Essay 1: Several countries practice a system where laymen, who lack legal education, participate in the judicial decision making. Yet, little is known about their potential influence on the court rulings. In Sweden lay judges (nämndemän) are affiliated with the political parties and appointed in proportion to political party representation in the last local elections. This paper investigates the influence of their partisan belonging when ruling in asylum appeals in the Migration Courts, where laymen are effectively randomly assigned to cases. The results show that the approval rate is affected by the policy position of the laymen's political parties. In particular, asylum appeals are more likely to be rejected when laymen from the anti-immigrant party the Swedish Democrats participate, and less likely to be rejected when laymen from the Left Party, the Christian Democrats or the Green Party participate. This indicates that asylum seekers do not receive an impartial trial, and raises concerns that laymen in the courts can compromise the legal security in general. / Essay 2: Although economic circumstances have been argued to be a major determining factor of attitudes to redistribution, there is little well identified evidence at the individual level. Utilizing a unique dataset, with detailed individual information, provides new and convincing evidence on the link between economic circumstances and demand for redistribution (in the form of social benefits). The Swedish National Election Studies are constructed as a rotating survey panel, which makes it possible to estimate the causal effect of economic changes. The empirical analysis shows that individuals who experience a job loss become considerably more supportive of redistribution. Yet, attitudes to redistribution return to their initial level as economic prospects improve, suggesting that the effect is only temporary. Although a job loss also changes attitudes to the political parties, the probability to vote for the left-wing is not affected. / Essay 3: A well-functioning labor market is characterized by job reallocations, but the individual costs can be vast. We examine if individual's ability to cope with such adjustments depends on their cognitive and non-cognitive skills (measured by the enlistment tests). Since selection into unemployment is a function of skills, we solve the endogeneity of a job loss by using the exogenous labor market shock provided by the military base closures in Sweden following the end of the Cold War. We find, first, that, on average, labor earnings decrease and unemployment and labor-related benefits increase for those affected. Second, there are heterogeneous treatment effects in terms of unemployment; the treated individuals with high non-cognitive and cognitive skills face lower unemployment effects than the treated individuals with low non-cognitive and cognitive skills.

No description available.

The process, structure, and property relationship of PAN fiber as a precursor to carbon fiber was studied. The limitations of stable spinning and property improvement associated with hot draw in solution spinning were found and quantified. Conditions were varied to generated precursor fiber up to the limit of draw, from which actual samples were collected for thermal conversion to carbon fiber. Samples of PAN and subsequent carbon fiber were characterized using tensile testing and x-ray analysis. The effects of draw on modulus and break stress, as well as the orientation of the crystalline structure of both parent precursor and resultant carbon fiber were found and related back to the quantified draw limit.

A presente dissertação apresenta um estudo compreensivo de adolescentes grávidas atendidas em hospital público. Assim traz, inicialmente, reflexões sobre a adolescência, etapa do desenvolvimento na qual se encontram grandes e importantes mudanças, sendo fundamental no processo da construção da identidade. A identidade relaciona-se, entre outros fatores, à sexualidade do adolescente e, nesse sentido, a gravidez nessa época da vida se configura como uma situação que traz preocupações aos profissionais de saúde, educação e à sociedade como um todo. Dessa forma, são discutidos os temas: a sexualidade do adolescente e os diversos aspectos relativos à gestação na adolescência (os sociais, como o abandono escolar, os emocionais e a saúde física da mãe e da criança), também apresentando estudos da literatura sobre esses temas. Essa investigação visa apresentar dados que favorecem a compreensão de aspectos psicológicos de adolescentes gestantes, mecanismos de defesas, relações, formas de lidar com a realidade, o desenvolvimento da identidade e ainda contribuir para a validação das técnicas gráficas empregadas. Foi seguido um método quantitativo, com 86 adolescentes do sexo feminino divididas em dois grupos, o clínico composto 44 adolescentes gestantes, e um controle, sem suspeita de gravidez, submetidas a aplicações individuais de duas técnicas projetivas gráficas: O teste do Desenho da Figura Humana e o teste do Desenho da Pessoa na Chuva.Os dados foram trabalhados por estudos estatísticos e permitiram observar diferença entre os dois grupos estudados e também entre as técnicas aplicadas, demonstrando que a adolescente grávida mostra-se com mais ansiedade, medo, inseguranças e imaturas e que a gravidez nessa fase, para a maioria, é vivida como uma situação de pressão, estresse e agoniante. Desse modo, a pesquisa confirma a presença de conflitos e o despreparo da jovem e da família frente à gravidez precoce, produzindo efeitos na personalidade da adolescente. Esses dados demonstram a necessidade que seja fornecido amparo e acolhimento às adolescentes gestantes, que possam favorecer o desenvolvimento dessas e também a capacidade de cuidar do filho. Dessa forma, as conclusões do estudo apontam para a necessidade de que sejam realizados mais pesquisas, e mais amplas, sobre aspectos psicológicos e emocionais dessas jovens mães e que sejam desenvolvidos programas vii de prevenção e intervenção junto a essas adolescentes e às suas famílias / This dissertation presents a comprehensive study on pregnant adolescents assisted in a public hospital. Initially, it brings out reflections about the adolescence, a stage in human development in which can be found great and important changes that are essential to the process of identity construction. The identity is related, among other factors, to the sexuality of the adolescent, and, with this in mind, pregnancy during this period of life is something that may cause concern to healthcare and education professionals as well as to the society in general. In this respect, the study presents a discussion on the following themes: sexuality of adolescents and several aspects related to pregnancy during the adolescence (social ones, such as school dropouts, emotional ones, and mother and child´s physical health), it also presents literature studies about those themes. This research aimsto present data that foster the understanding of psychological elements of pregnant adolescents, defense mechanisms, relations, ways to deal with reality, the development of identity; in addition, contribute to the validation of the employed graphic techniques. A quantitative method was followed based on 86 female adolescents who were divided into two groups; the clinic consists of 44 pregnant adolescents, and the control, of no pregnancy suspicion, who were subjected to the application of two individual graphic projective techniques: The Draw-a-Person test and the Draw-a-Person-in the rain test. The data were analyzed by statistical analysis and it provided the difference between both groups, also among the applied techniques, which shows that a pregnant adolescent is more anxious, more afraid, more insecure and immature; thus, pregnancy in this phase, for most of them, is an experience of a pressure, stressful and distressful situation. Therefore, the research confirms the existence of conflicts and the lack of the young woman and family preparation before the early pregnancy, which produces effects upon the personality of the adolescent. These data show the need of support and hospitality to pregnant adolescents in order to provide their development; moreover, the ability to take care of the child. As such, the conclusion points to the need of performing more research, and wider ones, about psychological and emotional aspects of those young mothers as well as prevention and intervention programmes involvingthese adolescents and their families

A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo verificar se o Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias se constitui como instrumento válido e preciso para diagnosticar Transtorno Depressivo Maior. A amostra foi composta por 60 sujeitos adultos, divididos igualmente em dois subgrupos, ou seja, 30 pacientes com diagnóstico de Transtorno Depressivo Maior Moderado e 30 sujeitos sem a patologia e com ausência de histórico de Depressão. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias, o Inventário de Depressão Beck (BDI) e a entrevista clínica estruturada para o DSM-IV-TR, também conhecida como SCID-NP, com a finalidade de evitar diagnósticos de falsos negativos e falsos positivos nos resultados do Inventário (BDI), facilitando o diagnóstico diferencial de Transtorno Depressivo Maior sem comorbidades. Depois de definidos os participantes da amostra e aplicados os três instrumentos nos mesmos, convidaram dois juízes, para avaliar os dados dos Desenhos- Estórias. As análises foram feitas em três etapas: na primeira, os avaliadores deveriam separar os protocolos às cegas pautando-se somente nos desenhos do procedimento. Na segunda, deveriam separar os protocolos, pautando-se somente nas histórias e, na terceira, deveriam, utilizando pautas de análise, separar os 60 protocolos, levando-se em conta tanto os desenhos quanto as histórias. Para tanto, utilizou-se um total de 94 itens extraídos da literatura que possibilitam observar a patologia em técnicas projetivas. Posteriormente a essa análise, procedeu-se ao estudo de precisão, e um terceiro juiz também foi convidado para avaliar os protocolos. Nessas análises, os juízes deveriam avaliar os protocolos, atribuindo zero, se os 94 itens estivessem ausentes e um, se estivessem presentes. A partir disso, foram comparadas as análises dos mesmos da seguinte maneira: no estudo de validade, foram correlacionadas, por meio do Coeficiente Produto-Momento de Pearson, as avaliações dos juízes entre si e dos juízes com o critério externo. Também foram utilizados o Qui-Quadrado, o Teste Exato de Fischer e o Teste t para verificar se os itens utilizados na pesquisa permitiam discriminar os sujeitos dos dois subgrupos. No estudo de precisão, foram comparadas as avaliações dos juízes entre si por meio do Coeficiente Produto-Momento de Pearson, e levantou-se, em alguns casos, a Porcentagem de Acordo entre as avaliações. Os resultados indicaram que os juízes conseguiram separar os protocolos, quando se basearam nas histórias e utilizaram os critérios definidos pela literatura. Além disso, foi possível observar que os itens, em sua maioria, são claros o suficiente para permitir realizar avaliações precisas. Por outro lado, os itens que permitem discriminar as populações não são muitos, o que indica ser necessária a realização de outros estudos com o instrumento, para ser possível caracterizar melhor quais são os critérios que permitem evidenciar a amostra depressiva. Contudo, considerou-se o Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias um instrumento capaz de ser utilizado em casos em que a hipótese de Transtorno Depressivo esteja presente. / The present research have for objective to verify whether the procedure Story-Drawing is as valid and reliable to diagnose Major Depressive Disorder. The sample consisted of 60 adults, equally divided into two subgroups, this is, 30 patients diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder Moderate and 30 subjects without pathology and with no history of depression. The instruments used were the Procedure of Drawing-Stories, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR, also known as SCID-NP, in order to avoid false-negative diagnoses and false positives the results of the Inventory (BDI) and to facilitate the differential diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder without co-morbidities. After drafting the participants in the sample and applied the three instruments in them, asked two judges to evaluate the data of Story-Drawing. The tests were done in three stages: first the evaluators should separate protocols blindly while observing only the drawings of the procedure. The second would separate protocols while observing only the stories and the third should now using patterns of analysis, 60 separate protocols taking into account both the drawings and stories. To this end, we used a total of 94 items taken from the literature that allow you to observe the condition in projective techniques. Following this analysis, it proceeded to the study of accuracy and a third judge was also asked to evaluate the protocols. These analyzes judges should evaluate the protocols by assigning zero if the 94 items were missing and one if they were present. From this we compared the analysis of the same as follows: the validity study were correlated by the coefficient product-moment Pearson evaluations of judges between themselves and the judges with the external criterion. We also used the Chi-square, Fischer exact test and T test to verify that the items used in the study allowed the subjects to discriminate the two subgroups. In the accuracy study, were compared the ratings of judges among themselves through the Product-Moment Coefficient of Pearson and rose in some cases the percentage of agreement between evaluations. The results indicated that judges were able to separate when the protocols were based on the stories and used the criteria defined by the literature. Furthermore, it observed that the items are mostly clear enough to allow accurate assessments. On the other hand, items that allows to determine the populations are not many, which indicates the need for further studies with the instrument to be able to better characterize what are the criteria for demonstrating the depressed sample. However, it was considered the Procedure of Story-Drawing an instrument able to be used in cases where the hypothesis of Depressive Disorder is present.

O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi estabelecer normas para o Desenho da Figura Humana, especificamente para o Desenho do Homem, avaliado pelo Teste Goodenough-Harris (1963) e pelos Indicadores Maturacionais de Koppitz (1973), bem como obter dados relativos à precisão e à validade. A amostra foi composta por 1540 crianças, de 5 a 11,5 anos, de ambos os sexos, sorteadas de modo a ser representativa de escolares da cidade de São Paulo. Foram controladas as variáveis: idade, sexo e tipo de escola que a criança freqüenta, este último como indicativo do nível socioeconômico. As crianças foram avaliadas individualmente, tendo sido solicitado o Desenho de um Homem e depois aplicado o Teste R-2. Foram realizadas análises de variância, considerando como variáveis a idade, o sexo e o tipo de escola. Foi constatado que as faixas etárias com amplitude de seis meses não discriminavam os grupos. Outra análise com faixas com amplitude um ano se mostrou satisfatória e as médias de pontos mostraram crescimento progressivo com a idade pelos dois sistemas de avaliação. Para a avaliação Goodenough-Harris, foram obtidas diferenças significantes entre os sexos apenas na Educação Infantil e não houve diferenças entre os tipos de escola, mostrando que o desenho pode estar associado em maior grau a fatores maturacionais do que a ambientais. As normas em percentis são apresentadas por idade, com amplitude de um ano e separadas por sexo apenas aos 5 e 6 anos. O mesmo ocorreu na avaliação Koppitz, e as normas estabelecidas por idade e separadas por sexo apenas para 5, 6 e 7 anos. As correlações entre os pontos do Desenho do Homem nas duas avaliações e o teste R-2 foram significantes, sendo para a amostra total de 0,575 (Koppitz) e 0,606 (Goodenough-Harris). A correlação entre as duas avaliações do desenho foi de 0,899 para a amostra total, que é significante e alta. Os coeficientes de precisão pelo reteste foram satisfatórios, sendo de 0,808 na avaliação Goodenough-Harris e 0,708 na Koppitz, para a amostra total. A precisão pelo Método das Metades para a amostra total foi de 0,923 e 0,857, respectivamente. Foram obtidas as freqüências de cada item, por idade e para a amostra total nas duas avaliações, e calculadas as correlações ponto-bisserial dos itens por idade e amostra total. Os resultados foram comparados com os de Harris (1963), Alves (1979), Koppitz (1973), Hutz e Antoniazzi (1995) e Sarti (1999). Concluiu-se que os dois sistemas de pontuação do Desenho do Homem são adequados para avaliação cognitiva das crianças escolares da cidade de São Paulo, podendo ser empregados na triagem e avaliação psicológica infantil. / The purpose of this work was to establish norms for the Human Figure Drawing, specifically for the Man’s Drawing, evaluated by Goodenough-Harris Test (1963) and by the Koppitz Maturity Indicators (1973), as well to get data relating to reliability and validity. The sample was composed by 1540 children, from 5 to 11½ years old, both sexes and school type and it was designed to be a representative sample of students from São Paulo city. Variables aspects age, sex and school type was controlled, this last one as a socioeconomic level indication. Children were assessed individually, and it was asked to Draw a Man and then was applied the R-2 Test. It was performed a Variance Analysis, considering as variables age, sex and school type. It was found that age levels with six months range did not discriminate groups. Another Variance Analysis indicated that age groups with one year range could discriminate age groups and the means scores increased with age in both assessment systems. For Goodenough-Harris system it was found sex differences only in preschool children, but it was not found school type differences, showing that drawing is more associated to maturational factors than environmental factors. Norms were presented in percentiles scores by age, and separated by sex only for 5 and 6 years old. Similar results were found in Koppitz assessment and norms are presented by age and separated by sex only for 5, 6 and 7 years old children. Correlations coefficients between two assessment systems of Man Drawing scores and the R-2 Test for global sample were significant (r= 0,575 to Koppitz and r= 0,606 to Goodenoough-Harris). Correlations between two assessment systems of drawing were high and significant (0,899). Reliability retest coefficients were satisfactory (r= 0,808 to Goodenough-Harris and 0,708 to Koppitz to global sample). The Split-Half reliability to total sample was 0,923 to Goodenough-Harris and 0,857 to Koppitz. It was calculated passing items frequencies and point-biserial correlations for age and for total sample in both systems. Results were compared with researches of Harris (1963), Alves (1979), Koppitz (1973), Hutz & Antoniazzi (1995) and Sarti (1999). It was concluded that both scores systems of Man’s Drawing were adequate to cognitive assessment of São Paulo city children and can be used to screening and psychological diagnostic.

A presente dissertação apresenta um estudo compreensivo de adolescentes grávidas atendidas em hospital público. Assim traz, inicialmente, reflexões sobre a adolescência, etapa do desenvolvimento na qual se encontram grandes e importantes mudanças, sendo fundamental no processo da construção da identidade. A identidade relaciona-se, entre outros fatores, à sexualidade do adolescente e, nesse sentido, a gravidez nessa época da vida se configura como uma situação que traz preocupações aos profissionais de saúde, educação e à sociedade como um todo. Dessa forma, são discutidos os temas: a sexualidade do adolescente e os diversos aspectos relativos à gestação na adolescência (os sociais, como o abandono escolar, os emocionais e a saúde física da mãe e da criança), também apresentando estudos da literatura sobre esses temas. Essa investigação visa apresentar dados que favorecem a compreensão de aspectos psicológicos de adolescentes gestantes, mecanismos de defesas, relações, formas de lidar com a realidade, o desenvolvimento da identidade e ainda contribuir para a validação das técnicas gráficas empregadas. Foi seguido um método quantitativo, com 86 adolescentes do sexo feminino divididas em dois grupos, o clínico composto 44 adolescentes gestantes, e um controle, sem suspeita de gravidez, submetidas a aplicações individuais de duas técnicas projetivas gráficas: O teste do Desenho da Figura Humana e o teste do Desenho da Pessoa na Chuva.Os dados foram trabalhados por estudos estatísticos e permitiram observar diferença entre os dois grupos estudados e também entre as técnicas aplicadas, demonstrando que a adolescente grávida mostra-se com mais ansiedade, medo, inseguranças e imaturas e que a gravidez nessa fase, para a maioria, é vivida como uma situação de pressão, estresse e agoniante. Desse modo, a pesquisa confirma a presença de conflitos e o despreparo da jovem e da família frente à gravidez precoce, produzindo efeitos na personalidade da adolescente. Esses dados demonstram a necessidade que seja fornecido amparo e acolhimento às adolescentes gestantes, que possam favorecer o desenvolvimento dessas e também a capacidade de cuidar do filho. Dessa forma, as conclusões do estudo apontam para a necessidade de que sejam realizados mais pesquisas, e mais amplas, sobre aspectos psicológicos e emocionais dessas jovens mães e que sejam desenvolvidos programas vii de prevenção e intervenção junto a essas adolescentes e às suas famílias / This dissertation presents a comprehensive study on pregnant adolescents assisted in a public hospital. Initially, it brings out reflections about the adolescence, a stage in human development in which can be found great and important changes that are essential to the process of identity construction. The identity is related, among other factors, to the sexuality of the adolescent, and, with this in mind, pregnancy during this period of life is something that may cause concern to healthcare and education professionals as well as to the society in general. In this respect, the study presents a discussion on the following themes: sexuality of adolescents and several aspects related to pregnancy during the adolescence (social ones, such as school dropouts, emotional ones, and mother and child´s physical health), it also presents literature studies about those themes. This research aimsto present data that foster the understanding of psychological elements of pregnant adolescents, defense mechanisms, relations, ways to deal with reality, the development of identity; in addition, contribute to the validation of the employed graphic techniques. A quantitative method was followed based on 86 female adolescents who were divided into two groups; the clinic consists of 44 pregnant adolescents, and the control, of no pregnancy suspicion, who were subjected to the application of two individual graphic projective techniques: The Draw-a-Person test and the Draw-a-Person-in the rain test. The data were analyzed by statistical analysis and it provided the difference between both groups, also among the applied techniques, which shows that a pregnant adolescent is more anxious, more afraid, more insecure and immature; thus, pregnancy in this phase, for most of them, is an experience of a pressure, stressful and distressful situation. Therefore, the research confirms the existence of conflicts and the lack of the young woman and family preparation before the early pregnancy, which produces effects upon the personality of the adolescent. These data show the need of support and hospitality to pregnant adolescents in order to provide their development; moreover, the ability to take care of the child. As such, the conclusion points to the need of performing more research, and wider ones, about psychological and emotional aspects of those young mothers as well as prevention and intervention programmes involvingthese adolescents and their families

No description available.

In der Arbeit werden spezielle Kupferlote im MIG- und Laserlötverfahren an Stählen mit unterschiedlichem Festigkeitsverhalten untersucht. Die Ergebnisse sollen dazu beitragen, den Lötprozess durch den Einsatz spezieller Kupferbasislote zu optimieren und durch reduzierten Energieeintrag ein homogeneres Eigenschaftsfeld im Bereich der Fügestelle zu erzeugen. Den Verarbeitern dieser Werkstoffe soll die Möglichkeit gegeben werden, diese Werkstoffe rationeller und mit höherer Effektivität zu verarbeiten. Im Ergebnis der Arbeit sollen Verbesserungen der Eigenschaften der Lötnähte erzielt werden, die besonders in der Dünnblechverarbeitung mit Schwerpunkt Karosseriebau Anwendung finden. Wesentliche Ziele sind die Erhöhung der Festigkeitseigenschaften, eine Erhöhung der Fügegeschwindigkeit, die Verbesserung des Phosphatierungsverhaltens sowie eine Reduzierung der eingebrachten Wärmeenergie. Die Vielfältigkeit dieser Anforderungen macht es notwendig, die Versuche sowohl im Laser- als auch im MIG-Lötverfahren durchzuführen. Die Lötverfahren werden in der Praxis für unterschiedliche Anforderungen innerhalb der Karosserie eingesetzt. Das Fügen von hochfesten Strukturelementen oder Außenhautbauteilen erfordert in Abhängigkeit von den Anforderungen die Verwendung ausgewählter Zusatzwerkstoffe. Die Vielfältigkeit der Werkstoffe und der Anforderungen spiegelt sich in den Untersuchungen der vorliegenden Arbeit wieder. Für weitergehende Untersuchungen, speziell im hochfesten Blechbereich, soll die Arbeit entsprechende Grundlagen bieten. Als Vorlage für die Erarbeitung von experimentellen und theoretischen Methodiken der Prozessbetrachtung werden neben typischen Kupferloten neu entwickelte Lotlegierungen verwendet. Bei der Betrachtung der Kupferlegierungen werden die unterschiedlichen Einflüsse auf den Fügeprozess definiert und beschrieben. Es wird festgestellt, dass niedrig schmelzende Lote mit ausgewählter Legierungszusammensetzung im Gegensatz zu Eisenbasis-Schweißdrähten einen geringeren negativen Einfluss auf das Gefüge der Bleche im Nahtbereich ausüben. Um die thermische Beanspruchung, besonders in der Wärmeeinflusszone, während des Fügeprozesses gering zu halten, kann zusätzlich eine geeignete Stromquellentechnik zum Einsatz kommen. Mit Hilfe des „kalten“ Lichtbogens ist es möglich, die eingebrachte Streckenenergie weiter zu reduzieren. Faktoren, die den Energieeintrag beeinflussen, werden in der vorliegenden Arbeit in experimentellen und theoretischen Untersuchungen hinsichtlich ihrer Wirkung auf das Festigkeitsverhalten betrachtet. Es werden durch geeignete Legierungskombinationen die Einflüsse auf die Steigerung der Lötgeschwindigkeit und auf eine Verbesserung des Phosphatierungsverhaltens untersucht. Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchungen liefern die Informations- und Beweisbasis für die erarbeiteten Legierungssysteme und ermöglichen es, den optimierten Lötprozess an hochfesten Stahlblechen wissenschaftlich zu betrachten. Die Auswertung der wissenschaftlichen Experimente, dargestellt in den angefügten ausführlichen Tabellen, stellen die Zusammenhänge zwischen der Legierungsauswahl und der eingebrachten Streckenenergie dar. Die Erkenntnisse aus der vorliegenden Arbeit sollen für das Fügen von hochfesten Blechen die Entscheidung über die Auswahl geeigneter Zusatzwerkstoffe erleichtern. Die Ergebnisse der theoretischen Untersuchungen anhand mathematischer Modelle zur Beschreibung der physikalischen Prozesse der Wärmezufuhr durch Verwendung eines ausgewählten Lotes in Kombination mit geeigneter Stromquellentechnologie sind die Grundlage für die Optimierung des Lötprozesses. Die vorgeschlagenen Modelle zur Entwicklung und Optimierung von Lichtbogenlötprozessen mit neu entwickelten Lotlegierungen wurde im Rahmen der vorgelegten Arbeit an realen Blechqualitäten angewendet und überprüft. In den Ergebnissen hat sich bestätigt, dass die Verwendung spezieller Kupferlote zu verbesserten Verarbeitungseigenschaften führen, und damit Konzepte zum wirtschaftlich verbesserten Fügen angeboten werden.

The optimization of the spinning process and adjustment of the machine settings involve “Trial and Error” method resulting in the wasting of production time and material. This situation becomes worse in the spinning mills where the speed and material changes are frequent. This research includes the use of artificial neural networks to provide the thinking ability to the spinning machines to improve the yarn spinning process. Draw frame, being the central part of the spinning preparation chain and last machine to rectify the variations in the fed slivers is the main focus of the research work. Artificial neural network have been applied to the leveling action point at auto-leveler draw frame and search range of leveling action point has been considerably reduced. Moreover, the sliver and yarn characteristics have been predicted on the basis of draw frame settings using the artificial neural networks. The results of present research work can help the spinning industry in the direction of limiting of “Trial and Error” method, reduction of waste and cutting down the time losses associated with the optimizing of machines. As a vision for the future research work the concept of intelligent spinning machines has also been proposed. / Die Optimierung des Spinnprozesses und die Maschineneinstellung erfolgen häufig mittels „Trial und Error“-Methoden, die mit einem hohen Aufwand an Produktionszeit und Material einhergehen. Diese Situation ist für Spinnereien, in denen häufige Wechsel des eingesetzten Materials oder der Produktionsgeschwindigkeit nötig sind, besonders ungünstig. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt das Potenzial Neuronaler Netze, um die Spinnmaschine zum „Denken“ zu befähigen und damit die Garnherstellung effektiver zu machen. Die Strecke ist der zentrale Teil der Spinnereivorbereitungskette und bietet die letzte Möglichkeit, Inhomogenitäten im Faserband zu beseitigen. Der Fokus der Arbeit richtet sich deshalb auf diese Maschine. Künstlich Neuronale Netze werden an der Strecke zur Bestimmung des Regeleinsatzpunktes genutzt, womit eine beträchtliche Reduzierung des Aufwands für die korrekte Festlegung des Regeleinsatzpunkts erreicht wird. Darüber hinaus können mit Hilfe der Neuronalen Netze die Band- und Garneigenschaften auf Basis der Streckeneinstellungen vorausbestimmt werden. Die Resultate der vorliegenden Arbeit machen „Trial und Error“-Methoden überflüssig, reduzieren den Ausschuss und verringern die Zeitverluste bei der Maschinenoptimierung. Als Zukunftsvision wird eine Konzeption für intelligente Spinnmaschinen vorgestellt.