Product design and selection using fuzzy QFD and fuzzy MCDM approaches

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a useful analyzing tool in product design and development. To solve the uncertainty or imprecision in QFD, numerous researchers have applied the fuzzy set theory to QFD and developed various fuzzy QFD models. Three issues are investigated by examining their models. First, the extant studies focused on identifying important engineering characteristics and seldom explored the subsequent prototype product selection issue. Secondly, the previous studies usually use fuzzy number algebraic operations to calculate the fuzzy sets in QFD. This approach may cause a great deviation in the result from the correct value. Thirdly, few studies have paid attention to the competitive analysis in QFD. However, it can provide product developers with a large amount of valuable information. Aimed at these three issues, this study integrates fuzzy QFD and the prototype product selection model to develop a product design and selection (PDS) approach. In fuzzy QFD, the α-cut operation is adopted to calculate the fuzzy set of each component. Competitive analysis and the correlations among engineering characteristics are also considered. In prototype product selection, engineering characteristics and the factors involved in product development are considered. A fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach is proposed to select the best prototype product. A case study is given to illustrate the research steps for the proposed PDS method. The proposed method provides product developers with more useful information and precise analysis results. Thus, the PDS method can serve as a helpful decision-aid tool in product design.     

Active Inference: Applicability to Different Types of Social Organization Explained through Reference to Industrial Engineering and Quality Management

Active inference is a physics of life process theory of perception, action and learning that is applicable to natural and artificial agents. In this paper, active inference theory is related to different types of practice in social organization. Here, the term social organization is used to clarify that this paper does not encompass organization in biological systems. Rather, the paper addresses active inference in social organization that utilizes industrial engineering, quality management, and artificial intelligence alongside human intelligence. Social organization referred to in this paper can be in private companies, public institutions, other for-profit or not-for-profit organizations, and any combination of them. The relevance of active inference theory is explained in terms of variational free energy, prediction errors, generative models, and Markov blankets. Active inference theory is most relevant to the social organization of work that is highly repetitive. By contrast, there are more challenges involved in applying active inference theory for social organization of less repetitive endeavors such as one-of-a-kind projects. These challenges need to be addressed in order for active inference to provide a unifying framework for different types of social organization employing human and artificial intelligence.     

Contract and product quality in platform selling

More and more e-tailers (platforms) are allowing manufacturers direct access to customers. Two common contracts are offered by platforms to manufacturers: the revenue sharing contract where a platform appropriates a portion of the manufacturer’s revenue, and the fixed fee contract where a platform charges a fixed rent for each sale. Using an analytical model, this paper studies the interrelationship between a platform’s contract choice and a manufacturer’s product quality decision. We find that if product quality is exogenously given, the platform will always adopt the revenue sharing contract. If the manufacturer endogenously decides the quality, however, the platform’s contract choice may be changed. This is because the revenue sharing contract, compared to fixed fee, leads to a lower selling price of the manufacturer, whereas the fixed fee contract can motivate a higher quality than does revenue sharing. As a result, a large (small) market heterogeneity induces the platform to adopt the revenue sharing (fixed fee) contract. We also extend the model to several directions, finding that longer product line, manufacturer competition, lower marginal production cost, and higher platform cost all tend to induce the platform to put forward a fixed fee contract; while if quality decision is less flexible than contract decision, the platform is more ready to embrace revenue sharing. Besides, when there are two platforms competing for the same market, they should differentiate their contract choices so as to mitigate competition.     

An analysis of seismic attenuation in random porous media

The attenuation of seismic wave in rocks has been one of the interesting research topics, but till now no poroelasticity models can thoroughly explain the strong attenuation of wave in rocks. In this paper, a random porous medium model is designed to study the law of wave propagation in complex rocks based on the theory of Biot poroelasticity and the general theory of stochastic process. This model sets the density of grain, porosity, permeability and modulus of frame as random parameters in space, and only one fluid infiltrates in rocks for the sake of better simulation effect in line with real rocks in earth strata. Numerical simulations are implemented. Two different inverse quality factors of fast P-wave are obtained by different methods to assess attenuation through records of virtual detectors in wave field (One is amplitude decay method in time domain and the other is spectral ratio method in frequency domain). Comparing the attenuation results of random porous medium with those of homogeneous porous medium, we conclude that the attenuation of seismic wave of homogeneous porous medium is far weaker than that of random porous medium. In random porous media, the higher heterogeneous level is, the stronger the attenuation becomes, and when heterogeneity σ = 0.15 in simulation, the attenuation result is consistent with that by actual observation. Since the central frequency (50 Hz) of source in numerical simulation is in earthquake band, the numerical results prove that heterogeneous porous structure is one of the important factors causing strong attenuation in real stratum at intermediate and low frequency.     

Nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis of imatinib mesylate and related substances

In the present study, nonaqueous capillary electrophoretic separation of imatinib mesylate (IM) and related substances, N-(5-amino-2-methylphenyl)-4-(3-pyridyl)-2-pyrimidinamine (PYA), N-(4-methyl-3-(4-(pyridin-3-yl)pyrimidin-2-ylamino)phenyl)-4-((piperazin-1-yl)methyl) benzamide (NDI) and 4-chloromethyl-N-(4-methyl-3-((4-(pyridin-3-yl) pyrimidin-2-yl) amino) phenyl) benzamide (CPB) was developed. The influential factors affecting separation, including type and concentration of the electrolyte, applied voltage, and buffer modifier were investigated. Baseline separation of the studied analytes was obtained using a buffer of 50 mM Tris and 50 mM methanesulfonic acid in methanol at a apparent pH (pH*) of 1.65. To enhance the sensitivity, large-volume sample stacking was employed for online concentration. The strongest analytical signal with a suitable separation was achieved when the injection time was 100 s. The linearity ranges of PYA and NDI were 0.100-2.50 μg mL(-1) , and that of CPB was 0.125-2.50 μg mL(-1) , with good coefficients (r(2) > 0.9948). The relative standard deviations of intra- and interday were satisfactory. Under the optimized conditions, seven batches of the synthesized samples were analyzed and CPB was detected in two batches. Owing to its simplicity, effectiveness, and low price, the developed method is promising for quality control of IM.     

Chemical-Synthesis-Based Approach to Glycoprotein Functions in the Endoplasmic Reticulum

The introduction of Asn-linked glycans to nascent polypeptides occurs in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. After the removal of specific sugar residues, glycoproteins acquire signals in the glycoprotein quality control (GPQC) system and enter the folding cycle composed of lectin-chaperones calnexin (CNX) and calreticulin (CRT), glucosidase II (G-II), and UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT). G-II initiates glycoproteins’ entry and exit from the cycle, and UGGT serves as the “folding sensor”. This account summarizes our effort to analyze the properties of enzymes and lectins that play important roles in GPQC, especially those involved in the CNX/CRT cycle. To commence our study, general methods for the synthesis of high-mannose-type glycans and glycoproteins were established. Based on these, various substrates to analyze components of the GPQC were created, and properties of CRT, G-II, and UGGT have been clarified.     

Usefulness of the direct coupling headspace-mass spectrometry for sensory quality characterization of virgin olive oil samples

The applicability of the headspace coupled to mass spectrometry for evaluation of the sensory quality of virgin olive oil samples is presented. The volatiles of the oil are directly transferred from the sample vial to the detector without chromatographic separation. The mass spectrum obtained can be considered as a fingerprint of the oil sample and can be used for classification purposes. After a training step with samples previously qualified following the official method, a classification model was created using the supervised technique soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA). Eight negative (rancid, winey-vinegary, muddy sediment, hay-wood, vegetable water, earthy, fusty and musty-humidity) and three principal positive attributes (fruity, bitter and pungent) have been included in this study. With them, a classification model consisting of two main classes (extra- and lampante-virgin olive oil) was constructed. In addition, the unsupervised technique cluster analysis permited the discrimination among oils with different negative attributes. The proposed procedure has been applied to the classification of commercial samples (as extra- or lampante-virgin olive oils) and the results were compared with those provided by the expert's panel with acceptable correlation.     

ICS–2100型离子色谱仪工作性能检验分析

对淮河流域水环境监测中心新购置的ISC–2100型离子色谱仪进行了工作性能检验。保留时间重现性为0.664%~1.501%(n=10),4种阴离子(F–,Cl–,SO42–,NO3––N)标准曲线的线性相关系数大于0.999。对硝酸盐氮标准物质进行测定,测定结果的相对标准偏差为0.23%(n=8),加标回收率为91.8%~95.9%。实验结果表明,该离子色谱仪仪器性能稳定,各项检验结果满足实际监测工作的要求。     

化工实验教学和管理模式的探索与实践

介绍了中国科学技术大学化工实验课程的一些教学和管理方法,包括注重课前的各项准备工作,如仪器调试、助教培训、上好绪论课;实行组内小组合作和组间合作教学模式;完善实验管理制度,如严格考勤、实验情况登记、明确实验报告要求等。这些在提升教学质量和提高学生综合素质方面起了积极作用。     

统计质量保证技术在分析测试实验室内部质量控制中的应用

对通过统计质量保证（SQA）技术进行分析测试实验室内部质量控制（IQC）的方法作了初探。研究结果表明,SQA技术的应用能保证实验室始终处于统计受控状态,确保测试数据的有效性,有利于分析测试实验室质量保证活动的开展。