Evaluation of a manufacturing task support system using the Task Technology Fit Model

This paper presents an exploratory study of a Task Support System (TSS) supporting manufacturing task operations. The study investigated the degree to which a TSS, in use in a company, actually supports the task of the shop floor personnel. The approach has been to adopt the Task-Technology Fit (TTF) instrument to measure the degree of fitness between the TSS and the associated task. The analysis gives an indication of the state of the TSS and the potential improvements that can be made. The study also shows that the instrument can be used as a foundation for the development of a hypermedia TSS and a benchmarking tool for a TSS

Ernest Amory Codman, MD, 1869–1940

This biographical sketch on Ernest Amory Codman corresponds to the historic text, The Classic: The Registry of Bone Sarcomas as an Example of the End-Result Idea in Hospital Organization, available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-009-1048-7 and The Classic: Registry of Bone Sarcoma: Part I.—Twenty-Five Criteria for Establishing the Diagnosis of Osteogenic Sarcoma. Part II.—Thirteen Registered Cases of “Five Year Cures” Analyzed According to These Criteria, available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-009-1049-6

Extending building simulation software to include the organic Rankine cycle for factory waste heat recovery

Generators based on the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) are used in some industries to generate electricity from waste heat. The supply of heat is rarely constant since it is linked to the operation of processes whose energy use is determined by the manufacturing schedule. The performance of the ORC depends on many factors including the working fluid, the choice of condenser type and whether or not to use a recuperator. The performance of the condenser is influenced by the climate and therefore the location of the factory. This paper describes an extension of the functions of a commercial building energy modelling software IES to include ORC simulation. Some of the features of IES such as the modelling of energy profiles, the ability to input weather data and the modelling of typical energy system components make it well suited to this task. The model of a typical ORC system includes the evaporator heat exchanger with its thermal oil pump, the condenser with its pumps and fans and the option of a recuperator, as well as the ORC device itself. As well as selecting the configuration of the ORC system, the software user is able to choose from a wide range of working fluids. The auxiliary energy used by the pumps and fans is modelled since this can significantly offset the electricity generated by the ORC and therefore impact the cost benefits. The user may select an air-cooled or water-cooled condenser, and the psychrometric behaviour of the cooling tower is modelled so that the impact of location on annual performance can be analysed. The use of the software is illustrated by its application to the waste heat from an iron foundry, which is typical of industries with significant waste heat

The contribution of lean thinking to the maintenance of manufacturing systems

Despite many significant contributions and advances of lean thinking recorded in articles, books, and industrial case studies, its impact upon the maintenance function has not been fully investigated. From a maintenance perspective, excluding TPM, little or no insight into the use of lean thinking concepts in maintenance can be found in the literature, despite prominent contributors advocating greater management and business integration. An objective of the research described in this thesis was to satisfy the need for industry to understand the contribution of lean thinking to the maintenance of manufacturing systems. A research hypothesis (lean thinking improves the effectiveness of the maintenance function) was therefore devised that aimed to bridge this gap in knowledge in which the researcher developed two new tools alongside existing methodologies for further investigation. The first novel research tool, a lean concept reference framework, was used to comprehensibly represent fe--antfiffikifig concepts possible within a company, and maintenance in particular. Ihe sec n oyýý _411 measure of maintenance performance comprised a number of indicators that sign ough ify c maintenance activity. This was used to reflect the impact of lean concept use by maintenance through change in activity performance. The research investigates the current views of lean thinking and maintenance within the UK, and particularly in the automotive industry. It exposes the diversity of maintenance as a function within this industry, and highlights the scope of lean concept use and understanding. As an outcome of the research, it was found that each company investigated had different reasons for adopting and using lean concepts within their maintenance function. Similarly, each company differed in the management and use of their performance data. Nonetheless, all those investigated accepted the role of lean concept use within maintenance, and considered certain elements useful. These elements were used as an aggregation of tools to assist maintenance in their activities rather than using them to develop an alternative maintenance strategy. However, perception of lean concept use, and the perceived benefits gained differed according to different viewpoints. Although it was generally accepted that lean use bought about or improved overall skills, and helped provide the basis of a more robust and standardised maintenance department, concern was expressed concerning the difficulty in translating essentially lean manufacturing techniques to suit maintenance.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

An evaluation of hypermedia information systems support for CNC machinists

As information technology (IT) capabilities increase, manufacturing businesses are realigning their information systems infrastructure to remain competitive. This has resulted in substantial increases in IT use in technical areas of the business. Nevertheless, conventional paper-based information systems are still common at the shopfloor. Hence, manufacturers need to understand whether there is any benefit in extending IT functionality to the shopfloor. The focus of this research is the support of the CNC machinist, who has a specific set of craft skills and knowledge that are a core business capability in the metal cutting industry. By evaluating the impact of hypermedia information systems upon the independent decision-making and communication capabilities of CNC machinists, this research aims to provide an understanding of the shopfloor performance benefits of replacing existing paper-based systems with this relatively new technology. This research finds that in CNC machining environments where there are limited divisions of labour, hypermedia-based manufacturing instructions support CNC machinist independent decision-making and cross-boundary communications as effective as paper-based manufacturing instructions. CNC machinists also demonstrate an acceptance of the new technology. Hence, the sponsor and the research community can pursue continued research to develop the technical and social systems to achieve predicted business benefits.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Lactoferrin for the Prevention of Post-antibiotic Diarrhoea

Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality. Older individuals in long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable due to multisystem illnesses and the prevailing conditions for nosocomial infections. Lactoferrin, an antimicrobial protein in human breastmilk, was tested to determine whether it would prevent or reduce AAD, including Clostridium difficile in tube-fed long-term care patients. Thirty patients were enrolled in a randomized double-blind study, testing eight weeks of human recombinant lactoferrin compared to placebo for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in long-term care patients. Fewer patients in the lactoferrin group experienced diarrhoea compared to controls (p=0.023). Based on the findings, it is concluded that human lactoferrin may reduce post-antibiotic diarrhoea

The Energy Situation in Central Asia: A Comprehensive Energy Review Focusing on Rural Areas

The research work was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) of the Federal Republic of Germany within the CLIENT II funding programme International Partnerships for Sustainable Innovations under the project “ÖkoFlussPlan” (Project ID 01LZ1802A-F). open access articleThe northern part of the globe is dominated by industrialisation and is well-developed. For many years, the southern part of the world (South Asia, Africa etc.) has been a target of research concentrating on access to energy (mainly electricity) in rural regions. However, the Central Asian region has not been a focus of energy research compared to South East Asia and Africa. Despite plentiful domestically available energy resources, the energy supply in Central Asia is very unevenly distributed between urban and rural areas. Almost half of the total population of Central Asia lives in rural areas and there is a lack of access to modern energy services to meet primary needs. To analyse the energy situation (i.e., electricity, heating, hot water consumption, cooking, etc.) in rural Central Asia, this paper reviews residential energy consumption trends in rural Central Asian regions as compared to urban areas. Furthermore, the paper illustrates the potential of renewable energies in Central Asia. To perform the study, a qualitative comparative analysis was conducted based on a literature review, data, and statistical information. In summary, the presented article discusses the rural energy situation analytically and provides in-depth insights of Central Asian energy infrastructure

Preliminary assessment of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron mission tomography in patients with bladder cancer

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of imaging of bladder cancer with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scanning. We studied 12 patients with histologically proven bladder cancer who had undergone surgical procedures and/or radiotherapy. Retrograde irrigation of the urinary bladder with 1000–3710 ml saline was performed during nine of the studies. Dynamic and static PET images were obtained, and standardized uptake value images were reconstructed. FDG-PET scanning was true-positive in eight patients (66.7%), but false-negative in four (33.3%). Of 20 organs with tumor mass lesions confirmed pathologically or clinically, 16 (80%) were detected by FDG-PET scanning. FDG-PET scanning detected all of 17 distant metastatic lesions and two of three proven regional lymph node metastases. FDG-PET was also capable of differentiating viable recurrent bladder cancer from radiation-induced alterations in two patients. In conclusion, these preliminary data indicate the feasibility of FDG-PET imaging in patients with bladder cancer, although a major remaining pitfall is intense FDG accumulation in the urine.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46842/1/259_2004_Article_BF00841398.pd

Effect of argon concentration on thermal efficiency of gas-filled insulating glass flat-plate collectors

open access articleInsulating glass flat-plate collectors can save cost by being produced quickly and automatically in insulated glass production facilities, and they can be filled with argon to reduce heat loss. During its lifetime, the collector is likely to lose argon because of gradual material degradation of the sealing. However, information on the influence of the argon concentration on the collector efficiency is limited. Therefore, the objective of this research work was to analyse this effect. A theoretical material property calculation of argon-air mixtures was carried out to determine the convective losses with variable argon concentrations. Thermal collector performance was measured experimentally using an outdoor solar tracker test rig. The results strongly suggest, that the influence of argon concentration on both the convective losses and the thermal efficiency is non-linear. The measurements revealed that an argon concentration of 90 % can increase average thermal performance by percentage points. An increase in argon concentration from 0 % to 50 % has almost twice the effect on average thermal efficiency as an increase from 50 % to 90 %. Concluding from these results, an argon leakage threshold of 2.5 percentage points per year is proposed to avoid disproportionate loss of efficiency over time

Lactoferrin for the Prevention of Post-antibiotic Diarrhoea

Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality. Older individuals in long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable due to multisystem illnesses and the prevailing conditions for nosocomial infections. Lactoferrin, an antimicrobial protein in human breastmilk, was tested to determine whether it would prevent or reduce AAD, including Clostridium difficile in tube-fed long-term care patients. Thirty patients were enrolled in a randomized double-blind study, testing eight weeks of human recombinant lactoferrin compared to placebo for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in long-term care patients. Fewer patients in the lactoferrin group experienced diarrhoea compared to controls (p=0.023). Based on the findings, it is concluded that human lactoferrin may reduce post-antibiotic diarrhoea