Design and development of a hybrid control system for flexible manufacturing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Manufacturing and Industrial Technology at Massey University

Irregular Pagination MisnumberedFlexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) appeared upon the manufacturing scene in the early 1970s, installations presently number in the thousands. However, many current installations in fact lack flexibility, do not operate in real-time and are prohibitively expensive. Therefore there are obvious benefits to be gained from making improvements to existing flexible manufacturing systems. Research conducted for this thesis focused on two major areas. The implementation of the FMS control system on a SCADA package and the development of an auction based scheduling system. This entailed the development of a hybrid control model composed of three distinct layers; factory, cell and intelligent entity. Key portions of both the factory and cell controllers were then implemented so as to create a minimal system. This has been completed to the point where the auction algorithm has been implemented and tested in an appropriate framework. In achieving the goals mentioned above a number of novel design concepts have been utilised. There are two which are most important, these are the use of low cost modules for the construction of a flexible co-operative manufacturing system, and the ability of this system to operate in a physically distributed area via a Local Area Network. Meaning it is inherently adaptable and resistant to failure. These novel design concepts were ingrained throughout the entire three layered control model. It is felt that this research has succeeded in demonstrating the possibility of implementing a FMS control system on a low cost SCADA package using low cost software and computing elements. The ability of the distributed, auction-based approach to operate successfully within this system, has also been demonstrated through simulation

Developing an EPICS IOC in LabVIEW

Problem Statement In working with labView and experimental physics at Jefferson Lab the current configuration is a linux based control system. Christiana has posed the task of implementing a windows based network configuration where input and output from the data readings is distributed across the network. With the help of LabView demos and CALabs softIOC we were asked to prove the concept of this windows based configuration to be possible. Specifically the task is to prove (or disprove) that we can serve data using the caLabs soft IOC. Rationale The current configuration of Jefferson Labs data systems is served on hardware that is obsolete (Networked Apple II boxes) compared to todays standards especially in regards to UX and ease of access. With a windows based implementation Jefferson Lab will be able to update to more current technology as well as enabling a more user friendly environment for the experimental physicists to work with. The impact of this proof of concept allows Jefferson Lab to move forward with an actual implementation on site. It was an ideal project for our team because we could set up a networked test environment on hardware that we had administrator access over. This alleviated the problem of having to ask the IT management department at Jefferson labs to open ports and relinquish privileged access for the purpose of testing this software. Approach Initially, our team had to develop enough working knowledge of LabView to begin working on our problem. After preparing our team edited a LabView demo to change randomly generated input to String input we could control and serve to the caLabs softIOC. With no firewall restrictions we served input to another computer on our network which was successfully read and displayed in the caLabs/LabView UI. After successfully proving that caLabs soft IOC could indeed send information over the network, we began working on a simplified demo. The goal of this demo is to exhibit the proper usage of caLabs soft IOC over a Windows configured network. The result being a unambiguous implementation that can be scaled up as per the needs of Jefferson Labs. Results After initial testing we have a documented a proof of concept that with no firewall restrictions that we are successfully able to serve LabView data to caLabs through a network. The results of this concept moves us into the next phase of our project. We have proven this concept will work. We are now hoping to contribute to the effort of an implementation on site. The first transition to this software package, at Jefferson Labs, will be the upgrade of the superconducting test facility called the Vertical Test Area. Another goal is to successfully build a working physical demo of this project with actual hardware PLC’s to display at the senior design expo at the end of the Spring 2015 semester.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1019/thumbnail.jp

Narrative review of primary care point-of-care testing (POCT) and antibacterial use in respiratory tract infection (RTI)

Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem and is being addressed through national strategies to improve diagnostics, develop new antimicrobials and promote antimicrobial stewardship. A narrative review of the literature was undertaken to ascertain the value of C reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin, measurements to guide antibacterial prescribing in adult patients presenting to GP practices with symptoms of respiratory tract infection (RTI). Studies that were included were randomised controlled trials,controlled before and after studies, cohort studies and economic evaluations. Many studies demonstrated that the use of CRP tests in patients presenting with RTI symptoms reduces antibiotic prescribing by 23.3% to36.16%. Procalcitonin is not currently available as a point-of-care testing (POCT), but has shown value for patients with RTI admitted to hospital. GPs and patients report a good acceptability for a CRP POCT and economic evaluations show cost-effectiveness of CRP POCT over existing RTI management in primary care. POCTs increase diagnostic precision for GPs in the better management of patients with RTI. CRP POCT can better target antibacterial prescribing by GPs and contribute to national antimicrobial resistance strategies. Health services need to develop ways to ensure funding is transferred in order for POCT to be implemented

Essays in behavioural economics

This thesis analyses decision making through the lens of behavioural economics. The three essays within consider variants of adverse selection problems and psychological biases which can manifest from imperfections in an information structure. The predominant psychological theory is informed by the idea of bounded awareness; one’s tendency to make suboptimal decisions through overlooking important information. The first essay concerns the winner’s curse in bargaining. The second essay assesses bidding behaviour in an auction environment. The third essay considers disclosure decisions. The general findings are as follows: (i) Research on the winner’s curse grew significantly since 1980 and peaked in 2009. The seminal work of William Samuelson and Max Bazerman in 1985 extended the concept to a new domain of bilateral bargaining and inspired fifteen further experimental studies. I demonstrate that costless nonbinding signals complicate decision-making but that alternative forms of cheap talk do not statistically influence bidding strategies. Secondly, I show that individuals find it challenging to strategically avoid information, exhibiting difficulties in performing contingent reasoning in bargaining. (ii) Analysing bidding efficiencies in high stakes and competitive auctions, I find that 80% of thoroughbred foals sold realise negative returns. The scale of losses is amplified as winning bids increase. On average, once a winning bid increases above €20,000, the assets enter the domain of losses. Incompatible incentives between stakeholders and diversification strategies fail to explain the inefficiencies. Although multiple interpretations of the findings exist, the results are consistent with the winner’s curse hypothesis and incompatible with the idea of profit maximisation. (iii) Investigating the unravelling principle in the hospitality industry, I find that the strict equilibrium prediction does not occur. A partial unravelling result is reported. The major finding is that a downward linear relationship exists between TripAdvisor signals and voluntary disclosures by hotels. Low ranked hotels tend to hide ratings information. Higher rank hotels are more likely to make a voluntary disclosure when compared to the lowest ranked. This raises ethical questions if consumers have psychological blind spots

First Results from the rapid-response spectrophotometric characterization of Near-Earth Objects

As part of our multi-observatory, multi-filter campaign, we present \rmi color observations of 82 Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) obtained with the RATIR instrument on the 1.5m robotic telescope at the San Pedro Martir's National Observatory in Mexico. Our project is particularly focused on rapid response observations of small ($\lesssim 850$ m) NEOs. The rapid response and the use of spectrophotometry allows us to constrain the taxonomic classification of NEOs with high efficiency. Here we present the methodology of our observations and our result, suggesting that the ratio of C-type to S-type asteroids in a size range of $\sim$30-850m is 1.1, which is in accordance with our previous results. We also find that 10$\%$ of all NEOs in our sample are neither C- nor S-type asteroidsComment: 31 pages, 4 tables, 10 figure

A case of elbow hyperextension leading to complete brachial artery rupture

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge there are no cases in the literature of traumatic vascular injury of the brachial artery by elbow hyperextension without elbow dislocation based on either clinical or radiological evidence. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the first case of complete brachial artery rupture resulting from a hyperextension injury to an elbow, without dislocation. The history, early assessment and operative treatment with figures are presented. CONCLUSION: We advocate prompt clinical assessment by orthopaedic and vascular teams and early surgical exploration and repair

Optical Properties of Epitaxial Single-Crystal Chemical-Vapor-Deposited Diamond

Epitaxial single-crystal chemical-vapor-deposited diamond was obtained from Element Six Ltd. (Ascot, UK) and from Apollo Diamond (Boston, MA). Both companies provided 5 x 5 mm squares with thicknesses ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 mm. In addition, Element Six provided 10-mm-diameter disks with a thickness of 1.0 mm. The absorptance of all specimens at 1064 nm was measured by laser calorimetry, with good agreement between independent measurements at the University of Central Florida and at QinetiQ (Malvern, UK). Depolarization at 1064 nm and ultraviolet absorption properties are also reported

Urban flood impact assessment: A state-of-the-art review

Copyright © 2013 Taylor & Francis. This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Urban Water Journal (2013), available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1573062X.2013.857421There is another ORE record for this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/31595Flooding can cause major disruptions in cities, and lead to significant impacts on people, the economy and on the environment. These impacts may be exacerbated by climate and socio-economic changes. Resilience thinking has become an important way for city planners and decision makers to manage flood risks. Despite different definitions of resilience, a consistent theme is that flood resilient cities are impacted less by extreme flood events. Therefore, flood risk professionals and planners need to understand flood impacts to build flood resilient cities. This paper presents a state-of-the-art literature review on flood impact assessment in urban areas, detailing their application, and their limitations. It describes both techniques for dealing with individual categories of impacts, as well as methodologies for integrating them. The paper will also identify future avenues for progress in improving the techniques.Research on the CORFU (Collaborative research on flood resilience in urban areas) project was funded by the European Commission through Framework Programme

The development of a flood damage assessment tool for urban areas

The Collaborative Research on Flood Resilience in Urban Areas (CORFU) project is funded by the European Commission to investigate the impact of flooding in cities and to develop strategies to enhance flood resilience. The project explores the impact of key drivers including urbanisation, socio-economic trends and climate change in eight European and Asian cities. The development of resilience strategies relies on a comprehensive assessment of flood impacts. These impacts can be categorised as tangible (those that can be measured in monetary terms) or intangible (such as health impacts that can be difficult to quantify. Flood hazard information (depth, extent, velocity, etc.) for different scenarios, obtained from hydraulic models, along with data on land use or cover, building features, infrastructure, and demographics are applied to determine these impacts. The nature and scale of the damage, the availability of required information, and the characteristics of case studies are taken into account to develop a generic and flexible flood damage assessment model that can be broadly applied to European and Asian cities. In this paper, Dhaka city is adopted to demonstrate the direct tangible damage assessment tool

Wellbeing and coping strategies of alcohol and other drug therapeutic community workers: a qualitative study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the strategies utilised to facilitate the wellbeing of workers of an alcohol and other drug (AOD) therapeutic community (TC). Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on the findings of a qualitative study that involved in-depth interviews with 11 workers from an AOD TC organisation in Australia that provides both a residential TC program and outreach programs. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Three main interconnected themes emerged through analysis of the data: 1) The challenges of working in an AOD TC organisation, including vicarious trauma, the isolation and safety for outreach workers, and a lack of connection between teams; 2) Individual strategies for coping and facilitating wellbeing, such as family, friend and partner support, and self-care practices; 3) Organisational facilitators of worker wellbeing, including staff supervision, employment conditions and the ability to communicate openly about stress. The analysis also revealed cross-cutting themes including the unique challenges and wellbeing support needs of outreach and lived experience workers. Research limitations/implications Rather than just preventing burnout, AOD TC organisations can also play a role in facilitating worker wellbeing. Practical implications This paper discusses a number of practical suggestions and suggests that additional strategies targeted at ‘at risk’ teams or groups of workers may be needed alongside organisation-wide strategies. Originality/value This paper provides a novel and in-depth analysis of strategies to facilitate TC worker wellbeing and has implications for TC staff, managers and researchers