Abstract
This article presents a critical review of lean assessment in manufacturing and service settings as a base for development of a lean assessment framework for healthcare organizations, aiming to help them throughout a long journey. Having as starting point lean projects’ failures in four public hospitals, the authors discover the lack of monitoring (among other reasons) as the main issue. This article proposes a monitoring instrument for preventing returns to the comfort zone and guiding the lean journey. The healthcare lean assessment (HLA) can be used as an “as is” diagnosis tool, assessing whether each process should be improved, disrupted, or eliminated and also as an ongoing implementation assessment, providing control measures and correction actions. Although the framework proposed requires empirical testing in further research for universal application, it can help healthcare organizations by providing a transformation roadmap and monitoring instrument and also contributes to the growing stream of academic research in this area. © IIE, INCOSE.

Abstract
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Abstract
Galileo, in the seventeenth century, observed that the small oscillations of a pendulum seem to have constant period. In fact, the Taylor expansion of the period map of the pendulum is constant up to second order in the initial angular velocity around the stable equilibrium. It is well known that, for small oscillations of the pendulum and small intervals of time, the dynamics of the pendulum can be approximated by the dynamics of the harmonic oscillator. We study the dynamics of a family of mechanical systems that includes the pendulum at small neighbourhoods of the equilibrium but after long intervals of time so that the second order term of the period map can no longer be neglected. We analyze such dynamical behaviour through a renormalization scheme acting on the dynamics of this family of mechanical systems. The main theorem states that the asymptotic limit of this renormalization scheme is universal: it is the same for all the elements in the considered class of mechanical systems. As a consequence, we obtain a universal asymptotic focal decomposition for this family of mechanical systems. This paper is intended to be the first in a series of articles aiming at a semiclassical quantization of systems of the pendulum type as a natural application of the focal decomposition associated to the two-point boundary value problem.

Abstract
A projection apparatus was bought in 1909 by the Physics Cabinet of the Polytechnic Academy (predecessor to the University of Porto's Faculty of Science) in order to present various physics experiments, mostly in the realm of Optics, to a large student audience. A stout and impressive mahogany and brass piece, with a voltaic arc lighting system, it was manufactured by the firm E. Leybold's Nachfolger, based in Chemnitz (Germany), already with a worldwide reputation as a supplier of teaching instruments and equipment to superior schools and universities. It was sold along with an extensive set of accessories, allowing for demonstrations in geometrical optics, spectrum analysis, interferometry, diffraction, polarization and double refraction. Two extra attachments, one for projecting microscopic objects, and the other for the projection of gypsum preparations in polarized light, added to the versatility of this lantern, appropriately dubbed of universal use. Both apparatus and accessories are presently to be found in the collection of the Museum of Science of our University. On studying them, we have come to the conclusion that many classical experiments in Optics may be displayed, without great effort and in an attractive manner. The adaptation to present day usage takes no more than the replacement of the lantern's voltaic arc by a suitable and safer light source. It so happens that a hundred-year old projection apparatus, fitted with a set of purposely designed add-ons, becomes so effective as its modern counterparts.

Abstract

Abstract
Breast Cancer is still a serious health threat to women, both physically and psychologically. Fortunately, treatments involving complete breast removal are rarely needed today, as better treatment options are available. Mammography can show changes in the breast up to two years before a physician can feel them. Computer-aided detection and diagnosis is considered to be one of the most promising approaches that may improve the efficiency of mammography. Furthermore, there is a strong correlation between the presence of calcifications and the occurrence of breast cancer. In this paper we present a new technique to detect calcifications in mammogram images. The main objective is to support radiologists with automatic detection methods applied to medical images. Motivated by the fact that calcifications, when compared to the rest of the image, exhibit irregular characteristics, a technique based on Bayesian surprise is used. Tests were performed using INBreast, a recent fully annotated database, composed of full field digital mammograms. Comparison both with a recently proposed state of the art method and other common image techniques showed the superiority of our method. False positives are, however, still an issue and further studies focused on their reduction while maintaining a high sensitivity are planned.