A smart process controller framework for Industry 4.0 settings

This paper presents a smart supervisory framework for a single process controller, designed for Industry 4.0 shop floors. This digitization of a full supervisory suite for a single process controller enables self-awareness, self-diagnosis, self-prognosis, and self-healing (by definition, these "self" elements are missing from other supervisory frameworks diagnosing numerous controllers in parallel). The proposed framework is aligned with the concept of a Cyber Physical System (CPS), since its implementation generates a rich cyber physical entity of the controlled process. This CPS entity can either be considered as the process digital twin, or can provide a solid basis for generating it. Finally, the framework includes the main characteristics of Industry 4.0, such as advanced use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data analysis. The framework is based on four modules: (1) Control and Awareness module—performing both continuous process control and adjustments, as well as machine learning (ML) and statistical process control (SPC) for identifying abnormalities that require further diagnosis; (2) Process -diagnosis module—performing continual (recurrent) analysis of the process state and trends; (3) Prognosis and Healing module—performing prognosis and automated intervention via parameter changes, re-configurations, and automated maintenance; (4) External Interaction Platform—an interactive module for interfacing with experts, presenting them with the process analysis information and obtaining feedback from them as part of a learning process. Using an implementation showcase to illustrate the methodological framework’s applicability, we demonstrate its real-world potential. The proposed framework could serve as a guide for implementing smart process control and maintenance systems in Industry 4.0 shop floors. It could also provide a firm basis for comparison with future suggested frameworks. Future research directions could include pursuing improvements to the proposed process control framework and validating the framework by case studies of its implementation.

     

The electropolymerization of pyrrole at a CuNi electrode: corrosion protection properties

Pyrrole was successfully electropolymerized at a copper–nickel electrode in a near-neutral sodium oxalate solution containing Cu²⁺ cations to generate a homogenous and adherent polypyrrole film. The presence of the Cu²⁺ ions increased both the rate of the electropolymerization reaction and the adherence of the polymer at the CuNi interface. In the absence of these cations, oxidation of the electrode occurred generating a nickel-rich layer that was not sufficiently conducting, under the electropolymerization conditions employed, to facilitate the electron-transfer reaction and the electropolymerization of pyrrole.These films remained stable and exhibited significant corrosion protection properties in acidified and neutral 0.1 mol dm⁻³ NaCl solutions even on polarization of the electrodes to high anodic potentials.     

Dominant inheritance in two families with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF)

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal-recessive disease which affects almost exclusively people of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern origin. We examined the possibility of a dominant inheritance of FMF among our 3,000 patients in Israel. Two hundred forty FMF patients were members of 77 families in which the disease affected more than one generation. In 75 of these families the occurrence of FMF in more than one generation was found to be consistent with a recessive mode of inheritance due to a high gene frequency (q) and consanguinity among parents of the patients. In 2 families, one of Ashkenazi and the other of Georgian Iraqi origin, in which FMF occurred in 4 consecutive generations, the mode of inheritance could be explained only by autosomal-dominant inheritance.     

Psychosocial factors among members of religious and secular kibbutzim

Mortality in 11 secular kibbutzim between 1970 and 1985 was nearly twice that of 11 matched religious kibbutzim. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 1991 in 10 of these settlements, 5 religious and 5 secular, to determine whether differences in risk factors could explain the unequal survival. These comprised physical, physiologic and biochemical measurements, health-relevant behaviors and psychosocial variables. This report addresses the psychosocial aspect of the study, which included assessment of sense of coherence, hostility, satisfaction with self, work-related stress, social supports and social contacts using self-administered questionnaires. The response rate among the sample of men and women, aged 35-64 years, was 76% (437 respondents, 208 men and 229 women). Analysis of variance and logistic regression (the latter comparing the upper or lower fourths of the distribution vs. the rest) were used. Religious kibbutz members reported a higher sense of coherence (odds ratio = 1.58, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.46) and a lower level of hostility (odds ratio = 0.49, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.75) than their secular counterparts. Findings for satisfaction with self and work-related stress were inconsistent; there were significant interactions between religious affiliation, sex and age. Younger women reported less satisfaction with self and higher work-related stress than the other age-sex groups in both types of kibbutz. There was no difference in social support or frequency of social contact between religious and secular kibbutzim. Voluntary work was more frequent among the religious kibbutzim. The findings are consistent with an interpretation that Jewish religious observance may enhance the formation of certain protective personality characteristics. Membership in a cohesive religious kibbutz community may increase host resistance to stressors and thereby promote overall well-being and a positive health status. This could reflect an interplay of individual and collective attributes of religion.     

How quality fits into package development

The software-package segment of the software market most closely resembles the manufacturing-for-consumption model on which most quality techniques are based. The author reports on observations of the development processes in 15 package companies, specifically how these developers view quality-assurance practices and what they have in place     

The Prominin-1-Derived Peptide Improves Cardiac Function Following Ischemia

Myocardial infarction (MI) remains the leading cause of death in the western world. Despite advancements in interventional revascularization technologies, many patients are not candidates for them due to comorbidities or lack of local resources. Non-invasive approaches to accelerate revascularization within ischemic tissues through angiogenesis by providing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in protein or gene form has been effective in animal models but not in humans likely due to its short half-life and systemic toxicity. Here, we tested the hypothesis that PR1P, a small VEGF binding peptide that we developed, which stabilizes and upregulates endogenous VEGF, could be used to improve outcome from MI in rodents. To test this hypothesis, we induced MI in mice and rats via left coronary artery ligation and then treated animals with every other day intraperitoneal PR1P or scrambled peptide for 14 days. Hemodynamic monitoring and echocardiography in mice and echocardiography in rats at 14 days showed PR1P significantly improved multiple functional markers of heart function, including stroke volume and cardiac output. Furthermore, molecular biology and histological analyses of tissue samples showed that systemic PR1P targeted, stabilized and upregulated endogenous VEGF within ischemic myocardium. We conclude that PR1P is a potential non-invasive candidate therapeutic for MI.