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61	Design of a Dissolved Oxygen Optical Sensing Device for Cell Growth and Metabolism Monitoring in Bioreactors Rosa, Raelyn K. 04 1900 (has links) <p>An electro-optical sensor module was designed to monitor the level of dissolved oxygen (DO) using the method of frequency domain ﬂuoroscopy. Frequency domain ﬂuoroscopy is an optical method that detects the concentration of an analyte by indirectly monitoring the ﬂuorescent lifetime decay. A planar ﬁlm containing oxygen sensitive ﬂuorophores interacts with a liquid solution, where the percent DO dictates the ﬂuorescent lifetime decay. Amplitude modulated LED emission is created using an electrically implemented oscillator, exciting the oxygen sensitive ﬂuorophores. The emission light from the ﬂuorophores is detected by a photodiode and conditioned. The timing characteristics of the excitation and emission light waveforms are interpreted by a microcontroller. Time delay values have been correlated to actual percent DO values experimentally, and appropriate data modeling has been implemented for calibration purposes. This design is appropriate for application in bioreactors, presenting a functional and cost effective design. Future research can be performed to extrapolate the microcontroller platform to host a pH module, cell number module and glucose module, providing sufﬁcient feedback to an automated bioreactor systems.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc) optical dissolved oxygen bioreactors design frequency domain fluoroscopy cost effective Biological Engineering Biomedical Biomedical devices and instrumentation Biotechnology Electrical and Electronics Electromagnetics and photonics Systems and integrative engineering Biological Engineering
62	Cost Effective Maintenance for Competitve Advantages Alsyouf, Imad January 2004 (has links) This thesis describes the role of cost effective maintenance in achieving competitive advantages. It explores by means of a survey which maintenance practices are used, and how maintenance policies are selected in Swedish industries. Also, it suggests a model for selecting the most cost effective maintenance policy, and how to improve the effectiveness of condition based maintenance decision-making. Finally it discusses how to assess the impact of maintenance practices on business strategic objectives. The main results achieved in the thesis are 1) A better understanding of maintenance organisation, management, systems and maintenance status in Swedish industry. For example, it was found that about 70% of Swedish companies still consider maintenance as a cost centre. Preventive and predictive maintenance approaches are also emphasised. 2) Most Swedish firms, i.e. about 81%, use the accumulated knowledge and experience within the company as a method for maintenance selection. Besides, about 31% use a method based on modelling the time to failure and optimisation. About 10% use failure mode effect and criticality analysis (FMECA) and decision trees and only 2% use multiple criterion decision-making (MCDM). However, the most used maintenance selection method is not the one most satisfactory to its users. Furthermore, about 30% use a combination of at least two methods. 3) A practical model for selecting and improving the most cost effective maintenance policy was developed. It is characterised by incorporating all the strengths of the four methods used in industry. 4) A mechanistic model for predicting the value of vibration level was verified both at the lab and in a case study. 5) A model for identifying, assessing, monitoring and improving the economic impact of maintenance was developed and tested in a case study. Thus it was proved that maintenance is no longer a cost centre, but could be a profit-generating function. To achieve competitive advantages, companies should do the right thing, e.g. use the most cost effective maintenance policy, and they should do it right, e.g. ensure that they have the right competence. Furthermore, they should apply the never-ending improvement cycle, i.e. Plan-Do-Check-Act, which requires identifying problem areas by assessing the savings and profits generated by maintenance and monitoring the economic impact of the applied maintenance policy. Thus, they would know where investments should be allocated to eliminate the basic reasons for losses and increase savings. The major conclusion is that proper maintenance would improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of production systems, and hence enhances company competitiveness, i.e. productivity and value advantages, and long-term profitability. Maintenance approaches Maintenance Costs Savings and Profit Operations Quality Effectiveness Efficiency Competitiveness Productivity Value Advantages Profitability Performance Balanced Scorecard BSC Maintenance Selection Method Fuzzy MCDM TTT-plot Cost Effective Maintenance Mechanistic Model Vibration Level Prediction Condition-Based Maintenance survey case study TECHNOLOGY TEKNIKVETENSKAP
63	Maintenance impact on company´s profitability and competitiveness : Underhålls påverkan i företags lönsamhet och konkurrens Al-Najjar, Hamid January 2007 (has links) <p>Abstract</p><p>The aim of this thesis is to show the company the importance and the necessity of the maintenance, trough highlighting its role and impact on company’s profitability and competitiveness, and that’s happened within the analysing of the plant to figure out the failures and short stoppages, find out the causes behind them, convert them into money and the last step is to find out the most suitable and cost effective maintenance strategy based on some important factors such as economy, and quality to probably eliminate or reduce the number of failures and short stoppages. According to the analysis, capacity verifying data collection which the company has done during a random working daily shift and a technical faults list about the possibly failures and short stoppages which occur during the operation, it shows that there are some downtime due to management, operation and logistic, but the main focus was on the technical faults which has correlation with maintenance. In the result it shows which technical and mechanical problems the machines usually faces, the causes behind them, how much it cost the company when they breaks down and finally some suggestions and recommendations about how these problems can probably be solved based on economy and quality.</p> / <p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Syftet med denna rapport är att visa hur viktigt och nödvändigt det är med att underhålla företagens maskiner och utrustningar, därför att det har stor påverkan på företagens lönsamhet och konkurrens och det skedde genom att analysera företagens produktions process, lista ut haverier och avbrott, hitta orsakerna som ligger bakom det, konvertera det till pengar och försöka lösa problemen genom att hitta den mesta lämpligaste underhåll strategi baserande på ekonomi och kvalitet. Enligt analysen som utfördes genom studiet, kapacitet verifiering data insamlingen som företaget gjorde under en slumpmässig arbetsdag skift och ett tekniskt fel lisat på eventuella avbrott och haverier. Det visade sig att det finns vissa stopp tider som har samband med management, operation, och logistik, men uppgiften är mer fokuserad på de tekniska problemen som har samband med underhåll. I resultatet ser man vilka tekniska och mekaniska problem som brukar angripa maskinerna, orsakerna som ligger bakom de, hur mycket det kostar företaget för varje maskin när den är ur funktionen, samt några förslag på eventuella lösningar och rekommendationer baserande på ekonomi och kvalitet.</p> Maintenance Maintenance strategies the relationship among maintenance production quality production rate operation management and logistic Production process characteristics and cost-effective maintenance Underhåll underhåll strategier produktion hasighet operation hantering och logistik produktion process charaktaristisk och lön samt underhåll Övrig industriell teknik och ekonomi
64	An evaluation of the influence of e-learning in adult education with special reference to the employees of Parliament RSA Mbuli, Fikile 10 1900 (has links) This study was devoted to researching the effectiveness of e-learning, in terms of the reported experiences of the Language Services section employees in Parliament RSA. At present, the internet is seen as a successful and influential educational tool in both academic and corporate institutions. Academically, it has been adopted for e-learning methods of teaching and learning. It is perceived as a cost-effective method of providing lifelong education. It is important to know about the pros and cons of e-learning in adult education and compare them with the experiences of the people who are and have been engaged in adult education. To create an adult education skills development framework that can be used successfully in e-learning, it is important to get information about and from the people concerned regarding their learning experiences. To understand more about the influence of e-learning, this study administered a questionnaire to the employees of the Language Services Section of Parliament who participated in the pilot learning programmes offered by Parliament. The questionnaire was designed to gather structured responses from the participants in the inquiry. The results were studied and applied to draw recommendations for what can be improved in the programme to promote and endorse continuing learning experiences as is the aim of the in-house programme offered by Parliament. The study also has relevance in terms of a discussion of issues that arise in the literature on adult education, which were located as part of the study. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education) E-learning effectiveness Learning skills Internet and communication technologies Adult education and e-learning E-learning programme E-learning benefits E-learning methods Cost-effective education Smart technologies In-house programmes Flexible learning E-learning assessment Development programmes 374.26 Internet in education Web-based instruction
65	Optimering av ljuddiffuser – Monteringsvänlighet och kostnadsreducering / Optimization of a noise diffuser – ease of assembly and overall cost reduction. Fox, David, Töyrä, Nils-Robin January 2018 (has links) Målet med detta projekt har varit att utveckla en monteringsvänlig och kostnadseffektiv ljuddiffuser, en komponent som inte ska påverka ljudnivån och luftflödet för mycket, tillskillnad från den befintliga lösning som idag används i 3nine AB:s oljedimavskiljare. Examensarbetet följer den produktutvecklingsprocess som redogörs i boken Produktutveckling – Konstruktion och design av Karl T. Ulrich och Steven D. Eppinger. Där arbetet har anpassats för tidsramen på 10 veckor och delats upp i fyra faser. Fas1 – Förstudie, Fas 2 – faktainsamling, Fas 3 – Genomförande och Fas 4 – Rapportering. Den lösning som används idag består av fem vikta bitar sträckmetall som har sytts ihop med ståltråd, ljuddiffusern tar lång tid att montera ihop och att montera ned i maskinen. De fem vikta bitarna sträckmetall har vassa kanter efter klippning som försvårar monteringen ytterligare. En ljuddiffuser har en kostnad på 100 kr/st att framställa. För denna lösning togs mätvärden i 3nine AB:s verkstad fram som agerar som referensmätvärden, monteringstid – 333 [s], ljudnivå – 68 [dB], luftflöde – 319 [m ³/h] och DFA – index (mätvärde för monteringsvänlighet) – 5,4 %. Där 100 % ses som optimal monteringsvänlighet och högre DFA-index leder till reducerade kostnader. Då luft strömmar genom maskinen så påverkar detta mätvärdena och möjlig design av ny prototyper, men strömningslära är kunskaper som vi saknar och detta analyser med avseende på detta avgränsades bort. Genom Idéutvecklingsprocesser som Brainstorming, 6-3-5 Brainwritning, Morfologiskmatris, Pughmatris, konceptskisser, Virtuella koncept (3D-CAD) och friformsframställning (3D-utskrivning av prototyp) så togs fem prototyper fram som sedan testades för monteringstid, ljudnivå, luftflöde och DFA-index. Dessa tester resulterade i att det var en prototyp som utmärkte sig med förbättrade resultat jämfört med referensmätvärdena av befintliga ljuddiffusern. Mätvärden för prototypen ”45° väggen”, monteringstid – 16 [s], ljudnivå – 65 [dB], luftflöde – 342 [m ³/h] och DFA – index (mätvärde för monteringsvänlighet) – 93 %. Risk – och FEM-analys genomfördes på prototypen för att identifiera svagheter i konstruktionen, lösningar på dessa rekommenderas i form av små förändringar som t.ex. rundningar vid hörn. Dessa mätvärden redogör att den framtagna lösningen är bättre än dagens lösning och rekommenderas att implementeras och vidareutvecklas av företaget / The aim of this project has been to improve the existing noise diffuser used currently today in the oil-separatingmachines developed by 3nine AB. By reducing noise levels, increasing the air flow, increasing the “ease of assembly” and making it more cost effective. The thesis follows the product development process described in the book “Product Development - Construction and Design” by Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger. The work was adapted for a 10-week timeframe and divided into four phases. Phase 1 - Pre-Study, Phase 2 – Information gathering, Phase 3 - Implementation and Phase 4 - Reporting. The solution used today consists of five folded pieces of stretch metal that have been sewn together with steel wire, the noise diffuser takes a long time to assemble and to fit into the machine. The five folded pieces of stretch metal have sharp edges after cutting, which further complicates the assembly. The production cost for each diffuser is 100 kronor. For the present solution, the measurement values taken at 3nine AB's workshop were set as reference values, assembly time - 333 [s], noise level - 68 [dB], airflow - 319 [m³ / h] and DFA-index (measurement value for ease of assembly) - 5.4%. DFA-index when 100% is seen as the optimal ease of assembly and a higher DFA-index leads to reduced costs. As air flows through the machine, this affects the measured values and possible design of new prototypes, but fluid mechanics is one knowledge we lacked and therefor analysis of this was not possible and delimited. Through Idea Development Processes such as Brainstorming, 6-3-5 Brainwriting, Morphological Matrix, Pugh matrix, Concept Sketches, Virtual Concepts (3D-CAD) and Rapid prototyping (3D-prototype printing), five prototypes were produced, then tested for assembly time, noise level, airflow and DFA -index. These tests resulted in a prototype that featured improved results compared to the reference values of the existing noise diffuser. Measurement values for prototype "45° wall" where assembly time - 16 [s], noise level - 65 [dB], airflow - 342 [m³ / h] and DFA index - 93%. Risk-analysis and FEA was carried out on the same prototype to identify weaknesses in the design. The solutions to these weaknesses are recommended in the form of small design changes such as rounded sharp corners. These measured values state that the solution developed is better than today's solution and is recommended to be implemented and further developed by the company. Product development process Brainstorming 6-3-5 Brainwriting morphological matrix Pugh matrix Concept Rapid prototyping Ease of assembly Cost-effective Noise Air flow Assembly time Construction DFA-index Risk analysis FEA Noise diffuser and 3D-CAD. Produktutvecklingsprocess Brainstorming 6-3-5 Brainwriting Morfologiskmatris Koncept friformsframställning Monteringsvänlighet Kostnadseffektiv Ljudnivå Luftflöde Monteringstid konstruktion DFA-index riskanalys FEM-analys ljuddiffuser och 3D-CAD. Engineering and Technology Teknik och teknologier
66	Maintenance impact on company´s profitability and competitiveness : Underhålls påverkan i företags lönsamhet och konkurrens Al-Najjar, Hamid January 2007 (has links) The aim of this thesis is to show the company the importance and the necessity of the maintenance, trough highlighting its role and impact on company’s profitability and competitiveness, and that’s happened within the analysing of the plant to figure out the failures and short stoppages, find out the causes behind them, convert them into money and the last step is to find out the most suitable and cost effective maintenance strategy based on some important factors such as economy, and quality to probably eliminate or reduce the number of failures and short stoppages. According to the analysis, capacity verifying data collection which the company has done during a random working daily shift and a technical faults list about the possibly failures and short stoppages which occur during the operation, it shows that there are some downtime due to management, operation and logistic, but the main focus was on the technical faults which has correlation with maintenance. In the result it shows which technical and mechanical problems the machines usually faces, the causes behind them, how much it cost the company when they breaks down and finally some suggestions and recommendations about how these problems can probably be solved based on economy and quality. / Syftet med denna rapport är att visa hur viktigt och nödvändigt det är med att underhålla företagens maskiner och utrustningar, därför att det har stor påverkan på företagens lönsamhet och konkurrens och det skedde genom att analysera företagens produktions process, lista ut haverier och avbrott, hitta orsakerna som ligger bakom det, konvertera det till pengar och försöka lösa problemen genom att hitta den mesta lämpligaste underhåll strategi baserande på ekonomi och kvalitet. Enligt analysen som utfördes genom studiet, kapacitet verifiering data insamlingen som företaget gjorde under en slumpmässig arbetsdag skift och ett tekniskt fel lisat på eventuella avbrott och haverier. Det visade sig att det finns vissa stopp tider som har samband med management, operation, och logistik, men uppgiften är mer fokuserad på de tekniska problemen som har samband med underhåll. I resultatet ser man vilka tekniska och mekaniska problem som brukar angripa maskinerna, orsakerna som ligger bakom de, hur mycket det kostar företaget för varje maskin när den är ur funktionen, samt några förslag på eventuella lösningar och rekommendationer baserande på ekonomi och kvalitet. Maintenance Maintenance strategies the relationship among maintenance production quality production rate operation management and logistic Production process characteristics and cost-effective maintenance Underhåll underhåll strategier produktion hasighet operation hantering och logistik produktion process charaktaristisk och lön samt underhåll Other Mechanical Engineering Annan maskinteknik
67	Food addiction : a cost-effective treatment proposal within a developing country context Kistenmacher, Ann 01 1900 (has links) This study explores the possible efficacy of a low carbohydrate and high fat nutritional intervention (LCHF) as a treatment possibility aiming to improve the ability of self-control and regulation in the context of carbohydrate-addiction. The study first outlines why increased simple carbohydrate consumption has been implicated as a risk-factor in numerous chronic conditions, and then explores the possibility that a reduction of such consumption could lower general medical expenditure in the healthcare sector of already overburdened institutions, especially in developing countries like South Africa. Since the neurobiological evidence for food addiction is compelling, this study investigates the impact of a low carbohydrate and high fat eating (LCHF) regimen by measuring the change in the severity of addictive behaviour in relation to a reduced carbohydrate consumption. Results indicate that a LCHF nutritional intervention lessened addictive behaviour after just 30 days, resulting in a statistically significant decrease in addiction symptoms from day 1 to day 30. The weight and BMI values of the participants recorded at the end of the study showed a reduction from those obtained during the pre- treatment stage, and the self-perceived ‘feeling in control’ also improved in all participants after the intervention. The introduction of a LCHF nutritional intervention presents a relatively cost-effective treatment and preventative measure to combat carbohydrate over-consumption and its numerous health complications, and it is therefore hoped that the positive findings of this study will foster further research, using larger samples, into this type of nutritional intervention against addictive eating behaviour. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology) Low carbohydrate High fat nutritional intervention LCHF Addiction severity Carbohydrate over- consumption Chronic conditions Cost-effective treatment intervention Preventative treatment Yale Food Addiction Scale YFAS Diabetes Carbohydrate addiction Sugar Inflammation Banting Ketogenic Depression Addiction Feeling in control Psychology Obesity Overburdened healthcare Metabolic syndrome Stress Immune response Gut microbiome 362.196852600968 Obesity -- South Africa Obesity -- Developing countries Nutrition -- South Africa Nutrition -- Developing countries Nutrition counseling -- South Africa
68	A Novel Approach to Youth Crime Prevention: Mindfulness Meditation Classes in South African Townships / A Novel Approach to Youth Crime Prevention : Mindfulness Meditation Classes in South African Townships Kneip, Katharina January 2020 (has links) Children growing up in poor areas with high crime rates are shown to easily get involved in violent actions and criminal gangs. In South Africa, despite considerable efforts to reduce youth delinquency, youth crime rates are still disturbingly high – specifically, in the townships of the Cape Flats. This paper points out an important aspect previously unaddressed by most youth crime prevention: the subconscious roots of youth crime. What if we could develop youth crime prevention programs that manage to impact the subconscious behavioral patterns of youth in high crime areas? This paper proposes a promising and cost-effective approach that has great potential to affect multipe causes of crime: mindfulness meditation. Built upon newest findings in Neuroscience, this paper suggests that mindfulness meditation classes are associated with a reduction in aggressive behavior, a risk factor for youth crime, and an increase in self-efficacy, a protective factor. The impact of mindfulness classes at a high school in Khayelitsha, a poor and violent-stricken township of Cape Town, is analyzed. Self-reported aggression and self-efficacy are measured via a psychometric survey questionnaire created from two well-tested and validated scales. Regression analyses of 384 survey answers provided mixed results. Whilst novice meditators were not associated with higher self-efficacy and lower aggression, long-term meditators performed better in several dimensions of self-efficacy and aggression, yet no significant relationship was found. Further research specifically needs to investigate the moderating effect of age (a proxy for psychological development) on meditation. This study aims to bridge the gap between the outdated paradigms of youth crime prevention and ancient wisdom via ground-breaking new evidence from the field of Neuroscience. This study furthermore hopes to point policy makers toward developing new, integrative and sustainable approaches to youth crime prevention – approaches that give back agency to our youth. / <p>Anders Westholm har inget med betygssättningen att göra annat än i rent formellt hänseende (examinator). Det är han som rapporterar in och skriver under men i sak är det seminarieledaren som har beslutet i sin hand. Statsvetenskapliga institutet har som princip att skilja på handledning och examination vilket innebär att handledaren inte får vara seminarieledare. Seminarieledare och personen som satt betygget var i det här fallet Sven Oskarsson: Sven.Oskarsson@statsvet.uu.se</p> Juvenile delinquency youth aggression crime youth crime prevention cost-effective crime prevention crime rates psychometric survey questionnaire psychological scales aggression scale self-efficacy scale regression analysis quantitative study empowerment youth agency youth development development sustainable approach self-development Psychology Social Psychology abuse trauma risk factors protective factors townships poor area violent area Khayelitsha Guguletu Mitchell's Plain Ghetto Africa South Africa Cape Town Cape Flats school mindfulness meditation mindfulness meditation Kabat-Zinn future resilience subconsciousness subconscious brain emotional brain decision making aggression disruptive behavior self-efficacy self-esteem self-regulation emotional regulation subconsciousness subconscious behavioral patterns Neuroscience Political Science Development Studies Peace and Conflict Uppsala Jugendgewalt Jugendkriminalität Jugendaggression Aggressionsbewältigung Gewalt Verbrechensrate Gewaltrate Jugendgewaltprävention Gewaltprävention Survey-Studie Umfrage psychologische Skalen Aggressionsskala Selbstwirksamkeitsskala Regressionsanalyse Quantitative Studie Handlungsfähigkeit Jugend nachhaltig Entwicklungsarbeit Entwicklung Selbstentwicklung Psychologie Sozialpsychologie Missbrauch Trauma Risikofaktor Schutzfaktor Townships Armenviertel Konfliktgebiet Ghetto Cape Town Cape Flats Khayelitsha Südafrika Afrika Schule Primarschule weiterführende Schule Achtsamkeit Meditation Mindfulness Meditation Kabat-Zinn Zukunft Resilienz Aggression Selbstvertrauen Selbstwirksamkeit Selbstbewusstsein Selstregulierung Emotionsregulierung unbewusste Verhaltensmuster Unterbewusstsein Neurowissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Entwicklungsstudien Friedensforschung Uppsala Ungdomskriminalitet brottslighet förebyggande av brott enkätundersökning psykologiska skalor aggressionsskala egeneffektivitetsskala regression kvantitativ ungdomsutveckling utveckling självutveckling psykologi socialpsykologi övergrepp trauma riskfaktorer skyddsfaktorer townships fattiga område kriminellt område Khayelitsha Afrika Sydafrika Kapstaden skola mindfulness meditation mindfulness meditation Kabat-Zinn framtid motståndskraft aggression störande beteende självförmåga självkänsla självreglering emotionell reglering neurovetenskap statsvetenskap utvecklingsstudier fred och konfliktstudier Uppsala Globalisation Studies Globaliseringsstudier

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