This study aimed to identify the causes of significant problems existing in the metallurgical sector, and a solution is proposed for the setup process. We detail the theoretical background of the processes in the lean manufacturing methodology, which will be applied to a rolling machine. Further, we provide a brief description of the company and the sector’s problems. We describe success stories of companies that implemented various lean manufacturing tools. We also present some of the results achieved across sectors to gain an in-depth understanding of the technique and a practical support of the implemented model. Our proposal is based on the lean manufacturing methodology; tools such as Single Minute Exchanges of Dies, Kaizen, 5S, and value stream mapping (VSM) will be used to reduce setup times and to impact machine layout and productivity positively. We also show the implementation results of a pilot plan conducted in the company over a period of more than 3 months. / Revisión por pares

An important characteristic of all systems is availability. Availability is the probability that a system or piece of equipment will operate in a prescribed manner when used under specified conditions. It is primarily a design dependent parameter. Availability derives from a systems reliability and maintainability. Reliability is the probability that a system will operate for a specified time under specified operating conditions. It is commonly measured by the mean-time-between-failure (MTBF). Maintainability is the ability of a system to be maintained. For this report, maintainability is measured by the mean maintenance down time (MDT). The MDT is a function of several variables, including the mean-time-to-repair (MTIR) and Logistics Delay Time (LDT). MTIR is the time that active maintenance is being performed. The LDT is the time delay due to spare part availability, transportation, repair facility availability, traveling to the location of the malfunction, etc. LDT is a major portion of the MDT. In order to meet a requirement of improved system availability, the MTBF and/or the MDT must be improved. Decreasing the distance between the repair organization and the location of the failure may have a significant impact on LDT, assuming that the system's LDT is positively correlated to the distance traveled. An improvement in the LDT corresponds to an improvement in the MDT, hence the availability. For a situation where the repair function (referred to as the repair unit) travels to the location of the failed component, the deployment location may have a critical impact on a system's availability. In a system where the operating components are located over a wide area and the repair organization must travel to the component to effect a repair, there are numerous ways to deploy the servicing units. The systems maintenance concept addresses this issue. The deployment of the repair units is the central focus of this report. / Master of Science

The research is based on the problems encountered in the production process of companies in the metalworking sector. The problem arises from the low availability of machines in the production process due to working conditions (39.5%), poor maintenance management (40.3%) and poor-quality control (20.2%) that generate low profitability for business. As a solution, Lean Manufacturing tools are implemented to improve the process and increase profitability. The improvement proposal consists of a series of stages: first, the definition of indicators for the measurement of the variables; then, the design and implementation of a pilot in the production process and, in parallel, a simulation system will be designed to evaluate the long-term results. The document concludes that the implementation of the proposed tools will increase the availability of machines and an OEE to 55%, avoiding defective products and reducing reprocessed products by 4%.

A methodology to estimate stochastic surface water flows was developed and applied to a case study area using chance constrained programming model. The results were analyzed as to the effects on different areas of production in Utah.

Doctor Educationis / As the world moves into a hyper-connected global society with near universal access to the internet, cybercrime has become a global challenge. The problems embedded in the issue of cybercrime are at least twofold. Firstly, the proliferation of cybercrime globally, and more specifically in South Africa, is outstripping the pace at which governments and lawmakers are able to respond efficiently. Secondly, where governments do manage to respond, there is a temptation to do so on the basis of a superficial understanding of the essence of cybercrime. There are many debates about the novelty of cybercrime in which participants have described it as “old wine in new skin”. This study takes the position that cybercrime is neither completely novel nor is it merely a virtual manifestation of the ordinary terrestrial crimes. The premise of this research is that cybercrime is an interesting and unique form of criminality that manifests itself in a number of challenging ways. These manifestations need to be considered independently and comprehensively if effective countermeasures are to be devised. This is not to say that every single offence has to be considered critically. That would be impracticable. It would suffice that certain types of cybercrimes be classified differently from other types, so as not to paint all with the same brush.

Many ecological and evolutionary processes have been described underlying natural selection but supporting evidence in wild settings is often lacking and our understanding remains incomplete. Using a multi-scale approach, I investigated expression of facultative den behavior (denning) among and within ursid species. Among species, lack of denning behavior was supported by relaxation of selection pressures of seasonal food availability due to realization of two sources of ecological opportunity; colonization of new habitat and adaptation of key innovations. Of denning species, I found evidence of adaptive ecological plasticity in den chronology among and within populations consistent with relaxed selective pressures influencing seasonal food availability and energetic budgets. I supported these finding using indices of fitness and established ecological theory. Further knowledge of organismal response to selection pressures has practical applications in predicting responses to novel and fluctuating pressures and aids in our understanding of the complexities of ecology and evolution.

Very few studies have explored the relationship between the availability of certain types of firearms and gun density on both gun aggravated assaults and gun homicides. Nonetheless, research by Koper (2001) discovered that the availability of more lethal types of firearms, not gun density, was directly related to an increase in gun homicide rates for Dallas. However, this study did not take into account certain social and economic variables that may strengthen or weaken the determined relationship. The current study uses data previously analyzed by Koper (2001) and includes social and economic variables that have been linked to lethal violence while using gun aggravated assaults and gun homicides as the dependent variables. The results will help ascertain to what extent the impact of firearm availability on gun crimes is contingent on contextual factors.

Bottomland hardwood stands managed as greentree reservoirs (GTRs) provide critical habitat for numerous wildlife species. The oak component in GTRs is of critical importance to wildlife managers since oaks produce high energy foods during the winter. However, GTR management warrants concern since it has been linked to increased mortality and insufficient regeneration of desirable species. This project evaluates willow oak acorn production and the effects of flooding and midstory control on the survival and growth of planted willow oak seedlings. Winter flooding reduced survival of seedlings inundated in early October but did not reduce survival of seedlings inundated in mid-November. Midstory control did not produce desired light levels for the future survival of underplanted seedlings. Acorn production was good for both years. Trees with DBH between 55 and 65 cm produced the majority of sound acorns. Acorn production was likely adequate to support foraging waterfowl and natural regeneration.

Determining the AA availability and metabolism in ruminant is a big challenge due to the rumen fermentation and complicated post absorption utilization. Current techniques used for direct determination of AA absorption and metabolism are laborious and expensive with large variation. The objectives of this project were to investigate AA availability of rumen undegradable protein, develop a stable isotope technique for determination of microbial protein and to evaluate the metabolism of amino acids in mammary glands of dairy cattle using stable isotope-based approaches. In the first experiment, seven heifers (258 ± 28 kg BW) were randomly chosen and assigned to 8 treatment sequences in a 7 x 8, incomplete, Latin square design. Treatments were a basal diet (BD), and 10% (DM basis) of BD replaced by corn silage (CS), grass hay (GH), alfalfa hay (AH), dried distillers grain (DDGS), soybean hulls (SH), wet brewers grain (BG), or corn grain (CG). Individual essential AA availabilities for corn silage, grass hay, alfalfa hay, dried distillers grain, soyhulls, brewers grain and corn grain were 33.4, 29.9, 34.1, 40.6, 28.8, 41.2, and 36.5% of the essential AA in each of the respective ingredients when a loss of 8.27% to splanchnic utilization during first pass was assumed; however, availability varied across individual essential AA. In the second experiment, twelve cows were blocked into 3 groups according to days in milk and randomly assigned to 4 treatments in a repeated 4 x 4 Latin square design with 2 factors to evaluate the essential AA availability from microbial protein and rumen undegradable protein under different rumen fermentation conditions. The 4 treatments were high rumen undegradable protein and high starch (HPHS), low rumen undegradable protein and high starch (LPHS), high rumen undegradable protein and low starch (HPLS) and low rumen undegradable protein and low starch (LPLS). Microbial protein synthesis calculated from purine derivatives was positively associated with rumen degradable protein, which was consistent with total microbial AA entry derived from the isotope dilution model indicating that the isotope based approach was representative. The individual essential AA availability from microbial protein was determined by isotope technique, whereas the PD method was just total PD absorption reflecting CP absorption. The metabolizable AA estimates from NDS nutritional model was similar to results from isotope dilution models, but with smaller difference among treatments. The microbial protein estimated from White's model showed the same trend among treatments compared to isotope dilution model, which may imply it represents the rumen fermentation better. The average essential AA digestibility for microbial AA was 82%, which varied across individual AA and treatments. In the third experiment, four cows (78 ± 10 DIM) were used to study the effects of jugular infusion of 2 groups of AA on essential AA uptake and metabolism by mammary glands in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Treatments were jugular infusion of saline (CON), methionine plus lysine plus histidine (MKH), isoleucine plus leucine (IL), or MKH plus IL (MKH+IL). The MKH increased milk protein yield in high producing dairy cows. The IL infusion increased milk and milk lactose yields. The production response was associated with a change in mammary plasma flow together with changes in AA uptake and metabolism in mammary gland. Mammary uptake of essential AA was 135 % of milk protein output. Efflux of EAA from the mammary to blood was 13-61% of influx, which was high for BCAA but low for Met and Lys. Changes in influx and efflux resulted in net uptake difference of infused essential AA that were responsive to varying supplies resulting in maintenance of homeostasis. The proportion of AA catabolized and used for milk protein was affected by EAA infusion, which demonstrated plasticity of mammary gland in AA metabolism. Overall, results suggested essential AA availability from rumen undegraded protein and microbial protein varied across individual AA and diets and can be affected by rumen fermentation. After absorption, EAA transport into mammary tissue was bi-directional and their metabolism was affected by AA supply and energy. Using a single coefficient to represent all AA digestibility in MCP or feed ingredient and an integrated efficiency of MP-AA converted into milk protein is inaccurate. / Doctor of Philosophy / Studies in monogastric animals have showed that balancing AA supply with animal requirements can improve the efficiency of N utilization. In order to build a model for AA balanced diet formulation, the composition of feed ingredients, the profile and digestibility of EAA for the rumen undegradable protein and microbial protein, the partition and efficiency of EAA utilization in mammary glands must be determined accurately. However, current AA degradation, digestibility and metabolism data used in nutritional models are from in vitro and in situ studies, which have not been fully validated against in vivo observations. This research used an in vivo stable isotope-based approach to determine amino acid availability for commonly used feed ingredients in dairy industry. The microbial protein AA and rumen undegradable protein AA availability was determined by adapting this isotope technique and introducing another isotope into rumen to label microbes. In addition, by coupling stable isotope tracers with arterio-venous difference technique and compartmental modelling, essential AA metabolism in mammary glands of dairy cows were qualified. Total essential AA availabilities for corn silage, grass hay, alfalfa hay, dried distillers grain, soyhulls, brewers grain and corn grain were similar to values from meta-analysis of mobile bag results, but the availabilities of individual AA were more variable compared to in vitro and in situ results. The model derived microbial AA availability was consistent with the microbial protein calculated from NDS and Felming's model. However, our model predicted a lower proportion of metabolizable AA from microbial protein under diets including low rumen degradable protein, which might imply the NDS nutritional model overestimates microbial protein under low protein diets. The microbial protein estimated from White's model showed the same trend among treatments compared to isotope dilution model, which may imply it represents the rumen fermentation better. The averaged essential AA digestibility form microbial protein was 82%, which varied across individual AA and treatments. After absorption, mammary uptake of essential AA was 135 % of milk protein output. Cellular efflux represented 13 to 61% of essential AA uptake. The proportion of AA catabolized and used for milk protein was affected by essential AA infusion, which demonstrated the plasticity of mammary glands in AA metabolism. In conclusion, the results from isotope technique quantified the essential AA availability from rumen undegradable protein for various feed ingredients and from microbial protein under different feeding conditions. The essential AA transport and metabolism in mammary glands were regulated by multi factors and essential AA supply.

The impacts of the introduction of casino gambling in Plainville, MA and surrounding communities are of interest in developing informed policy. Problem gambling is a public health issue as associated harms include physical and mental illness, impaired relationships with one’s close social network, impacts on school or work, financial difficulties and illegal behavior. The results of surveys prior to and after the introduction of the casino were used to evaluate potential differences in the prevalence of at-risk and problem gambling, associations amongst health and gambling behavior covariates with at-risk and problem gambling status by year, and changes of covariate relationships with at-risk and problem gambling between years (2014 Total n = 1,090; 2016 Total n = 999; Total N = 2,089). No change in prevalence of at-risk and problem gambling was observed. A borderline significant higher rate in casino gambling between survey years was observed for at-risk and problem gamblers. Future research should aim to explore the influence of gambling availability on vulnerable subgroups of the population to create fully informed policy.