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Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a systematic approach for evaluating the potential failure modes in a system, and is mainly employed in three distinct tasks labelled: (1) Functional FMEA – evaluating those failures associated with product functional definition, (2) Design FMEA – analysing those failures associated with design definition and (3) Process FMEA – assessing potential failures in manufacturing and assembly processes. The literature review has shown limited works on the field of synchronising these different tasks into a working model. To address this gap, this research developed a framework for integrating these tasks of FMEAs, and then qualitatively validating the proposed framework. This research adopted a semi-structured questionnaire to collect experts’ feedback and validate the proposed framework. The t-test was then employed to evaluate the collected feedback. The findings highlight that the proposed framework is applicable and could facilitate the synchronisation of the different tasks of FMEA. This research presents a methodological approach for executing and synchronising FMEAs. Therefore, the proposed framework is practically relevant as an aid for the practitioners in catching the cascading failures and reducing the relevant impact.

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus, characterized by persistent inflammation, is a complex autoimmune disorder with no known cure. Immunosuppressants used in treatment put patients at a higher risk of infections. New knowledge of disease modulators, such as symbiotic bacteria, can enable fine-tuning of parts of the immune system, rather than suppressing it altogether.ResultsDysbiosis of gut microbiota promotes autoimmune disorders that damage extraintestinal organs. Here we report a role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of renal dysfunction in lupus. Using a classical model of lupus nephritis, MRL/lpr, we found a marked depletion of Lactobacillales in the gut microbiota. Increasing Lactobacillales in the gut improved renal function of these mice and prolonged their survival. We used a mixture of 5 Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus oris, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus johnsonii, and Lactobacillus gasseri), but L. reuteri and an uncultured Lactobacillus sp. accounted for most of the observed effects. Further studies revealed that MRL/lpr mice possessed a "leaky" gut, which was reversed by increased Lactobacillus colonization. Lactobacillus treatment contributed to an anti-inflammatory environment by decreasing IL-6 and increasing IL-10 production in the gut. In the circulation, Lactobacillus treatment increased IL-10 and decreased IgG2a that is considered to be a major immune deposit in the kidney of MRL/lpr mice. Inside the kidney, Lactobacillus treatment also skewed the Treg-Th17 balance towards a Treg phenotype. These beneficial effects were present in female and castrated male mice, but not in intact males, suggesting that the gut microbiota controls lupus nephritis in a sex hormone-dependent manner.ConclusionsThis work demonstrates essential mechanisms on how changes of the gut microbiota regulate lupus-associated immune responses in mice. Future studies are warranted to determine if these results can be replicated in human subjects.

The output processer of interval type-2 fuzzy logic systems (IT2FLSs) is a complex operator which performs type-reduction plus defuzzification (TR+D) tasks. In this paper, a complexity-reduced yet high-performance TR+D for IT2FLSs based on Maclaurin series approximation is utilized within a feedback-error-learning (FEL) control structure for controlling linear move stages. IT2FLSs are widely used for control purposes, as they provide extra degrees of freedom to increase control accuracies. FEL benefits from a classical controller, which is responsible for providing overall system stability, as well as a guideline for the training mechanism for IT2FLSs. The Kalman filter approach is utilized to tune IT2FLS parameters in this FEL structure. The proposed control method is applied to a linear stage in real time. Using an identification process, a model of the real-time linear stage is developed. Simulation results indicate that the proposed FEL approach using the Kalman filter as an estimator is an effective approach that outperforms the gradient descent-based FEL method and the proportional derivative (PD) classical controller. Motivated by the performance of the proposed Kalman filter-based FEL approach, it is used to control a linear move stage in real time. The position feedback of the move stage is provided by a precision laser interferometer capable of performing measurements with an accuracy of less than 1   μ m . Using this measurement system in a feedback loop with the proposed control algorithm, the overall steady state of the system is less than 20   μ m . The results illustrate the high-precision control capability of the proposed controller in real-time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Fire modulates herbivore dynamics in open ecosystems. While extensive work demonstrates the interaction between fire and vertebrate grazers, less research describes how grasshopper herbivory dynamics respond to fire. Aim. We examined how fire increased grass crude protein content and increased the density of and offtake by grasshoppers relative to unburned mixed-grass prairie. Methods. We deployed grasshopper exclusion cages to determine grasshopper offtake of aboveground plant biomass, counted grasshopper abundance throughout the study period, and measured crude protein content of aboveground grass biomass. Key results. Offtake and density were higher in burned versus unburned plots. Burned plot grasshopper density increased over time, with greater rates of increase in recently burned plots, while density remained constant in unburned locations. Conclusions. We present a potential mechanism by which fire interacts with grasshoppers in open ecosystems. It is likely that greater grasshopper offtake and density in recently-burned plots is at least partially attributable to higher crude protein content, as grass in these plots has a much higher proportion of recent growth after fire removed senesced material. Implications. Grasshopper herbivory likely acts as a multiplier of livestock herbivory in burned rangeland. Restoring fire regimes can balance direct negative effects of heating against nutritional benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]