Hierarchic generation-based structure

This section illustrates how the techniques described in Chapter 4 can be used to develop a procedure for the job of the top floor operator in the batch plant considered earlier. Two techniques are illustrated (i) a hierarchical task analysis (HTA) of the job, and (ii) a predictive human error analysis (PHEA) of the operations involved. HTA provides a description of how the job is actually done while PHEA identifies critical errors which can have an impact on the system in terms of safety or quality. The basic structure of the procedure is derived from the HTA which specifies in increasing detail the goals to be achieved. To emphasize critical task steps, various warnings and cautions can be issued based on the likely errors and recovery points generated by the PHEA. 

Thus, the singular perturbation generates a hierarchical structure consisting of fast and slow movements. Clearly, we must now ask under what criterion we can justify, based on the flow in Fig. 3, that the flow for a small and positive e would be the one in Fig. 4. 

A biomedical control system that utilizes a neurophysiologically-based approach has been developed for use in Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation (FNS) systems [Abbas, 1995 Abbas and Chizeck, 1995). FNS is a rehabilitation engineering technique that uses computer-controlled electrical stimuli to activate paralyzed muscle. The task of a control system is to determine appropriate stimulation levels to generate a given movement or posture. The neural network control system utilizes a block diagram structure that is based on hierarchical models of the locomotor control system. It also utilizes a heterogenous network of neurons, some of which are capable of endogenous oscillation. This network has been shown to provide rapid adaptation of the control system parameters [Abbas and Chizeck, 1995 Abbas and Triolo, 1997] and has been shown to exhibit modulation of reflex responses [Abbas, 1995]. 

The second generation of reaction retrieval systems were more specifically tailored to the problem of efficient reaction retrieval, and specifically stored information relating to the atom-to-atom correspondences in going from reactants to products. Searches which made use of these correspondences were fast and essentially free from false drops. In addition these systems permitted extensive use of searches based on keywords or phrases, which are particularly useful when associated with a hierarchically structured thesaurus. 

The Level 4 SSA is at the aircraft level and is the responsibihty of the aircraft integrator. For a modification (e.g. STC), it is scoped to consider the performance of the new system as well as the interaction between all affected aircraft systems. Safety requirements are functionally decomposed in a hierarchical structure from product (i.e. aircraft) level to subsystem (e.g. altitude display system) to components (e.g. Altitude Display Unit). At Level 4 the safety requirements are those requirements generated from the aireraft Functional Hazard Analysis (FHA) based on required aircraft functions... 

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