<p>Detta examensarbete har ägt rum vid Produktionsverkstad 1 (PV1) på Wexiödisk AB där diskmaskiner av huvtyp tillverkas. Syftet med detta examensarbete har varit att undersöka vilka lagerstyrningsmodeller som är lämpliga för att styra avdelningens materialflöden med. Arbetet har genomförts i två steg. Först behandlades artiklar unika för produkterna vid PV1, därefter artiklar gemensamma med andra produkter. Enligt modeller ur relevant litteratur utformades förslag på hur dessa kunde appliceras praktiskt. Förslagen presenterades och diskuterades med berörd personal som valde Tvåbingesystem 2. Ett test gjordes enligt principen ”den japanska sjön” vilket innebar lägre lagernivåer i lastbärarna. De problem som uppstod noterades. Resultatet blev att antalet artiklar som plockades i veckosatser minskades vilket skapat underlag för att minska administrationen av tillhörande plocklistor. Plockvagnen har kunnat tas bort vilket frigjort yta vid monteringsavdelningen. Förutsättningar finns att slå samman två plocklistor till en och därmed förenkla arbetet för förrådspersonalen.</p> / <p>This degree project has been performed at Production unit 1 (PV1) at Wexiödisk AB, where hood type washing machines is manufactured. The purpose of this project has been to investigate which inventory control models that could be suitable to control the section’s material supplies. The work has been accomplished in two steps. At first, items unique to products manufactured at PV1 were treated, followed by items common with other products. According models in relevant literature, suggestions were made to how the models could be applied practically. The suggestions was presented to and discussed with the parties concerned who chose Two-bin system 2. A trial was carried out according to the principle of “the Japanese river” which implied lowered inventory levels. The problems that occurred were noted. The result was that the number of items that was weekly picked and distributed was reduced which has created a basis to also reduce the administration of the systems picking lists. The item wagon has been removed which has cleared floor space at the assembly section. Conditions have been created to merge two picking lists into one and thereby simplify the work for the inventory staff.</p>

The major internet auction sites eBay and Yahoo have developed innovative hybrid auction designs that incorporate buy prices. My dissertation focuses on the Buy It Now (BIN, hereafter) version of the auctions on eBay, the largest online auction site. The BIN hybrid auction combines a standard ascending bid auction with a posted-price offer. A seller in a BIN auction lists his auction with a "buy price". A bidder may purchase the item immediately at the buy price and end the auction. If he places a bid instead, the option to purchase the item at the buy price disappears and the subsequent bidders participate in the standard eBay auction. This auction format has been very popular with both buyers and sellers. In 2005 eBay's sales in fixed price platform (BIN and Half.com) totaled $13.8 billion, which was 33.1% of eBay's total sales.The dissertation explores the BIN auctions using theory, experiments and field data. Chapter 1 theoretically analyzes BIN auctions within the common values framework. An equilibrium is characterized, shown to exist, and the revenues generated by BIN and standard eBay auctions are compared. Chapter 2 compares the bidding behavior and the revenue implications of BIN auctions in lab experiments under common and private value assumptions. The third develops an "incomplete" theoretical model of BIN auctions within the private values framework. An "incomplete" empirical specification is derived and then field data collected from eBay's BIN auctions are used to estimate the primitives of the model, including the bidders' risk aversion and time preference. I then explore how heterogeneity of sellers and items influence these primitives. Chapter 1 (Common Values Auctions with a Buy Price: the case of eBay): Several explanations for the popularity of buy price have been provided for independent private value auctions. Risk aversion and impatience of either the bidders or the seller have mainly been used to explain the popularity of buy prices in IPV models. This paper, using a pure common value framework, models auctions with eBay-style "temporary" buy prices, when the bidders and the seller are either risk neutral or risk averse. It characterizes equilibrium bidding strategies in a general setup and then analyzes a seller's incentive to post a buy price when there are two bidders. When bidders are either risk neutral or risk averse there is no incentive to post a buy price for a risk neutral seller. But when the seller is risk averse, a suitably chosen buy price can raise the seller's expected utility when the bidders are either risk neutral or risk averse. Chapter 2 (An Experimental Study of Auctions with a Buy Price Under Private and Common Values): We use experiments to examine several predictions from the theoretical studies of buy prices. The theoretical predictions from Wooders and Reynolds (2003) and Chapter 1 show that the introduction of a buy price causes the seller's revenue to move in opposite directions in private value and common value settings. Meanwhile, Mathews and Katzman (2006) find that risk averse sellers might find buy prices advantageous because they reduce the variance in seller revenue in eBay auctions with risk-neutral bidders. The lab experiments are used to answer three key questions. (a) Can a buy price raise seller revenue and lower the variance of seller revenue in an independent private value auction? (b) Does a buy price lower seller revenue in common value auctions? (c) If the theoretical predictions do not hold, can a behavioral model explain the patterns observed in the data? Using a between-subjects design the results show that the use of a buy price has a positive and statistically significant effect on seller revenue in private value auctions. The buyers are risk averse. The estimate of the Constant Absolute Risk Aversion (CARA) index of 1.11 for the bidders is equivalent to a Constant Relative Risk Aversion (CRRA) index of 0.62 which is centered within the range of other estimates of relative risk aversion. As predicted by the theory when buyers are risk averse, the use of a buy price yields a statistically significant reduction in the variance of seller revenue. Hence, as predicted, the use of a buy price is advantageous to the seller when either the bidders or the seller are risk averse. The results for common value auctions are inconsistent with the theoretical predictions. Use of a buy price did not lower seller revenue, and the bidders' behavior departed from theoretical predictions in several respects. As a result, we develop and estimate a behavioral model of common value BIN auctions based on the winner's curse and overweighting of a bidder's private information. We find statistically significant evidence of overweighting of the bidder's own signal and estimated a CARA index of 0.001. This behavioral model explains all the departures from the rational model we found in the common values experiments. Chapter 3 (The Buy-it-now Option, Risk Aversion, and Impatience in an Empirical Model of eBay Bidding): Haile and Tamer (2003) first used an incomplete econometric model in an auction context, assuming that bidders bid up to their values and do not allow an opponent to win at a price they are willing to beat. Canals-Cerda and Pearcy (2004) used a similar incomplete econometric model to study eBay auctions while adding the assumption that the maximum of all the bids placed by the bidder with the second highest value is exactly equal to his value. Chapter 3 extends these incomplete models to eBay's BIN auctions. We develop and estimate an equilibrium model for BIN independent private value auctions with a stochastic and unknown number of potential bidders who enter the auction sequentially. In the model risk averse and time impatient bidders buy at the BIN price because it allows them to avoid the uncertainties and delay of the ascending bid auction that takes place if no one chooses the BIN option. As a result, the bidders' decisions to choose the BIN option in BIN auctions of different lengths can be used to identify the bidders' risk aversion and time preference parameters. Our model is "incomplete" in the sense that we do not impose any stylized structure on bidding in the ascending bid auction and, although bid revision is allowed, the process is not explicitly described. Our "incomplete" econometric model uses a partial likelihood approach proposed by Cox (1975) that allows the analysis to bypass modeling bidding and the bid revision process. The model is estimated using a new data set of 3245 eBay auctions of Pentium-3 laptops that ran between 22 July to 10 August 2005.

The essence of 3D object packing problem is to load a set of distinct boxes with given dimensions in containers to maximize volume utilization. The goal of this research is to support with algorithmic techniques the design of package layouts that meet the functional relationships between the parts and match market needs including cost, safety, comfort, as well as economic and environmental aspects. An analysis of 3D object packing algorithms, created by foreign authors, and commercial three-dimensional pallet packing software packages was performed in this work; also methods’ advantages and disadvantages were pointed out. A model of three-dimensional rectangular object packing into containers of the same shape was formed, and the software solving 3D object packing problems was created according to this model. The tests proved that the suggested method is effective and beneficial.

Modified design of a planter to be attached to a mobile robot, was the main objective of this project. This research project was part of a larger project, called “Developing robotics assisted technology for farming”. The main motivation for this research project is the fact that mobile robot, is an electric powered vehicle with limited power and pulling force. Thus, a customized planter with a customized connection mechanism should be designed. Besides, it should require less draft force compared to existing planters so that it can be pulled by the mobile robot. The developed planter should have the same efficiency as the existing planters in seeding. To find the forces between soil engagement tool (disc coulter) and soil, experiments were designed and performed in the Linear Soil Bin at University of Saskatchewan. Disc and tilt angle of a disc coulter was changed and draft, vertical and side forces applied to it were measured to find the disc and tilt angle combinations that results in minimum draft force. Experiments showed that 7° disc angle and 25° tilt angle provides the least draft force compared to other disc angle and tilt angle combinations. Then, using the knowledge obtained from literature and the soil bin experiments, a planter was designed conceptually and in detail, based on the existing CNH planter. For further analyses computer modeling was performed. The whole planter was modeled in 3D, using SolidWorks. Stress analysis was performed in ANSYS Workbench to calculate safety factor of the designed parts. Two prototypes were fabricated and were attached to the mobile robot for field tests. Tests were performed in indoor settings to measure the total draft force required to pull developed planters. Draft force was very close to the value that was calculated in design stage. Results showed that an average of 460 N pulling force is required to pull one row planter for 50 mm depth of cut, which can be compared to n existing CNH corn planter that requires a pulling force of between 900 N to 1300 N. Seed drop accuracy and function of the developed planters in opening and closing a packed soil in presence of residue, were also observed in outdoor tests.

Almost 10 years after the attack on World Trade Center Sept. 11 2001, Osama bin Laden was shot and killed on May 2 2011 in Pakistan. How was this event framed by the media with regards to the global war on terror? This study compares two different American newspapers – the New York Times and the New York Daily News – and how they framed the war on terrorism in the Middle East from May 2 to May 15 2011. By analyzing the framing in a perspective of the four functions of framing theory: define problems, diagnose causes, make moral judgments and suggest remedies, we found considerable differences in each papers frames. Through a qualitative text analysis of the opinion pages in these two newspapers, using three themes as a base, we found a number of differences. While the New York Times contained a form of open discussion about problems and remedies, New York Daily News takes an emotional and moral approach. These differences in content may affect the opinions of the readers. We speculate that the more open and suggestive nature of the New York Times, also opens the minds of the readers enabling them to form opinions in a liberated sense. Thus the more closed, emotional and moral nature of the New York Daily News may have greater impact on an individual’s ability to form its own opinions and moral values.

Šio darbo tikslas – sukurti trimačių dėžių su papildomu orientacijos erdvėje apribojimu pakavimo optimizavimo algoritmą, o realizavus jį programinėmis priemonėmis – ištirti jo efektyvumą su atsitiktinai sugeneruotų kraunamų dėžių rinkiniais ir prie skirtingų algoritmo veikimo parametrų. Taip pat sukurti ir pakavimo optimizavimo sprendinio vizualizavimo trimatėje erdvėje programinę įrangą. / Presented work covers one of the most complex areas of combinatorial optimization – three dimensional bin packing problem. Solution methods of this problem are applied in the real world from logistics, packing optimization to VLSI circuit and automobile engineering. Several heuristic packing algorithms suggested by other authors are analyzed. Approach based on tree-search and wall building strategy is chosen to create a 3D packing optimization algorithm. A bin orientation in space restriction is added to classical 3D bin packing problem to make it more complex and more suited for real world applications. A prototype of created algorithm is created and tested with randomly generated data collections. Each data sample is processed with and without bin orientation in space restriction. Influence of restriction and maximal tree width on packing efficiency and computational time is statistically analyzed. Visualization tool based on Microsoft Direct X technology is created to view results of packing optimization.

The term “Fundamentalism” used as a comparative category within the academic study of religion has become problematic. Fundamentalism, is not one comprehensive movement but is, in fact, a phenomenon which encompasses a variety of beliefs, practices, and expectations. This thesis will explore the diversity of several different and distinct fundamentalist movements. I will discuss the natures of four Christian movements that have been labeled “fundamentalist” – Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Reconstructionists, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson – on several key points, eschatology, political philosophy, as well as level of social involvement. I will then turn to fundamentalism as it is used as a category to describe a global phenomenon. I will discuss three different scholarly approaches by turning to the work of Bruce Lawrence, Mark Juergensmeyer, and Bruce Lincoln on the Islamic “fundamentalist” group al- Qaeda. Finally I will argue that the category “fundamentalism” can be best understood in terms of a family resemblance.

This thesis presents Islamic modernism in Malaya as reflected in the life and works of Sayid Syekh al-Hadi (1867-1934). Having first described and evaluated the previous writings mentioned about al-Hadi, it outlines the main characteristics of Islamic modernism, and discusses al-Hadi's life and his thought covering four topics namely: ritualism, education, woman and politics. / The study has shown that al-Hadi was a Malayan Muslim modernist. He seriously advocated Islamic modernism to overcome what he had perceived as the causes contributing to Malayan Muslim decadence and backwardness. He believed that Malayan Muslims could advance and progress even though they were under British rule because Islamic teachings are practicable and realistic.

In this study, we consider two bi-objective bin packing problems that assign a number of weighted items to bins having identical capacities. Firstly, we aim to minimize total deviation over bin capacity and minimize number of bins. We show that these two objectives are conflicting. Secondly, we study the problem of minimizing maximum overdeviation and minimizing the number of bins. We show the similarities of these two problems to parallel machine scheduling problems and benefit from the results while developing our solution approaches. For both problems, we propose exact procedures that generate efficient solutions relative to two objectives. To increase the efficiency of the solutions, we propose some lower and upper bounding procedures. The results of our experiments show that total overdeviation problem is easier to solve compared to maximum overdeviation problem and the bin capacity, the weight of items and the number of items are important factors that effect the solution time and quality. Our procedures can solve the problems with up to 100 items in reasonable solution times.

This thesis presents and develops a theory of self-reduction. This process is used to map instances of combinatorial optimisation problems onto smaller, more easily solvable instances in such a way that a solution of the former can be readily re-constructed, without loss of information or quality, from a solution of the latter. Self-reduction rules are surveyed for the Graph Colouring Problem, the Maximum Clique Problem, the Steiner Problem in Graphs, the Bin Packing Problem and the Set Covering Problem. This thesis introduces the problem of determining the maximum sequence of self-reductions on a given structure, and shows how the theory of confluence can be adapted from term re-writing to solve this problem by identifying rule sets for which all maximal reduction sequences are equivalent. Such confluence results are given for a number of reduction rules on problems on discrete systems. In contrast, NP-hardness results are also presented for some reduction rules. A probabilistic analysis of self-reductions on graphs is performed, showing that the expected number of self-reductions on a graph tends to zero as the order of the graph tends to infinity. An empirical study is performed comparing the performance of self-reduction, graph decomposition and direct methods of solving the Graph Colouring and Set Covering Problems. The results show that self-reduction is a potentially valuable, but sometimes erratic, method of finding exact solutions to combinatorial problems.