Decision criteria for the selection of analytical instruments used in clinical chemistry: V The interaction of new instrumentation with laboratory infra-structure: modelling and simulation for planning of laboratory functions

The impact of increasing analytical sophistication has, over the past 20 years, resulted in a remorseless increase in the number of requests submitted to hospital laboratories each year. Increasing numbers of requests led in both the clinical chemical and haematological laboratories to a search for mechanized or automated techniques which would enable a limited number of staff to achieve increases in productivity. In this way, over the past 15 years, there has been a progressive development of analytical instruments of greater and greater versatility whose advent has, to a very large extent, transformed the work of the clinical chemist and the laboratory haematologist and has often, by its very capacity for work, confronted them with a surfeit of data. The necessity to process this increasing flow of information has, in many cases, led to the use of dedicated laboratory computers and to some extent it can be said to have stimulated the concept of centralization at least of the broad mass of routine work in the clinical chemistry and haematology laboratories. This paper describes the steps taken in the laboratories of a large teaching hospital in Northern Ireland to move to a position where such centralization is not only possible but logical.

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Multi-Criteria Selection of Wind Turbine Using TOPSIS Approach

Volume 12: Wind Energy ◽

10.1115/gt2020-15177 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shafiqur Rehman ◽

Salman A. Khan ◽

Luai M. Alhems

Keyword(s):

Wind Turbine ◽

Wind Farm ◽

Selection Process ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Real Data ◽

Maximum Energy ◽

Decision Criteria ◽

Topsis Approach ◽

Selection Of

Abstract The recent revolution in the use of renewable energy worldwide has opened many dimensions of research and development for sustainable energy. In this context, the use of wind energy has received notable attention. One critical decision in the development of a wind farm is the selection of the most appropriate turbine compatible with the characteristics of the geographical location under consideration in order to harness maximum energy. This selection process considers multiple decision criteria which are often in conflict with each other, as improving one criterion negatively affects one or more other criteria. Therefore, it is desired to find a tradeoff solution where all selection criteria are simultaneously optimized to the best possible level. This paper proposes a TOPSIS (The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) based approach for multi-criteria selection of wind turbine. Three decision criteria, namely, hub height, wind speed, and net capacity factor are used in the decision process. A case study is shown on real data collected from the Aljouf region located at an altitude of 753 meters above sea level in the northern part of Saudi Arabia. Seventeen turbines with rated capacities ranging from 1.5 GW to 3 GW from various manufacturers are evaluated. Results indicate that Vestas V110 turned out to be the most appropriate turbine for the underlying site.

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Fuzzy Model for Selecting a Form of Use Alternative for a Historic Building to be Subjected to Adaptive Reuse

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13112809 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 2809

Author(s):

Małgorzata Fedorczak-Cisak ◽

Alicja Kowalska-Koczwara ◽

Filip Pachla ◽

Elżbieta Radziszewska-Zielina ◽

Bartłomiej Szewczyk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adaptive Reuse ◽

Fuzzy Model ◽

Decision Criteria ◽

Art Gallery ◽

Training Centre ◽

Historic Building ◽

Financial Benefits ◽

And Training ◽

Selection Of ◽

Linear Nature

Adapting historic buildings to new, modern forms generates not only financial benefits for developers but can also allow them to survive for future generations through proper remodelling. The variety of decision criteria related to the selection of a new function of a historic building makes this problem multidimensional. Many of these criteria are interrelated and have a non-linear nature which requires a comprehensive network-based rather than a classic hierarchical approach to conducting multi-criteria analysis. A comprehensive approach taking into account the specificity of the analysed problem was proposed. The study was supported by an example of the choice of building function as part of the adaptive reuse of a historic building located in Zakopane. The following variants have been analysed: a hostel (existing state), a five-star hotel, a folk art gallery and a conference and training centre. The final rating of alternatives indicates that the hotel best meets the adopted decision criteria.

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Commutability of reference and control materials: an essential factor for assuring the quality of measurements in Laboratory Medicine

Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) ◽

10.1515/cclm-2019-0154 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (7) ◽

pp. 967-973 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Federica Braga ◽

Mauro Panteghini

Keyword(s):

External Quality Assessment ◽

Prediction Interval ◽

Clinical Chemistry ◽

Laboratory Medicine ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Essential Factor ◽

Common Reference ◽

And Control ◽

Selection Of

Abstract Traceability to a common reference ensures equivalence of results obtained by different assays. Traceability is achieved by an unbroken sequence of calibrations, using reference materials (RMs) that must be commutable. Using non-commutable RMs for calibration will introduce a bias in the calibrated method producing incorrect results for clinical samples (CS). Commutability was defined in 1973 as “the ability of an enzyme material to show inter-assay activity changes comparable to those of the same enzyme in human serum” and later extended as a characteristic of all RMs. However, the concept is still poorly understood and appreciated. Commutability assessment has been covered in CLSI guidelines and requires: (a) selection of 20 CS spanning the relevant concentration range; (b) analysis of both RM and CS with the pair of procedures; (c) data elaboration using regression analysis and calculation if RM fall within the 95% prediction interval defined by CS. This approach has been criticized and to improve it The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine established a working group that recently finalized recommendations. Commutability is also a requirement for the applicability of external quality assessment (EQA) results in the evaluation of the performance of participating laboratories in terms of standardization of their measurements. Unfortunately, EQA materials are usually not validated for commutability.

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IFCC recommendation: The theory of reference values. Part 4. Control of analytical variation in the production, transfer and application of reference values

Journal of Automatic Chemistry ◽

10.1155/s146392469100038x ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 231-234 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Helge Erik Solberg ◽

D. Stamm

Keyword(s):

Reference Values ◽

Reference Data ◽

Expert Panel ◽

Clinical Chemistry ◽

Statistical Treatment ◽

Reference Limits ◽

The Subject ◽

Analytical Variation ◽

Selection Of

This paper is the fourth in a series of Recommendations on the Theory of Reference Values. The others cover:Part 1. The Concept of Reference Values [1].Part 2. Selection of Individuals for the Production of Reference Values [2].Part 3. Preparation of Individuals and Collection of Specimens for the Production of Reference Values [3].Part 5. Statistical Treatment of Collected Reference Values. Determination of Reference Limits [4].Part 6. Presentation of Observed Values Related to Reference Values [5].A Guide to the Documents is currently in preparation.The Expert Panel of Theory of Reference Values (EPTRV) was created in 1970 by the Committee on Standards (at present: Scientific Division) of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC). Its task was to develop a nomenclature and recommend procedures for the production of reference values and their treatment, and presentation of observed values in relation to reference data.The first document in the above-mentioned series describes the subject of reference values and defines various terms. It would be best to read it for a thorough understanding of the present document.

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