No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Uppsatsen har utrett vilka författningar som reglerar allmänna handlingar samt hur en framställning att ta del av allmänna handlingar ska hanteras av myndigheter. Syftet med uppsatsen har varit att utreda vad som utgör allmänna handlingar och på vilket sätt myndigheter bör agera för att klara av den vidsträckta innebörden av handlingsoffentligheten. Detta har skett genom rättsdogmatisk metod där ärenden hos JO har tillskrivits särskild tyngd i egenskap att utöva tillsyn över förvaltningsmyndigheterna. Uppsatsen har påvisat åtminstone tre nyckelfaktorer för att kunna efterleva lagkraven och hantera en stor mängd framställningar. Dessa är myndigheternas interna organisering, anpassning av myndigheternas bemanning efter den stundande efterfrågan med hjälp av proaktivt arbete och myndighetens krav på kommunikation med den som gjort handlingsframställan. Ett potentiellt sätt att hantera frekvent återkommande framställningar från en och samma individ har redovisats i analysen.

In this investigation, skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was purified from female Sprague Dawley rats (200-250 g). SR samples were subjected to two different biochemical glycogen-extraction protocols. The results suggest that both amylase and removal of EDTA (No-EDTA) from the homogenization and storage buffers reduced the amount of glycogen associated with the SR. Both of these treatments failed to impair SR calcium (Ca2+) handling when assayed under conditions where exogenous ATP was added and utilized for SR Ca2+ transport. In fact, these treatments seemed to cause a small increase in both SR Ca2+-uptake and release rates under these assay conditions. As expected, glycogen phosphorylase content was reduced as a result of glycogen extraction in the presence of amylase, however this was not the case for No-EDTA samples. Interestingly, many other proteins differed in content after glycogen extraction. These treatments resulted in a greater recovery of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA) and a substantial loss of glycogen phosphorylase and glycogen debranching enzyme (AGL) in amylase-treated samples. Creatine kinase (CK) and pyruvate kinase (PK) contents were increased as a result of both glycogen-extraction conditions. It was imperative to consider these altered protein contents while analyzing the data and assessing the effects of glycogen extraction on SR Ca2+ handling. After normalizing to SERCA content, only No-EDTA samples had higher adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-supported SR Ca2+-uptake rates compared to control samples. For endogenously synthesized ATP-supported SR Ca2+-uptake experiments, normalizing data to protein content (either CK and SERCA or PK and SERCA) revealed that amylase-treated samples had lower SR Ca2+-uptake rates, compared to control samples. Although not significant, SR Ca2+-uptake rates for No-EDTA samples were also lower than control samples. These data suggest that changes in endogenously supported SR Ca2+-uptake due to glycogen extraction affected the source of ATP synthesis (either PK or CK), the effectiveness of energy utilization for Ca2+ transport (SERCA), or altered the metabolic channeling properties. / Ph. D.

The object of this study is to determine the factors that influence the fleece value, the experimental procedure, necessary to discover these points, and the effect of culling sheep toward fleece improvement. The clean yield per fleece and the grade of wool were thought to be of equal importance in earning a greater return per fleece. In making such a comparison, wool samples were taken from twelve Hampshire ewes and twelve South-Down ewes, of which the wool represented Three-eighth Blood and Half-blood respectively. Concentrations were given to the fact that there might be some difference in the production of clean yield between young ewes and old ewes. The samples were subdivided into two age-groups within each breed of sheep. For convenience, these wool samples, taken from ewes ranging from yearling to four years old, were grouped into “Young Group”, and those samples taken from ewes over four years old were grouped into “Aged Group”. The work done will be reported in detail in later chapters. The most important factors that influence clean yield were staple length and grease fleece weight. When staple length or grease fleece weight increased the clean yield also increased due to: (1) the material increase from the increased staple-length and the increased grease fleece weight; (2) the decrease of shrinkage percentage, which is associated with the increase of staple length. Other factors ranged from moderate importance to non-importance in relation to clean yield. (a) Density of fiber was moderately important in relation to clean yield; (b) Body weight was slightly associated with clean yield; (c) Crimp was rather important in wool uniformity than in clean yield; (d) Fineness is extremely important in wool quality instead of clean yield. Fleeces from aged sheep over four years old were lighter in clean yield than fleeces from young sheep. Finer wool fleeces were much less in clean yield than coarse-wool fleeces. Farm return was in favor of coarser wool per fleece. Major emphasis should be placed on the average record of staple length and grease-fleece weight, less emphasis on body weight, and on crimp, in a culling program of all ewes. Intensive measurement should be done on all characters of wool of all rams. If two ewes produce equal amounts of grease fleece, and equal length of staple, the older one should be culled. / M.S.

Atmospheric ammonia (NH₃(g)) poses an environmental concern mainly due its ability to form fine particulate matter (PM2.5 with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometers) in the form of ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) and ammonium sulfate ([NH₄]₂SO₄). These forms of PM2.5 may reduce visibility, contribute to eutrophication through deposition, and be detrimental to human health through inhalation. A more complete understanding of ammonia emissions may bring significant PM2.5 reductions within grasp. According to recent studies, one of the largest contributors to atmospheric ammonia is dairy cattle excreta. In this study, seven lactating Holstein cows were subjected to four feeding trials with diets containing 14.5, 15.5, 17, and 18% crude protein (CP). The first objective was to determine the effect of protein content/intake on ammonia fluxes to the atmosphere from each stage of manure handling at a flush dairy. The second objective was to examine the effect of manure handling itself on ammonia fluxes. We examined four different stages of manure handling: 1. Fresh mixture of urine and feces to represent what may be scraped from a barn floor 2. Diluted mixture of urine and feces to represent what is flushed from a barn floor 3. Solids portion of a diluted mixture of urine and feces to represent what is retained by a solids separator at a dairy 4. Liquid portion of a diluted mixture of urine and feces to represent the permeate from a solids separator at a dairy Ammonia fluxes from scraped manure began low and rose to higher fluxes and peaked at an average of 25 hours after mixing urine and feces. Fluxes from flushed manure showed the same behavior. The average pH values for the scraped and flushed manure were relatively low at 6.87±0.17 and 7.05±0.13, respectively, and unfavorable toward ammonia versus ammonium. Fluxes from the separated solids and liquid manure, whose pH values were higher at 8.70±0.30 and 8.55±0.19, respectively, peaked almost immediately. For a time period of 18 hours after beginning flux measurements from the separated liquid manure, fluxes stayed relatively constant. Compared to hours 0-9, fluxes from the separated solids manure decreased 11% in hours 9-18. These results indicate that ammonia fluxes from the scraped and flushed manure were initially limited by the relatively low pH of the slurries, until they aged and released carbon dioxide, after which fluxes became controlled by temperature. Fluxes from the separated solids and liquid manure, however, were temperature-controlled from the start, as this manure had already undergone some aging and the initial pH was more favorable to ammonia loss. Multivariable regressions predicting the mass of ammonia lost to the atmosphere as a function of total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) and temperature (T) show that fluxes from the scraped and flushed manure are very sensitive to temperature compared to the separated solids and liquid manure. The same regressions show that ammonia fluxes from the separated solids and liquid manure are predicted well by TAN and T (R² = 0.906 and 0.812, respectively), indicating that dietary protein manipulation, which affects TAN content of the manure, may have a greater effect in this stage of handling. Regressions predicting the mass of ammonia lost to the atmosphere as a function of crude protein intake show crude protein intake is a poor predictor of the overall ammonia flux from a flush dairy. Low correlation coefficients from these regressions are likely a result of cow-to-cow variability in the effect of crude protein intake on ammonia emissions. Significant reductions in ammonia fluxes are possible; however, they will require new regulations on manure handling at flush dairies or incentives for flush dairies to pursue alternate means of manure handling with low emissions. Dairies can begin attacking the problem of excessive emissions by lowering the dietary protein content for older cows to reduce the mass of TAN excreted in their manure, thereby reducing ammonia fluxes in accordance with Henry's law. Once manure is excreted on the barn floor, dairies must encourage mixing between urine and feces and use the natural acidity of the feces in delaying emissions by converting aqueous ammonia in the urine to ammonium. Dairies can achieve well-mixed slurries by manually mixing the manure or with a sloped floor, channeling urine and feces to a common area. Covering holding tanks containing flushed manure to minimize CO₂ stripping and a rise in pH is one measure that may reduce ammonia fluxes. Finally, requiring nitrification or nitrification and denitrification in on-site storage tanks will biologically convert ammonia to nitrate or nitrogen gas, respectively, reducing fluxes from the separated liquid manure. Although burdensome to dairies, these measures would drastically reduce ammonia emissions from flush dairies. Regulatory agencies may choose to ignore the separated solids manure when considering strategies to reduce ammonia emissions, since ammonia volatilization becomes limited by aqueous ammonia in the first 18 hours following separation. / Master of Science

Participatory ergonomics (PE) is a macroergonomics approach in which the end-users actively participate in developing and implementing the technology. PE can be an effective method for involving front-line workers in analyzing and redesigning their own jobs. PE can be used at the macro-level, the micro-level, or somewhere in between. At the macro-level, the focus of the PE program is across an entire organization or work system. At the micro-level, the focus of a PE approach is on a particular task, workstation, or product. A major benefit for using PE is that workers are more likely to accept changes to their job if they participate in the redesign. Furthermore, workers' motivation, job satisfaction, and knowledge are enhanced through the participatory process. There are many case studies that describe successful PE approaches. These studies, however, lack a control group or comparison group and so changes in the workplace (e.g., a reduction of musculoskeletal injury) cannot be attributed directly to the interventions resulting from the PE program with certainty. Quantifying the effects of PE is difficult because of problems in trying to isolate variables. Confounding variables are often difficult to contain. This study quantified some of the effects of PE by utilizing a controlled experimental design in the laboratory in which participants analyzed and redesigned a manual material handling job. The effects of this PE approach were quantified by measuring a reduction of risk factors associated with the job and by measuring a lift index of the lifting task that indicates a risk for injury. Many authors state or infer that some degree of ergonomics training should be given to the participants in a PE approach. However, the effects of providing ergonomics training to participants in these types of participatory approaches are unclear. This research evaluates the effects of providing the participants with basic ergonomics instruction relevant to the job being evaluated and redesigned. Also, this research suggests if the NIOSH lifting equation can be an effective tool in a participatory ergonomics approach in the redesign of a manual material handling job that involves lifting tasks. A 2-factor, between-subjects design was used. Participants consisted of 32 volunteers (16 males and 16 females). Only individuals that have had no prior ergonomics knowledge were considered for the subject pool. Participants performed a simulated manual material handling job in the laboratory. After performing the job, some subjects were given ergonomics training and/or instructed on how to use the NIOSH lifting equation for manual lifting tasks. The participants were then asked to redesign the original job. The participants' redesigns were compared to the redesigns of the control subjects (who received no ergonomics instruction and did not use the NIOSH lifting equation). The subjects who received the ergonomics instruction identified significantly more risk factors in the original job and eliminated significantly more risk factors in the redesign than the control subjects. The subjects who learned and used the NIOSH lifting equation also identified significantly more risk factors in the original job but did not eliminate significantly more risk factors in the redesign. The subjects who received the ergonomics instruction and who used the NIOSH lifting equation were not shown to have an advantage over the subjects who received the ergonomics instruction alone. The group that received the ergonomics training performed optimally with respect to the other experimental groups. Implications for participatory ergonomics approaches are discussed. / Master of Science

During the design of an aircraft it becomes necessary to predict the aircraft handling qualities. Previously, this has been done through the use of pilot opinion ratings of similar vehicles. However, it is desirable to develop more objective means of predicting handling qualities which also do not require the expensive flight testing or simulation necessary to obtain pilot ratings directly. An analysis of the closed-loop pilot-airframe system is performed, utilizing the linear human-pilot transfer function in conjunction with conventional servoanalysis techniques. Boundaries are developed on aircraft frequency and damping ratio for "good" longitudinal short-period control. The lateral phugoid mode is also investigated and the conclusion reached is that this mode cannot be controlled in a manner resulting in "good" pilot ratings. Comparison of the results obtained for the longitudinal short-period mode with experimental data indicates that the analysis is valid. Experimental data is lacking for comparison in the case of the lateral phugoid mode. / M.S.

The problem of evaluating new manufacturing technologies, in particular, flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) is a complex one, as its interdisciplinary nature involves multiple variables. These variables are qualitative as well as quantitative, strategic, as well as technological, intangible as well as tangible. This dissertation deals with the problem of the overall evaluation process, in particular, the evaluation of material handling systems within FMS. In particular, automated guided vehicle systems (MVS) are studied from a technical viewpoint, as they are related to strategic and economic considerations. Two main evaluation frameworks are developed. One integrates multiattribute decision models, namely, the analytic hierarchy process or AHP and the displaced ideal model (DIM), and the other integrates analytical techniques with simulation modeling. As a by product, flexibility indices are also developed for MVS and linked to the fundamental aspects of the evaluation of new technologies. This research also shows how analytical techniques can be combined with simulation modeling to form a more extensive evaluation process that includes opportunity costs as well as the usual tangible costs. Finally, a technical analysis of FMS/MVS is done on some typical cell configurations using the flexibility indices developed in this research. / Ph. D.