Industry 4.0 and Lean Six Sigma Integration in Manufacturing: A Literature Review, an Integrated Framework and Proposed Research Perspectives

This paper explores the literature on lean management (LM), Six Sigma (SS), Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and their relationship. A systematic literature review (SLR) combined with bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify, select and evaluate articles and was supported by content analysis to classify papers into group discussed clusters. A total of 134 articles were retrieved from relevant databases and publisher engines between 2011 and June 2022. The analysis of these articles enabled us to identify the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on Lean Six Sigma; the relationship between LM, SS and Industry 4.0 and the implications of their combination on operational excellence. The results show that while a majority of researchers consider Industry 4.0 to be a driver of LSS and a prerequisite for helping companies access the data and analytics needed, others find them to be complementary and synergistic. Similarly, various authors support the idea that LSS could be a facilitator of Industry 4.0. This study provides an overview of the main research streams in this field and its shortcomings and presents an LSS4.0 framework integrating lean six sigma and Industry 4 which will be of great value to academics and practitioners working in this area

Analysis of factors influencing Circular-Lean-Six Sigma 4.0 implementation considering sustainability implications: An exploratory study

In this study, we develop a new paradigm, Circular Lean Six Sigma 4.0 (CLSS4.0) to promote manufacturing sustainability. This paper aims to provide a practical and holistic view of the drivers and barriers that can help companies design an integrated CLSS4.0 model. The paper is based on a qualitative exploratory study using multiple case studies within 12 Moroccan manufacturing firms conducted through semi-structured interviews with top executive managers. The results show that the drivers are related to expected operational and environmental performance, increasing customer requirements, gaining competitive advantage and market growth while barriers are related to insufficient tangible (finance, human and equipment) and intangible (skills and techniques) resources, data privacy, technical issues and management support. The proposed framework identifies the assessment of drivers and barriers and their attributes as a starting point for managers to lead the CLSS4.0 transformation, thereby contributing to its successful implementation. To the best of our knowledge, this study is among the very first studies to discuss the CLSS4.0 drivers and barriers. It could be useful to managers as a diagnostic tool to assess their ability to implement CLSS4.0 before investing in the initiative

Contrasting transport and fate of hydrophilic and hydrophobic bacteria in wettable and water-repellent porous media: Straining or attachment?

Acknowledgements This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant agreement no. 101026287. We acknowledge University of Aberdeen, UK for supporting this project.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Nasal Bone Fractures: Differences Amongst Sub-Specialty Consultants

BACKGROUND: Nasal fractures constitute the largest proportion of facial trauma each year, however, there is no consensus management. In this study, we investingated the role of the consultant and the functional and aesthetic outcomes of procedures performed to address nasal bone fractures. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients who sustained nasal bone fractures was conducted from 8/1/14 through 1/23/18. Categorical variables were analyzed using chi-squared testing and Fisher\u27s exact test, where appropriate, while continuous variables were compared using Mann-Whitney U testing. RESULTS: During the study period, 136 patients met inclusion criteria for full analysis. The mean age of this cohort was 47.6 ± 20.2 years with the majority identifying as African-American (53.7%) and male (67.2%). Otolaryngologists were significantly more likely to assess pre-operative nasal obstruction (100%) compared to plastic surgeons (24.1%) ( CONCLUSIONS: Consultants across subspecialties differ in the management of nasal bone trauma. A more standardized approach is warranted by all individuals involved in the care of maxillofacial trauma patients

Nyquist method for Wigner-Poisson quantum plasmas

By means of the Nyquist method, we investigate the linear stability of electrostatic waves in homogeneous equilibria of quantum plasmas described by the Wigner-Poisson system. We show that, unlike the classical Vlasov-Poisson system, the Wigner-Poisson case does not necessarily possess a Penrose functional determining its linear stability properties. The Nyquist method is then applied to a two-stream distribution, for which we obtain an exact, necessary and sufficient condition for linear stability, as well as to a bump-in-tail equilibrium.Comment: 6 figure

Disulfide-induced self-assembled targets:A novel strategy for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs via unmodified gold nanoparticles

A modified non-cross-linking gold-nanoparticles (Au-NPs) aggregation strategy has been developed for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs based on self-assembling target species in the presence of thiolated probes. Two complementary thiol-modified probes, each of which specifically binds at one half of the target introduced SH groups at both ends of dsDNA. Continuous disulfide bond formation at 3' and 5' terminals of targets leads to the self-assembly of dsDNAs into the sulfur-rich and flexible products with different lengths. These products have a high affinity for the surface of Au-NPs and efficiently protect the surface from salt induced aggregation. To evaluate the assay efficacy, a small part of the citrus tristeza virus (CTV) genome was targeted, leading to a detection limit of about 5 x 10(-9) mol. L-1 over a linear ranged from 20 x 10(-9) to 10 x 10(-7) mol. L-1. This approach also exhibits good reproducibility and recovery levels in the presence of plant total RNA or human plasma total circulating RNA extracts. Self-assembled targets can be then sensitively distinguished from non-assembled or mismatched targets after gel electrophoresis. The disulfide reaction method and integrating self-assembled DNAs/RNAs targets with bare AuNPs as a sensitive indicator provide us a powerful and simple visual detection tool for a wide range of applications

POINTNET++ TRANSFER LEARNING FOR TREE EXTRACTION FROM MOBILE LIDAR POINT CLOUDS

Trees are an essential part of the natural and urban environment due to providing crucial benefits such as increasing air quality and wildlife habitats. Therefore, various remote sensing and photogrammetry technologies, including Mobile Laser Scanner (MLS), have been recently introduced for precise 3D tree mapping and modeling. The MLS provides densely 3D LiDAR point clouds from the surrounding, which results in measuring applicable information of trees like stem diameter or elevation. In this paper, a transfer learning procedure on the PointNet++ has been proposed for tree extraction. Initially, two steps of converting the MLS point clouds into same-length smaller sections and eliminating ground points have been conducted to overcome the massive volume of MLS data. The algorithm was tested on four LiDAR datasets ranging from challengeable urban environments containing multiple objects like tall buildings to railway surroundings. F1-Score accuracy was gained at around 93% and 98%, which showed the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Noticeably, the algorithms also measured geometrical information of extracted trees such as 2D coordinate space, height, stem diameter, and 3D boundary tree locations

Disulfide-induced self-assembled targets: A novel strategy for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs via unmodified gold nanoparticles

A modified non-cross-linking gold-nanoparticles (Au-NPs) aggregation strategy has been developed for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs based on self-assembling target species in the presence of thiolated probes. Two complementary thiol- modified probes, each of which specifically binds at one half of the target introduced SH groups at both ends of dsDNA. Continuous disulfide bond formation at 3′ and 5′ terminals of targets leads to the self-assembly of dsDNAs into the sulfur- rich and flexible products with different lengths. These products have a high affinity for the surface of Au-NPs and efficiently protect the surface from salt induced aggregation. To evaluate the assay efficacy, a small part of the citrus tristeza virus (CTV) genome was targeted, leading to a detection limit of about 5 × 10-9 mol.L-1 over a linear ranged from 20 × 10-9 to 10 × 10-7 mol.L-1. This approach also exhibits good reproducibility and recovery levels in the presence of plant total RNA or human plasma total circulating RNA extracts. Self-assembled targets can be then sensitively distinguished from non-assembled or mismatched targets after gel electrophoresis. The disulfide reaction method and integrating self-assembled DNAs/RNAs targets with bare AuNPs as a sensitive indicator provide us a powerful and simple visual detection tool for a wide range of applications

Healthcare 4.0 digital technologies impact on quality of care: A systematic literature review

The healthcare industry is transforming into Healthcare 4.0 (H4.0), an era characterized by smart and connected healthcare systems. This study presents a conceptual framework that classifies H4.0 digital technologies into information and communication technology bundles within the healthcare value chain. It also identifies barriers and evaluates digital technologies’ impact on quality measures through a systematic literature review and meta-analysis approach following the PRISMA protocol. The analysis reveals that digital technologies in the healthcare sector traditionally consist of sensing-communication and processing-actuation technologies. The findings highlight the significant influence of H4.0 digital technologies on three quality measures: patient safety, patient experience/ satisfaction, and clinical effectiveness. While these technologies offer potential benefits, they pose challenges for patients and clinicians, including intellectual property and significance concerns, especially in North America. The proposed framework addresses these issues and enables stakeholders to prioritize, review, and analyze H4.0 digital technologies to enhance patient safety, experience, and clinical effectiveness. This research contributes to the existing literature by being the first comprehensive analysis of the impact of H4.0 technologies on the quality of care. The framework provided in this study offers valuable guidance for stakeholders in selecting appropriate technologies to improve patient outcomes and support the healthcare value chain

Numerical investigation on flame propagation in vented gas explosion

Explosion venting technology is one of the effective and widely used methods in protection measures against accidental internal gas explosions by relieving the pressure generated within the volume. Extensive studies have been carried out to investigate factors governing to the explosion development i.e. ignition position and vent burst pressure. However, the physical and dynamic process of explosion development during the venting to ambient air is yet not well understood. The primary motivation of this research was to gain improved understanding of turbulent flame propagation in vented gas explosion, with a view to develop improved models and methods for assessing explosion risks in the process industries. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analyses using FLUENT is adopted to study the phenomenology underlying vented gas explosions. Computations were run on deflagrating turbulent flames in small-scale combustion chambers with two different volumes (0.02 m3 and 0.0065 m3), with both closed at the rear end and open at the opposite face, in order to replicate the experimental work. All cases are initialised from stagnation. Only stoichiometric concentration of propane and methane-Air mixtures was considered with different ignition positions and vent static burst pressure, Pv. From the finding, end ignition gave higher reduced overpressure on both experimental and simulation results, compared to central ignition. The inclusion of vents in the enclosures provides significant reduction on the peak overpressures. However, it has been recognised on a tendency to a less effective reduction as the vent burst pressure, Pv was further increased. The competition between combustion rate and venting rate allows the explanation on both number and intensity of the overpressure peaks observed in propane-Air explosion