Search

Tooth bleaching is becoming increasingly popular among patients and dentists since it is a relatively noninvasive approach for whitening and lightening teeth. Instruments and visual assessment with respect to commercial shade guides are currently used to evaluate tooth color. However, the association between these procedures is imprecise and the degree of color change after tooth bleaching is known to vary substantially between studies; there are currently no objective guidelines to predict the effectiveness of a tooth-bleaching treatment. We propose a new methodology based on fuzzy logic as a natural means of representing the imprecision present when modeling the color change produced by a tooth-bleaching treatment on the basis of a tooth's initial chromatic values. This system has the advantage of producing a set of interpretable fuzzy rules that can subsequently be used by scientists and dental practitioners. The fuzzy system obtained has the special characteristic whereby the rule antecedents correspond to prebleaching shades of the well-known Vita commercial shade guide. Additionally, the rule consequents directly correspond with the expected CIELAB postbleaching values for each Vita shade, thanks to a modification of the system's inference structure. Finally, the values of these postbleaching CIELAB coordinates have been associated with Vita shades by evaluating their respective membership functions, thereby approximating which posttreatment Vita shades are to be expected for each prebleaching shade. [c] 2010 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 330.1710, 170.1850, 200.4260.

Problem statement: Test scheduling is crucially important for optimal SoC test automation to allocate the limited available test resources. In this study we introduced a fuzzy based engine to allocate test resources. The minimized test application time can be achieved by test pipelining. However the test power consumption incurred during test procedure must be controlled in order not to offend the allowed maximal power dissipation thus avoiding damaging the system under test. Approach: Process algebra is the adept to deal with concurrent behaviors, based on this, the test scheduling scheme for SoC cores concurrent test is outlined by mapping the parallel test actions into concurrent processes. The algorithm for SoC test scheduling based on process algebra under multiple constraints (test power dissipation, test resources and test priorities) and apply a fuzzy based optimum search for a solution to the scheduling problem. Results: The test application time was calculated for three ITC-02 SOC benchmark circuits and the results were compared with other approaches. Conclusion: The results showed for ITC-02 benchmarks circuits prove the effectiveness of our proposed method. Key words: System-on-chip, test access mechanism, process algebra, fuzzy logic, INTRODUCTION In many of the earlier research studies of the test scheduling for the SoC(System-on-Chip) benchmark circuits, scheduling was done using functional bus as the medium for test vector transportation [...]

This study developed quality performance indices for the Taiwanese bicycle component manufactory industry. After extensively studying the current Taiwanese quality assessments, NQA, and performing in-depth interviews with relevant experts, we developed 33 quality performance indices. The methodology used here, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), handled the input of prior quality performance indices. We found that the Taiwanese bicycle component manufactory industry needed to concentrate on the top five indices due to limited organization resources. The most important indices were Process of R&D and Innovation (0.122), Strategy for a Product (0.101), The Operation and Improvement of Strategy (0.092), Social Responsibility (0.077) and Input of R&D and Innovation (0.048). Discussions of the study and implications for top managers are provided at the end of this article. Keywords: Total Quality management (TQM); Bicycle Components Manufacturing Industry; Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP), INTRODUCTION Due to intense global competition, each industry must develop self-assessment protocols to continually improve organizational performance (Crosby, 1979; Deming, 1986; Garvin, 1991; Neves & Nakhai, 1993; Mele & Colucio, [...]

Byline: M. Abdullah Lazim (1), M. Tap Abu Osman (1) Keywords: Fuzzy sets; Hierarchical needs; Fuzzy index; Membership function Abstract: The Malaysian Quality of Life Index (MQLI) released by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), has led authors to search for alternative method of expressing this index. One of the limitations in MQLI computations is the failure to recognise unequal weights for each accounted component. This paper offers a new way of expressing the quality of life index using a mathematical modelling based on fuzzy sets theory and the proposed weights based on Maslow's theory of hierarchical human needs. The indices of 11 components that were used to compute MQLI, again be gathered as a basis in expressing a new Malaysian Fuzzy Quality of Life Index (MFQLI). The new indices for each component yielded through a normalisation process prior weighting and aggregation to compose a new MFQLI. It was found that a fuzzy sets approach with the inclusion of weights based on human needs yielded a better index of quality of life than the MQLI. Author Affiliation: (1) Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia Article History: Registration Date: 19/01/2009 Received Date: 29/03/2008 Accepted Date: 18/01/2009 Online Date: 05/02/2009

During the last decade, 'fuzzy techniques' have been increasingly applied to the research area of construction management discipline. To date, however, no paper has attempted to summarize and present a critique of the existing 'fuzzy' literature. This paper, therefore, aims to comprehensively review the fuzzy literature that has been published in eight selected top quality journals from 1996 to 2005, these being Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, ASCE; Journal of Management in Engineering, ASCE; Construction Management and Economics; Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management; International Journal of Project Management; Building Research and Information; Building and Environment; and Benchmarking: An International Journal. It has been found that fuzzy research, as applied in construction management discipline in the past decade, can be divided into two broad fields, encompassing: (1) fuzzy set/fuzzy logic; and (2) hybrid fuzzy techniques, with the applications in four main categories, including: (1) decision making; (2) performance; (3) evaluation/assessment; and (4) modeling. The comprehensive review provided in this paper offers new directions for fuzzy research and its application in construction management. Based on a comprehensive literature review on the applications of fuzzy set/fuzzy logic, and hybrid fuzzy techniques in construction management research, an increasing trend of applying these techniques in construction management research is observed. Therefore, it is suggested that future research studies related to fuzzy techniques can be continuously applied to these four major categories. Fuzzy membership functions and linguistic variables in particular can be used to suit applications to solving problems encountered in the construction industry based on the nature of construction, which are widely regarded as complicated, full of uncertainties, and contingent on changing environments. Moreover, hybrid fuzzy techniques, such as neurofuzzy and fuzzy neural networks, can be more widely applied because they can better tackle some problems in construction that fuzzy set/fuzzy logic alone may not best suit. For example, neural networks are strong in pattern recognition and automatic learning while fuzzy set and fuzzy logic are strong in modeling certain uncertainties. Their combination can assist in developing models with uncertainty under some forms of pattern. Finally, an increasing trend of applying fuzzy techniques in the building science and environmental disciplines is also observed; it is believed that the application of fuzzy techniques will go beyond the construction management area into these disciplines as well. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000099 CE Database subject headings: Fuzzy sets; Hybrid methods; Construction management; Research.

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) developed in Japan in the late 80s has enabled the construction industry to reduce demand on the resources, improve the work conditions and also reduce the impact on the environment by elimination of the need for compaction. This investigation aimed at exploring the potential use of the neurofuzzy (NF) approach to model the fresh and hardened properties of SCC containing pulverised fuel ash (PFA) as based on experimental data investigated in this paper. Twenty six mixes were made with water-to-binder ratio ranging from 0.38 to 0.72, cement content ranging from 183 to 317 kg/[m.sup.3], dosage of PFA ranging from 29 to 261 kg/[m.sup.3], and percentage of superplasticizer, by mass of powder, ranging from 0 to 1%. Nine properties of SCC mixes modeled by NF were the slump flow, JRing combined to the Orimet, JRing combined to cone, V-funnel, L-box blocking ratio, segregation ratio, and the compressive strength at 7, 28, and 90 days. These properties characterized the filling ability, the passing ability, the segregation resistance of fresh SCC, and the compressive strength. NF model is constructed by training and testing data using the experimental results obtained in this study. The results of NF models were compared with experimental results and were found to be quite accurate. The proposed NF models offers useful modeling approach of the fresh and hardened properties of SCC containing PFA. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2009)21:11(672) CE Database subject headings: Compressive strength; Concrete; Predictions; Fuzzy sets; Material properties.