Research on rework strategies for reconfigurable manufacturing system considering mission reliability

Rework strategies that involve different checking points as well as rework times can be applied into reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) with certain constraints, and effective rework strategy can significantly improve the mission reliability of manufacturing process. The mission reliability of process is a measurement of production ability of RMS, which serves as an integrated performance indicator of the production process under specified technical constraints, including time, cost and quality. To quantitatively characterize the mission reliability and basic reliability of RMS under different rework strategies, rework model of RMS was established based on the method of Logistic regression. Firstly, the functional relationship between capability and work load of manufacturing process was studied through statistically analyzing a large number of historical data obtained in actual machining processes. Secondly, the output, mission reliability and unit cost in different rework paths were calculated and taken as the decision variables based on different input quantities and the rework model mentioned above. Thirdly, optimal rework strategies for different input quantities were determined by calculating the weighted decision values and analyzing advantages and disadvantages of each rework strategy. At last, case application were demonstrated to prove the efficiency of the proposed method.

Handbook of research on strategic performance management and measurement using data envelopment analysis

Organizations can use the valuable tool of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to make informed decisions on developing successful strategies, setting specific goals, and identifying underperforming activities to improve the output or outcome of performance measurement. The Handbook of Research on Strategic Performance Management and Measurement Using Data Envelopment Analysis highlights the advantages of using DEA as a tool to improve business performance and identify sources of inefficiency in public and private organizations. These recently developed theories and applications of DEA will be useful for policymakers, managers, and practitioners in the areas of sustainable development of our society including environment, agriculture, finance, and higher education sectors. All rights reserved.

The calculation of dynamic ecological footprint on the basis of the dynamic input-output model

The Leontief input-output model is widely used to determine the ecological footprint of consumption in a region or a country. It is able to capture spillover environmental effects along the supply change, thus its popularity is increasing in ecology related economic research. These studies are static and the dynamic investigations are neglected. The dynamic Leontief model makes it possible to involve the capital and inventory investment in the footprint calculation that projects future growth of GDP and environmental impacts. We show a new calculation method to determine the effect of capital accumulation on ecological footprint. Keywords: Dynamic Leontief model, Dynamic ecological footprint, Environmental management, Allocation method

A Dynamic Input-Output Model with Renewable Resources

The paper studies a generalisation of the dynamic Leontief input-output model. The standard dynamic Leontief model will be extended with the balance equation of renewable resources. The renewable stocks will increase regenerating and decrease exploiting primary natural resources. In this study the controllability of this extended model is examined by taking the consumption as the control parameter. Assuming balanced growth for both consumption and production, we investigate the exhaustion of renewable resources in dependence on the balanced growth rate and on the rate of natural regeneration. In doing so, classic results from control theory and on eigenvalue problems in linear algebra are applied.

Kompetencia alapú, output orientált oktatás az ideális foglalkoztathatóság érdekében

A kutatási projektünk tanulmánysorozata a magyar gazdaság fejlődésének különböző gazdaságfejlesztési útjait vizsgálja 2020-ig, amelyben a foglalkoztathatóság kérdése kulcs szerepet kapott. Jelen tanulmányunkban arra a kutatási kérdésre keressük a választ, hogy milyen oktatási rendszerre lenne szüksége a magyar gazdaságnak ahhoz, hogy az említett 2020-ig megvalósítható különböző gazdaságfejlesztési utak számára, biztosítani tudja a megfelelő mennyiségű és minőségű emberi erőforrást. A kutatási kérdés megválaszolásának érdekében bemutattuk az oktatási rendszer értékteremtési logikáját, a kompetencia alapú, outputorientált oktatás koncepcióját, a jelenlegi oktatási rendszert és annak kialakulását a rendszerváltás óta, valamint a gazdaságfejlesztési utak megvalósulásához készített számításainkat. A magyar oktatási rendszer, annak stacioner fejlődése esetén nem lesz képes még a stacioner gazdaságfejlesztési út (átlagosan évi 1%-os GDP növekedés 2020-ig) emberi erőforrás szükségletének a biztosítására sem, nemhogy az ennél magasabb GDP növekedéssel járó ipari termelésen, vagy gazdasági szolgáltatásokon nyugvó különböző szcenáriók szükségletének biztosítására. A diplomások túlképzésének a hiedelme megalapozatlan, nem a diplomások mennyiségével van a probléma, mivel belőlük lesz a legnagyobb hiány a különböző gazdaságfejlesztési pályák alapján, hanem maximum azok minősége vethet fel kérdéseket. Ahhoz, hogy a gazdasági növekedésünk mögé az emberi erőforrás hazánkban megfelelő minőségű és mennyiségű legyen egy teljesen új koncepció szükséges az oktatással kapcsolatban. Be kell vezetni a kompetencia alapú, output orientált oktatási modellt, amelynek irányításában a munkaerőpiac szerepét jelentősen meg kell erősíteni, és az át-, és továbbképzések területének hangsúlyát jelentősen növelni kell. Mindezek hiányában, vagy az óhajtott gazdasági növekedés nem lesz megvalósítható, vagy fél milliós nagyságrendű képzett munkaerő importjára fog Magyarország rászorulni. ________ The working papers of our research project analyze the development paths of the Hungarian economy until 2020, where employability is one of the cornerstones of the research. The research question addressed in this paper is what kind of educational system does Hungary need if we want to provide the needed human resources for the mentioned development paths until 2020. To answer the research question we introduced the value creation logic of the educational system, the concept of competency based output oriented education, today’s educational system and its 20 years history and our calculations for the development paths. The Hungarian educational system with its stationer development will not be able to provide the needed human resources to the stationer economic development path (average 1% GDP growth until 2020), not to mention the more productive manufacturing based or service based scenarios. The belief of overeducation in higher education is unfounded, the graduates will have the highest shortage according to the development paths, however their quality could raise some questions. To provide the needed quality and quantity in human resources for the economic development we need to implement a radically new educational concept, the competency based output oriented educational system, where the control of labor market and the emphasis of retraining, development as well as life-long learning has to be significantly strengthened. Without these either the desired growth will not be achievable or we should import around half million trained worker to Hungary.

On the accuracy of nonsurvey regional input-output multipliers: An empirical study

Correct specification of the simple location quotients in regionalizing the national direct requirements table is essential to the accuracy of regional input-output multipliers. The purpose of this research is to examine the relative accuracy of these multipliers when earnings, employment, number of establishments, and payroll data specify the simple location quotients.^ For each specification type, I derive a column of total output multipliers and a column of total income multipliers. These multipliers are based on the 1987 benchmark input-output accounts of the U.S. economy and 1988-1992 state of Florida data.^ Error sign tests, and Standardized Mean Absolute Deviation (SMAD) statistics indicate that the output multiplier estimates overestimate the output multipliers published by the Department of Commerce-Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) for the state of Florida. In contrast, the income multiplier estimates underestimate the BEA's income multipliers. For a given multiplier type, the Spearman-rank correlation analysis shows that the multiplier estimates and the BEA multipliers have statistically different rank ordering of row elements. The above tests also find no significant different differences, both in size and ranking distributions, among the vectors of multiplier estimates. ^

On the fundamentals of research and development (R&D) spillovers in competitive markets

Rivals may voluntarily share Research and Development (R&D) results even in the absence of any binding agreements or collusion. In a model where rival firms engage in non-cooperative independent R&D process, we used optimization and game theory analysis to study the equilibrium strategy of the firms. Our work showed that, while minimal spillover is always equilibrium, there may be another equilibrium where firms may reciprocally choose high, sometimes perfect, spillover rates. The incentive for sharing R&D output is based on firms' expectations of learning from their rivals' R&D progress in the future. This leads to strategic complementarities between the firms' choices of spillover rates and thus policy implication follows. ^ Public research agencies can contribute more to social welfare by providing research as public goods. In a non-cooperative public-private research relationship where parallel R&D is conducted, by making its R&D results accessible, the public research agency can stimulate private spillovers, even if there exists rivalry among the private firms who can benefit from such spillovers. ^

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based air interfaces and multiple input multiple output techniques in cooperative satellite communications for 4th generation mobile systems

Recently, wireless network technology has grown at such a pace that scientific research has become a practical reality in a very short time span. Mobile wireless communications have witnessed the adoption of several generations, each of them complementing and improving the former. One mobile system that features high data rates and open network architecture is 4G. Currently, the research community and industry, in the field of wireless networks, are working on possible choices for solutions in the 4G system. 4G is a collection of technologies and standards that will allow a range of ubiquitous computing and wireless communication architectures. The researcher considers one of the most important characteristics of future 4G mobile systems the ability to guarantee reliable communications from 100 Mbps, in high mobility links, to as high as 1 Gbps for low mobility users, in addition to high efficiency in the spectrum usage. On mobile wireless communications networks, one important factor is the coverage of large geographical areas. In 4G systems, a hybrid satellite/terrestrial network is crucial to providing users with coverage wherever needed. Subscribers thus require a reliable satellite link to access their services when they are in remote locations, where a terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable. Thus, they must rely upon satellite coverage. Good modulation and access technique are also required in order to transmit high data rates over satellite links to mobile users. This technique must adapt to the characteristics of the satellite channel and also be efficient in the use of allocated bandwidth. Satellite links are fading channels, when used by mobile users. Some measures designed to approach these fading environments make use of: (1) spatial diversity (two receive antenna configuration); (2) time diversity (channel interleaver/spreading techniques); and (3) upper layer FEC. The author proposes the use of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Multiple Access) for the satellite link by increasing the time diversity. This technique will allow for an increase of the data rate, as primarily required by multimedia applications, and will also optimally use the available bandwidth. In addition, this dissertation approaches the use of Cooperative Satellite Communications for hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks. By using this technique, the satellite coverage can be extended to areas where there is no direct link to the satellite. For this purpose, a good channel model is necessary.

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Based Air Interfaces and Multiple Input Multiple Output Techniques in Cooperative Satellite Communications for 4th Generation Mobile Systems

Recently, wireless network technology has grown at such a pace that scientific research has become a practical reality in a very short time span. One mobile system that features high data rates and open network architecture is 4G. Currently, the research community and industry, in the field of wireless networks, are working on possible choices for solutions in the 4G system. The researcher considers one of the most important characteristics of future 4G mobile systems the ability to guarantee reliable communications at high data rates, in addition to high efficiency in the spectrum usage. On mobile wireless communication networks, one important factor is the coverage of large geographical areas. In 4G systems, a hybrid satellite/terrestrial network is crucial to providing users with coverage wherever needed. Subscribers thus require a reliable satellite link to access their services when they are in remote locations where a terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable. The results show that good modulation and access technique are also required in order to transmit high data rates over satellite links to mobile users. The dissertation proposes the use of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Multiple Access) for the satellite link by increasing the time diversity. This technique will allow for an increase of the data rate, as primarily required by multimedia applications, and will also optimally use the available bandwidth. In addition, this dissertation approaches the use of Cooperative Satellite Communications for hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks. By using this technique, the satellite coverage can be extended to areas where there is no direct link to the satellite. The issue of Cooperative Satellite Communications is solved through a new algorithm that forwards the received data from the fixed node to the mobile node. This algorithm is very efficient because it does not allow unnecessary transmissions and is based on signal to noise ratio (SNR) measures.

On the accuracy of nonsurvey regional input-output multipliers : An empirical study

Correct specification of the simple location quotients in regionalizing the national direct requirements table is essential to the accuracy of regional input-output multipliers. The purpose of this research is to examine the relative accuracy of these multipliers when earnings, employment, number of establishments, and payroll data specify the simple location quotients. For each specification type, I derive a column of total output multipliers and a column of total income multipliers. These multipliers are based on the 1987 benchmark input-output accounts of the U.S. economy and 1988-1992 state of Florida data. Error sign tests, and Standardized Mean Absolute Deviation (SMAD) statistics indicate that the output multiplier estimates overestimate the output multipliers published by the Department of Commerce-Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) for the state of Florida. In contrast, the income multiplier estimates underestimate the BEA's income multipliers. For a given multiplier type, the Spearman-rank correlation analysis shows that the multiplier estimates and the BEA multipliers have statistically different rank ordering of row elements. The above tests also find no significant different differences, both in size and ranking distributions, among the vectors of multiplier estimates.

Limits to sustained energy intake XXV : milk energy output and thermogenesis in Swiss mice lactating at thermoneutrality

Acknowledgements We are grateful to Ke-Xin Chen, Song Tan and Jing Cao (Wenzhou University) for care of the animals. We thank Dr. Teresa G. Valencak (Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria) for her assistance with the body temperature measurements using the thermo-sensitive passive transponders. We thank Peter Thomson (University of Aberdeen) for his technical assistance with the isotope analysis for the DLW measurements. This work was supported by grant (no. 31270458) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, grant (pd2013374) from Zhejiang province, and grants (no. 14SK51A, 14SK52A) from Wenzhou University.

A prospective comparison of a noninvasive cardiac output monitor versus esophageal doppler monitor for goal-directed fluid therapy in colorectal surgery patients

Copyright © 2014 International Anesthesia Research Society.BACKGROUND: Goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) is associated with improved outcomes after surgery. The esophageal Doppler monitor (EDM) is widely used, but has several limitations. The NICOM, a completely noninvasive cardiac output monitor (Cheetah Medical), may be appropriate for guiding GDFT. No prospective studies have compared the NICOM and the EDM. We hypothesized that the NICOM is not significantly different from the EDM for monitoring during GDFT. METHODS: One hundred adult patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery participated in this study. Patients in phase I (n = 50) had intraoperative GDFT guided by the EDM while the NICOM was connected, and patients in phase II (n = 50) had intraoperative GDFT guided by the NICOM while the EDM was connected. Each patient's stroke volume was optimized using 250- mL colloid boluses. Agreement between the monitors was assessed, and patient outcomes (postoperative pain, nausea, and return of bowel function), complications (renal, pulmonary, infectious, and wound complications), and length of hospital stay (LOS) were compared. RESULTS: Using a 10% increase in stroke volume after fluid challenge, agreement between monitors was 60% at 5 minutes, 61% at 10 minutes, and 66% at 15 minutes, with no significant systematic disagreement (McNemar P > 0.05) at any time point. The EDM had significantly more missing data than the NICOM. No clinically significant differences were found in total LOS or other outcomes. The mean LOS was 6.56 ± 4.32 days in phase I and 6.07 ± 2.85 days in phase II, and 95% confidence limits for the difference were -0.96 to +1.95 days (P = 0.5016). CONCLUSIONS: The NICOM performs similarly to the EDM in guiding GDFT, with no clinically significant differences in outcomes, and offers increased ease of use as well as fewer missing data points. The NICOM may be a viable alternative monitor to guide GDFT.

National incomes and economic growth in pre-industrial Europe: insights from recent research

Pessimistic Malthusian verdicts on the capacity of pre-industrial European economies to sustain a degree of real economic growth under conditions of population growth are challenged using current reconstructions of urbanisation ratios, the real wage rates of building and agricultural labourers, and GDP per capita estimated by a range of methods. Economic growth is shown to have outpaced population growth and raised GDP per capita to in excess of $1,500 (1990 $ international at PPP) in Italy during its twelfth- and thirteenth-century commercial revolution, Holland during its fifteenth- and sixteenth-century golden age, and England during the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century runup to its industrial revolution. During each of these Smithian growth episodes expanding trade and commerce sustained significant output and employment growth in the manufacturing and service sectors. These positive developments were not necessarily reflected by trends in real wage rates for the latter were powerfully influenced by associated changes in relative factor prices and the per capita supply of labour as workers varied the length of the working year in order to consume either more leisure or more goods. The scale of the divergence between trends in real wage rates and GDP per capita nevertheless varied a great deal between countries for reasons which have yet to be adequately explained.

An Action Research Study Engaging in the Use of Storyboarding as Research-based Approach to Teaching to Identify Issues Faced when Working with People with Dementia from Minority Ethnic Communities

The common view that research informs teaching assumes a linear approach whereby teaching is considered an output of research. This paper reports the findings of an action research project that identified the issues and challenges faced by those working across health and social care when working with people with dementia from minority ethnic communities. It explored the research-teaching nexus by using an approach to teaching that was research-based as opposed to research-led. A storyboarding technique was used which involved identifying and dissecting real life experiences for discussion. The realisation that each story was unique to the individual demonstrated the benefits and importance of education and training for applying a person-centred approach to dementia care. This project also revealed the benefits of actively engaging course participants with research moving them from being recipients of research, to research- active. Such a process not only encouraged their intrinsic motivations but, also, critical thinking and reflective practice to support deep learning. Such findings demonstrate the benefits of linking teaching with research.

EasyInterface: a toolkit for the rapid development of GUIs for research prototype tools

During the lifetime of a research project, different partners develop several research prototype tools that share many common aspects. This is equally true for researchers as individuals and as groups: during a period of time they often develop several related tools to pursue a specific research line. Making research prototype tools easily accessible to the community is of utmost importance to promote the corresponding research, get feedback, and increase the tools’ lifetime beyond the duration of a specific project. One way to achieve this is to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that facilitate trying tools; in particular, with web-interfaces one avoids the overhead of downloading and installing the tools. Building GUIs from scratch is a tedious task, in particular for web-interfaces, and thus it typically gets low priority when developing a research prototype. Often we opt for copying the GUI of one tool and modifying it to fit the needs of a new related tool. Apart from code duplication, these tools will “live” separately, even though we might benefit from having them all in a common environment since they are related. This work aims at simplifying the process of building GUIs for research prototypes tools. In particular, we present EasyInterface, a toolkit that is based on novel methodology that provides an easy way to make research prototype tools available via common different environments such as a web-interface, within Eclipse, etc. It includes a novel text-based output language that allows to present results graphically without requiring any knowledge in GUI/Web programming. For example, an output of a tool could be (a structured version of) “highlight line number 10 of file ex.c” and “when the user clicks on line 10, open a dialog box with the text ...”. The environment will interpret this output and converts it to corresponding visual e_ects. The advantage of using this approach is that it will be interpreted equally by all environments of EasyInterface, e.g., the web-interface, the Eclipse plugin, etc. EasyInterface has been developed in the context of the Envisage [5] project, and has been evaluated on tools developed in this project, which include static analyzers, test-case generators, compilers, simulators, etc. EasyInterface is open source and available at GitHub2.