An Iterative Design Method from Products to Product Service Systems—Combining Acceptability and Sustainability for Manufacturing SMEs

Manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the economic development and resource consumption of most regions. Conceptually, a product-service system (PSS) can be an effective way to improve the sustainability of manufacturing SMEs. However, the construction of PSSs requires enterprises to integrate a large number of product and service resources. Moreover, current PSS design methods mostly construct a new set of highly service-oriented PSS solutions based on customer needs while seldom considering the combination of acceptability and sustainability for manufacturing SMEs at the initial stage of design, which may lead to the difficulties in applying PSS solutions beyond enterprise integration capacity or result in the waste of existing product resources. Instead of constructing a new PSS solution, this paper proposes the treatment of existing product modules as the original system. The PSS solution is iteratively constructed with the upgrade of the original system in a gradual way, which is driven by systematic performance (this process can be suspended and repeated). Phased iterative design solutions can be applied by manufacturing SMEs according to their development needs. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), Lean Design-for-X (LDfX), design structure matrix (DSM), and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) are combined in an iterative design process from customer needs and system performances to PSS solutions. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified through the iterative design case from electric pallet trucks to warehousing systems. It is proved that this method is more sustainable and easier to be accepted by manufacturing SMEs than existing PSS design methods through in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs.

Identification of Influential Modules Considering Design Change Impacts Based on Parallel Breadth-First Search and Bat Algorithm

Modular design is a widely used strategy that meets diverse customer requirements. Close relationships exist between parts inside a module and loose linkages between modules in the modular products. A change of one part or module may cause changes of other parts or modules, which in turn propagate through a product. This paper aims to present an approach to analyze the associations and change impacts between modules and identify influential modules in modular product design. The proposed framework explores all possible change propagation paths (CPPs), and measures change impact degrees between modules. In this article, a design structure matrix (DSM) is used to express dependence relationships between parts, and change propagation trees of affected parts within module are constructed. The influence of the affected part in the corresponding module is also analyzed, and a reachable matrix is employed to determine reachable parts of change propagation. The parallel breadth-first algorithm is used to search propagation paths. The influential modules are identified according to their comprehensive change impact degrees that are computed by the bat algorithm. Finally, a case study on the grab illustrates the impacts of design change in modular products.

Images Processing for Segmentation Neisseria Bacteria Cells

This paper introduces the segmentation of Neisseria bacterial meningitis images. Images segmentation is an operation of identifying the homogeneous location in a digital image. The basic idea behind segmentation called thresholding, which be classified as single thresholding and multiple thresholding. To perform images segmentation, transformations and morphological operations processes are used to segment the images, as well as image transformation an edge detecting, filling operation, design structure element, and arithmetic operations technique is used to implement images segmentation. The images segmentation represent significant step in extracting images features and diagnoses the disease by computer software applications.

RECONFIGURABLE MONOPOLE ANTENNA DESIGN BASED ON FRACTAL STRUCTURE FOR 5G APPLICATIONS

a reconfigurable antenna design for 5G applications is presented. It is based on monopole antenna and fractal structure. The design structure is consisted of (monopole) feedline, ground plane, L-shape reflector, fractal structure and PIN diodes. The antenna is printed on (25×29×1.6 mm3) FR-4 substrate of εr=4.3 and tanδ =0.001. The antenna shows a resonant frequency at 4.1 GHz with S11=-11.4 dB and Omni-direction pattern of 1.21 dB gain. The L-shaped reflector is used to maintain the radiation pattern in a specific direction. Moreover, the proposed fractal structure is found to operate as a circuit to give another resonant frequency and enhance the antenna performance. Where it is used to give more manipulation in the antenna performance including: frequency resonance and radiation patterns. The PIN-diodes are used to give many cases for more current manipulation. moreover, the authors used RF (50 SMA port) between monopole antenna and right side of ground plane to optimize directing radiation pattern and to eliminate the problems of interference between AC and DC current that produced from using PIN diode. This manipulation leads to change the resonant frequency and radiation pattern to the desired direction.So all parts are printed on a single side of FR4 substrate

Application of Design Structure Matrix to Simulate Surgical Procedures and Predict Surgery Duration

Background. The complexities of surgery require an efficient and explicit method to evaluate and standardize surgical procedures. A reliable surgical evaluation tool will be able to serve various purposes such as development of surgery training programs and improvement of surgical skills. Objectives. (a) To develop a modeling framework based on integration of dexterity analysis and design structure matrix (DSM), to be generally applicable to predict total duration of a surgical procedure, and (b) to validate the model by comparing its results with laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery protocol. Method. A modeling framework is developed through DSM, a tool used in engineering design, systems engineering and management, to hierarchically decompose and describe relationships among individual surgical activities. Individual decomposed activities are assumed to have uncertain parameters so that a rework probability is introduced. The simulation produces a distribution of the duration of the modeled procedure. A statistical approach is then taken to evaluate surgery duration through integrated numerical parameters. The modeling framework is applied for the first time to analyze a surgery; laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a common surgical procedure, is selected for the analysis. Results. The present simulation model is validated by comparing its results of predicted surgery duration with the standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy protocols from the Atlas of Minimally Invasive Surgery with 2.5% error and that from the Atlas of Pediatric Laparoscopy and Thoracoscopy with 4% error. Conclusion. The present model, developed based on dexterity analysis and DSM, demonstrates a validated capability of predicting laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery duration. Future studies will explore its potential applications to other surgery procedures and in improving surgeons’ performance and training novices.

Structural Analysis on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Non-structural Protein 13 Mutants Revealed Altered Bonding Network With TANK Binding Kinase 1 to Evade Host Immune System

Mutations in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have made this virus more infectious. Previous studies have confirmed that non-structural protein 13 (NSP13) plays an important role in immune evasion by physically interacting with TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) to inhibit IFNβ production. Mutations have been reported in NSP13; hence, in the current study, biophysical and structural modeling methodologies were adapted to dissect the influence of major mutations in NSP13, i.e., P77L, Q88H, D260Y, E341D, and M429I, on its binding to the TBK1 and to escape the human immune system. The results revealed that these mutations significantly affected the binding of NSP13 and TBK1 by altering the hydrogen bonding network and dynamic structural features. The stability, flexibility, and compactness of these mutants displayed different dynamic features, which are the basis for immune evasion. Moreover, the binding was further validated using the MM/GBSA approach, revealing that these mutations have higher binding energies than the wild-type (WT) NSP13 protein. These findings thus justify the basis of stronger interactions and evasion for these NSP13 mutants. In conclusion, the current findings explored the key features of the NSP13 WT and its mutant complexes, which can be used to design structure-based inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2 new variants to rescue the host immune system.

Process Optimization for Post Disaster Reconstruction Project Based on Industrial Design Structure Matrix (DSM)

Post-disaster reconstruction projects face tighter time constraints and are in a more complex environment, making the implementation process of conventional projects unable to meet new requirements. This study decomposes the construction process and then determines the feed-forward and feedback relationship between activities in the post-disaster reconstruction environment. An information relationship diagram is established, and the relationship is transformed into a design structure matrix (DSM). Through DSM manipulation, a partitioned DSM is formed to express the activity process that is more suitable for reconstruction. This research shows that the activities sequence and content need to be changed to adapt to the reconstruction scenario, and some activities may even be canceled. Some suggestions can help construct the project faster, including closer cooperation between design and construction. The bidding scope includes design and construction and the use of more integrated project delivery methods. Finally, a reconstruction case in China illustrates the operability of analyzing and adjusting the implementation process through this framework.

Performance Improvement Strategies for Discrete Wide Bandgap Devices: A Systematic Review

Wide bandgap (WBG) devices are becoming increasingly popular due to their excellent material properties. WBG devices are commercially available in discrete and module packages. Many studies have investigated the design, structure and benefits of module packages. However, a comprehensive and in-depth overview of the discrete package is lacking. Discrete package has the advantages of flexibility, scalability and reduced cost; however, challenges of severe switching oscillations and limited current capacity are associated with it. This review encompasses the switching oscillations and limited current capacity issues of discrete devices. Switching oscillations are categorized in terms of voltage. The underlying oscillation mechanisms are explored in detail. For the current imbalance, the types, root causes and adverse effects in parallel-connected discrete devices application are reviewed. Besides, the most recent techniques to extract stray parameters are also explored. Finally, state-of-the-art methods to mitigate the switching oscillations and the current imbalance are summarized and evaluated. The performance improvement strategies discussed in this paper can assist researchers to better use the discrete package and can stimulate them to come up with new solutions.

Design structure of fusion protein of bovine DNA exotransferase and E. coli SSB protein

The analysis of the trajectories of molecular dynamics simulation and spatial structures of homologous models of fusion protein with various linkers was performed to understand the effect of the additional DNA-binding domain of the E. coli SSB protein attached to the truncated and native bovine DNA exotransferase on its stability and activity. It is found that the C-terminus of the enzyme is the preferred end for attachment of the E. coli protein, while the stability of the truncated fusion enzyme is higher than the native one. According to molecular dynamics data, introducing linkers between two proteins for the native (GGGGSGGGSGGGGS, GGGSGGGS, and TCT) and truncated (GGSGGGSGG, GGGGGG, GTGSGT, and 5xGGGGS) forms of the enzyme not only improves its stability, but also increases the mutual mobility of DNA-affinity domains.