With the increasingly fierce industry competition and customers demanding higher quality products or service at the same time, top-notch companies and academic communities have continuously evolved many tools, methods, standards for seeking the improvements in the operational performances to bridge gaps in customers¡¦ expectations. Among these practices, Six Sigma has been recognized as a systematic and structured methodology that attempts to improve process capabilities through its focus on customers¡¦ needs. It has been described as an approach for organizational changes, which incorporates elements with quality management and business process re-engineering. However, adopting Six Sigma into effect is a costly investment, assessments of implementation performance shall be prudently made. This study is based on the perspectives of institutional theory, implementation climate, innovation-values fit, and innovation-abilities fit with some modified measures from the viewpoints of large manufacturing companies. 323 samples were taken by stratified random sampling. The major findings are (1) Normative pressure might influence the employees¡¦ intentions of innovation implementation, but not enough to cause real actions. (2) The influence of an organization¡¦s climate upon the innovation implementation is not evident. (3) Innovation -value fit has directly influenced upon the innovation implementation and can directly enhance the performance improvements. (4) The influence of Employees¡¦ current abilities upon innovation implementation is evident.

The purpose of this thesis was to establish the importance of cognitive factors in the ability to follow therapeutic diets by examining participants’ reading behaviours when shown food labels. In two laboratory experiments, 64 undergraduate students were asked to repeatedly make decisions about the safety of foods that did or did not contain specified allergen targets. Mock food labels were presented in randomized and intermixed orders, with each of 30 products being presented 15 times. At each presentation students were able to make their safety judgement with or without consulting the food ingredient list on the label. With repetition of products, participants traded the certainty of verification for the facility of using memory. Mean target accuracy did not reach 100% implying limitations to people’s reading accuracy, learning, and judgements about that learning. The findings from this study suggest that people probably choose not to read food labels as often as they should and miss seeing target ingredients when they are consulting the label.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Praveen Vadlani / Whole stillage and thin stillage from the ethanol production process were evaluated as substrate sources for the production of [beta]-carotenes using Sporobolomyces Roseus (ATCC 28988). This product has the potential to be used as a novel feed ingredient for poultry, swine, or cattle diets. [Beta]-carotenes have been supplemented in animal diets to improve animal health, enhance meat color and quality and increase vitamin A concentrations in milk and meat. Microbial fermentations involving growth and product kinetics were performed in 500 mL baffled shake flasks and in a 5 L fermentation bioreactor. Media optimization was conducted in shake flasks to evaluate two carbon sources: glucose and glycerol, and two nitrogen sources: ammonium sulfate and urea. Final [beta]-carotene concentration of 272.57±4.34 [mu]g [beta]-carotene/g biomass was found to be highest for the whole stillage, with 10 g/L added glucose and 10 g/L nitrogen added through ammonium sulfate supplementation. Glycerol addition yielded no significant increase (P<.05) in [beta]-carotene yield, while urea addition significantly decreased (P<.05) the final [beta]-carotene concentrations. The resulting fermented product can be blended with regular feed using either whole stillage as a dry feed ingredient or thin stillage as a liquid feed additive. The fermentation of whole stillage significantly influenced the physical and flow properties of the material. Even though there was a significant decrease (P<0.05) in bulk density and increase (P<0.05) in tapped density between DDGS and fermented whole stillage, there was a less pronounced difference between the whole stillage and fermented whole stillage. The fermentation of whole stillage significantly influenced the physical and flow properties of the material. This showed that the fermentation process and resulting nutritional profile had a significant effect on the resulting fermented whole stillage. A 50 L bioreactor was specifically designed to evaluate the scalability of the process and to perform subsequent feed production trails. Pilot scale feed pelleting runs were conducted and the resultant product was put in environmental chambers to determine if [beta]-carotene concentration was reduced as a result of storage. There was a significant decrease (P<0.05) in [beta]-carotene levels after pelleting and after 28 d of storage at elevated temperature and humidity. These decreases were consistent with previous research.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Daniel M. O'Brien / In the manufacturing process one decision that is common to all industries is the sourcing of intermediate goods used in production. The decision to make internally verses to outsource can affect a firm's comparative advantage and increased company profits. This project deals with sourcing trace minerals used in the production of feed for the commercial production of food animals in the United States. From looking at the sources of minerals to the industry to the current market structure of the trace mineral production industry in the U.S. the question is asked whether trace minerals can be sourced differently for the client to gain this advantage. The specific objective of this research project is to determine whether it is more profitable either to purchase or manufacture trace mineral blends for use in feed ration formulations for a number of plants owned by a representative livestock feed company in western Kansas. The company has several feed plants in operation in the central Great Plains region. Does the company have enough volume of trace mineral usage to enable it to profitably produce its own mineral blends at one of its feed plants? If trace minerals can be profitably produced by the company, it will lead to a decrease in feed production cost for all of its plants. It is possible that this study will show that there is a large enough degree of consolidation in the U.S. mineral blending industry that there is little or no "room" or opportunity available in the competitive raw ingredient market to increase margin by self-producing trace minerals verses outsourcing. The rationale behind this perspective is that the supply of trace mineral blends is controlled tightly by a few existing suppliers / manufacturers who have enough market power and the subsequent ability to limit the entry of new firms. The raw ingredients required to produce these blends could not be purchased economically enough to realize any cost savings in the trace mineral production process.

El presente trabajo de investigación busca conocer la viabilidad de implementar un modelo de negocio innovador centrado en el servicio de entrega de ingredientes medidos en cantidades exactas para la realización de postres en Lima, Perú. El cual se creó bajo el nombre de The Baker Box. Este modelo de negocio nace como la alternativa para abastecer de ingredientes en cantidades específicas para las porciones requeridas en las recetas, evitando así el desuso de ingredientes, el tedioso proceso de compra y búsqueda de ingredientes, así como evitar los errores en la ejecución de la receta provocados por fallas en la medición. Para ello, se realizaron cierta cantidad de experimentos que permitieron validar el proyecto, además de recabar información valiosa que sirvió para la mejora de procesos de creación. Con el objetivo de desarrollar y mantener un crecimiento constante del negocio, se realizó un plan estratégico dotado de análisis, acciones y estrategias que permitieron hacer realidad la mejora del negocio. Asimismo, durante toda la creación del proyecto, se consideró de manera significativa el sentir y actuar de los usuarios amantes de los postres a modo de retroalimentación para una mejora continua. En base a todo lo realizado se pudo encontrar que el modelo de negocio que ofrece The Baker Box es viable, escalable y, más importante aún, rentable. / This research work seeks to understand the feasibility of implementing an innovative business model focused on the delivery of ingredients measured in exact quantities for the production of desserts in Lima, Peru. It was created under the name of The Baker Box. This business model was born as the alternative to supply ingredients in specific quantities for the portions required in the recipes, thus avoiding the disuse of ingredients, the tedious process of buying and searching for ingredients, as well as avoiding errors in the execution of the recipe caused by measurement failures. To this end, a number of experiments were carried out to validate the project, in addition to gathering valuable information that served to improve the creation process. With the aim of developing and maintaining a constant growth of the business, a strategic plan was made with analysis, actions and strategies that allowed the improvement of the business to become a reality. Likewise, throughout the creation of the project, the feelings and actions of the dessert lovers were considered in a significant way as feedback for continuous improvement. Based on all that was done, it was possible to find that the business model offered by The Baker Box is viable, scalable and, most importantly, profitable. / Trabajo de investigación

In many parts of the world where milk production is limited, there is an opportunity to process dairy foods from imported concentrated milk products. Dry ingredients can be shipped conveniently and some can be stored several months generally without deterioration. In these milk deficient areas, dried ingredients of good quality and with proper processing should increase the use and consumption of dairy products. A large supply of high quality milk by-products which are fit for human consumption are available in the world today. Many investigators and manufacturers have used dried milk by-products as a source of milk solids in frozen desserts with favorable results. It is possible to process ice cream mix using dry ingredients only. Such ingredients include nonfat dry milk, dried buttermilk, dried whey or dried whole milk. Butter oil or vegetable oils may be used as the source of fat. Dried dairy ingredients can be used to make a good quality ice cream which has a relatively low cost and is convenient to process. In countries where fluid milk is scarce the use of dried products in frozen desserts allows more fresh milk to be marketed as such. In this study it is planned to investigate the sources, uses in processing, and quality results of dry ingredients in ice cream.

Master of Science / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / Daniel A. Anderson / Most of the e-commerce websites like Amazon, EBay, hotels, trip advisor etc. use recommender systems to recommend products to their users. Some of them use the knowledge of history/ of all users to recommend what kind of products the current user may like (Collaborative filtering) and some use the knowledge of the products which the user is interested in and make recommendations (Content based filtering). An example is Amazon which uses both kinds of techniques.. These recommendation systems can be represented in the form of a graph where the nodes are users and products and edges are between users and products. The aim of this project is to build a recommender system for recipes by using the data from allrecipes.com. Allrecipes.com is a popular website used all throughout the world to post recipes, review them and rate them. To understand the data set one needs to know how the recipes are posted and rated in allrecipes.com, whose details are given in the paper. The network of allrecipes.com consists of users, recipes and ingredients. The aim of this research project is to extensively study about two algorithms adsorption and matrix factorization, which are evaluated on homogeneous networks and try them on the heterogeneous networks and analyze their results. This project also studies another algorithm that is used to propagate influence from one network to another network. To learn from one network and propagate the same information to another network we compute flow (influence of one network on another) as described in [7]. The paper introduces a variant of adsorption that takes the flow values into account and tries to make recommendations in the user-recipe and the user-ingredient networks. The results of this variant are analyzed in depth in this paper.

En quoi peut-on définir un individu compétent en éthique ? Si la compétence éthique se caractérise par une capacité à adopter la manière d’agir la plus ajustée à la situation vécue, la confrontation aux réalités de terrain doit mettre en évidence les débats de normes sous-jacents à cette compétence éthique. Nous nous proposons de la rendre plus lisible et de la réactualiser en repérant les éléments qui constituent l’activité de travail, notamment celle des professionnels de santé à l’œuvre dans les hôpitaux publics de Marseille (APHM). Comment être compétent en éthique dans des services accueillant un public hétérogène du point de vue des maladies, de la culture et des valeurs ? Dans la lignée des travaux en ergologie, cette étude propose d’appréhender la compétence éthique en donnant la parole au travail et en analysant les savoirs et les « usages de soi » des soignants. / How can we define a competent individual in ethics ? If ethical skill is characterized by an ability to adopt the way to act as fairas possible to the lived situation, the confrontation with realities must highlight debates of standards underlying the ethical skill. We propose to make it more readable and to update it by identifying the elements that constitute the work activity, in particular that of healthcare professionals at work in the public hospitals of Marseille (APHM). How to be competent in services welcoming a heterogeneous public from the point of view of the diseases, of the culture and the values ? In the line with Ergologie’s work, this study proposes to perceive ethical skill with language exists in work and analyzing the knowledge and the « uses of one » of the nursing staff.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar, em presença de multi-carboidrase (MC: galactomananase, xilanase, beta-glucanase, e alfa-galactosidase) e fitase (10.000 FTU/g) o balanço nutricional, uso aparente da energia (EMA), a digestibilidade ileal aparente e estandardizada dos aminoácidos em diferentes ingredientes usados na alimentação de frangos de corte. Sob o delineamento inteiramente casualizado 1960 frangos machos (Cobb 500) foram distribuídos do 1 aos 21 dias de idade para receberem cinco tratamentos, em sete repetições com sete aves cada. A adaptação das aves às gaiolas, sob níveis nutricionais dietéticos recomendados à fase, se deu do 1º ao 10º dia de idade. A seguir, receberam as dietas experimentais dos 11 aos 18 dias, quando se procedeu a coleta de excretas, período esse, definido como Ensaio 1. A partir do 19º dia as aves receberam nova dieta até os 21 dias de idade, quando se deu o abate para amostragens do conteúdo ileal, período definido como Ensaio 2. As dietas do período experimental foram: dieta de referência e quatro dietas a base de milho (Ensaio 1) e quatro dietas a base de amido de milho (Ensaio 2). As dietas experimentais tinham como única fonte de proteína 30% do ingrediente testado, sendo fornecidas sob arranjo fatorial 2 MC (0 ou 200 mg/kg) x 2 fitase (0 ou 50 mg/kg). Os ingredientes testados foram: farelo de trigo, farelo de arroz, sorgo, farelo de canola, farelo de girassol, milho, farelo de soja e soja integral extrusada. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância utilizando o PROC GLM do SAS 9.2. As enzimas melhoraram (P < 0,05) o balanço de nutrientes, a EMA, digestibilidade ileal aparente e estandardizada dos aminoácidos nos diferentes ingredientes testados. Separada ou combinada a multi-carboidrase e fitase tiveram eficiência diferenciada para cada ingrediente estudado e utilizado na formulação das rações de frangos de corte na fase inicial, correspondente ao período de 14 aos 21 dias de idade / The aim of this study was to determine the effects of multi-carbohydrase (MC, that consist in: galactomannanase, xylanase, beta-glucanase and alpha-galactosidase) and phytase (10000 FTU/g of activity) the nutrients balance, apparent energy use (AME), apparent and standardized ileal amino acids digestibility in some feedstuffs fed to young chickens. Under a completely randomized design 1960 male broilers (Cobb 500) were allotted from 1 to 21 days old to receive five treatments in seven replicates with seven birds each. Birds cages adaptation under dietary nutritional levels recommended to the stage occurred from the 1st to 10th day of age. Then, the birds received the experimental diet from 11 to 18 days when was realized the excreta collection, period defined as Assay 1. From the 19th day the birds received the new diet until 21 days old when birds were slaughter for ileal digesta collection, this period was defined like Assay 2. The experimental diets were: one reference diet and four corn-based diets (Assay 1) and four corn-starch-based diets (Assay 2). The experimental diets containing 30% of ingredient test as a sole protein source in 2 MC (0 or 200 mg/kg) x 2 phytase (0 or 50 mg/kg) factorial arrangement. The ingredients tested were: wheat bran, rice bran, sorghum, canola meal, sunflower meal, corn, soybean meal and extruded soybean meal. Data were subjected to variance analysis using the PROC GLM of SAS 9.2. Enzymes improved (P < 0.05) the nutrients balance, AME use, apparent and standardized ileal amino acids digestibility on different tested ingredients. Isolated or combined the multi-carbohydrase and phytase have different efficiency for each studied ingredient and used on feed formulation for broiler chickens in initial phase, that corresponding from 14 to 21 days old

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a adição de diferentes níveis de levedura (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) inativa e desidratada às rações, associados ao plasma sangüíneo e ao ácido glutâmico, sobre o desempenho e morfologia intestinal de leitões na fase inicial. Para tanto, foram realizados dois experimentos, cada um com três tratamentos de quatro repetição com 22 animais em fase de creche (21 à 59 dias), totalizando 264 leitões por experimento. Os animais foram distribuídos em delineamento em blocos casualizados nos dois experimentos. Ambos foram divididos em quatro fases experimentais correspondentes as trocas das dietas: pré - inicial 1(21-28), pré - inicial 2 (29-35), pré - inicial 3 (36-42). O experimento 1 teve os seguintes tratamentos: Ração Pré Inicial 1 - A - 5% de levedura inativa, 4% de plasma, 1% de ácido glutâmico; B - 3% de levedura inativa, 2% de levedura hidrolisada, 4% de plasma e 1% de ácido glutâmico; C - 3% de levedura inativa, 2% de levedura hidrolisada, 4% de plasma. Ração Pré Inicial 2 - A - 4% de levedura inativa, 3% de plasma, 0,8% de ácido glutâmico; B - 3% de levedura inativa, 1% de levedura hidrolisada, 3% de plasma e 0,8% de ácido glutâmico; C - 3% de levedura inativa, 1% de levedura hidrolisada, 3% de plasma. Ração Pré Inicial 3 - A - 2% de levedura inativa, 1,5% de plasma, 0,6% de ácido glutâmico; B - 2% de levedura, 0,5% de levedura hidrolisada, 1,5% de plasma e 0,6% de ácido glutâmico; C - 2% de levedura, 0,5% de levedura hidrolisada, 1,5% de plasma. E o experimento 2 teve os seguintes tratamentos: Ração Pré Inicial 1 - A - 5% de levedura inativa, 3% de plasma; B - 5% de levedura inativa, 3% de plasma e 1% de ácido glutâmico; C - 3% de levedura inativa, 2% de levedura hidrolisada, 3% de plasma e 1% de ácido glutâmico. Ração Pré Inicial 2 - A - 4% de levedura inativa, 2% de plasma; B - 4% de levedura inativa, 2% de plasma, 0,8% de ácido glutâmico; C - 3% de levedura inativa, 1% de levedura hidrolisada, 2% de plasma e 0,8% de ácido glutâmico. Ração Pré Inicial 3 - A - 2% de levedura inativa, 1,0% de plasma; B - 2% de levedura inativa, 1,0% de plasma, 0,6% de ácido glutâmico; C - 2% de levedura, 0,5% de levedura hidrolisada, 1,0% de plasma e 0,6% de ácido glutâmico. A levedura hidrolisada demonstrou aspectos positivos para sua utilização em dieta de leiões nas fases críticas pós desmama podendo promover melhora no desempenho zootécnico e na morfologia intestinal dos animais. / The objective of this study was to evaluate the addition of different levels of hidrolysed and inactive yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in feed, with spray dried blood plasma and glutamic acid on performance and intestinal morphology of weaned piglets. Two experiments were conducted, each with three treatmens, four replicates with 22 animals in the nursery phase (21 to 59 days of age), totaling 264 pigs per experiment. The piglets were distributed in randomized block design in both experiments. The experiments were divided in four phases corresponding experimental diets: pre - starter 1 (21-28), pre - starter 2 (29-35), pre - starter 3 (36-42). Experiment 1 had the following treatments: Pre starter 1 - A - 5% of inactive yeast, 4% plasma, 1% glutamic acid; B - 3% of inactive yeast, 2% hydrolyzed yeast, 4% plasma and 1% glutamic acid; C - 3% inactive yeast, 2% hydrolyzed yeast, 4% of plasma. Pre starter 2 - A - 4% inactive yeast, 3% plasma, 0.8% glutamic acid; B - 3 % inactive yeast, 1% hydrolyzate yeast, 3% plasma, 0.8% glutamic acid; C - 3% inactive yeast, 1% hydrolyzate yeast, 3% of plasma. Pre starter 3 - 2% inactive yeast, 1.5% plasma, 0.6% glutamic acid; B - 2% inactive yeast, 0.5% hydrolyzate yeast, 1.5% and plasma 0 6% glutamic acid; C - 2% inactive yeast, 0.5% hydrolyzate yeast, 1.5% plasma. And the experiment 2 had the following treatments: Pre starter 1 - A - 5% inactive yeast, 3% plasma; B - 5% inactive yeast, 3% plasma and 1% glutamic acid; C - 3% inactive yeast , 2% hydrolyzate yeast, 3% plasma and 1% glutamic acid. Pre starter 2 - A - 4% inactive yeast, 2% plasma; B - 4% inactive yeast, 2% plasma, 0.8% glutamic acid; C - 3% inactive yeast, 1% hydrolyzate yeast, 2 % plasma and 0.8% of glutamic acid. Pre starter 3 - A - 2% inactive yeast, 1.0% plasma; B - 2% inactive yeast, 1.0% plasma, 0.6% glutamic acid; C - 2% inactive yeast, 0, 5% hydrolyzate yeast 1.0% of plasma and 0.6% glutamic acid. Yeast hydrolyzate showed positive aspects to their use in diet after weaning can promote improvement in performance and intestinal morphology of animals.