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This article examines the performance of the adaptive cumulative sum (CUSUM) plans and three simultaneous CUSUM statistics with different levels of temporal memory for monitoring changes in dispers...

The aim of preventive conservation is to reduce the risk of deterioration and to slow down natural ageing of materials, in order to minimise interventions (Bradley 2005). Musical instruments are a ...

The aim is to make it easier for users to implement dispersion monitoring plans when the data are autocorrelated. If the data follow a low-order ARMA model then the same threshold for the monitoring plan is applicable by revising the rational subgroup size. A robust plan for non-normal data is achieved in most cases by first transforming the data to an approximate normal distribution, and then applying the plan for normally distributed data. The dispersion plan is based on the robust regression estimator of the slope coefficient when regressing the ordered rational sub-group values against their “expected” in-control values.

This survey was carried out to evaluate the occurrence of total aflatoxins (AFs; B1+B2+G1+G2) in unpacked composite spices. A total of 75 samples of composite spices such as biryani, karhai, tikka, nihari and korma masalas were collected from local markets of Karachi, Pakistan, and analysed using HPLC technique. The results indicated that AFs were detected in 77% (n = 58) samples ranging from 0.68 to 25.74 µg kg(-1) with a mean of 4.63 ± 0.95 µg kg(-1). In 88% (n = 66) samples, AFs level was below the maximum limits (ML = 10 µg kg(-1)) as imposed by EU. Furthermore, 61% (n = 46) tested samples contained AFs level between 1 and 10 µg kg(-1), 9% (n = 7) exhibited AFs contamination ranged 10-20 µg kg(-1) and only 3% (n = 2) of the investigated samples contained AFs levels higher than the ML of 20 µg kg(-1) for total aflatoxins as set by the USA. It was concluded that there is need to establish a strict and continuous national monitoring plan to improve safety and quality of spices in Pakistan.

In 2001, the DuPont Company and various Virginia regulatory agencies (Virginia) established the South River Science Team (SRST) as a multi-stakeholder and collaborative program to address legacy Hg contamination of the South River, Virginia. Specifically, the SRST began to apply a watershed-level risk-based assessment process to evaluate the potential impact of a former DuPont facility adjacent to the South River. Mercury had been found in facility soils in 1976 spawning numerous chemical and biological studies. However, prior to 1999, with the exception of a structured, long-term fish monitoring plan developed by Virginia, these studies were conducted by diverse, independent organizations resulting in limited scientific oversight and implementation, or interaction with the public. This article focuses on some key findings (e.g., defining/refining the issues, setting up the team, the role of the different stakeholders in making the process work) from the problem formulation and planning phase of ...

The life-cycle environmental and usage conditions of a product or system can be monitored and analyzed to assess its on-going health, provide advance warning of failure, and provide information to improve the design and qualification of fielded and future products. The challenge lies in the implementation of this method in application conditions. This paper presents methods to effectively collect and analyze life-cycle environmental and usage data for in-situ health assessments. An integrated hardware-software micro-programmable module for health and usage monitoring of electronic products in their application environment is presented. The hardware incorporates local sensors, and on-board processing power using embedded software. These data processing capabilities are intended to enable immediate and localized processing of the raw sensor data to reduce the power and memory consumption anticipated during load monitoring. Guidelines are also provided to develop a life cycle monitoring plan, that en...

Groundwater monitoring for underground storage tanks can be a complex endeavor. Each site is generally different and a site‐specific monitoring plan should be designed. Elements or components that should be evaluated for a successful and practical underground storage tank plan for hydrocarbon detection have been identified. Some of the elements may be omitted or modified depending of the site, but the resulting plan may suffer corresponding deficiencies in hydrocarbon detection. An effective groundwater monitoring plan should encompass several factors which should be very carefully considered and prioritized site‐specifically. Soil gas sensing coupling with groundwater sampling provide a more intelligent approach to underground storage tank monitoring for hydrocarbon contamination. As a guiding principle, significantly more attention should be focused on the risks associated with failing to detect a plume more than any other variables or factors.

A taxonomy of the monitoring of programmed tasks is presented. Rather than classifying the existing monitoring systems with respect lo their application domain, this taxonomy refers to the functional aspects of the systems considered. In particular, the aspects analysed include the capacity of self-generating the monitoring plan and the ability to cope with tasks to be accomplished under variable operating conditions

One of the major problems facing the world's coastal and port managers is the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals, and other contaminants in the marine sediments of coastal waters. Developing an effective plan for the cleanup of highly contaminated harbors poses many problems for project managers trying to prevent further damage to the environment and maximize project effectiveness. A feasibility study and pilot scale dredging project was conducted in the upper estuary of the New Bedford (Massachusetts) Harbor from 1988 through 1989 to aid in designing and selecting a prototype harbor cleanup system. This paper analyzes some of the problems posed by the project, discusses the water quality monitoring plan that was developed, and reviews the project managers’ decision‐making processes and problem‐solving strategies. This project demonstrates that effective management techniques combinedwithpertinent data will enable cleanup projects to be successfully completed without adversely af...