The paper deals with the problem of bias randomization in evaluation of the measuring instrument capability. The bias plays a significant role in assessment of the measuring instrument quality. Because the measurement uncertainty is a comfortable parameter for evaluation in metrology, the bias may be treated as a component of the uncertainty associated with the measuring instrument. The basic method for calculation of the uncertainty in modern metrology is propagation of distributions. Any component of the uncertainty budget should be expressed as a distribution. Usually, in the case of a systematic effect being a bias, the rectangular distribution is assumed. In the paper an alternative randomization method using the Flatten-Gaussian distribution is proposed.

We investigate the effect on firm performance of the motivation for applying maturity models in manufacturing and information technology organizations. We expect the association between profitability and maturity models to be less if motivated by external contract requirements (e.g., for certain government contracts), than if motivated internally to improve processes. Using a sample of firm-year observations for 1,105 SEC registrants in the manufacturing (Standard Industry Classification (SIC): 3600-3812) and IT industries (SIC: 7370-7374) for 2017 and 2018, and CMMI information from the CMMI institute published appraisal results system, it is observed that 28 public firms (17 IT firm-years and 23 manufacturing firm-years) in the sample had CMMI appraisals between 2017 and 2018. We use logistic regression to test if the likelihood of CMMI appraisal is positively associated with government sales. The results support for the manufacturing industry, but not for the IT industry, prior research’s assertion that maturity is a source for competitive advantage.

To guarantee food security and job creation of small scale farmers to commercial farmers, unproductive farms in the South 24 PGS, West Bengal need land reform program to be restructured and evaluated for agricultural productivity. This study established a potential role of remote sensing and GIS for identification and mapping of salinity zone and spatial planning of agricultural land over the Basanti and Gosaba Islands(808.314sq. km) of South 24 PGS. District of West Bengal. The primary data i.e. soil pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Sodium Absorption ratio (SAR) were obtained from soil samples of various GCP (Ground Control Points) locations collected at 50 mts. intervals by handheld GPS from 0–100 cm depths. The secondary information is acquired from the remotely sensed satellite data (LANDSAT ETM+) in different time scale and digital elevation model. The collected field samples were tested in the laboratory and were validated with Remote Sensing based digital indices analysisover the temporal satellite data to assess the potential changes due to over salinization.Soil physical properties such as texture, structure, depth and drainage condition is stored as attributes in a geographical soil database and linked with the soil map units. The thematic maps are integrated with climatic and terrain conditions of the area to produce land capability maps for paddy. Finally, The weighted overlay analysis was performed to assign theweights according to the importance of parameters taken into account for salineareaidentification and mapping to segregate higher, moderate, lower salinity zonesover the study area.

From all the detonation parameters of explosives, “strength” – the capability to perform work is the most important for the user. The detonation of explosives in the blast hole is a quick and complicated process: first there is a detonation pressure causing the crushing of the rock in the vicinity of the explosive, then the pressure of the detonation products causes the cracking of the rock. The article presents the methods of determining the capability to perform work by explosives for civil use (dynamite and ANFO) used in the accredited Laboratory of Explosives and Electric Detonators Testing of the Experimental Mine “Barbara” of the Central Mining Institute – the lead block (Trauzl) method and the ballistic pendulum method. The aim of the research was to determine the relationship between the values of the capability to perform the work received in a ballistic pendulum method and a lead block method. As a result of the performed tests and the analysis of the results, the α-Pb coefficient was determined, which can be used to convert the value of the capability to perform work on the ballistic pendulum to the corresponding value of the capability to perform work in the lead block. At present, the Central Mining Institute is the only Notified Body of the European Union in the scope of Directive 2014/28 /EU, which has a station for smelting lead blocks and equipment and for determining the capability to perform work by explosives in lead blocks – this method was abandoned in other research units for testing with a ballistic pendulum and/or underwater test.

Due to the fixed rotor magnetic field, the main magnetic flux of conventional permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) cannot be flexibly adjusted. Recently, the axial-radial flux type permanent magnet synchronous machine (ARFTPMSM) based on the hybrid excitation concept is proposed, which provides a new method for the speed and magnetic field regulations for PMSMs. To analyze the mechanism of magnetic field variation inside the ARFTPMSM, in this paper, three – dimensional finite element models for electromagnetic field calculation of the ARFTPMSM are established. On this basis, the influence of the axial device on the motor is discussed, and the mechanism of flux regulation is explained. By the quantitative calculation of air-gap flux density and the noload back-electromotive force (EMF), the flux regulation capability of the ARFTPMSM is verified. In addition, the effect of the excitation magnetomotive force on the magnetic field harmonics is analyzed combined with the winding theory, and the influence of the axial magneto-motive force (MMF) on the torque fluctuation is obtained. The flux regulation performance of the motor and the validity of the numerical calculation analysis are verified by the experiments.

Investment casting is very well-known manufacturing process for producing relatively thin and multifarious industrial components with high dimensional tolerances as well as admirable surface finish. Investment casting process is further comprised of sub-processes including pattern making, shell making, dewaxing, shell backing, melting and pouring. These sub-processes are usually followed by heat treatment, finishing as well as testing & measurement of castings. Investment castings are employed in many industrial sectors including aerospace, automobile, bio-medical, chemical, defense, etc. Overall market size of investment castings in world is nearly 12.15 billion USD and growing at a rate of 2.8% every year. India is among the top five investment casting producers in the world, and produces nearly 4% (considering value of castings) of global market. Rajkot (home town of authors) is one of largest clusters of investment casting in India, and has nearly 175 investment casting foundries that is almost 30% of investment casting foundries of India. An industrial survey of nearly 25% of investment casting foundries of Rajkot cluster has been conducted in the year 2019-20 in order to get better insight related to 5 Cs (Capacity; Capability; Competency; Concerns; Challenges) of investment casting foundries located in the cluster. Specific set of questionnaires was design for the survey to address 5 Cs of investment casting foundries of Rajkot cluster, and their inputs were recorded during the in-person survey. The industrial survey yielded in providing better insight related to 5 Cs of foundries in Rajkot cluster. It will also help investment casting producer to identify the capabilities and quality issues as well as leads to benchmarking respective foundry.

The paper presents selected simulation and experimental results of a hybrid ECPMS-machine (Electric Controlled Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine). This permanent magnets (PMs) excited machine offers an extended magnetic field control capability which makes it suitable for battery electric vehicle (BEV) drives. Rotor, stator and the additional direct current control coil of the machine are analyzed in detail. The control system and strategy, the diagram of power supply system and an equivalent circuit model of the ECPMS-machine are presented. Influence of the additional excitation on the performance parameters of the machine, such as: torque, efficiency, speed limits and back-EMF have also been discussed.

This article discusses the issue of the preparation of the foundry moulds with the use of an industrial robot. The methodology is presented for the determination of the process capacity index for placing inserts with flat and cylindrical faces. On the basis of the relationships developed, the process capability indices were determined at various points in the workspace, which are characterised by different values of the repeatability positioning error. It was shown that the value of the process capacity index can be increased by the selection of a suitable location for the process of placing the inserts in the workspace. It should also be noted that the value of the process's capability index depends on the selection of the place in the robot workspace where the process is carried out. Implementation of the joining process at an analysed point in the robot workspace leads to an increase of the process capability index MCp for inserts with flat faces up to 1.1 (+4.5%) and for inserts with cylindrical faces up to 1.3. This results in an increase of 13% to a level corresponding to the global standard for process reliability (MCp = 1.33).

The article contains new approach to creating future of cities and urban regions based on the concept of creative cities. The core of this approach is to treat the genetic code of development as a tool for creating future of the territorial units. The combination and synergy of development genes that were considered as creativity, innovativeness and entrepreneurship allows the use of the fundamental elements of strategic analysis. On one hand, these elements are future challenges of cities and urban regions that they face in the perspective of global trends; on the other hand, they are strategic capabilities of sectors inseparably linked with creativity – sectors of culture, science and business, the integration of which is based on cultural heritage of cities and urban regions. The next issue of the article is the description of the way genes of urban development are manifested in the four sectors. It allows to present the genetic code of development function as a generator of strategic capabilities of creative sectors in cities and urban regions. Finally, the ideas of cross-sectoral undertakings for Polish big cities and urban agglomerations that enable facing intellectual and strategic global challenges were presented. This takes place through the use of strategic capabilities based on the genes of creativity, innovativeness and entrepreneurship; in this way, the genetic code of the development of large cities and urban agglomerations served as the new prospective approach to creating their future.

Among the FACTS device, the distributed power flow controller (DPFC) is a superior device. This can be evaluated after eliminating the dc capacitor between shunt and series convertors of the unified power flow controller (UPFC) and placing a number of low rating single phase type distributed series convertors in the line instant of using single large rating three phase series convertors as in the UPFC. The power flow through this dc capacitor as in the UPFC now takes place through the transmission line at a third harmonic frequency in the DPFC. The DPFC uses the D-FACTS that allows the replacement of a large three-phase converter as in the UPFC by several small-size series convertors present in the DPFC. The redundancy of several series convertors increases the system’s reliability of the power system. Also, there is no requirement for high voltage isolation as series convertors of the DPFC are hanging as well as single-phase types. Consequently, the DPFC system has a lower cost than the UPFC system. In this paper, the equivalent ABCD parameters of the latest FACTSdeviceDPFChave been formulated with the help of an equivalent circuit model of the DPFC at the fundamental frequency component. Further, the optimal location in the transmission line and maximum efficiency of the DPFC along with Thyristor Controlled Series Compensator (TCSC), Static Synchronous Shunt Compensator (STATCOM) and UPFC FACTS devices have been investigated using an iteration program developed in MATLAB under steady-state conditions. The results obtained depict that the DPFC when placed slightly off-center at 0.33 fraction distance from the sending end comes up with higher performance. Whereas, when the TCSC, STATCOM and UPFC are placed at 0.16, 0.2815, 0.32 fraction distances from sending end respectively give their best performance.

The precise location of the needle tip is critical in robot-assisted needle-based percutaneous interventions. An automatic needle tip measuring system based on binocular vision technology with the advantages of non-contact, excellent accuracy and high stability is designed and evaluated. First the measurement requirements of the prostate intervention robot are introduced. A laser interferometer is used as the reference for measuring the position of the needle tip whose relative position variation is described as the needle tip distance in the time domain. The parameters of the binocular cameras are obtained by Zhang’s calibration method. Then a robust needle tip extraction algorithm is specially designed to detect the pixel coordinates of the needle tip without installing the marked points. Once the binocular cameras have completed the stereo matching, the 3D coordinates of the needle tip are estimated. The measurement capability analysis (MCA) is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed system. The accuracy of the system can be controlled within 0.3621 mm. The agreement analysis is conducted by the Bland–Altman analysis, and the Pearson correlation coefficient is 0.999847. The P/T ratio value is 16.42% in the repeatability analysis. The results indicate that the accuracy and stability of the binocular vision needle tip measuring system are adequate to meet the requirement for the needle tip measurement in percutaneous interventions.

To further enhance the speed regulation range of the hybrid excited machine (HEM), the structure of a magnetic ring is optimized using a combination of the magnetic circuit method (MCM) and numerical analysis method in this paper, and a disc magnetic ring (DMR) is proposed. The magnetic density distribution of the proposed disc magnetic ring hybrid excited machine (DMRHEM) is compared to the radial-axial hybrid excited machine (RAHEM), and the superiority of alleviating a saturation problem in the proposed DMRHEM is determined. To improve the power density, the spoke-type permanent magnet (PM) rotor is applied. The influence of the proposed DMR on the HEM is analyzed, and the field adjustment capability of the proposed DMRHEM is better. Based on this, by combining the bypass principle, the analytical expressions for the relations between the rotor pole-pair number and the motor axial length/stator inner diameter (MAL/SID) as well as flux regulation capability are derived to further explore the superiority of the proposed DMRHEM. The influence mechanism of the rotor pole-pair number and the MAL/SID on the proposed DRMHEM is determined. The optimal MAL/SID and pole-pair number are obtained.

The article attempts to outline Adam Mickiewicz’s concept of subjectivity. He introduces it in his visionary poetic drama Dziady (Forefathers’ Eve) where a radically ambivalent situation is presented through the duality of the main character Gustaw/Konrad. The article describes this duality in terms of Paul Ricoeur’s distinction between cogito exalté and cogito brisé. In Dziady Mickiewicz dramatizes the transition from exaltation to dejection, the condition of cogito brisé (living with a wound). His romantic subject cannot throw away his past, but because he is acutely aware of his failings and his inadequacy he is able to free himself from delusions of grandeur and self-centered pride. The condition of uncertainty, inadequacy and chronic insatiability is like a gaping wound or a lack which may lead the ‘I’ to open up and seek the Other. It is a vision of man who knows he is deeply flawed but capable of pursuing a noble desire; vulnerable and fallible, beset by ‘endless error’ and yet able to act and get his act together; self-centered and yet, because of the relational nature of the human identity, capable of redirecting his emancipatory energy to Others. It can be summed up the concept of homo capax (homme capable) which, as this article argues, provides the key to Mickiewicz’s anthropology.