Failure mode and effects analysis using a group-based evidential reasoning approach

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a methodology to evaluate a system, design, process or service for possible ways in which failures (problems, errors, risks and concerns) can occur. It is a group decision function and cannot be done on an individual basis. The FMEA team often demonstrates different opinions and knowledge from one team member to another and produces different types of assessment information such as complete and incomplete, precise and imprecise and known and unknown because of its cross-functional and multidisciplinary nature. These different types of information are very difficult to incorporate into the FMEA by the traditional risk priority number (RPN) model and fuzzy rule-based approximate reasoning methodologies. In this paper we present an FMEA using the evidential reasoning (ER) approach, a newly developed methodology for multiple attribute decision analysis. The proposed FMEA is then illustrated with an application to a fishing vessel. As is illustrated by the numerical example, the proposed FMEA can well capture FMEA team members’ diversity opinions and prioritize failure modes under different types of uncertainties.     

Dynamic behaviour of a magnetically actuated floating liquid marble

This paper reports the dynamic behaviour of a magnetically actuated floating liquid marble by analysing the oscillation of the marble. A liquid marble is a liquid droplet coated with hydrophobic powder. Magnetite particles inside the marble make it magnetic. The marble floats on a carrier liquid that contains aqueous glycerol of various concentrations. A permanent magnet located under the carrier liquid drives the floating marble with the initial velocity. Stopping the magnet abruptly causes the marble to oscillate around its final position for a few seconds. The oscillation was recorded and analysed using customised image processing and evaluation software. The damped harmonic motion model was then applied to the data and tested. Subsequently, critical parameters of the system such as the initial displacement, friction correction factor, the apparent frequency and the spring constant were determined and discussed. The simple experimental set-up and convenient theoretical approach allow us to characterise the marble motion under the influence of a magnet with good accuracy.     

Development of a web-based insulin decision aid for the elderly: usability barriers and guidelines

Universal Access in the Information Society - In recent years, researchers have attempted to shift patient decision aids (PDAs) from paper-based to web-based to increase its accessibility. Insulin...     

Control of discrete-time HMM partially observed under fractional Gaussian noises

A discrete-time control problem of a finite-state hidden Markov chain partially observed in a fractional Gaussian process is discussed using filtering. The control problem is then recast as a separated problem with information variables given by the unnormalized conditional probabilities of the whole path of the hidden Markov chain. A dynamic programming result and a minimum principle are obtained.     

A SAS(®) macro implementation of a multiple comparison post hoc test for a Kruskal-Wallis analysis

The Kruskal-Wallis (KW) nonparametric analysis of variance is often used instead of a standard one-way ANOVA when data are from a suspected non-normal population. The KW omnibus procedure tests for some differences between groups, but provides no specific post hoc pair wise comparisons. This paper provides a SAS^® macro implementation of a multiple comparison test based on significant Kruskal-Wallis results from the SAS NPAR1WAY procedure. The implementation is designed for up to 20 groups at a user-specified alpha significance level. A Monte-Carlo simulation compared this nonparametric procedure to commonly used parametric multiple comparison tests.     

Articulating collaboration in a learning community

A common computer-based collaborative learning approach is to simply introduce contemporary computermediated communication technology into the classroom to support prescribed learning activities. This approach assumes that all students collaborate in similar ways and that presentday technology is sufficient to accommodate all collaboration forms. This view is superficial and limiting. Students collaborate in different ways at different levels on different learning activities. A more detailed articulation of collaboration in learning is crucial to understanding and extending the pedagogical capabilities and usefulness of collaborative technologies. A model is presented for a more finely articulated form of analysis that enumerates types of collaborative learning activities and evaluates how these activities may be supported through different design options. The analysis is based on actual classroom scenarios and the collaboration requirements that emerge from them. The authors have successfully applied this analysis model in the design of a computer-based collaborative learning environment for science education.     

Strategies for Expressing Concise, Helpful Answers

An intelligent help system needs to take into account the user's knowledgewhen formulating answers. This allows the system to provide more conciseanswers, because it can avoid telling users things that they already know.Since these concise answers concentrate exclusively on pertinent newinformation, they are also easier to understand. Information about theuser's knowledge also allows the system to take advantage of the user'sprior knowledge in formulating explanations. The system can provide betteranswers by referring to the user's prior knowledge in the explanation(e.g., through use of similes). This process of refining answers is calledanswer expression.The process of answer expression has been implemented in the UCExpresscomponent of UC (UNIX Consultant), a natural language system that helps theuser solve problems in using the UNIX operating system. UCExpress separatesanswer expression into two phases: pruning and formatting.In the pruning phase, subconcepts of the answer are pruned by being markedas already known by the user (and hence do not need to be generated), ormarked as candidates for generating anaphora or ellipsis (since they arepart of the conversational context). In the formatting phase, UCExpressuses information about the user's prior domain knowledge to select amongspecialized expository formats,such as similes and examples, for expressing information to the user. Theseformats allow UCExpress to present different types of information to theuser in a clear, concise manner. The result of UCExpress' answer expressionprocess is an internal form that a tactical level generator can easily useto produce good English.     

Medical displays by using plasma‐beam‐alignment technology

Abstract— Novel anode layer plasma within minimum chamber space was developed for non‐contact alignment process. The plasma‐treated polyimide (PI) surface showed no particle contamination and no micro‐scratches. Surface morphology was investigated by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), an atomic force microscope (AFM), and X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy. The different oxygen‐to‐carbon ratio ([O]/[C] ratio) for XPS spectra indicated a composition change after plasma treatment. Surface pretilt angles were varied from 0 to 2.1° under different plasma exposure times. Finally, a prototype 20.8‐in. QXGA IPS‐mode gray‐scale medical liquid‐crystal display was successfully demonstrated with high contrast ratio, excellent uniformity, and wide viewing angle using this new plasma‐beam‐alignment technique.