This research explores a new collaborative improvement framework called improvement matrix, where the instructions, functions and flexibility of tools are improved within three layers of engagement. ...This paper describes how the framework was tested in practice through a series of workshops, where engagement practitioners redesigned tools to improve their engagement practices as part of a larger action research project. This research provided a dual outcome that enabled participants to gain a tangible benefit from improved versions of tools that came out from the process as well as enabled us to develop a deep understanding of the improvement process as the research output. The findings from three case studies suggest how the framework plays out in practice, providing guidelines on how to improve tools using the improvement matrix. We found that the matrix can be used for different purposes, such as improving flexibility of tools or designing facilitation approaches.
Several improvements and developments in water works industry is discussed. It includes the scientific advancements in materials and equipment, and improvements in methods and attitudes.
Understanding how to implement software process improvement (SPI) successfully is arguably the most challenging issue facing the SPI field today. The SPI literature contains many case studies of ...successful companies and descriptions of their SPI programs. However, the research efforts to date are limited and inconclusive and without adequate theoretical and psychometric justification. This paper extends and integrates models from prior research by performing an empirical investigation of the key factors for success in SPI. A quantitative survey of 120 software organizations was designed to test the conceptual model and hypotheses of the study. The results indicate that success depends critically on six organizational factors, which explained more than 50 percent of the variance in the outcome variable. The main contribution of the paper is to increase the understanding of the influence of organizational issues by empirically showing that they are at least as important as technology for succeeding with SPI and, thus, to provide researchers and practitioners with important new insights regarding the critical factors of success in SPI.
Background: Methylmalonic acid (MMA) is an essential indicator of vitamin B12 (VB12) deficiency and inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs). The increasing number of requests for MMA testing call for ...higher requirements for convenient MMA testing methods. This study aims to develop a convenient quantification method for serum MMA. Methods: The method was established based on the stable isotope-dilution liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectroscopy (ID-LC-MS/MS) technique. The LC-MS/MS parameters and sample preparation were optimized. Specificity, sensitivity, robustness, accuracy, and clinical applicability were validated according to CLSI C62-A guidelines. MMA levels in VB12-sufficient subjects and VB12-deficient subjects were measured. Results: MMA and its intrinsic isomer, i.e., succinic acid (SA), were completely separated. The average slope, intercept, and correlation relationship (R) with 95% confidence intervals, during the two months, were 0.992 (0.926−1.059), −0.004 (−0.012−0.004), and 0.997 (0.995−0.999), respectively. The limit of detection and quantification were <0.058 μmol/L and 0.085 μmol/L, respectively. Intra-run, inter-run, and total imprecisions were 1.42−2.69%, 3.09−5.27%, and 3.22−5.47%, respectively. The mean spiked recoveries at the three levels were 101.51%, 92.40%, and 105.95%, respectively. The IS-corrected matrix effects were small. The VB12-deficient subjects showed higher MMA levels than VB12-sufficient subjects. Conclusions: A convenient LC-MS/MS method for serum MMA measurement was developed and validated, which could be suitable for large-scale MMA testing and evaluating MMA levels in VB12-deficient patients.
Real‐time PCR analysis is a sensitive template DNA quantitation strategy that has recently gained considerable attention in the forensic community. However, the utility of real‐time PCR methods ...extends beyond quantitation and allows for simultaneous evaluation of template DNA extraction quality. This study presents a computational method that allows analysts to identify problematic samples with statistical reliability by comparing the amplification efficiencies of unknown template DNA samples with clean standards. In this study, assays with varying concentrations of tannic acid are used to evaluate and adjust sample‐specific amplification efficiency calculation methods in order to optimize their inhibitor detection capabilities. Kinetic outlier detection and prediction boundaries are calculated to identify amplification efficiency outliers. Sample‐specific amplification efficiencies calculated over a four‐cycle interval starting at the threshold cycle can be used to detect reliably the presence of 0.4 ng of tannic acid in a 25 μL PCR reaction. This approach provides analysts with a precise measure of inhibition severity when template samples are compromised. Early detection of problematic samples allows analysts the opportunity to consider inhibitor mitigation strategies prior to genotype or DNA sequence analysis, thereby facilitating sample processing in high‐throughput forensic operations.
This paper describes a model which has been developed to direct and generate productivity improvement in a group of manufacturing companies. The companies are of all sizes including Small and Medium ...Enterprises (SMEs) and form a cross-section of industries and abilities with regard to manufacturing. There is a wide range of manufacturing efficiency improvement methods available to the companies, such as Just in Time (JIT), or a range of lean manufacturing tools. The selection of appropriate tools for manufacturing improvement, together with their applicability, incorporation and acceptance within operations is a major problem for many companies. A methodology has therefore been developed which consists of three clearly defined steps, starting with a Productivity Needs Analysis (PNA), which gives an overview of the current manufacturing condition of the company, identifies the key productivity measures for the plant and forms the basis for a detailed study of production efficiency. The plant processes and problems are defined and are associated with the appropriate tools and metrics in a Manufacturing Needs Analysis (MNA), which generates an initial 1-year improvement plan for a particular manufacturing unit. The output from the procedure is obtained as a numerical ranking. In order to ensure that the tools which are found to be efficacious are fully embedded within the company, the PNA and MNA are combined with a Training Needs Analysis (TNA). The paper describes the approach and the results obtained from 15 companies plus an identified exemplar, Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd. (NMUK).
A daily management system (DMS) can be used to implement continuous quality improvement and advance employee engagement. It can empower staff to identify problems in the care environment that impact ...quality or work flow and to address them on a daily basis. Through a DMS, improvement becomes the work of everyone, every day. The authors of this 2-part series describe their work to develop a DMS. Part 2 describes the implementation and outcomes of the program.
Basic Overview of Chemoinformatics Engel, Thomas
Journal of chemical information and modeling,
2006 Nov-Dec, Letnik:
46, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
There is no particular point in time that determines when chemoinformatics was founded or established. It slowly evolved from several, often quite humble beginnings. Scientists in various fields of ...chemistry struggled with the development of computer methods which allowed them to manage the enormous amount of chemical information and to find relationships between the structure and properties of a compound. During the 1960s some early developments appeared that led to a flurry of activities in the 1970s. This review provides a general overview of basic methods in the specific fields of chemoinformatics, from encoding chemical compounds, storing and searching data in databases, to generating and analyzing these data. In addition, the chief interconnecting points of chemoinformatics applications are highlighted including the contributions of Johann Gasteiger to this field.
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