Numerous organizations are striving to maximize the profit of their businesses by the effective implementation of competitive advantages including cost reduction, quick delivery, and unique high-quality products. Effective production-scheduling techniques are methods that many firms use to attain these competitive advantages. Implementing scheduling techniques in high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing industries, especially in Industry 4.0 environments, remains a challenge, as the properties of both parts and processes are dynamically changing. As a reaction to these challenges in HMLV Industry 4.0 manufacturing, a newly advanced and effective real-time production-scheduling decision-support system model was developed. The developed model was implemented with the use of robotic process automation (RPA), and it comprises a hybrid of different advanced scheduling techniques obtained as the result of analytical-hierarchy-process (AHP) analysis. The aim of this research was to develop a method to minimize the total production process time (total make span) by considering the results of risk analysis of HMLV manufacturing in Industry 4.0 environments. The new method is the combination of multi-broker (MB) optimization and a genetics algorithm (GA) that uses general key process indicators (KPIs) that are easy to measure in any kind of production. The new MB–GA method is compatible with industry 4.0 environments, so it is easy to implement. Furthermore, MB–GA deals with potential risk during production, so it can provide more accurate results. On the basis of survey results, 16% of the asked companies could easily use the new scheduling method, and 43.2% of the companies could use it after a little modification of production.

Generally, engineering projects are getting bigger and bigger and more complex to handle. Due to the developments of information technology, managers have the opportunity to plan the execution of their projects and calculate the critical paths of those projects precisely, regardless of the types and sizes of their projects. However, these indicators are not realistic; in many cases the predetermined partial-deadlines cannot be kept, therefore the end of the project must be postponed. The aim of the research is to modify the inputs of the critical path method with the application of fuzzy values. The use of fuzzy values in business planning can support project managers in building the uncertainty factor into their model.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to characterize and elicit the genetic relatedness of emerging vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated between 2012 and 2015 at a teaching hospital in Debrecen, Hungary. Results: Altogether 43 nonduplicate vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) clinical isolates were obtained. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used for species identification. Isolates showed 100% resistance to ampicillin and ciprofloxacin while 81.4% were resistant to gentamicin. PCR analysis revealed the presence of VanB in 40 and VanA in 3 isolates. Among ace , agg , and esp virulence genes only esp was found in seven cases. Modified microtiter-plate test showed 13 weak and 4 moderate biofilm producer isolates. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed nine pulsotypes. According to multilocus sequence typing all of the tested isolates belonged to clonal complex 17 (CC17). Conclusions: We report on the alarming emergence of multidrug-resistant VREfm belonging to CC17 at a tertiary hospital in Eastern Hungary. This is the first report of sequence types 412 and 364 from this region. Although outbreak did not occur the increasing prevalence of VREfm is of concern and dissemination must be prevented with proper infection control measures and regular VRE screening.

This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing quantitative techniques to improve decision making in construction projects by using time- and cost-oriented failure mode a...

Excessive use of antibiotics contributes to the selection of resistant bacteria and intestinal colonization with multiresistant pathogens poses a risk factor for subsequent infections. The present study assessed vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) carriage rates in patients admitted to our tertiary care hospital. Stool samples sent for routine culturing were screened with vancomycin containing solid or broth enrichment media. VRE isolates were identified with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and antibiotic susceptibilities were tested by E-test. Vancomycin resistance genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Medical records of carriers were examined for suspected risk factors for colonization. Altogether 3025 stool specimens were analyzed. Solid media identified a VRE carriage rate of 2.2% while broth enrichment detected 5.8%. Seventy percent of the isolates were Enterococcus faecium. VanB genotype was detected in 38.2%, VanA in 37.3%, VanC1 in 22.6%, and VanC2 in 1.9%. All VRE were sensitive to linezolid, daptomycin, and tigecycline. Collective risk factors for carriage were diabetes, normal flora absence, Clostridioides difficile positivity, longer hospital stay, and advanced age. 78.5% of the carriers received antibiotic therapy which was metronidazole in most cases (47.3%). We recommend regular screening of risk groups such as patients with diabetes, history of recent hospitalization, or former C. difficile infection as an imperative step for preventing VRE dissemination.

A lean szemléletű gyártás jelentős szerepet játszik az ipari környezetben, eszközeit napi tevékenységként használják az autóiparban árcsökkentés és termelékenység javítása céljából. A kutatásomban részt vevő nyugatdunántúli autóipari termelő vállalat detektált problémáinak megoldására kitűzött célok elérése érdekében lean eszközöket alkalmaztam, amelyekkel a folyamat teljes átfutási költségének csökkenését kívánjuk elérni. Ennek eléréshez műszakcsökkentést tűztünk ki célul, amely által emberi erőforrás- és előállítási költség megtakarí tás válik lehetővé, csökkentve a teljes folyamat átfutási költségét. A műszakcsökkentést a gépek teljes körű hatékonyságának (OEE) növelésével kívánjuk elérni, amely érték növeléséhez a veszteségek minimum 50%-os csökkentése szükséges. Ezt a célt az 5s módszer bevezetésével, Poka-yoke használatával valamint az 5s fejlesztés harmadik lépésénél bevezetett karbantartásokkal kívánunk elérni.