Industry 4.0 driven statistical analysis of investment casting process demonstrates the value of digitalisation

The purpose of this research is to perform statistical data analysis of currently manually collected data in an area of the industrial manufacturing organisation employed in this study that is not digitalised to show the value that can be achieved through digitalisation. The insights gained through analysis of the data can be used to drive decision making in relation to the optimisation of input parameters to minimise the level of defective parts. The parts under investigation in this study were ceramic shells used in the manufacturing process of orthopaedic metal implants. The ceramic shell is a crucial element in the investment casting process because molten metal is poured into the ceramic shell to form the shape of the metal orthopaedic implant. Hence, by minimising the number of defective ceramic shells, there are fewer defective metal implants produced, resulting in cost savings and increased efficiency of the manufacturing process. A number of scientific questions to establish the relationship between the quantity of scrapped products and the level of the silica component in the ceramic slurry were defined and a series of independent t-tests were conducted to address these questions. The results from the t-tests showed the statistically optimal percentage of silica in the binder of the ceramic slurry to minimise the rate of a particular scrap type caused by thin or weak areas of the shell. These results demonstrate the value of analysing digital data relating to the manufacturing process to understand relationships between parameters in the manufacturing process and effectively root-cause scrap outputs. The results from the analysis gave rise to the implementation of a digitalised data collection system that allows continuous monitoring of the components in the ceramic slurry to ensure they are in the optimal specified range. Hence, the quality and yield rate of the orthopaedic implants are maintained at a high level. The digital data collection system also acts as a resource containing historical data for further potential scrap root-cause analysis

An experimental test of a cognitive defusion exercise.

This study investigated the impact of defusion on a nonclinical sample ( n = 60) in the context of negative (e.g., “I am a bad person”) and positive (e.g., “I am whole”) self-statements. Participants were assigned to one of three experimental conditions (Pro-Defusion, Anti-Defusion, and Neutral) that manipulated instruc - tions about the impact of a defusion strategy. Defusion was also manipulated through the visual presentation of the self-statements, with each presented in three formats (Normal, Defused, Abnormal). Participants rated each self-state - ment for comfort, believability, and willingness. Although the instructions did not affect ratings, negative statements presented in the defused format de - creased discomfort and increased willingness and believability relative to the nondefused statements. The findings suggest using defusion strategies in coping with negative psychological conten

A Role for TLR4 in Clostridium difficile Infection and the Recognition of Surface Layer Proteins

Clostridium difficile is the etiological agent of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD) and pseudomembranous colitis in humans. The role of the surface layer proteins (SLPs) in this disease has not yet been fully explored. The aim of this study was to investigate a role for SLPs in the recognition of C. difficile and the subsequent activation of the immune system. Bone marrow derived dendritic cells (DCs) exposed to SLPs were assessed for production of inflammatory cytokines, expression of cell surface markers and their ability to generate T helper (Th) cell responses. DCs isolated from C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ mice were used in order to examine whether SLPs are recognised by TLR4. The role of TLR4 in infection was examined in TLR4-deficient mice. SLPs induced maturation of DCs characterised by production of IL-12, TNFα and IL-10 and expression of MHC class II, CD40, CD80 and CD86. Furthermore, SLP-activated DCs generated Th cells producing IFNγ and IL-17. SLPs were unable to activate DCs isolated from TLR4-mutant C3H/HeJ mice and failed to induce a subsequent Th cell response. TLR4−/− and Myd88−/−, but not TRIF−/− mice were more susceptible than wild-type mice to C. difficile infection. Furthermore, SLPs activated NFκB, but not IRF3, downstream of TLR4. Our results indicate that SLPs isolated from C. difficile can activate innate and adaptive immunity and that these effects are mediated by TLR4, with TLR4 having a functional role in experimental C. difficile infection. This suggests an important role for SLPs in the recognition of C. difficile by the immune system

The Vatican, the bishops, and Irish politics, 1919-39

A detailed study of the political relations between church and state in modern Ireland, this work is also an analysis of domestic politics within the context of Anglo-Vatican relations. Dealing exclusively with high ecclesiastical politics, it assesses the relative political strength of both the British and the Irish at the Vatican and challenges 'the myth of English dominance over the Papacy'. Dermot Keogh traces the 'quiet diplomacy' of bishops, politicians and the Vatican from the turbulent years of 1919-21, through the civil war period and the rule of William T. Cosgrove and Cumann na nGaedheal, to the re-emergence of Eamon de Valera and Fianna Fail as exponents of Catholic nationalism in the 1930s. The book draws extensively on unpublished documents and, for the first time, explores with the aid of primary sources the exchanges between bishops, politicians and the Vatican over a twenty-year period. It is an important contribution to the history of modern Ireland, Irish-Vatican and Anglo-Vatican relations, whose findings will lead to a radical revision of interpretations of Irish church-state relations.List of illustrations Abbreviations Preface Introduction 1 William Walsh and the Anglo-Vatican tradition 2 The Papacy, the Bishops and the Anglo-Irish war, 1919-1921 3 The hierarcht and the treaty 4 The Vatican and the Civil War 5 Cumann na nGaedheal and the quest for legitimacy 6 Cosgrave, de Valera and the Confessional challenge 7 De Valera, Fianna Fail and the catholic church Conclusion Appendices Notes Bibliography IndexPublished version of EUI PhD thesis, 198

Ireland, the Vatican and catholic Europe [1916-1939]

Defence date: 29 January 1980.Supervisor: Prof. Lipgens, Prof. Peter Ludlow (EUI

The resilience of Catholic devotionalism

In the 1950s the strength of religious practice in Irish society was unique in Europe. Yet some outside observers noted the inadequacies of the Catholic Church in Ireland, in particular its anti-intellectualism and authoritarianism. Despite the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church is in deep crisis today, partly as a result of its inability to modernise itself at a time of rapid social transformation. The process of secularisation is visible in falling attendence rates and vocations. Yet some forms of devotionalism remain strong : the official Church has declined in credibility but religious belief and personal spirituality remains strong in certain quarters.Dans les années cinquante, la vigueur de la pratique religieuse en Irlande était unique en Europe. Pourtant des observateurs extérieurs notèrent certaines failles de l'Église catholique, notamment son anti-intellectualisme et son autoritarisme. Malgré le Concile Vatican II, l'Église irlandaise est en crise aujourd'hui, en raison entre autres de son incapacité à se moderniser à une période de rapide changements sociaux. La sécularisation de la société se traduit par une chute brutale du taux de fréquentation de la messe et du nombre de vocations religieuses. Certaines pratiques demeurent vigoureuses malgré tout : si l'Église officielle a perdu de sa crédibilité, la croyance et la foi personnelles demeurent fortes dans certaines parties de la société irlandaise.Keogh Dermot. The resilience of Catholic devotionalism. In: Études irlandaises, n°30 n°2, 2005. L'Irlande et l'Europe, sous la direction de Christophe Gillissen. pp. 85-106

The Treaty Split and the Paris Irish Race Convention, 1922

The Irish Race Convention, held in Paris at the end of January 1922, has received very little attention from historians of the period. Yet it was a notable event attended by delegates representing Irish immigrant communities in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain and South America. From Ireland came a pro-Treaty delegation led by Eoin Mac Neill, and an anti-Treaty delegation led by Eamon de Valera. There was an element of tragi-comedy in this rather volatile arrangement. Fortunately, both de Valera and Mac Neill soon realized that Paris was not the place to air domestic Irish political grievances. The unity of the Irish Race Convention was preserved. But not the unity of the nationalist movement which was subsequently broken by the seizure of the Four Courts and the Civil War.The Irish Race Convention, held in Paris at the end of January 1922, has received very little attention from historians of the period. Yet it was a notable event attended by delegates representing Irish immigrant communities in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain and South America. From Ireland came a pro-Treaty delegation led by Eoin Mac Neill, and an anti-Treaty delegation led by Eamon de Valera. There was an element of tragi-comedy in this rather volatile arrangement. Fortunately, both de Valera and Mac Neill soon realized that Paris was not the place to air domestic Irish political grievances. The unity of the Irish Race Convention was preserved. But not the unity of the nationalist movement which was subsequently broken by the seizure of the Four Courts and the Civil War.Keogh Dermot. The Treaty Split and the Paris Irish Race Convention, 1922. In: Études irlandaises, n°12-2, 1987. pp. 165-170