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Previous studies from our lab have created a simple procedure for single-cell count of bacteria on a paper chip platform using optical detection from a smartphone. The procedure and steps employed are outlined along with the lessons learned and details of certain steps and how the design was optimized. Smartphone optical detection is easy to use, low cost, and potentially field deployable, which can be useful for early and rapid detection of pathogens. Smartphone imaging of a paper microfluidic chip preloaded with antibody-conjugated particles provides an adaptable platform for detection of different bacterial targets. The paper microfluidic chip was fabricated with a multichannel design. Each channel was preloaded with either a negative control of bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugated particles, anti-Salmonella Typhimurium-conjugated particles with varying amounts (to cover different ranges of assay), or anti-Escherichia coli-conjugated particles. Samples were introduced to the paper microfluidic chip using pipetting. Antigens of Salmonella Typhimurium traveled through the channel by capillary action confined within the paper fibers surrounded by the hydrophobic barrier. The paper channel was observed to act as a filter for unwanted particles and contaminants found in field samples. Serial dilutions of known concentrations of bacterial targets were also tested using this procedure to construct a standard curve prior to the assays. The antibody-conjugated particles were able to immunoagglutinate which was quantified through evaluation of Mie scatter intensity. This Mie scattering was quantified in images taken with a smartphone at an optimized angle and distance. Mie scatter simulation provided a method of optimizing the experimental setup and could translate easily to other types of target sample matrices. A smartphone application was developed to help the user position the smartphone optimally in relation to the paper microfluidic chip. The application integrated both image capturing capability and a simple image processing algorithm that calculated bacteria concentrations. The detection limit was at a single-cell level with a total assay time ranging from 90 to less than 60 s depending on the target.

This chapter examines the short term production, transportation and inventory planning problems encountered in the fine-paper industry. After positioning the problems in the context of a general supply chain planning system for the pulp and paper industry, a comprehensive synchronized production-distribution model is gradually developed. First, a model for the dynamic lot-sizing of intermediate products on a single paper machine with a predetermined production cycle is proposed. The model also plans the production and inventory of finished products. Then, we consider the lot-sizing of intermediate products on multiple parallel paper machines with a predetermined production sequence. Finally, simultaneous production and distribution planning for a single mill multiple distribution centers network is studied by considering different transportation modes between the mill and its Distribution Centers (DCs).

The qualification process for ensuring that a paddle or basket apparatus is suitable for its intended use is a highly debated and controversial topic. Different instrument qualification and suitability methods have been proposed by the pharmacopeias and regulatory bodies. In an effort to internationally harmonize dissolution apparatus suitability requirements, the International Pharmaceutical Federation's (FIP) Dissolution/Drug Release Special Interest Group (SIG) reviewed current instrument suitability requirements listed in the US, European, and Japanese pharmacopeias and the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Topic Q4B on harmonization of pharmacopoeial methods, in its Annex 7, Dissolution Test General. In addition, the SIG reviewed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Draft Guidance for Industry, “The Use of Mechanical Calibration of Dissolution Apparatus 1 and 2—Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP)” and the related ASTM Standard E2503-07. Based on this review and several in-depth discussions, the FIP Dissolution/Drug Release SIG recommends that the qualification of a dissolution test instrument should be performed following the calibration requirements as indicated in the FDA (draft) guidance. If additional system performance information is desired, a performance verification test using US Pharmacopeia Reference Standard tablet or an established in-house reference product can be conducted. Any strict requirement on the use of a specific performance verification test tablet is not recommended at this time.

The research reported in this paper concerns the ongoing development of a Knowledge Intensive Sketching (KiS) framework through which designers are supported in foreseeing directly from their paper-based sketches the relevant life-cycle consequences of their ‘component form’ solution concepts. The goal of the KiS framework is to retain the important characteristics of freehand sketching, i.e. pencil and paper, whilst at the same time exploit the benefits of Knowledge Intensive CAD technology for proactively guiding designers in generating life-oriented solutions as from early design.

We determine a duality between broadcast and multiple access channels that can be used to obtain the capacity region and optimal transmission strategy for one channel based on the capacity-achieving transmission strategy and region for the dual channel. This duality result in applicable to additive Gaussian noise and fading channels for several different notions of fading channel capacity, including ergodic capacity, outage capacity, and minimum rate capacity. We show that duality can be used to obtain any of these capacities for the fading broadcast channel from the same capacity on the dual MAC channel, and vice versa. We then apply this general result to obtain the minimum rate capacity of the fading multiple access channel, which also yields the ergodic and outage capacity as special cases. Next we turn our attention to broadcast channels with multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver (the MIMO channel). Since this channel is in general non-degraded, its capacity region remains an unsolved problem. We establish a duality between the achievable region of the MIMO broadcast channel using Costa’s “dirty-paper” coding and the capacity region of the MIMO multiple-access channel, which is easy to compute. We also show that the dirty paper achievable region yields the sum-rate capacity of the MIMO broadcast channel.

Harmonisation in information systems modeling can only be achieved if there is agreement on issues and approaches among those who build and reason about information systems. In the past there has been a severe lack of agreement on what the central issues are when building information systems, as well as disagreement on how such systems should be built. This situation taken into consideration the WG8.1 FRISCO group has taken on a draconian task when trying to forge agreement and harmonisation of all of the competing views on information systems.

The era of employing a grand monolithic approach to develop data processing systems is coming to an end. Systems developers are now realizing that there are many different ways to specify and program systems. While the traditional IF… THEN, DO WHILE approach is popular in many situations, it is far from being the best or only way. For instance, a medical diagnosis system might be implemented best with rules and an inference engine. In other situations, conditioning a neural network or genetic algorithm could produce the desired results much more efficiently. Elsewhere, a predicate logic or functional expression would be the best way to specify an application. In other words, if a system can be specified in many ways, why not choose the mix of approaches best for the problem at hand? Why be bound to only one way of doing things, when a combination of approaches might produce a result that is more economical, accurate, understandable, and elegant?

This chapter presents further issues on the validity, importance and usefulness of studies about diagnostic tools, including screening methods. These topics complement the discussion on measurement instruments presented in chapter 4.