Process redesign for effective use of product quality information in meat chains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijpkema, W.A.; Rossi, R.; Vorst, van der J.G.A.J.

2012-01-01

To fulfil segmented consumer demand and add value, meat processors seek to exploit quality differences in meat products. Availability of product quality information is of key importance for this. We present a case study where an innovative sensor technology that provides estimates of an important

Inquiry about key dimensions of service qualities and guests satisfaction in restaurants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitrovski Darko D.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A lot of marketing experts in catering, restaurants especially, have recently been preoccupied by measuring the service quality. Business in competitive and turbulent surrounding requires that restaurants continually improve their products, which is based on guests specific demands and wishes. Comprehension of how consumers see catering offer and research on factors that determine consumers satisfaction are the key for achieving business aims. The aim of this study is an identification of key components of service qualities which restaurants and their influence on guests satisfaction offer. Measures of descriptive statistics, explorative factor and multiple regressive analysis were used in order to achieve the aims of the research. The facts were collected by using the survey. Results of the research highlight 3 key elements of the service quality that restaurants offer and those are: professionalism of personnel, understanding of guests, paying individual attention and meeting specific demands. The first two components include attributes that evince statistically important influence on guests satisfaction. Finds of conducted survey help managers and restaurateurs determine factors they will focus on during the making marketing strategy which will supply high level of consumers satisfaction on one side, and long-term profitability on the other side.

Examining the Key Factors Affecting e-Service Quality of Small Online Apparel Businesses in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Che Nawi Noorshella

2015-04-01

Full Text Available e-Service quality (eSQ is increasingly recognized as an important aspect, as well as the key to determining the competitive advantage and factor in the long-term retention of firms operating online. This study, therefore, is aimed at identifying the key determinants of eSQ among the small online apparel businesses in Malaysia. This study used a cross-sectional design, and data were collected from 765 customers who purchased apparel online at the point-of-purchase. Findings of this study indicate that “product information quality,” “website design,” “security and privacy,” and “expected consumer service” are the key determinants of eSQ among small online apparel businesses in Malaysia. The implication for the owner-managers of the apparel businesses in Malaysia is that they must be aware of the significance of the key eSQ indicators while designing their businesses, to attract and retain customers.

Advancing Product Quality: a Summary of the Inaugural FDA/PQRI Conference.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Lawrence X; Baker, Jeffrey; Berlam, Susan C; Boam, Ashley; Brandreth, E J; Buhse, Lucinda; Cosgrove, Thomas; Doleski, David; Ensor, Lynne; Famulare, Joseph; Ganapathy, Mohan; Grampp, Gustavo; Hussong, David; Iser, Robert; Johnston, Gordon; Kesisoglou, Filippos; Khan, Mansoor; Kozlowski, Steven; Lacana, Emanuela; Lee, Sau L; Miller, Stephen; Miksinski, Sarah Pope; Moore, Christine M V; Mullin, Theresa; Raju, G K; Raw, Andre; Rosencrance, Susan; Rosolowsky, Mark; Stinavage, Paul; Thomas, Hayden; Wesdyk, Russell; Windisch, Joerg; Vaithiyalingam, Sivakumar

2015-07-01

On September 16 and 17, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Product Quality Research Institute (PQRI) inaugurated their Conference on Evolving Product Quality. The Conference is conceived as an annual forum in which scientists from regulatory agencies, industry, and academia may exchange viewpoints and work together to advance pharmaceutical quality. This Conference Summary Report highlights key topics of this conference, including (1) risk-based approaches to pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, regulatory assessment, and post-approval changes; (2) FDA-proposed quality metrics for products, facilities, and quality management systems; (3) performance-based quality assessment and clinically relevant specifications; (4) recent developments and implementation of continuous manufacturing processes, question-based review, and European Medicines Agency (EMA)-FDA pilot for Quality-by-Design (QbD) applications; and (5) breakthrough therapies, biosimilars, and international harmonization, focusing on ICH M7 and Q3D guidelines. The second FDA/PQRI conference on advancing product quality is planned for October 5-7, 2015.

Pharmaceutical product development: A quality by design approach

Science.gov (United States)

Pramod, Kannissery; Tahir, M. Abu; Charoo, Naseem A.; Ansari, Shahid H.; Ali, Javed

2016-01-01

The application of quality by design (QbD) in pharmaceutical product development is now a thrust area for the regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. International Conference on Harmonization and United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) emphasized the principles and applications of QbD in pharmaceutical development in their guidance for the industry. QbD attributes are addressed in question-based review, developed by USFDA for chemistry, manufacturing, and controls section of abbreviated new drug applications. QbD principles, when implemented, lead to a successful product development, subsequent prompt regulatory approval, reduce exhaustive validation burden, and significantly reduce post-approval changes. The key elements of QbD viz., target product quality profile, critical quality attributes, risk assessments, design space, control strategy, product lifecycle management, and continual improvement are discussed to understand the performance of dosage forms within design space. Design of experiments, risk assessment tools, and process analytical technology are also discussed for their role in QbD. This review underlines the importance of QbD in inculcating science-based approach in pharmaceutical product development. PMID:27606256

Pharmaceutical product development: A quality by design approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Pramod, Kannissery; Tahir, M Abu; Charoo, Naseem A; Ansari, Shahid H; Ali, Javed

2016-01-01

The application of quality by design (QbD) in pharmaceutical product development is now a thrust area for the regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. International Conference on Harmonization and United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) emphasized the principles and applications of QbD in pharmaceutical development in their guidance for the industry. QbD attributes are addressed in question-based review, developed by USFDA for chemistry, manufacturing, and controls section of abbreviated new drug applications. QbD principles, when implemented, lead to a successful product development, subsequent prompt regulatory approval, reduce exhaustive validation burden, and significantly reduce post-approval changes. The key elements of QbD viz., target product quality profile, critical quality attributes, risk assessments, design space, control strategy, product lifecycle management, and continual improvement are discussed to understand the performance of dosage forms within design space. Design of experiments, risk assessment tools, and process analytical technology are also discussed for their role in QbD. This review underlines the importance of QbD in inculcating science-based approach in pharmaceutical product development.

Design for manufacturing and assembly key performance indicators to support high-speed product development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thompson, Mary Kathryn; Juel Jespersen, Ida Kirstine; Kjærgaard, Thomas

2018-01-01

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) has great potential for minimizing late engineering changes (ECs) that impede high-speed product development and delay time-to-profit. However, our understanding of DfMA and its implementation in industry is still incomplete. This paper presents...... an industrial case study on late ECs in high-speed product development and compares the results to other examples from the literature. It then proposes a framework with sets of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve producability and product quality throughout the product development process....

Software product quality measurement

OpenAIRE

Godliauskas, Eimantas

2016-01-01

This paper analyses Ruby product quality measures, suggesting three new measures for Ruby product quality measurement tool Rubocop to measure Ruby product quality characteristics defined in ISO 2502n standard series. This paper consists of four main chapters. The first chapter gives a brief view of software product quality and software product quality measurement. The second chapter analyses object oriented quality measures. The third chapter gives a brief view of the most popular Ruby qualit...

MANAGEMENT OF QUALITY AND SAFETY OF FOOD PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goryana Yonkova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Bulgaria is famous not only in Europe but throughout the world, except for its rich natural and cultural heritage, but also traditional dairy products (yogurt and cheese - cow, sheep, buffalo and goats; yellow cheese, honey and bee products, rose oil. To be competitive on national and international markets, food production must meet the requirements for quality assurance and food safety. The article presents the key economic indicators and threats related to quality management and safety of food products of animal origin in relation to the conservation of components of the environment and human health.

Monitoring Quality of Biotherapeutic Products Using Multivariate Data Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rathore, Anurag S; Pathak, Mili; Jain, Renu; Jadaun, Gaurav Pratap Singh

2016-07-01

Monitoring the quality of pharmaceutical products is a global challenge, heightened by the implications of letting subquality drugs come to the market on public safety. Regulatory agencies do their due diligence at the time of approval as per their prescribed regulations. However, product quality needs to be monitored post-approval as well to ensure patient safety throughout the product life cycle. This is particularly complicated for biotechnology-based therapeutics where seemingly minor changes in process and/or raw material attributes have been shown to have a significant effect on clinical safety and efficacy of the product. This article provides a perspective on the topic of monitoring the quality of biotech therapeutics. In the backdrop of challenges faced by the regulatory agencies, the potential use of multivariate data analysis as a tool for effective monitoring has been proposed. Case studies using data from several insulin biosimilars have been used to illustrate the key concepts.

Nuclear-derived techniques improve cattle productivity and milk quality in Cameroon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixit, Aabha

2016-01-01

Increasing agricultural production and improving the quality of milk and meat are key to combating poverty and increasing food security in Africa. Countries such as Cameroon are increasingly turning to innovative, nuclear and nuclear-derived techniques to control and prevent diseases among livestock, and boost cattle and milk production.

Key parameters controlling radiology departments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busch, Hans-Peter

2011-01-01

For radiology departments and outstanding practises control and optimization of processes demand an efficient management based on key data. Systems of key data deliver indicators for control of medical quality, service quality and economics. For practices effectiveness (productivity), for hospitals effectiveness and efficiency are in the focus of economical optimization strategies. Task of daily key data is continuous monitoring of activities and workflow, task of weekly/monthly key data is control of data quality, process quality and achievement of objectives, task of yearly key data is determination of long term strategies (marketing) and comparison with competitors (benchmarking). Key parameters have to be defined clearly and have to be available directly. For generation, evaluation and control of key parameters suitable forms of organization and processes are necessary. Strategies for the future will be directed more to the total processes of treatment. To think in total processes and to steer and optimize with suitable parameters is the challenge for participants in the healthcare market of the future. (orig.)

Quality Management and Key Performance Indicators in Oncologic Esophageal Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Gockel, Ines; Ahlbrand, Constantin Johannes; Arras, Michael; Schreiber, Elke Maria; Lang, Hauke

2015-12-01

Ranking systems and comparisons of quality and performance indicators will be of increasing relevance for complex "high-risk" procedures such as esophageal cancer surgery. The identification of evidence-based standards relevant for key performance indicators in esophageal surgery is essential for establishing monitoring systems and furthermore a requirement to enhance treatment quality. In the course of this review, we analyze the key performance indicators case volume, radicality of resection, and postoperative morbidity and mortality, leading to continuous quality improvement. Ranking systems established on this basis will gain increased relevance in highly complex procedures within the national and international comparison and furthermore improve the treatment of patients with esophageal carcinoma.

Quality Products - The CANDU Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingolfsrud, L. John

1989-01-01

The prime focus of the CANDU concept (natural uranium fuelled-heavy water moderated reactor) from the beginning has economy, heavy water losses and radiation exposures also were strong incentives for ensuring good design and reliable equipment. It was necessary to depart from previously accepted commercial standards and to adopt those now accepted in industries providing quality products. Also, through feedback from operating experience and specific design and development programs to eliminate problems and improve performance, CANDU has evolved into today's successful product and one from which future products will readily evolve. Many lessons have been learned along the way. On the one hand, short cuts of failures to understand basic requirements have been costly. On the other hand, sound engineering and quality equipment have yielded impressive economic advantages through superior performance and the avoidance of failures and their consequential costs. The achievement of lifetime economical performance demands quality products, good operation and good maintenance. This paper describes some of the basic approaches leading to high CANDU station reliability and overall excellent performance, particularly where difficulties have had to be overcome. Specific improvements in CANDU design and in such CANDU equipment as heat transport pumps, steam generators, valves, the reactor, fuelling machines and station computers, are described. The need for close collaboration among designers, nuclear laboratories, constructors, operators and industry is discussed. This paper has reviewed some of the key components in the CANDU system as a means of indicating the overall effort that is required to provide good designs and highly reliable equipment. This has required a significant investment in people and funding which has handsomely paid off in the excellent performance of CANDU stations. The close collaboration between Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Canadian industry and the

Multicriteria Evaluation of Product Quality

OpenAIRE

Pabedinskaitė, Arnoldina; Vitkauskas, Romualdas

2009-01-01

Product quality assessment is a complex task. The aim of this paper is to analyse the concepts of quality, different quality management models and their interaction with knowledge management models and the presented criteria system for assessing product quality. Moreover, multicriteria methods and their applicability to assessment of the product quality are analysed. On the basis of group of the product quality criteria and using the multicriteria evaluation methods, the quality of the produc...

Investigation of the key determinants of Asian nurses' quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Makabe, Sachiko; Kowitlawakul, Yanika; Nurumal, Mohd Said; Takagai, Junko; Wichaikhum, Orn-Anong; Wangmo, Neyzang; Yap, Suk Foon; Kunaviktikul, Wipada; Komatsu, Junko; Shirakawa, Hideko; Kimura, Yutaka; Asanuma, Yoshihiro

2018-06-01

The study aimed to compare nurses' quality of life and investigate key determinants among Asian countries with different economic status. A cross-sectional survey was conducted across five Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Bhutan). Quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), job stress (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health questionnaire), and demographic data were assessed. Stepwise multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the key determinants of quality of life. Participants were 3,829 nurses (response rate: 82%) with a mean age of 33 ± 10 yr and majority were women (92%). Regarding quality of life, Bhutan yielded the highest scores, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Japan, and these results were statistically significant. The key determinants that were significantly related to quality of life were "stress coping ability," "life satisfaction," "Japan," "social support," "job stress," and "Singapore" (adjusted R 2 =0.46). In conclusion, nurses' quality of life differs across Asian countries and is not linked to the country's economic development. To maintain a good quality of life for nurses, an international exchange program like international nursing conferences for work environment and staff coping strategies is recommended to broaden institution' minds and share experiences and exchange views to be able to realize their own problems and discover global solutions to them.

Characterization of currently marketed heparin products: key tests for LMWH quality assurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Hongping; Toby, Timothy K; Sommers, Cynthia D; Ghasriani, Houman; Trehy, Michael L; Ye, Wei; Kolinski, Richard E; Buhse, Lucinda F; Al-Hakim, Ali; Keire, David A

2013-11-01

During the 2007-2008 heparin crisis it was found that the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) testing monograph for heparin sodium or low molecular weight heparins did not detect the presence of the contaminant, oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS). In response to this concern, new tests and specifications were developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and USP and put in place to detect not only the contaminant OSCS, but also to improve assurance of quality and purity of these drug products. The USP monographs for the low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) approved for use in the United States (dalteparin, tinzaparin and enoxaparin) are also undergoing revision to include many of the same tests used for heparin sodium, including; one-dimensional (1D) 500 MHz (1)H NMR, SAX-HPLC, percent galactosamine in total hexosamine and anticoagulation time assays with purified Factor IIa or Factor Xa. These tests represent orthogonal approaches for heparin identification, measurement of bioactivity and for detection of process impurities or contaminants in these drug products. Here we describe results from a survey of multiple lots from three types of LMWHs in the US market which were collected after the 2009 heparin sodium monograph revision. In addition, innovator and generic versions of formulated enoxaparin products purchased in 2011 are compared using these tests and found to be highly similar within the discriminating power of the assays applied. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Perfusion seed cultures improve biopharmaceutical fed-batch production capacity and product quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, William C; Lu, Jiuyi; Kwiatkowski, Chris; Yuan, Hang; Kshirsagar, Rashmi; Ryll, Thomas; Huang, Yao-Ming

2014-01-01

Volumetric productivity and product quality are two key performance indicators for any biopharmaceutical cell culture process. In this work, we showed proof-of-concept for improving both through the use of alternating tangential flow perfusion seed cultures coupled with high-seed fed-batch production cultures. First, we optimized the perfusion N-1 stage, the seed train bioreactor stage immediately prior to the production bioreactor stage, to minimize the consumption of perfusion media for one CHO cell line and then successfully applied the optimized perfusion process to a different CHO cell line. Exponential growth was observed throughout the N-1 duration, reaching >40 × 10(6) vc/mL at the end of the perfusion N-1 stage. The cultures were subsequently split into high-seed (10 × 10(6) vc/mL) fed-batch production cultures. This strategy significantly shortened the culture duration. The high-seed fed-batch production processes for cell lines A and B reached 5 g/L titer in 12 days, while their respective low-seed processes reached the same titer in 17 days. The shortened production culture duration potentially generates a 30% increase in manufacturing capacity while yielding comparable product quality. When perfusion N-1 and high-seed fed-batch production were applied to cell line C, higher levels of the active protein were obtained, compared to the low-seed process. This, combined with correspondingly lower levels of the inactive species, can enhance the overall process yield for the active species. Using three different CHO cell lines, we showed that perfusion seed cultures can optimize capacity utilization and improve process efficiency by increasing volumetric productivity while maintaining or improving product quality. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Investigation of the key determinants of Asian nurses’ quality of life

Science.gov (United States)

MAKABE, Sachiko; KOWITLAWAKUL, Yanika; NURUMAL, Mohd Said; TAKAGAI, Junko; WICHAIKHUM, Orn-Anong; WANGMO, Neyzang; YAP, Suk Foon; KUNAVIKTIKUL, Wipada; KOMATSU, Junko; SHIRAKAWA, Hideko; KIMURA, Yutaka; ASANUMA, Yoshihiro

2018-01-01

The study aimed to compare nurses’ quality of life and investigate key determinants among Asian countries with different economic status. A cross-sectional survey was conducted across five Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Bhutan). Quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), job stress (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health questionnaire), and demographic data were assessed. Stepwise multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the key determinants of quality of life. Participants were 3,829 nurses (response rate: 82%) with a mean age of 33 ± 10 yr and majority were women (92%). Regarding quality of life, Bhutan yielded the highest scores, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Japan, and these results were statistically significant. The key determinants that were significantly related to quality of life were “stress coping ability,” “life satisfaction,” “Japan,” “social support,” “job stress,” and “Singapore” (adjusted R2=0.46). In conclusion, nurses’ quality of life differs across Asian countries and is not linked to the country’s economic development. To maintain a good quality of life for nurses, an international exchange program like international nursing conferences for work environment and staff coping strategies is recommended to broaden institution’ minds and share experiences and exchange views to be able to realize their own problems and discover global solutions to them. PMID:29491251

QUALITY OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING THROUGH PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT INSTRUMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen\tCHAŞOVSCHI

2015-12-01

Full Text Available It appears that, during the process of continuous training, there is a growing need from VET providers of a reliable and easy to use tool ensuring the quality of the services provided. Product life cycle active management, including the use of suitable PLM software, is or may be a tool for monitoring and controlling product portfolio of an educational institution. It can be recommended not only for reasons of quality assurance, but also to facilitate the development of products for greater transparency in strategic business areas, and not least, to maintain competitiveness of VET providers. The Q-PLM project analysed the core of the product life cycle management in other sectors, identified the relevant variables that have an impact on the life cycle of VET provision and, on this basis, developed the beta version of a IT tool (software for product life cycle management addressed to VET providers, and a user manual for product life cycle management. The Q-PLM software makes possible the identification of the training products lifecycle, the life cycle stages, the key success factors and indicators for the training products lifecycle, separately for each training program and for each college.

The future trends for research on quality and safety of animal products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nigel D. Scollan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Quality must now be considered as a convergence between consumers' wishes and needs and the intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes of food products. The increasing number of quality attributes which must be considered, increasing globalisation and the heterogeneity in consumption habits between countries are making this convergence progressively more difficult. In parallel, science is rapidly evolving (with the advent of genomics for instance, and a growing number of applications is thus expected for the improvement of food safety and quality. Among the meat and fish quality attributes, colour is very important because it determines, at least in part, consumer choice. The key targets to ensure a satisfactory colour are animal nutrition and management for fish, processing and product conditioning for meat. Tenderness and flavour continue to be important issues for the consumer because eating remains a pleasure. They both determine quality experience which itself influences repetitive purchase. Meat tenderness is a very complex problem which can be solved only by a holistic approach involving all the factors from conception, animal breeding and production, muscle biology and slaughter practice to carcass processing and meat preparation at the consumer end. Today, safety and healthiness are among the most important issues. Unfortunately, animal products can potentially be a source of biological and chemical contamination for consumers. The introduction of both control strategies along the food chain and the development of a food safety management system, from primary production to the domestic environment, are key issues that must be achieved. Despite a high dietary supply of saturated fats by dairy and meat products, it is imperative that professionals involved in animal research and in the associated industry convey the positive nutritional contributions of animal products to both consumers and health professionals. The latter include protein

Lowest cost due to highest productivity and highest quality

Science.gov (United States)

Wenk, Daniel

2003-03-01

Since global purchasing in the automotive industry has been taken up all around the world there is one main key factor that makes a TB-supplier today successful: Producing highest quality at lowest cost. The fact that Tailored Blanks, which today may reach up to 1/3 of a car body weight, are purchased on the free market but from different steel suppliers, especially in Europe and NAFTA, the philosophy on OEM side has been changing gradually towards tough evaluation criteria. "No risk at the stamping side" calls for top quality Tailored- or Tubular Blank products. Outsourcing Tailored Blanks has been starting in Japan but up to now without any quality request from the OEM side like ISO 13919-1B (welding quality standard in Europe and USA). Increased competition will automatically push the quality level and the ongoing approach to combine high strength steel with Tailored- and Tubular Blanks will ask for even more reliable system concepts which enables to weld narrow seams at highest speed. Beside producing quality, which is the key to reduce one of the most important cost driver "material scrap," in-line quality systems with true and reliable evaluation is going to be a "must" on all weld systems. Traceability of all process related data submitted to interfaces according to customer request in combination with ghost-shift-operation of TB systems are tomorrow's state-of-the-art solutions of Tailored Blank-facilities.

Product quality driven food process design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hadiyanto, M.

2007-01-01

Consumers evaluate food products on their quality, and thus the product quality is a main target in industrial food production. In the last decade there has been a remarkable increase of interest of the food industry to put food product quality central in innovation. However, quality itself is

Perspectives on impacts of water quality on agriculture and community well-being-a key informant study from Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoradeniya, Bhadranie; Pinto, Uthpala; Maheshwari, Basant

2017-11-04

Integrated management of water quality is critical for sustaining food production and achieving overall well-being of a community. Further, understanding people's perceptions and engagement can play an important role in achieving water and food security. The main aim of this study was to investigate the perspectives of community and other stakeholders as to how water quality impacts on agriculture, livelihood and community well-being within rural farming communities of two dry zone districts of Sri Lanka. The study adopted 'key informant interviews' as the methodology to investigate community and other stakeholder perspectives to collect primary data over a period of four months. The interview contents were then examined using a frequency matrix and graphed using an Excel graphing tool. The raw text was also analysed to understand the broader patterns in the text. A fuzzy logic cognitive map (FCM) was developed using the relationships between various concepts and linkages provided by the key informants. All key informants were concerned with the quality of drinking water they consume and the water used for their food preparation. Key informants representing the farming community indicated that the use of poor quality groundwater with higher levels of hardness has made growing crops difficult in the region. The key informants also identified extensive and ongoing use of agro-chemicals and fertilisers as a major source of pollution in water bodies in both spatio-temporal scale. Based on key informant interviews, possible initiatives that can help improve surface water and groundwater qualities for both drinking and agricultural use in the dry zone of Sri Lanka can be categorised into four broader themes, viz., provision of filtering/treatment systems, reduction in the use of agro-chemical and fertilisers, education of community stakeholders and support of alternative options for portable water supplies. The study indicates that in the key informants' view of

Characterization of currently marketed heparin products: key tests for quality assurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Keire, David A; Ye, Hongping; Trehy, Michael L; Ye, Wei; Kolinski, Richard E; Westenberger, Benjamin J; Buhse, Lucinda F; Nasr, Moheb; Al-Hakim, Ali

2011-01-01

During the 2007-2008 heparin crisis, it was found that the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) testing monograph for unfractionated heparin sodium (UFH) did not detect the presence of the contaminant, oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) in heparin. In response to this concern, new tests and specifications were developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and USP and put in place to not only detect the contaminant OSCS but also to improve assurance of quality and purity of the drug product. Additional tests were also developed to monitor the heparin supply chain for other possible economically motivated additives or impurities. In 2009, a new USP monograph was put in place that includes 500 MHz (1)H NMR, SAX-HPLC, %galactosamine in total hexosamine, and anticoagulation time assays with purified factor IIa or factor Xa. These tests represent orthogonal approaches for UFH identification, measurement of bioactivity, and for detection of process impurities or contaminants in UFH. The FDA has applied these analytical approaches to the study of UFH active pharmaceutical ingredients in the marketplace. Here, we describe results from a comprehensive survey of UFH collected from seven different sources after the 2009 monograph revision and compare these data with results obtained on other heparin samples collected during the 2007-2008 crisis.

Network-based production quality control

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Yongjin; Tseng, Bill; Chiou, Richard

2007-09-01

This study investigates the feasibility of remote quality control using a host of advanced automation equipment with Internet accessibility. Recent emphasis on product quality and reduction of waste stems from the dynamic, globalized and customer-driven market, which brings opportunities and threats to companies, depending on the response speed and production strategies. The current trends in industry also include a wide spread of distributed manufacturing systems, where design, production, and management facilities are geographically dispersed. This situation mandates not only the accessibility to remotely located production equipment for monitoring and control, but efficient means of responding to changing environment to counter process variations and diverse customer demands. To compete under such an environment, companies are striving to achieve 100%, sensor-based, automated inspection for zero-defect manufacturing. In this study, the Internet-based quality control scheme is referred to as "E-Quality for Manufacturing" or "EQM" for short. By its definition, EQM refers to a holistic approach to design and to embed efficient quality control functions in the context of network integrated manufacturing systems. Such system let designers located far away from the production facility to monitor, control and adjust the quality inspection processes as production design evolves.

Power quality event classification: an overview and key issues ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... used for PQ events' classifications. Various artificial intelligent techniques which are used in PQ event classification are also discussed. Major Key issues and challenges in classifying PQ events are critically examined and outlined. Keywords: Power quality, PQ event classifiers, artificial intelligence techniques, PQ noise, ...

Related regulation of quality control of industrial products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-04-01

This book introduce related regulation of quality control of industrial products, which includes regulations of industrial products quality control, enforcement ordinance of industrial products quality control, enforcement regulation of quality control of industrial products, designated items with industrial production quality indication, industrial production quality test, and industrial production quality test organization and management tips of factory quality by grade.

QUANTIFYING SUPPLIERS’ PRODUCT QUALITY: AN EXPLORATORY PRODUCT AUDIT METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Avakh Darestani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available

ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The quality of the raw material and supplied product from suppliers plays a critical role in the quality of the final product. It has become the norm that vehicle manufacturers require their suppliers to measure product quality and service with a product audit method. Measuring quality of product is emphasised by QS9000 VDA6.5 and ISO/TS16949. From a competitive standpoint, and also to see continuous improvement in business, companies need to monitor their suppliers’ performance. Quality and delivery are two very important indicators of supplier performance. This paper presents a statistical method for measuring the quality of supplied product. This method allocates different weights to variables and attributes characteristics. Moreover, following normal distribution, the tolerance zone is divided to three regions with different scores. Therefore, the quality of suppliers’ products can be monitored based on the Product Quality Audit Score (PQAS. However, this method may be employed for organisations to monitor their raw material, work-in-process parts, and final product. It can be an indicator to monitor supplier quality behaviour.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gehalte van grondstowwe en produkte/komponente wat deur leweransiers verskaf word, speel ‘n kritiese rol in die gehalte van die finale produk. Dit het die norm geword in die motorvervaardigingsbedryf dat daar van leweransiers verwag word om hulle produkkwaliteit en –diens te meet by wyse van ‘n produkouditmetode. Die meting van produkkwaliteit word benadruk deur QS9000 VDA6.5 en ISO/TS16949. Uit ‘n mededingingshoek en ook om kontinue verbetering te monitor, is dit noodsaaklik dat leweransiers se verrigting gemeet word. Gehalte en aflewering is twee van die belangrikste indikatore van leweransiersverrigting. In hierdie artikel word ‘n statistiese model voorgehou vir die meting van die kwaliteit van die gelewerde produk. Die metode ken verskillende

Quality assurance and product quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacroix, D.; Bastiani, P. de

2004-01-01

The basic quality assurance requirements have to be completed by means that are oriented towards the quality of products; in COGEMA LOGISTICS our approach is based on four principles: 1) an integrated management system: Quality, health and safety, environment 2) an organization based on the responsibility of all actors, trust and transparency 3) a methodical approach to continuously improve the methods that are employed to achieve quality: -process management -corrective and preventive actions -self assessments and various surveys 4) but at the same time strong procedures for control and monitoring of all activities: -technical and quality audits (external and internal) -at source inspections -engineering activities inspections This performance-based approach is necessary to guaranty the effectiveness of the traditional formal QA means

Identifying key hospital service quality factors in online health communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Yuchul; Hur, Cinyoung; Jung, Dain; Kim, Minki

2015-04-07

The volume of health-related user-created content, especially hospital-related questions and answers in online health communities, has rapidly increased. Patients and caregivers participate in online community activities to share their experiences, exchange information, and ask about recommended or discredited hospitals. However, there is little research on how to identify hospital service quality automatically from the online communities. In the past, in-depth analysis of hospitals has used random sampling surveys. However, such surveys are becoming impractical owing to the rapidly increasing volume of online data and the diverse analysis requirements of related stakeholders. As a solution for utilizing large-scale health-related information, we propose a novel approach to identify hospital service quality factors and overtime trends automatically from online health communities, especially hospital-related questions and answers. We defined social media-based key quality factors for hospitals. In addition, we developed text mining techniques to detect such factors that frequently occur in online health communities. After detecting these factors that represent qualitative aspects of hospitals, we applied a sentiment analysis to recognize the types of recommendations in messages posted within online health communities. Korea's two biggest online portals were used to test the effectiveness of detection of social media-based key quality factors for hospitals. To evaluate the proposed text mining techniques, we performed manual evaluations on the extraction and classification results, such as hospital name, service quality factors, and recommendation types using a random sample of messages (ie, 5.44% (9450/173,748) of the total messages). Service quality factor detection and hospital name extraction achieved average F1 scores of 91% and 78%, respectively. In terms of recommendation classification, performance (ie, precision) is 78% on average. Extraction and

Key methods for sustaining quality engineering data in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, A [Canatom Ltd., Montreal, PQ (Canada)

1996-12-31

This paper discusses key methods for sustaining quality engineering data, the fundamental principles that these methods are based on, and the methods for supporting the performance of nuclear power plants by the provision of quality engineering data at all times. The concept of an `engineering data foundation`, and a Configuration Management data model are developed. The concepts and methods for managing the integrity of engineering data across many different databases and document systems are developed, including the key concepts of data-positions and data-values, Master Data and Copy Data, and the concept of a `partnership between people and technology`. (author). 7 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.

Key methods for sustaining quality engineering data in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, A.

1995-01-01

This paper discusses key methods for sustaining quality engineering data, the fundamental principles that these methods are based on, and the methods for supporting the performance of nuclear power plants by the provision of quality engineering data at all times. The concept of an 'engineering data foundation', and a Configuration Management data model are developed. The concepts and methods for managing the integrity of engineering data across many different databases and document systems are developed, including the key concepts of data-positions and data-values, Master Data and Copy Data, and the concept of a 'partnership between people and technology'. (author). 7 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs

CUSTOMER SERVICES AND PRODUCT QUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NEAMŢU Liviu

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Objective level of product is a combination of material elements. They are supplemented by satisfying highly heterogeneous and complex motivations, representing highly diverse subjective functions associated to product until individualization for each type of consumption. Thus it observes highly surprising developments of subjective function associated with a product and which determines in the consumer's opinion the quality level of the product. The present study examines the role of associated services covering the subjective function of the product in view of the fact that the utility or subjective function is dependent on elements such as style, fashion and fads. Consumers will no longer accept products with average quality of related services. For a company that wants to stay in the market and achieve profitability, the only solution is moving towards a complete product package type goods-services. Associated services are thus an indicator of quality and the best customer loyalty insurance policy, there is a close relationship between the quality of services provided by a firm, customer satisfaction and company profitability.

Key Account Management and Quality in Business-to-Business Relationships

OpenAIRE

Ojasalo, Jukka

2000-01-01

What are the main elements of successful Key Account Management (KAM)? What is the nature of quality for the company and for the individual in business-to-business relationships? What kind of managerial practices are required at the company and individual level in Key Account Management? This paper focuses on these central aspects of KAM. It describes the main elements of KAM, which is a systematic marketing management approach in the business-to-business context with the objective to build p...

SUCCESS KEY IN DESIGNING A NEW PRODUCT

OpenAIRE

Liliana LUCA; Constanţa RĂDULESCU

2017-01-01

In this paper we use a quality management instrument called a tree diagram, based on undigital data, in order to show what the solutions are in order to solve an analyzed problem. The problem proposed to be analyzed is: identifying specific objects and corresponding measures to successfully design a new product. The proposed solutions are grouped into three specific objectives: Top management commitment; Beneficiary need analysis; Designing process quality. The tree diagram for th...

INSURANCE OF KNITTED PRODUCTS QUALITY THROUGH THE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF NON-QUALITY DURING THE OPERATIONS IN THE CUTTING ROOM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LUTIC Liliana

2014-05-01

Full Text Available n a knitting- confection profile factory, any activity oriented toward evaluation, maintenance or improvement of products quality level is based on measuring and examining the product quality characteristics, in order to establish conformity to the quality specifications and/or naming the non-quality characteristics (establishing defects and fabrication deficiencies. We can consider non-quality as complementary to quality, although a definitive distinction cannot always be made between the two categories or states. Cutting holds a key role in insuring shape precision and pieces dimensions, determining the quality of the confection process, its structure and manual stages frequency. The quality of the cutting operation, appreciated through the precision and aspect of cut contours, existence and precision of markings, is directly reflected in the finite product’s quality, which entails knowledge of cutting instrument - fabric interactions. In compliance of the technological regime during the operations in the cutting room can determine: incorrect marking, spreading, sectioning or cutting. Non-quality of intermediate products obtained in the cutting department can be evaluated and controlled through defectologic control methods.The De – Ca – Re method (defect-cause-remedy correlation, applied in this paper, allows establishing the most important causes that generate defects, as well as preventive and corrective actions to eliminate these causes. This paper systematically presents the main defects that may occur during operations in the cutting room, causes that generate these defects, along with their preventive and corrective actions.

Association between product quality control and process quality control of bulk milk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Velthuis, A.; Asseldonk, van M.A.P.M.

2010-01-01

Assessment of dairy-milk quality is based on product quality control (testing bulk-milk samples) and process quality control (auditing dairy farms). It is unknown whether process control improves product quality. To quantify possible association between product control and process control a

The assessment of quality of products using selected quality instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edyta Kardas

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The quality parameters of products should be controlled at every stage of the production process, since it allows detection of any problems even in the initial stages of production processes and removes their causes during manufacturing. Final control of products is intended to capture non-conforming products that did not go to the customers. The results of such controls should constantly be analysed. Such analysis can help to detect the most common problems, determine some dependences or identify the causes of such situations. A lot of different instruments that can support improvement of processes can be used for this kind of analysis. The paper presents the possibility of using some tools which can be utilized to support the analysis and assessment of quality of products at different stages of the production process. The quality analysis of exemplary products using selected quality methods and tolls is carried out. Metal sleeve, that is part of electronic control subassembly of anti-blocking system of ABS, which was the research component being studied.

INMETRO products analysis program: impact on quality of the brazilian industry

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Marcos André Borges

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The main objective is to proceed a detailed analysis of the Products Analysis Program of Inmetro, evaluating its contribution to the suppliers of products and services. The relevance of this program - a governmental initiative financed with public resources that relates several sectors of the society – as a factor of incentive to the competitiveness of the national industry, can be evidenced by the research of the impact generated by this activity, translated in improvement actions to the analyzed products and services that aim at the correction of eventual non-conformity to the criteria set in standards and technical regulations related to health and safety. Several sectors in industry have been benefited with the creation or revision of standards, implementation of industry quality programs, voluntary or mandatory conformity assessment programs, and others. The consequences include, beyond the protection of the consumers, the increase of national industry competitiveness and domestic market strength, and the warranty of loyal competition between the suppliers. Key-words: Product Analysis, Quality, Inmetro.

Perceptions of using low-quality irrigation water in vegetable production in Morogoro, Tanzania

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mayilla, Winfrida; Keraita, Bernard; Ngowi, Helena

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to examine perceptions of the farmers and key informants on the use of low-quality irrigation water for vegetable production in urban and peri-urban areas in Morogoro, Tanzania. The methods used to collect data were farmer surveys (n = 60), focus group discussions (n = 4)...... in formulating policies and creating health promotion awareness for safe use of low-quality water for benefit maximization and health risk reduction....... of buying commercial fertilizers, vegetable production all year round, sustainable income generation from selling vegetables and also jobs creation in the community among farmers and vegetable sellers. Findings from Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test score on farmers perception scales indicate...

IPOs and Product Quality.

OpenAIRE

Stoughton, Neal M; Wong, Kit Pong; Zechner, Josef

2001-01-01

Given recent public attention paid to high-flying Internet IPOs such as Yahoo and Amazon.com, we explore a product market motive for going public. We develop a model where consumers discern product quality from the stock price. The model predicts that only better-quality firms will go public. Effects of IPO announcements on rival firms' stock prices are related to inferences about market size and market share. The model also predicts that the likelihood of "hot issue" markets depends on the d...

2. Product quality control and assurance system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Product quality control and assurance are dealt with in relation to reliability in nuclear power engineering. The topics treated include product quality control in nuclear power engineering, product quality assurance of nuclear power plant equipment, quality assurance programs, classification of selected nuclear power equipment, and standards relating to quality control and assurance and to nuclear power engineering. Particular attention is paid to Czechoslovak and CMEA standards. (P.A.). 2 figs., 1 tab., 12 refs

Quality estimation methods used in product life cycle

OpenAIRE

M. Dudek-Burlikowska; D. Szewieczek

2007-01-01

Purpose: A new approach to quality control in production company with usage of quality research methods has been presented.Design/methodology/approach: The possibility of usage of quality research methods are connected with continuous quality improvement of pre-production, production and after-production spheres of organization. Interdependence of the quality research methods and product life cycle has been taken into account.Findings: At the present time the enterprises should integrate qua...

Product quality of parenteral vancomycin products in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Nambiar, S; Madurawe, R D; Zuk, S M; Khan, S R; Ellison, C D; Faustino, P J; Mans, D J; Trehy, M L; Hadwiger, M E; Boyne, M T; Biswas, K; Cox, E M

2012-06-01

In response to concerns raised about the quality of parenteral vancomycin products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating the product quality of all FDA-approved parenteral vancomycin products available in the United States. Product quality was evaluated independently at two FDA Office of Testing and Research (FDA-OTR) sites. In the next phase of the investigation, being done in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the in vivo activity of these products will be evaluated in an appropriate animal model. This paper summarizes results of the FDA investigation completed thus far. One site used a validated ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography method (OTR-UPLC), and the second site used the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for related substances provided in the British Pharmacopeia (BP) monograph for vancomycin intravenous infusion. Similar results were obtained by the two FDA-OTR laboratories using two different analytical methods. The products tested had 90 to 95% vancomycin B (active component of vancomycin) by the BP-HPLC method and 89 to 94% vancomycin by OTR-UPLC methods. Total impurities were 5 to 10% by BP-HPLC and 6 to 11% by OTR-UPLC methods. No single impurity was >2.0%, and the CDP-1 level was ≤ 2.0% across all products. Some variability in impurity profiles of the various products was observed. No adverse product quality issues were identified with the six U.S. vancomycin parenteral products. The quality parameters of all parenteral vancomycin products tested surpassed the United States Pharmacopeia acceptance criteria. Additional testing will characterize in vivo performance characteristics of these products.

Software product quality control

CERN Document Server

Wagner, Stefan

2013-01-01

Quality is not a fixed or universal property of software; it depends on the context and goals of its stakeholders. Hence, when you want to develop a high-quality software system, the first step must be a clear and precise specification of quality. Yet even if you get it right and complete, you can be sure that it will become invalid over time. So the only solution is continuous quality control: the steady and explicit evaluation of a product's properties with respect to its updated quality goals.This book guides you in setting up and running continuous quality control in your environment. Star

Porcelain Product Quality Analysis in PT XYZ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho Hwi Chie

2015-12-01

Full Text Available PT. XYZ is a company engaged in manufacturing porcelain dinner ware such as plates, cups, teapot, bowl, etc Porcelain product is safe for use and product defect will only affect the aesthetic not the functional side. The company always maintain the quality of the products produced as by maintaining a good product, in terms of visuals, will keep customers interested in the product. Good quality products characterized by quality A / B and C, and the product defect characterized by the quality of D, Lost, and BU. Concepts and methods used to analyze is a statistical process control (SPC which includes Pareto diagram, fraction nonconformities, flow charts and fishbone diagrams and management tools (fault tree analysis. Statistical Process Control (SPC is one of the methods, which includes Pareto charts, fraction nonconformities, flow chart, and fishbone diagram and also management tools (fault tree analysis. SPC is useful to find the facts from the problems and factors that affect the quality of the products, while fault tree analysis is useful to analyze each of the production process.

Absorbent products for incontinence: 'treatment effects' and impact on quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Getliffe, Kathryn; Fader, Mandy; Cottenden, Alan; Jamieson, Katharine; Green, Nicholas

2007-10-01

This study aimed to determine how the use and characteristics of absorbent products for incontinence impact on women's quality of life, and to examine the concept of 'treatment effects' in the context of pad use. Key pad performance characteristics were identified from the literature and focus group work. Semi-structured interviews with 99 women with light incontinence were used to investigate the impact of pad use on women's quality of life, including both positive and negative 'treatment effects', and to rank pad characteristics by their importance. Achieving effective and discrete containment of urine was the dominant factor impacting on women's lives. Sub-themes embraced physical effects, psychological impact and social functioning. The five pad characteristics ranked most important for day time use were: 'to hold urine, to contain smell, to stay in place, discreteness, and comfort when wet. For night use discreteness was replaced by to keep skin dry'. High levels of reported anxiety were associated with perceived risk of poor pad performance, lack of discreteness and need for complex regimes for pad management. Insufficient attention has been paid to the balance between the beneficial and negative treatment effects of absorbent pads to date. Existing continence-related quality of life measures are not designed for conditions where change in symptoms is not an outcome measure. The study findings provide the basis for developing a more sensitive, patient-oriented, quality of life measure for pad-users which can aid product selection, new product development and inform future evaluative comparisons between products/products and treatments. This paper illustrates the complex influence on quality of life caused by using absorbent pads to contain incontinence. It raises awareness of the importance of careful selection of the most appropriate pad for each individual to minimize unfavourable side effects, and the need for a new quality of life measure designed for pad-users.

Quality Improvement and Learning in Productive Systems

OpenAIRE

Charles H. Fine

1986-01-01

Recent interest in product quality suggests that effort devoted to improving the quality of manufactured products may reduce unit costs. This conjecture---that improving quality can lower costs---challenges the traditional assumption that unit costs increase with increased quality assurance activities and has significant implications for quality management. By introducing the idea of a quality-based learning curve, this paper links the previously disjoint literatures of quality control and le...

Developing an effective toxicology/quality assurance partnership. Improving quality, compliance, and cooperation.

Science.gov (United States)

Usher, R W

1995-12-01

Toxicology and Quality Assurance (QA) at Eli Lilly and Company are well integrated, yet still independent organizations that are aligned with the same overall business objective: to efficiently deliver a high-quality product to the customer. One of the keys to success has been the implementation of a monitoring/metric and trend analysis program of key work processes that are central to the delivery of final product. Our metrics program indicates that the multiple changes that we have made have resulted in a higher quality product. This paper will discuss the practical changes we have made as a part of our Total Quality journey. This article is based solely on the authors' experiences while at Eli Lilly and Company.

Quality certification as a key success factor in international marketing of food products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Niels; Marcussen, Carl Henrik

1996-01-01

delivery service and a stable quality have a high priority, which is indeed closely connected to the quality management system. The ISO 9000 certification in itself is, however, not generally considered as that important but there are differences between the three countries. I Germany an ISO 9000......Executive summary 1. During recent years Danish producers of processed pork have experienced an increasing competition in the Western European markets. In this connection it has been maintained that a better quality and especially an ISO 9000 certification of the quality management systems...... retail chains, catering firms and food processing companies have been interviewed about their criteria for choosing suppliers and what part the quality management systems of the suppliers and perhaps an ISO certification would play in this connection. 4. It appears from the investigation that in general...

Influence of raw milk quality on processed dairy products: How do raw milk quality test results relate to product quality and yield?

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Steven C; Martin, Nicole H; Barbano, David M; Wiedmann, Martin

2016-12-01

This article provides an overview of the influence of raw milk quality on the quality of processed dairy products and offers a perspective on the merits of investing in quality. Dairy farmers are frequently offered monetary premium incentives to provide high-quality milk to processors. These incentives are most often based on raw milk somatic cell and bacteria count levels well below the regulatory public health-based limits. Justification for these incentive payments can be based on improved processed product quality and manufacturing efficiencies that provide the processor with a return on their investment for high-quality raw milk. In some cases, this return on investment is difficult to measure. Raw milks with high levels of somatic cells and bacteria are associated with increased enzyme activity that can result in product defects. Use of raw milk with somatic cell counts >100,000cells/mL has been shown to reduce cheese yields, and higher levels, generally >400,000 cells/mL, have been associated with textural and flavor defects in cheese and other products. Although most research indicates that fairly high total bacteria counts (>1,000,000 cfu/mL) in raw milk are needed to cause defects in most processed dairy products, receiving high-quality milk from the farm allows some flexibility for handling raw milk, which can increase efficiencies and reduce the risk of raw milk reaching bacterial levels of concern. Monitoring total bacterial numbers in regard to raw milk quality is imperative, but determining levels of specific types of bacteria present has gained increasing importance. For example, spores of certain spore-forming bacteria present in raw milk at very low levels (e.g., products to levels that result in defects. With the exception of meeting product specifications often required for milk powders, testing for specific spore-forming groups is currently not used in quality incentive programs in the United States but is used in other countries (e.g., the

The Dynamic Signification of Product Qualities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reijonen, Satu; Tryggestad, Kjell

2012-01-01

This article addresses the “greening” of markets by inquiring into how different versions of environmental friendliness of a product are constructed and how they are placed in an order of significance in relation to each other and to other product qualities. The study extends constructivist market...... studies by elaborating on the dynamic signification of product qualities. The case analysis of the development and commercialization of a “polyvinylchloride-free” and “environmentally friendly” urinary drainage bag in the medical devices market shows these qualities to be temporal and fragile outcomes....... It is concluded that, besides a supporting socio-technical market arrangement around the product, the ability of the product to take different matters of concern into account is crucial for the possibility of “greening” markets....

The Papers Printing Quality Complex Assessment Algorithm Development Taking into Account the Composition and Production Technological Features

Science.gov (United States)

Babakhanova, Kh A.; Varepo, L. G.; Nagornova, I. V.; Babluyk, E. B.; Kondratov, A. P.

2018-04-01

Paper is one of the printing system key components causing the high-quality printed products output. Providing the printing companies with the specified printing properties paper, while simultaneously increasing the paper products range and volume by means of the forecasting methods application and evaluation during the production process, is certainly a relevant problem. The paper presents the printing quality control algorithm taking into consideration the paper printing properties quality assessment depending on the manufacture technological features and composition variation. The information system including raw material and paper properties data and making possible pulp and paper enterprises to select paper composition optimal formulation is proposed taking into account the printing process procedure peculiarities of the paper manufacturing with specified printing properties.

Quality determinants of fruit and vegetables productions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Mezzetti

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the main goal for modern horticultural production is the increase of quality. Furthermore, in consideration of the new consumer demand, always more attracted by a diet based on a larger consumption of fruit and vegetables without risks of pesticides residues and with increased nutritional value, new important features in addition to the traditional quality attributes are now requested. For a program of qualification and valorisation of modern horticultural productions, it is fundamental a study of the major quality determinants organized by following a heuristic approache useful to identify the contribution of each factor in defining the quality of the product. The genetic knowledge applied to all available techniques useful for the creation of new genetic variability surely represent the most important starting point for the release of new varieties with increased nutritional quality without limitation in plant productivity. About agronomic practices, new opportunities are offered by the sustainable management of the production factors able to improve the plant-environment interaction, to well address the reduction of inputs needed for the production, and finally to induce specific stress conditions able to promote higher quality at reduced inputs. Much more attention is also addressed to the post-harvest technologies, this because of the increased needs to guarantee the preservation of the high quality obtained in the field until the consumer use. Taking in account such complexity of the horticultural production systems and examples of some major model crops, an outlook of the main determinants and potential valorisation of high quality horticultural products are attempted.

Quality determinants of fruit and vegetables productions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Mezzetti

Full Text Available Nowadays, the main goal for modern horticultural production is the increase of quality. Furthermore, in consideration of the new consumer demand, always more attracted by a diet based on a larger consumption of fruit and vegetables without risks of pesticides residues and with increased nutritional value, new important features in addition to the traditional quality attributes are now requested. For a program of qualification and valorisation of modern horticultural productions, it is fundamental a study of the major quality determinants organized by following a heuristic approache useful to identify the contribution of each factor in defining the quality of the product. The genetic knowledge applied to all available techniques useful for the creation of new genetic variability surely represent the most important starting point for the release of new varieties with increased nutritional quality without limitation in plant productivity. About agronomic practices, new opportunities are offered by the sustainable management of the production factors able to improve the plant-environment interaction, to well address the reduction of inputs needed for the production, and finally to induce specific stress conditions able to promote higher quality at reduced inputs. Much more attention is also addressed to the post-harvest technologies, this because of the increased needs to guarantee the preservation of the high quality obtained in the field until the consumer use. Taking in account such complexity of the horticultural production systems and examples of some major model crops, an outlook of the main determinants and potential valorisation of high quality horticultural products are attempted.

MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF CONFECTIONARY PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ľubomíra Juhaniaková

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to determine microbiological quality of confectionery products. In confectionery products microbiological parameters: total count of bacteria, coliforms bacteria,mesophilic aerobes bacteria and microscopic filamentous fungi were observed. The confectionery products were evaluated: Kremeš and Venčekcake. For microbiological tests 20 samples of confectionery products were used. The numbers of total count of bacteria ranged from 3.29 log CFU.g-1, the number of mesophilic aerobes bacteria ranged from 1.86 to 2.85 log CFU.g-1, coliforms bacteria in confectionery products ranged from 0to 2.06CFU.g-1and the number of microscopic fungi ranged from 1.13 to 1.96CFU.g-1. The samples of cake prom private production showed better microbiological quality as samples from market production. All investigated samples of confectionary products were inaccordance with the Codex Alimentarius of the Slovak Republic.

Supply Selection and Supply Chain Maturity - important areas of the quality production assurance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Koblen

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The paper pays attention to selected information focused on the key requirements and criteria used in both the conventional supplier selection and sustainable supplier selection processes. The authors introduce the supply chain maturity levels, which, together with the supplier selection and assessment issue, is the essential area for the assurance of the high quality, safety and dependability of the products.

The perception of quality mapping product and service quality to consumer perceptions

CERN Document Server

Kenyon, George N

2015-01-01

Exploring the concept of quality management from a new point of view, this book presents a holistic model of how consumers judge the quality of products. It links consumer perceptions of quality to the design and delivery of the final product, and presents models and methods for improving the quality of these products and services. It offers readers an improved understanding of how and why the design process must consider how the consumer will perceive a product or service. In order to facilitate the presentation and understanding of these concepts, illustrations and case examples are also provided throughout the book.   This book provides an invaluable resource for managers, designers, manufacturers, professional practitioners and academics interested in quality management. It also offers a useful supplementary text for marketing and quality management courses.

7 CFR 58.142 - Product quality and stability.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... production of the highest quality of finished product and improve product stability. Milk should not be more... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Product quality and stability. 58.142 Section 58.142... Procedures § 58.142 Product quality and stability. The receiving, holding and processing of milk and cream...

Quality Issues Identified During the Evaluation of Biosimilars by the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Cilia, Mark; Ruiz, Sol; Richardson, Peter; Salmonson, Tomas; Serracino-Inglott, Anthony; Wirth, Francesca; Borg, John Joseph

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to identify trends in deficiencies raised during the EU evaluation of the quality part of dossiers for marketing authorisation applications of biosimilar medicinal products. All adopted day 120 list of questions on the quality module of 22 marketing authorisation applications for biosimilars submitted to the European Medicines Agency and concluded by the end of October 2015 was analysed. Frequencies of common deficiencies identified were calculated and summarised descriptions included. Frequencies and trends on quality deficiencies were recorded and presented for 22 biosimilar applications. Thirty-two 'major objections' for 9 products were identified from 14 marketing authorisation applications with 15 raised for drug substance and 17 for drug product. In addition, 547 'other concerns' for drug substance and 495 for drug product were also adopted. The frequencies and trends of the identified deficiencies together with their impact were discussed from a regulatory perspective and how these impact key manufacturing processes and key materials used in the production of biosimilars. This study provides an insight to the regulatory challenges prospective companies need to consider when developing biosimilars; it also helps elucidate common pitfalls in the development and production of biosimilars and in the submission of dossiers for their marketing authorisations. The results are expected to be of interest to pharmaceutical companies but also to regulators to obtain consistent information on medicinal products based on transparent rules safeguarding the necessary pharmaceutical quality of medicinal products.

The construction of a quality system in the brazilian market of Organic Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Djalma Eudes dos Santos

2016-11-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7984.2016v15n33p131 Consumption of organic products in Brazil has acquired visibility and, more recently, has a comprehensive legal framework with regard to inclusion and recognition of other ways of producing, for example, apart from organic production, the agroecologic and the  extractivism. In this spectrum, the point of view on quality of food guiding the production, distribution and consumption becomes a key element for market consolidation and preservation of its characteristics as a differentiated way to produce. This article explains the origin of construction and imposition of quality standards for organic products through institutionalization of a conception of control, drawn with participation of the state, which seeks to equate a problem of stability in the market of organic products. This research explores the contours of this construction of a conception of control, featuring its participants, explaining its main discourses and forms of engagement.

How companies embed non-quantifiable product qualities through their product development process

OpenAIRE

Guldbrandsen, Marianne Norden

2006-01-01

Many consumer products have reached a high level of technical product quality. Rapid adoption of new technologies and access to a global market means that markets are getting saturated. This means that technical differentiation is often not enough to sell a product and products compete more and more on intangible product qualities - these are meant to delight, bring pleasure, be easy to use and to create an experience. These qualities are often difficult to measure in the pr...

Grassland-based products: quality and authentication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coppa, M.; Cabiddu, A.; Elsässer, M.; Hulin, S.; Lind, V.; Martin, B.; Mosquera-Losada, M.R.; Peeters, A.; Prache, S.; Pol, van den A.; Peratoner, G.

2017-01-01

There is increased consumer demand for food products with a perceived positive image. Product quality can be assessed in terms of food safety, nutritional composition, technological and sensory characteristics and ethics. In order to summarise the current knowledge linking quality traits and

Planning product quality: An example - ornamental plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kovačević Miodrag

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The industry of ornamental plants is a subject of quality planning. The quality plan is a document setting out the specific quality practices in ornamental plants production. That plan introduce organizational structure procedures, processes and resources needed to implement quality in life cycle of product chain. For engineers it represents a new tool.

Assessing product image quality for online shopping

Science.gov (United States)

Goswami, Anjan; Chung, Sung H.; Chittar, Naren; Islam, Atiq

2012-01-01

Assessing product-image quality is important in the context of online shopping. A high quality image that conveys more information about a product can boost the buyer's confidence and can get more attention. However, the notion of image quality for product-images is not the same as that in other domains. The perception of quality of product-images depends not only on various photographic quality features but also on various high level features such as clarity of the foreground or goodness of the background etc. In this paper, we define a notion of product-image quality based on various such features. We conduct a crowd-sourced experiment to collect user judgments on thousands of eBay's images. We formulate a multi-class classification problem for modeling image quality by classifying images into good, fair and poor quality based on the guided perceptual notions from the judges. We also conduct experiments with regression using average crowd-sourced human judgments as target. We compute a pseudo-regression score with expected average of predicted classes and also compute a score from the regression technique. We design many experiments with various sampling and voting schemes with crowd-sourced data and construct various experimental image quality models. Most of our models have reasonable accuracies (greater or equal to 70%) on test data set. We observe that our computed image quality score has a high (0.66) rank correlation with average votes from the crowd sourced human judgments.

CAD/CAM: improved design quality, increased productivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evans, D. E.; England, J.

1980-01-01

Maintaining productivity levels while assuring the quality of engineering products grows increasingly more difficult and costly for industries such as the energy industry which are heavily committed to product design. The man/machine interface made possible through the development of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology can be applied to the design process as a tool for increased control to assure the quality of the final engineering product. The quality-control aspects of CAD/CAM technology are addressed in this presentation.

Impact of feedstock quality on clean diesel fuel production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marafi, A.; Stanislaus, A.; Rana, M. [Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), Safat (Kuwait)

2013-06-01

High sulfur level in diesel fuel has been identified as a major contributor to harmful emissions (sulfur oxides, particulates, etc.) as a result, recent environmental regulations limit the sulfur content of diesel to ultra-low levels in many countries. The diesel fuel specifications are expected to become extremely severe in the coming years. Problem faced by the refiners is the difficulty in meeting the increasing market demand for Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD). Global market for middle distillates is increasing steadily and this trend is expected to continue for the next few years. At the same time, the quality of feed streams is declining. The refiners are, thus, required to produce a ULSD from poor feedstocks such as light cycle oil (LCO) and coker gas oil (CGO). The key to achieving deep desulfurization in gas-oil hydrotreater is in understanding the factors that influence the reactivity of the different types of sulfur compounds present in the feed, namely, feedstock quality, catalyst, process parameters, and chemistry of ULSD production. Among those parameters, feedstock quality is most critical. (orig.)

Good air quality in offices improves productivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fanger, Povl Ole

2000-01-01

Three recent independent studies have documented that the quality of indoor air has a significant and positive influence or? the productivity of office workers. A combined analysis of the results of the three studies shows a significant relationship between productivity and perceived indoor air...... quality. The impact on productivity justifies a much higher indoor air quality than the minimum levels prescribed in present standards and guidelines. One way of providing air of high quality for people to breathe, without involving excessive ventilation rates and energy use, is to provide "personalized...

Good air quality in offices improves productivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fanger, Povl Ole

2000-01-01

Three recent independent studies have documented that the quality of indoor air has a significant and positive influence on the productivity of office workers. A combined analysis of the results of the three studies shows a significant relationship between productivity and perceived indoor air...... quality. The impact on productivity justifies a much higher indoor air quality than the minimum levels prescribed in present standards and guidelines. One way of providing air of high quality for people to breathe, without involving excessive ventilation rates and energy use, is to provide "personalized...

Key factors for a high-quality peritoneal dialysis program--the role of the PD team and continuous quality improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Wei; Ni, Zhaohui; Qian, Jiaqi

2014-06-01

The proportion of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) has increased very fast in China over the last decade. Renji Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, is a recognized high-quality PD unit with a high PD utilization rate, excellent patient and technique survival (1-year and 5-year patient survival rate of 93% and 71%, and 1-year and 5-year technique survival of 96% and 82%, respectively), low peritonitis rate and a well-documented good quality of life of the treated patients. We believe that a dedicated and experienced PD team, a structured patient training program, continuous patient support, establishing and utilizing standardized protocols, starting PD with low dialysis dose, monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), and continuous quality improvement (CQI) are the key factors underlying this successful PD program. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

Product Quality Assurance for Off-Grid Lighting in Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

World Bank; Mills, Evan; Mills, Evan

2008-07-13

discussions and the discussions evolving from the workshop led the Lighting Africa team to opt for an approach similar to that of the 'Fair Trade' model, involving the creation of a set of voluntary criteria which companies can elect to subscribe to in order to receive a product evaluation/certification. This solution was proposed as it has the widest capacity to incorporate the largest number of recommendations from the workshop sessions. This code of conduct will be made available for companies to comment on later in 2008. These workshop proceedings provide an overview of workshop discussions and a summary of the key points identified around various workshop topic areas, contributing to the two strategy approach Lighting Africa will take as it moves forward with developing its quality assurance program.

Problems concerning product quality enhancement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Krynke

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In the article analysis of the discrepancies in the production process for selected products in a company producing candles was carried out. Using the Pareto-Lorenzdiagram and the FMEA method the most essential areas having influence on the production of candles were shown. Apart from factors connected with the manufacturing side of the process, factors of the labour organization and requirements concerning the quality of material were also noted. An appropriate quality of equipment constitutes one of the essential conditions of production process functioning and this directly influences manufacturing possibilities of the enterprise. A synthesis of immaterial factors that influence the production of the enterprise, taking into consideration conditions of functioning the production system, was also carried out. The set of factors selected for description was the fourteenth Toyota management principle. Respondents were asked to provide answers which could bring the best improvements.

Study on the Key Indexes of Carambola Quality Safety under Logistics Environment of Different Temperature

OpenAIRE

Lei Wang; Ruhe Xie; Yifeng Zou

2015-01-01

By using layered factor analysis method, the key indexes of quality safety of Carambola are determined. The whole logistics process from picking, storing, transportation to selling is simulated in the experiment. At the same time, the key indexes are detected and analyzed under different temperature in logistics environment. The results indicate that both temperature and package have certain effect on the quality of Carambola. As shown in the study, the following conclusions are made. The tem...

Quality risk in outsourcing: noncontractible product quality and private quality cost information

OpenAIRE

Kaya, Murat; Özer, Özalp; Ozer, Ozalp

2009-01-01

This article addresses the concept of quality risk in outsourcing. Recent trends in outsourcing extend a contract manufacturer's (CM's) responsibility to several functional areas, such as research and development and design in addition to manufacturing. This trend enables an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to focus on sales and pricing of its product. However, increasing CM responsibilities also suggest that the OEM's product quality is mainly determined by its CM. We identify two facto...

Quality and innovation between tipical products exploiting and new food design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Dalla Rosa

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Scientific approach is often ignored in the production of typical and marginal foods which come from empiric trial and procedures consolidated along the time. At the beginning of the twentieth century food science starter influencing food production and processing by a multidisciplinary approach aiming at the safety guarantee of industrial products intended for large scale consumption. In the last decades researchers started taking into account traditional and marginal food products by an accurate scientific approach aiming to their exploitation and to define their quality and safety parameters. Scientific approach to marginal products can be schematically divided in two levels: analytical and technological/engineering. In general, the analytical approach focuses on chemical aspects, physical properties, aromatic and sensorial characteristics and on the microbiological and genetic characterizations. 

Quality and innovation between tipical products exploiting and new food design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dino Mastrocola

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Scientific approach is often ignored in the production of typical and marginal foods which come from empiric trial and procedures consolidated along the time. At the beginning of the twentieth century food science starter influencing food production and processing by a multidisciplinary approach aiming at the safety guarantee of industrial products intended for large scale consumption. In the last decades researchers started taking into account traditional and marginal food products by an accurate scientific approach aiming to their exploitation and to define their quality and safety parameters. Scientific approach to marginal products can be schematically divided in two levels: analytical and technological/engineering. In general, the analytical approach focuses on chemical aspects, physical properties, aromatic and sensorial characteristics and on the microbiological and genetic characterizations. The technological/engineering approach must be considered a san integration of the knowledge both about the finished product and the production process and consists of: the definition of markers connecting quality to first matter; the study of seasonal and annual variability; the search for correlations among process/environment/quality on molecular basis; the pointing out of markers to set traceability systems up; the definition of key-factors to characterize the land according to its food production as an impulse for the development of other sectors such as tourism. Finally, innovation in the sector of traditional and marginal production should concern the definition of chemicalphysical and sensorial characteristics, the rationalization of traditional processes and the introduction of new compatible technology phases, the introduction of new packaging forms to elongate the shelf life and to enlarge distribution areas guaranteeing, at the same time, the maintenance of product peculiarity and typicality. New food design is one of the most

Beneficial and Harmful Agile Practices for Product Quality

OpenAIRE

Theobald, Sven; Diebold, Philipp

2017-01-01

There is the widespread belief that Agile neglects the product quality. This lack of understanding how Agile processes assure the quality of the product prevents especially companies from regulated domains from an adoption of Agile. This work aims to identify which Agile Practices contribute towards product quality. Hence, data from a survey study is analyzed to identify Ag-ile Practices which are beneficial or harmful for the quality of the product. From 49 practices that were used in the su...

Scientific appraisal of the Irish grass-based milk production system as a sustainable source of premium quality milk and dairy products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O’Brien B.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Irish dairy industry is critically important to the economy and general well-being of a large section of the Irish population. Its quality, sustainability and maintenance are the key for a vibrant rural society in the future. Two important elements for the future of this industry include (a the quality, marketing and sale of dairy products on the export market and (b sustainability from the perspectives of people, planet and profit. This paper provides a short review of current scientific evidence in relation to a number of topics, each of which is important in maintaining and developing dairy product quality and the sustainability of the Irish dairy industry. The topics addressed in the paper are as follows: the parameters of milk composition; milk processing; hygiene quality and safety; farm management practices and the regulations that govern such practices; animal health and welfare; environmental impacts; economic implications for farm families and rural communities; and the overall future sustainability of the family-based dairy farm structure.

Technological measures to improve automotive product quality

OpenAIRE

Gladkov, V.; Kruglov, S.

2010-01-01

The paper examines the basic technological measures aimed at improving product quality in automotive industry. While paying due attention to solving organizational and technological problems, including the development of certification systems for production processes, it is also necessary to improve the technical standards of specific technologies, equipment and materials as they largely determine product quality. Special emphasis is given to the importance of improving the production of auto...

Manufacturing history of etanercept (Enbrel®): Consistency of product quality through major process revisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassett, Brian; Singh, Ena; Mahgoub, Ehab; O'Brien, Julie; Vicik, Steven M; Fitzpatrick, Brian

2018-01-01

Etanercept (ETN) (Enbrel®) is a soluble protein that binds to, and specifically inhibits, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a proinflammatory cytokine. ETN is synthesized in Chinese hamster ovary cells by recombinant DNA technology as a fusion protein, with a fully human TNFRII ectodomain linked to the Fc portion of human IgG1. Successful manufacture of biologics, such as ETN, requires sophisticated process and product understanding, as well as meticulous control of operations to maintain product consistency. The objective of this evaluation was to show that the product profile of ETN drug substance (DS) has been consistent over the course of production. Multiple orthogonal biochemical analyses, which included evaluation of attributes indicative of product purity, potency, and quality, were assessed on >2,000 batches of ETN from three sites of DS manufacture, during the period 1998-2015. Based on the key quality attributes of product purity (assessed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography HPLC), binding activity (to TNF by ELISA), potency (inhibition of TNF-induced apoptosis by cell-based bioassay) and quality (N-linked oligosaccharide map), we show that the integrity of ETN DS has remained consistent over time. This consistency was maintained through three major enhancements to the initial process of manufacturing that were supported by detailed comparability assessments, and approved by the European Medicines Agency. Examination of results for all major quality attributes for ETN DS indicates a highly consistent process for over 18 years and throughout changes to the manufacturing process, without affecting safety and efficacy, as demonstrated across a wide range of clinical trials of ETN in multiple inflammatory diseases.

Measurement of the perceived quality of a product

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maire J.-L.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available For some companies, visual inspection has become an essential step when seeking to improve the quality of their products. The aim of this control is to be sure of the perceived quality of the product, which often goes well beyond the quality expected by the customer. For this type of control, the controller should be able to detect any anomaly on a product, characterize this anomaly, and then evaluate it in order to decide if the product should be accepted or rejected. This paper describes how this characterization can be carried out and, more specifically, how to measure the impact of the local environment of an anomaly on the perceived quality of the product.

Quality costs in the production process

OpenAIRE

J. Michalska

2006-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is showing the relationship of the quality costs with a production process. In this paper it was worked out and introduced the way of marking the documents with regard to the quality costs.Design/methodology/approach: In the frames of own research it has been analysed the quality costs in the production process from the documents marked using the worked out way of marking.Findings: On the basis of the own research it can be stated, that the majority of the eleme...

Customer directed advertising and product quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Esteban, Lola; Hernandez, Jose M.; Moraga-Gonzalez, Jose Luis

2006-01-01

This paper studies the relationship between three key elements of the marketing mix, namely, price, product, and promotion, in a model where a seller employs informative advertising to launch a new product. We propose a fairly general advertising technology for the study of three promotional

Determining the effect of key climate drivers on global hydropower production

Science.gov (United States)

Galelli, S.; Ng, J. Y.; Lee, D.; Block, P. J.

2017-12-01

Accounting for about 17% of total global electrical power production, hydropower is arguably the world's main renewable energy source and a key asset to meet Paris climate agreements. A key component of hydropower production is water availability, which depends on both precipitation and multiple drivers of climate variability acting at different spatial and temporal scales. To understand how these drivers impact global hydropower production, we study the relation between four patterns of ocean-atmosphere climate variability (i.e., El Niño Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation) and monthly time series of electrical power production for over 1,500 hydropower reservoirs—obtained via simulation with a high-fidelity dam model forced with 20th century climate conditions. Notably significant relationships between electrical power productions and climate variability are found in many climate sensitive regions globally, including North and South America, East Asia, West Africa, and Europe. Coupled interactions from multiple, simultaneous climate drivers are also evaluated. Finally, we highlight the importance of using these climate drivers as an additional source of information within reservoir operating rules where the skillful predictability of inflow exists.

Research on Digital Product Modeling Key Technologies of Digital Manufacturing

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

DING Guoping; ZHOU Zude; HU Yefa; ZHAO Liang

2006-01-01

With the globalization and diversification of the market and the rapid development of Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the digital revolution of manufacturing is coming. One of the key technologies in digital manufacturing is product digital modeling. This paper firstly analyzes the information and features of the product digital model during each stage in the product whole lifecycle, then researches on the three critical technologies of digital modeling in digital manufacturing-product modeling, standard for the exchange of product model data and digital product data management. And the potential signification of the product digital model during the process of digital manufacturing is concluded-product digital model integrates primary features of each stage during the product whole lifecycle based on graphic features, applies STEP as data exchange mechanism, and establishes PDM system to manage the large amount, complicated and dynamic product data to implement the product digital model data exchange, sharing and integration.

Nondestructive quality evaluation technology of agricultural products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noh, Sang Ha

1997-01-01

Quality evaluation of agricultural products has been interested to many researchers for many years and as the result, several nondestructive techniques and so many papers have been reported for quality evaluation of agricultural products. These nondestructive techniques are based on the detection of mechanical, optical, electrical, electro-magnetical, dielectric and vibrational properties of agricultural products that are well correlated with certain quality factors of the products such as color, shape, firmness, sugar content, external or internal defects, moisture content, etc. The sophistication of nondestructive methods has evolved rapidly with modem technologies. In this paper an emphasis was put on reviewing some of those papers and techniques which could be led to on-line measurement for practical use.

Interaction between production control and quality control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bij, van der J.D.; Ekert, van J.H.W.

1999-01-01

Describes a qualitative study on interaction between systems for production control and quality control within industrial organisations. Production control and quality control interact in a sense. Good performance for one aspect often influences or frustrates the performance of the other. As far as

Quality management manual for production of high quality cassava flour

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dziedzoave, Nanam Tay; Abass, Adebayo Busura; Amoa-Awua, Wisdom K.

The high quality cassava flour (HQCF) industry has just started to evolve in Africa and elsewhere. The sustainability of the growing industry, the profitability of small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) that are active in the industry and good-health of consumers can best be guaranteed through...... the adoption of proper quality and food safety procedures. Cassava processing enterprises involved in the productionof HQCF must therefore be commited to the quality and food safety of the HQCF. They must have the right technology, appropriate processing machhinery, standard testing instruments...... and the necessary technical expertise. This quality manual was therefore developed to guide small- to medium-scale cassava in the design and implematation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and Good manufacturing Practices (GMP) plans for HQCF production. It describes the HQCF production...

Reported implementation lessons from a national quality improvement initiative; Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care™. A qualitative, ward-based team perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Mark; Butterworth, Tony; Wells, John S G

2017-10-01

To explore the experiences of participants involved in the implementation of the Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care™ initiative in Ireland, identifying key implementation lessons. A large-scale quality improvement programme Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care™ was introduced nationwide into Ireland in 2011. We captured accounts from ward-based teams in an implementation phase during 2013-14 to explore their experiences. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 24 members of ward-based teams from nine sites involved in the second national phase of the initiative were conducted. Interviews were analysed and coded under themes, using a seven-stage iterative process. The predominant theme identified was associated with the implementation and management of the initiative and included: project management; training; preparation; information and communication; and participant's negative experiences. The most prominent challenge reported related to other competing clinical priorities. Despite the structured approach of Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care™, it appears that overstretched and busy clinical environments struggle to provide the right climate and context for ward-based teams to engage and interact actively with quality improvement tools, methods and activities. Findings highlight five key aspects of implementation and management that will help facilitate successful adoption of large-scale, ward-based quality improvement programmes such as Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care™. Utilising pre-existing implementation or quality frameworks to assess each ward/unit for 'readiness' prior to commencing a quality improvement intervention such as Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care™ should be considered. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

"Product on Stopper" in a Lyophilized Drug Product: Cosmetic Defect or a Product Quality Concern?

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Shyam B; Roy, Shouvik; Yang, Han-Chang Cathy

2018-06-01

During manufacturing of a lyophilized drug product, operator errors in product handling during loading of product filled vials onto the lyophilizer can lead to a seemingly cosmetic defect which can impact certain critical quality attributes of finished product. In this study, filling of a formulated monoclonal antibody in vials was performed using a peristaltic pump filling unit, and subsequently, the product was lyophilized. After lyophilization, upon visual inspection, around 40% of vials had cosmetic defect with residual product around stopper of the vial and were categorized as "product on stopper" vials, whereas remaining 60% vials with no cosmetic defect were called "acceptable vials." Both groups of vials from 1 single batch were tested for critical quality attributes including protein concentration (ultraviolet absorbance at 280), residual moisture (Karl Fischer), sterility (membrane filtration), and container closure integrity (CCI) (blue dye ingress). Analysis of protein quality attributes such as aggregation, protein concentration, residual moisture showed no significant difference between vials with "product on stopper" and "acceptable vials." However, CCI of the "product on stopper" vials was compromised due to the presence of product around stopper of the vial. The results from this case study demonstrate the following 2 important findings: (1) that a seemingly cosmetic defect may impact product quality, compromising the integrity of the product and (2) that CCI test method can be used as an orthogonal method to sterility testing to evaluate sterility assurance of the product. The corrective action proposed to mitigate this defect is use of a larger sized vial that can potentially minimize this defect that arises because of product handling errors. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production system with process quality control: modelling and application

Science.gov (United States)

Tsou, Jia-Chi

2010-07-01

Over the past decade, there has been a great deal of research dedicated to the study of quality and the economics of production. In this article, we develop a dynamic model which is based on the hypothesis of a traditional economic production quantity model. Taguchi's cost of poor quality is used to evaluate the cost of poor quality in the dynamic production system. A practical case from the automotive industry, which uses the Six-sigma DMAIC methodology, is discussed to verify the proposed model. This study shows that there is an optimal value of quality investment to make the production system reach a reasonable quality level and minimise the production cost. Based on our model, the management can adjust its investment in quality improvement to generate considerable financial return.

Improving the quality of pork and pork products for the consumer : development of innovative, integrated, and sustainable food production chains of high quality pork products matching consumer demands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heimann, B.; Christensen, M.; Rosendal Rasmussen, S.; Bonneau, M.; Grunert, K.G.; Arnau, J.; Trienekens, J.H.; Oksbjerg, N.; Greef, de K.H.; Petersen, B.

2012-01-01

Improving the quality of pork and pork products for the consumer: development of innovative, integrated, and sustainable food production chains of high quality pork products matching consumer demands.

Production process and quality control for the HTTR fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimuta, S.; Suzuki, N.; Kaneko, M.; Fukuda, K.

1991-01-01

Development of the production and inspection technology for High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) fuel has been carried out by cooperative work between Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd (NFI). The performance and the quality level of the developed fuel are well established to meet the design requirements of the HTTR. For the commercial scale production of the fuel, statistical quality control and quality assurance must be carefully considered in order to assure the safety of the HTTR. It is also important to produce the fuel under well controlled process condition. To meet these requirements in the production of the HTTR fuel, a new production process and quality control system is to be introduced in the new facilities. The main feature of the system is a computer integrated control system. Process control data at each production stage of products and semi-products are all gathered by terminal computers and processed by a host computer. The processed information is effectively used for the production, quality and accountancy control. With the aid of this system, all the products will be easily traceable from starting materials to final stages and the statistical evaluation of the quality of products becomes more reliable. (author). 8 figs

Concepts for modelling the quality of perishable products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sloof, M.; Tijskens, L.M.M.; Wilkinson, E.C.

1996-01-01

It is generally accepted that the quality of perishable products depends on three factors: the product, the user and the market situation. It is therefore difficult to define what quality is and how to control it. Decomposition of the effects of these factors on quality leads to a distinction

Developing Product Quality Control for Standardization of Tsetse Mass Production. Working Material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The recent Pan-African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC) provides a mechanism within which SIT will be one of the major components of an integrated areawide approach to the establishment of tsetse fly-free areas. Currently world-wide tsetse production is 1/40 of the projected requirement in 2006. To achieve this objective it is essential that quality control (QC) measures suitable for the expanded production be in place. Therefore, improved QC methodology has become a top priority. Improvements in QC methodology will help to ensure the attainment of these production goals and improve quality of rearing, minimize production costs and generate trained QC and production staff required to successfully produce flies and monitor their quality and suitability for release. The proposed CRP is designed to address these issues.

Knowledge work productivity effect on quality of knowledge work in software development process in SME

Science.gov (United States)

Yusoff, Mohd Zairol; Mahmuddin, Massudi; Ahmad, Mazida

2016-08-01

Knowledge and skill are necessary to develop the capability of knowledge workers. However, there is very little understanding of what the necessary knowledge work (KW) is, and how they influence the quality of knowledge work or knowledge work productivity (KWP) in software development process, including that in small and medium-sized (SME) enterprise. The SME constitutes a major part of the economy and it has been relatively unsuccessful in developing KWP. Accordingly, this paper seeks to explore the influencing dimensions of KWP that effect on the quality of KW in SME environment. First, based on the analysis of the existing literatures, the key characteristics of KW productivity are defined. Second, the conceptual model is proposed, which explores the dimensions of the KWP and its quality. This study analyses data collected from 150 respondents (based on [1], who involve in SME in Malaysia and validates the models by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results provide an analysis of the effect of KWP on the quality of KW and business success, and have a significant relevance for both research and practice in the SME

What is the new paradigm in product quality?

OpenAIRE

Robotham, AJ; Guldbrandsen, M

2000-01-01

The current product quality paradigm is founded upon a customer-focused product development process, in which the functionality and behaviour of a product are designed to fulfil the needs of customers, and technological innovation is used to expand the capability and enhance the performance of the product. However, this view of product quality does not reflect the current practices of today's leading manufacturers, who now offer "total solutions" based upon an integrated package of products a...

Correlation between marketing strategy, product quality and promotion on the mobile devices market in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bakator Mihalj

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the correlation between promotion as a marketing mix instrument, product quality and marketing strategy on the mobile devices market. The research paper consists of four sections. Each section determines the key factors of the main subject's elements. The research makes analysis of the influence of promotional activities on consumer behavior. It was conducted via survey questions. The questions referred to mobile device brands, user satisfactory rates and other parameters in the Republic of Serbia. The aim was to define the impact of promotional activities on consumer choice when purchasing a mobile device. In addition, the product quality and marketing strategies of top mobile device brands are also taken into consideration. Observational statements are made based on statistical evidence from the completed research surveys.

Quality of original and biosimilar epoetin products.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinks, Vera; Hawe, Andrea; Basmeleh, Abdul H H; Joachin-Rodriguez, Liliana; Haselberg, Rob; Somsen, Govert W; Jiskoot, Wim; Schellekens, Huub

2011-02-01

To compare the quality of therapeutic erythropoietin (EPO) products, including two biosimilars, with respect to content, aggregation, isoform profile and potency. Two original products, Eprex (epoetin alpha) and Dynepo (epoetin delta), and two biosimilar products, Binocrit (epoetin alpha) and Retacrit (epoetin zeta), were compared using (1) high performance size exclusion chromatography, (2) ELISA, (3) SDS-PAGE, (4) capillary zone electrophoresis and (5) in-vivo potency. Tested EPO products differed in content, isoform composition, and potency. Of the tested products, the biosimilars have the same or even better quality as the originals. Especially, the potency of originals may significantly differ from the value on the label.

How product trial changes quality perception of four new processed beef products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saeed, Faiza; Grunert, Klaus G; Therkildsen, Margrethe

2013-01-01

evaluation, quality evaluation and purchase motive fulfillment. For two of the tested products, trial resulted in a decline of the evaluation of cues, quality and purchase motive fulfillment compared to pre-trial expectations. For these products, positive expectations were created by giving information about...... and gender, which may be due to underlying differences in previous experience. The study gives useful insights for testing of new processed meat products before market introduction....

The Effects of Quality Management Practices on Key Results: questionnaires sample for the industry of tourist accommodation in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Álvarez García

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this research work, we examine the direct and indirect effects of quality management practices on key results and we identify the relationship between quality practices. To achieve the proposed objective, a structural model was used, taking into account the previous review of the literature, in order to identify the quality practices and causal relationships with the key results. The theoretical model and hypotheses are tested using data collected from a sample of 186 tourist accommodation companies certified with the “Q for Tourist Quality” standard in Spain, from a questionnaire based on quality practices identified in the literature and on the EFQM Model, taking some of the most relevant scales as a reference. The methodology used consists of the application of an Exploratory and Confirmatory Factorial Analysis to validate the scales (reliability, one-dimensionality and validity and define the number of items of each of the measuring instruments of the constructs proposed, to then estimate the causal model proposed, proceeding to test the hypotheses formulated by using the Structural Equation Model (SEM technique. The results achieved support the relationship between quality practices and the direct and positive impact of two of the practices, processes management and quality policy/planning, on the key results. It was also observed that the quality practices that most influence key results are quality policy/planning along with leadership, when considering the total effects (direct and indirect.

Role of configuration management in improving quality of metal products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, U.; Kalsoom, T.

2007-01-01

The Configuration Management (CM) is an imperative discipline which helps in producing quality metal products for the customers. CM implements a graded approach to Configuration Items whose failure poses human as well as product losses. Effective CM provides information to Project Management, Quality Control, and Quality Assurance in identifying schedules and processes related to metal component production. The CM is a supportive function, mostly working side by side with Quality Assurance and Quality Control in the development / production of metal parts. The CM provides tools and guidelines for managing a product while Quality Assurance verifies and validates the same outside the scope of Configuration Audits. Configuration Management raises productivity of metal product, makes-available design reuse, reduces service and support costs, enhances visibility and eliminates rework on metal products. The elements of CM i.e. Identification, Control, Status Accounting and Audits playa vital role to enhance the quality of metal products. Only established CM System can make it possible to swing initial development criteria to final user friendly metal products. The challenges of today in our metal industry are to design and develop state-of-the-art products, for which, CM ideas given in this paper, will help to achieve all the set goals. (author)

Develop Quality Characteristics Based Quality Evaluation Process for Ready to Use Software Products

OpenAIRE

Daiju Kato; Hiroshi Ishikawa

2016-01-01

The users who use ready to use software product had better get the products’ quality information with classified by some kind of global standard metrics or technique for their evaluation. But many of those software products’ co mpanies don’t provide the quality information because of the products are developed b y their own development and evaluation process. But those users want to get quality i...

The quest for quality and productivity in health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahney, V K; Warden, G L

1991-01-01

The leaders of health care organizations across the country are facing significant pressures to improve the quality of their services while reducing the rate of cost increases within the industry. Total Quality Management (TQM) has been credited, by many leaders in the manufacturing industry, as an effective tool to manage their organizations. This article presents key concepts of TQM as discussed by quality experts, namely, Deming, Juran, and Crosby. It discusses 12 key concepts that have formed the foundation of TQM implementation at Henry Ford Health System. The process of implementation is presented in detail, and the role of TQM in clinical applications is discussed. Success factors and visible actions by senior management designed to reinforce the implementation of TQM in any organization are presented.

Proposal for the diagnosis and monitoring of quality, based on key performance indicators, that may lead to generate improvements in the Servicio de Radiologia of Hospital Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenes Acosta, Carolina; Cortes Barquero, Jorge

2014-01-01

Key performance indicators are proposed for the diagnosis, monitoring of quality and to generate improvements in the Servicio de Radiologia of Hospital Mexico. Critical performance key indicators are identified for service improvement. A method for collection of information is proposed of the individual production of medical assistants from Servicio de Radiologia of Hospital Mexico. Waiting times for patients in the ultrasound are measured in the Radiology Service, as indicator of patient experience and level of service. The satisfaction of treating physicians and their perception about the level quality of the service provided are identified with respect to the reports generated by the Departamento de Radiologia of Hospital Mexico. A peer review system is established to measure the clinical performance of the studies. A structured radiological report template is proposed for radiological practice in the Hospital Mexico, to facilitate its reading and guarantee a minimum standard of quality in information [es

Bundle Pricing Decisions for Fresh Products with Quality Deterioration

OpenAIRE

Fang, Yan; Jiang, Yiping; Han, Xingxing

2018-01-01

How to sell fresh products quickly to decrease the storage cost and to meet customer quality requirement is of vital importance in the food supply chain. Bundling fresh products is an efficient strategy to promote sales and reduce storage pressure of retailers. In this paper, we consider the bundle pricing decisions for homogeneous fresh products with quality deterioration. The value of fresh products with quality deterioration is approximated as an exponential function based on which custome...

Key Performance Indicators in the Evaluation of the Quality of Radiation Safety Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Cheryl Culver; Shaffer, Sheila; Fink-Bennett, Darlene; Winokur, Kay

2016-08-01

Beaumont is a multiple hospital health care system with a centralized radiation safety department. The health system operates under a broad scope Nuclear Regulatory Commission license but also maintains several other limited use NRC licenses in off-site facilities and clinics. The hospital-based program is expansive including diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine (molecular imaging), interventional radiology, a comprehensive cardiovascular program, multiple forms of radiation therapy (low dose rate brachytherapy, high dose rate brachytherapy, external beam radiotherapy, and gamma knife), and the Research Institute (including basic bench top, human and animal). Each year, in the annual report, data is analyzed and then tracked and trended. While any summary report will, by nature, include items such as the number of pieces of equipment, inspections performed, staff monitored and educated and other similar parameters, not all include an objective review of the quality and effectiveness of the program. Through objective numerical data Beaumont adopted seven key performance indicators. The assertion made is that key performance indicators can be used to establish benchmarks for evaluation and comparison of the effectiveness and quality of radiation safety programs. Based on over a decade of data collection, and adoption of key performance indicators, this paper demonstrates one way to establish objective benchmarking for radiation safety programs in the health care environment.

Key Performance Indicators of Public Universities Based on Quality Assessment Criteria in Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Sukboonyasatit, Kritsana; Thanapaisarn, Chaiwit; Manmar, Lampang

2011-01-01

The research objective was to develop public universities' key performance indicators. Qualitative research and interviews were employed with each public university's senior executive and quality assessors. The sample group was selected by the office of the public sector development commission and Thailand's public universities can be separated…

Competition and product quality in the supermarket industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsa, David A

2011-01-01

This article analyzes the effect of competition on a supermarket firm's incentive to provide product quality. In the supermarket industry, product availability is an important measure of quality. Using U.S. Consumer Price Index microdata to track inventory shortfalls, I find that stores facing more intense competition have fewer shortfalls. Competition from Walmart—the most significant shock to industry market structure in half a century—decreased shortfalls among large chains by about a third. The risk that customers will switch stores appears to provide competitors with a strong incentive to invest in product quality.

Intelligent Systems Approaches to Product Sound Quality Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Pietila, Glenn M.

As a product market becomes more competitive, consumers become more discriminating in the way in which they differentiate between engineered products. The consumer often makes a purchasing decision based on the sound emitted from the product during operation by using the sound to judge quality or annoyance. Therefore, in recent years, many sound quality analysis tools have been developed to evaluate the consumer preference as it relates to a product sound and to quantify this preference based on objective measurements. This understanding can be used to direct a product design process in order to help differentiate the product from competitive products or to establish an impression on consumers regarding a product's quality or robustness. The sound quality process is typically a statistical tool that is used to model subjective preference, or merit score, based on objective measurements, or metrics. In this way, new product developments can be evaluated in an objective manner without the laborious process of gathering a sample population of consumers for subjective studies each time. The most common model used today is the Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), although recently non-linear Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approaches are gaining popularity. This dissertation will review publicly available published literature and present additional intelligent systems approaches that can be used to improve on the current sound quality process. The focus of this work is to address shortcomings in the current paired comparison approach to sound quality analysis. This research will propose a framework for an adaptive jury analysis approach as an alternative to the current Bradley-Terry model. The adaptive jury framework uses statistical hypothesis testing to focus on sound pairings that are most interesting and is expected to address some of the restrictions required by the Bradley-Terry model. It will also provide a more amicable framework for an intelligent systems approach

A Model to Improve the Quality Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan GOKKAYA

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The topic of this paper is to present a solution who can improve product qualityfollowing the idea: “Unlike people who have verbal skills, machines use "sign language"to communicate what hurts or what has invaded their system’. Recognizing the "signs"or symptoms that the machine conveys is a required skill for those who work withmachines and are responsible for their care and feeding. The acoustic behavior of technical products is predominantly defined in the design stage, although the acoustic characteristics of machine structures can be analyze and give a solution for the actual products and create a new generation of products. The paper describes the steps intechnological process for a product and the solution who will reduce the costs with the non-quality of product and improve the management quality.

An Overview of Key Indicators and Evaluation Tools for Assessing Housing Quality: A Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Rajan Chandra; Sarkar, Satyaki; Mandal, Nikhil Ranjan

2017-09-01

The issue of the housing quality has been addressed for various stakeholders at different levels. There exist varied opinion about its measurability and possible applications. Thus the study is carried out to have an insight into the concept of housing quality and its relevance in the changing demographics, technological, socio-economic and socio-cultural conditions. This study attempts to summarize the literature that addresses past research concerned with factors related to housing quality, its measurement methodology and critically examines the broad key indicators identified to have impact upon enhancing the housing quality. This work discusses the recent techniques which are extensively used for analysis of housing quality.

Furthering the quality agenda in Aboriginal community controlled health services: understanding the relationship between accreditation, continuous quality improvement and national key performance indicator reporting.

Science.gov (United States)

Sibthorpe, Beverly; Gardner, Karen; McAullay, Daniel

2016-01-01

A rapidly expanding interest in quality in the Aboriginal-community-controlled health sector has led to widespread uptake of accreditation using more than one set of standards, a proliferation of continuous quality improvement programs and the introduction of key performance indicators. As yet, there has been no overarching logic that shows how they relate to each other, with consequent confusion within and outside the sector. We map the three approaches to the Framework for Performance Assessment in Primary Health Care, demonstrating their key differences and complementarity. There needs to be greater attention in both policy and practice to the purposes and alignment of the three approaches if they are to embed a system-wide focus that supports quality improvement at the service level.

REVIEW ON THE EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ephrem Gidey

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Quality and productivity concepts were confusing and sometimes used interchangeably by experts both in industry and academics. Though researches, to some extent, tried to show the developments of quality and productivity, as yet, no research was devoted to study their evolution in a way to know how they reached into their existing form and their relationship, whether it existed. This study intends to disclose the reason behind the confusion and concept - intermix by studying the main advancements in the evolution of the two concepts. Their evolution is chronologically determined by grouping basic advancements in to distinct timeframes and their corresponding relationship is identified using natural selection and biased mutation approaches of evolution. The paper revealed that in the first period there was Seemingly Productivity; in the second Primarily Productivity; in the third Primarily Quality; in the fourth Primarily Quality-based Productivity (i.e. one after the other norm; and in the fifth period both quality and productivity will be equally primarily focus of firms (Primarily Quality and Productivity. Through logical justifications, observations made in the existing literature, and based on the nature of future competitiveness orientation, future relationship between the two concepts needs intelligence in that they will be equally, seemingly with trade-off, and concurrently important for organizational growth, agility, and excellence; one will never exist without the other, and after the other.

Pharmaceutical quality by design: product and process development, understanding, and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Lawrence X

2008-04-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pharmaceutical Quality by Design (QbD) and describe how it can be used to ensure pharmaceutical quality. The QbD was described and some of its elements identified. Process parameters and quality attributes were identified for each unit operation during manufacture of solid oral dosage forms. The use of QbD was contrasted with the evaluation of product quality by testing alone. The QbD is a systemic approach to pharmaceutical development. It means designing and developing formulations and manufacturing processes to ensure predefined product quality. Some of the QbD elements include: Defining target product quality profile; Designing product and manufacturing processes; Identifying critical quality attributes, process parameters, and sources of variability; Controlling manufacturing processes to produce consistent quality over time. Using QbD, pharmaceutical quality is assured by understanding and controlling formulation and manufacturing variables. Product testing confirms the product quality. Implementation of QbD will enable transformation of the chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) review of abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) into a science-based pharmaceutical quality assessment.

Quality of Original and Biosimilar Epoetin Products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brinks, V.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/31395979X; Hawe, A.; Basmeleh, A.H.H.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/337907331; Joachin-Rodriguez, L.; Haselberg, R.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304822647; Somsen, G.W.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/117149357; Jiskoot, W.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/084557397; Schellekens, H.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/068406762

2011-01-01

Purpose: To compare the quality of therapeutic erythropoietin (EPO) products, including two biosimilars, with respect to content, aggregation, isoform profile and potency. Methods: Two original products, Eprex (epoetin alfa) and Dynepo (epoetin delta), and two biosimilar products, Binocrit (epoetin

On-site Labour Productivity of New Zealand Construction Industry: Key Constraints and Improvement Measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serdar Durdyev

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Productivity is key to the survival and growth of any organisation, industry or nation. Some factors constrain the achievement of the set project objectives in the New Zealand building and construction industry and are responsible for the reported steady decline of productivity and performance. This study aims to identify the key constraints to on-site labour productivity and improvement measures. Using the descriptive survey method, views of some project managers, contractors and subcontractors in New Zealand were canvassed via pilot interviews and questionnaire surveys at the qualitative and quantity data gathering stages, respectively. Multi-attribute technique was used to analyse the quantitative data. Results showed that the key external constraints to on-site labour productivity comprise, in order of decreasing impact, statutory compliance, unforeseen events and wider external dynamics. The internal constraints, which contribute 67 percent of the onsite productivity issues, comprise reworks, level of skill and experience of the workforce, adequacy of method of construction, buildability issues, and inadequate supervision and coordination. . The factors underlying each broad category of external and internal constraints are reported. The relative levels of impact of the identified constraints are expected to guide the project team in addressing the constraints in a cost-effective manner.

Examining the Key Factors Affecting e-Service Quality of Small Online Apparel Businesses in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Che Nawi Noorshella; Al Mamun Abdullah; Ahmad Raston Nursalihah

2015-01-01

e-Service quality (eSQ) is increasingly recognized as an important aspect, as well as the key to determining the competitive advantage and factor in the long-term retention of firms operating online. This study, therefore, is aimed at identifying the key determinants of eSQ among the small online apparel businesses in Malaysia. This study used a cross-sectional design, and data were collected from 765 customers who pur...

Ensuring and Improving Information Quality for Earth Science Data and Products: Role of the ESIP Information Quality Cluster

Science.gov (United States)

Ramapriyan, Hampapuram; Peng, Ge; Moroni, David; Shie, Chung-Lin

2016-01-01

Quality of products is always of concern to users regardless of the type of products. The focus of this paper is on the quality of Earth science data products. There are four different aspects of quality - scientific, product, stewardship and service. All these aspects taken together constitute Information Quality. With increasing requirement on ensuring and improving information quality, there has been considerable work related to information quality during the last several years. Given this rich background of prior work, the Information Quality Cluster (IQC), established within the Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) has been active with membership from multiple organizations. Its objectives and activities, aimed at ensuring and improving information quality for Earth science data and products, are discussed briefly.

Ensuring and Improving Information Quality for Earth Science Data and Products Role of the ESIP Information Quality Cluster

Science.gov (United States)

Ramapriyan, H. K. (Rama); Peng, Ge; Moroni, David; Shie, Chung-Lin

2016-01-01

Quality of products is always of concern to users regardless of the type of products. The focus of this paper is on the quality of Earth science data products. There are four different aspects of quality scientific, product, stewardship and service. All these aspects taken together constitute Information Quality. With increasing requirement on ensuring and improving information quality, there has been considerable work related to information quality during the last several years. Given this rich background of prior work, the Information Quality Cluster (IQC), established within the Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) has been active with membership from multiple organizations. Its objectives and activities, aimed at ensuring and improving information quality for Earth science data and products, are discussed briefly.

Production control system specified quality sausage products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Tokarev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The problem of management of production target in technological system of production of sausages of the set quality is considered in article. Decomposition of technological system is considered. Functions of management are allocated: formation of an optimum compounding of forcemeat, expert analysis of a compounding, laboratory analysis of a compounding and its statement. Information technology of interaction of these functions is offered. The mathematical problem definition of finding of an optimum compounding meat product with use of possible substitutes of ingredients is presented. This mathematical problem is a classical linear programming problem whose solution has the standard program. Since the manufacture of the finished product are various nonlinear effects are taken into account at the present time it is practically impossible, the methodology provided in this operation "Expert analysis of the formulation" and "Laboratory analysis of the finished product." An example of calculating the optimum alternative base recipe "Sausages “Viennese with cheese”" TS 9213-010-40155161-2002. For an alternative formulation demands were made at a cost of meat, the ingredient composition, as well as the final product organoleptic and physic-chemical indicators should comply with regulatory requirements "Sausages “Viennese with cheese”" TS 9213-010-40155161-2002. Indicator acid activity (pH calculated stuffing formulation should be in the range 6.0-6.3. As a partial replacement for the main raw material have been proposed acceptable substitutes. It was necessary to calculate on the basis of the formulation "Sausages “Viennese with cheese”" TS 9213-010-40155161-2002 optimal price and quality alternative formulation. As a result of depreciation of the value of alternative stuffing recipe was 14,5 % when all of the restrictions on the consumer properties. The proposed information technology implemented in the software package "Multi

Quality determinants of fruit and vegetables productions

OpenAIRE

Bruno Mezzetti; Cherubino Leonardi

2009-01-01

Nowadays, the main goal for modern horticultural production is the increase of quality. Furthermore, in consideration of the new consumer demand, always more attracted by a diet based on a larger consumption of fruit and vegetables without risks of pesticides residues and with increased nutritional value, new important features in addition to the traditional quality attributes are now requested. For a program of qualification and valorisation of modern horticultural productions, it is fundame...

Quality control and quality standards for the production of bone allografts in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Shiquan; Li Youchen

1999-01-01

There is a rapid progress of tissue banking especially Bone Banking in China, In order to strengthen the control on medical devices, Ministry of Public Health (MPH) issued the 'Regulation on Supervision of Critical Medical Devices, MPH Decree No. 54' in 1997. The SPTB was requested to submit new application for the approval of production and providing of tissue allografts. The needed documents are clinical reports, package insert, quality standards of product, Quality System Regulation (QSR) and audit report. Quality System Regulation document adopted the GMP standard for medical devices of FDA, US (21 CFR 620-1997). SPTB will amend the existed Quality Manual to suit the requirement of QSR. Referring to the AATB Standards, SPTB established 'Technical Standards' for Tissue Banking and was approved by the local government, which will be the supplement of the submitted QSR document. Considering the need of market control, MPH requested to submit a 'Quality Standard of Product' and the method of inspection. SPTB has completed such standards for final inspection of bone products, which includes the test for residual water, microbiology, bone species, colour and structure. In addition, the Tissue Bank has completed standards for in process inspection, which includes residual blood, radiation sterilization, initial bioburden, package leakage and biomechanics. In-process inspection is important for the control of non-conforming final products to assure the safety and efficacy of bone grafts. Methods of in process inspection and final inspection are described and discussed in this paper

Product Configuration Systems and Consequences for Productivity and Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Jørgen Lindgaard; Edwards, Kasper

2004-01-01

with informations about expected and realised costs and benefits in implemented PCS's we have the following results: the three highest aggregated scoring expected benefits are: 1)improved quality in specifications, 2)lower turnaround time, and 3)using less resources.The results achieved are in accordance......Product Configuration Systems (PCS) are systems to produce quotations to potential buyers of the products an enterprise produces. Typically the products are complex and will first be produced according to specific needs from the customers. From twelve case studies in Danish industry...

Water quality assessment of bioenergy production

Science.gov (United States)

Rocio Diaz-Chavez; Goran Berndes; Dan Neary; Andre Elia Neto; Mamadou Fall

2011-01-01

Water quality is a measurement of the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of water against certain standards set to ensure ecological and/or human health. Biomass production and conversion to fuels and electricity can impact water quality in lakes, rivers, and aquifers with consequences for aquatic ecosystem health and also human water uses. Depending on...

Ecological quality of production: accounting approach on sustainable development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.P. Syroid

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The specific weight of resource and power consuming technologies that is typical for Ukrainian economy, the absence of effective legal, administrative and economic mechanisms of management of nature and the low level of ecological society consciousness have led to the significant deterioration of environment state in Ukraine, excessive pollution of waters, air, and soil, accumulation of a large number of waste products. Besides, the produce as a result of such enterprises’ production affects consumers’ health badly. This causes the need to develop theory and methodology of production ecological quality accounting. The problem of quality is the most important factor of increasing of life level, economic, social and ecological security in market economy. This, the current research aims to formulate the essence of concept “ecological quality of production” The research determines that ecological quality is characterized by the following main 6 aspects: social, technical, legal, economic, aesthetic and ecological. If one of these six aspects does not work, we cannot speak about ecological quality of a certain commodity. Many various factors influence upon the level of ecological quality of products and services. According to their contents and directions, they can be united into the following main 6 groups: technical, organizational, economic and social, ecological and aesthetic and legal. The article determines the directions of production ecological quality increasing.

Implementation of quality assurance with respect to product quality and scheduling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schleimer, W.F.

1986-04-01

Quality assurance means the whole range of actions which are necessary to meet the client's requirements for the product and the test methods. Audits: The preconditions for fabrication must be fulfilled by approval of the manufacturer's quality assurance system, the staff's qualification, his procedures and his equipments. This is done by means of a system audit at KWU or an equivalent organisation. Specifications: For quality assurance the requirements for the components are fixed in specifications. There are material specifications, process/procedure specifications, components specifications. Approval of Component Design and Manufacture (Scheduling): The approval procedure of a structurally welded part is described as an example of the approval of component design and manufacture, thus representing one small piece of a mechanical equipment. In-Process Surveillance (Product Audit): At KWU the in-process surveillance is regulated by a KQ- or product audit concept. In this concept we have K- and KQ-steps. The list of KQ-steps will be presented. Documentation: All test or examination steps are documented with certificates, lists, and stamps for the final documentation. 19 figs

Quality characteristics of selected dairy products in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilija Djekic

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to assess and compare the compliance of the chosen quality characteristics of commercially available dairy products with the requirements of the current Serbian legislation. A total of 706 samples of liquid milks (pasteurized and UHT-treated, fermented milks (liquid and solid yoghurt and milk powders (skimmed and whole milk powder were collected from the market and analysed for milk fat content, pH value, water content and protein content, depending on the type of product. The obtained results were interpreted in relation to the dairy plants capacities in which the analysed dairy products were produced. Except the fermented milk samples with a declared milk fat content of 3.2 %, all other analysed compositional and quality parameters of the selected dairy products were in compliance with the current legislation. It was observed that dairy plants of smaller capacity had a higher variation of quality characteristics of dairy products.

A Hierarchical structure of key performance indicators for operation management and continuous improvement in production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Ningxuan; Zhao, Cong; Li, Jingshan; Horst, John A

2016-01-01

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical for manufacturing operation management and continuous improvement (CI). In modern manufacturing systems, KPIs are defined as a set of metrics to reflect operation performance, such as efficiency, throughput, availability, from productivity, quality and maintenance perspectives. Through continuous monitoring and measurement of KPIs, meaningful quantification and identification of different aspects of operation activities can be obtained, which enable and direct CI efforts. A set of 34 KPIs has been introduced in ISO 22400. However, the KPIs in a manufacturing system are not independent, and they may have intrinsic mutual relationships. The goal of this paper is to introduce a multi-level structure for identification and analysis of KPIs and their intrinsic relationships in production systems. Specifically, through such a hierarchical structure, we define and layer KPIs into levels of basic KPIs, comprehensive KPIs and their supporting metrics, and use it to investigate the relationships and dependencies between KPIs. Such a study can provide a useful tool for manufacturing engineers and managers to measure and utilize KPIs for CI.

Process performance and product quality in an integrated continuous antibody production process.

Science.gov (United States)

Karst, Daniel J; Steinebach, Fabian; Soos, Miroslav; Morbidelli, Massimo

2017-02-01

Continuous manufacturing is currently being seriously considered in the biopharmaceutical industry as the possible new paradigm for producing therapeutic proteins, due to production cost and product quality related benefits. In this study, a monoclonal antibody producing CHO cell line was cultured in perfusion mode and connected to a continuous affinity capture step. The reliable and stable integration of the two systems was enabled by suitable control loops, regulating the continuous volumetric flow and adapting the operating conditions of the capture process. For the latter, an at-line HPLC measurement of the harvest concentration subsequent to the bioreactor was combined with a mechanistic model of the capture chromatographic unit. Thereby, optimal buffer consumption and productivity throughout the process was realized while always maintaining a yield above the target value of 99%. Stable operation was achieved at three consecutive viable cell density set points (20, 60, and 40 × 10 6 cells/mL), together with consistent product quality in terms of aggregates, fragments, charge isoforms, and N-linked glycosylation. In addition, different values for these product quality attributes such as N-linked glycosylation, charge variants, and aggregate content were measured at the different steady states. As expected, the amount of released DNA and HCP was significantly reduced by the capture step for all considered upstream operating conditions. This study is exemplary for the potential of enhancing product quality control and modulation by integrated continuous manufacturing. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 298-307. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fish product quality evaluation based on temperature monitoring in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

As one kind of perishable food, fish product is at risk of suffering various damages during cold chain and temperature is the most important factor to affect the product quality. This research work on frozen tilapia fillet was aimed at evaluating the fish product quality and predict shelf-life through monitoring temperature change ...

Productivity quality improvement at UNC Geotech

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, W.A.

1987-01-01

The program to improve productivity is presented in a series of view graphs. Key elements of the program are: CEO leadership and commitment; measurable improvements; specific annual goals; system for sharing benefits of improvements; practical training for employees; and intent to institutionalize

A deterministic aggregate production planning model considering quality of products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madadi, Najmeh; Wong, Kuan Yew

2013-01-01

Aggregate Production Planning (APP) is a medium-term planning which is concerned with the lowest-cost method of production planning to meet customers' requirements and to satisfy fluctuating demand over a planning time horizon. APP problem has been studied widely since it was introduced and formulated in 1950s. However, in several conducted studies in the APP area, most of the researchers have concentrated on some common objectives such as minimization of cost, fluctuation in the number of workers, and inventory level. Specifically, maintaining quality at the desirable level as an objective while minimizing cost has not been considered in previous studies. In this study, an attempt has been made to develop a multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model that serves those companies aiming to incur the minimum level of operational cost while maintaining quality at an acceptable level. In order to obtain the solution to the multi-objective model, the Fuzzy Goal Programming approach and max-min operator of Bellman-Zadeh were applied to the model. At the final step, IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio software was used to obtain the experimental results based on the data collected from an automotive parts manufacturing company. The results show that incorporating quality in the model imposes some costs, however a trade-off should be done between the cost resulting from producing products with higher quality and the cost that the firm may incur due to customer dissatisfaction and sale losses.

The Design Co-ordination Framework: key elements for effective product development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Mogens Myrup; Bowen, J.; Storm, T.

1997-01-01

This paper proposes a Design Co-ordination Framework (DCF) i.e. a concept for an ideal DC system with the abilities to support co-ordination of various complex aspects of product development. A set of frames, modelling key elements of co-ordination, which reflect the states of design, plans, orga...

Product quality optimization in an integrated biorefinery: Conversion of pistachio nutshell biomass to biofuels and activated biochars via pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Işıtan, Seçil; Ceylan, Selim; Topcu, Yıldıray; Hintz, Chloe; Tefft, Juliann; Chellappa, Thiago; Guo, Jicheng; Goldfarb, Jillian L.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Pyrolysis temperature key variable in manipulating biofuel quality. • Pyrolysis temperature does not impact activated biochar surface area. • Activation temperature key variable to optimize surface area of pistachio biochar. • Statistical model accurately predicts surface area of biochar, especially above 600 m"2/g. - Abstract: An economically viable transition to a renewable, sustainable energy future hinges on the ability to simultaneously produce multiple high value products from biomass precursors. Though there is considerable literature on the thermochemical conversion of biomass to biofuels and biochars, there are few holistic examinations that seek to understand trade-offs between biofuel quality and the associated pyrolysis conditions on activated carbons made from the resulting biochars. Using an Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis, this study probes the impact of pyrolysis and activation temperature on surface areas and pore volumes for 28 carbon dioxide-activated carbons. Activation temperature has the largest single impact of any other variable; increasing the temperature from 800 to 900 °C leads to an increase in surface area of more than 300 m"2/g. Contrary to some prior results, pyrolysis temperature has minimal effect on the resulting surface area and pore volume, suggesting that optimizing the temperature at which biofuels are extracted will have little impact on carbon dioxide-activated carbons. Increasing pyrolysis temperature increases methane formation but decreases gaseous hydrocarbons. Bio-oil obtained at lower pyrolysis temperatures shows fewer oxygenated compounds, indicating a greater stability, but higher pyrolysis temperatures maximize production of key biorefinery intermediaries such as furans. By analyzing data in such a holistic manner, it may be possible to optimize the production of biofuels and activated carbons from biomass by minimizing the amount of raw materials and energy necessary to maximize

Product quality considerations for mammalian cell culture process development and manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Gramer, Michael J

2014-01-01

The manufacturing of a biologic drug from mammalian cells results in not a single substance, but an array of product isoforms, also known as variants. These isoforms arise due to intracellular or extracellular events as a result of biological or chemical modification. The most common examples related to biomanufacturing include amino acid modifications (glycosylation, isomerization, oxidation, adduct formation, pyroglutamate formation, phosphorylation, sulfation, amidation), amino acid sequence variants (genetic mutations, amino acid misincorporation, N- and C-terminal heterogeneity, clipping), and higher-order structure modifications (misfolding, aggregation, disulfide pairing). Process-related impurities (HCP, DNA, media components, viral particles) are also important quality attributes related to product safety. The observed ranges associated with each quality attribute define the product quality profile. A biologic drug must have a correct and consistent quality profile throughout clinical development and scale-up to commercial production to ensure product safety and efficacy. In general, the upstream process (cell culture) defines the quality of product-related substances, whereas the downstream process (purification) defines the residual level of process- and product-related impurities. The purpose of this chapter is to review the impact of the cell culture process on product quality. Emphasis is placed on studies with industrial significance and where the direct mechanism of product quality impact was determined. Where possible, recommendations for maintaining consistent or improved quality are provided.

Theoretical Application of Supervision over Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xin; CHENG; Ying; ZHANG

2013-01-01

Supervision over quality and safety of agricultural products has received high attention of management department.Competent authorities have formulated and issued many measures to strengthen supervision over quality and safety of agricultural products and improve China’s agricultural product quality and safety level.From the perspective of management science,this paper elaborates basic contents of two basic management theories,Broken Windows Effect and Effect of Heat Furnace.Then,it analyzes influence of Broken Windows Effect and Effect of Heat Furnace on supervision over quality and safety of agricultural products.Finally,it comes up with recommendations for supervision over quality and safety of agricultural products.

SOIL ECOLOGY AS KEY TO SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION.

Science.gov (United States)

De Deyn, G B

2015-01-01

Sustainable production of food, feed and fiberwarrants sustainable soil management and crop protection. The tools available to achieve this are both in the realm of the plants and of the soil, with a key role for plant-soil interactions. At the plant level we have vast knowledge of variation within plant species with respect to pests and diseases, based on which we can breed for resistance. However, given that systems evolve this resistance is bound to be temporarily, hence also other strategies are needed. Here I plea for an integrative approach for sustainable production using ecological principles. Ecology, the study of how organisms interact with their environment, teaches us that diversity promotes productivity and yield stability. These effects are thought to be governed through resource use complementarity and reduced build-up of pests and diseases both above- and belowground. In recent years especially the role of soil biotic interactions has revealed new insights in how plant diversity and productivity are related to soil biodiversity and the functions soil biota govern. In our grassland biodiversity studies we found that root feeders can promote plant diversity and succession without reducing plant community productivity, this illustrates the role of diversity to maintain productivity. Also diversity within species offers scope for sustainable production, for example through awareness of differences between plant genotypes in chemical defense compounds that can attract natural enemies of pests aboveground- and belowground thereby providing plant protection. Plant breeding can also benefit from using complementarity between plant species in the selection for new varieties, as our work demonstrated that when growing in species mixtures plant species adapt to each other over time such that their resource acquisition traits become more complementing. Finally, in a recent meta-analysis we show that earthworms can stimulate crop yield with on average 25%, but

GMP production of [18F]FDOPA and issues concerning its quality analyses as in USP 'Fluorodopa F 18 Injection'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, C.K.; Hsu Wenlin; Xie Hengli; Lin Mingchi; Lan Wenchun; Chao Haoyu

2011-01-01

Lately, 6-[ 18 F]fluoro-L-DOPA (FDOPA) has found increase in its clinical demand for whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) scans, and two key issues in fulfilling this demand are the difficulties in producing FDOPA under the recently imposed PET drug good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations and in providing it in the quality meeting the terms of major compendia. This paper describes the approaches for the GMP production of FDOPA and for the product testing to meet the standard of United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 'Fluorodopa F 18 Injection.' FDOPA was produced by the carrier-added electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction in the facility complying Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme clean room standard. The special aseptic handling technique was applied to minimize the bioburden. The product quality control followed all testing items and procedures, including three different settings of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The process yielded FDOPA average 2.60±0.26 GBq (N=22) in every batch. All qualities of the product were within the specifications described in the USP 'Fluorodopa F 18 Injection.' The entire production was audited by the government authority and certified to comply with the latest PET drug GMP regulation. Our efforts in producing FDOPA following all aspects of GMP requirements have resulted in a product with the USP quality and certified as GMP complied. The routine production yields enough doses for three to four whole-body scans in each batch. The issues discussed in the report provide good reference for producers planning in routine production for PET drugs that are not commonly produced or with complicated compendial quality control tests. (author)

Quality Management in the New Product Development: a PPAP Approach

OpenAIRE

Johanna Hermans; Yang Liu

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to test Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) as a tool to build quality into the new product and processes and ensure that it meets the customer expectations. Research method is qualitative method using so called case-study to study the suitability of PPAP as a tool for quality management by building quality right into the new product and process. The case studies have been made with three different kinds of companies. PPAP is suitable tool for quality manageme...

Carrageenan drying with dehumidified air: drying characteristics and product quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Djaeni, M.; Sasongko, S.B.; Prasetyaningrum, Aji A A.A.; Jin, X.; Boxtel, van A.J.B.

2012-01-01

Applying dehumidified air is considered as an option to retain quality in carrageenan drying. This work concerns the effects of operational temperature, air velocity, and carrageenan thickness on the progress of drying and product quality when using dehumidified air. Final product quality and

Social Responsibility as a Key Performance Indicator for the Quality of Educational Processes

OpenAIRE

Gueorguiev, Tzvetelin

2015-01-01

Quality of education is a key issue in providing a sustainable future. University rankings have remarkable reputation among various stakeholders but they lack personality. This paper raises questions and proposes alternatives for possible solution for the problem. The change for the better is seen as implementing and in the same time adapting international standards to different regional, national and cultural settings

Environmental impact of petroleum products in the soil. Part II: Petroleum products composition and key properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zerlia, T.

2001-01-01

The fate of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil depends on the chemical-physic properties of each hydrocarbon, as well as on the soil characteristics. The mean composition of various petroleum products, the key chemical compounds and their characteristics are focused in order to outline the environmental behaviour of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil [it

Development of quality assurance procedures for production of sealed radiation source

CERN Document Server

Nam, J H; Cho, W K; Han, H S; Hong, S B; Kim, K H; Kim, S D; Lee, Y G; Lim, N J

2001-01-01

The quality assurance procedures for sealed radiation sources production using HANARO and RIPF have been developed. The detailed quality assurance procedures are essential to manage the whole work process effectively and ensure the quality of the produced sealed sources. Through applying this quality assurance procedures to the entire production works of the sealed radiation sources, it is expected that the quality of the products, the safety of the works and the satisfaction of the customers will be increased.

Quality and Safety Aspects of Cereals (Wheat) and Their Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Varzakas, Theo

2016-11-17

Cereals and, most specifically, wheat are described in this chapter highlighting on their safety and quality aspects. Moreover, wheat quality aspects are adequately addressed since they are used to characterize dough properties and baking quality. Determination of dough properties is also mentioned and pasta quality is also described in this chapter. Chemometrics-multivariate analysis is one of the analyses carried out. Regarding production weighing/mixing of flours, kneading, extruded wheat flours, and sodium chloride are important processing steps/raw materials used in the manufacturing of pastry products. Staling of cereal-based products is also taken into account. Finally, safety aspects of cereal-based products are well documented with special emphasis on mycotoxins, acrylamide, and near infrared methodology.

Microbiological Quality Control of Probiotic Products

OpenAIRE

Astashkina, A.P.; Khudyakova, L.I.; Kolbysheva, Y.V.

2014-01-01

Microbiological quality control of probiotic products such as Imunele, Dannon, Pomogayka showed that they contain living cultures of the Lactobacillus Bifidobacterium genus in the amount of 107 CFU/ml, which corresponds to the number indicated on the label of products. It is identified that the survival rate of test-strains cultured with pasteurized products does not exceed 10%. The cell concentration of target-microorganisms was reduced by 20-45% after the interaction with living probiotic b...

Assessing impacts of organic production on pork and beef quality

OpenAIRE

Sundrum, Albert

2010-01-01

Organic livestock farming is based on a low input production method, aiming to provide products of a high product and process quality rather than maximizing production. The production of a high meat quality corresponds to the expectations of consumers who are both seeking a premium product and who are willing to pay premium prices. This review focuses on the question of whether organic pork and beef production currently meet consumer demands, and it elaborates the potentials and limitations f...

A Systematic Approach to Quality Oriented Product Sequencing for Multistage Manufacturing Systems

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Faping; Butt, Shahid Ikramullah

2016-01-01

Product sequencing is one way to reduce cost and improve product quality for multistage manufacturing systems (MMS). However, systematically evaluating the influence of product sequence on quality performance for MMS is still a challenge. By considering the rate of incoming conforming product, manufacturing system quality transition between batch to batch, and quality propagation along stages, this paper investigates the appropriate batch policies and product sequencing for MMS so that satisf...

Argo workstation: a key component of operational oceanography

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Mingmei; Xu, Shanshan; Miao, Qingsheng; Yue, Xinyang; Lu, Jiawei; Yang, Yang

2018-02-01

Operational oceanography requires the quantity, quality, and availability of data set and the timeliness and effectiveness of data products. Without steady and strong operational system supporting, operational oceanography will never be proceeded far. In this paper we describe an integrated platform named Argo Workstation. It operates as a data processing and management system, capable of data collection, automatic data quality control, visualized data check, statistical data search and data service. After it is set up, Argo workstation provides global high quality Argo data to users every day timely and effectively. It has not only played a key role in operational oceanography but also set up an example for operational system.

Projecting biodiversity and wood production in future forest landscapes: 15 key modeling considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Felton, Adam; Ranius, Thomas; Roberge, Jean-Michel; Öhman, Karin; Lämås, Tomas; Hynynen, Jari; Juutinen, Artti; Mönkkönen, Mikko; Nilsson, Urban; Lundmark, Tomas; Nordin, Annika

2017-07-15

A variety of modeling approaches can be used to project the future development of forest systems, and help to assess the implications of different management alternatives for biodiversity and ecosystem services. This diversity of approaches does however present both an opportunity and an obstacle for those trying to decide which modeling technique to apply, and interpreting the management implications of model output. Furthermore, the breadth of issues relevant to addressing key questions related to forest ecology, conservation biology, silviculture, economics, requires insights stemming from a number of distinct scientific disciplines. As forest planners, conservation ecologists, ecological economists and silviculturalists, experienced with modeling trade-offs and synergies between biodiversity and wood biomass production, we identified fifteen key considerations relevant to assessing the pros and cons of alternative modeling approaches. Specifically we identified key considerations linked to study question formulation, modeling forest dynamics, forest processes, study landscapes, spatial and temporal aspects, and the key response metrics - biodiversity and wood biomass production, as well as dealing with trade-offs and uncertainties. We also provide illustrative examples from the modeling literature stemming from the key considerations assessed. We use our findings to reiterate the need for explicitly addressing and conveying the limitations and uncertainties of any modeling approach taken, and the need for interdisciplinary research efforts when addressing the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of environmental resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The key determinants of the quality of mentoring in teaching profession

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Polovina Nada

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The review paper discusses the phenomenon of the quality of mentoring in the context of professional development of teacher interns. Although mentoring is considered as a suitable framework for high quality professional development, not enough attention has been paid to the phenomenon/topic of “the quality of mentoring”. This has been confirmed by our initial analysis of the situation in this field based on collecting relevant literature published in the past twenty years. The analysis of the selected papers was organised around two research questions: (1 Why is the topic of the quality of mentoring underrepresented in relevant literature? and (2 What are the determinants of the quality of mentoring? Through the analysis of leading review and meta-analytic papers in the problem field of mentoring we singled out the following as possible reasons for a scarcity of studies on the quality of mentoring: the complexity of the concept of mentoring, the focus of the papers dealing with mentoring on the instrumental while neglecting the explanatory, the overemphasis of positive contributions of mentoring, the lack of agreement on the issue of the outcomes of mentoring. In the second part of the paper, by applying the structural analysis procedure to the selected texts, we formulated and elaborated the thesis about the three key determinants of the quality of mentoring: (1 the quality of informality of the mentoring process, (2 specific nature of the learning process, (3 harmonising the peculiarities of the paradigmatic framework of mentoring with the real capacities of the specific school environment. The concluding part of the paper points out to implications for practice regarding the preparatory work with mentors and initial development of mentoring programmes. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179034: Od podsticanja inicijative, saradnje, stvaralaštva u obrazovanju do novih uloga i identiteta u društvu i br. 47008: Unapre

Influence of Machine Exploitation Effectiveness on Furniture Production Quality Level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stasiak-Betlejewska Renata

2015-12-01

Full Text Available One of the most important factors determining the company‘s capacity to produce high quality products is the level of machinery operation effectiveness. Companies having modern machinery are characterized by high productivity. To obtain a high quality product, the equipment should be properly used, without any failure, which contributes significantly to the exploitation level increase. The modernity level and the exploitation effectiveness level for chosen machine producing furniture components in relation to the product quality level were analysed in the paper. As a result of the research findings analysis, proposals for corrective actions with regard to machinery maintenance and production processes were presented.

The influence of farmland pollution on the quality and safety of agricultural products

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Z. L.; Li, L. Y.; Ye, C.; Lin, X. Y.; B, C.; Wei

2018-02-01

The quality and safety of agricultural products is not only a major livelihood issues for people’s health, but also the main barriers to international trade of agricultural products nowadays. The soil is the foundation to the production of agricultural products and the guarantee of agricultural development. The farmland soil quality is directly related to the quality and safety of agricultural products. Our country’s soil has been polluted by a series of pollution, Such as the excessive discharge of industrial wastes, the encroachment of household waste, and the unreasonable use of pesticides and fertilizers. Soil degradation is a serious threat to the quality and safety of agricultural products, so eliminating soil degradation is the fundamental way out for quality and safety of agricultural products. By analyzing problems of the quality and safety of agricultural products in our country, and exploring the farmland soil influence on the quality and safety of agricultural products. This article provides a reference for improving the control level of quality and safety of agricultural products and the farmland soil quality.

Provide good air quality for people and improve their productivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fanger, Povl Ole

2000-01-01

Three recent independent studies have documented that the quality of indoor air has a significant and positive influence on the productivity of office workers. A combined analysis of the results of the three studies shows a significant relationship between productivity and perceived indoor air...... quality. The impact on productivity justifies a much higher indoor air quality than the minimum levels prescribed in present standards and guidelines. One way of providing air of high quality for people to breathe, without involving excessive ventilation rates and energy use, is to provide "personalized...... air" to each individual. The application of this concept is discussed....

Perceived and actual key success factors: A study of the yoghurt market in Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G.; Sørensen, Elin

on their markets. 3. When aggregated, 16 potential key success factors were derived: High product quality, attractive packaging, high quality of raw material, possession of advanced technology and know-how, competent management and competent staff, wide product range, extensive product development activities......, three direct determinants lead to high perceived value: attractive packaging, high product quality, and extensive marketing activities. High product quality is in turn determined by high raw material quality, possession of advanced technology and know-how, and competent management and indicating....../high degree of innovativeness, extensive marketing activities, (abundant) financial resources, s production, good logistics management, good product portfolio management, non-complex organisation, low retail prices, good relations with trade, extensive market knowledge. 4. According to managers' perceptions...

The Effects of Development Team Skill on Software Product Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Beaver, Justin M.; Schiavone, Guy A.

2006-01-01

This paper provides an analysis of the effect of the skill/experience of the software development team on the quality of the final software product. A method for the assessment of software development team skill and experience is proposed, and was derived from a workforce management tool currently in use by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Using data from 26 smallscale software development projects, the team skill measures are correlated to 5 software product quality metrics from the ISO/IEC 9126 Software Engineering Product Quality standard. in the analysis of the results, development team skill is found to be a significant factor in the adequacy of the design and implementation. In addition, the results imply that inexperienced software developers are tasked with responsibilities ill-suited to their skill level, and thus have a significant adverse effect on the quality of the software product. Keywords: software quality, development skill, software metrics

Key Factors of Quality in the Sector of Tourism Services Providers: Case Study: Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ida Vajčnerová

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper summarizes main results of partial research aimed at detection of the key factors affecting quality in the sector of tourism services providers, namely tour operators and travel agencies. A primary questionnaire survey was conducted; the researched factors were distributed in the context of service quality dimensions (Grönroos model; the dimensions were tested in relation to sex, age and education of the respondents (ANOVA; Brown-Forsythe test. Assurance was identified as the most important dimension. The output of the study is determining the significance of individual quality factors from the perspective of a potential customer when selecting a service provider.

PENGARUH SERVICE QUALITY, PRODUCT QUALITY DAN PERCEIVED VALUE TERHADAP KEPUASAN DAN LOYALITAS PELANGGAN INDUSTRI KAYU PERHUTANI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Winarni Saftarya Timedina Gultom

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to analyze the influences of service quality, product quality and perceived value on the satisfaction and loyalty of the customers of Perhutani wood industry, the level of customer satisfaction and loyalty and managerial implications. Four data analysis techniques were used including the structural equation modeling partial least squares (SEMPLS with 24 exogenous latent variable attributes and 6 endogenous latent variable attributes; CSI, CLI and IPA. SEMPLS results showed that the variables of service quality (T-statistic=2, 79*>T-table=1, 96 and product quality (T-statistic=6, 45*>T-table=1, 96 significantly influence the satisfaction of the customers of Perhutani wood industry. Perceived value variable (T-statistic=0, 65quality, product quality, and perceived value provided by Perhutani wood industry. The main priority of the performances to be improved based on IPA include the attributes of accuracy of product sizes: length, width, thickness, complaint handling, product delivery, service employees, comprehension of needs, officer awareness, information on the documents and prevailing prices, service time completion, purchase document accuracy, price certainty, allocation certainty, suitability prices with quality, and affordable product prices.Keywords: perhutani, wood industry, satisfaction, loyalty, SEMPLS

Internal cost control on the ecological quality of products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.P. Syroid

2018-04-01

Full Text Available To improve the environmental quality of products due attention should be paid to control the processes related to environmental quality input of the product. The results of the study help to state the purpose and objectives of the control, also to define objects for internal control of operations cost of environmental quality. So, we believe that the main purpose of internal cost control on the ecological quality of products is the establishment of the correctness and legality of business operations, prevention of violations and abuses in the expenditure of natural, labour, material and financial resources to ensure the minimization of negative impact on the health of consumers and the environment. The basic objectives of internal control of expenditure are brought forward, but it should be noted that they can vary and depend on the size, structure, spheres and types of economic activity of the enterprise, the requirements of management personnel. In the process of identifying the objects of control of environmental quality it should be noted that this list is not exhaustive, but it is most relevant to highlight objects such as genetically modified organisms and waste production. Also the subjects of cost control to environmental quality, their functions and the information base for monitoring are determined. Proper organization of the process of internal cost control on the ecological quality of products would benefit from a clear documentation of transactions, timely and complete registration of accounting data in the registers, the true reflection of information in managerial financial reporting and ensure reduction of the negative impact on the health of consumers and the environment.

New Product Pricing in Quality Sensitive Markets

OpenAIRE

Stephen A. Smith

1986-01-01

This paper considers the problem of pricing a new product in a market having competing products of different qualities and market penetration levels, as measured by the cumulative number of units sold. Each customer type selects his optimal product based on maximizing consumer surplus. Pricing policies for a new product are determined for the seller based on cumulative profit maximization without discounting. An example is solved in detail for two demand function forms.

Phosphate fertilization on production and quality of cauliflower seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Ismael Inácio Cardoso

2016-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Due to the scarcity of information related to the effect of fertilizers on production and quality of vegetable seeds, mainly on species which present an increase in the cycle, like cauliflower, more studies are necessary about the influence of nutrients rates which provide high production of high-quality seeds. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of rates of phosphorus (P on the production and quality of cauliflower seeds. Five rates of phosphorus were studied (0, 300, 600, 900 and 1200kg ha-1 of P2O5, in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Production and quality (weight of a thousand seeds, germination test, first count of germination test and emergence in substrate of the seeds and soil chemical characteristics were evaluated. The higher the rate of phosphorus, the higher P content in the soil and values of sum of bases, cation exchange capacity and saturation of bases were observed at the end of the cycle. Seed quality was not affected by P fertilization, with the exception of the weight of a thousand seeds which was adjusted to a linear model. For seed production quadratic effect was obtained. The highest weight of seeds per plant was estimated for the rate of 862kg ha-1 of P2O5.

Market Entry, Product Quality And Price Competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathur Sameer

2015-08-01

Full Text Available We study an entrant firm’s product quality choice and the price competition arising between the entrant and the incumbent firm. We show that the entrant firm should introduce a relatively higher (lower quality than the incumbent firm when the consumers’ valuation for quality is sufficiently large (small. We also study how the incumbent firm modifies its price in response to the ensuing price competition. We find that the incumbent firm should decrease its price. We also profile how the incumbent firm’s price non-linearly depends on consumers’ valuation for quality.

Improving the quality of pork and pork products (EU project)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Mette; Grunert, Klaus G.; Bonneau, M.

2008-01-01

demands. A large EU-project (Q-PorkChains) funded by EU 6th framework programme was initiated in January 2007. The aim of Q-PorkChains is to improve the quality of pork and its products for the consumer and to develop innovative, integrated and sustainable food production chains with low environmental....... The European Unions self-sufficiency and leading position in the global market for pork and pork products is challenged by a number of non-European countries. Therefore, there is a need for developing innovative, integrated, and sustainable food production chains of high quality pork products matching consumer...... impact. Q-PorkChains is composed of six research modules (consumer and citizen demands, pig production, product development, pork chain management, molecular quality control and knowledge synthesis) and two horizontal modules focusing on implementation of obtained knowledge in pilot and demonstration...

Increasing productivity based on quality management: Baked goods sector example

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herbert-Hansen, Zaza Nadja Lee; Jacobsen, Peter

2014-01-01

This paper investigates productivity and quality management challenges in the food industry, illustrated by a case study of an SME-sized company in the Danish baked goods sector. Companies in the food industry are faced with challenges related to short shelf-life and changing customer demands...... as well as intense cost pressures. Quality control is largely manual and often based on the bakers’ intuition. Problems with reusing dough, production stops and quality issues contribute towards waste. This paper addresses the research question “Is there a relation between the dough, production stops...... through improved quality management are detailed. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research....

SYNTHETIC ANALYSIS OF INDICATORS USED IN THE ANALYSIS OF PRODUCT QUALITY DIFFERENTIATED AND NON-DIFFERENTIATED ON QUALITY CLASSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ECOBICI MIHAELA LOREDANA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Product quality has been and will remain one of the most important indicators of increasing economic and financial performance of a company. Quality is that which ensures the greatest part of the competitiveness of a product or service, this being the result of some important aspects such as: products and services of quality to meet consumers requirements, low costs without affecting the quality level, the performance of contractual obligations, customer satisfaction and last but not least obtaining profit. Research and results concerning this issue will result in the prerequisites in the process for quality assurance that can develop both internally and externally. The purpose of this article lies in the approach and illustration of the aspects of products differentiated and non-differentiated in quality classes. In launching this research I will try to highlight some aspects that most efficiently the indicators mentioned above, indicators that read to what extent a certain product meets the characteristics specified to its destination.

QUALITY CONTROL IN PRECAST PRODUCTION A case study on Tunnel Segment Manufacture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yee Weng Cheong

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Quality control forms an integral part of precast production. An efficient quality system is most critical in the mass production of precast components in any project. In this study, the quality control system implemented in a precast factory is discussed. The precast factory is set up for the manufacture of large quantity of tunnel segments under a contract. Processes in the precast manufacture are discussed with respect to the control procedures in the quality inspection plan. The standard tests involved, roles of inspectors and corrective actions on-site are highlighted. Critical issues pertaining to the productivity and quality of precast production are reviewed. These include the quality of staff and maintenance, which could potentially affect the efficiency of the quality system. Some considerations should also be given to improve the workflow and productivity of the plant.

Optimum profit model considering production, quality and sale problem

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chung-Ho; Lu, Chih-Lun

2011-12-01

Chen and Liu ['Procurement Strategies in the Presence of the Spot Market-an Analytical Framework', Production Planning and Control, 18, 297-309] presented the optimum profit model between the producers and the purchasers for the supply chain system with a pure procurement policy. However, their model with a simple manufacturing cost did not consider the used cost of the customer. In this study, the modified Chen and Liu's model will be addressed for determining the optimum product and process parameters. The authors propose a modified Chen and Liu's model under the two-stage screening procedure. The surrogate variable having a high correlation with the measurable quality characteristic will be directly measured in the first stage. The measurable quality characteristic will be directly measured in the second stage when the product decision cannot be determined in the first stage. The used cost of the customer will be measured by adopting Taguchi's quadratic quality loss function. The optimum purchaser's order quantity, the producer's product price and the process quality level will be jointly determined by maximising the expected profit between them.

Innovation of Supervision System for Quality and Safety of Edible Agricultural Products

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xingxing; MEI; Zhongchao; FENG

2014-01-01

This paper elaborated multidimensional characteristics of quality and safety of agricultural products,introduced current situation of quality and safety supervision of edible agricultural products in China,analyzed existing problems of quality and safety supervision system and corresponding reasons,and finally came up with recommendations for innovation of supervision system for quality and safety of agricultural products.

Quality challenges and opportunities in the pineapple supply chain in Benin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arinloye, D.D.A.A.; Boekel, van M.A.J.S.

2016-01-01

Quality has become a key aspect for establishing international market access and improving competitiveness of (smallholder) producers in developing countries. This is especially the case for perishable tropical food products. This chapter explores the key quality issues of the Beninese pineapple

Improvements of soil quality for increased food production in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Øygarden, Lillian; Klakegg, Ove; Børresen, Trond; Krogstad, Tore; Kjersti Uhlen, Anne

2016-04-01

Since the 1990ties, agricultural land in use in Norway has diminished and yields per hectare for cereals and forages have stagnated. An expert panel appointed to advice on how to increase Norwegian grain production emphasizes low profitability and poor soil quality as limiting factors. A White Paper from the Norwegian Government, Report No.9 (2011-2012), stated that the main goal for the agricultural sector is to increase food production proportional to the expected increase in population (20 % by 2030) in order to maintain self-sufficiency at the present level. This is the background for the interdisciplinary project AGROPRO "Agronomy for increased food production - Challenges and solutions" (2013 - 2017)" financed by the Norwegian research council. A mail goal is seeking possibilities for improvements in agronomic practices for increased and sustainable food production and to identify drivers and challenges for their implementation. Are the key to higher yields hidden in the soil? The paper present an overview of the research activities in the project and some results of the improvements of soil quality to minimize yield gap in cereal and forage production. Detailed new soil maps provide soil information on field scale of soil quality and the suitability for growing different crops like cereal production or vegetables. The detailed soil information is also beeing used for development and adaptation of the planning tool «Terranimo» to reduce risk of soil compaction.The farmer get available soil information for each field, provide information about the maschinery in use- tractors and equipment, tyres, pressure. The decision tool evaluate when the soil is suitable for tillage, calculate the risk of compaction for dry, moist and wet soil. New research data for compaction on Norwegian clay and silt soil are included. Climate change with wetter conditions gives challenges for growing cereals. The project is testing genetic variation in cereals for tolerance to water

ISO 9000. Guidelines to increased costs and reduced product quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reedy, R.F.

1994-01-01

Many US companies are considering being registered to the provisions of ISO 9000, International Standards for Quality Management. One important problem with the document is that ISO 9000 is not focused on control of product quality. The quality assurance rules established in ISO 9000 have been used in the US for more than 25 years with disastrous financial consequences and little, if any, improvement in quality and safety. These rules are so reliant on documentation and strict compliance that ensuring products comply with specifications has become a secondary issues. That is not what was intended, but it is the result. ISO 9000 program can work effectively only when the top executive responsible for engineering or production takes full responsibility for interpretation and implementation of the quality assurance program. 3 refs., 1 tab

Module-based quality system functionality evaluation in production logistics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khabbazi, M.R.; Wikander, J.; Onori, M.; Maffei, A.; Chen, D.

2016-07-01

This paper addresses a comprehensive modeling and functionality evaluation of a module-based quality system in production logistics at the highest domain abstract level of business processes. All domain quality business processes and quality data transactions are modeled using BPMN and UML tools and standards at the business process and data modeling. A modular web-based prototype is developed to evaluate the models addressing the quality information system functionality requirements and modularity in production logistics through data scenarios and data queries. Using the object-oriented technique in design at the highest domain level, the proposed models are subject further development in the lower levels for the implementing case. The models are specifically able to manipulate all quality operations including remedy and control in a lot-based make-to-order production logistics system as an individual module. Due to the specification of system as domain design structure, all proposed BPMs, data models, and the actual database prototype are seen referential if not a solution as a practical “to-be” quality business process re-engineering template. This paper sets out to provide an explanatory approach using different practical technique at modeling steps as well as the prototype implementation. (Author)

Quality of foraging material and the effect on hens feed intake, egg production and - quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steenfeldt, Sanna; Hammershøj, Marianne

2010-01-01

In a project with organic egg laying hens, the effect of different kind of foraging material was studied on feed intake, egg-production and -quality. Udgivelsesdato: August......In a project with organic egg laying hens, the effect of different kind of foraging material was studied on feed intake, egg-production and -quality. Udgivelsesdato: August...

A Research Review on the Key Technologies of Intelligent Design for Customized Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuyou Zhang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The development of technologies such as big data and cyber-physical systems (CPSs has increased the demand for product design. Product digital design involves completing the product design process using advanced digital technologies such as geometry modeling, kinematic and dynamic simulation, multi-disciplinary coupling, virtual assembly, virtual reality (VR, multi-objective optimization (MOO, and human-computer interaction. The key technologies of intelligent design for customized products include: a description and analysis of customer requirements (CRs, product family design (PFD for the customer base, configuration and modular design for customized products, variant design for customized products, and a knowledge push for product intelligent design. The development trends in intelligent design for customized products include big-data-driven intelligent design technology for customized products and customized design tools and applications. The proposed method is verified by the design of precision computer numerical control (CNC machine tools.

Quality Assessment of Collection 6 MODIS Atmospheric Science Products

Science.gov (United States)

Manoharan, V. S.; Ridgway, B.; Platnick, S. E.; Devadiga, S.; Mauoka, E.

2015-12-01

Since the launch of the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites in December 1999 and May 2002, respectively, atmosphere and land data acquired by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor on-board these satellites have been reprocessed five times at the MODAPS (MODIS Adaptive Processing System) located at NASA GSFC. The global land and atmosphere products use science algorithms developed by the NASA MODIS science team investigators. MODAPS completed Collection 6 reprocessing of MODIS Atmosphere science data products in April 2015 and is currently generating the Collection 6 products using the latest version of the science algorithms. This reprocessing has generated one of the longest time series of consistent data records for understanding cloud, aerosol, and other constituents in the earth's atmosphere. It is important to carefully evaluate and assess the quality of this data and remove any artifacts to maintain a useful climate data record. Quality Assessment (QA) is an integral part of the processing chain at MODAPS. This presentation will describe the QA approaches and tools adopted by the MODIS Land/Atmosphere Operational Product Evaluation (LDOPE) team to assess the quality of MODIS operational Atmospheric products produced at MODAPS. Some of the tools include global high resolution images, time series analysis and statistical QA metrics. The new high resolution global browse images with pan and zoom have provided the ability to perform QA of products in real time through synoptic QA on the web. This global browse generation has been useful in identifying production error, data loss, and data quality issues from calibration error, geolocation error and algorithm performance. A time series analysis for various science datasets in the Level-3 monthly product was recently developed for assessing any long term drifts in the data arising from instrument errors or other artifacts. This presentation will describe and discuss some test cases from the

7th Annual NASA/Contractors Conference on Quality and Productivity: "Total Quality Leadership"

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

More than 750 NASA, government, contractor, and academic representatives attended the Seventh Annual NASA/Contractors Conference on Quality and Productivity on October 12-13, 1990, in Grenelefe, Florida. The panel presentations and keynote speeches revolving around the theme of 'Total Quality Leadership' provided a solid base of understanding of the importance, benefits, and principles of total quality management. The implementation of these strategies is critical if we are to effectively pursue our mission of continuous quality improvement and reliability in our products, processess, and services. The annual NASA/contractors conferences serve as catalysts for achieving success in this mission. The conference was highlighted by the announcement of the first recipients of the George M. Low Trophy: NASA's Quality and Excellence Award. My congratulations go out to all nine finalist organizations and to the two recipients of this prestigious honor: Rockwell Space Systems Division and Marotta Scientific Controls, Inc. (the first small business to achieve this honor). These organizations have demonstrated a commitment to quality that is unsurpassed in the aerospace industry. This report summarizes the presentations and is not intended to be a verbatim proceedings document. You are encouraged to contact the speakers with any requests for further information.

Soil quality assessment in rice production systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rodrigues de Lima, A.C.

2007-01-01

In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, rice production is one of the most important regional activities. Farmers are concerned that the land use practices for rice production in the Camaquã region may not be sustainable because of detrimental effects on soil quality. The study presented in this

The Impact of Product Quality, Service Quality, and Customer Loyalty Program perception on Retail Customer Attitude

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricko Achmadi Putra

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This journal examines the relationship between perception of product quality, perception of service quality, perception of Customer Loyalty Program on retail customer behavior, and sales volumes of cement products. This study examines three different cement brands, namely cement XYZ with the largest market share, cement PQR which is the main competitor, as well as cement ABC, a newcomer cement brand which is strong enough to enter the Indonesian cement market. The research is focused on the building material retailers with 100 respondents. The data collection will be done by survey through direct interview by using questionnaires. The analysis of this research uses descriptive analysis, analysis by ANOVA and also inferential analysis by using Structural Equation Model (SEM. The results of this study indicate that from the factors that influence the attitudes of retail customers of the three variables tested, only one dominant factor which influences the attitude of retail customers, which is the perception of the product quality. The results of this research also show that the perception of product quality also affects sale volume significantly, the greater the perception of the quality of cement products, the greater the volume of sales generated by the retail customer.

MODERN CONCEPTS OF THE SIX SIGMA METHODOLOGY FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MARGARITA JANESKA

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Product quality is generally accepted as being crucial in today’s industrial business. The traditional aspects of product quality are connected to product design (translating customer demands into attractive features and technical specifications and to the design and specification of high performance production processes with low defect rates. Quality management is the general expression for all actions leading to quality. Quality management is focused on improving customer satisfaction through continuous improvement of processes including the removal of uncertain activities, and continuous improvement of the quality of processes, products and services. The quality management includes four key processes, such as quality planning, quality assurance, quality control and quality costs. The main accent in this paper will be on quality control and the application of one of the quality control tools in order to improve it. Six Sigma is different from other quality improvement concepts in that its framework is comprised of many principles, tools and techniques, which, together with experience, are all integrated and translated into best practices. Bearing in mind that the goal of every company is to work effectively and effectively in the long run, this paper focuses on Six Sigma as a way to continuously improve quality. Namely, this paper emphasizes the key features of the quality of products / services, the Need for the application of Six Sigma for quality assurance, and also a detailed list of tools and techniques that can be used during the implementation of Six Sigma.

Effective use of product quality information in food supply chain logistics

OpenAIRE

Rijpkema, W.A.

2014-01-01

Food supply chains have inherent characteristics, such as variability in product quality and quality decay, which put specific demands on logistics decision making. Furthermore, food supply chain organization and control has changed significantly in the past decades by factors such as scale intensification and globalization. In practice, these characteristics and developments frequently lead to supply chain problems, such as high levels of product waste, product quality problems, and high lo...

Quality Management in the New Product Development: a PPAP Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johanna Hermans

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to test Production Part Approval Process (PPAP as a tool to build quality into the new product and processes and ensure that it meets the customer expectations. Research method is qualitative method using so called case-study to study the suitability of PPAP as a tool for quality management by building quality right into the new product and process. The case studies have been made with three different kinds of companies. PPAP is suitable tool for quality management in NPD processes when taking into account many requirements about personnel, processes, documentation etc. The paper has some limitations such as limited sample size. The results are encouraging managers to use PPAP as a tool for managing their company’s product development processes, quality work and supply chain partnerships. The manner in which the stakeholders could use to facilitate a sense of partnerships or co-workers aiming the same goals rather than have a traditional customer-seller relationship was valued in this study.

Effects of Different Drying Conditions on Key Quality Parameters of Pink Peppercorns (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Guzzo Silva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Pink peppercorns are among the most sophisticated condiments in the international cuisine. This culinary spice is obtained from dried fruits of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, a species native to South America. In this work, a methodology for the assessment of pink peppercorn quality under various drying conditions was defined. Experiments were performed in a pilot tray dryer, which ensured integrity of the product. A central composite rotatable design with 11 experiments was devised to study the influence of drying air temperature (35–75°C and air velocity (0.3–0.9 m/s on product quality, assessed by moisture content, color (CIELAB system, and volatile compounds. The essential oils of fresh and dried fruits were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Air temperature had the greatest influence on the quality parameters under study, while air velocity had no statistically significant effect. Considering all quality criteria, temperatures between 40 and 55°C provided the best compromise, yielding an adequate moisture content in the dried product without dramatic degradation of color and essential oil.

INSURANCE OF KNITTED PRODUCTS QUALITY THROUGH THE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF NON-QUALITY DURING ASSEMBLY BY STITCHING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LUTIC Liliana

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In a knitting factory, any activity oriented toward evaluation, maintenance or improvement of products quality level is based on measuring and examining the product quality characteristics, in order to establish conformity to the quality specifications and/or naming the non-quality characteristics, thus noticing defects or fabrication deficiencies. The quality of the stitching operation has a particular influence on the finite product quality and is determined on side by the quality of knitted pieces, and on the other by insuring the correlation between the technological parameters of the stitching operation and the physico-mechanical characteristics of the knittings that are to be assembled through stitching. Although the product execution processes comprise of manufacturing the elements and distinct subassemblies and their ulterior assembly, they present various difference dictated by the constructive particularities of the machine, as well as fabric characteristics. Because of the multiple interactions between the material, yarn and working parts of the sawing machine, inadequacies in the technological discipline can result in negative effects on both the knitted and stitching thread as well as the machine. A part of these can be fixed by extra time consuming tasks (yarn breaks, stitching ruffling etc., while other defects appear during the usage of the product cheapening it (stitch tearing by perforating the knitted on the stitching line, pilling effect, dimensional instability etc.. This paper systematically presents, the main defects that may occur during the stitching operation of the products made out of circular knitted, as well as the causes that generate them along with preventive or corrective actions.

Impact of product familiarity on beef quality perception

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banovic, Marija; Fontes, Magda Aguiar; Barreira, Maria Madalena

2012-01-01

This study examines the use of intrinsic and extrinsic cues in beef quality perception at the point of purchase and upon consumption by consumers with varying levels of familiarity with a particular beef product. High-familiarity consumers tend to use the color of the meat to assess beef quality......, whereas low-familiarity consumers tend to believe that the brand is the most valid cue for assessing beef quality. However, due to the lack of consistency in sensory beef quality, high-familiarity consumers’ ability to form quality expectations that are predictive of their quality experience is no better...

Introduction to NASA Symposium on Productivity and Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Braunstein, David

1984-01-01

The discussions will concentrate on white-collar organizational issues common to large organizations. The program will address a number of management issues for improving our nation's productivity and quality, and therefore its competitive position. executives have contributed their time to share /their experience with you. In addition, the American Institute of Astronautics & Aeronautics corporate members have helped to organize the sessions. I am most grateful for this support. The NASA Administrator has set the goal for NASA to become a leader in productivity and quality.

Three issues in consumer quality perception and acceptance of dairy products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G.; Bech-Larsen, Tino; Bredahl, Lone

2000-01-01

in communication provided. Drawing on five different empirical studies on consumer quality perception of dairy products, three issues related to the communication on credence quality dimensions are discussed: providing credible information, the role of consumer attitudes, and inference processes in quality......It is argued that consumer quality perception of dairy products is characterised by four major dimensions: hedonic, health-related, convenience-related and process-related quality. Two of these, viz. health and process-related quality, are credence dimensions, ie, a matter of consumer trust...

Does Input Quality Drive Measured Differences in Firm Productivity?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fox, Jeremy T.; Smeets, Valerie Anne Rolande

is roughly of the same order of magnitude as some competitive effects found in the literature, but input quality measures do not explain most productivity dispersion, despite economically large production function coefficients. We find that the wage bill explains as much dispersion as human capital measures.......Firms in the same industry can differ in measured productivity by multiples of 3. Griliches (1957) suggests one explanation: the quality of inputs differs across firms. We add labor market history variables such as experience and firm and industry tenure, as well as general human capital measures...

CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF PRODUCTS QUALITY IN BAKING INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandar Marić

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Food industry occupies special place in the processing industry, especially when we talk on the manufacturing of bakery products. Variable products quality on the market initiated the authors of this study to make an attempt, using comparative analysis of methods for quality control that are at most applied in bakery plants and other "convenient" methods to indicate the shortcomings and to argue convenience of using of methods that would improve testing of the quality. That approach could create a base for designing of model of quality improvement the baking industry.

Production Factors, Productivity Dynamics and Quality Gains as Determinants of Healthcare Spending Growth in U.S. Hospitals

OpenAIRE

Juan Contreras; Elena Patel; Ignez Tristao

2013-01-01

We analyze the contribution of production factors to revenue growth in almost the complete universe of U.S. hospitals, accounting for quality and productivity. Production factors (capital, labor, energy, materials and drugs) contributed 70% (drugs alone contributed 52 %), better health outcomes (higher quality) contributed 5 %, and better use of resources (productivity) contributed 25 %. We find increasing returns to scale, a markup of between 15% and 36% and a much larger productivity disper...

Comprehensive Technical Support for High-Quality Anthracite Production: A Case Study in the Xinqiao Coal Mine, Yongxia Mining Area, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Zhang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The effective production of high-quality anthracite has attracted increasing global attention. Based on the coal occurrence in Yongxia Mining Area and mining conditions of a coalface in Xinqiao Coal Mine, we proposed a systematic study on the technical support for the production of high-quality anthracite. Six key steps were explored, including coal falling at the coalface, transport, underground bunker storage, main shaft hoisting, coal preparation on the ground, and railway wagon loading. The study resulted in optimized running parameters for the shearers, and the rotating patterns of the shearer drums was altered (one-way cutting was employed. Mining height and roof supporting intensity were reduced. Besides, loose presplitting millisecond blasting and mechanized mining were applied to upgrade the coal quantity and the lump coal production rate. Additionally, the coalface end transloading, coalface crush, transport systems, underground storage, and main shaft skip unloading processes were improved, and fragmentation-prevention techniques were used in the washing and railway wagon loading processes. As a result, the lump coal production rate was maintained at a high level and fragmentation was significantly reduced. Because of using the parameters and techniques determined in this research, high-quality coal production and increased profits were achieved. The research results could provide theoretical guidance and methodology for other anthracite production bases.

Nondestructive methods for quality evaluation of livestock products.

Science.gov (United States)

Narsaiah, K; Jha, Shyam N

2012-06-01

The muscles derived from livestock are highly perishable. Rapid and nondestructive methods are essential for quality assurance of such products. Potential nondestructive methods, which can supplement or replace many of traditional time consuming destructive methods, include colour and computer image analysis, NIR spectroscopy, NMRI, electronic nose, ultrasound, X-ray imaging and biosensors. These methods are briefly described and the research work involving them for products derived from livestock is reviewed. These methods will be helpful in rapid screening of large number of samples, monitoring distribution networks, quick product recall and enhance traceability in the value chain of livestock products. With new developments in the areas of basic science related to these methods, colour, image processing, NIR spectroscopy, biosensors and ultrasonic analysis are expected to be widespread and cost effective for large scale meat quality evaluation in near future.

World production and quality of cow's milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petar Bosnić

2003-01-01

Full Text Available World milk production has a great economical effect being in the function of human food production and nutrition. Milk is obtained from cows, buffalos, sheeps, goats, camels and donkey with cow's milk production dominating. The world milk production in 2000 was 568.480 thousands of tons of all types of milk of which 484.895 thousands tons are cow's milk with a total of 85.30 % of the world milk production. Buffalo's milk production is on the second place with 61.913 thousands of tonnes (10.89 % production capacity. On the three continents (Europe, North America and Asia 81.82 % of total cow's milk production is located. Developed countries produce 50 % of total milk production, while higher milk production is forecast for the developing countries. The EU countries participate with 23.72 % in the world milk production and with 55.60 % on the European area. High annual lactation production, under selected cow's milk production, of above 6000 kg is located in developed countries, where annual participation of Israel accounts for over 10000 kg of milk per cow. Commercial milk production of genetics cattle accounts from 80 % to 85 %. Milk quality, with regard to milk fat and proteincontent, in developed countries is above an average value. With the annual milk production of 7000 kg of cow's milk, up to 294 kg of milk fat and 238 kg of protein are produced. Due to milk characteristics as agro-food product, milk and dairy products manufacture and transportation are in details regulated with existing quality standards. 95 % of the EU milk producers fulfil international hygienic rules on milk safety standards (somatic cells, microorganisms. With regard to long term development, until 2030, changes on herd management (outdoor and indoor exposure, between continents, will occur. In 2030, the world milk production is forecast to increase by 64%, with cow's milk production of 765.9 million tonnes.

An Implementation Model for Production Quality Management in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF. O. E. OSUAGWU

2013-06-01

Jun 1, 2013 ... of Iran must become more flexible in order to meet customer needs ... into consideration desires and demands of consumers will win the .... and capacities of current process;. 7. ... Attention to production of a. Quality product for.

Quality control of static irradiation processing products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao Jianzhong; Chen Xiulan; Cao Hong; Zhai Jianqing

2002-01-01

Based on the irradiation processing practice of the nuclear technique application laboratory of Yangzhou Institute of Agricultural Science, the quality control of irradiation processing products is discussed

7 CFR 58.149 - Alternate quality control programs for dairy products.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Alternate quality control programs for dairy products... for dairy products. (a) When a plant has in operation an acceptable quality control program which is... (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 AND THE EGG PRODUCTS...

Summary Report of the Seventh Annual NASA/Contractors Conference on Quality and Productivity: "Total Quality Leadership"

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

More than 750 NASA, government, contractor, and academic representatives attended the Seventh Annual NASA/Contractors Conference on Quality and Productivity on October 12-13, 1990, in Grenelefe, Florida. The panel presentations and keynote speeches revolving around the theme of 'Total Quality Leadership" provided a solid base of understanding of the importance, benefits, and principles of total quality management. The implementation of these strategies is critical if we are to effectively pursue our mission of continuous quality improvement and reliability in our products, processes, and services. The annual NASA/contractors conferences serve as catalysts for achieving success in this mission.

Expert opinions and scientific evidence for colonoscopy key performance indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Rees, Colin J; Bevan, Roisin; Zimmermann-Fraedrich, Katharina; Rutter, Matthew D; Rex, Douglas; Dekker, Evelien; Ponchon, Thierry; Bretthauer, Michael; Regula, Jaroslaw; Saunders, Brian; Hassan, Cesare; Bourke, Michael J; Rösch, Thomas

2016-12-01

Colonoscopy is a widely performed procedure with procedural volumes increasing annually throughout the world. Many procedures are now performed as part of colorectal cancer screening programmes. Colonoscopy should be of high quality and measures of this quality should be evidence based. New UK key performance indicators and quality assurance standards have been developed by a working group with consensus agreement on each standard reached. This paper reviews the scientific basis for each of the quality measures published in the UK standards. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Considerations of critical quality attributes in the analytical comparability assessment of biosimilar products.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Ohseok; Joung, Jeewon; Park, Younjoo; Kim, Chan Wha; Hong, Seung Hwa

2017-07-01

Based on experience in clinical trial approvals and marketing authorizations for biosimilar products in Korea, we suggest principles for the analytical comparability assessment of biosimilar products with respect to regulatory considerations. The composition and manufacturing processes of biosimilar products can differ from those of the reference product depending on the information available for the reference product and the time of product development; however, the analytical characteristics of biosimilar products should be highly similar to those of the reference product. Although manufacturing an identical product in terms of the quality profile is nearly impossible due to the high molecular weight and complex structure of biological products, the developer of the biosimilar product should attempt to establish a quality level as similar to that of the reference product as possible. When comparing the similarity of quality attributes, the criticality of the quality attributes and the characteristics of orthogonal quality attributes need to be considered carefully. Based on the results from the analytical comparability assessment, the comparability results of non-clinical and clinical studies should be evaluated before claiming biosimilarity to the reference product. In this review, we focus on quality attribute evaluation based on our regulatory experience. Copyright © 2017 International Alliance for Biological Standardization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE PRODUCT AND QUALITY OF POGOSTEMON CABLIN BENTH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allwar Allwar

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Pogostemon cablin benth is an economic source of farmer communities which are presence in several provinces in Indonesia. In general, the production and quality of the Pogostemon cablin benth produced by the farmers are still low or under the standard ISO. The chelating method, the influence of pH and adsorption method with activated carbon and montmorilonite  were carried out to improve the production and quality of Pogostemon cablin benth. The results show that the production and the quality tends to be better proved by the color changes to yellow bright, reduced metal contents and an increase in Pogostemon cablin benth

Crop residue is key for sustaining maximum food production and for conservation of our biosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Crop residue is key in our efforts to move towards agricultural sustainability. This paper provides a quick overview of some selected references and looks at some of the newest advances related to cover crops. Several authors have described in detail the benefits derived from improving soil quality ...

An Implementation Model for Production Quality Management in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Generally speaking, the quality management philosophy emphasizes on preventive practices instead of treatment efforts. In the quality management system, there is an exciting interest on why defects and flaws occur in the operation process in spite of all efforts made to prevent defected products from proceeding in the ...

Defense Logistics Agency Product Quality Deficiency Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1998-01-01

.... He was interested in improving the product quality deficiency report system, which is used by DoD Components to identify and purge nonconforming material from inventory and to provide information...

Burden of impaired sleep quality on work productivity in functional dyspepsia.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuzaki, Juntaro; Suzuki, Hidekazu; Togawa, Koji; Yamane, Tsuyoshi; Mori, Hideki; Komori, Takahiro; Masaoka, Tatsuhiro; Kanai, Takanori

2018-04-01

Impaired sleep quality is common, and can reduce work productivity in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). The objective of this article is to evaluate whether there is a direct association between the presence of FD and the severity of impaired sleep quality, and to calculate the economic loss due to the decreased work productivity associated with sleep quality. In Study 1, using a web-based survey completed by workers with and without FD, we evaluated impaired sleep quality, work and daily productivity, and the severity of reflux and bowel symptoms. In Study 2, the association between the presence of FD and the severity of impaired sleep quality was validated in a hospital-based cohort. In both Study 1 and 2, although impaired sleep quality was more frequent in participants with FD than in those without FD, the independent association between the presence of FD and the severity of impaired sleep quality was not observed after adjustment for the severity of reflux and bowel symptoms. FD participants with impaired sleep quality reported additional economic loss of 53,500 Japanese yen/month. Although the association between impaired sleep quality and FD was indirect, concomitant impaired sleep quality could worsen economic loss.

Customer Directed Advertising and Product Quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L. Esteban; J.M. Hernandez; J.L. Moraga-Gonzalez (José Luis)

2001-01-01

textabstractWe consider a market where a single seller must employ informative advertising to launch a new product of observable quality. The monopolist may use mass, targeted or customer directed advertising. We show that the choice of advertising strategy depends on the economic properties of the

Evaluation of Environmental Quality Productive Ecosystem Guayas (Ecuador).

Science.gov (United States)

Pozo, Wilson; Pardo, Francisco; Sanfeliu, Teófilo; Carrera, Gloria; Jordan, Manuel; Bech, Jaume; Roca, Núria

2015-04-01

Natural resources are deteriorating very rapidly in the Gulf of Guayaquil and the area of influence in the Guayas Basin due to human activity. Specific problems are generated by the mismanagement of the aquaculture industry affecting the traditional agricultural sectors: rice, banana, sugarcane, cocoa, coffee, and soya also studied, and by human and industrial settlements. The development of industrial activities such as aquaculture (shrimp building for shrimp farming in ponds) and agriculture, have increasingly contributed to the generation of waste, degrading and potentially toxic elements in high concentrations, which can have adverse effects on organisms in the ecosystems, in the health of the population and damage the ecological and environmental balance. The productive Guayas ecosystem, consists of three interrelated ecosystems, the Gulf of Guayaquil, the Guayas River estuary and the Guayas Basin buffer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental quality of the productive Guayas ecosystem (Ecuador), through operational and specific objectives: 1) Draw up the transition coastal zone in the Gulf of Guayaquil, 2) Set temporal spatial variability of soil salinity in wetlands rice, Lower Guayas Basin, 3) evaluate the heavy metals in wetland rice in the Lower Basin of Guayas. The physical and chemical parameters of the soils have been studied. These are indicators of environmental quality. The multivariate statistical method showed the relations of similarities and dissimilarities between variables and parameter studies as stable. Moreover, the boundaries of coastal transition areas, temporal spatial variability of soil salinity and heavy metals in rice cultivation in the Lower Basin of Guayas were researched. The sequential studies included and discussed represent a broad framework of fundamental issues that has been valued as a basic component of the productive Guayas ecosystem. They are determinants of the environmental quality of the Guayas

Supporting the production of quality livestock vaccines for ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The project will support technology transfer and establishment of product formulation and quality systems that will enable the Kenyan Institute to produce and register three new vaccines of international quality standards. This project will also pilot a model for bulk antigen processing for other vaccine types in Africa that can ...

Friction and lubrication modelling in sheet metal forming: Influence of lubrication amount, tool roughness and sheet coating on product quality

Science.gov (United States)

Hol, J.; Wiebenga, J. H.; Carleer, B.

2017-09-01

In the stamping of automotive parts, friction and lubrication play a key role in achieving high quality products. In the development process of new automotive parts, it is therefore crucial to accurately account for these effects in sheet metal forming simulations. This paper presents a selection of results considering friction and lubrication modelling in sheet metal forming simulations of a front fender product. For varying lubrication conditions, the front fender can either show wrinkling or fractures. The front fender is modelled using different lubrication amounts, tool roughness’s and sheet coatings to show the strong influence of friction on both part quality and the overall production stability. For this purpose, the TriboForm software is used in combination with the AutoForm software. The results demonstrate that the TriboForm software enables the simulation of friction behaviour for varying lubrication conditions, i.e. resulting in a generally applicable approach for friction characterization under industrial sheet metal forming process conditions.

Light quality and efficiency of consumer grade solid state lighting products

Science.gov (United States)

Dam-Hansen, Carsten; Corell, Dennis Dan; Thorseth, Anders; Poulsen, Peter Behrensdorff

2013-03-01

The rapid development in flux and efficiency of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) has resulted in a flooding of the lighting market with Solid State Lighting (SSL) products. Many traditional light sources can advantageously be replaced by SSL products. There are, however, large variations in the quality of these products, and some are not better than the ones they are supposed to replace. A lack of quality demands and standards makes it difficult for consumers to get an overview of the SSL products. Here the results of a two year study investigating SSL products on the Danish market are presented. Focus has been on SSL products for replacement of incandescent lamps and halogen spotlights. The warm white light and good color rendering properties of these traditional light sources are a must for lighting in Denmark and the Nordic countries. 266 SSL replacement lamps have been tested for efficiency and light quality with respect to correlated color temperature and color rendering properties. This shows a trade-off between high color rendering warm white light and energy efficiency. The lumen and color maintenance over time has been investigated and results for products running over 11000 h will be presented. A new internet based SSL product selection tool will be shown. Here the products can be compared on efficiency, light quality parameters, thus providing a better basis for the selection of SSL products for consumers.

A new method for wafer quality monitoring using semiconductor process big data

Science.gov (United States)

Sohn, Younghoon; Lee, Hyun; Yang, Yusin; Jun, Chungsam

2017-03-01

In this paper we proposed a new semiconductor quality monitoring methodology - Process Sensor Log Analysis (PSLA) - using process sensor data for the detection of wafer defectivity and quality monitoring. We developed exclusive key parameter selection algorithm and user friendly system which is able to handle large amount of big data very effectively. Several production wafers were selected and analyzed based on the risk analysis of process driven defects, for example alignment quality of process layers. Thickness of spin-coated material can be measured using PSLA without conventional metrology process. In addition, chip yield impact was verified by matching key parameter changes with electrical die sort (EDS) fail maps at the end of the production step. From this work, we were able to determine that process robustness and product yields could be improved by monitoring the key factors in the process big data.

Key factors that influence for seasonal production of Guinea grass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Coelho de Araujo

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Climate, soil and management are the main drives for growth and production of tropical pastures. Thus, a better understanding of the effects of these factors and their interactions under climate conditions is required to obtain effective management options. Here, we used data from two field trials to research on climate and management interactions on the production seasonality of Panicum maximum Jacq. Treatments included four sampling times (250, 500, 750, and 1000 °C accumulated during eight regrowth period, under irrigated and rainfed conditions and, cuts were made to simulate grazing intensity. All treatments were arranged in a completely randomized block design with four replications. At each sampling time, basal tillers were sampled to observe meristematic differentiation and were linked with the respective daylength. Soil moisture was determined, and the water availability index (WAI was calculated. The dry matter production (DMP was taken and relative productivity was calculated. Soil moisture was the key seasonal drive in spring-summer and the WAI could be used to adjust the maximum production for that season. The major drive for DMP in fall was the daylength, which was found at 11.81 h. For all seasons, DMP correlated better with the residues in early regrowth phase (r = 0.82 and p < 0.0001 and with degree-days at final regrowth phase (r = 0.73 p < 0.01. Applying these critical values to management guidelines should make Guinea grass DMP more efficient on tropical farms.

AVLIS Production Plant Preliminary Quality Assurance Plan and Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

This preliminary Quality Assurance Plan and Assessment establishes the Quality Assurance requirements for the AVLIS Production Plant Project. The Quality Assurance Plan defines the management approach, organization, interfaces, and controls that will be used in order to provide adequate confidence that the AVLIS Production Plant design, procurement, construction, fabrication, installation, start-up, and operation are accomplished within established goals and objectives. The Quality Assurance Program defined in this document includes a system for assessing those elements of the project whose failure would have a significant impact on safety, environment, schedule, cost, or overall plant objectives. As elements of the project are assessed, classifications are provided to establish and assure that special actions are defined which will eliminate or reduce the probability of occurrence or control the consequences of failure. 8 figures, 18 tables

Certification of production-quality gLite Job Management components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreetto, P; Bertocco, S; Dorigo, A; Frizziero, E; Gianelle, A; Sgaravatto, M; Zangrando, L; Capannini, F; Cecchi, M; Giacomini, F; Mezzadri, M; Molinari, E; Prelz, F; Rebatto, D; Monforte, S

2011-01-01

With the advent of the recent European Union (EU) funded projects aimed at achieving an open, coordinated and proactive collaboration among the European communities that provide distributed computing services, more strict requirements and quality standards will be asked to middleware providers. Such a highly competitive and dynamic environment, organized to comply a business-oriented model, has already started pursuing quality criteria, thus requiring to formally define rigorous procedures, interfaces and roles for each step of the software life-cycle. This will ensure quality-certified releases and updates of the Grid middleware. In the European Middleware Initiative (EMI), the release management for one or more components will be organized into Product Team (PT) units, fully responsible for delivering production ready, quality-certified software and for coordinating each other to contribute to the EMI release as a whole. This paper presents the certification process, with respect to integration, installation, configuration and testing, adopted at INFN by the Product Team responsible for the gLite Web-Service based Computing Element (CREAM CE) and for the Workload Management System (WMS). The used resources, the testbeds layout, the integration and deployment methods, the certification steps to provide feedback to developers and to grant quality results are described.

Certification of production-quality gLite Job Management components

Science.gov (United States)

Andreetto, P.; Bertocco, S.; Capannini, F.; Cecchi, M.; Dorigo, A.; Frizziero, E.; Giacomini, F.; Gianelle, A.; Mezzadri, M.; Molinari, E.; Monforte, S.; Prelz, F.; Rebatto, D.; Sgaravatto, M.; Zangrando, L.

2011-12-01

With the advent of the recent European Union (EU) funded projects aimed at achieving an open, coordinated and proactive collaboration among the European communities that provide distributed computing services, more strict requirements and quality standards will be asked to middleware providers. Such a highly competitive and dynamic environment, organized to comply a business-oriented model, has already started pursuing quality criteria, thus requiring to formally define rigorous procedures, interfaces and roles for each step of the software life-cycle. This will ensure quality-certified releases and updates of the Grid middleware. In the European Middleware Initiative (EMI), the release management for one or more components will be organized into Product Team (PT) units, fully responsible for delivering production ready, quality-certified software and for coordinating each other to contribute to the EMI release as a whole. This paper presents the certification process, with respect to integration, installation, configuration and testing, adopted at INFN by the Product Team responsible for the gLite Web-Service based Computing Element (CREAM CE) and for the Workload Management System (WMS). The used resources, the testbeds layout, the integration and deployment methods, the certification steps to provide feedback to developers and to grant quality results are described.

Highlights of contractor initiatives in quality enhancement and productivity improvement

Science.gov (United States)

1986-01-01

The NASA/Contractor Team efforts are presented as part of NASA's continuing effort to facilitate the sharing of quality and productivity improvement ideas among its contractors. This complilation is not meant to be a comprehensive review of contractor initiative nor does it necessarily express NASA's views. The submissions represent samples from a general survey, and were not edited by NASA. The efforts are examples of quality and productivity programs in private industry, and as such, highlight company efforts in individual areas. Topics range from modernization of equipment, hardware, and technology to management of human resources. Of particular interest are contractor initiatives which deal with measurement and evaluation data pertaining to quality and productivity performance.

Evaluating laboratory key performance using quality indicators in Alexandria University Hospital Clinical Chemistry Laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizk, Mostafa M; Zaki, Adel; Hossam, Nermine; Aboul-Ela, Yasmin

2014-12-01

The performance of clinical laboratories plays a fundamental role in the quality and effectiveness of healthcare. To evaluate the laboratory performance in Alexandria University Hospital Clinical Laboratories using key quality indicators and to compare the performance before and after an improvement plan based on ISO 15189 standards. The study was carried out on inpatient samples for a period of 7 months that was divided into three phases: phase I included data collection for evaluation of the existing process before improvement (March-May 2012); an intermediate phase, which included corrective, preventive action, quality initiative and steps for improvement (June 2012); and phase II, which included data collection for evaluation of the process after improvement (July 2012-September 2012). In terms of the preanalytical indicators, incomplete request forms in phase I showed that the total number of received requests were 31 944, with a percentage of defected request of 33.66%; whereas in phase II, there was a significant reduction in all defected request items (Plaboratories.

46 CFR 164.019-13 - Production quality control requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... establish procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used in production, manufacturing... place of manufacture unless alternate procedures have been accepted by the Commandant. (c) Production... manufactured. A new lot must be started whenever any change is made in materials, design, or production method...

A Complete Set of Technologies for Green Food Pork Production

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YANG Xing-wu; SHAN An-shan; JIANG Jiu-tian; ZHANG Tian-feng

2003-01-01

Key technologies for green food pork production were described in this article,as aspects of business standardization;production equipments and facilities,product quality control;and pork production site establishment.

Product development for catering - how to integrate issues on nutrition, quality and environment in the products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard

1996-01-01

Overview of the experience with integration of issues on nutrition, quality and environment from a development and technology assessment project about product development for the catering sector......Overview of the experience with integration of issues on nutrition, quality and environment from a development and technology assessment project about product development for the catering sector...

The role of food quality assurance and product certification systems on marketing aspects

Science.gov (United States)

Petrović, Z.; Milićević, D.; Nastasijević, I.; Đorđević, V.; Trbović, D.; Velebit, B.

2017-09-01

The level of quality that a product offers to consumers is a fundamental aspect of competition in many markets. Consumers’ confidence in the safety and quality of foods they buy and consume is a significant support to the economic development of production organizations of this type, and therefore the overall economic development. Consumer concerns about food safety as well as the globalization of food production have also led to the existence of a global internationally linked food production and distribution system. The necessity demanded by the consumer population to provide safe food with consistent quality at an attractive price imposes a choice of an appropriate quality assurance model in accordance with the specific properties of the product and the production processes. Modern trends, especially for the last ten years in quality assurance within specific production, such as the food industry, have marked the trend of hyperproduction and a number of production and safety standards, as well as a change of approach in the certification process of organizations according to one or more standards. This can be an additional source of costs for organizations, and can burden the food business operator`s budget in order to ensure their consistent application and maintenance. Quality assurance (QA) standards are considered to be a proven mechanism for delivering quality of product.

Optimal changes in the prepress process: a model for evaluation of state and direction of productivity and quality improvements

Science.gov (United States)

Kihlberg, Henrik; Lindgren, Mats

1998-09-01

The demands changes with the customers marketplace which makes it crucial for prepress companies of today and those of tomorrow to be able to change their services. The production tools are becoming more standardized and similar through out the industry. Intelligent tools are developed at a rapid pace which results in possibilities to automate these processes. Key success factors of today and tomorrow are the ability to change and understand the customers' market. The market demands shorter delivery times and lower costs. The total number of printed editions are decreasing while each edition contains an increased numbers of pages and images. The customers requires higher quality with the ability to control and predict the end result. Case studies, interviews and workshops have been carried out at commercial printing companies, prepress houses, image bureau's, advertising agencies and digital photographers in Sweden. A major part of the research focus on the digital image process at eleven companies in the graphic arts industry, all of which have prepress. The analysis has resulted in the thorough knowledge of both the production process and the parameters to measure productivity and quality. A model for the evaluation of changes is presented, with measurable values for productivity and quality. The model can be used to map and compare the states prepress are in, and/or be used to evaluate if changes are needed.

Quality Dimensions of Purchase Behavior Decision on Fishery Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurliza Nurliza

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The role of fishery product has been developed and acknowledged in terms of food security both as income sources and food supplies for developing countries. On the other hand, quality control has become a challenge in overcoming consumers’ decision to purchase the products. The objective of research is to understand and evaluate consumer behavior in purchasing the products in regards to quality dimension on fishery products by using non-probability sampling technique to 142 consumers in three different locations in Pontianak (shops, mini/supermarkets, and local markets. Data were gathered by in-depth interviews divided into four categories consisting of consumer profiles; product knowledge; perception and preference; and quality dimension variable with conjoint analysis. The result shows that price, flavor, moistness, texture, nutrition, packaging color, and packaging size do not affect consumers’ decision to purchase the products. On the contrary, package durability attribute is the primary factor in their decision to purchase, and it is then followed by packaging material, availability, flavor, guarantee, guarantee source, brand, packaging form, and product form. This is beneficial for producers to improve the quality factors and develop market opportunities in the future. Besides, consumers can obtain information on product characteristics to fulfill their expectation and satisfaction.Keywords: conjoint analysis, fishery products, non-probability sampling, purchase behavior, quality dimensionsABSTRAKPeran produk olahan perikanan telah berkembang dan diakui dalam keamanan pangan–baik sebagai sumber pendapatan maupun sumber makanan bagi negara-negara berkembang. Namun, pengendalian terhadap karakteristik mutu menjadi sebuah tantangan dalam menghadapi keputusan pembelian konsumen. Tujuan penelitian adalah memahami dan mengevaluasi perilaku keputusan pembelian konsumen terkait dimensi mutu pada produk olahan perikanan menggunakan teknik non

The development of national quality performance standards for disposable absorbent products for adult incontinence.

Science.gov (United States)

Muller, Nancy; McInnis, Elaine

2013-09-01

Disposable absorbent products are widely used in inpatient care settings and in the community to manage adult urinary and fecal incontinence, but few product standards exist to help guide their production or optimal use. Increasing costs and reduced revenues have caused a number of states to evaluate absorbent product use among persons who receive care at home with the assistance of the Medicaid Waiver Program, further increasing concerns about the lack of product performance standards. To address these issues, the National Association For Continence (NAFC) formed a council of experts and key stakeholders with the objective of establishing national, independent quality performance standards for disposable absorbent products provided by states to Waiver Program recipients. The Council consisted of representatives from five purposefully selected states, technical directors from six nonwoven product manufacturers, an officer of the nonwoven manufactures trade association, a delegate from an academic nursing program and professional societies, a family caregiver, and a patient representative. Following a consensus method and guidelines for use, nine specific recommendations were developed, posted for public comment, and further refined. Final recommendations for product performance assessment include: rewet rate (a measure of a product's ability to withstand multiple incontinent episodes between changes), rate of acquisition (a measure of the speed at which urine is drawn away from the skin by a product, product retention capacity (a measure of a product's capacity to hold fluid without rewetting the skin), sizing options, absorbency levels, product safety, closure technology, breathable zones (a measure of the air permeability across a textile-like fabric at a controlled differential pressure), and elasticity. The Council also set values for and recommended four quantifiable parameters, and the testing methodology associated with each, to help consumers and states

Summary of strategies for planning Productivity Improvement and Quality Enhancement (PIQE)

Science.gov (United States)

1986-01-01

The Summary of NASA Strategies for Productivity Improvement and Quality Enhancement respond to NASA's eighth top goal: Establish NASA as a leader in the development and application of advanced technology and management practices which contribute to significant increases in both Agency and national productivity. The Strategies provide the framework for development of the agency-wide Productivity Improvement and Quality Enhancement (PIQE) Plans.

Organic leek seed production - securing seed quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, Lise Christina; Boelt, Birte

2011-01-01

To maintain integrity in organic farming, availability of organically produced GM-free seed of varieties adapted to organic production systems is of vital impor-tance. Despite recent achievements, organic seed supply for a number of vegetable species is insufficient. Still, in many countries...... seeds. Tunnel production is a means of securing seed of high genetic purity and quality, and organic leek (Allium porrum L.) seed production was tested in tunnels in Denmark. The present trial focused on steckling size and in all years large stecklings had a positive effect on both seed yield...

Organic Leek Seed Production - Securing Seed Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, L C; Boelt, B

2011-01-01

To maintain integrity in organic farming, availability of organically produced GM-free seed of varieties adapted to organic production systems is of vital impor-tance. Despite recent achievements, organic seed supply for a number of vegetable species is insufficient. Still, in many countries...... seeds. Tunnel production is a means of securing seed of high genetic purity and quality, and organic leek (Allium porrum L.) seed production was tested in tunnels in Denmark. The present trial focused on steckling size and in all years large stecklings had a positive effect on both seed yield...

Reusing salad from salad bars – simulating the effects on product loss, microbial safety and product quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tromp, S.O.; Rijgersberg, H.; Franz, E.

2012-01-01

The goal of this study is to model the effects of reusing salad from salad bars to reduce product loss, while keeping microbial safety and product quality at acceptable levels. We, therefore, expand our previously developed simulation model by incorporating reuse strategies and a quality decay

INNOVATIVE USE OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna MIDOR

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Organisations constantly look for new, innovative solutions and methods which could be used to improve their efficiency and increase the quality of their products. Identifying the causes for returns is an important issue for modern compa-nies, as returns are the cause for the increase in production costs and, most importantly, the loss of credibility in the eyes of the client. Therefore, for the company to be able to sustain or strengthen its position on the market, it has to follow the rules of quality management. Especially important is the rule of constant improvement. This rule is primarily connected with preventing errors and defects from occurring at all the stages of the production process. To achieve that, one must, among other things, use quality management tools. The article presents an analysis of causes for returns of a vibrating screen produced by a company which manufactures machinery and equipment for the extractive industry, using quality management tools such as the Ishikawa diagram and Pareto analysis. The analysis allowed for the identifi-cation of the causes of client returns which could not be previously identified, and proposing solutions for them.

Innovative Use of Quality Management Methods for Product Improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Midor, Katarzyna; Žarnovský, Jozef

2016-12-01

Organisations constantly look for new, innovative solutions and methods which could be used to improve their efficiency and increase the quality of their products. Identifying the causes for returns is an important issue for modern companies, as returns are the cause for the increase in production costs and, most importantly, the loss of credibility in the eyes of the client. Therefore, for the company to be able to sustain or strengthen its position on the market, it has to follow the rules of quality management. Especially important is the rule of constant improvement. This rule is primarily connected with preventing errors and defects from occurring at all the stages of the production process. To achieve that, one must, among other things, use quality management tools. The article presents an analysis of causes for returns of a vibrating screen produced by a company which manufactures machinery and equipment for the extractive industry, using quality management tools such as the Ishikawa diagram and Pareto analysis. The analysis allowed for the identification of the causes of client returns which could not be previously identified, and proposing solutions for them.

Production of quality/certified seed of fodder-crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhutta, A.R.; Hussain, A.

2006-01-01

Although, Pakistan has well developed Seed-production and certification Programme for major crops, but seed programme for fodder-crops is still not well organized. Availability of local certified seed, remained 250-350 mt for Berseem, Sorghum, maize, barley and oat. About 5000 to 9000 mt of seed has being imported during 2003-04 to 2005-06. Fodder Research Institute and jullundhur Seed Corporation have demonstrated a model of public/private partnership for initiation of certified seed of a few fodder crops. To produce quality seeds of fodder crops, various steps, procedures and prescribed standards have been given, which will help in production of quality seed of fodder crops in Pakistan. (author)

Grid Technology and Quality Assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rippa, A.; Manieri, A.; Begin, M.E.; Di Meglio, A.

2007-01-01

Grid is one of the potential architectures of the coming years to support both the research and the commercial environment. Quality assurance techniques need both to adapt to these new architectures and exploit them to improve its effectiveness. Software quality is a key issue in the Digital Era: Industries as well as Public Administrations devote time to check and verify the quality of ICT products and services supplied. The definition of automatic measurement of quality metrics is a key point for implementing effective QA methods. In this paper we propose a quality certification model, named Grid-based Quality Certification Model (GQCM), that uses automatically calculable metrics to asses the quality of software applications; this model has been developed within the ETICS SSA4 activities and exploit grid technology for full automation of metrics calculation. It is however designed to be generic enough such that it can be implemented using any automatic build and test tool. (Author)

Pattern-based feature extraction for fault detection in quality relevant process control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peruzzo, S.; Holenderski, M.J.; Lukkien, J.J.

2017-01-01

Statistical quality control (SQC) applies multivariate statistics to monitor production processes over time and detect changes in their performance in terms of meeting specification limits on key product quality metrics. These limits are imposed by customers and typically assumed to be a single

Quality Productivity Circle in Manufacture | Achi | Nigerian Journal of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A brief history of quality control and productivity is hereby traced. ... Circle management technique are discussed in its relationship with productivity. ... so should be made sound in body (and spirit) through appropriate training and motivation.

Quality certification - PETROBRAS differential. Exploration and Production - RN and CE States, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medeiros, Miguel A.C. de; Junior, Jose Ribamar C.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the PETROBRAS Exploration and Production -RN CE experience in implementation of Quality Systems based on ISO 9000 series standards applied on industrial gas and LPG production, oil treatment, power plants, petroleum equipment maintenance services, steam generation and distribution, reservoir studies and logistics. The ISO 9000 certification allowed several improvement in these processes. Besides the motivation of the teams, we can also see the results: heavy oil fields steam generation and distribution performance has increased from 70% to 90%; the production loss of NGL in the Natural Gas Processing Plant number 1, located in Guamare, decreased from an average of 50 m 3 /month to almost zero; the CTE - Power Plant of Alto do Rodrigues - had its performance increased in about 30 per cent between 1997 and 1999, increasing the power generation from 2,327 M wh/month to 3,017 M wh/month; and re-work level in Mossoro repair shop dropped from 4 per cent to 0,5 per cent. The paper also analyses the key factors for the success of the projects and how it made easy the job conduction for structuring and implementation of the systems, as: commitment of the upper management, resources from organization and well defined targets for the whole team. (author)

Image processing system performance prediction and product quality evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, E. K.; Hammill, H. B. (Principal Investigator)

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A new technique for image processing system performance prediction and product quality evaluation was developed. It was entirely objective, quantitative, and general, and should prove useful in system design and quality control. The technique and its application to determination of quality control procedures for the Earth Resources Technology Satellite NASA Data Processing Facility are described.

Quality factors to consider in condensate selection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lywood, B. [Crude Quality Inc., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

2009-07-01

Many factors must be considered when assessing the feasibility of using condensates as a diluent for bitumen or heavy crude production blending. In addition to commercial issues, the effect of condensate quality is a key consideration. In general, condensate quality refers to density and viscosity. However, valuation decisions could be enhanced through the expansion of quality definitions and understanding. This presentation focused on the parameters that are important in choosing a diluent grade product. It also reviewed pipeline and industry specifications and provided additional information regarding general properties for bitumen and condensate compatibility; sampling and quality testing needs; and existing sources of information regarding condensate quality. tabs., figs.

Recent Advances and Future Directions for Quality Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vining, Geoff; Kulahci, Murat; Pedersen, Søren

2015-01-01

The origins of quality engineering are in manufacturing, where quality engineers apply basic statistical methodologies to improve the quality and productivity of products and processes. In the past decade, people have discovered that these methodologies are effective for improving almost any type...... of system or process, such as financial, health care, and supply chains. This paper begins with a review of key advances and trends within quality engineering over the past decade. The second part uses the first part as a foundation to outline new application areas for the field. It also discusses how...

Building Successful Information Systems – a Key for Successful Organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doina ROSCA

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Building Successful Information Systems – a Key for Successful OrganizationAbstract: An Information System (IS can have a major impact on corporate strategy and organizational success. The involvement of managers and decision makers in all aspects of information systems is a major factor for organizational success, including higher profits and lower costs. Some of the benefits business organization seek to achieve through information systems include: better safety, competitive advantage, fewer errors, greater accuracy, higher quality products, improved communications, increased efficiency and productivity, more efficient administration, superior financial and managerial decision making.

The production of the heavy pig for high quality processed products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Bosi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The review discusses the topics presented below, with experimental data and more evidence for some aspects which areproblematic for the pig producer. To obtain high quality processed pig products, heavy pig production in Italy is subjectedto rules fixed by several Consortia, on the basis of the experience of producers and the results from scientific research.Slaughter animals of at least 9 months of age and 160 kg live weight are required to provide heavy cuts with excellentmeat. Breeds are limited to Italian Large White and Landrace, selected for specific parameters such as loss at 1st saltingof the ham, and their crosses. Crosses with Duroc and hybrids can be used if obtained from selection and crossingschemes that fit the objectives of Italian selection. Backfat thickness must be “sufficient” to obtain retailed fresh hamswith fat cover ranging from 20 to 30 mm, depending on ham weight, and the content of linoleic acid in ham fat covercannot exceed 15%. Fat quantity and quality in feeds should be carefully controlled to satisfy the quality of fat in theham. The feeding level is also relevant, due to the imposed minimum age at slaughter. Feed restriction is a necessarypractice to respect the rules for ham production. For castrate males of medium genetic value, the restriction shouldreduce fat deposition, but the diet composition can be adapted to maintain the maximum growth of protein. For strainswith high lean deposition potential and particularly for gilts, protein deposition should also be limited to maintain a sufficientfat cover of ham.

DETERMINANTS OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN STIMULATING PRODUCT AND PROCESS INNOVATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boris Urban

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Research highlights Quality Management System (QMS has now become a recognizable guarantee of trust in certified business systems. A critical review of the literature reveals that empirical studies conducted to date have yielded conflicting findings on the relationship between quality management practices and innovation. This study empirically investigates how quality management principles may act as determinants of product and process innovations. The results show that customer focus and leadership explain a significant amount of product innovation, but not process innovation. Empirical support also finds that people management explains a significant amount of variance in both product innovation and process innovation. The findings highlight the importance of developing formal organisational mechanisms to measure levels of such quality determinants as they are easily overlooked or taken for granted. Moreover, firms need to recognise that innovation is a multi-faceted concept that can be controlled from a process or a product perspective, a distinction which is sometimes blurred.

Stability evaluation of quality parameters for palm oil products at low temperature storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramli, Nur Aainaa Syahirah; Mohd Noor, Mohd Azmil; Musa, Hajar; Ghazali, Razmah

2018-07-01

Palm oil is one of the major oils and fats produced and traded worldwide. The value of palm oil products is mainly influenced by their quality. According to ISO 17025:2005, accredited laboratories require a quality control procedure with respect to monitoring the validity of tests for determination of quality parameters. This includes the regular use of internal quality control using secondary reference materials. Unfortunately, palm oil reference materials are not currently available. To establish internal quality control samples, the stability of quality parameters needs to be evaluated. In the present study, the stability of quality parameters for palm oil products was examined over 10 months at low temperature storage (6 ± 2 °C). The palm oil products tested included crude palm oil (CPO); refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) palm oil (RBDPO); RBD palm olein (RBDPOo); and RBD palm stearin (RBDPS). The quality parameters of the oils [i.e. moisture content, free fatty acid content (FFA), iodine value (IV), fatty acids composition (FAC) and slip melting point (SMP)] were determined prior to and throughout the storage period. The moisture, FFA, IV, FAC and SMP for palm oil products changed significantly (P  0.05). The stability study indicated that the quality of the palm oil products was stable within the specified limits throughout the storage period at low temperature. The storage conditions preserved the quality of palm oil products throughout the storage period. These findings qualify the use of the palm oil products CPO, RBDPO, RBDPOo and RBDPS as control samples in the validation of test results. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Beyond Technology Transfer: Quality of Life Impacts from R&D Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Vathsala I.; Lockett, Michelle; Usiak, Douglas J.; Arthanat, Sajay

2010-01-01

This paper presents methodology and findings from three product efficacy studies that verify the quality of life benefits resulting from prior research, development, and transfer activities. The paper then discusses key lessons learned with implications for product evaluation practice. The studies assessed the quality of three assistive technology…

Application of fuzzy set theory for integral assessment of agricultural products quality

Science.gov (United States)

Derkanosova, N. M.; Ponomareva, I. N.; Shurshikova, G. V.; Vasilenko, O. A.

2018-05-01

The methodology of integrated assessment of quality and safety of agricultural products, approbated by the example of indicators of wheat grain in relation to the provision of consumer properties of bakery products, was developed. Determination of the level of quality of the raw ingredients will allow direct using of agricultural raw materials for food production, taking into account ongoing technology, types of products, and, respectively, rational use of resource potential of the agricultural sector. The mathematical tool of the proposed method is a fuzzy set theory. The fuzzy classifier to evaluate the properties of the grain is formed. The set of six indicators normalized by the national standard is determined; values are ordered and represented by linguistic variables with a trapeziform membership function; the rules for calculation of membership functions are presented. Specific criteria values for individual indicators in shaping the quality of the finished products are considered. For one of the samples of wheat grain values of membership; functions of the linguistic variable "level" for all indicators and the linguistic variable "level of quality" were calculated. It is established that the studied sample of grain obtains the 2 (average) level of quality. Accordingly, it can be recommended for the production of bakery products with higher requirements for the structural-mechanical properties bakery and puff pastry products hearth bread and flour confectionery products of the group of hard dough cookies and crackers

Resources changes: a key factor in a new uranium production economic cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capus, G.; Caumartin, P.

1996-01-01

Since the end of 1994, a change has been underway in the uranium market. As usual in such cases, surprise and disbelief first dominated, but the market actors have been adjusting quickly to what now appears to be a return to primary production as the predominant factor in uranium supply. It is a matter of fact that the fundamentals will determine the course of the uranium market, as with other cyclical commodity markets. Comparing 1995 with 1975, a time of rocketing prices and production, and forecasting another cycle with similar characteristics to the last one is tempting, but illusory. However, examining the relative conditions prevailing at these times provides keys that may be helpful in understanding future developments. (author)

Solar hot water system installed at Quality Inn, Key West, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

1980-04-01

The solar energy hot water system installed in the Quality Inn, Key West, Florida, which consists of four buildings is described. Three buildings are low-rise, two-story buildings containing 100 rooms. The fourth is a four-story building with 48 rooms. The solar system was designed to provide approximately 50 percent of the energy required for the domestic hot water system. The solar system consists of approximately 1400 square feet of flat plate collector, two 500 gallon storage tanks, a circulating pump, and a controller. Operation of the system was begun in April 1978, and has continued to date with only three minor interruptions for pump repair. In the first year of operation, it was determined that the use of the solar facility resulted in forty percent fuel savings.

Modernized Techniques for Dealing with Quality Data and Derived Products

Science.gov (United States)

Neiswender, C.; Miller, S. P.; Clark, D.

2008-12-01

"I just want a picture of the ocean floor in this area" is expressed all too often by researchers, educators, and students in the marine geosciences. As more sophisticated systems are developed to handle data collection and processing, the demand for quality data, and standardized products continues to grow. Data management is an invisible bridge between science and researchers/educators. The SIOExplorer digital library presents more than 50 years of ocean-going research. Prior to publication, all data is checked for quality using standardized criterion developed for each data stream. Despite the evolution of data formats and processing systems, SIOExplorer continues to present derived products in well- established formats. Standardized products are published for each cruise, and include a cruise report, MGD77 merged data, multi-beam flipbook, and underway profiles. Creation of these products is made possible by processing scripts, which continue to change with ever-evolving data formats. We continue to explore the potential of database-enabled creation of standardized products, such as the metadata-rich MGD77 header file. Database-enabled, automated processing produces standards-compliant metadata for each data and derived product. Metadata facilitates discovery and interpretation of published products. This descriptive information is stored both in an ASCII file, and a searchable digital library database. SIOExplorer's underlying technology allows focused search and retrieval of data and products. For example, users can initiate a search of only multi-beam data, which includes data-specific parameters. This customization is made possible with a synthesis of database, XML, and PHP technology. The combination of standardized products and digital library technology puts quality data and derived products in the hands of scientists. Interoperable systems enable distribution these published resources using technology such as web services. By developing modernized

GROUP TECHNOLOGY IN CONTEXT OF THE PRODUCT CLASSIFICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenka Debnárová

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In the intensive competitive environment of the global economy, the survival of even the most well-established the world manufacturers depends on the ability to improve continuously quality while reducing costs. The resulting higher productivity is the key to market leadership and gaining sustainable competitive advantage. This paper outlines a group technology and classification of products which improve productivity, quality, inventory management of a company and reduce production times.

Milk quality in high production systems during dry and rainy seasons ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study aimed to evaluate the milk quality of crossbred cows from five production systems according to the quality parameters required by Normative Instruction No. 62 (NI 62). Five different production systems were used, with different environmental and sanitary conditions, and with animals from different breeds in two ...

Key team physical and technical performance indicators indicative of team quality in the soccer Chinese super league.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Gai; Leicht, Anthony S; Lago, Carlos; Gómez, Miguel-Ángel

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the key physical and technical performance variables related to team quality in the Chinese Super League (CSL). Teams' performance variables were collected from 240 matches and analysed via analysis of variance between end-of-season-ranked groups and multinomial logistic regression. Significant physical performance differences between groups were identified for sprinting (top-ranked group vs. upper-middle-ranked group) and total distance covered without possession (upper and upper-middle-ranked groups and lower-ranked group). For technical performance, teams in the top-ranked group exhibited a significantly greater amount of possession in opponent's half, number of entry passes in the final 1/3 of the field and the Penalty Area, and 50-50 challenges than lower-ranked teams. Finally, time of possession increased the probability of a win compared with a draw. The current study identified key performance indicators that differentiated end-season team quality within the CSL.

The power of management in medical services. Can we manage better for higher quality and more productive medical services?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena BARBU

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Medical services are the most important services of all since we all depend on them. Their quality and productivity can assure a wealthy nation and therefore good economical results. The offer of medical services depends on medical personnel and more than this, on the management in the medical field since any resource not managed well or not managed at all is only a lost one, regardless its value. Management is therefore the key, the “how to” method of obtaining the desired result. The same approach can be applied into our study in order to reach more productive medical services which to prove high quality to all patients. We need to use and to squeeze the entire force of management tools in order to reach our goal: accessible medical services full of quality. The current worldwide crisis situation makes us think that after job and food, even medical services (also a basic thing after all can become a “luxury” although this should never happen. Therefore we must do whatever needed to improve the way medical organizations are driven so that the quality of their medical services will be better and better and the productivity will be at a higher level. Medical management should have as a goal making it possible for patients to be able to solve their health problems as soon as possible and as good as possible.

Mathematical modelling of the process of quality control of construction products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pogorelov Vadim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The study presents the results of years of research in the field of quality management of industrial production construction production, based on mathematical modelling techniques, process and results of implementing the developed programme of monitoring and quality control in the production process of the enterprise. The aim of this work is the presentation of scientific community of the practical results of mathematical modelling in application programs. In the course of the research addressed the description of the applied mathematical models, views, practical results of its application in the applied field to assess quality control. The authors used this mathematical model in practice. The article presents the results of applying this model. The authors developed the experimental software management and quality assessment by using mathematical modeling methods. The authors continue research in this direction to improve the diagnostic systems and quality management systems based on mathematical modeling methods prognostic and diagnostic processes.

Product returns – interdisciplinary interfaces between knowledge, quality and product innovation management

OpenAIRE

Klapalová Alena; Krčál Michal

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review existing research on intersections of four disciplines, specifically knowledge, quality and product innovation management related to the consumers´ product returns within the reverse logistics (reverse supply chain management) discipline to identify gaps justifying further research activities. The primary aim of this review is to summarize and evaluate existing literature pertaining the above-mentioned areas of interest and to formulate potentia...

Alignment of Software Product Quality Goals in Two Outsourcing Relationships

OpenAIRE

Barney, Sebastian; Wohlin, Claes

2010-01-01

Background: Issues with software product quality are commonly reported when organisations engage in outsourcing relationships. To address this issue, value-based software engineering literature emphasises the need for all success-critical stakeholder groups to work towards a mutually agreed goal. Aim: This paper presents a case study that aims to compare and contrast the priority two groups place on software product quality — stakeholders internal to the development organisation, and stakehol...

Characterization of Adipose Tissue Product Quality Using Measurements of Oxygen Consumption Rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Suszynski, Thomas M; Sieber, David A; Mueller, Kathryn; Van Beek, Allen L; Cunningham, Bruce L; Kenkel, Jeffrey M

2018-03-14

Fat grafting is a common procedure in plastic surgery but associated with unpredictable graft retention. Adipose tissue (AT) "product" quality is affected by the methods used for harvest, processing and transfer, which vary widely amongst surgeons. Currently, there is no method available to accurately assess the quality of AT. In this study, we present a novel method for the assessment of AT product quality through direct measurements of oxygen consumption rate (OCR). OCR has exhibited potential in predicting outcomes following pancreatic islet transplant. Our study aim was to reapportion existing technology for its use with AT preparations and to confirm that these measurements are feasible. OCR was successfully measured for en bloc and postprocessed AT using a stirred microchamber system. OCR was then normalized to DNA content (OCR/DNA), which represents the AT product quality. Mean (±SE) OCR/DNA values for fresh en bloc and post-processed AT were 149.8 (± 9.1) and 61.1 (± 6.1) nmol/min/mg DNA, respectively. These preliminary data suggest that: (1) OCR and OCR/DNA measurements of AT harvested using conventional protocol are feasible; and (2) standard AT processing results in a decrease in overall AT product quality. OCR measurements of AT using existing technology can be done and enables accurate, real-time, quantitative assessment of the quality of AT product prior to transfer. The availability and further validation of this type of assay could enable optimization of fat grafting protocol by providing a tool for the more detailed study of procedural variables that affect AT product quality.

THE INFLUENCE OF GLUTEN - FREE FLOURS ON THE QUALITY INDICATORS OF BISCUIT SEMI - FINISHED PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

К. G. IORGACHOVA

2016-12-01

obtained. It was confirmed experimentally that the use of pre-gelatinized acetylated modified starches during the production of gluten-free biscuit semi-finished products, facilitates the stabilization of the structural and rheological properties of foam structure - viscosity growth of biscuit dough because of foam-stabilizing property, which is particular to them. It was demonstrated that the obtained gluten-free biscuit semi-finished products based on flour composite mixtures with addition of modified starches, had high quality indicators. Based on the results of the research conducted, the recipe was formulated, technological parameters of production of new types of gluten-free biscuit semi-finished products were determined. Key

Mergers and Product Quality: Evidence from the Airline Industry

OpenAIRE

Chen, Yongmin; Gayle, Philip

2013-01-01

Retrospective studies of horizontal mergers have focused on their price effects, leaving the important question of how mergers affect product quality largely unanswered. This paper empirically investigates this issue for two recent airline mergers: Delta/Northwest and Continental/United. Consistent with the theoretical premise that mergers improve coordination but diminish competitive pressure for quality provision, we find: (i) each merger is associated with a quality increase in markets whe...

Heat and mass transfer during baking: product quality aspects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Asselman, A.; Straten, van G.; Hadiyanto, H.; Boom, R.M.; Esveld, D.C.; Boxtel, van A.J.B.

2005-01-01

Abstract Most food product qualities are developed during heating processes. Therefore the internal heating and mass transfer of water are important aspects in food processing. Heating of food products is mostly induced by convection heating. However, the number applications of convective heating in

[Suggestions to strengthen quality management of herbal decoction pieces--based on production chain of herbal decoction pieces].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yan; Nie, Qing; Chen, Jing

2015-08-01

With the development of society and the improvement of people's living standards, the effect of Chinese medicine in treatment and health care is more and more prominent. The herbal decoction pieces are the important part of Chinese medicine,it can be applied directly to clinical treatment and it's also the raw material of Chinese patent medicine. Therefore, the quality of herbal decoction pieces is quite important. The parts of the production of herbal decoction pieces are numerous, and there are possibilities of adverse effects on the quality of the herbal decoction pieces in every part. In this paper, we based on the production chain of herbal decoction pieces, analyzed the main problem that affect the quality of herbal decoction pieces in the part of selection of Chinese herbal medicines, planting, purchasing, processing, packaging, storage and transport, such as the poor quality of seed and seedlings of plant-based Chinese medicines, some plants left their place of origin and have been introduced in the place that is not suitable for this kind of plant, the insufficient growth time and the excessive harmful substances. The purchasers and the accepters lack of professional knowledge and professional ethics. The mechanism of processing is not clear, the standards can not be uniformed, and lack of qualified person in processing, etc. So we suggest: intensify the basic research of key scientific issues. Improve the quality of persons who work in herbal decoction pieces; Establish an "integration" mode of operation in herbal decoction pieces enterprise; Breeding high quality plant resources, establish the large-scale planting basement; Make the packing of herbal decoction pieces standard; Establish the modernization traditional Chinese medicine logistics enterprise.

Design of agricultural product quality safety retrospective supervision system of Jiangsu province

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kun

2017-08-01

In store and supermarkets to consumers can trace back agricultural products through the electronic province card to query their origin, planting, processing, packaging, testing and other important information and found that the problems. Quality and safety issues can identify the responsibility of the problem. This paper designs a retroactive supervision system for the quality and safety of agricultural products in Jiangsu Province. Based on the analysis of agricultural production and business process, the goal of Jiangsu agricultural product quality safety traceability system construction is established, and the specific functional requirements and non-functioning requirements of the retroactive system are analyzed, and the target is specified for the specific construction of the retroactive system. The design of the quality and safety traceability system in Jiangsu province contains the design of the overall design, the trace code design and the system function module.

Glycoengineering of CHO Cells to Improve Product Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiong; Yin, Bojiao; Chung, Cheng-Yu; Betenbaugh, Michael J

2017-01-01

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells represent the predominant platform in biopharmaceutical industry for the production of recombinant biotherapeutic proteins, especially glycoproteins. These glycoproteins include oligosaccharide or glycan attachments that represent one of the principal components dictating product quality. Especially important are the N-glycan attachments present on many recombinant glycoproteins of commercial interest. Furthermore, altering the glycan composition can be used to modulate the production quality of a recombinant biotherapeutic from CHO and other mammalian hosts. This review first describes the glycosylation network in mammalian cells and compares the glycosylation patterns between CHO and human cells. Next genetic strategies used in CHO cells to modulate the sialylation patterns through overexpression of sialyltransfereases and other glycosyltransferases are summarized. In addition, other approaches to alter sialylation including manipulation of sialic acid biosynthetic pathways and inhibition of sialidases are described. Finally, this review also covers other strategies such as the glycosylation site insertion and manipulation of glycan heterogeneity to produce desired glycoforms for diverse biotechnology applications.

Effect of production phase on bottle-fermented sparkling wine quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Belinda; Alexandre, Hervé; Robillard, Bertrand; Marchal, Richard

2015-01-14

This review analyzes bottle-fermented sparkling wine research at each stage of production by evaluating existing knowledge to identify areas that require future investigation. With the growing importance of enological investigation being focused on the needs of the wine production industry, this review examines current research at each stage of bottle-fermented sparkling wine production. Production phases analyzed in this review include pressing, juice adjustments, malolactic fermentation (MLF), stabilization, clarification, tirage, lees aging, disgorging, and dosage. The aim of this review is to identify enological factors that affect bottle-fermented sparkling wine quality, predominantly aroma, flavor, and foaming quality. Future research topics identified include regional specific varieties, plant-based products from vines, grapes, and yeast that can be used in sparkling wine production, gushing at disgorging, and methods to increase the rate of yeast autolysis. An internationally accepted sensory analysis method specifically designed for sparkling wine is required.

Bacteriological quality of some pharmaceutical products marketed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bacteriological quality of some pharmaceutical products purchased from open markets, buses and drug stores in Uyo metropolis was studied in order to determine the level of contamination of the drugs. The drug samples examined were Tetracycline capsules, Paracetamol tablets, Ampicillin capsules, Chloroquine tablets, ...

Quality assurance/quality control, reliability and availability of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kueffer, K.

1981-01-01

In a first part this lectures will present a survey on nuclear power production and plant performance in the Western World and discuss key parameters such as load factors and non-availability. Some main reasons for reliable performance of nuclear power plants are given. The second part of this lecture deals with the question how quality assurance and quality control measures do directly influence plant reliability, availability and, thus, economy. Derived from worldwide experience gained from operating nuclear power plants, it may be concluded that the implementation of an overall quality assurance programme does not only satisfy safety requirements set forth by the nuclear regulatory bodies, but has also a considerable impact on plant reliability and availability. A positive effect on these figures will be achieved if the established quality assurance programme provides for a coordinated approach to all activities affecting quality. It is discussed how the quality of a product should be controlled and what kind of quality assurance measures by performed examples are given to demonstrate that the expenditure for maintenance work on components will decrease if planned and systematic quality assurance actions have been implemented during all procurement stages. (orig./RW)

Quality assurance - the key to the future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rix, C [British Coal Corporation, London (UK)

1992-05-01

Quality assurance seeks to achieve diligence and attention to detail, which can have substantial effects including reduced costs and improved performance, as well as greater customer satisfaction. British Coal has a policy of quality assurance to BS5750 at all collieries and despatch points, to help maintain its competitive position, to respond to customer requirements, and to continue the drive for reduced costs. A pilot exercise was undertaken at Maltby and Kellingley collieries, and at Oxcroft and Gwaun-cae-Gurwen opencast despatch points, in order to gain sufficient experience to allow rapid implementation of quality assurance at all sites.

Software metrics: The key to quality software on the NCC project

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Patricia J.

1993-01-01

Network Control Center (NCC) Project metrics are captured during the implementation and testing phases of the NCCDS software development lifecycle. The metrics data collection and reporting function has interfaces with all elements of the NCC project. Close collaboration with all project elements has resulted in the development of a defined and repeatable set of metrics processes. The resulting data are used to plan and monitor release activities on a weekly basis. The use of graphical outputs facilitates the interpretation of progress and status. The successful application of metrics throughout the NCC project has been instrumental in the delivery of quality software. The use of metrics on the NCC Project supports the needs of the technical and managerial staff. This paper describes the project, the functions supported by metrics, the data that are collected and reported, how the data are used, and the improvements in the quality of deliverable software since the metrics processes and products have been in use.

Product quality : an investigation into the concept and how it is perceived by consumers

OpenAIRE

Steenkamp, J.B.E.M.

1989-01-01

The objectives of the present work are (1) to review the literature on product quality from different perspectives, (2) to develop a model that describes the way consumers form judgments about product quality, and (3) to investigate the proposed model empirically. In addition, price-perceived quality tradeoffs and the relationship between price and product quality in the marketplace are investigated. The main conclusions are summarized in this chapter.

The concept o...