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The paper introduces a concept of assessment of a ductile iron casting process with use of the rule-based approach, known as DRSA (dominance-based rough set approach). The research was conducted in a large Polish foundry. The collected data concern the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the used ductile cast iron. In the paper, a methodology of creating a rule-based moulding model for the tensile strength was proposed. The quality, sensitivity and accuracy of the model extracted from the data were examined. The studies proved its usefulness in the industrial practice and for aiding of the decision making process.

Quality inspection is very often one of the most important stages of the production process, although it does not create any added value. Therefore, optimization of the related number of activities is of crucial importance. However, reduction should not be made arbitrarily, but preceded and documented by appropriate research. The article describes a study aimed at reducing the high cost of quality inspection as part of the manufacturing process of a diagnostic catheter at a medical company. The product is used for blood pressure monitoring and blood sampling by the Seldinger technique. A critical quality feature for the catheter is air/water tightness. Following a thorough analysis, some control points were eliminated, and others were improved. The resulting conclusion is that detection of defective components is the most beneficial for this specific production process if carried out during the 100 percent final quality inspection. The finding is based on the fact that the cost of producing the final device with a defective component is lower than a quality inspection run directly after each operation. The authors also managed to decrease the sample size for control charts used to supervise the adhesive connection strength.

The main subject of the paper is a problem of capability assessment of a production process for manufacturing products fulfilling certain requirements. The paper presents theoretical assumptions of the DRSA method for classification of a process state based on so-called process state measures (e.g. process parameters, diagnostic signals, events). In the paper, results of application of the proposed methodology for assessment of capability of the nodular cast iron casting process are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer has become a public health concern in Indonesia. Regular breast self-examination (BSE) is considered an important first step for its early detection, especially in countries with limited healthcare access, as it is the case in Indonesia. This study aimed to confirm and assess the psychosocial determinants of intention to perform BSE and BSE performance., Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on 204 women aged 18-65 years in Surabaya, Indonesia. A 64-item survey was conducted, included variables from the Reasoned Action Approach, and the Health Belief Model, presented questions about demographics, breast cancer knowledge, and behavior related to BSE., Results: Most women (72.5%) expressed intention to perform BSE; however, only 7.8% and 2.9% performed BSE per week and per month, respectively, in the past year. Breast cancer knowledge and attitudes towards BSE were uniquely associated with BSE performance. Perceived behavioral control (PBC) and BSE attitudes were unique correlates of intention. Perceived benefits and barriers and subjective norms were significantly associated with intention and BSE behavior in bivariate analyses., Conclusions: Breast screening education should incorporate strategies for improving attitudes towards BSE, PBC, and breast cancer knowledge with perceived benefits and barriers and subjective norms as relevant targets., (© 2022. The Author(s).)