PROBLEM-SOLVING SUPPORT FOR TQM A Hypertext Approach

New IS technology is contributing to continuous quality improvement throughout the organization. Hypertext and hypermedia offer new ways for decision makers to gain easy and relevant access to information. By combining hypertext with total quality tools, decision makers are able to explore the richness of data bases in more creative and useful ways. This article describes how you can develop a hypertext system that can help employees improve their job performance through better problem solving.     

Displacement control crack-growth instability in an elastic-softening material

The criterion for crack growth instability in an elastic-softening material that is subjected to displacement control loading conditions is examined. A theoretical analysis of the model of a solid containing two symmetrically situated deep cracks and with tensile loading of the remaining ligament, defines the criterion for crack growth instability. The criterion is expressed in terms of the material's softening characteristics and the solid's geometrical parameters. The analysis covers the complete spectrum of material behaviour from the case where the softening zone is very small to the case where instability does not occur until the softening zone traverses the ligament between the crack tips.     

Long-term follow-up of a randomized post-induction therapy trial in acute myelogenous leukemia (a Southeastern Cancer Study Group trial)

A phase III clinical trial was designed to determine if more intensive induction and consolidation therapy for acute myeloblastic leukemia increases the remission rate and prolongs survival. A minor objective was to determine if the use of non-cross resistant drugs was more effective than the same drugs used for induction. Patients with untreated leukemia between the ages of 15 and 50 were given daunorubicin 45 mg/m2 for the first 3 days of a 10-day continuous infusion of cytosine arabinoside, initially at a dose of 2000 mg/m2 but reduced to 100 mg/m2 because of toxicity. Those under 36 achieving a complete remission and with an histocompatible donor were assigned to a transplant arm. The rest were randomized to receive one of three consolidation arms: A, cytosine arabinoside, 200 mg/m2 daily for 7 days and daunorubicin 45 mg/m2 daily for 3 days for three courses; B, one course as in Arm A followed by amsacrine, 120 mg/m2 daily for 5 days followed by a 5-day continuous infusion of azacytidine, 150 mg/m2/day; C, thioguanine and cytosine arabinoside, 100 mg/m2 every 12 h and daunorubicin 10 mg/m2 daily for 5 days for three courses followed by four maintenance courses of cytosine arabinoside, 100 mg/m2 daily for 5 days and daunorubicin, 45 mg/m2 for 2 days every 13 weeks. From 1981 to 1986, 398 eligible patients were enrolled and 219 achieved a complete remission. The initial induction dose of cytosine arabinoside was reduced after five of 29 patients exhibited fatal gastrointestinal toxicity. Only 11 patients were assigned to the transplant arm. There were no significant differences in the consolidation arms. The 5 year disease-free survivals were 38, 31 and 27% in arms A, B, and C respectively. Intensive consolidation therapy with the same or different drugs used in induction was as effective as lower dose consolidation followed by maintenance therapy.     

“Metallisation” of oxide surfaces observed by in situ high-resolution electron microscopy

Intense irradiation (25–40 A/cm²) at intermediate energy (400 keV) has been found to cause “metallisation” of tungsten oxide and titanium niobate crystal surfaces. The possible mechanisms and the likely consequences for high-resolution imaging of clean oxide surfaces are briefly discussed.     

Partitioning for pseudo-exhaustive testing is NP-complete

In the letter, two schemes of circuit partitioning for pseudo-exhaustive testing are described. The complexities of both are proved to be NP-complete.     

Nicholas Hobbs (1915–1983).

Presents an obituary for Nicholas Hobbs. Just at the end of his stellar career of public service through psychology, Nick Hobbs received very appropriate honors showing that psychologists and many others knew what a precious national resource his life had been. Only days before his death from cancer on January 23, 1983, he participated in the dedication of the Nicholas Hobbs Laboratory of Human Development of the Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University, part of the Kennedy Center for Research on Education and Human Development that he founded and directed at its beginning. Two years earlier, he had received two parallel American Psychological Association (APA) awards--one for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest and another for Distinguished Professional Contributions "utilizing psychological knowledge in the public interest and social policy." As the citations and testimonials on these occasions variously noted, Nick gave creative, responsible, and effective service to the institutions that he helped administer, to the Southern region from which he sprang, to the APA, and to the profession of psychology, but above all to the nation's children and youth, especially those who grew up with disadvantage and difficulty. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Results of benchmark calculations based on OLHF-1 test

The subject of this paper is to compare the results of the different calculations performed by the benchmark participants in the framework of the OECD Lower Head Failure (OLHF) program. The benchmark consists in the finite element (FE) calculation or in analytical calculations of the mechanical behavior of the OLHF-1 experiment. Seven participants from six countries and seven companies or organizations (AVN, VTT, GRS, UJV, SNL, IPSN and CEA) have performed the benchmark.The OLHF experiment program extends the NRC-sponsored SNL LHF program (NUREG/CR-5582) completed in 1998: these experiments where intended to simulate the thermal/mechanical loads to a 1/4.85-scale model of a reactor pressure vessel. The pressure vessel material (SA533B1 steel) used in these experiments is prototypic of reactor PWR vessel material and has been well characterized by material property testing as part of this program. The OLHF tests advance the results of the previous testing program by examining the effects of large temperature differences across the vessel wall. Large temperature differences in excess of 150–400 K are more prototypic of accident conditions.Most of the participants performed 2-D axisymmetric analyses and doesn’t study the crack opening. The global mechanical behaviour of OLHF-1 experiment is well represented but prediction of the maximum vertical displacement is not in good agreement with the experimental value. Failure time and location are in quite good agreement with experimental results but large discrepancies are observed on the mode of failure: creep or plasticity. To improve predictions, more investigation and work is needed on the choice of the failure criteria and failure mode.