Remote Real-Time Collaboration Platform enabled by the Capture, Digitisation and Transfer of Human-Workpiece Interactions

In this highly globalised manufacturing ecosystem, product design and verification activities, production and inspection processes, and technical support services are spread across global supply chains and customer networks. Therefore, a platform for global teams to collaborate with each other in real-time to perform complex tasks is highly desirable. This work investigates the design and development of a remote real-time collaboration platform by using human motion capture technology powered by infrared light based depth imaging sensors borrowed from the gaming industry. The unique functionality of the proposed platform is the sharing of physical contexts during a collaboration session by not only exchanging human actions but also the effects of those actions on the task environment. This enables teams to remotely work on a common task problem at the same time and also get immediate feedback from each other which is vital for collaborative design, inspection and verifications tasks in the factories of the future

Reconstruction development plan - Hlanganani

Reconstruction development plan - Hlanganan

Antimicrobial use practices and opinions of beef farmers in England and Wales

© British Veterinary Association. Background Limited research exists on antimicrobial use practices of beef farmers. This study aimed to investigate antimicrobial practices and perceptions of beef farmers in England and Wales, and identify drivers of higher antimicrobial use for treatment of bovine pneumonia. Methods A survey was sent out in 2017 to beef farmers in England and Wales who supply to two abattoirs. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. A logistic regression model was built to determine factors associated with treating greater than 5 per cent of the predominant group in the herd with antimicrobials for pneumonia. Results There were a total of 171 useable responses. Most farmers reported using antimicrobials in less than 5 per cent of their herd for the treatment of common diseases. Most farmers (90 per cent) reported that they understood what antimicrobial resistance means, but only 55 per cent were aware of critically important antimicrobials and 9 per cent could name at least one critically important antimicrobial. Having a calf-rearing enterprise and not considering Johne's disease when buying in cattle were associated with using antimicrobials to treat pneumonia in greater than 5 per cent of the predominant group in the herd. Conclusion Self-reported antimicrobial use appears to be low in beef farms. However, some gaps in understanding aspects of antimicrobial stewardship by farmers were identified

Remote real-time collaboration through synchronous exchange of digitised human-workpiece interactions

In this highly globalised manufacturing ecosystem, product design and verification activities, production and inspection processes, and technical support services are spread across global supply chains and customer networks. Therefore, collaborative infrastructures that enable global teams to collaborate with each other in real-time in performing complex manufacturing-related tasks is highly desirable. This work demonstrates the design and implementation of a remote real-time collaboration platform by using human motion capture technology powered by infrared light based depth imaging sensors and a synchronous data transfer protocol from computer networks. The unique functionality of the proposed platform is the sharing of physical contexts during a collaboration session by not only exchanging human actions but also the effects of those actions on the workpieces and the task environment. Results show that this platform could enable teams to remotely work on a common engineering problem at the same time and also get immediate feedback from each other making it valuable for collaborative design, inspection and verifications tasks in the factories of the future. An additional benefit of the implemented platform is its use of low cost off the shelf equipment thereby making it accessible to SMEs that are connected to larger organisations via complex supply chains

Measuring electronic communication defects and their impact at 3M

Although email is frequently often thought of as a quick and efficient form of communication, often little thought is given to how email affects the employee. This paper has made steps towards gaining a better understanding of email communication and how it can be used more effectively in an organisation. The results obtained from this study can also provide the basis for communication usage policies and training, which could then reduce wasted time and improve employee productivity. It has also shown both the value of obtaining metrics and the difficulties involved. The paper highlights some of the problems, and some of the issues that need to be addressed with email communication within a large organisation

Study on the Implementation of the TEN-T Regulation – The Netherlands Case

AbstractAll Member States of the European Union have to contribute to the development of Trans-European Networks (TEN). This has been determined in the EU Treaty. National networks should be developed into one European network, supported by the TEN policy. For transport this policy has been laid down in Regulation (EU) No. 1315/20131 for the Trans-European transport network.This paper will show the criteria to determine if and when sections of TEN-T network meet the requirements of the TEN-T Regulation with present policies. In the paper we will also address the process that has been ongoing since the beginning of 2014 in which member states, the Commission, consultants and different advisory boards have participated.In this paper we deal with the opportunities and risk for member states and possible ways of enforcement to attain the goal of completion of the TEN-T.The requirements across the EU, especially with regard to the core network, contribute to the quality of the transport infrastructure in the EU reaching a higher level. Modern, more efficient hinterland connections are important to the European economy. Furthermore the requirements aim at a higher percentage of sustainable transport.It is also important that requirements are set for the comprehensive network in the long term. Because 2050 is set so far in the future, the risk is that not much progress will be made in that direction in the coming decennium. With differences in infrastructure planning schemes within the EU this risk is imminent.On the one hand the Regulation offers Member States flexibility for implementation. On the other hand there is a risk that this will result in a system that is not interoperable. It is important to keep an eye on how EU countries deal with the requirements set by the Regulation on one and the same corridor. If infrastructure is not adapted to the requirements set by the Regulation, or not adapted in time, the European Commission can start up a procedure against Member States that can lead to a European Court case and to a conviction.Finally, it is important to note that the network is not defined for all eternity. Adaptations are possible if, based on Eurostat, it appears that the required volumes have not been reached after a number of years. An evaluation will take place of the core network taking into consideration national implementation plans and future extensions.For each corridor a Final report in the form of a work plan was produced In the process with the member states that covered the whole year of 2014. The Final Report provides a summary of the results of the Corridor Analysis with the characteristics of multimodal transport infrastructure as well as the market-related transport flows, the corridor development objectives and the implementation schedule. It also comprises all project information provided and coordinated with the Member States. It provides a profound analysis of the projects regarding scope of measures, maturity/status of work as well as costs and funding

Crop Updates 2011 - Pests and Diseases

This session covers four papers from different authors: 1. Grains biosecurity – everyone’s business, Jeff Russell, Department of Agriculture and Food 2. Control of insect and mite pests in grains – insecticide resistance and integrated pest management (IPM), Paul Umina1, Svetlana Micic2 and Laura Fagan3, 1CESAR and The University of Melbourne, 2Department of Agriculture and Food, 3University of Western Australia 3. Effect of cropping rotations on pest mites of broadacre agriculture, Svetlana Micic, Mark Seymour, Tony Dore and Pam Burgess, Department of Agriculture and Food 4. Common bunt resistance in Western Australian wheat varieties, John Majewski, Manisha Shankar and Rob Loughman, Department of Agriculture and Foo

Strengthen the European collaborative environmental research to meet European policy goals for achieving a sustainable, non-toxic environment

To meet the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals and the European Union (EU) strategy for a non-toxic environment, water resources and ecosystems management require cost-efficient solutions for prevailing complex contamination and multiple stressor exposures. For the protection of water resources under global change conditions, specific research needs for prediction, monitoring, assessment and abatement of multiple stressors emerge with respect to maintaining human needs, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Collaborative European research seems an ideal instrument to mobilize the required transdisciplinary scientific support and tackle the large-scale dimension and develop options required for implementation of European policies. Calls for research on minimizing society’s chemical footprints in the water–food–energy–security nexus are required. European research should be complemented with targeted national scientific funding to address specific transformation pathways and support the evaluation, demonstration and implementation of novel approaches on regional scales. The foreseeable pressure developments due to demographic, economic and climate changes require solution-oriented thinking, focusing on the assessment of sustainable abatement options and transformation pathways rather than on status evaluation. Stakeholder involvement is a key success factor in collaborative projects as it allows capturing added value, to address other levels of complexity, and find smarter solutions by synthesizing scientific evidence, integrating governance issues, and addressing transition pathways. This increases the chances of closing the value chain by implementing novel solutions. For the water quality topic, the interacting European collaborative projects SOLUTIONS, MARS and GLOBAQUA and the NORMAN network provide best practice examples for successful applied collaborative research including multi-stakeholder involvement. They provided innovative conceptual, modelling and instrumental options for future monitoring and management of chemical mixtures and multiple stressors in European water resources. Advancement of EU water framework directive-related policies has therefore become an option