Nonconforming Case Research Articles

A new mixed repetitive group sampling plan based on the process capability index for product acceptance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a new mixed repetitive group sampling (RGS) plan based on the process capability index, Cpk, where the quality characteristics of interest follow the normal distribution with unknown mean and unknown variance. Tables are constructed to determine the optimal parameters for practical applications for both symmetric and asymmetric fraction non-conforming cases. The advantages of this proposed mixed sampling plan are also discussed. The proposed sampling plan is also compared with other existing sampling plans.Design/methodology/approachIn order to determine the optimal parameters of the proposed mixed RGS plan based on Cpk, the authors constructed tables for various combinations of acceptable and limiting quality levels (LQLs). For constructing tables, the authors followed the approach of two points on the operating characteristic (OC) curve. The optimal problem is formulated as a non-linear programming where the objective function to be minimized is the average sample number (ASN) and the constraints are related to lot acceptance probabilities at acceptable quality level and LQL under the OC curve.FindingsThe proposed mixed RGS plan will be a new addition to the literature of acceptance sampling. It is shown that the proposed mixed plan involves minimum ASN with desired protection to both producers and consumers compared to other existing sampling plans. The practical application of the proposed mixed sampling plan is also explained with an illustrative real-time example.Originality/valueIn this paper, the authors propose a new mixed RGS plan based on the process capability index Cpk, where the quality characteristic of interest follows the normal distribution with unknown mean and unknown variance. Tables are constructed to determine the optimal parameters for practical applications. The proposed mixed sampling plan can be used in all production industries. This kind of mixed RGS plan is not available in the literature.

REDUÇÃO DA NÃO CONFORMIDADE COMO PLANEJAMENTO PARA A MELHORIA DE DESEMPENHO EM UMA FÁBRICA NO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO

O objetivo deste artigo é identificar as falhas no processo de fabricação, permitindo a programação de melhorias de desempenho. O estudo é descritivo através de um estudo de caso, uma indústria de cabos que enfrenta um número crescente de falhas na produção, o que gera prejuízo significativo para a empresa. A pesquisa utiliza o diagrama de Ishikawa e a ferramenta 5w2h para qualificar e quantificar os dados com o objetivo de avaliar o impacto gerado pelos defeitos de fabricação. Após a definição das causas diretamente relacionadas aos casos de não conformidade foi elaborado um estudo dos fatores associados às mesmas e as possíveis correções ou ações a serem adotadas em um plano de ação.

Comparing NMR and X-ray protein structure: Lindemann-like parameters and NMR disorder

Disordered protein chains and segments are fast becoming a major pathway for our understanding of biological function, especially in more evolved species. However, the standard definition of disordered residues: the inability to constrain them in X-ray derived structures, is not easily applied to NMR derived structures. We carry out a statistical comparison between proteins whose structure was resolved using NMR and using X-ray protocols. We start by establishing a connection between these two protocols for obtaining protein structure. We find a close statistical correspondence between NMR and X-ray structures if fluctuations inherent to the NMR protocol are taken into account. Intuitively this tends to lend support to the validity of both NMR and X-ray protocols in deriving biomolecular models that correspond to in vivo conditions. We then establish Lindemann-like parameters for NMR derived structures and examine what order/disorder cutoffs for these parameters are most consistent with X-ray data and how consistent are they. Finally, we find critical value of for the best correspondence between X-ray and NMR derived order/disorder assignment, judged by maximizing the Matthews correlation, and a critical value if a balance between false positive and false negative prediction is sought. We examine a few non-conforming cases, and examine the origin of the structure derived in X-ray. This study could help in assigning meaningful disorder from NMR experiments.

A new study of Brazilian concrete strength conformance

ABSTRACT This paper presents a new evaluation of the strength compliance of concretes produced in Brazil. It is based on experimental results of over twenty-seven thousand concrete samples from different parts of the country. Results show that a significant part of Brazilian concrete do not reach the characteristic strength (fck) specified in design, and the percentage of nonconforming samples tend to be higher than 5%. This study also reveals the concrete produced in the South and Midwest regions have less variability than the ones produced in the other regions of the country. These results emphasize the importance of a rigorous control in manufacturing and reception of concretes in order to reduce the nonconforming cases.

A Parallel Algorithm for the Solution of Large-Scale Nonconforming Fluid-Structure Interaction Problems in Hemodynamics

In this work we address the numerical solution of large scale fluid-structure interaction problems when nonconforming grids and⁄or nonconforming finite elements discretizations are used at the interface separating the fluid and structure physical domains. To deal with nonconforming fluid-structure discretizations we use the INTERNODES method (INTER-polation for NOnconforming DEcompositionS) formerly introduced in [6] for the solution of elliptic PDEs on nonconforming domain decomposition. To cope with the high computational complexity of the three dimensional FSI problem obtained after spatial and temporal discretization, we use the block parallel preconditioner FaCSI [7]. A numerical investigation of the accuracy properties of INTERNODES applied to the nonconforming FSI problem is carried out for the simulation of the pressure wave propagation in a straight elastic cylinder. Finally, we study the scalability performance of the FaCSI preconditioner in the nonconforming case by solving a large-scale nonconforming FSI problem in a patients-pecific arterial bypass.

Extension of NXFEM to nonconforming finite elements

In this paper, we consider triangular nonconforming finite element approximations of an interface elliptic problem. We propose two extensions of the conforming Nitsche’s extended finite element method to the nonconforming case. The first one is obtained by adding stabilisation terms on the cut edges, and the second one by modifying the Crouzeix–Raviart basis functions on the cut cells. Both discrete problems are uniformly stable and yield optimal a priori error estimates, uniformly with respect to the diffusion parameters. Moreover, we show that they exhibit the same robustness with respect to the position of the interface as the classical conforming method. We then validate these results numerically. Finally, we propose a nonconforming approximation of the interface Stokes problem based on the modified Crouzeix–Raviart elements and we illustrate it numerically.

The lived experience of interferon-free treatments for hepatitis C: A thematic analysis

BackgroundInternational discourse concerning the evolution in hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy has tended to focus on improving outcomes, shortened treatment length and reduced side-effects of interferon-free regimens. How these treatments are being understood and experienced by the people receiving them has so far been overlooked. This study therefore aimed to explore the lived experience of individuals taking interferon-free HCV therapies. MethodsData were generated through 16 semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of eight participants, recruited from a university hospital in Scotland. The interviews took place between June 2015 and March 2016, before and after a period of interferon-free HCV treatment. The data were interrogated using a thematic analysis, underpinned by social phenomenological theory. ResultsThree overriding themes were identified. ‘Expectations and realisations’ characterised the influence that interferon continued to cast over interferon-free treatment, contrasting the practicalities of taking interferon-free therapy with preconceived notions. ‘An honour and a pleasure’ portrayed a positive experience of an undemanding therapy, yet among those with a history of drug use, was also positioned as a privilege, associated with feelings of luck and guilt. ‘Treatment needs’ illustrated the strategies participants used to search for treatment efficacy, and the value those with a significant history of drug use placed on support. One nonconforming case is then discussed to enhance rigour and trustworthiness. ConclusionThis is the first qualitative exploration of the experience of interferon-free HCV treatment reported globally. The results from this study suggest a cultural lag exists between the pharmacological developments which have been witnessed, and societal understandings of them. This has implications for the way services meet the needs of, and offer therapy to, HCV positive individuals.

Topological pressure and dimension estimation

In this paper, we give a survey of recent results in the dimension theory of dynamical systems, with emphasis on the dimension of repellers and hyperbolic sets and the dimension of invariant measures. In the case of conformal dynamics, the theory is completely well understood. However, it still lacks today a satisfactory general approach for the non-conformal case, although a number of interesting and nontrivial developments have been obtained. Indeed, we only well understand some particular non-conformal repellers, e.g., generalized Sierpinski carpets and average conformal repellers.

Designing of two mixed variable lot-size sampling plans using repetitive sampling and resampling based on the process capability index

ABSTRACTIn this article, we propose two types mixed variable lot-size sampling plans using the process capability index. The first one is the mixed variable lot-size repetitive sampling plan and the other is the mixed variable lot-size sampling plan for resubmitted lots. The design methodology of the proposed mixed sampling plans for symmetric and asymmetric fraction nonconforming cases is presented. Tables are constructed to determine the optimal parameters for practical applications. The industrial applications of the proposed mixed sampling plans are explained with illustrative examples. Comparison of the proposed sampling plans with other existing sampling plans is also made.

Constructing higher-order hydrodynamics: The third order

Hydrodynamics can be formulated as the gradient expansion of conserved currents in terms of the fundamental fields describing the near-equilibrium fluid flow. In the relativistic case, the Navier-Stokes equations follow from the conservation of the stress-energy tensor to first order in derivatives. In this paper, we go beyond the presently understood second-order hydrodynamics and discuss the systematisation of obtaining the hydrodynamic expansion to an arbitrarily high order. As an example of the algorithm that we present, we fully classify the gradient expansion at third order for neutral fluids in four dimensions, thus finding the most general next-to-leading-order corrections to the relativistic Navier-Stokes equations in curved space-time. In doing so, we list $20$ new transport coefficient candidates in the conformal and $68$ in the non-conformal case. As we do not consider any constraints that could potentially arise from the local entropy current analysis, this is the maximal possible set of neutral third-order transport coefficients. To investigate the physical implications of these new transport coefficients, we obtain the third-order corrections to the linear dispersion relations that describe the propagation of diffusion and sound waves in relativistic fluids. We also compute the corrections to the scalar (spin-$2$) two-point correlation function of the third-order stress-energy tensor. Furthermore, as an example of a non-linear hydrodynamic flow, we calculate the third-order corrections to the energy density of a boost-invariant Bjorken flow. Finally, we apply our field theoretic results to the $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills fluid at infinite 't Hooft coupling and infinite number of colours to find the values of five new linear combinations of the conformal transport coefficients.

Developmental Changes in the Link Between Gender Typicality and Peer Victimization and Exclusion

The present study takes a broad and nuanced view of gender typicality in normative populations and suggests that this aspect of children’s gender identity might be a fundamental aspect of vulnerability to peer maltreatment. Using a cross-sectional sample from the Southwestern United States, developmental differences were examined in the relations between kindergarten (n = 210, M age = 5.81, 52 % female), second (n = 205, M age = 7.62, 50 % female), and fourth (n = 205, M age = 9.56, 44 % female) grade students’ self-reported similarity to own- and other-gender peers and teacher-reported peer victimization and exclusion. Parents’ reports of children’s own- and other-gender friendships were also examined to test whether friendships would attenuate this relation. We hypothesized (a) lower gender typicality would be associated with higher victimization/exclusion for 2nd and 4th grade children and (b) friendships with own- and other-gender peers, but especially own-gender peers, would moderate the typicality and victimization/exclusion relation, acting as a buffer against victimization/exclusion. Supporting our hypotheses, results indicated developmental differences in the link between gender typicality and victimization/exclusion with a more consistent relation in 2nd and 4th grades. For girls, having other-gender friends moderated the negative relation of other-gender similarity and victimization/exclusion. Own-gender friendships were protective overall for both genders, and other-gender friendships were protective for 4th graders. Our study suggests that gender-related intolerance is a central issue to peer maltreatment and affects more than just those who exhibit the most extreme cases of gender nonconformity and that friendships can provide a buffer against victimization/exclusion.

A New Mixed Variable Lot Size Sampling Plan Based on Process Capability Index

Abstract A new mixed sampling plan with a variable lot size plan is developed in this manuscript using the process capability index. The operating characteristic function of the proposed plan is derived and the plan parameters are determined using the non-linear optimization procedure for symmetric and asymmetric fraction non-conforming cases. It is also shown that the proposed plan is more efficient than existing acceptance sampling plans. Industrial data is presented to explain the application of the proposed plan.

Understanding Health Information Seeking: A Test of the Risk Perception Attitude Framework

The authors used the Risk Perception Attitude framework, which is grounded in the Extended Parallel Process Model, to predict people's intentions to seek health information. In an online survey, 689 participants recruited from a crowdsource website were queried about their anticipated health information seeking, perceived risk, and efficacy in response to four scenarios pertaining to hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, alcohol dependence, and diabetes. Each participant was categorized for each scenario as responsive (higher risk, higher efficacy), avoidant (higher risk, lower efficacy), proactive (lower risk, higher efficacy), or indifferent (lower risk, lower efficacy). As predicted, responsive individuals were more likely to seek information than avoidant individuals, but only in three of the four scenarios. Also as expected, there was no difference between proactive and indifferent individuals’ likelihood of seeking health information for any scenario. Risk and efficacy, while significant predictors of anticipated health information seeking, left much of the variance unexplained. An analysis of the reasons for information seeking and nonseeking among nonconforming cases suggests that a wider range of influences on health information seeking should be investigated, including curiosity, prior knowledge, social expectations, and situational norms.

From Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory in AdS 3 towards hydrodynamics in 1 + 1 dimensions

We study Abelian Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory in three-dimensional $AdS$ black hole backgrounds for both integer and non-integer Chern-Simons coupling. Such theories can be derived from various string theory constructions, which we review in the present work. In particular we find exact solutions in the low frequency, low momentum limit, $\omega, k \ll T$(hydrodynamic limit). Using the holographic principle, we translate our results into correlation functions of vector and scalar operators in the dual strongly coupled 1+1-dimensional quantum field theory with a chiral anomaly at non-zero temperature $T$. Starting from the conformal case we show applicability of the hydrodynamic limit and discuss extensions to the non-conformal case. Correlation functions in the conformal case are compared to an exact field theoretic computation.

A note on the stringy embeddings of certain N=2 dualities

Seiberg–Witten theory can be embedded in F-theory using D3 branes probing an orientifold geometry. The nonperturbative corrections in the orientifold picture map directly to the instanton corrections in the corresponding gauge theory that convert the classical moduli space to the quantum one. In this short review we argue that the recently proposed class of conformal Gaiotto models may also be embedded in F-theory. The F-theory constructions help us not only to understand the Gaiotto dualities but also to extend to the nonconformal cases with and without cascading behaviors. For the conformal cases, the near horizon geometries in F-theory capture both the UV and IR behaviors succinctly.

Non-Abelian T-duality and the AdS/CFT correspondence: New [formula omitted] backgrounds

We consider non-Abelian T-duality on N=1 supergravity backgrounds possessing well understood field theory duals. For the case of D3-branes at the tip of the conifold, we dualise along an SU(2) isometry. The result is a type-IIA geometry whose lift to M-theory is of the type recently proposed by Bah et al. as the dual to certain N=1 SCFT quivers produced by M5-branes wrapping a Riemann surface. In the non-conformal cases we find smooth duals in massive IIA supergravity with a Romans mass naturally quantised. We initiate the interpretation of these geometries in the context of AdS/CFT correspondence. We show that the central charge and the entanglement entropy are left invariant by this dualisation. The backgrounds suggest a form of Seiberg duality in the dual field theories which also exhibit domain walls and confinement in the infrared.

Jurisdictional Quandaries: A Way Forward

From the founding, the authority of Congress to delineate the jurisdiction of the federal courts occasioned debate. And for good reason. The power to define jurisdiction is the power to determine which categories of cases will or will not be heard by the federal courts. And it turn it is the power to determine which laws will be enforced and which rights protected. It has long been recognized that Congress may regulate jurisdiction, not only by specifying the particular categories of cases that federal courts may hear, but also by regulating the manner and timing in which those cases come before the federal courts. Whether or not Congress intended a particular precondition to suit to operate jurisdictionally is not always clear, however, and the Supreme Court’s method of interpretation has fluctuated wildly. The early Court adopted in effect a presumption in favor of jurisdictional treatment and dismissed nonconforming cases. In a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree shift, the current Court has adopted a presumption against finding a precondition to suit to be jurisdictional. As the Court now has it, a precondition is jurisdictional only where Congress so “clearly states.” This sea-change in approach has led to a sea-change in outcome with the Court finding that it has jurisdiction in nearly every recent case. The Court’s new method for interpreting preconditions to suit has significant practical and theoretical implications. As a practical matter, the single most important question in a lawsuit is whether the court has jurisdiction. For a jurisdictional bar is absolute: It may not be waived, meritorious excuses are irrelevant, and courts must consider the question sua sponte. The theoretical question is just as important, implicating foundational separation of powers issues. The Supreme Court’s current thumb on the scale in favor of federal court jurisdiction results in an expansion of Art. III and intrudes upon Congress’s Art. I power to define jurisdiction. This Article argues for a return to first principles of statutory interpretation. Part I analyzes the Supreme Court’s treatment of preconditions to suit. The approaches taken by the Marshall, Taney, and current Courts are examined in detail. Part II considers the doctrinal and theoretical underpinnings of the Court’s current approach and concludes that the approach is wrong-headed. First, the Court’s use of the claims processing, substantive, and jurisdictional labels are unhelpful and divert the Court from the proper question of congressional intent. Second, the Supreme Court’s occasional application of stare decisis and purpose creates significant tension with the clear statement rule. Finally, the Court’s clear statement rule lacks theoretical justification. Given that such substantive canons alter the ordinary rules of statutory interpretation and impose a clarity tax on Congress, they are ordinarily reserved for weighty constitutional concerns. Yet the only justification proffered for the Court’s current clear statement approach is efficiency. Efficiency is an insufficient ground upon which to expand Article III jurisdiction. Moreover, the constitutional concerns cut in the opposite direction; within constitutional limits, it is for Congress to determine the federal courts’ jurisdiction. The Court’s clear statement approach, however, requires federal courts to load the dice in favor of their own jurisdiction rather than engage in more ordinary statutory interpretation. Part III thus proposes a way forward in interpreting preconditions to suit and identifies key factors in determining whether such preconditions are in fact jurisdictional. Part III also demonstrates that the mode of interpretation matters, applying a proper jurisdictional analysis to recent Supreme Court cases and to the Anti-Injunction Act with surprising results.

Analysis of a multigrid preconditioner for Crouzeix-Raviart discretization of elliptic partial differential equation with jump coefficients

SUMMARY In this paper, we present a multigrid V-cycle preconditioner for the linear system arising from piecewise linear nonconforming Crouzeix–Raviart discretization of second-order elliptic problems with jump coefficients. The preconditioner uses standard conforming subspaces as coarse spaces. We showed that the convergence rates of the (multiplicative) two-grid and multigrid V-cycle algorithms will deteriorate rapidly because of large jumps in coefficient. However, the preconditioned systems have only a fixed number of small eigenvalues depending on the large jump in coefficient, and the effective condition numbers are independent of the coefficient and bounded logarithmically with respect to the mesh size. As a result, the two-grid or multigrid preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm converges nearly uniformly. We also comment on some major differences of the convergence theory between the nonconforming case and the standard conforming case. Numerical experiments support the theoretical results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Handling material discontinuities in a nonconforming generalized finite element method to solve wave propagation problems

To solve wave propagation problems over large domains composed by different media, many authors use the generalized finite element method (GFEM) with a geometrically conforming partition and plane wave enrichment.Such analysis is often accomplished by decomposing the entire domain into several subdomains and performing the analysis individually on each one. Then, the global analysis can be realized by using Lagrange multipliers to ensure the interface constraints. In this article, the GFEM with plane wave enrichment is extended to nonconforming discrete cases where the interface between the media can be handled as piecewise linear segments. Results for problems for which the analytical solution is known are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed technique. The convergence of the method is also presented as a function of the number of plane wave directions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:2709–2716, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27166

A high-order discontinuous Galerkin method for wave propagation through coupled elastic–acoustic media

We introduce a high-order discontinuous Galerkin (dG) scheme for the numerical solution of three-dimensional (3D) wave propagation problems in coupled elastic–acoustic media. A velocity–strain formulation is used, which allows for the solution of the acoustic and elastic wave equations within the same unified framework. Careful attention is directed at the derivation of a numerical flux that preserves high-order accuracy in the presence of material discontinuities, including elastic–acoustic interfaces. Explicit expressions for the 3D upwind numerical flux, derived as an exact solution for the relevant Riemann problem, are provided. The method supports h-non-conforming meshes, which are particularly effective at allowing local adaptation of the mesh size to resolve strong contrasts in the local wavelength, as well as dynamic adaptivity to track solution features. The use of high-order elements controls numerical dispersion, enabling propagation over many wave periods. We prove consistency and stability of the proposed dG scheme. To study the numerical accuracy and convergence of the proposed method, we compare against analytical solutions for wave propagation problems with interfaces, including Rayleigh, Lamb, Scholte, and Stoneley waves as well as plane waves impinging on an elastic–acoustic interface. Spectral rates of convergence are demonstrated for these problems, which include a non-conforming mesh case. Finally, we present scalability results for a parallel implementation of the proposed high-order dG scheme for large-scale seismic wave propagation in a simplified earth model, demonstrating high parallel efficiency for strong scaling to the full size of the Jaguar Cray XT5 supercomputer.