<p>The use of both percutaneous and tunnelled central venous catheters in hospitalized patients has increased markedly over the last decade (Camp-Sorrell, 1990). With this increase, there is a clinical need to have an occlusive central line dressing to maintain a barrier to possible site contamination. This randomized control trial examined the use of the transparent dressing OpSite Wound (Smith and Nephew-Ine.) versus the ransparent dressing LV. 3000 (Smith & Nephew Inc.) in its ability to maintain an occlusive central line dressing. The study took place at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals McMaster Division from June 1991 to September 1991. Adult medical-surgical patients who had a central line in place for longer than 48 hours were eligible for the study. Twenty five central lines were randomized to either the control group (OpSite Wound) or the experimental group (LV. 3000) An independent assessor saw all study patients daily to document dressing adhesiveness and the number of dressing changes performed. Analysis showed that the LV. 3000 dressing was changed every 5.5 days as opposed to the OpSite Wound dressing that was changed every 2.6 days. This difference was both statistically and clinically significant Analysis also showed that the dressings covering central lines with no intravenous in-line attachment (pigtail) were changed more frequently than the dressings covering central lines with an attached pigtail. This difference was also statistically significant The LV. 3000 dressing therefore, provides an occlusive central line dressing that is changed one-half the number of times that the OpSite Wound dressing is changed, or in other words, the OpSite. Wound dressing is changed twice as often as the I.V. 3000 dressing when used on central lines.</p> / Master of Health Sciences (MSc)

From observations of the field and laboratory operations, several ideas as to improvement of the construction and operation of the pasteurizer were conceived. / Master of Science

The main purpose of this study was 1) to determine the current status of research and development activities in the foodservice industry, with precise emphasis on lodging and restaurant segments, and its supplier-- food equipment manufacturers, 2) to ascertain the perceived future need for research and development in the industries identified in number 1, and 3) to formulate major research thrusts for the 1980’s. The data for this study were collected between March and April of 1982 through questionnaires that were sent to 881 organizations in foodservice and related industries across the nation. A total of 231 respondents participating in the study which provide information on research and development activities, as well as demographic data. Frequency distribution of the tallied responses as the respondents answered the twenty-two questions in the questionnaire are reported. This provides a general overview of the samples demographically as well as the R & D profiles. The R & D profiles describe the industry segments in terms of their R & D expenditure, number of R & D staff members, the internal process of research projects from initiation to market introduction, the current level of activities in research and development activities, as well as their perceived research problems in the future. Six sets of hypotheses were established to determine the relationship between the R & D efforts and selected variables that were assumed to demonstrate a correlation with extensive efforts in R & D. T-test, Wilcoxon’s rank sum, analysis of variance, Jonkeere and Gamma tests were utilized to test these hypotheses whenever possible. The level of significance was set at 0.05. The results indicate that there were statistically significant differences in the level of business volume and the size of company among the total respondents and the intensity of the research and development efforts. / Master of Science

The research conducted in this thesis is concerned with the study of a two-stage production process existing at the Standard Register's (previously Burroughs Corporation) Paper Products Division plant in Rocky Mount, VA. The objective is to develop a mathematical programming based model and algorithm to allocate and sequence work orders in order to improve the plant's productivity and reduce the labor and material costs. The proposed algorithm is based on Lagrangian Relaxation and Benders' decomposition techniques, which exploit the inherent generalized assignment and travelling salesman problem substructures in the model. The algorithm is computationally intensive and generates (near) optimal solutions with a reasonable amount of effort. Heuristic algorithmic procedures for the generation of good solutions for large-sized problems is also proposed. / M.S.

M.S.

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science

Preferences for four types of hand pruners were solicited from an active elderly population and these preferences were analysed in relation to anthropometric and demographic characteristics of sample members. Participants at senior multipurpose centers included thirty-four females and sixteen males ranging from fifty-two to eighty-three years of age. The subjects were surveyed individually in a single session in which the investigator asked selected demographic questions, measured their grip strength and hand length and recorded their ranking and evaluation of four pruners. The independent variables included, age, sex, hand length, grip strength, dwelling, problems with hands, and experiences with hand pruners. Relationships between sex and hand size, and sex and grip strength were assessed with t-testing. The four pruners were chosen to reflect the following combinations: hook and blade with simple lever, anvil and blade with simple lever, hook and blade with compound lever, and anvil and blade with ratchet mechanism. Other characteristics included handle design and weight. The Friedman ranking test was used to determine the factors which significantly affected pruner preferences. Of the variables measured, sex, hand size, grip strength, and type of residence were associated with pruner preference. Of those groups displaying significant results from the Friedman ranking tests, only the group containing the top third strongest grip strengths showed a rank order with the compound lever pruner higher than the simple lever hook and blade pruner. T-tests showed relationships between sex and hand length, and sex and grip strength. The simple levered anvil and blade pruner placed highest in all significant rankings while the compound and ratchet were placed low in the rankings. The compound pruner did not appeal to many of the participants because of by its heaviness and the design of its handles while the ratchet pruner was resisted because of the multiple squeezes needed for proper use. Recommendations for choosing pruners and other hand tools were made along with suggestions for further investigations of factors affecting preferences for hand tools. / Master of Science

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1956 W47 / Master of Science