability of two phages, T4 and ϕX174, using only water as a mobile phase in a Spectrum Series 20 HPCCC. Both phages were found to remain active once eluted from the column. Phages do not fully elute from the column and sodium hydroxide is necessary to flush the column between runs to deactivate remaining phages

Whisker touch guides canopy exploration in a nocturnal, arboreal rodent, the Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)

Dormouse numbers are declining in the UK due to habitat loss and fragmentation. We know that dormice are nocturnal, arboreal, and avoid crossing open spaces between habitats, yet how they navigate around their canopy is unknown. As other rodents use whisker touch sensing to navigate and explore their environment, this study investigates whether Hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) employ their whiskers to cross between habitats. We analysed high-speed video footage of dormice exploring freely in flat and climbing arenas in near darkness and using infrared light illumination. We confirm that, like rats and mice, dormice move their whiskers back and forth continuously (~10 Hz) in a motion called whisking and recruit them to explore small gaps (<10 cm) by increasing the amplitude and frequency of whisking and also the asymmetry of movement between the left and right whisker fields. When gaps between platforms are larger than 10-15 cm dormice spend more time travelling on the floor. These findings suggest that dormice can actively and purposively move their whiskers to gather relevant information from their canopy at night. As this species is vulnerable to threats on the ground, we also provide evidence that joining habitat patches between dormouse populations is important for promoting natural behaviours and movement between patches

Recent Advances in Understanding the Structure and Properties of Amorphous Oxide Semiconductors

Amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs)--ternary or quaternary oxides of post-transition metals such as In-Sn-O, Zn-Sn-O, or In-Ga-Zn-O–have been known for a decade and have attracted a great deal of attention as they possess several technological advantages, including low-temperature large-area deposition, mechanical flexibility, smooth surfaces, and high carrier mobility that is an order of magnitude larger than that of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). Compared to their crystalline counterparts, the structure of AOSs is extremely sensitive to deposition conditions, stoichiometry, and composition, giving rise to a wide range of tunable optical and electrical properties. The large parameter space and the resulting complex deposition--structure--property relationships in AOSs make the currently available theoretical and experimental research data rather scattered and the design of new materials difficult. In this work, the key properties of several In-based AOSs are studied as a function of cooling rates, oxygen stoichiometry, cation composition, or lattice strain. Based on a thorough comparison of the results of ab initio modeling, comprehensive structural analysis, accurate property calculations, and systematic experimental measurements, a four-dimensional parameter space for AOSs is derived, serving as a solid foundation for property optimization in known AOSs and for design of next-generation transparent amorphous semiconductors