The problem of denoising damage indicator signals for improved operational health monitoring of systems is addressed by applying soft computing methods to design filters. Since measured data in operational settings is contaminated with noise and outliers, pattern recognition algorithms for fault detection and isolation can give false alarms. A direct approach to improving the fault detection an...

Drs. Fixler and Wright should be commended for demonstrating that operating room (OR) performance indicator definitions vary in literature and among children’s hospitals. Unfortunately, I do not agree with their conclusion that the most logical course would be for professional associations to agree upon and develop common metrics and definitions. Their conclusion is based on a limited review of...

The analytical modelling of a condition monitoring for a system which is subject to degradation over time is considered. The system condition can be observed at discrete times by means of imperfect inspections. In addition to the critical threshold, for each time point of inspection a replacement threshold is introduced. The decision rule when checking system suitability for use in the upcoming...

We describe an optimization tool for a multistage production process for rectangular steel plates. The problem we solve yields a production design (or plan) for rectangular plate products in a steel plant, i.e., a detailed list of operational steps and intermediate products on the way to producing steel plates. We decompose this problem into subproblems that correspond to the production stages,...

This paper reports the results of a research study aimed at conceptualizing and developing valid measurements of key dimensions of a strategy construct termed Strategic Orientation of Business Enterprises. This construct is first defined by addressing four theoretical questions of -scope; hierarchical level; domain; and intentions versus realizations, and then conceptualized in terms of six dim...

Protozoa are considered good indicators of the treatment quality in activated sludge systems as they are sensitive to physical, chemical and operational processes. Therefore, it is possible to correlate the predominance of certain species or groups and several operational parameters of the plant. This work presents a semiautomatic image analysis procedure for the recognition of the stalked prot...

Assessment of dynamic stability in a modern power system (PS) is becoming a stringent requirement both in operational planning and in on-line operation, due to the increasingly complex dynamics of a PS. Further, growing uncertainties in forecast state and in the response to disturbances suggests the adoption of risk-based approaches in Dynamic Security Assessment (DSA). The present paper descri...

This paper presents an analysis of the co-evolutionary patterns of structural change in knowledge and economics. The former is made operational through an analysis of co-occurrences of technological classes in patent documents in order to derive indicators of coherence, variety and cognitive distance. The latter, on the other hand, is made operational in a synthetic way by implementing shift sh...

In the volatile and competitive banking market Asset and Liability Management (ALM) is becoming increasingly mission critical. Swiss Bank has built an intelligent system, called BALET (BALance sheet Estimation Tool), which supports this ALM process by automating the assessment of financial indicators. To provide alternative options, BALET simulates the possible effects of various economic trend...

This report is the 4th in a series of joint ATM operational performance comparisons between the US and Europe. Building on established operational key performance indicators, the goal of the joint study conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and EUROCONTROL on behalf of the European Union is to understand differences between the two ATM systems in order to further optimise ATM p...