No description available.

We present a new course titled “Introduction to the Mathematical Sciences.” The course content is 1/3 algebra, 1/3 statistics, and 1/3 computer science and is taught in a laboratory environment on computers. The course pedagogy departs radically from traditional mathematics courses taught in the U.S. and makes extensive use of spreadsheet software to teach algebraic and statistical concepts. The course is currently offered in area high schools and two-year postsecondary institutions with financial support from a Blandin Foundation grant (referenced under BFG). We will present empirical evidence that indicates students in this course learn more algebra than students in a traditional semester-long algebra course. Additionally, we present empirical evidence that students learn statistical and computer science topics in addition to algebra. We will also present the model of developing this course which depended on increasing future student success in a variety of disciplines at the post-secondary level of study.

In Kenya, 69 percent of populations depend on biomass fuels to meet their cooking needs. The incomplete combustion of biomass is performed in insufficiently ventilated settings thus exposing human health and environment to toxic pollution. To date, women and children in resource limited settings have been most vulnerable to severe respiratory infections. The promotion of the Improved Biomass Cookstoves has become a popular issue in policy, research and practice. Community Based Organizations have however faced serious challenges in increasing sustainable use of the cookstoves among users. This qualitative study investigates the role of Community Based Organizations in promoting the Improved Biomass Cookstoves through women’s empowerment initiatives. It applies focus group interviews, questionnaire and formal interviews. 11 interview forms were administered to 30 women, 2 key informants and 3 implementing Community Based Organization representatives in Dunga wetland community. A combination of previous research and this empirical study show that economic resources, small diameter stove designs as well as insufficient policy support hinder effective stove programmes. While there is general adoption, women lack sufficient income and ownership of land which is a significant resource to empowerment. Women informal financial networks are instrumental in driving behavioral change towards clean cooking in the community. Sufficient gender sensitive policy intervention and support can provide effective channels to ensure sustainable incomes of women, livelihoods and stove use.

This Diploma Thesis is focused on the issues of care for the traditional folk culture in the Czech Republic. In the theoretical part there is described the development of international and Czech legislative in the field of traditional folk culture, which has an impact on the practical care. The care is practised by the assigned regional centres of care for traditional folk culture in all regions of the Czech Republic. The assigned centres work in accordance with the Strategy of Improved Care for Traditional Folk Culture in the Czech Republic 2011-2015. Aim of this thesis is to find out by means of analysis and comparison whether the assigned regional centres fulfil the specific tasks formulated in the Strategy. For this purpose a special questionnaire was created and evaluated. The results of the analysis will be used as a source material by the Ministry of Culture Czech Republic. On the basis of the results it will be possible to change, reduce of re-formulate the tasks for the regional centres in the new Strategy.

This thesis is about product and process development. The thesis has been done at ABB Robotics AB in Västerås under 20 weeks with half study pace, which is equivalent to 15 higher education credits (15hp). Thesis purpose was to improve an assembly station for assembling of robot IRB 360. Problems at the assembly station are that there are some non-value-creating activities and assembling methods which correspond to low safety factor for workers. The focus of thesis was to investigate opportunities and to produce solid proposals for how to eliminate these problems. After a written contract with ABB AB, the work started with the planning with the company supervisor and Gantt Schema was created to schedule all steps for this project, to ensure during the process. The project has followed the methods described in the book "Produktutveckling konstruktion och design " by Karl T Ulrich & Steven D Eppinger. Product development tools like Quality function deployment (QFD), functional analysis, specification of requirement and Pugh's analysis matrix have been used in the development process. In the first phase of the project, observation and investigation has been performed to identify and analyse problems. In the later phases, ideas and concepts has created to solve the problems and achieve successful results. The result of the project is an improved material flow at assembling stations which eliminates nonvalue-creating activities and leads to better safety for workers. Another result of the project is an elimination of hand hammering at assembling station and for this purpose a new pressing tool has been developed for pressing down a seals around radial shaft in assembling process. The software Solidworks has been used to create a new 3D layout for the existing assembly station to understand and find the better solution for material flow. Solidworks is also used for doing Finite element method (FEM) analysis to validate the new developed pressing tool. / Detta examensarbete handlar om produkt och processutveckling. Arbetet utfördes hos ABB Robotics AB i Västerås och bedrivs under 20 veckor långt på halvfart vilket motsvarar 15 högskolepoäng. Uppdraget är att förbättra en monteringsstation för plockningsrobot IRB360 FlexPicker. Problem på monteringsstation är att det sker icke värdeskapande aktiviteter, och monteringsprocess som leder till arbetsmiljöproblem. Arbetet fokus var att undersöka möjligheter och ta fram konkreta förslag att hur man kan eliminera dessa problem. Efter skriftligt kontrakt med ABB AB, arbetet började med planeringen med företaget handledare och skapades Gantt Schema. Projektet har följt metoderna som beskrivs i boken ”Produktutveckling konstruktion och design” av författare Karl T Ulrich & Steven D Eppinger. I utvecklingsprocessen har använt produktutvecklingsverktyg, några av dessa är QFD, funktionsanalys, kravspecifikation och Pughs analysmatris. I första fas av projekt gjorde undersökning och observation för att hitta och analysera problem. I senare faserna genererade koncepter för åtgärden och sedan vidare utvecklades utvalda koncept för nå framgångsrikt resultat. Resultatet av arbetet blev förbättrad materialflöde som eliminerar icke värdeskapande aktiviteter. Dessutom utvecklades fram ett nytt pressverktyg som eliminerar arbetsmiljöproblem. Mjukvaran Solidworks har använt för att skapa en ny layout för monteringsstation. Med hjälp av Solidworks gjordes FEM -analys (Finita elementmetoden) för att validera den nya pressverktyg

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MSc (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology / See the attached abstract below

Platinum(II) complexes [(NHC)Pt(L)] with various β-diketonate based auxiliary ligands (L: 3-meacac = 3-methylacetylacetonato, dpm = dipivaloylmethanato, dbm = dibenzoylmethanato, mesacac = dimesitoylmethanato, duratron = bis(2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzoyl)methanato) and a C^C* cyclometalated N-heterocyclic carbene ligand (NHC: dpbic = 1,3-iphenylbenzo[d]imidazol-2-ylidene, dpnac = 1,3-diphenylnaphtho[2,3-d]imidazol-2-ylidene or bnbic = 1-phenyl-3-benzylbenzo[d]imidazol-2-ylidene) were found to show different aggregation and photophysical properties depending on the auxiliary ligand. Eight complexes were prepared from a silver(I)–NHC intermediate by transmetalation, cyclometalation and subsequent treatment with potassium-tert-butanolate and β-diketone. They were fully characterized by standard techniques including ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR. Five complexes were additionally characterized by 2D NMR spectroscopy (COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY). Solid-state structures of five complexes could be obtained and show the tendency of the square-planar compounds to form pairs with different Pt–Pt distances depending on the bulkiness of the substituents at the auxiliary ligand. The result of the photophysical measurements in amorphous PMMA films reveals quantum yields of up to 85% with an emission maximum in the blue region and comparatively short decay lifetimes (3.6 µs). Density functional theory (DFT/TD-DFT) calculations were performed to elucidate the emission process and revealed a predominant ³ILCT/³MLCT character. Organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) comprising one of the complexes achieved 12.6% EQE, 11.9 lm W⁻¹ luminous efficacy and 25.2 cd A⁻¹ current efficiency with a blue emission maximum at 300 cd m⁻². The influence of an additional hole-transporter in the emissive layer was investigated and found to improve the device lifetime by a factor of seven.

The study investigated the possibility of developing a monitoring and evaluation tool to capacitate the South African Department of Home Affairs towards the sustainability of its mobile unit project. As South Africa has a history of gross discrepancies in the appropriation of services by the citizenry, a fleet of 117 mobile trucks was deployed as part of the 2004 Turnaround Strategy. The chosen structural-functionalist theoretical vantage point informed a quantitative baseline survey in which the views of thirty eight respondents in six provinces and across various ranks were gauged. The majority expressed positive views about the sustainability of the mobile units beyond project phase. They expressed confidence in the goals, relevance and realistic nature of the mobile units. In the SWOT analysis, the respondents expressed more strengths and opportunities than weaknesses and threats. These findings form the baseline for the development of the intended M&E framework. / Sociology / M.A. (Sociology)

We present a new course titled “Introduction to the Mathematical Sciences.” The course content is 1/3 algebra, 1/3 statistics, and 1/3 computer science and is taught in a laboratory environment on computers. The course pedagogy departs radically from traditional mathematics courses taught in the U.S. and makes extensive use of spreadsheet software to teach algebraic and statistical concepts. The course is currently offered in area high schools and two-year postsecondary institutions with financial support from a Blandin Foundation grant (referenced under BFG). We will present empirical evidence that indicates students in this course learn more algebra than students in a traditional semester-long algebra course. Additionally, we present empirical evidence that students learn statistical and computer science topics in addition to algebra. We will also present the model of developing this course which depended on increasing future student success in a variety of disciplines at the post-secondary level of study.