The use of job aids for visual inspection in manufacturing and maintenance

Visual inspection is a task regularly seen in manufacturing applications and is still primarily carried out by human operators. This study explored the use of job aids (anything used to assist the operator with the task, such as lists, check sheets or pictures) to assist with visual inspection within a manufacturing facility that inspects used parts. Job aids in the form of inspection manuals were used regularly during the inspection process, and how accurately they were followed was dependent on a number of factors such as size of part, experience of the operator, and accuracy of the inspection manuals. If the job aids were well structured, well written and accessible, then the inspectors were seen to follow them, however for certain jobs inspectors were seen to change the inspection order making inspection more efficient. The findings of the study suggest that prior experience can help in designing efficient, easy to use job aids and that a collaborative approach to design as well as using pictorial examples for comparison purposes would improve the inspection process

CONTINGENT VALUATION OF RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT WITH TESTS OF SCOPE AND MODE STABILITY

Contingent valuation is used to measure the social impacts of tourism in rural Oregon communities. Impacts are substantial, for example, annual household willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce traffic congestion is $186. Study features include tests of sensitivity to a change in scope, tests of stability across survey mode, and a thorough system of “no” –vote follow-up questions in a referendum format. While there is no evidence of scope effects (at the 0.05 level), results indicate that conclusions regarding sensitivity to scope may be dependent on the test used. WTP estimates are substantially less with the mail versus telephone survey mode.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Appraisal of Senator John Williams\u27s Papers

Traditionally, appraisal decisions for a congressional collection have been made after the arrival of the collection at a repository. In this case, the collection was the papers of Senator John J. Williams of Delaware. Williams represented Delaware in the United States Senate from 1947 until 1970, and was known as the Conscience of the Senate for his honest pursuit of integrity in government while serving on both the finance and foreign relations committees. Processing the Williams papers was a dedicated two-year project. A project archivist was hired in 1988 and , shortly afterwards, a technician assistant. The project archivist made all of the appraisal decisions, and the technician followed guidelines to assist with sampling selected files . Processing was done in a year and a half; a finding aid , summary guide, and an exhibition were completed by the end of the project in September 1990

WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR LOCAL COHO SALMON ENHANCEMENT IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES

Salmon restoration and enhancement are dominant environmental policy issues in Oregon and Washington. In response to salmon species listings under the Endangered Species Act, salmon protection and recovery actions are being implemented throughout the Pacific Northwest at substantial opportunity costs. In this paper, we examine the willingness to pay (WTP) of coastal residents for local coho salmon enhancement programs. A contingent valuation study is completed using survey responses from five rural, coastal communities of Oregon and Washington, where coho salmon are prevalent. Our empirical results indicate that coastal residents are willing to pay for local coho salmon enhancement and that WTP varies considerably with individual opinions of the merit of the enhancement program.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Educating Limited Acreage Producers Using Web-Based Technology

Collaborative learning Internet courses provide a means of disseminating information to limited acreage producers. Three multi-disciplinary subject curriculums were assimilated into an e-learning platform. Incorporating student online discussion completed the collaborative learning process. With development complete and classes currently being offered, a model is established for Extension programs nationwide

Host proteins used in HIV assembly and budding

Abstract only availableHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus responsible for the AIDS pandemic, uses host cell machinery to assist its replication during the viral life cycle. A recent study randomly screened 21,000 host cell genes using siRNA to knock down the gene's expression and determine the effect gene disruption on HIV replication. This study indicated that many host genes are involved in viral replication. We are interested in pursuing the individual genes that were reported to be required for HIV assembly and budding, the process of how the virus forms and gets out of the cell. We are selecting genes indicated to be involved in assembly and budding by this study. We will use siRNA, short double strands of RNA used in interfering with gene expression, to knock down the host gene's expression to see whether the gene has any effect on infectivity. We are attempting to verify the effect on infectivity that these host genes have and, if we confirmed the previous results, we will attempt to look at which part of viral assembly and budding is affected. We can use a variety of techniques to determine this. Single round infectivity assays allow us to see if the virus is still infectious using flow cytometry. Scanning Electron Microscopy allows us to see if the virus is budding correctly. SDS page gels allows us to stain for viral proteins which can show us if viral proteins are being made and processed correctly to form functional viral particles. Once we have established which host proteins are required for replication, we hope to determine at which step in the viral cycle the host gene comes into play and how the virus uses the host's mechanisms to spread to other uninfected cells.Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Opportunity Progra

How and why we need to capture tacit knowledge in manufacturing: Case studies of visual inspection

Human visual inspection skills remain superior for ensuring product quality and conformance to standards in the manufacturing industry. However, at present these skills cannot be formally shared with other workers or used to develop and implement new solutions or assistive technologies because they involve a high level of tacit knowledge which only exists in skilled operators' internal cognitions. Industry needs reliable methods for the capture and analysis of this tacit knowledge so that it can be shared and not lost but also so that it can be best utilised in the transfer of manual work to automated systems and introduction of new technologies and processes. This paper describes two UK manufacturing case studies that applied systematic task analysis methods to capture and scrutinise the tacit knowledge and skills being applied in the visual inspection of aerospace components. Results reveal that the method was effective in eliciting tacit knowledge, and showed that tacit skills are particularly needed when visual inspection standards lack specification or the task requires greater subjective interpretation. The implications of these findings for future research and for developments in the manufacturing industry are discussed

Extracellular Matrix Hydrogel Promotes Tissue Remodeling, Arteriogenesis, and Perfusion in a Rat Hindlimb Ischemia Model.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine acellular extracellular matrix based hydrogels as potential therapies for treating peripheral artery disease (PAD). We tested the efficacy of using a tissue specific injectable hydrogel, derived from decellularized porcine skeletal muscle (SKM), compared to a new human umbilical cord derived matrix (hUC) hydrogel, which could have greater potential for tissue regeneration because of its young tissue source age.BackgroundThe prevalence of PAD is increasing and can lead to critical limb ischemia (CLI) with potential limb amputation. Currently there are no therapies for PAD that effectively treat all of the underlying pathologies, including reduced tissue perfusion and muscle atrophy.MethodsIn a rodent hindlimb ischemia model both hydrogels were injected 1-week post-surgery and perfusion was regularly monitored with laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) to 35 days post-injection. Histology and immunohistochemistry were used to assess neovascularization and muscle health. Whole transcriptome analysis was further conducted on SKM injected animals on 3 and 10 days post-injection.ResultsSignificant improvements in hindlimb tissue perfusion and perfusion kinetics were observed with both biomaterials. End point histology indicated this was a result of arteriogenesis, rather than angiogenesis, and that the materials were biocompatible. Skeletal muscle fiber morphology analysis indicated that the muscle treated with the tissue specific, SKM hydrogel more closely matched healthy tissue morphology. Short term histology also indicated arteriogenesis rather than angiogenesis, as well as improved recruitment of skeletal muscle progenitors. Whole transcriptome analysis indicated that the SKM hydrogel caused a shift in the inflammatory response, decreased cell death, and increased blood vessel and muscle development.ConclusionThese results show the efficacy of an injectable ECM hydrogel alone as a potential therapy for treating patients with PAD. Our results indicate that the SKM hydrogel improved functional outcomes through stimulation of arteriogenesis and muscle progenitor cell recruitment